Contractor Wins AGC Innovation Award for AI-Powered “Asphalt Guru”

Granite Construction, a contractor and materials provider based in California, has been awarded $7,000 by the Associated General Contractors of America for its innovative AI-based virtual assistant called Asphalt Guru. The tool, which aims to capture decades of industry experience, was recognized as the grand prize winner at the AGC Innovation Awards during the organization’s recent annual convention in Columbus, Ohio. The Asphalt Guru tool is designed to mitigate the loss of expertise that occurs when veteran industry professionals retire. It is built on insights and real-world experiences gathered from interviews with seasoned asphalt experts, as well as content from Asphalt Basics courses, industry publications, safety reports, equipment specifications, and internal knowledge resources at Granite Construction. The development of this AI-powered database was a joint effort involving Granite’s IT department, the Asphalt Center of Excellence, and the Construction Technology group. The award from AGC will support Granite Construction in enhancing and promoting the Asphalt Guru tool. In addition to Granite Construction, LIFTbuild’s Vertical Manufacturing method for high-rise construction and Old Fashioned LLC’s union-led apprenticeship program were awarded second and third place, respectively, for their innovative contributions to the construction industry.