“What if construction isn’t tech-averse just misread?”Is construction really slow to adopt technology, or have we been building the wrong tools? In this episode of The Structural Intelligence Podcast, Owen Keenan sits down with Ethan Ow, Co-Founder & CEO of Wenti Labs, to challenge the myth of resistance in the field. Ethan shares how his team is embedding AI directly into the tools site teams already use: automating safety checks, reporting, and documentation straight from WhatsApp.From his early days managing projects on site to building AI agents that act like digital interns, Ethan explains how technology can adapt to construction workflows instead of forcing teams to adapt to tech. Together, they unpack the mindset shift needed for the industry to finally make AI fit-for-purpose.🔑 Key Takeaways:- Why construction’s problem isn’t tech aversion it’s tool misalignment- How Wenti Labs turns WhatsApp chats into structured project data- How AI agents can automate safety tracking, documentation, and reporting- Why treating AI like an “intern,” not a replacement, drives better adoption- Why starting small is the key to innovation that actually sticks on site- Lessons from building AI tools that adapt to construction not the other way around⏱ Timestamps:00:00:00 – Rethinking Construction Tech Adoption00:02:07 – Ethan’s Early Journey00:06:23 – Real-Time Data in Construction00:10:10 – Designing AI for the Chaos of Construction00:16:39 – How Wenti Labs Works on Site00:25:50 – Closing the Communication Gap on Site00:30:54 – Turning WhatsApp Chats into Structured Data00:33:20 – Automating Concrete Tracking and Documentation00:35:03 – Treating AI Like an Intern, Not a Replacement00:43:30 – The Mindset Shift Construction Needs🔗 Guest: Ethan OwCo-Founder & CEO, Wenti LabsWebsite: https://www.wentilabs.com/LinkedIn (Company): https://sg.linkedin.com/company/wentilabsLinkedIn (Ethan Ow): https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ethanow🎧 Host & LinksLinkedIn: Owen KeenanSpotify: Structural Intelligence PodcastYouTube: @Structural-IntelligenceVoiceInspect.ai (AI for inspections): www.voiceinspect.ai👉 Subscribe to the Structural Intelligence Podcast on YouTube and Spotify to stay updated on new episodes.

How does a civil engineer go from designing tunnels to building an AI startup?

In this episode of The Structural Intelligence Podcast, Owen Keenan interviews Stevan Lukic, founder and CEO of Civils.ai a startup transforming how engineering teams use AI to extract data from construction documents. Before ChatGPT, before the hype, Stevan was already teaching himself to code and building automation tools for geotechnical logs, CAD drawings, and pre-construction workflows.

They explore the mindset shift from consultant to founder, the real challenges of launching a construction tech startup, and why the future of engineering is built on data, not just drawings.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Before the AI hype: Stevan's vision for engineering00:02:00 – From tunnels to tech founder: Stevan's journey00:06:00 – Lessons from engineering vs startup culture00:09:40 – Teaching himself to code and founding Civils.ai00:15:00 – The startup journey: accelerators, funding, and product fit00:19:50 – What Civils.ai does solving problems trapped in PDFs00:26:00 – Extracting data from drawings the holy grail of construction AI00:29:00 – Civils.ai vs ChatGPT why specialized tools matter00:33:00 – Barriers to AI adoption in engineering00:42:00 – The future of engineers in the AI era

👉 Subscribe to the Structural Intelligence Podcast on YouTube and Spotify to stay updated on new episodes.

Host & Links

• LinkedIn: Owen Keenan

• Spotify: Structural Intelligence Podcast

• YouTube: @Structural-Intelligence

• VoiceInspect.ai: www.voiceinspect.ai

What happens when a civil engineer decides to stop waiting for better tools and builds one himself? In this episode, Owen Keenan talks with Sebastian Masset, the creator of HECFlow, a Python-based automation tool for stormwater modelling in HEC-HMS.

They explore how Sebastian transitioned from spreadsheets to scripting, what role AI played in the process, and how any engineer can start bridging the gap between domain expertise and software.

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Engineering Tools

00:11 Meet Sebastian Masset: Civil Engineer and Innovator

02:21 Sebastian's Journey into Engineering

05:01 Challenges in Stormwater Management

07:27 The Rational Method and Modern Solutions

09:30 Sebastian's Software Journey

14:49 Building the Automation Tool

17:24 Technical Deep Dive into HECFlow

21:42 Experimenting with File Structures

22:13 Using AI as a Co-Pilot

23:32 Building and Automating HECFlow

25:50 Challenges and Learnings in Coding

32:16 The Future of AI in Engineering

39:13 Advice for Engineers on Building Tools

42:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

👉 Subscribe to the Structural Intelligence Podcast on Spotify and YouTube to stay updated on new episodes.