Select construction materials.

Select construction materials. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 12 occupations and seen in 14 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. in Making Decisions and Solving Problems .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 14 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 3 (21%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 2 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.003% per task.

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Select appropriate insulation, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam, or cork, based on the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material. · Insulation Workers, Mechanical · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Determine materials, equipment, and installation sequences necessary to maximize installation efficiency. · Solar Photovoltaic Installers · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Determine appropriate sizes, ratings, and locations for all system overcurrent devices, disconnect devices, grounding equipment, and surge suppression equipment. · Solar Photovoltaic Installers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Determine the amounts and types of insulation needed, and methods of installation, based on factors such as location, surface shape, and equipment use. · Insulation Workers, Mechanical · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select the correct sealing compound or tape. · Tapers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select tools, equipment, or materials from storage and transport items to work site. · Helpers--Carpenters · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select and order lumber or other required materials. · Carpenters · importance 3.9 · exposure with tools
• Organize materials to prepare for use. · Helpers--Extraction Workers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Select the type or color of glass or mirror according to specifications. · Glaziers · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site. · Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications. · Sheet Metal Workers · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Read blueprints, and select appropriate insulation, based on space characteristics and the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material. · Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications. · Tile and Stone Setters · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Insulation Workers, Mechanical
• Solar Photovoltaic Installers
• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Tapers
• Helpers--Carpenters
• Carpenters
• Helpers--Extraction Workers
• Glaziers
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Tile and Stone Setters

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-select-construction-materials,
  title  = {Select construction materials.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/select-construction-materials}
}