AECOM AI Centre Targets Smarter Underground Infrastructure Planning in Singapore

AECOM’s Underground Infrastructure AI Innovation Centre in Singapore is developing artificial intelligence tools to improve underground utility mapping, automate design workflows and help planners manage increasingly congested subsurface infrastructure. The centre is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board and focuses on applying AI to complex infrastructure planning in dense urban environments.

The initiative combines artificial intelligence, geographic information systems and advanced surveying technologies to improve the quality of underground infrastructure data and reduce delays caused by incomplete or inaccurate utility information.

AI Automates Underground Utility Design

AECOM is developing software that can automate parts of the underground utility design and survey process.

The tools are designed to reduce manual design checks, assess the accuracy of existing utility information and identify areas where underground space is becoming congested.

The system can then recommend ways to optimise available underground space while considering factors including constructability, maintainability and overall project feasibility.

For infrastructure projects involving multiple utilities, this could reduce the amount of manual coordination traditionally required between drawings, survey records and trial trench reports.

Digital Tools Aim to Reduce Project Delays

Incomplete or conflicting underground utility information can create significant problems once construction begins.

AECOM said the new digital tools are intended to identify potential conflicts earlier in the planning process, helping reduce abortive work, design revisions and regulatory delays.

Early detection is particularly important in Singapore, where road corridors and underground spaces may contain multiple layers of utilities serving transport, water, telecommunications, power and other infrastructure.

By analysing these constraints digitally before construction, engineers can evaluate alternative layouts earlier in the project lifecycle.

AI Improves Accuracy of Utility Mapping

Improving underground data quality is another major focus of the centre.

AECOM’s tools will systematically assess existing utility information and combine it with GIS and advanced survey technologies to create a clearer picture of underground conditions.

Better mapping can help project teams determine where new infrastructure can be installed without interfering with existing assets.

It can also support longer-term planning by helping authorities safeguard underground corridors required for future infrastructure development.

Singapore Becomes Testbed for AI Engineering

The centre forms part of AECOM’s wider push to integrate AI into infrastructure design and engineering.

The company is also developing an AI-enabled sustainable design ecosystem that evaluates different infrastructure options earlier in the design process, including trade-offs between cost, carbon and performance.

AECOM said its Singapore underground infrastructure initiative demonstrates how these digital workflows can be applied to real infrastructure projects rather than remaining standalone technology experiments.

The company has already deployed related tools across its global operations, while the Singapore centre provides a specialised environment for underground infrastructure applications.

Industry and Universities to Support Skills Development

AECOM will also work with institutes of higher learning, infrastructure companies and government agencies through the innovation centre.

The collaborations are intended to support training and develop professionals with stronger capabilities across AI, GIS, surveying and digital engineering.

EDB said the centre could help strengthen Singapore’s position in AI-powered engineering while developing local expertise for the built-environment sector.

The initiative comes as Singapore continues to expand its network of corporate AI centres of excellence across industries including infrastructure, transport and professional services.

Underground Infrastructure Moves Towards Data-Driven Planning

As cities become denser, underground space is increasingly competing with above-ground development for infrastructure capacity.

Power cables, water pipes, telecommunications networks, transport infrastructure and other utilities often need to share limited subsurface corridors.

AECOM’s approach aims to make that environment easier to manage by combining AI analysis, accurate mapping and automated engineering workflows.

For Singapore, the initiative represents another step towards using digital technologies not only to operate infrastructure, but also to improve how major projects are planned and designed before construction begins.