AI and geospatial insights can drive circularity, decarbonisation, and cost-efficiency at scale in road infrastructure. According to a new report by digital startup ORIS Materials Intelligence, its 2024 Impact Report underlines how digital intelligence can be a transformative lever for infrastructure planning, unlocking climate and financial benefits without compromising performance.
AI and Data Science to Mitigate Road Construction
Through using its AI-powered digital platform, ORIS identified levers and solutions that would prevent 3.1m tonnes of CO₂ emissions in road projects, equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly one million cars.
At a time when the road sector accounts for more than 12% of global CO₂ emissions (source: WRI), ORIS’s AI and data-driven approach is demonstrating that digitisation can cut carbon at scale, without increasing project costs.
“Construction materials account for 85% of road construction carbon emissions and impact 60% of its costs. Our platform puts that knowledge in the hands of decision-makers—early, accurately, and at scale,” said Nicolas Miravalls, ORIS Materials Intelligence CEO and co-founder. “With ORIS, sustainability is not an afterthought—it’s built in from day one.”
How AI fast-tracks circularity
Oris identified how to reuse existing materials in projects, preserving up to 4.4m tonnes of primary resources in 2024. According to Oris, this figure illustrates the tangible impact of embracing circular economy principles in infrastructure development. Using its platform, ORIS also identified the reuse of excavation materials from one part of the project to another.
Sustainable infrastructure is not more expensive
Contrary to the belief that sustainability increases costs, ORIS’s data-driven models identified combined budget savings of $24m for clients in 2024. These were achieved by selecting smarter material combinations and favouring more durable solutions, reducing the need for early maintenance and repair.
Road climate resilience for communities
In 2024, ORIS assessed 18,553 km of roads for climate resilience, providing data-driven insights to build infrastructure that can withstand climate challenges with its innovative approach, of combining climate data, road vulnerability, and socio-economic impact. In a significant case study in Central Asia, 7,765 km of road networks were assessed, identifying that 25% of these roads were highly vulnerable to climate hazards, which would impact 30% of the local population. The AI-powered climate resilience assessment highlighted how advanced methodologies can quantify the vulnerability of extensive infrastructure networks to climate change and understand the potential impact on communities, informing crucial adaptation measures such as material upgrades and improved drainage.
“We’re proving that digital tools can unlock massive carbon savings—while improving cost-efficiency and resilience,” added Renaud de Montaignac, ORIS Materials Intelligence COO and co-founder. “This is how the sector can truly build for the future.”
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