PDF Extraction for AEC
AI extraction of structured data from construction PDFs.
Definition
PDF Extraction for AEC uses AI to parse and extract structured information from construction industry PDFs including specifications, submittals, shop drawings, and reports. Unlike general PDF tools, AEC-specific extractors understand construction document layouts, tables, and terminology to accurately capture project information.
In Depth
PDF extraction for AEC goes beyond standard text extraction because construction PDFs contain a mix of text, graphics, tables, and images that all carry meaning. AI extraction handles each content type appropriately — reading text annotations, interpreting graphic elements, parsing tabular data, and recognizing drawing symbols.
The extraction quality determines the accuracy of every downstream AI capability. When AI extracts text from a specification PDF, it must preserve the CSI section hierarchy, distinguish between mandatory ("shall") and advisory ("should") language, and maintain the cross-references between sections. When extracting from drawing PDFs, it must read dimensions accurately, interpret abbreviated annotations, and recognize the relationship between keynotes and their referenced specification sections.
Examples
Extracting product data from submittal PDFs
Parsing specification sections
Reading shop drawing information
Nomic Use Cases
See how Nomic applies this in production AEC workflows:
Frequently Asked Questions
PDF Extraction for AEC uses AI to parse and extract structured information from construction industry PDFs including specifications, submittals, shop drawings, and reports. Unlike general PDF tools, AEC-specific extractors understand construction document layouts, tables, and terminology to accurately capture project information.
Extracting product data from submittal PDFs. Parsing specification sections. Reading shop drawing information.
Automated Submittal Review: Let AI do the first-pass review of submittal packages against your drawings and specs. Project Research: Instantly access all project-critical information from a single search interface.