NHAI has made Automated and Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction compulsory for highway projects longer than 20 km (AI generated image) NEW DELHI: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has made Automated and Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction (AI-MC) compulsory for all highway projects longer than 20 km in length and costing over Rs 500 crore, in what’s a move aimed at addressing quality issues, which have become a major concern for govt.As per an NHAI circular issued on Friday, contractors will have to use the AI-MC system while building the road from the ground up and continuously across the entire spatial footprint of the project. The technology will be used for every major layer of highway, including embankment (raised earth foundation), subgrade (compacted soil base) and Granular Sub-Base (GSB) — the first layer of crushed stone, sand and gravel laid over the compacted soil before the road surface is built.The move is aimed at improving construction quality and ensuring roads are built with greater accuracy and uniformity. AI-MC is a construction technology with on-board computers and sensors on heavy machinery such as graders, pavers, compactors and dozers. Deployment of AI-MC aims to improve the quality, durability and transparency of road construction by replacing manual monitoring with technology-driven, real-time execution and quality control.TOI has learnt that though AI-MC was first deployed during construction of Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, it was not used on the entire stretch and at all grades.Officials said the move is designed to minimise human errors, ensure uniform construction standards and generate digital records of every stage of construction, from earthwork to pavement laying. “The new norms make it mandatory to share real-time data with NHAI officials. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThis is good for contractors and for us as well. Once the contractor gets real-time data, there will be hardly any scope for sub-contractors to cut corners,” said an official.Some of the industry players in AI-MC segment said that contractors are reluctant to share real-time data with NHAI and other highway construction agencies as this makes them accountable. “Unless NHAI and other agencies get the data in real time, the impact of using the technology will be negligible. It must not be used in a piecemeal way if govt is serious about putting things in order,” said one of them.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Oldest Trick In RSS Playbook’: Owaisi Slams Mohan Bhagwat’s Hindu-Muslim Unity Call In New YorkWho Is Divya Mittal? IAS Officer’s Resignation After 13 Years Sparks Online DebateIndia, Uzbekistan Ink Long-Term Uranium Deal: How The Pact Boosts Delhi’s Nuclear Ambitions7 Weeks Pregnant When She Died: Punjabi Influencer Manjeet Kaur’s Death Case Turns Murkier’Do You Feel You Are A Lord?’: Bombay High Court Raps Tukaram Mundhe-Led FDA Over MCA Order‘If Any Hindu Thinks…’: Opposition, Muslim Boards Respond To RSS Chief Bhagwat’s New York RemarksBJP Reprimands Three Delhi MPs Over Visit To Sajjan Kumar’s Home After His DeathKolkata Police Files Case Against Mamata Banerjee Over Rally, TMC Hits Back At BJP Govt | WatchRahul Gandhi Slams BJP-RSS Over Kharge ‘Shuddhikaran’, Demands Action Under SC/ST ActPakistani Drones Spotted Along LoC: Indian Army Intensifies Surveillance In J&K | Watch123PhotostoriesStunning Moroccan royal tiaras that make European crowns look almost ordinaryBigg Boss Malayalam Agnipareeksha: Meet the 12 commoners battling for a spot in the house10 baby boy names starting with the letter AYour gut bacteria need food too: 10 everyday foods that can help nourish the gut microbiome and improve gut healthExclusive – Khatron Ke Khiladi 15: Karan Wahi on doing the stunt-based show for the third time, bond with Avinash-Rithvik and performing stunts handpicked based on their fearsOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals how you approach difficult situations in lifeKajal to kumkum: Traditional Indian beauty products that became cultural symbolsParkinson’s isn’t always obvious: The changes in your walk, handwriting, face and voice that may be warning signsAnumol’s Dreamy Wedding Looks You Can’t MissKidney stones can build up silently: These common foods may increase your risk, especially if eaten too often123Hot PicksNepal floodUGC NET June 2026 resultCNG Price HikeMumbai milk priceRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderInflation dataTop TrendingManjeet KaurKim KardashianMaya Higa FianceTravis KelceBrittany MahomesTravis Kelce BusinessKai CenatCoco GauffsNaomi OsakaLebron James
NEW DELHI: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has made Automated and Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction (AI-MC) compulsory for all highway projects longer than 20 km in length and costing over Rs 500 crore, in what’s a move aimed at addressing quality issues, which have become a major concern for govt.As per an NHAI circular issued on Friday, contractors will have to use the AI-MC system while building the road from the ground up and continuously across the entire spatial footprint of the project. The technology will be used for every major layer of highway, including embankment (raised earth foundation), subgrade (compacted soil base) and Granular Sub-Base (GSB) — the first layer of crushed stone, sand and gravel laid over the compacted soil before the road surface is built.The move is aimed at improving construction quality and ensuring roads are built with greater accuracy and uniformity. AI-MC is a construction technology with on-board computers and sensors on heavy machinery such as graders, pavers, compactors and dozers. Deployment of AI-MC aims to improve the quality, durability and transparency of road construction by replacing manual monitoring with technology-driven, real-time execution and quality control.TOI has learnt that though AI-MC was first deployed during construction of Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, it was not used on the entire stretch and at all grades.Officials said the move is designed to minimise human errors, ensure uniform construction standards and generate digital records of every stage of construction, from earthwork to pavement laying. “The new norms make it mandatory to share real-time data with NHAI officials.
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This is good for contractors and for us as well. Once the contractor gets real-time data, there will be hardly any scope for sub-contractors to cut corners,” said an official.Some of the industry players in AI-MC segment said that contractors are reluctant to share real-time data with NHAI and other highway construction agencies as this makes them accountable. “Unless NHAI and other agencies get the data in real time, the impact of using the technology will be negligible. It must not be used in a piecemeal way if govt is serious about putting things in order,” said one of them.