The Golden Thread: Hackitt, BIM and a Digital by Default Path to Safer Buildings

ISSN 2058-9611 March 2019

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groupbc.com

The golden thread: Hackitt, BIM and a Digital by Default path to safer buildings

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The series has landed Paul Shillcock of Operam discusses the development of ISO 19650, the ﬁrst suite of international standards for Building Information Modelling

BIM 2050 Stefan Mordue checks in on the industry's progress towards the future set out in the BIM 2050 report

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Introduction

Editor elcome to the March edition We also have a look at the new Andy Jowett of BIM Today. In this issue, Construction Blueprint, an alliance we look at the government’s of European construction bodies, Production Coordinator Nick Wilde responseW to the Hackitt Review and its national industry representatives plans to mandate the creation of a and training providers across 12 EU Designers Andrew Bosworth “golden thread” of information about countries, which aims to create a Ben Green the design, construction and operation coordinated, sector-wide strategy to Sales of buildings. ensure workers have the right digital Glyn Jackson and green skills for the future. With ministers calling for a “Digital The editor does not necessarily agree with or endorse any of the views or by Default” approach, BIM will have a Andrew Carpenter of BIM4Housing contents of the articles and features key role to play in collating and discusses the rise of BIM and offsite within this document. All articles and editorials remain the copyright of the maintaining the data to ensure greater construction – and the need to keep authors, organisations and other relevant authorities by whose kind accountability, quality and safety. banging the drum for digital transfor- permission they are reproduced. All information has been checked and is mation, while John Eynon reminds us, correct at the time of going to press. We also have a look at the long-awaited in his own inimitable style, that behind The publisher will not be liable for any loss suffered directly or indirectly arrival of ISO 19650 – the first set of all the talk of technology, it is people as a result of the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. international standards for Building that make successful projects.

Adjacent Digital Politics Ltd and its of ISO 19650-2, discusses their for 2019. Alongside expert comment suppliers collect and process personal development. and opinion, we now have a dedicated information for the purposes of customer analysis and market research. section for case studies showing how Our group/affiliate companies may also wish to contact you about our Elsewhere, Stefan Mordue looks at the BIM and related technologies are products or services, or the products of carefully selected third parties that BIM 2050 report published in 2013 and making a real impact on site. we think you may be interested in. takes stock of just how much progress the industry has made towards its From creating a new passenger termi- predictions of a digital future. nal at Dublin Airport to the challenges of mobile data capture in Antarctica, We also have Ian Tansey of and much more besides, there are ProDroneWorx on a new industry some fascinating projects to get your survey about the adoption of drones teeth into – and we hope to highlight in construction, which suggests that many more in the coming months. while their use is on the rise, we may not be making the most of their As ever, a big thank you to all our Adjacent Digital Politics Ltd Datum House potential. contributors. If you would like to join Electra Way the debate, please get in touch. ■ Crewe Business Park Crewe Staying with drones, Dr Paul Cureton of Cheshire CW1 6ZF the ImaginationLancaster design lab at Registered in England & Wales. Lancaster University looks at how UAVs Company Reg No. 8667479. VAT Registration No. 169 9152 64. are taking off in the landscape sector. 22 | Only human! In all the talk of technology and digital transformation, we must never forget that it’s people who ultimately determine a project’s success – or Contents otherwise, says John Eynon March 2019 26 | Drones: Taking off or underused? Drones are an invaluable digital/reality capture tool for the construction and infrastructure markets – but Ian Tansey of ProDroneWorx says the latest industry survey suggests they are not 8 | A digital path to safer 14 | Back to the future: being used to their full potential buildings? Assessing the BIM 2050 report The government is set to consult In 2012, a group of 18 young on a “digital by default” standard for construction professionals pondered record-keeping relating to the design, the question, what will the construction construction and operation of industry look like in 2050? One of the 30 | Drone futures in landscape buildings as part of its response to authors, Stefan Mordue, takes a look at As drones take off in construction, the post-Grenfell Hackitt Review how far the sector has progressed Dr Paul Cureton of the towards their predictions ImaginationLancaster design lab at Lancaster University looks at the adoption of – and challenges facing – UAVs in the landscape sector 17 | The ISO 19650 series has finally arrived 10 | Banging the drum for BIM The adoption of the ISO 19650 series Take-up of BIM in the housing sector will be widespread as asset owners and 36 | A Modern Method for has been relatively slow. Andrew construction clients around the world 21st century construction Carpenter, chair of BIM4Housing, says seek to reduce risk, increase predictability Alex Lubbock, head of digital that is starting to change in the wake and achieve better business outcomes construction at the Infrastructure & of the Hackitt Review and the rise of from digital information. Paul Shillcock, Projects Authority, discusses how offsite construction – but we need a co-author of PAS 1192-2, discusses the Modern Methods of Construction can continuing drive to raise awareness of development of the new standards and reshape the sector to deliver higher its benefits the benefits they offer productivity, quality and performance

40 | Construction Blueprint: A sectoral alliance to develop a new European strategy for skills Construction has a key role to play in tackling the economic, societal and environmental issues facing Europe, but there are concerns that a shortage of the right people with the right skills will hold it back. A major new alliance aims to address this by developing a sector-wide blueprint for nurturing the know-how to meet industry needs

44 | Facility management and blockchain There has been quite a bit of noise in property and FM in the last year or so about blockchain and the potential benefits it may have for our industry. What exactly is it? And why do clients need to know about it? Karl Redmond 33 | Transforming Construction of Rider Levell Bucknall takes a look with the Core Innovation Hub The Core Innovation Hub will support collaboration 46 | Is the AECO industry across the digital, manufacturing and construction finally ready to embrace sectors to develop and commercialise technologies technology? The architecture, engineering, that will help transform the sector. Sam Stacey, construction and owner sector has challenge director for Transforming Construction at been slow to adopt new technology – but there are signs that is changing. UKRI, outlines how it will work Nick Carter of IngeniousIO looks at how tech can make a profitable difference 50 | Industry 4.0: Disaster or new beginning for construction workers? Technology looks set to revolutionise construction, streamlining processes and improving quality, but is it ultimately a threat or opportunity for construction workers? Dominic Fahy, head of architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing at Canon UK, takes a look

52 | Providing for construction’s digital future Peter Jansen, construction lawyer at Keystone Law, discusses construction’s digital future with a focus on BIM and data ownership

56 | How automated construction will disrupt our industry Automated construction based on principles already established in sectors like automotive, combined with emerging digital tools, could have a transformative eﬀect on construction. Jaimie Johnston, director and head of global systems at Bryden Wood, takes a look

62 | Energy House 2.0: World-first research centre to speed up building innovation 90 | Digitising airport construction A £16m home energy research centre to test innovative construction, smart Raymond Millar, construction director at The McAvoy home and digital products has been Group, looks at how Dublin Airport used offsite given the go-ahead. BIM Today takes a look at Energy House 2.0 construction and the latest digital technology to expand its passenger boarding facilities and achieve one of the fastest projects ever completed at the airport 66 | A year of developments in construction – and what 2019 may hold 2018 saw some big changes and big challenges for the construction industry. Simon Lewis and Hannah Gardiner of law firm Womble Bond Dickinson look 93 | 66 Queen Square: Heritage back at the key developments – and CASE STUDIES and innovation combine to highlight what we can expect in the deliver unique new build year ahead 86 | Powering mobile data BIM played a key role in blending a capture in Antarctica Grade II listed Georgian townhouse Capturing project data on-the-go can with state-of-the-art office space at the bring real-time efficiency benefits to a award-winning 66 Queen Square 72 | Why ensuring product project – but what do you do with the substitutes are certificated information when you’re in one of remains crucial the most remote and hostile places Substituting a product or system in a on Earth? building can lead to expensive 96 | How 3D tech is mapping the problems further down the line if not future of Eco-Home innovation done properly. Third-party certification As planning and building teams seek to can help ensure specifications are not improve efficiencies and cut costs on compromised projects, Sven Van Duffelen, from 3D mobile mapping and monitoring specialist 88 | Improving project GeoSLAM, looks at how technology is visibility: Creating a tower enabling a growing number of developers 78 | Building Innovation Awards management system with to prioritise energy efficiency in new to launch at Futurebuild reality modelling software housing developments The Building Innovation Awards will Drones, 3D modelling and GIS have celebrate the pioneering individuals, combined to create a tower organisations and projects that are management system capable of embracing emerging technologies and sharing documentation and thousands digital transformation to take UK of images with teams in different parts 104 | INDEX construction to the next level of the country ALLPLAN 2019 OUT NOW: BIM SOLUTIONS allplan.com +44 (0) 1530 560126 FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

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allplan.com A digital path to safer buildings?

The government is set to consult on a “digital by default” standard for record-keeping relating to the design, construction and operation of buildings as part of its response to the post-Grenfell Hackitt Review

ame Judith Hackitt’s review of the Building Regulations and ﬁre safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy was uncompromising inD its condemnation of the current system, which it described as fragmented, confused and ultimately not ﬁt for purpose. It is, Dame Judith concluded, simply too easy for those who wanted to cut corners to do so.

“Achieving the systematic overhaul that we are aiming for requires all parties to change, and to put residents’ safety at the heart of the system. This is the best tribute we can oﬀer to those who lost their lives at Grenfell Tower and those who were left behind.”

Following a review of the final report, the government published its implementation plan for delivering a “radical systemic overhaul” focused on four key areas: The golden thread One of the key problems identified by the Hackitt • A stronger, more effective regulatory and Review is a lack of clear ownership and responsibility accountability framework, with a tougher oversight for delivering a safe system throughout the lifecycle regime and better-enforced sanctions. of a building.

• Clearer standards and guidance to support better One recommendation is that the government should understanding among those who carry out building make the creation, maintenance and handover of work of how to make buildings safer, as well as information about the design, construction and man- improvements in the way construction products agement of high-rise residential buildings an integral are tested. part of the responsibilities of clients, principal designers and principal contractors. The minimum • A stronger voice for residents and more eﬀective requirement should be for the digital record, along routes for escalation and swift redress when things with a Fire and Emergency File, Full Plans and go wrong. Construction Control Plan, Dame Judith said.

• Working with the industry to help it take the lead In its response to the review, Building a Safer Future: on cultural change and prioritising public safety. An Implementation Plan, the government accepted 8 the need for much clearer dutyholder responsibilities and the importance of establishing this “golden thread” of core information about a building to both quality and safety.

How is this “golden thread” to be created, updated, transferred and maintained?

BIM Level 2 has, of course, already been mandated for government-procured projects and digital recordkeeping is already being embraced by many organisations involved in the design, construction and James Brokenshire management of residential buildings as part of their adoption of BIM. There are a range of technical solutions for BIM on The government is already working with early the market and part of the consultation will look at adopters, digital experts and other stakeholders to how to ensure a level of consistency in digital record- examine the digital solutions that are available keeping and that information is available in a format and how digital recordkeeping is currently being that will access to all key users across the building’s implemented across the industry. lifecycle.

As part of this, various technologies are being trialled Ultimately, the “golden thread” should provide high to better manage supply chains and establish digital quality, accurate data that will provide regulators records of a building’s make-up, the age of compo- with assurance of the continuing safety of a building nents and any changes that have been made since by ensuring those working on it have the information completion. they need.

Digital by default In his foreword to Building a Safer Future, James Bro- The implementation plan will see the creation of a kenshire, secretary of state for housing, communities Joint Regulators Group, which will support the transi- and local government, wrote: “This is a major pro- tion to a new regulatory framework by piloting new gramme of work as befits the challenge we face – approaches. The body will bring together the Health ensuring that everyone who has a stake in keeping & Safety Executive, Local Authority Building Control people safe and feeling safe in their homes plays and the fire and rescue services through the National their part to rebuild public trust and deliver the Fire Chiefs Council and the Local Government meaningful, lasting change that is needed. Association. “Achieving the systematic overhaul that we are aiming Its research will provide the basis for a government for requires all parties to change, and to put residents’ consultation, due to take place in the spring, on a safety at the heart of the system. This is the best “digital by default” standard of recordkeeping for the tribute we can offer to those who lost their lives at design and construction of a building, and to ensure Grenfell Tower and those who were left behind.” ■ the record is maintained throughout its occupation.

The data that will constitute the “golden thread” will be determined in collaboration with the industry. It ...... will be created and updated through a collaborative BIM Today process, with information coming from those involved Tel: 0843 504 4560 in not only a building’s design and construction, but [email protected] also its management and renovation. www.pbctoday.co.uk 9 Banging the drum for BIM Take-up of BIM in the housing sector has been relatively slow. Andrew Carpenter, chair of BIM4Housing, says that is starting to change in the wake of the Hackitt Review and the rise of oﬀsite construction – but we need a continuing drive to raise awareness of its beneﬁts

’m minded in this piece to reference a report, in In it, Dame Judith talks about the “golden thread” of which I played a minor part, from the Cambridge information, which of course refers to BIM and Centre for Housing & Planning Research in March espouses the virtues of using it with particular regard I2018. The document by Dr Gemma Burgess, Michael to asset management. Jones and Kathryn Muir, entitled BIM in the UK House Building Industry: Opportunities and Barriers This March, BIM4Housing has been invited to present to Adoption, set out to identify just that and in my to both the G15 (the largest housing associations in humble opinion achieved its ambition. London) on the general benefits of BIM and the London Councils Group on the fire safety benefits that Interestingly, it reported that awareness of BIM might be derived from using it, which is an indication across the entire UK construction sector is starting of this direction of travel. to spread, driven by the government mandating its use on their construction projects by April 2016 The National Housing Federation has also set up its (this was not the case for housing). own sub-group within BIM4Housing to accelerate knowledge transfer amongst social landlords. All NBS carries out an annual survey and found 31% of signs that at long last the housing sector is acknowl- respondents were using BIM in 2012, 62% in 2017 – edging the potential benefits of using BIM in design, and 95% thought they’d be using it within the follow- construct and particularly FM. ing three years, ie by 2020. The report also links BIM with the fast-accelerating However, the take-up in the housing sector has been use of more and more Modern Methods of much lower, probably fuelled by the fact it was not Construction. In my opinion, these are inextricably mandated in 2016. In 2013, the NHBC surveyed linked and will only really succeed if we adopt a truly major housebuilders to find only 11% were engaged collaborative culture with an integrated supply chain. with BIM, 25% hadn’t heard of BIM and 64% had Their adoption and eventual success both rely on looked at it but seen no benefit to their business. the early involvement of the entire supply chain and an understanding that value is derived from In the subsequent six years, things have moved on ‘outcomes’ and not transactional procurement. with the HBF setting up its own BIM sub-group to Interestingly, it may be this drive for offsite solutions educate and inform this particular sector and, of that provides the breakthrough for the adoption of course, our own BIM4Housing group, now in its BIM because of this strong link. sixth year, which sets out to promote the business benefits of adopting BIM to the wider. In my own industry of structural timber, we have seen a huge increase in the use of offsite solutions in We have seen a noticeable increase in activity within housebuilding in the UK. I’ve been in post since the affordable housing sector since the publication of 2011, when there were approximately 30,000 homes the Hackitt Review that followed the Grenfell tragedy. built in timber frame across the UK. Last year that 10 figure was 60,000 homes, outlining a significant change in the way our housebuilders, both private sector and affordable, are looking to provide the 300,000 homes per annum we so desperately require as a nation.

One of my largest members, Stewart Milne, outlines many business beneﬁts for the adoption of BIM, including not only greater productivity and proﬁtability but also brand image and health & safety.

Mark Farmer, in his groundbreaking report Modernise or Die, launched in late 2016, also set out his views on the links between oﬀsite construction and BIM, which include the following:

1. Helps contribute to higher levels of IT integration. 2. Combats the poor reputation of OSM gained Andrew Carpenter, chair of BIM4Housing through the early years of ‘prefab’. 3. Provides visual simulations for training purposes. 4. Reduces concerns through virtual testing. 5. Reduces concerns about transportation through simulation. 5. The advantages of BIM for portfolio landlords 6. Faster production, better logistics and better (BIM4Housing is particularly involved with ﬁre collaboration. safety currently). 7. Cost reduction. 6. The role of BIM in modernising construction 8. Improved aesthetics through model views. methods.

The conclusions are that while potential beneﬁts If you’re involved in housing, private development have been recognised, take-up has been slow due to or public sector, and want to get involved with a number of factors including notably the necessary BIM4Housing and help our drive to cascade BIM resources required (cost and time) and skills short- across the sector, please contact me at Andrew.car- ages. The answer, they say, is to raise awareness of [email protected] or visit http://constructingexcel- the beneﬁts of using BIM – so enter BIM4Housing. lence.org.uk/bim4housing/about/ for more We were set up in 2014 to do just that. information. ■

Farmer also recommends further research in which BIM4Housing could and should be involved including the following: ...... 1. The potential for Homes England to mandate BIM. Andrew Carpenter 2. The use of BIM in other countries (BIM4Housing Chair has links with Norway, which is approximately five BIM4Housing years ahead of us in the use of BIM). [email protected] 3. The quantification of evidence. http://constructingexcellence.org.uk/bim4housing/ 4. Supporting energy efficiency of housing stock (a current project for BIM4Housing in 2019). 11 Mies' Need for Simplification vs. BricsCAD® BIM

The promise of BIM, often broken The promise of BIM centers around the ability to develop a digital twin of a building’s design. This digital twin can replicate a real building to the nth degree. In fact, this is the ideal state – a BIM that consistently shows every aspect of the building at a high level of development (LOD). In the real world, this is rarely achieved, because the amount of effort required to elevate the entire BIM to these levels is untenable.

BIM technicians need to mentally balance the desire for consistent detail with total time spent modelling. It’s always

areas in the model for section and detail extraction. This leaves the BIM in an inconsistent state, with variable levels of development. And the most insidious issue created from this practice? Inaccurate quantity takeoffs. Think about this for a moment. The promise of BIM, broken.

Can the promise be upheld? Yes, it can. Our approach to BIM upholds the real promise of BIM – consistent level of development – while still being easy to use. A conundrum? Not at all. BricsCAD® BIM delivers

3D. It leverages machine learning to propagate design details quickly, consistently and correctly. This allows for “There is an a continuous and consistent level of development that no

existential need for When the LOD is consistent, the underlying accuracy of the BIM promises highly accurate quantity take-offs. Consistent LOD also promises truly accurate construction documentation, regardless of where the section or detail - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe views are derived. And with BricsCAD BIM, all of this comes in a single,

please Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. We think that it will make The Father of “Less is More” you pretty happy, too. Mies espoused the concept of “less is more” long before the days of Building Information Modeling. As a director of the It’s time for you to try BricsCAD® BIM Bauhaus School, Mies sought to establish an architectural Go to bricsys.com and download the trial today. There is no style that could serve as the Modern alternative to Classic or obligation. BricsCAD® BIM is easy to learn and easy to own. Gothic styles. His design focus was on clarity and simplicity. Bricsys is Mies expressed his intent with simple structure and free- now a part of Hexagon, and we’ll be here for you. Don’t wait! BricsCAD® BIM is here today. - “less is more”. Secondly, “God is in the details”. He was truly BricsCAD: The one-stop BIM solution a pioneer of Modern architecture. We wonder what he would Create and manage building designs - from concept to construction documentation - in one think about building information modeling science. Our familiar environment. With BricsCAD BIM, you can use your current CAD skills to smoothly guess is that he would be enamored with the promise of BIM, and severely frustrated with its complexity. in industry-standard .dwg.

Bricsys® is a global provider of dwg engineering design software brought to market under the BricsCAD® brand. www.bricsys.com Founded in 2002, Bricsys is a member of the Open Design Alliance. Mies' Need for Simplification vs. BricsCAD® BIM

BIM technicians need to mentally balance the desire for consistent detail with total time spent modelling. It’s always

3D. It leverages machine learning to propagate design details quickly, consistently and correctly. This allows for “There is an a continuous and consistent level of development that no

In 2012, a group of 18 young construction professionals pondered the question, what will the construction industry look like in 2050? One of the authors, Stefan Mordue, takes a look at how far the sector has progressed towards their predictions

ncredibly, seven years have passed since the publication of the BIM 2050 report and the group members, including myself, have seen our Iown lives change immensely. But has the industry changed?

Background In 2011, the UK government challenged the construction industry to modernise and innovate. A Building Information Modelling (BIM) Task Group was formed to drive adoption of BIM across central government. It is against this backdrop that the BIM 2050 group was established.

“As we near the end of our first wave, and fast approach 2020, many of the group’s predictions are being realised as we see a convergence of policies around a series of aligned and digital themes.” We set about creating a number of workstreams. Our It took 20 months to put forward a futuristic starting point was education, enabled by changes to vision of what an open approach to collaboration technology and process but underpinned by com- and technology would look like. Our report covered monality in beliefs and a culture for integration. It was two related areas: what will the future of our industry important to have a holistic approach as each work- look like and how do we prepare our talent to be stream had an effect on the other. ready and eager to pursue a hi-tech construction career? The report set a framework for the industry moving from decisions being made in an analogue world From the outset, we recognised that in order for our (2010-2020) to one based on digital decisions industry to meet the requirements of the future, we (2020-2030). needed to be digitally enabled and address a growing skills gap. The conundrum we faced was how to The stage or ‘wave’ is a world where predictive prepare students for roles that haven’t been created, decisions are driven through emergent information using technology that hasn’t been invented, to solve (2030-2040) to one finally that is adaptive and agile problems that don’t yet exist. based on artificial intelligence (2040+). 14 By 2040-plus, we predicted a fully connected con- showed that construction productivity had only struction industry, whose primary decision-making slightly improved since 1997. needs are met using algorithms, Big Data and technology platforms are vastly different to an industry To address this gap, the government is pushing that is still performing analogue tasks. the industry to improve the delivery and unlock productivity improvement and performance through Analysis Smarter Infrastructure. As we near the end of our first wave, and fast approach 2020, many of the group’s predictions are “The BIM 2050 report highlighted that being realised as we see a convergence of policies the starting point for any change should around a series of aligned and digital themes. The UK be within education and skills.” government’s 2016 BIM mandate has been a catalyst for change and clients are beginning to demand inte- The report recommends solutions such as offsite grated operational data at handover. However, as manufacture, the use of digital technology to make predicted, we continue to rely on highly engineered new and existing infrastructure smarter, and the processes to control poorly integrated data sets and sharing of innovation and best practice. This all varied sources of information to make this happen. points to the use of a standardised platform with digitally designed components to deliver the UK’s Productivity still remains an issue, as highlighted by infrastructure pipeline. the report and further reinforced by the 2016 CIOB report Productivity in Construction: Creating a In addition, in early 2019, the government sought Framework for the Industry to Thrive. advice to understand further how a platform approach can be implemented across government departments. Government figures released in April 2016 reported the biggest fall in UK productivity since the 2008 Additionally, the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) financial crash. More alarming was that the figures continues to push the digital agenda forward, recently 15 For example, in 2016, the University of Westminster launched a successful Digital Construction MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in collaboration with The B1M. With no fixed timetables and a flexible approach, some 1,000 students took part worldwide.

Courses such as these are helping with sought-after skills within asset management, such as the ability to understand Big Data and make predictions across global asset portfolios. New skill sets are focused on predictive data analysis rather than reviewing the data itself and a new generation of construction professionals are emerging that are able to mine data from multiple sources.

The BIM 2050 report expressed a health warning in that not all projections into the future will be positive. The increase in digital data also increases the risk and Stefan Mordue threat to security. We must evaluate how we manage risks that can arise from unauthorised access, manipulation and sharing of data, information and systems. publishing its Gemini Principles, a framework for the Recent NHS data security breaches and data scandals development of a National Digital Twin following the such as Facebook-Cambridge Analytica and accusa- recommendation of the National Infrastructure tions of election manipulation highlight the case. Commission (NIC) Data for the Public Good report. It will be interesting to look back in another 10 years The use of digital technologies within construction as we enter a wave of predictive digital decisions and is also increasing, perhaps in part by the CDBB AI to see what effect social, technology and political programme, which is leading the way in academic influences have had. research in sensor technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI). While predicting the future is difficult, we do know two things for certain. While the use of Robotics and AI within construction remains low compared to other industries, it is start- Change is inevitable and time waits for no one. ing to emerge in areas such as optimising project schedules by considering millions of alternatives for Perhaps the best way to predict our future is to project delivery. create it. ■

The use of image recognition and classification is also being used to identify unsafe worker behaviour based upon video data and collect and analyse sensor data to plan proactive preventive maintenance ...... by understanding patterns that emerge. Stefan Mordue Regional Consultancy Manager The BIM 2050 report highlighted that the starting i3 by AECOM point for any change should be within education and Tel: +44 (0)7799 680 130 skills. Since the report’s publication, we have seen [email protected] new entrants and existing construction workers and www.aecom.com professionals beginning to look beyond traditional educational courses. 16 The ISO 19650 series has finally arrived The adoption of the ISO 19650 series will be widespread as asset owners and construction clients around the world seek to reduce risk, increase predictability and achieve better business outcomes from digital information. Paul Shillcock, co-author of PAS 1192-2, discusses the development of the new standards and the benefits they offer

nless you’ve been living in a cave the past few different countries, with different cultures and differing months, you will have heard that the ISO ways of working, coming together on projects. 19650 series has finally arrived. This means thereU is now an internationally agreed set of standards There are also big benefits for large multinational that define the business processes for the effective organisations, who for many years have struggled to management and collaborative production of informa- accommodate the differing requirements from their tion when using Building Information Modelling (BIM). customers, partners and suppliers. The ISO 19650 series provides a unified approach that each region, The aim of the ISO 19650 series country and office within an organisation can adopt. The ISO 19650 series has been developed by an international working group with the aim of enabling “…during the process of developing teams to minimise wasteful activities and increase ISO 19650-2, it became apparent that predictability around cost and time. Designed to be there were some things that we were just achieved through a common and collaborative not going to be able to get international approach to the management of information. consensus on, particularly when it came to standardised conventions and The publication of these standards has created a codification.” level playing field for the providers of information to work collaboratively and find innovate solutions to The development process ensuring the right people get the right information, The ISO 19650 series is based upon the UK 1192 at the right time – setting themselves apart from series. The first 1192 standard to be “internationalised” the competition. are BS 1192, covering the collaborative production of information, and PAS 1192 parts two and three, which Impact and benefits cover the management of information during the Now that the standards have been published, there delivery and operational phase of assets respectively. will be a need for both the providers and receivers of information adopting the standards to transform the As lead authors, the first step for David Churcher way in which they produce, exchange and use digital and I was to extract the text from the three base information, while aligning their business process to documents and remove all the UK-isms, such as the the latest industry standards and best practice. UK government strategy, BIM Level 2, and UK-specific references. The benefit of the ISO 19650 series is that there is now a common approach that can be adopted. This is We then took the concepts and principles from all especially beneficial at a time when we are increasingly three documents to form the initial draft of ISO seeing delivery teams formed of organisations from 19650-1. For BS 1192, this related to the concept of 17 principles behind the collaborative production of came to standardised conventions and codification. information and the common data environment. So we came up with the idea of including regional- specific requirements within an national annex. For PAS119-2 and PAS1192-3, it was the concepts and principles around the effective management of The idea being that ISO 19650-2 defines the require- information. At this stage it was important to include ments and the national annexes define the standards PAS1192-3, so we could have the concepts and that must be used to meet the requirements in a principles throughout the entire life of the asset. particular region. This enables the requirements within ISO 19650-2 to be met, but in a way that allows Next, we focused on the main clauses relating to the flexibility for each region to use local standards that activities and tasks within the information manage- are already in place. ment process for the delivery phase of assets from both BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2. Combining the two For the UK, this meant that the remaining clauses documents made a lot of sense as they are very from BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2 were included within closely related. This became the initial draft of ISO the UK National Annex (which can be found at the 19650-2. back of BS EN ISO 19650-2).

However, during the process of developing ISO What does this mean for organisations and 19650-2, it became apparent that there were some projects already using the UK 1192 series? things that we were just not going to be able to get In January, the ISO 19650 series was published by international consensus on, particularly when it the British Standards Institution as BS EN ISO 19650, 18 parts 1 and 2. This also means that BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2 have now been withdrawn. This is because there cannot be two competing standards at a national level.

Projects already using BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2 should continue to do so. However, new projects now have the choice to adopt the BS EN ISO 19650 series or continue to use BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2 if there is a justiﬁable reason to do so.

Publicly funded projects should note, however, that CEN, the European standards body, has published the ISO 19650 series as a set of European standards (EN ISO 19650). This means that they will become the preferred method of procuring publicly funded projects across Europe.

“The ISO 19650 series has been developed by an international working group with the aim of enabling teams to minimise wasteful activities and increase Paul Shillcock predictability around cost and time.”

Help and support I personally believe that the adoption of UK 1192 This guidance framework is due to be available in the series in the UK was hampered due to the lack of clear next few months, but it will be an ongoing process guidance. As a result, we ended up with a scattergun that will rely on everybody getting involved to share approach to guidance that was based upon diﬀerent their experience with others. So I would encourage interpretations of the standards, which was invariably everybody to get involved in supporting this initiative, misinterpreted, contradictory or simply wrong. which I’m sure will become a valuable resource for everybody and at all levels. ■ Therefore, it is vital that organisations and teams get the help and support needed to transition from the UK 1192 series and to navigate their way around the new documents. This led to the publication of PD 19560-0, which contains transitional guidance for those familiar with the UK 1192 series, including the ...... mapping of terminology and key amendments. Paul Shillcock Principal Advisor Moving forward, the three leading bodies in this Operam space, the British Standards Institution (BSI), UK BIM [email protected] Alliance and the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB), www.operam.co.uk have agreed to collaborate to create a single guidance www.operamacademy.com framework for the adoption and implementation of the ISO 19650 series. 19 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Data is king and the king is not dead

BIM is only as good as the data that underpins it. data, there is always going to be cost borne Paul Blewett of leading PropTech ﬁrm Landmark from ensuring validation, interpretation and Information discusses the importance of getting it right indemnity. The latter is critical as it should be offered to protect the user against any downstream effects of the data being wrong. This t Landmark, when we’re asked to There is much talk about open data in the is a guarantee that open data simply doesn’t explain BIM to our investors, we can market; in fact, we frequently have conver- and couldn’t have, without the intervention easily tell them that it’s a collaborative sations with customers about what we could of Innovative PropTech companies such as wayA of working, underpinned by digital provide them to be more cost-effective and Landmark. technologies, shared information models the resounding message we receive back and reliable and licensed data. from our customers is that they don’t want Formatting can also be raw and unwieldly for cheap data, they want accurate data. This is the average user who hasn’t got GIS qualifi- But what does that really mean, and which bit important whether you’re working on a cations; indeed, customers often need help is important? Collaboration – yes of course, £5,000 extension or a £5m commercial build. cleaning and packaging this all up in a way this ensures coverage is complete, timelines that they can easily access and use. This is a are hit and compliance is met. As raw data continues to become open and challenge some of our customers in the freely available, it quickly becomes unsup- architecture space have told us about when What about sharing and technology tools? ported by the originator. Do we want to live creating their BIM level 2 models; they’ve Again, these are great at the planning and in a world where in 10 years’ time geospatial retrieved the project data from different validation stage. data is free, but it’s so flaky that you can’t sources then the merge process can become trust it? How does BIM governance work, complicated, and the end result unexpected. But what’s the most important part, the thing then, when it’s laid on top of this potentially that needs to be correct, and if flawed at the variable data foundation, and who is respon- You could liken this to buying a new cashmere start can slow the whole project down and sible for its success? jumper – you have the choice of buying a ultimately cost everyone time and money if beautifully made one, off the shelf, or if you it’s wrong? Data. This is interesting as with the provision of any have the wool, pattern, sewing machine, skill

20 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

and time you could of course make one and services in all its fields, but we are also across the planning and build space can still yourself. In doing so, there’s no guarantee experts in the underlying data that underpins do everything they need to, only quicker and it’s going to turn out the same as the one you all of these services, making sure it’s right easier. We’ve achieved this and the exciting could have bought, so it’s not really a viable and fit for purpose. This is why we’re the thing is that the new phase of customer option. You ultimately want the quality market leading PropTech data company in discovery we are now underway with, bringing jumper that comes ready to wear – and with the UK right now. the AI we mentioned into proceedings and a guarantee from the manufacturer. working with our extensive customer base to At Landmark, we’re currently experimenting ensure that we tackle the issues close to their The same could be said about buying raw with Artificial Intelligence to help us to solve hearts, will bring something truly game- open data; is it really what you need as, like the problems of tomorrow, today. We’re changing for BIM users in 2019. the jumper comparison, you may find your developing tools that help to highlight and project ‘unravelling’ very quickly if not interpret features from both GIS and raw If you’d like to arrange a free trial of Promap handled correctly. data, and combine these in intelligent ways. V2, to see how the data, features and functionality could bring your next project to life, At the recent MIPIM event, we met with land But you can’t set up complicated machine get in touch with me on LinkedIn and I’ll get and infrastructure owners building a digital learning against data sets you don’t trust, you up and running. estate: secure portals of their existing infras- and if the data hasn’t been robustly tested, tructure, which can be securely accessed in the way that Landmark currently does for through a portal by any design and construc- Ordnance Survey’s Mastermap for example, tion partners. then the whole thing would be liable to fail.

They showed us some really innovative sites, Handling big data and the compliance using the latest tech, workflow and case and legislative issues around this is also management tools, but the thing they really something we are very used to. As increased INFORMATION GROUP needed help with was data – data fulfilment, searches are required throughout the data processing, data licensing, data testing, purchase and design stages of any project, data governance, data security, data com- more data requires careful handling, which Paul Blewett pliance. we can do through one licence covering all Head of Product interested stakeholders, layered data, one Landmark Information They soon realised that the foundation for address search and multiple formats, and Tel: +44 (0)844 844 9960 what they had built was based on open and ultimately providing compliance confidence [email protected] unvalidated information, producing large to all data users. www.promap.co.uk spikes in maps or volatile results around risk www.twitter.com/Promap or land interpretation. As we advance our market-leading digital www.linkedin.com/in/paul-blewett- mapping service Promap this year, our main 5447652/ Landmark produces market-leading tools focus is to ensure that all of our customers

21 Only human! In all the talk of technology and digital transformation, we must never forget that it’s people who ultimately determine a project’s success – or otherwise, says John Eynon

he scene is the roof of the tower block where where we just say “I want a house” – it asks you a The Matrix agents are holding Morpheus few questions and just goes away and does it. But prisoner – Neo lies prone on the ground, an not now! agentT towering over him, gun pointed ready for the kill. Neo had dodged most of the bullets in the battle Are we there yet? using his nascent abilities but his belief had failed While AI in the future might do that, we are not quite with the last bullet, which sent him to the ground. there yet.

“Only human,” the agent says. He is about to fire but Humans are still needed in the process; after all, Trinity surprises the agent. Holding her gun to his aren’t we who it’s all for in the first place? temple she says: “Dodge this” and the rest, as they say, is history. “Successful projects are not delivered by what’s in the contract, the management There are now so many apocalyptic films and stories plan or – god forbid! – the BIM Execution foretelling the rise of machines and impending doom Plan. Successful projects are delivered by for humankind. I haven’t seen one yet with a happy, successful teams of people working peaceful ending! together effectively, collaborating.”

It seems there is not a happy ending to be had Recently, it has forcibly struck me that we talk about anywhere! technology, process, standards, plans, checklists, programmes, execution plans and all the rest of Perhaps the digital transformation of our industry will the plethora of stuﬀ we produce to make a project not have a peaceful, happy ending either. Perhaps happen. It’s easy to get carried away with all of the jury is out? Discuss! these things.

Expectation However, none of these things actually make the While delivering a Level 2 BIM Manager course project happen on their own! recently, there was one QS who seemed really disappointed that the BIM model didn’t just do her It’s people. It’s us. job for her! The current state of where we are wasn’t up to her expectations. It’s all about people For all our plans, ﬂowcharts and checklists, it’s the In time, perhaps Artiﬁcial Intelligence combined people doing it that make it happen. Perhaps therein with the BIM technologies we use will reach a point lies the problem. People are not robots. 22 Technology, process and people We often talk about these three aspects in BIM implementation, but we all know the tech is the easy bit and with process there’s more legwork involved, but people?

Getting people to change their behaviours, ingrained habits, views, and cultural peccadillos? Much, much harder! As we all know. So, there is the beauty and the pain.

We can be wonderful in so many ways, and plumb the depths of experience in so many others!

We all have to adapt and respond now, whatever our John Eynon role, whatever our place in the food chain. We are all technologists, we are all life-long learners. And you Successful projects are not delivered by what’s in the will have to be if you want to keep up! contract, the management plan or – god forbid! – the BIM Execution Plan. Successful projects are delivered The human dimension by successful teams of people working together I guess, in conclusion, mine is a simple plea, really. eﬀectively, collaborating. That in all our enthusiasm and excitement about BIM, technology and transformation, let’s not Just because it’s in your plan or on your checklist forget that it is our humanity that makes this work. doesn’t mean it will happen as you want – the person That is the heartbeat. The reason for doing. So our responsible needs to want to do what you want. communities and environment can be better.

Wonderful! That’s the beauty of working with people. In all the change you plan, remember your people. Any given day you never quite know what you’re Because ultimately, they will be the ones who make going to get! you succeed or fail!

It’s nice to be needed Now there’s a thought! For all the data, software and tech available to us now, there still needs to be the human input and view. And John Eynon is an architect, design manager and BIM this will be so for generations to come. champ. He writes, lectures and talks. You can catch up with him at www.zenandm.com . ■ For all the information that is thrown at us every day, for all the stuﬀ that BIM and the like throws at us, there is still the need to look at the outputs and ask: “Does this look and feel right? What about XYZ?”

On being only human Our intelligence, creativity and ability to synthesise and integrate across all kinds of boundaries and ...... information sources means we are still vitally John Eynon needed. Director Open Water Consulting BIM won’t do it for us. It can’t of its own volition. [email protected] Some recent tweets about the “failure” of BIM are www.openwaterconsulting.co.uk enlightening. BIM is like a screwdriver. It’s a tool. If you want to blame anything, blame the people! 23 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Invest for construction success

2019 is proving a year of continued uncertainty, with added pressure on the construction sector from skills shortages and rising cost of materials – all impacting heavily on margins and proﬁtability

n many respects this should be a bonanza consultants and architects, as well as house- results in loss of information, leading to year for construction, with an infrastructure builders, lag behind, particularly in use of construction delays – or worse, rebuilds – pipeline of nearly £600bn lined up over technology for project delivery and adoption severely impacting margins, as well as your theI next decade. However, the industry’s of Building Information Modelling (BIM). reputation. historic underinvestment in IT is hampering efforts to modernise and to improve One of the main challenges of project delivery While the use of common data environments productivity. is the management and control of documents, (CDEs) is becoming increasingly common to drawings and data across the supply chain. control and share information for project While many Tier 1 or major contracting firms The use of ‘free’ solutions for sharing infor- delivery, they are often driven by client are well advanced on digital transformation, mation, such as email or use of generic requirements across major projects or within many smaller and mid-sized contractors, file-sharing solutions such as Dropbox, often T1 across the enterprise.

24 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

• Across multiple departments, project Choosing a Common Data Environment teams or selected team individuals? (CDE) offers a range of benefits beyond attainment of BIM Level 2 compliance; • For the design stage, or through to it offers time and cost savings as well. But construction and handover? how do you choose the right CDE for your business? • On a single project, a programme of projects or an enterprise solution? Understand the benefits of a CDE and learn how to choose the right one for you by One of the recommended routes, even for downloading our free guide: “Choosing the large companies, is to identify a pilot project. Right CDE For BIM Level 2 Compliance”. This could be a joint venture project or used to improve processes internally.

“One of the main challenges of project delivery is the management and control of documents, drawings and data across the supply chain.”

Investing in a hassle-free solution that supports all project information management Getting the basics right and collaboration needs – from a simple A CDE, the basic requirement for BIM, provides project folder capability for smaller works a collaborative environment that encourages projects through to a workflow-driven, BIM teams to work together, following a formal Level 2-compliant CDE – ensures project and standardised approach to managing teams become confident in the use of a project information, reducing the risk of single system to manage information, knowl- mistakes and so controlling costs. edge is recycled and clients build trust in your digital delivery abilities. So how do companies take advantage of CDEs’ proven benefits without major invest- BIM made simple ment – and how do you choose the right The GroupBC suite of BC Solutions allow you groupbc.com CDE for you? to address the collaboration and task requirements of project delivery utilising BC GroupBC When selecting a CDE, it’s essential to find a Projects or extend to organisational wide use Tel: +44 (0)118 902 8543 solution that will fit into the overall organi- with BC Enterprise. As you mature in your [email protected] sational strategy, as well as into any ongoing digital information capabilities, BC can flex to www.groupbc.com BIM strategy. An understanding of the CDEs’ fit as your digital capabilities mature, offering www.twitter.com/GroupBC_Ltd intended purpose is crucial – ask yourself the smartest choice for team collaboration how it will be used in the long term: and construction information control.

25 Drones: Taking off or underused?

Drones are an invaluable digital/reality capture tool for the construction and infrastructure markets – but Ian Tansey of ProDroneWorx says the latest industry survey suggests they are not being used to their full potential

onstruction companies are experiencing These forecasts and the adoption of the technology massive cost pressure, limited access to were confirmed in a recent survey by my own com- capital from financial markets or lenders and pany, ProDroneWorx. The use of digital/reality capture ever-tighterC margins. In the UK, the average margin information from drone technology continues to of construction companies is approximately 2%. This increase, with 52% of respondents now using the tech- is unstainable. Construction firms are starting to nology compared with only 33% in 2017. Furthermore, embrace change, technology and new construction 74% of those not using the technology plan on using it methods to increase their margins. They are starting in future, so usage should continue to increase. to embrace new digital technologies such as drones, BIM, data analytics and offsite manufacturing. “As regulation and licensing laws surrounding drone usage tighten, it is ProDroneWorx believes that the digital/reality imperative that specialist drone operators capture data outputs created from drone technology continue to facilitate the development of using photogrammetry and LiDAR are starting to drone technology and its integration with transform traditional business models, helping to Building Information Modelling (BIM) reshape the construction and infrastructure markets. within our industry to maximise benefits This is happening through the improved management and minimise misuse.” of assets digitally, deeper data insights, better collaboration on projects, improved data deliverables According to the survey, the top three reasons for to clients, cost reductions and the reduction of risk. adopting the technology are improved data quality (56%), time saving (54%) and the reduction of risk Drones have a wide variety of uses, from 3D modelling (42%). Interestingly, fewer companies than last year (point clouds and textured models), topographical are planning on utilising drone technology in-house, surveys, digital terrain models (DTM) and volume reflecting perhaps the level of knowledge and measurement to progress monitoring. Drone technol- expertise needed to deploy them. ogy can be deployed quickly, safely and cost-effectively on any project to capture survey grade accurate 2D ProDroneWorx believes that drone technology will or 3D digital/reality capture information. transform traditional business models and help digitalise the construction industry. Indeed, those According to research from PwC, drone technology early adopters of the technology are starting to see a has the potential to increase UK GDP by £42bn positive impact on their operational processes, from (or 2%) by 2030. The research estimates there will be the way projects are monitored to the inspection of more than 76,000 drones in use across UK skies by assets. The digital/reality capture outputs from 2030. The report finds that drone technology could drone technology can be used at all stages of the help the UK achieve up to £16bn in net cost savings construction phase: planning, design, construction, by 2030 through increased productivity. and marketing. 26 Drone technology and BIM The findings of this survey also demonstrate that drone technology is currently being underutilised. While 74% of respondents are using drone technology for photography and video, fewer than 30% of respondents are using the technology for value add services like aerial LiDAR, 3D point clouds, 3D modelling, digital surface/terrain models, orthophotos and thermal imaging.

“The use of digital/reality capture information from drone technology continues to increase, with 52% of respondents now using the technology compared with only 33% in 2017. Furthermore, 74% of those not using the technology plan on using it in future, so usage should continue to increase.”

The technology has many uses within BIM, for example:

• 3D Point Cloud: A survey grade, accurate 3D point cloud can be easily created for small or large areas, objects and structures with a drone using photogrammetry or LiDAR. The point cloud Drone technology is one of the tools that can be produced from a drone can also be combined used to produce digital/reality capture information, with terrestrial laser scanning surveys to produce other methods include terrestrial laser scanning. complete 3D point clouds. These models can be The datasets from both the laser scanner and drone imported into BIM or CAD software so that com- can also be combined to create complete accurate parisons can be made with the design models. models of structures or objects. • 3D Textured Model: This visualisation solution Industry opinion allows users to understand more detail about Construction company Kier said: “The latest their assets and uses contextual data to improve Prodroneworx survey demonstrates how far drone decision-making. The 3D models and the underlying technology has progressed. Kier is working closely point cloud data can be used to take measurements, with Prodroneworx on some key projects to realise plan future modifications and can also be brought the benefits from drone technology, including into virtual reality (VR). These 3D models can be progress capture, 360 photography and produced on various assets, eg bridges, commer- photogrammetry.” cial/industrial buildings, project sites, construction sites and infrastructure. Steven Hedley, vice-president technical at the CIAT, said: “As regulation and licensing laws surrounding 3D models bring the real world or “as-built” into the drone usage tighten, it is imperative that specialist office and this means that the user can carry out a drone operators continue to facilitate the development number of different tasks like: appraisal of existing of drone technology and its integration with Building conditions, monitoring construction progress, Information Modelling (BIM) within our industry to carrying out structural assessments and recording maximise benefits and minimise misuse.” as-built conditions. 27 • Orthomosaics: These are a single, high-resolution clouds, textured model and digital terrain model digital image that is orthorectified so measurements (DTM) accuracies have now been demonstrated and can be taken from it. It can also be tied into the OS validated down to approximately 3cm on some of or a local grid using ground control points for global our big infrastructure projects where fixed wing PPK accuracy. A CAD model can be overlaid on it and it drone technology has been used. can be used in the following ways: A key benefit of using drone technology, and the 1. In the project design phase to understand and specialised photogrammetry software used to create plan the orientation of buildings, road, footpaths and the 2D/3D maps or models, is that the data can be services. imported into BIM, CAD or GIS software in different file formats, such as dwg, dxf, xyz, las, laz, obj and 2. For a planning application, it gives planners unique kmz. This makes integration of the digital 2D/3D data insights into the site and its surrounding area. into workflow processes straightforward. ■

3. Allowing developers to get critical aerial evidence to help support their planning case...... Ian Tansey 4. Checking project progress against plan drawings. Managing Director ProDroneWorx In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of improvement in Tel: +44 (0)7805 864642 positioning accuracies through the use of ground [email protected] control points (GCPs) or drones with RTK/PPK tech- www.prodroneworx.co.uk nology built-in, developments of photogrammetry software and the use of LiDAR on drones. 3D point 28 Elecosoft releases Powerproject Vision to improve collaboration and consistency across plans Bring control, integrity and transparency to your Powerproject programmes with: - Cloud hosted portal access to all project plans - Effective version control and change management - Customised workflows for automated routines - Business intelligence data extraction across all files

More information For more information please visit www.elecosoft.com/vision or contact us on +44 (0)1844 261 700 or [email protected]

www.elecosoft.com Drone futures in landscape As drones take oﬀ in construction, Dr Paul Cureton of the ImaginationLancaster design lab at Lancaster University looks at the adoption of – and challenges facing – UAVs in the landscape sector

Drone usage in landscape architecture has emerged The enhanced imaging and mapping capabilities from early adopters in arboriculture and ecology for of next-generation drone technologies are highly habitat and tree surveys, as well as environmental applicable to the near-scale at which landscape is both management. The eﬃciency and economy of gather- experienced and designed… the drone’s eye exhibits ing large volumes of biological data are unparalleled. signiﬁcant transformative potential in landscape The ability of drones for deployment in varying geog- architectural practice and theory. raphies, inaccessible places and seasons all provide Karl Kullman, 2017. valuable insights.

The use of zones of theoretical visibility using nmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone precision reality capture can also provide excellent usage has increased drastically in the micro-knowledge towards design for screening and construction sector and has been applied in mitigation. Current UAV developments include Uvarious ﬁelds. Led through a safety-ﬁrst culture with BVLOS – Beyond Visual Line of Sight – studies over strict aerospace law and regulation, commercial drone infrastructure pipelines, railways and tunnels. In usage has demonstrated its viability for digital con- addition, Augmented Reality such as the Epson struction over the last decade, with a global increase Moverio has provided consumer-level AR glasses of 239% and rapid sector disruption and innovation, suitable for drone pilots to view both drone and as pointed out in the McKinsey Report (2016). drone’s eye view simultaneously.

Photogrammetric surveys, Landscape & Visual While new digital workflows are promised from Impact Assessment (LVIA) Studies, construction the technology, from survey to screen with ease, progress and monitoring, phasing, inspection and attributes and classifications of ‘reality’ models and maintenance, building and as-built studies, as well as interoperability remain difficult. Levels of Detail (LOD) BIM interoperability, all demonstrate areas of drone and processing of vegetation alongside classification deployment. remain difficult. For example, a drone survey would require a manual classification of a tree to which a In wider public sectors, drone logistics and vertical computer samples the spectrum and classifies the take-off and landing signify innovations, as well as point cloud to construct an index. adding new considerations in architectural design. This can be seen in Humphreys & Partners’ Pier 2 LOD has remained one of the parameters in which a Apartment of the Future (2018) with cantilevered commission is normally undertaken. However, client drone delivery ports, bio-culture and farming along- awareness, as well as the quality of capture along side living walls and other sustainability measures. oblique angles, can create wide-ranging results. In other words, drones are not only being used in construction but dictating future building forms Alongside the quality of capture, competencies of and transportation. Again, this can be seen in the pilots and extended permissions have created huge Spaceport proposal for Sunderland from AECOM. variances. However, drone cut-and-fill calculations 30 “As-built models from a drone survey can provide useful information and overlaying the design with a capture site point cloud for context can provide a useful basis to evaluate design intent and identify unrecorded changes made during construction.”

Humphreys & Partners, Pier 2, Apartment of the Future, 2018 and earthwork algorithms have proved themselves commissioned sites within wider city-level digital twin commercially by allowing site development and models. Web API’s that can host 3D Environments, progress to be assessed on a daily basis. such as OS Zoom stack, alongside new urban-based GIS software with BIM interoperability also signpost Moving from photometric capture packages into wider city models to which drone data will play a role. Building Information Modelling (BIM) software has also provided challenges: some of these packages In summary, digital construction, innovation and requiring a manual tracing of point clouds to create transformation via new hardware and connected parametric models or additional tools have been services through drones, AR and BIM will provide required. exciting new challenges moving forward, though the most difficult issue remains the scope of commission As-built models from a drone survey can provide and standard and knowledge of the captured reality, useful information and overlaying the design with a as well as its classification and attributes. capture site point cloud for context can provide a useful basis to evaluate design intent and identify New AR testing and identifiers through survey hint unrecorded changes made during construction. In at a future beyond derived meshes of the landscape the case of Skycatch and Komatsu, drone surveying to pre-classed models direct to BIM tools, then we at all stages of the project using AI. For larger-scale will be really ‘designing in’. These models, set in the infrastructure projects, light aircraft aerial commis- context of a digital twin at city level, highlight the sions may be necessary over drones for spatial seamless scales of operation that can be achieved. ■ coverage and this remain expensive.

At policy level, it is also worth noting the Centre for Digital Built Britain has been exploring Gemini Princi- ples for Digital Twins in the United Kingdom, with the ...... Greater London Authority currently seeking a new Dr Paul Cureton model with wide implications for planning and social Senior Lecturer in Design engagement, as well as assessment of London’s ImaginationLancaster at Lancaster University green infrastructure and capacity. Tel: +44 (0)1524 663 433 [email protected] Given the longevity of data within a landscape and http://148.88.47.13/html/imagination/ ecological succession, UAV surveys provide prime opportunities to top-up contentious zones and 31 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT INTRODUCTION TO BIM AND AUTODESK REVIT

16, 23 AND 30 MARCH 2019 (SATURDAYS 9.30 AM – 4 PM) 3, 4 AND 5 JULY 2019 (WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY 9.30 AM – 4 PM)

Building on the expertise in the School of Architecture, “This course gave me the basic understanding (and a lot Design and Built Environment at Nottingham Trent more!) to help me move forward. I really enjoyed it. It University, this course provides a hands-on learning was well paced and ideal with a small class – I think this environment for all construction professionals in the is really important, so that questions can be asked and creation of a Revit BIM model. answered.” JC

Learn how to navigate the Autodesk Revit interface, “I enjoyed the course and look forward to putting into apply the basic modifying and modelling tools, create practice what I learnt. Many thanks to Geoff for a drawing sheets and schedules, and undertake BIM brilliant three days.” DS analysis. “Geoff was very good at adapting the course to meet Fee: £675 + VAT our needs, especially with regards to the huge number of Location: Nottingham Trent University, City Campus questions asked by the group. And it was good to receive paper handouts as well and digital copies.” MW Read more and book your place today: www.ntu.ac.uk/bim ANY QUESTIONS? Contact the short course team: Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813

8021/11/18

8021 CSC ADBE BIM and Revit ad reprint 11 2018_1.indd 1 07/11/2018 11:20 Transforming Construction with the Core Innovation Hub The Core Innovation Hub will support collaboration across the digital, manufacturing and construction sectors to develop and commercialise technologies that will help transform the sector. Sam Stacey, challenge director for Transforming Construction at UKRI, outlines how it will work

he UK construction industry is facing a once-in- At the heart of the Sector Deal is the Core Innovation a-generation opportunity for transformation – Hub (CIH). The CIH ties together and enables all other but it cannot currently deliver the infrastructure elements of the Sector Deal – collaborative R&D, andT homes the UK needs in the way it currently building strong supply chains in the UK and the gov- operates. The industry is very labour intensive, with ernment’s £20bn per annum construction procure- processes dependent on each stage being completed ment to deliver better performing buildings. The CIH before the next starts, high levels of material waste, consists of is a partnership between three centres of variable quality and gaps between designed and established excellence: the Manufacturing Technology actual asset performance. Centre (MTC), the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Cambridge University’s Centre for Digital In the past, construction has been held back by Built Britain (CDBB). industry fragmentation and lack of applicable technology. We will change that through a partnership The CIH will bring technologies used successfully in between government and industry. other industries to the construction of buildings and infrastructure. Digital technologies will be used to In July 2018, the government published the design buildings based on components – in the same Construction Sector Deal as part of the Industrial way cars are built now. Manufacturing processes will Strategy. The Sector Deal describes how government be developed to produce these to high standards – procurement will drive change in the design and enabling rapid production of buildings to lower costs, assembly of buildings, how the skills challenges faced while also delivering better performing schools, hos- by the industry will be addressed and how £170m pitals and homes to the benefit of businesses, public provided as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge services and people. Buildings will be produced with Fund (ISCF) will bring to market the solutions needed less waste, to use less energy and be recycled at the for transforming construction. This will bring end of their lives. together a critical mass of clients, construction firms and materials suppliers to start the transition to a Data will become an increasingly valuable commodity new approach that embraces digital, and offsite – with material traceability, so we will know what has manufacturing technologies. been installed where and to what standard – making buildings safer. To seize this opportunity, the sector will have to change – it will have to go through the industrial and Safety on site will also improve, with fewer workers put information revolutions. The challenge is great – but into dangerous environments. This, in turn, will make if we achieve our aims, the UK will be a world leader the sector attractive to a more diverse workforce. in construction, opening the doors to new market opportunities in an expanding sector expected to be Factories established as part of new growing UK worth $15trn by 2025. supply chains can be located where the social return 33 to the country is greatest, bringing regeneration and duce nine schools for the price of five today, but the skilled jobs to manufacturing heartlands. learning experience for the pupils in those schools will be better. “In the past, construction has been held back by industry fragmentation and lack The Construction Industry Sector Deal represents an of applicable technology. We will change opportunity to make the UK construction industry a that through a partnership between world-leader. We must seize this, and make it a reality. government and industry.” Sam Stacey is Challenge Director – Transforming Digital techniques such as augmented and virtual Construction at UKRI. He is leading the Transforming reality will be brought into construction for the first Construction challenge, a £170m research and innovation time. The latest generation of robots will assist con- investment, matched by £250m from industry, to create struction workers on site and in factories. Machines new construction processes and techniques for building that work autonomously, such as self-driving excava- manufacture in the UK. ■ tors and robotic cranes, will be introduced to construction sites. Smart sensors and digital systems will be incorporated in buildings and infrastructure, so they can manage and maintain themselves – and the ...... data they gather will enable us to make our towns Sam Stacey and cities better places to work and travel in. Challenge Director – Transforming Construction UK Research & Innovation All this will mean that we will be able to build much www.ukri.org faster, cheaper and more sustainably than we do today. Not only, for example, will we be able to pro- 34 Powerproject BIM – affordable 4D planning By combining 3D models with scheduling tools in one application, Powerproject BIM enables you to: - Easily create your project plan from your model - ‘Drag and drop’ objects between the 3D view and Gantt chart - See the impact in the 3D view with split screen functionality

More information For more information please visit www.elecosoft.com/bim or contact us on +44 (0)1844 261 700 or [email protected]

www.elecosoft.com A Modern Method for 21st century construction Alex Lubbock, head of digital construction at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, discusses how Modern Methods of Construction can reshape the sector to deliver higher productivity, quality and performance

odern Methods of Construction (MMC), as a From a cultural perspective, this is far harder to term, has a history in the construction sector quantify. Digital has become synonymous with pro- that long precedes its recent revival as a ductivity within all walks of life, including construction, Mcatch-all label for the different types of manufacturing where it was catalysed by the UK Government Con- processes and digital construction methodologies. struction Strategy mandate for Building Information Modelling Level 2, which has led to an explosion in MMC is at the start of a new journey to becoming digital technologies in the sector. synonymous with Value for Money. It may not be called MMC, offsite, SMART construction, modular or “Using MMC provides a significant any of these terms in the future but the goals are opportunity to reshape the peaks and clear: higher productivity with a higher quality per- troughs of demand for labour and formance and outcome over the life of the assets we establish a sustainable, skilled workforce construct. Why will this work now? Primarily I believe that is not limited by location or the type this is related to people and culture. of construction.”

From a people perspective, in 2015 HM Treasury At the heart of this race for digital is consumer published the National Infrastructure Plan for Skills, behaviour. Ever since the iPod and the iPlayer, we which recognised a requirement to recruit and train have been moving towards an experience-based and approximately 100,000 additional workers. It also on-demand culture. A mass-customised but tailored identified that 250,000 of the existing workforce middle ground that provides value for money for needed retraining or upskilling to meet the type of consumers at multiple levels. work required within the pipeline. The National Infra- structure and Construction Pipeline 2018 has So how do we move from a goods-based, transactional increased to a projected £600bn over the next sector to a service and experience-based part of the decade. Therefore, one could assume that the economy? Recently, the Infrastructure & Projects shortfall in skills and the need for re-training has Authority (IPA), in partnership with the Department for increased in that period. Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), released a call for evidence on a new approach to building, Using MMC provides a significant opportunity to Platform Design for Manufacture and Assembly. How reshape the peaks and troughs of demand for should government create its own digital Lego set for labour and establish a sustainable, skilled workforce what it constructs and achieve the same level of mass that is not limited by location or the type of construc- customisation in what it builds? tion. This could also assist in managing overheated areas of the country where labour is in high demand, In December 2017, the IPA launched the Modern which can be a contributory factor to increased risk, Methods of Construction Working Group across cost, time and lower quality. central government to support departments meet a 36 presumption in favour of offsite. To date, we have explored the barriers and are putting in place the mechanics for addressing the technical, commercial and cultural challenges ahead. This call for evidence is a result of this working group and previous work delivered through our Transforming Infrastructure Performance programme to enable departments to aggregate demand, leverage government’s buying power and bring consistency to departmental digital and manufactured approaches to buildings.

Please contribute to the Call for Evidence and inﬂuence the direction of our proposal.

“Ever since the iPod and the iPlayer, we have been moving towards an experience-based and on-demand culture. A mass-customised but tailored middle ground that provides value for money for Alex Lubbock consumers at multiple levels.”

Underpinning the work, we plan to do in the future is With the recent establishment of the Core Innovation a need to increase the client’s capability. Part of that Hub and Active Buildings Centre through the Indus- upskilling is deskilling the process of engaging with trial Strategy Challenge Fund, we are focused on the sector to achieve its desired outcomes. Enabling creating the environment for change and transfor- stakeholders to determine what is value for money mation in the sector. The IPA will continue to for them without limiting their ambition. To do this, convene the departments that are committed to a we need to reduce the choice available for a small presumption in favour of manufacturing oﬀsite number of aspects and allow innovation and construction, and work with industry and academia continuous improvement to thrive. to transform infrastructure performance over the next decade. ■ An example of this is in buying a kitchen. The standard depth and height of the worktop is the same; therefore, the manufacturers of components such as a dishwasher know exactly what space constraints they have to work with. This allows the consumer to benchmark its procurement of the dishwasher based on value. They may still choose ...... the lowest capital cost but properties such as energy Alex Lubbock performance rating, decibel level and whether you Head of Digital Construction can work it from your mobile phone all become Infrastructure & Projects Authority viable considerations through the data provided by Tel: +44 (0)20 7276 1234 the manufacturers and compared side-by-side on a [email protected] platform like AO.com or Amazon. Why can’t we buy www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ construction in this mass, customisable and trans- infrastructure-and-projects-authority parent way that we are so used to as consumers in other walks of life? 37 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

FARO’s scan to BIM solutions: The best of both worlds?

BIM may seem like a daunting journey into the unknown for some but breaking down the process into manageable chronological stages is by far the best way to start

hether you’re a beginner or experienced practitioner, there are now international standards (ISO19650) Wthat explain the process of creating consistently structured data and documents for built environment projects.

Here though, in an interview with FARO’s Oliver Buerkler (senior product manager, construction BIM) and Marc Zschieschang (product manager, Construction BIM), we look at the initial stages of a construction project – surveying an existing site and the process of what is known as ‘scan to BIM’.

Sometimes referred to as ‘as-built’ mod- The files created by a laser scanner tend to capabilities. Users can semi-automatically elling, this should not be confused with the be quite large and while most BIM authoring generate building elements by selecting ‘Real process of verifying what has been newly 3D software has the ability to import and 3D’ points in the point cloud – something constructed through the use of laser scan- display ‘point clouds’, working with them can Revit cannot natively do. ning. In FARO’s Traceable Construction terms, be quite unwieldy. this falls into the ‘onsite capture’ and ‘as-built Zschieschang explains: “The software modelling & design’ stages. We will focus Zschieschang continues: “Every project has a matches the wall thickness, for instance, to here on the as-built modelling stage. site that needs to be measured – whether it’s wall types in the user’s library and places the a family house with five scans to a complex wall accordingly. The next step is to place As the BIM process is about creating consis- 5,000 scan masterplan project, the challenge openings in the wall using similar steps – by tent, more complete information, the best is to subdivide the point cloud to make selecting points of a window or door in the place to begin is with the greatest possible manageable sized segments.” point cloud, the software selects the right understanding of ‘what’ your site is. Laser sized item from the library and places it in scanning (or photogrammetry, as an alterna- Once users have subdivided the point the wall. tive) is so much more cost-effective now that clouds, the modelling can begin. While other it makes very little sense not to do it. modelling solutions offer ‘mesh surface’ “If the library item cannot be found or production from point clouds, the resulting doesn’t suit, the software assists you in cre- In introducing the solution, Buerkler says: model is not considered to be ‘BIM’ – that ating new families – again using the point “Our approach here is to help professionals is, it lacks the ‘I’ part. The FARO solution cloud. This can be repeated for precisely turn reality into an intelligent digital repre- therefore gives users the best possible start, placing other items such as openings, walls, sentation, the BIM process (in most by using intelligent objects. doors, windows, columns, beams and pipes instances) requires designers to work in a for a complete set of architectural, structural data-rich 3D environment where traditional FARO has created As-Built for Autodesk Revit, and MEP as-built models.” 2D deliverables can also be quickly taken a software add-in that enables enhanced from the models.” functionality over the standard Revit software In projects where it is applicable and reason-

38 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

able to do so, the FARO software has the any discipline to save time and money with ongoing accuracy or to ‘complete the picture’ ability to correct the angles of walls within a automated functionality, while maintaining where real-world items have not been specified tolerance to allow for more ‘tidy’ integrity, traceability and accuracy. required to be modelled. models. When working on heritage projects, for instance, where a true representation of Another feature of the software is the devia- The FARO solution enables skilled, experi- the conditions is required, this would be an tion analysis tool – models can be compared enced architects, engineers or surveyors to unlikely feature to use, but some projects in against the point cloud to ensure the model interrogate and model from scan data while existing buildings can benefit from truly is built to meet the accuracy and tolerances using their professional knowledge and intel- orthogonal models. required. The software will highlight in ligent software to help them create accurate real-time, where the model is outside of digital representations. The vital part of the With respect to MEP items such as pipes, the the requirements to enable corrections to be FARO solution is the ability to allow built FARO software enables users to specify an made. These analyses can be exported as a environment professionals to determine insulation diameter factor. This ensures that report to demonstrate accuracy and even has the construction or make-up of the existing the model created represents the true pipe built in templates for USIBD (US Institute of site – something that automated systems or duct size inside the insulation, rather than Building Documentation) checks, for instance. cannot yet do. modelling the dimensions as per the outside surface as recorded by the laser scanner. This In summary, FARO’s user-assisted modelling is an essential ‘user assisted’ step for those solution takes a best practice approach to the using their models to run pressure/temper- ‘scan to BIM’ process and in Zschieschang’s ature drop or flow rate calculations. words “brings the reality to the model”. As a key initial stage of the BIM process, the A similar approach has been taken with as-built models created using the steps Autodesk’s Plant 3D software – an add-in described can then be used as a basis for allows models to be created from library design work to begin. Fully appreciating the Anke Abendroth components, but to add the true BIM factor site, building, road or rail line a project Content Marketing Manager EMEA – the add-in then has the ability to export to team is about to work on is a significant step FARO UK Autodesk’s Revit software and replaces all forward for our industry. Tel: +49 (0)7150 9797 – 311 extracted items with Revit items that can then [email protected] hold more data. An ongoing added benefit is that the point www.faro.com/ cloud can remain as a reference throughout www.twitter.com/faroeurope This software workflow enables users from the design and construction stages to ensure

39 Construction Blueprint: A sectoral alliance to develop a new European strategy for skills

Construction has a key role to play in tackling the economic, societal and environmental issues facing Europe, but there are concerns that a shortage of the right people with the right skills will hold it back. A major new alliance aims to address this by developing a sector-wide blueprint for nurturing the know-how to meet industry needs

he European construction sector is a prime This can be explained by rapid technological driver of economic growth and employment in changes, including the digitalisation of construction every member state of the European Union processes through BIM and other digitals tools or (EU),T currently representing almost 9% of EU GDP. It methods (automation, drones, etc), by policy choices, can respond to a number of economic and societal such as “greener” economies and initiatives on energy challenges, such as jobs, growth, digitalisation, eﬃciency in buildings, as well as by demographic environment, energy and climate change. Construction changes, notably an ageing workforce. provides for transport, infrastructure (airports, roads, etc), social infrastructure (hospitals, schools, etc), “The aim of this initiative is to develop private housing and commercial real estate. The and implement a new strategic and construction industry is thus an essential pillar of coordinated approach (a Blueprint) to the European economy and of our society. sectoral cooperation on skills by enhancing the responsiveness of VET The construction industry also plays a key enabling systems to the construction labour role in the transition to a low-carbon EU economy, as market needs.” buildings alone account for nearly 40% of total energy

consumption and a third of CO2 emissions. Around In addition, the industry is also confronted with a 75% of the existing building stock is considered significant gender gap, with overall only a very small energy-inefficient. number of women in the workforce. The latter, combined with the lack of attractiveness of the Seeing this major need for modernisation, there sector for many youngsters, adds further pressure, is a big potential for creating jobs with the view to particularly on micro to medium-sized companies. decarbonise the EU building stock by 2050. This is why EU policies in the areas of energy efficiency and Although initiatives aiming at addressing the problem renewable energies, together with sustained encour- of skills gaps and mismatches have been launched at agement of building renovation and infrastructure all levels, a more wide-ranging and coordinated management, should be an opportunity to revitalise action plan was strongly needed. For this reason, in the construction sector. the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, the main EU Programme in the fields of education, training However, construction companies are facing and youth, the European Commission launched last increasing difficulties in attracting the right workers year a call for projects focusing on sectors that are with the right skills, in particular as regards digital experiencing severe skills shortages, including the and green skills. construction sector. 40 Under the coordination of the Spanish Fundación overlooked, in particular as regards: job satisfaction, Laboral de la Construcción, a consortium comprising developing safe workplaces, fostering continuous three European sectorial organisations (the European and adequate professional training and ensuring Construction Industry Federation – FIEC, the European workers’ involvement. These aspects will be a strong Builders Confederation – EBC and the European leverage to improve the image of the industry and to Federation of Building & Woodworkers – EFBWW), attract competent workers. along with nine national construction representatives and 12 vocational education and training (VET) This Construction Blueprint strategy has to lead to providers from 12 EU countries is now going to work systemic and structural impact on reducing skills together on developing this new strategic approach shortages, gaps and mismatches, as well as ensuring for skills in the construction sector. appropriate quality and levels of skills to support growth, innovation and competitiveness in the sector. “…construction companies are facing A particular focus will be on digital skills as they are increasing difficulties in attracting the right increasingly important on all job profiles, as well as on workers with the right skills, in particular the transition to a circular and greener economy. as regards digital and green skills.” Launched in January 2019 for a duration of four The aim of this initiative is to develop and implement years, the Construction Blueprint project has the a new strategic and coordinated approach (a Blue- main following objectives: print) to sectoral cooperation on skills by enhancing • The creation of an online monitoring tool to the responsiveness of VET systems to the construc- provide accurate information on training needs in tion labour market needs. In other words, it aims at different countries through the use of big data. identifying existing and emerging skills needs in order to translate them into vocational curricula • The development of a methodology for reviewing responding to those needs. construction profiles and professional qualifications; the compilation of national and regional good In addition to the aims of the project, the social and practices that illustrate and promote initiatives to human dimension of the workers should not be address the lack of skills. 41 • A massive outreach campaign to promote the attractiveness of the sector among women and young people, not only to achieve a balance in the sector, but also to encourage the mobility across ...... the EU. Eugenio Quintieri Secretary General • The development of a massive open online course European Builders Confederation to raise awareness among construction workers of Tel: +32 (0)2 514 23 23 digitalisation, energy efficiency and the circular [email protected] economy. www.ebc-construction.eu

• The establishment of a new virtual tool where all project outputs will be available for stakeholders, as well as a Sector Skills Alliance platform for Domenico Campogrande collaborative work. Director of Social Affairs European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) This Sectoral Skills Strategy for construction will bring Tel: +32 (0)2 514 55 35 together lessons learned from past initiatives and d.campogrande@fiec.eu will be outlined from a holistic approach, identifying www.fiec.eu political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors affecting construction skills and training offer. Werner Buelen Needless to say, this ambitious project will represent Political Secretary Construction a major challenge over the next few years, not only European Federation of Building & Woodworkers for the partners involved but for the sector as a (EFBWW) whole: this partnership will mark the evolution of Tel: +32 (0)2 227 10 40 skills in the European construction industry. ■ [email protected] www.efbww.org Follow the Construction Blueprint project on Twitter at https://twitter.com/EUConstruction . 42 Revolutionising the way in-house design documents are managed

Document management solution specifically tailored for architects, engineers and design professionals in the construction sector. Supports BIM Level 2 standards, and provides tight integration with AutoCAD and Revit.

www.excitech.co.uk/Excitech-DOCS| [email protected] | 01992 807 444 Facility management and blockchain There has been quite a bit of noise in property and FM in the last year or so about blockchain and the potential beneﬁts it may have for our industry. What exactly is it? And why do clients need to know about it? Karl Redmond of Rider Levell Bucknall takes a look

erhaps the easiest way to think of this in the stored in a blockchain is encrypted, which means the FM context is related to how we service and data can be itemised so unauthorised use or tam- maintain our buildings and structures. Today, pering is virtually impossible. And it is time-stamped mostP maintenance programmes are either planned – it is not possible to alter this, so the blockchain or reactive, or a combination of both. It is only process ensures an indelible record of something recently that the industry has started to investigate the happening at a precise, unalterable time. potential benefits of predictive maintenance, where the operating conditions of various critical assets and “Once the fundamental concepts are components are monitored to predict their failure (or understood, it is not difficult to imagine a lowering of performance output) in the near future, the blockchain process being used to helping to prevent any unexpected downtime. capture certification needs, insurance details and engineering compliance.” In order to create targeted predictive maintenance programmes (with the ability to include inventory As part of an end-to-end process, blockchain could and procurement programmes), we should consider indicate to customers, and all those in the supply incorporating an end-to-end “digital twin” operation chain, such as maintenance teams and suppliers, that consolidates data from key systems/platforms what assets have failed or are about to fail. Work throughout the design, build and operate process, orders can be triggered and associated spare parts eg BIM, CAFM/CMMS and BMS, on to a single platform ordered before outage incurred. This end-to-end – an approach very few have considered or are ledger of accounts is automatically updated using attempting. blockchain, which demonstrates transparency and removes doubt regarding the ordering of compo- For those who are on that journey, the introduction nent(s), and ultimately leads to improvements in of blockchain to this end-to-end process, from an asset uptime, FM SLAs, supply chain outcomes, asset/facility management perspective, will improve procurement and reductions in spares inventory. transparency and traceability, which can only be considered a positive outcome for the entire built As such, the applications of blockchain will improve environment, as well as for the asset/facility transparency and traceability of the asset and facility management sector. management supply chain. Taking the concept further, it could be used to reverse engineer and analyse the It is important to remember that a blockchain is entire design, build and operate process – elements of nothing more than a digital ledger or a sequence which are currently cloaked in secrecy or presented as of data records, which is accessible and shared by a ‘dark art’ by the few in control. multiple selected parties. The data stored can be anything from component purchase prices, specific Once the fundamental concepts are understood, it is details of assets or entire contracts. All information not difficult to imagine the blockchain process being 44 used to capture certification needs, insurance details provide the basis for further improvements to the and engineering compliance. Once again, this will offer way in which data is understood and managed. asset and facility managers more transparency in The property and FM sector has struggled to take contracts addressing the key aspects of time, cost and advantage of the huge quantities of data available quality, ultimately leading to improved performance. to improve the quality of products and services it delivers to the UK economy and while blockchain will The advantages of integrating blockchain into FM, as not solve all such challenges, it has the potential to well as areas such as e-procurement and insurance reset our approach to data management, enabling alongside more traditional asset and facility manage- quicker, clearer, lower risk, more effective decision ment processes, are emphasised when you compare making. ■ it to the current status quo – blockchain places everything on one trusted platform.

Blockchain uses a centralised, shared, single source of the truth, a secure record for storing data. When compared to the alternative, traditional systems that use multiple siloed databases that are difficult (sometimes impossible) to share information across, ...... are inefficient, limited in functionality and susceptible Karl Redmond to unauthorised data tampering, it seems clear that Associate blockchain has clear advantages that, once experi- Rider Levett Bucknall enced, will be self-evident to adopt and develop. Tel: +44 (0)20 7398 8300 www.rlb.com The introduction of blockchain can help reduce uncertainty, improve clarity and transparency, and 45 Is the AECO industry finally ready to embrace technology? The architecture, engineering, construction and owner sector has been slow to adopt new technology – but there are signs that is changing. Nick Carter of IngeniousIO looks at how tech can make a profitable difference

ccording to Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost, the architecture, engineering, construction and owner (AECO) industry will be the computer-aidedA design software company’s next “billion dollar business”. The prediction, made in a Forbes article last fall, is a sure sign that the worldwide AECO industry is ﬁnally ready to embrace technology. But what took so long – and how will digital adoption transform the business?

Much of the delay is due to the nature of the business Nick Carter itself. A high-risk industry with tight profit margins, Founder and CEO the AECO space has historically been resistant to of IngeniousIO change. However, other industries continue to demonstrate that investment in technology not only In addition, respondents reported that software increases efficiencies but also dramatically impacts investments in customer relationship management the bottom line. In 2019, more AECO executives and (CRM), financial management and human capital others are beginning to take note – making technology management would lead their tech investments in adoption a key piece of the conversation rippling the coming 12 months. throughout the industry. If these responses are accurate, the impact of Turn and face the strange technology adoption on construction customers will It’s well-documented that the AECO sector has be widespread. Most notably, an incorporation of struggled with technology. In fact, according to the digital, cloud-based document management systems McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the industry as a and data-driven AI will vastly improve the efficiency whole possesses one of the lowest levels of digital of projects, streamline processes and grow profits adoption among all industries. In addition, McKinsey for all involved. Fewer missed deadlines and costly reports productivity growth in the space has averaged errors, as well as increased productivity, will benefit just 1% each year over the past 20 years, compared everyone. with a 2.8% growth rate for the global economy as a whole. How tech can make a profitable difference In today’s AECO landscape, communications between An acknowledgement of the need for technology site managers, architects, vendors, workers and investment is long overdue. In a 2018 Vistage CEO others is conducted completely in silos. There’s no Confidence Index Survey of AECO industry executives, central source of information – and no data sharing 51% of respondents said that the Internet of Things across all parties working on any given job. It is a (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) were the two tech- recipe for miscommunication. For example, a vendor nologies most likely to impact their business in 2019. shipping materials might not know about a work 46 Mobile access is one of the key factors to embracing technology delay that makes the shipment unnecessary. Or, a It’s been estimated that under conventional site manager reviewing blueprints might be unaware processes, site managers and other workers spend that an architect has sent revised plans. This poor nearly six hours a week simply searching for proper communication can create delays, errors and missed documentation and correct information on multiple opportunities. The introduction of advanced issues. Add to this the four hours estimated to be technology will not only help AECO businesses, but spent managing errors weekly and it becomes clear will provide benefits across the board – to workers, that improved communication will go a long way architects, suppliers, owners and, yes, customers. toward increased AECO profits.

When information is shared across all parties and The time for technology may have arrived for the throughout the system, suppliers are notiﬁed when industry. It’s up to smart businesses to recognise it. ■ delays occur, site managers know when budgets change, workers can easily obtain a schedule of work times and progress on the job is intelligently tracked. An AI- and data-driven system creates a “single source of truth” enabling everyone to be on the same page at all times...... Nick Carter In 2019, more AECO companies (as well as their Founder and CEO customers, partners and vendors) will be clamouring IngeniousIO for this type of eﬃciency. According to Zion Market Tel: 855 683 3335 Research, AECO industry investments in AI are www.ingeniousio.com expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 38% between 2018 and 2024. 47 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Remaking London’s Skyline

Ballymore uses digital building solutions on Wardian London

rish developer Ballymore Group is building shared instantaneously between the field life of a project. In addition, this data will two towers near London’s Canary Wharf and office, and has shaved one day per week be useful after turnover, as Ballymore can featuring wraparound balconies that off the installation schedule thanks to track- analyse data across projects to improve Icreate a vertical sky garden. The development ing and collaboration capabilities. efficiency going forward. With such precise is fittingly called Wardian London: a Wardian information, Ballymore knows if they fall case is a glass box meant to house ferns or Staying on top of the behind and what they have to do to make other plants, invented by British botanist, schedule up time. explorer and inventor Nathaniel Bagshaw Gibbs Burke and Clark Stirling, who are Ward. senior facades construction managers, When the project is nearing completion, they spend every day on the project. They oversee use Revu for snagging: a process that used In other ways, too, the project embodies the progress of construction on the exterior – to take a day-and-a-half, with Revu now takes Ward’s spirit: the two towers, 55 and 50 in this case, that means knowing where all an hour. storeys, boldly remake the skyline of Canary 4,000 balconies are in terms of installment. Wharf, with all of the 764 apartments featuring “Revu helps tremendously,” Burke explains. According to Burke and Stirling, snagging in balconies and private gardens. Incredibly, “It allows us to track in real time exactly Revu is incredibly easy: just a “simple point, Ballymore will have installed about 4,000 what’s going on for any given balcony.” click, take a picture, done.” They can have a balconies – 40 per floor – when the towers full report done and uploaded to Revu so open next year. And the mark-up capabilities mean that if, that the office can see it in just 60 minutes, for instance, the target installation number or the time it takes to do a walkthrough. This innovative design has called for new wasn’t met on a certain day, Burke, Stirling technology solutions such as Bluebeam Revu, and the Ballymore team will know why. This Knowing that his team is using Revu gives which allows for real-time information to be allows them to make adjustments over the senior packages manager Mark Burnett com-

48 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

fort as well: “I know that my team is looking at the construction on a day-to-day basis, and I know that they will know if part of the building is not built on that day, so they can react to that.”

It allows any issues to be dealt with before they become large and intractable – and expensive – problems.

Collaboration for efficiency One of the greatest design-phase challenges of any project, but especially one as large as Wardian, is to make sure documents and drawings are current. Even when architects are meticulous about outlining their changes, sometimes revisions can slip by unnoticed.

Burke recalls a project where a design manager was spending hours comparing documents, trying to discern differences. When he showed her how to do that automatically in Revu, her eyes lit up “like a kid at Christmas”. With the click of a button, Revu reduced the time it took to perform an incredibly important function from one day to one minute.

When Wardian London is completed in And besides boosting London’s skyline, 2020, it will be a new landmark in the Canary there’s yet another benefit from using Revu: Wharf district of London and a feather in “Being efficient makes people happier,” Terry Ballymore’s cap. The two towers will be the Arnold, the Wardian project director, says. embodiment of London’s distinctly 21st cen- Bluebeam, Inc tury architecture and serve as a model for “We’ll definitely be using Revu on the next www.bluebeam.co.uk future construction, where innovation and project. And we’re looking to roll it out across efficiency are embraced by the developers. the whole of Ballymore.” Revu has played an important role in driving those innovations forward and improving Learn more about Bluebeam Revu at efficiency. www.bluebeam.co.uk .

49 Industry 4.0: Disaster or new beginning for construction workers?

Technology looks set to revolutionise construction, streamlining processes and improving quality, but is it ultimately a threat or opportunity for construction workers? Dominic Fahy, head of architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing at Canon UK, takes a look

ndustry 4.0 is set to fuel an £88.9bn increase in Looking ahead, this smart tool could limit mistakes economic output for the construction sector by too, allowing designers to compare incoming data 2030, yet fears are rife that technological progres- about on-site conditions and address discrepancies Ision could displace humans in the workplace. before they become costly errors. Enthusiasts see digital transformation – and its core To an extent, machines may take on some manual pillars of data, analytics, automation and machine positions in areas such as assembly and production, interaction – as a chance to drive a step-change and but greater reliance on tech will stimulate demand recapture the UK’s industrial strength. But with inno- for new abilities. In fact, the Word Economic Forum vations such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and (WEF) predicts 133m jobs could be created globally the Internet of Things (IoT) poised to turbo-charge by 2025, resulting in the need for more diverse skills. productivity, efficiency and speed, there is also concern tech advances could put 23.7% of construction The onus will, therefore, be on businesses to equip roles at risk. their workforces with the competencies and knowledge needed to manage digital disruption if they “…every firm – no matter what sector – want talent to remain, and prosper. should consider creating a digital leadership council to enable integration of Education: The foundation of success new products, services and abilities to run Tomorrow’s construction sector is likely to necessitate smoothly through shared commitment.” an extensive array of roles, including virtual reality experts, robotics engineers, modular designers, data So, will the rise of the machines bring disaster for analysts and planners for prefabrication factories. construction workers or a new beginning? For organisations, this means it’s vital to not only attract new talent but also to provide comprehensive Building a better industry future training that will help current employees enhance In short, humans won’t be phased out by digitalisation. their capabilities and master the skills that emerging Far from reducing prospects for existing employees, positions require. Industry 4.0 will bring evolution and opportunity. Increased automation of routine, repetitive and At the centre of development programmes should labour-intensive tasks will change the way jobs are be tailored learning and support. After all, there is carried out – enabling individuals to work faster, potential for those heavily impacted by automation – better and more productively. the employees who must work with new technologies – to feel demotivated or resistant to change if they Take for instance, Building Information Modelling don’t understand its benefits, or how to adapt. (BIM). By creating shared insights for specific projects, Therefore, firms need to ensure educational initiatives BIM is already driving easier cross-team collaboration. offer continuous support, flexible practical and 50 theoretical training, and specific direction about using ligent tech and adjusting roles, businesses should advanced tools on a day-to-day basis. For instance, assess existing strengths and weaknesses. In particu- this might entail a blend of instructional sessions and lar, it will be vital to establish whether reconfiguring augmented reality (AR) experiences where employees procedures or extending services will provide tangible, can safely test their skills in virtual workspaces and lasting gains or not – a goal most effectively achieved build confidence. by testing innovations as they arise and making useful adjustments permanent. When implementing transformation at scale, it’s important not to overlook the value of strong Whichever route firms take, their core focus must be leadership. To keep progress on track, every firm – on securing the best long-term future for their people no matter what sector – should consider creating a and business. New technologies have the ability to digital leadership council to enable integration of streamline processes and assist construction workers new products, services and abilities to run smoothly with autonomous tasks, resulting in overall enhanced through shared commitment. efficiency and productivity. However, success is only assured if organisations invest time in training One final note: Don’t rush in employees and creating a talent framework that leads Current advice states adaptation is essential for to new beginnings, not a digital disaster. ■ construction to survive. As noted by Michael Burke, co-chair of the WEF Infrastructure & Urban Develop- ment community, today’s business models, strategies and capabilities “will not be sufficient” in any future ...... world, which makes urgent preparation crucial. But Dominic Fahy how exactly they should prepare is less clear. Head of Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Manufacturing There is no standard formula for moving into a new Canon UK industrial age; the right path for each company Tel: +44 (0)208 5888 000 depends on its unique priorities, specialism and https://www.canon.co.uk/business/ challenges. As a result, a considered and measured approach will be key. Before adopting the latest intel- 51 Providing for construction’s digital future Peter Jansen, construction lawyer at Keystone Law, discusses construction’s digital future with a focus on BIM and data ownership

he UK Construction Leadership Council was The Farmer review argues that although BIM sits at established to drive improvement and greater the heart of any project, it must be supported by efficiency in the UK construction sector. In multi-party liaison and collaborative working. The cul- 2016,T it published a challenging review by Mark ture shift in UK construction towards a more collabo- Farmer, Modernise or Die, recommending options rative approach has been sluggish. This risks inhibiting for achieving the council’s objective. One of these the opportunity to maximise data sharing and trans- was a more widespread use of digitisation, especially parency, which is the real opportunity offered by BIM. the use of Building Information Modelling, or BIM. “Within the model, changes and updating BIM involves generating and managing information of information should be automatic; about a building during its construction and lifecycle. changes to design made within the model It provides a 3D representation of the entire building would be notified to all the parties to and and of each element or component which it comprises. incorporated into the design.” It is intended that BIM will supersede traditional design tools such as two-dimensional drawings. To be fully effective, a BIM protocol needs to be a user-friendly, collaborative, multi-party contract Despite this initiative and a requirement that all UK including the client, the contractor, first-tier designers government projects were to have adopted BIM by and members of the supply chain. Mandatory 2016, wider adoption of BIM has faced challenges provisions requiring the parties to adopt collaborative and delay. One of these is the slow pace of resolving working are necessary (a voluntary ‘opt-in’ is likely to the many legal issues that inevitably arise if a BIM be ignored). Provisions that incentivise the sharing of arrangement is to be overlaid on to existing contrac- information and encourage a tiered dispute resolution tual structures. process should be used.

The two most widely used forms of building contract It is essential that each participant subscribes to in the UK (JCT and NEC) have now introduced new the protocol, even though not all will be parties to provisions that accommodate the use of a BIM the same construction contract. This requires the protocol. This is a supplementary contract entered protocol to be incorporated in each contract and to into between the parties which regulates their rights include a mechanism whereby all participants will and obligations concerning the BIM model for a become bound into the protocol as parties to it given project. when their contract is entered into.

The Construction Industry Council has developed a The CIC protocol suggests risk allocation by means of protocol for use in the UK that aims to meet these a responsibility matrix. Currently, this is a blank page. needs. Important issues surrounding BIM that any It is for the parties to devise a template and then to protocol would need to address include collaborative populate it; there is no standard. The responsibilities working, liability and copyright, as well as more of the parties are to be agreed and worked out for practical questions relating to data. each project. 52 Within the model, changes and updating of information of software used and standardised procedures tion should be automatic; changes to design made for detecting data errors and losses of data integrity, within the model would be notified to all the parties as well as for exchanging information. to and incorporated into the design. If the model highlighted the consequences of design changes As to copyright and data ownership, ownership (including potential flaws) then this might have an normally remains with the creator of the relevant impact on the standards expected of consultants, proprietary material. Other parties have a non-exclu- whose role might be refocussed on issues identified sive licence to use the material for the project as within the model. needed. In some cases, an employer or end user might require full copyright in the model, but these But what if there is deficiency within the model are likely to be rare. ■ itself? Generally, data integrity of the model cannot be guaranteed. Protocols usually limit the extent to which the parties may rely upon this data. This is understandable: the risk of, for example, inadvertently admitting corrupted files into the model is unknown ...... and so any liability parties might have is limited or Peter Jansen excluded. This could be a barrier to a wider adoption Construction Lawyer of BIM. For that reason, there is a continuing need for Keystone Law the development of some form of warranty related to Tel: +44 (0)20 3319 3700 input data and the functionality of the model. [email protected] www.keystonelaw.co.uk Similarly, there are potential issues with the interoperability of software. These may require standardisa- 53 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Overcoming the challenges of Work in Progress data management and digital delivery

Graitec explores the need for robust standards and working practices to streamline the BIM process and address the data issues that have traditionally hindered construction

ver the years, we have seen many the result of which is more efficient and skills when paper-based deliverables were industry sectors digitally evolve, with effective downstream processes, as well as very much the norm. However, as the digital the manufacturing sector first show- data accuracy, which is so important in the generation become an increasingly larger Oing clear evidence of the transition and, more AEC sector. slice of the labour force, many are moving recently, the digitisation of the architectural, into more senior positions and their digital structural engineering and construction space Industry 4.0 is the name given to the current skillset is already helping to address the with the onset of digital working processes in trend of automation and data exchange. It historic status quo. the form of BIM, for example. includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and cognitive Most by now will be aware of BIM and that From the first Industrial Revolution to the computing, which is the simulation of human in 2011, the UK government published the fourth, we are now in the digital era where data thoughts in a computerised model. construction strategy aimed at reducing is key but for many, data has been the stone the cost of public sector assets by up to 20% wall to unlocking true potential. A barrier that “There is still a long way to by 2016. This considered that waste can be has held innovation, productivity and overall go and with Brexit looming, reduced if standards and working processes bottom line profitability in check across entire “uncertainty” is becoming the can be implemented. business sectors until data challenges have thought on everyone’s mind.” been addressed. PAS 1192-2:2013 in the past has helped to When we think about innovation and disrup- define a code of practice which has been spon- By introducing robust data standards and tion, industries like manufacturing, finance sored by industry organisations to meet an working practices, we can start to forge and healthcare typically spring to mind. Con- immediate market need following guidelines forward and overcome the consistent chal- struction, on the other hand, is probably not set up by BSI (British Standards Institution). lenges regularly seen where poor, unreliable as well known, as the sector has in the past ISO19650 P1 and P2 now set out a method for and inaccurate data often set the baseline lacked the pace and drive to progress forward managing the production, distribution and standard or initial data reference point, with the inevitable digital transformation. quality of construction information, including resulting project delays and unplanned that produced by CAD systems. overspend. This is hardly surprising, considering the architectural, structural engineering and con- The principles for information sharing and Project or product delays, poor decision struction sector is historically conservative, common modelling outlined in this standard making and working to the wrong informa- risk adverse and highly cost conscious, which underpin the BIM Level 2 standards. tion at the wrong time are just some of the to be fair is entirely understandable given inherent consequences businesses face daily the sheer number of stakeholders and These are just two of many documents that by not addressing their own data challenges. contractors involved in a typical project. are available to help inform and guide indus- But this is relatively easy to correct, simply by try and organisations alike. Guidance that deploying robust data systems and spending Moreover, typically the senior personnel in will help the fruition of the outlined plans, a little more time and effort at the front-end, many AEC firms first honed their professional delivering benefits widely seen in other

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Example

Client Shared Area There is still a long way to go and with Brexit SHARED WORK IN PROGRESS looming, “uncertainty” is becoming the thought on everyone’s mind. That said, effec- Veriﬁed design Non-veriﬁed design tive communication, collaboration and the data shared with data used by in-house ability to make informed decisions based the project team: design team only: on quality data will undoubtedly deliver

Ongoing design APPROVED development measurable long-term benefits. STATUS S0 VERSION P01.1

STATUS S1 REVISION P01 1 Professional Design Task Team “Project or product delays, Professional Design Task Team Client Shared Area poor decision making and Professional Design Task Team working to the wrong informa- 2 AUTHORISED tion at the wrong time are just some of the inherent consequences businesses face daily PUBLISHED by not addressing their own ARCHIVE DOCUMENTATION data challenges.” Co-ordination and Project history maintained validated design output for knowledge and for use by the total project regulatory and legal To discuss how to enhance and effectively team. requirements. manage your existing WIP processes for Production information VERIFIED Repository of the project suitable for Tender or information for non asset digital delivery or to explore how Opentree Construction: portfolio employers Cabinet’s Work in Progress data management 3 STATUS A1 REVISION C01 solution can help your business, contact Gary Edwards at Graitec on 023 8086 8947 or visit Client Shared Area https://www.opentree.co.uk/

sectors, including lower project costs, decreased naming, through to the seamless upload into time to market and project lead times, your clients CDE (common data environment), sustainability and similar to IoT – data that Cabinet delivers a smart solution. can help define outcomes and improve performance over time. There is no doubt the construction industry is catching up and that technological Graitec Group, a global Autodesk Platinum advancements have helped bolster this. partner providing cutting-edge technology According to Statista, the construction output solutions to help customers in the construction value of Great Britain was worth approxi- and manufacturing space, has recently mately £164bn in 2017 and, as of the third acquired Open Tree, founders of a best-in-class quarter in 2016, some 296,093 firms “Work in Progress” (WIP) software solution: employed 2.96m people, either directly or Cabinet. indirectly. The Office for National Statistics also states the number of firms operating has Cabinet delivers a solution that complies continued to rise, increasing by 6.2% in 2017. Graitec with ISO19650 P1 and P2, and helps to sig- Tel: (023) 8086 8947 nificantly reduce the cost of delivering a BIM With an ever-growing sector (despite 2019 enquiries@graitec.co.uk project by streamlining your production and predictions of market contraction), it is vital delivery process. Cabinet is a managed WIP that AEC data challenges are addressed in the environment that automates and intuitively short term. Robust solutions and processes drives compliance. From automated file need to be adopted and improved upon.

55 How automated construction will disrupt our industry Automated construction based on principles already established in sectors like automotive, combined with emerging digital tools, could have a transformative eﬀect on construction. Jaimie Johnston, director and head of global systems at Bryden Wood, takes a look

adical change is coming to construction and, as with so many other industries, it is technology Rthat will enable it. Just as the iPhone disrupted mobile communications and created the ‘app economy’, Netﬂix changed TV and IKEA furniture, our industry will be disrupted by automation.

A fresh approach will create a network effect and exponential adoption. We’re not talking about sci-fi gadgetry but a new kind of construction where digital design tools inform building, rather like manufacturing. Let’s not imagine a “robot builder” laying bricks more Jaimie Johnston quickly or drilling hard-to-reach holes, but designing out the holes or building the wall in a different way. hence our term “platform construction” – and the “As with manufacturing, platform same principles can apply to construction. It doesn’t construction is driven by data. Naturally, matter that construction mostly happens outdoors or this includes BIM, which is vital for that buildings are more varied than cars. There are processing informational content and constants that stem from the human form. Ceiling structure, but we need to move beyond it height, stair angle or distance from a window, let’s say, and use other digital tools.” all fall with certain ranges whether the building is a home or a hospital. So just a few types of connector, We’re calling this automated construction. By apply- working with beams and columns of any length, can ing modern manufacturing approaches, it can boost combine to create a huge variety of structures. productivity and reduce waste by as much as 90%. There are three key elements: platforms, digital tools This limited set of components can work across and automated assembly. different building types and sectors, so demand is constantly high, and it makes business sense for a Platform construction wide network of SMEs to manufacture them. A We all recognise that every model in a car manufac- recent objective cost-benefit analysis showed a 33% turer’s range is built on the same chassis (not that reduction in capital cost, meeting the government’s you’d guess at these shared component sets from Construction 2025 strategy targets. There’s more on looking at the finished cars). In this example, the car’s the platform approach to construction in three books chassis and other components form a “platform” – published by Bryden Wood. 56 Delivvery Platforms forf Off-site manufacture for or PProposal for a New Goveernment Assets s construction:ction: Building forf or change AApproach to Building ilding

2017 Delivery Platforms for Government Assets HOUSE OF LORDS Creating a marketplace for Autumn State ement manufactured spaces Science and TTecechnology Select Committee ‘The government wi ill use 2nd Report of Session 2017–19

RC RC CC CA 002 001 001 002 its ppurchasing pow wer to Proposal for a New Appr pproach CA 003 drive adoption of mo odern Offff-f-site manufafacture to Building: Call for Evidence idence

CL CC 015 forfoor construction: 002 methodds of constructi ion...’ Building fofor change CO CO 003 002

CL 001 CL 002

CC 001

Ordered to be printed 10 J uly 2018 and published 19 July 2018 BE 001 Funding competition: TP 003 BE CO FO Published by the Authority of the House of Lords 002 001 001 Establishing a Core e Innovation Hub to transform ansform UK cconstruction HL Paper 169

May June Julyy August Septtember October NNovember DDecember January Februuary Marchh April May June July August Septtember October NNovember 2017 20018

2017 Data Driven Infrastructure 2018 Platformms From digital tools to Bridging the gap manufactured components between construction + manufaccturing TransformingTransforming Infrastructur structure Industrial

Performance Strategy

Construction Sector Deal Transforminng Constructionn Alliance appointed pointed to deliver ver the Core Innovation vation Hub

December 2017

Data Dri ven Infrastructu ure Transforming Infrastructure Platforms: Br ridging the Constructionn Sector Deal Performance gap between n construction + manufactu uring

Digitally enabled workflows Automated assembly As with manufacturing, platform construction is driven Digital tools enable design for assembly, which makes by data. Naturally, this includes BIM, which is vital for it easier, faster and safer to put a building together on processing informational content and structure, but site. Far fewer tower crane movements are required, we need to move beyond it and use other digital for example, and with each one averaging 20 minutes tools. New generative design, algorithmic simulation, per lift, the time savings are obvious. geospatial analysis and VR/AR are all increasingly important, not just in accelerating the design process “The government has £600bn of but also in increasing the “search area” for ideas. More investment in the pipeline for the next possible solutions mean better solutions. decade, and a responsibility to spend it effectively. It looks as if this will A platform approach fits logically with these provide the critical mass that automated advanced digital techniques. And machine learning, construction needs to disrupt the industry for example, can understand the components of a and drive exponential adoption.” platform system and evolve them to generate ever-more efficient solutions. Just as importantly, design for assembly means that workers can be effective after relatively short periods At Bryden Wood, we use BIM as part of a wider of training. This offers employment to new groups digital capability. Alongside BIM content creators, and a solution to the looming skills crisis. we have experts in mathematical modelling, virtual prototyping and discrete event simulation, as well as A new creative freedom teams who create client specific apps and advanced Automated construction has the ability to free digital workflows. We’re currently creating these for architects and designers from dull, repetitive tasks so Highways England, the Greater London Assembly that they can contribute creatively through ideas and and the Education & Skills Funding Agency. placemaking. This is where their input has most 57 A platform approach, as seen in car manufacturing, can be applied to construction

value yet, ironically, they currently spend 80% of their critical mass that automated construction needs to time on documentation. So there’s the potential to disrupt the industry and drive exponential adoption. unlock creativity and push back the boundaries of Ultimately, it’s about enough of us seeing things the what is possible. same way and, if we do, the future looks bright.

“Automated construction has the ability Jaimie will be exploring automated construction in to free architects and designers from dull, further detail at his talk at BIM Show Live 2019 on repetitive tasks so that they can Wednesday 27 February at 11:15: Disruption is almost contribute creatively through ideas and inevitable; the question is, how we as an industry choose placemaking.” to respond. ■

Increasing support from government Our work has been highly inﬂuential on government thinking and policy. A series of announcements and initiatives show increasing support for a platform approach with increasing levels of detail, as the timeline shows. The recently launched Proposal for a New ...... Approach to Building: Call for Evidence describes a Jaimie Johnston platform approach to design for manufacture and Director and Head of Global Systems assembly or “P-DfMA” as “currently the most promising Bryden Wood trend in the construction and engineering sector”. Tel: +44 (0)20 7253 4772 [email protected] The government has £600bn of investment in the www.brydenwood.co.uk pipeline for the next decade, and a responsibility to spend it eﬀectively. It looks as if this will provide the 58 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

LR’s BIM Level 2 accreditation – the LR route to compliance

Lloyd’s Register oﬀers a comprehensive process to assess an organisation’s readiness for BIM Level 2

loyd’s Register’s (LR) BIM Level 2 discussions around key issues to tease out with the first one taking place within six accreditation is unique to the industry the important areas for change. months of full accreditation. – the most comprehensive third-party Lproof that an organisation is truly BIM Level The conclusion of the gap analysis, typically An essential part of the accreditation process 2 ready. Our three-part assessment of an a one-day verbal report is then followed by is to provide assurance that the practices and organisation’s BIM processes, systems and a detailed written report of the findings procedures, against which the accreditation competencies are not only assessed against (minor, major and prompts). The discussion is awarded, are consistently applied and the requirements of PAS 1192 and BS 11000, itself is centred around how to implement maintained. but we’ve introduced another level of risk improvements on the items identified. management through the LR BIM Accredita- For more information about your BIM tion Guidance document. Certification Assessment journey go to www.lr.org/bim or call Once the organisation is happy that they us on +44 (0)330 414 1337 Our assessment can be categorised by three have addressed all major deficiencies and elements: made significant progress on an action plan to close out the minor deficiencies identified, Gap Analysis the full assessment can begin. This is a high-level assessment that examines the overall status of the BIM processes, Drawing on the output from the gap report systems and competencies against PAS 1192. and progress made, the LR assessment team Like any gap analysis, the objective is to will look for evidence that the processes are identify weaknesses and report on any major in place addressing all areas of the scheme gaps against the standard and scheme requirements. This confirms all major issues principles. identified with systems and processes described during the gap analysis have been Carried out by our industry partners Excitech, improved or implemented. Communications discussions are held with key reports, with is an important area for examination at this the purpose of establishing an overview of stage. All key contributory personnel includ- the whole system. This identifies areas for ing subcontractors and consultants need to improvement which present the highest understand and be fully compliant with the risk of the organisation not achieving the scheme requirements. Samantha Lee accreditation. Senior Marketing Specialist Surveillance Visits Lloyd’s Register This style of audit allows the auditees to talk Post-accreditation, the organisation will be Tel: +44 (0)330 414 1337 openly about their management system subject to surveillance visits from the LR [email protected] without trying to relate it to the requirements assessment team for the duration of the www.lr.org/bim of PAS 1192; that is the job of the assessor. three-year accreditation. The surveillance www.twitter.com/lloydsregister The assessment team promotes challenging visit will be carried out at least once a year,

59 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

New tower The Tulip is Cultural centre Over the past two decades, infrastructure has blooming over London continued to grow across London’s skyline. According to Foster + Partners: “The city of London Corporation has been driving pro- One city is going ﬂoral with a new tulip-shaped posals to enliven the Square Mile by creating tower rising above the skyline a Culture Mile with world-class tourist facilities. The proposal for a unique 305.3-metre- he city of London recently revealed area would be 2,889m² (31,100sq ft) and high visitor attraction reflects a desire to build plans for a new tower that some are would consist of two buildings: the Entrance public engagement within the City and calling both bulbous and beautiful. Pavilion and Visitor Attraction. enhance The Gherkin’s public offering. The T Tulip promises wide cultural and economic Named The Tulip due to its flower-like shape, The tower would stand at a height of 303.5m benefits with a diverse programme of this new building would be the tallest tower (1,000ft), the diameter of the concrete shaft events.” in London and sit next to The Gherkin, a sep- would be 14.3m (47ft), and the diameter of arate structure designed by the same firm, the widest floor would be 34.5m (113ft). “The building’s weight would Foster + Partners. The firm’s architect behind be equivalent to 80 fully- the tower of flower power is Joseph Safra of The proposal states that structure would loaded Airbus A380s but with Brazil. consist of a high-strength concrete shaft with a footprint that would be half steel framed observation deck levels, and the the size of a single plane. In So what’s the purpose of this tower and how materials used would be concrete shafts for addition, if laid end to end, could its construction affect the city in the strength, high-performance glass that has the steel reinforcement bar coming months? For starters, construction been unitised and glazed, steel and alu- would reach as far as Paris, could include a sky bar, viewing gallery, sky minium framing, and composite floor slabs. which is 300 miles away.” bridges, classrooms, restaurants and even a rooftop garden. Read on to learn more. The building’s weight would be equivalent Education facility to 80 fully-loaded Airbus A380s but with a At the top of The Tulip, there will be 20,000 Facts about The Tulip footprint that would be half the size of a free spaces for school children of the state. The planning application for The Tulip was single plane. In addition, if laid end to end, Here, national curriculums will be delivered submitted on 13 November, 2018, and con- the steel reinforcement bar would reach as using innovative tools to bring to life the city’s struction is estimated for 2020-2025. The site far as Paris, which is 300 miles away. history.

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Sustainability The optimised design is combined with effi- Building an improved Over the last 20-30 years, London’s buildings cient systems and zero carbon technologies economy have increasingly become more and more that will provide a 42% carbon savings, and There will even be opportunities for busi- green - and this tower is no exception. Tar- a 48% overall water reduction, with 100% nesses to operate outside of working hours, geting a BREEAM Excellent rating, The Tulip recycled water for irrigation. resulting in increased social and economic will have a pocket park next to the two-storey benefits for the community. The Tulip will pavilion, which will offer access to a rooftop Vantage point view host many tech, cultural, business and edu- garden. Including the green walls, this will At around 300 metres, The Tulip will provide cational events, bringing more people and increase the site’s green surface area by 8.5 a vantage point view unlike any other. There thus more ecological value to the area. times, which will help support the Mayor’s will be viewing galleries that will offer visitors 2050 initiative for London to be the world’s the option to experience the sky bridges, in This new building proposal is already raising first National Park City. In addition, it will addition to internal glass slides and gondola a few eyebrows but could be highly benefi- have a positive impact on air quality. rides. cial to London’s future and socio-economic growth. So what are your thoughts on The Tulip? Do you think London needs this right now? Let us know!

James Hardwick Sales Manager Trimble MEP Tel: +44 (0)1908 608833 [email protected] mep.trimble.co.uk https://twitter.com/TrimbleMEP

61 Energy House 2.0: World-first research centre to speed up building innovation

A £16m home energy research centre to test innovative construction, smart home and digital products has been given the go-ahead. BIM Today takes a look at Energy House 2.0

he challenge of cutting emissions from homes expand testing beyond insulation, energy controls and workplaces has never been more pressing and systems to wider smart home and digital services, – and it is one the construction industry is including software, with an international focus. embracingT head-on. It will house senor, thermal, data and visualisation A major step towards achieving zero net carbon laboratories, along with a new product development buildings was announced in October with the unit under a single roof with viewing galleries and a confirmation of Energy House 2.0 – a state-of-the-art boardroom. research centre that it is hoped will cut the time it takes to test innovative construction, energy, smart Energy House 2.0 is expected to be completed in 2020. home and digital products from years to a matter of weeks. The project is part of the University of Salford’s Industrial Collaboration & Partnerships strategy, Based at the University of Salford, it will be the which sees it develop spaces and a proactive world’s first all-weather research facility for whole environment for delivering mutually beneficial value building performance, capable of simulating wind, from industry and academic collaboration. snow, rain and solar conditions in temperatures ranging from minus 20C to 40C. It is being funded through the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European “Energy House 2.0 will pave the way Structural & Investment Funds Growth Programme for truly net zero carbon homes and 2014-2020. Established by the European Union, the workplaces, not just here in Greater fund helps local areas stimulate economic develop- Manchester but across the UK.” ment by investing in projects that support innovation, businesses, job creation and regeneration. Energy House 2.0 is a successor the university’s first Energy House, which opened in 2011 and has pro- Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, vided the science behind a number of technologies welcomed the project’s go-ahead, saying it will help to and initiatives to reduce domestic energy bills, partic- make the city-region one of the greenest in Europe. ularly for Britain’s five million fuel poor households. “The innovations and research delivered by our The existing house is a Victorian terraced property world-leading universities, including this new inside an environmental chamber, one of the first research centre coming to Salford University, will laboratories of its kind in the UK. help change the way we build forever,” he added.

Energy House 2.0 will be a much larger and more “Energy House 2.0 will pave the way for truly net ﬂexible facility, where all sorts of buildings can be zero carbon homes and workplaces, not just here in constructed, tested and demolished. It will also Greater Manchester but across the UK.” 62 The group is led by Dr Will Swan, professor of building energy and principal research investigator for Energy House.

The British Board of Agrement, the industry body “Energy House 2.0 will unite teams of designers, that provides independent inspection and certifica- physicists, electronic engineers, materials scientists tion of manufacturers’ products, welcomed the and acousticians to support innovation in energy announcement of Energy House 2.0 as “fantastic efficiency, new materials and building techniques, news for the industry”. and to explore smart and connected homes, digital futures and wellbeing and health,” he said. Mike Ormesher, research and product development director at the BBA, said: “This facility is a much-needed “The beauty of both Energy House and Energy House support mechanism for the UK’s new and existing 2.0 is that they can provide the same robust data building stock and will provide the research quality around products in weeks that it may take researchers we need as a certification partner, along with many months, if not years, to collect in the field.” ■ other industry partners such as regulators, insurance companies, mortgage lenders, manufacturers, designers of all professions and indeed government.

“This is undoubtedly a great step in the right direction ...... for eﬀective assessment of products, systems and Dr Will Swan complete structures.” Professor of Building Energy University of Salford Energy House and Energy House 2.0 are overseen by Tel: +44 (0)161 295 2585 the Applied Buildings & Energy Research Group, a [email protected] multidisciplinary team drawn from across the www.salford.ac.uk/research/uprise/research-groups/ university covering building performance, electrical applied-buildings-and-energy engineering, construction management, design and social sciences. 63 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Creating better buildings

The latest generation of mechanical fastening solutions for the building envelope, supported by a range of innovative digital tools and market-leading technical resources, is enabling architects to create better buildings. Vincent Matthews, Marketing Manager at SFS, explains why

he eclectic mix of buildings that sur- products, which are tailored to specific appli- to attach panels to the structure. The design rounds us reflects the continuously cations and environments to ensure that the of brackets and rails that form these support changing tastes, trends and construction finished building performs as it should. systems impacts on the performance of the methodsT that drive building design and spec- building envelope and ease of installation. ification. But underpinning buildings that are SFS has developed a broad portfolio of fas- safe, secure, high performing, long lasting teners that deliver consistent performance Nvelope rainscreen support systems are and visually appealing is advanced fastening across different roofing or cladding construc- mainly manufactured using sustainable alu- technology, which is constantly evolving to tions. This includes fixings for flat roofing, minium, which is low weight, high strength, provide solutions that are integral to quality, composite or sandwich panels and standing resistant to corrosion and easy to recycle. onsite efficiency and risk-avoidance. seam, but also the rivets and secret fixings Specified correctly, these systems simplify used for rainscreen cladding and structural the complexity of a façade and effectively By their very nature, fastening systems go fixings. address the multiple technical challenges largely unnoticed once a building is com- that current applications present. These plete. However, making the right choices at Choosing the right fastener for the application include managing the thermal differences the design stage is essential for the building depends on the building envelope’s design, between the materials being combined, the envelope to be created to a high standard, its location and intended lifespan. We must dead and dynamic loads, plus expansion regardless of the chosen façade panels, roof prevent the fastener being the weak point in and contraction of the façade. construction methods or configuration of a roof or façade, which could result in air and safety systems. water ingress, heat loss or security issues, and Historically rainscreen support components this requires a focus on the fastener’s design and fasteners have been specified and That’s why SFS has evolved to serve the and type of metal used in its manufacture. sourced separately. Considering these prod- future of construction. The manufacturing Here A2 (grade 304) and A4 (grade 316) ucts in isolation is, however, not consistent site in Leeds has served the UK and Irish austenitic stainless steel fasteners, which with today’s more joined-up thinking – driven construction market for more than 120 years. have long been known to offer enhanced by BIM – in which clients expect greater resistance to corrosion compared to coated assurances about the long-term expectations The needs and expectations of architects and carbon steel products, are the clear choice. of their buildings. contractors continue to drive SFS’s new product development (NPD) programme and the sup- Rainscreen support Taking a complete system approach to porting resources needed to help apply the The specific requirements for attaching rainscreen support provides greater and most suitable mechanical fixings, rainscreen rainscreen cladding demands particular more readily available technical insight and support systems and lifeline systems. attention. Decisions about fasteners must go data to inform designers and contractors, hand-in-hand with the choice of bracket and reducing the risk of incorrect specification or Fastener innovation rail system that supports the cladding panels, product substitution. Fastening technology has taken huge leaps which is where SFS has a unique advantage forward in recent decades and SFS has been through its Nvelope systems. Incorporating safety at the forefront. Despite being a relatively A third dimension to SFS’s building envelope small component in the overall building enve- All types of rainscreen cladding share the solutions is fall protection. SFS Fall Protection lope, fasteners are precision-engineered need for a robust and reliable support system Systems work alongside building envelope

64 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

essential to provide a robust design solution that can be tendered accurately and procured in line with the contractor’s programme.

SFS’s range of practical resources includes a RIBA-approved CPD programme, detailed product literature and technical documentation, plus a host of digital resources. In addition to structured BIM data for fasteners and BIM objects for Nvelope systems and SFS Fall Protection Systems, this includes the unique Nvelope Project Builder.

Project Builder enables specifiers and installers to submit their proposed cladding requirements, from which Nvelope can provide a project-specific cladding solution complete with indicative M2 rates, static calculations and setting out information for the support system. It has also been recently upgraded to incorporate a powerful thermal software element, now delivering fast and easy project-specific thermal calculations. specialists at the design stage to ensure the As major roofing manufacturers develop Fastening technology is constantly evolving, correct safety systems are incorporated to profiles of lighter weight and insulation of enabling architects to realise their design enable safe working on ascent of the building, greater thickness, SFS’s horizontal lifeline ambitions for the building envelope, but the while on the roof and on the descent. system has been designed to complement key to success still lies with correct specifica- these advances without compromising tion and installation. By investing in these At the core of this range is the SFS horizontal structural integrity or user safety. The fully extensive technical resources, SFS is helping lifeline system, which allows for the posts to stainless solution is housed in a pre-loaded to ensure that lack of knowledge is easily be fixed securely to the roof skin, whether it enclosure that is designed to withstand the accessible and no barrier to creating better be a standing seam, a flat roof construction stresses exerted by snow and ice build-up, buildings. or corrugated sandwich panels. and resist corrosion.

The SFS horizontal lifeline post element Helping specifiers make the features built-in shock absorbing technology right choices which reduces deployment loads to the Knowledge is power when gaining the max- structure to under 6kN. Its internal features imum potential from fastening technology help to minimise the forces that rivets/fas- innovations, so it is important to clearly teners would be subjected to in the event of understand the benefits that specific solutions Vincent Matthews a fall, spreading and dissipating the impact bring to the building envelope. Marketing Manager of multi- and single-user falls and preventing SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd damage to the roof structure. And, given the This is why the work of SFS’s specification Tel: +44 (0)113 2085 500 robustness of the technology, fewer fixing and technical teams begins at the earliest [email protected] points are needed, thus reducing the number stage of the project. Transferring advice into www.sfsintec.co.uk of fasteners and speeding up installation. project documents via the specification is

65 A year of developments in construction – and what 2019 may hold

2018 saw some big changes and big challenges for the construction industry. Simon Lewis and Hannah Gardiner of law ﬁrm Womble Bond Dickinson look back at the key developments – and highlight what we can expect in the year ahead

hings never stand still in the construction concluded that an employer who has failed to serve industry and so, as expected, we saw a lot of both a payment notice and a pay less notice can change in 2018. nevertheless commence an adjudication to have the T true value of an application assessed and to reclaim Legal changes any sum that has been overpaid – a significant GDPR departure from previous cases. Essentially, this has The major legislative changes arising from GDPR, confirmed the availability to employers of true value which came into force on 25 May, saw businesses, adjudications even if they have failed to issue a including those in the construction industry, reviewing timely payment or a valid pay less notice. For more, and changing the way they approached communica- see here. tions and data protection. “The failure of Carillion to pay its The eye-watering maximum financial penalty for non- subcontractors has added fuel to compliance with GDPR is up to €20m or 4% of global discussions on whether payment is being turnover (whichever is higher), and so GDPR became passed down the construction chain increasingly high profile in the run up to May 2018. properly and promptly…” The deadline has now passed, but businesses should continue to regularly review whether they are still in Concurrent delay compliance, particularly with information and guid- Another case, North Midland Building Ltd v Cyden ance on GDPR still emerging. For more, see here. Homes Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 1744, provoked much discussion as to whether the prevention principle Adjudication (the principle that a party cannot enforce a contractual One case has changed the face of adjudication, obligation on another party, where the party enforcing following which we expect to see fewer “smash and that obligation has itself prevented the other party grab” adjudications. These kinds of adjudications are from performing) should take precedence over started when one party claims against another for freedom to agree contract terms in circumstances payment of the full amount it says is owed (even where parties had agreed on the allocation of the though the true value of the amount payable may be risk of concurrent delay. lower) on the basis that the other party has failed to give a valid payment or pay less notice on time or In this case, the Court of Appeal made it clear that correctly (ie in accordance with the contract between parties are free to allocate concurrent delay risk in the parties). their contracts, regardless of the prevention principle, and it may be that we see more discussion around In that case, of S&T (UK) Limited v Grove Developments this in contract negotiations in the future. For more, Limited [2018] EWCA Civ 2448, the Court of Appeal see here. 66 If you are interested in construction disputes, you The construction industry paid particularly close may also be interested in our helpful flowcharts and attention to Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report of 17 interactive processes on the following topics: May 2018, which concluded that the current building safety regulatory framework, including the regulations • Mediation that apply to the specification and testing of construction products, is “not fit for purpose”. • Adjudication In June, in response to this report and to public • Arbitration pressure, the government announced its intention to “ban the use of combustible materials on the external • Litigation walls of high-rise residential buildings, subject to consultation”. The consultation took place and the Industry-driven changes ban on combustibles was announced in November Carillion’s insolvency and its aftermath and came into effect on 21 December. Shortly into 2018, the Official Receiver was appointed liquidator of a number of Carillion Group companies. Going forward, the construction industry will now The knock-on effects were considerable, with several have to change how it deals with cladding (and other other construction companies either struggling or combustible materials) and how potential issues on following Carillion’s example due to non-payment by existing buildings are addressed. Carillion or loss of Carillion projects. PFI There was also significant cost to the taxpayer as During his Budget speech in October, Chancellor Carillion was involved in a number of government Philip Hammond said: “I have never signed off a PFI projects at the time and the government has had to contract as Chancellor and I can confirm today that I cover redundancy payments through the Redundancy never will.” Payments Office. The government has now abolished the use of PFI The failure of Carillion to pay its subcontractors has and PF2 for future projects. It will not, however, take added fuel to discussions on whether payment is back control of existing PFI contracts but will instead being passed down the construction chain properly allow them to run their course and establish a centre and promptly, and whether the practice of withholding of excellence “to actively manage these contracts in retentions (ie keeping money back under the terms of taxpayers’ interests, starting in the health sector”. a construction contract), although industry standard, should be reviewed and reformed. However, while no new PFI contracts will be signed, the lifespan of existing PFI contracts is long and we The government has also announced proposals to expect we will hear more about these as the time require its outsourcers to provide living wills in the comes to handback these projects to the government. future. For more, see here. Going forward, what will replace PFI? For more, see here. Grenfell The Grenfell Tower tragedy of 14 June 2017, resulting Other noteworthy developments in the loss of 72 lives, continued to loom large in the Extraordinary weather UK’s collective consciousness throughout 2018. The 2018 was a year of weather extremes. Early in the government swiftly announced a public inquiry, with year, the country was covered in hail, snow and ice terms of references set in August 2017. Since then, due to the Beast from the East in March, impacting the inquiry has released over 18,000 pages of material upon projects throughout the UK. Just a few months and numerous expert reports. later, temperatures reached near record highs of 67 Hannah Gardiner, Simon Lewis, Solicitor at Womble Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson Bond Dickinson

33.3C, posing a signiﬁcant risk to the health of publications and on social media, and we expect that construction workers. momentum to continue. For more, see here.

To assist, we looked at what adverse climatic condition Modern slavery clauses said in various construction contracts and In July, the government announced that it planned to what the law says about employers’ obligations to take launch an independent review of the Modern Slavery care of their workers in soaring temperatures. Act 2015. This is particularly relevant to the construction industry as the CIOB’s May report, Construction BIM and the Modern Slavery Act: Tackling Exploitation in In the world of BIM, 2018 saw the Winfield-Rock the UK, found that that “globally, an estimated 16m Report prepared by May Winfield and Sarah Rock for people were in forced labour within the private sector the UK BIM Alliance, subtitled Overcoming the Legal in 2016. Construction ranks second only to domestic and Contractual Barriers of BIM. The report was work for prevalence of this abuse, at 18% and 24% based upon an online survey, together with a respectively”. number of interviews with BIM experts, lawyers and clients. One of its most striking findings was that So, with the government’s independent review every interviewee provided a different definition of underway and with construction known to be an BIM Level 2. For more, see here. industry in which modern slavery is a particular issue, we may well see more developments in the In another development for BIM, the second edition year ahead. For more, see here. of the CIC BIM protocol was published in April. It is intended to reflect current practices and standards What to look out for in 2019 and to be a more flexible document to use alongside Brexit different contractual arrangements. We anticipate For those in the construction industry who tender that it will contribute towards the growing standardi- for work and services based in EU countries or who sation of BIM legal and contractual documentation. advertise work to and request services from busi- For more, see here. nesses in EU countries, this is a particular concern. We looked at the government’s guidance note entitled Mental health Accessing Public Sector Contracts if There’s No Brexit Mental health continues to be an area where we are Deal here. seeing greater awareness year-on-year not only in the construction industry but across the board. How- The government has followed up on this by laying ever, it is still a major concern that male site workers before Parliament on 13 December a draft set of regu- in construction are three times more likely to commit lations to cover changes that will need to be made to suicide than the average UK male. the existing procurement regulations (Public Contracts Regulations 2015, as well as those on utilities and con- On a more positive note, we are seeing more and cession contracts) on exit day in the event of a no-deal more industry discussion about mental health, in Brexit. The effect of the draft regulations would be, in 68 essence, to maintain the status quo in terms in the UK together with the costs consequences for failure to procurement regime, with some ‘tidying-up’ to reflect mediate, could mean that more claims will be diverted the exit from the EU. away from judicial determination and that we shall see more emphasis on other forms of alternative However, there is no certainty as to whether the dispute resolution, not just mediation, in 2019. For draft regulations will ever come into force if the UK more, see here. leaves with a deal, or what further changes may be made to the final version. BIM The ongoing development of the international BIM In this fast-moving area, our Brexit hub can help standard ISO 19650 will help to drive BIM more you stay informed and on top of developments and securely into the construction process. We will be includes a Brexit timeline too. tracking the ISO as it progresses and also keeping an eye on developments in the Digital Built Britain Disclosure Pilot Scheme project, of which BIM forms a significant part. As of 1 January, a new mandatory Disclosure Pilot Scheme (DPS) is in operation for a period of two years New contracts in the Business & Property Courts, which includes the 2018 saw a number of standard form construction Technology & Construction Court, subject to limited contracts being published by industry bodies, like exceptions. RIBA’s professional services contracts and building contracts, NEC4’s alliance contract and ICC’s design The purpose of the DPS is bring about wholesale and construct contract and target cost contracts. change in the approach to disclosure of documents by parties and courts and the litigation culture In 2019, keep an eye out for FIDIC’s Emerald Book, generally. The DPS requires a greater focus on the RIC’s new consultant appointment forms (which key Issues for Disclosure, rather than every issue they ran a consultation on in 2018) and the NEC’s pleaded and on the cooperation and engagement of new public sector Z clauses to complement their the parties. NEC4 suite. ■

It is also intended to encourage greater use of technology and greater oversight and case management by the judiciary. The DPS introduces ﬁve new Disclo- sure Models to encourage a move away from standard disclosure as the default, as well as a new concept ...... of Initial Disclosure. For more, see the new Practice Simon Lewis Direction to the Civil Procedure Rules, PD51U. Partner Womble Bond Dickinson Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Tel: +44 (0)191 279 9552 In December, a working group of the Civil Justice [email protected] Council published its ADR and Civil Justice Final Report, which makes recommendations about ADR Hannah Gardiner following the working group’s review of the ways in Solicitor which ADR is currently positioned within the civil Womble Bond Dickinson justice system in England and Wales. Tel: +44 (0)207 788 2509 [email protected] While it will take time for the report to be reviewed, www.womblebonddickinson.com discussed and actioned, the suggested move towards a “presumption” that ADR should be attempted, 69 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Model Checking & Clash Detection Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has three main ways in which they use the rules-based checking inside Solibri Model Checker; space and dimension checks, model revisions comparison, and data validation.

– Space & Dimension Checks Running space and dimension checks in Solibri Model Checker is a quick and easy way for the team to ensure that it is adhering to project standards and regulations, while coordinating various disciplines’ models. For Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, who are continuously developing multi-purpose facilities, this is an important aspect of model checking undertake on projects.

– Model Revisions Comparison At each design gateway, the team at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield issue a revision comparison report to Design Managers, as well as internally checking and verifying these results and displaying during the design review meetings.

– Data Validation A key topic when discussing model checking and configuration of rulesets for checking data is ‘consistency’ – and this is something Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield are grasping and nailing when it comes to the checks it runs internally. During our interview with Lucas and Lewis, it became apparent that there was a clear message being passed through Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s projects, a message that ensures consistency and discipline at every stage to allow for a data-rich and accurate federated model.

The team has developed rulesets for checking naming and tagging within its models, with live feeds and referencing to a database of codes/tags in the pipeline, which allows for further checking and verification of the data.

‘‘Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s investment in BIM and technology goes far beyond keeping abreast with our competitors. We’ve seen real value and returns in its application which plays a vital role in facing the challenges involved in the design and construction of complex projects. The resulting information models allow us to harness the power of data ‘‘ giving greater control over our built assets as well as enabling collaboration within our diverse range of business units.

Keith Whitmore, Head of Design & Construction UK/Italy and Co-Director of Construction Management Europe

WWW.SOLIBRI.COM SOLIBRI CASE STUDY | UNIBAIL-RODAMCO-WESTFIELD SOLIBRI. THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL BIM WORKFLOWS.

COMBINE CLASSIFY CHECK COMMUNICATE

Start your journey to quality with Solibri.

Let us take your model quality to a level way beyond simple clash detection.

DISCOVER MORE AT SOLIBRI.COM Why ensuring product substitutes are certificated remains crucial

Substituting a product or system in a building can lead to expensive problems further down the line if not done properly. Third-party certiﬁcation can help ensure speciﬁcations are not compromised

uilding components are subject to a series of building/structure behaves in differing circumstances rigorous approval tests that are regulated by and by failing to test against all factors the entire international standards. These regulations build process, including insurance, specification and Bdefine parameters that must be taken into considera- sustainability, can be impacted. tion when examining the safety and quality of construction products, determining mechanical capacities, It sounds basic enough but not all new (or even structural integrity, durability, weather resistance, existing) products may tick all four boxes. And if the safety and capacity to resist manipulations and intru- first you find out about it is post-installation, the sions through thorough testing. In addition, products ramifications can be costly. also need to be tested to check their durability, energy efficiency, aesthetics and environmental factors. “Certification takes into account all relevant UK Building Regulations, In short, safety and performance are of paramount additional non-regulatory information, importance and have, rightly, been the focus of much verification of technical specification, scrutiny over the last 18 months or so. design and installation considerations and production surveillance.” The specification process may be swayed by a raft of influencers, with price, performance, preference, When specifications are drawn up, or amended, all contacts, supply chains and availability all playing their aspects of the building products or systems need part in final decisions. And even when a specification considering, including physical properties, perform- has been agreed and signed off, it may be changed ance levels and installation guidance. This is a time- and a named product replaced with one considered consuming process in an industry where time is to be an equal substitute. usually in short supply and very expensive. Informed decisions need to be made quickly. Does this matter? We believe so and strongly encourage all involved in the build process – design- This is where third-party building products and ers, specifiers, contractors, clients and even insur- systems certification can step in and take the strain, ers – to be actively involved in which products make pooling all the relevant regulatory information, it to site; every component of every building needs to documentation and test results into one information be thoroughly checked for durability, performance, source that details salient points about the safety and installation limitations. New construction product/system and takes a view (pass or fail) on its products and systems are continually being intro- suitability for its intended purpose. Such a certificate duced and, again, they need to be safe, reliable, fit will accurately describe a product or system, its for purpose and installed correctly. possibilities and – equally importantly – its limitations.

Also consider that products are tested as an individual However, as with building products, it pays to under- item, as part of a system and as part of the building as stand a little about the certification process and the a whole. Changing one component can affect how the body issuing the certificates (note they are not 72 approvals; certification organisations do not approve constituent parts, how it is delivered to site and how produces for use). It is a highly technical field that it should be stored. It is therefore of the utmost calls for much experience and rigour. importance that specifiers, contractors and architects look for a detailed list of testing and investigations Certification takes into account all relevant UK Building carried out and ensure the guidance on installation, Regulations, additional non-regulatory information, use and maintenance is adhered to. verification of technical specification, design and installation considerations and production surveillance. In-house product testing enables certification bodies to be fully confident in their decisions. Take External The BBA stands alone in also conducting random Wall Insulation Systems (EWIS). Testing to ETAG 004, product sampling during factory visits. The composi- ETAG 17 and MOAT 22 for use on masonry, steel tion of samples is cross-checked against their pub- and timber framed walls will look at durability when lished and certificated specification to bring complete subjected to hygrothermal cycling of heat/rain and clarity to the process. heat/cold; performance when subjected to UV light; thermal conductivity, mechanical testing; water At the BBA, we perform numerous tests to support vapour permeability/transmission and water absorp- our certificates and also rely on third-party testing tion; windloading; dimensional stability; compressive from UKAS-accredited facilities. Weather tightness, fire strength and long-term thickness reduction. Not only performance, adhesion, mechanical strength, durabil- do these tests provide extra research and develop- ity and maintenance are among many others that ment, helping to ensure the warmth and comfort of may be assessed to ensure the certificates produced building occupants, they also afford manufacturers are clear in how products should be used. In addition of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems to this, the resulting certificate may list the relevant (ETICS) and EWI products accreditation. Building Regulations, its compliance with Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, NHBC etc. Circling back to the matter of product compliance, certificates carry all the relevant information required Technical information should lay out what the product to assist with quick decisions, either onsite, at the is made of, how it is manufactured, if the system has merchant counter or during the design phase, 73 making the specification process quicker and more these certificates pulled together into one reference efficient. Select an accredited product and the point and combined with information about relevant research is already done. Should a spec need chang- regulations, standards, codes of practice, CE Marking ing, referencing a replacement product’s certificate etc is of major benefit, allowing them to satisfy can more easily and quickly flag up issues. In essence, themselves that all levels of fitness for use have been a third party has done the leg work, produced the met. So when specifications are being drawn up or paperwork and is, ongoing, monitoring the product changed, better decisions can be made more quickly, or system, giving users independent assurance and a saving time, money and effort. ■ very clear paper trail should issues arise.

As such, linking certification with Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a natural progression. From our perspective, the aim is now to provide designers and specifiers with sensible, meaningful and quality information about certified products. This initiative brings synergy to the process, encouraging certificate ...... holders to offer object assurance to designers and Wendy Ajuwon modellers, who benefit from checked and validated Head of Marketing specification information to ensure their designs are British Board of Agrement correct and workable. Tel: +44 (0)1923 665300 [email protected] Conclusion http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/ Establishing a product’s fitness for use can take time and require a number of separate certificates. Having 74 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Interoperability: The key to construction productivity

In the world of construction, interoperable software can prove an invaluable asset to a wide range of tradespeople and professionals. But what exactly does the term ‘interoperable’ mean?

Interoperability refers to the ability of com- worker won’t be reflected in the software What do we need to do as puter software to exchange information and used by another. software developers and make use of that information once they’ve the industry to move received it. For example, OpenOffice Writer Why is interoperability so more quickly towards might be able to open documents created in important? interoperability? Microsoft Word (and vice versa), and thus This lack of interoperability means that a When different pieces of software present the two can be said to be interoperable with large portion of everyone’s working day will the same information in varying ways, the one another. need to be spent chasing co-workers, asking user can end up confused. For example, the questions and issuing (and awaiting) instruc- colour blue might be used to signify one Interoperability comes on a sliding scale: the tions. The right software, on the other hand, thing in a given piece of software and ease with which data can be bounced back allows everyone to refer to a single, synchro- something else in another. Standardisation and forth between different programs deter- nised database – effectively saving vast across different software can eliminate this mines how interoperable we consider it. The amounts of working hours. confusion, and bolster productivity – but this term has become particularly important in requires collaboration between developers. the construction industry, where a varied Why isn’t construction assortment of professions need to collabo- software interoperable By developing software that’s as interopera- rate on a particular project. today? ble as possible, developers can help to min- Basic market incentives dissuade developers imise administrative costs and stress for the Why is construction from making their software interoperable. end user. This approach will help to recover productivity still low? After all, no one wants to make it easy for hours of wasted labour, and ultimately boost UK productivity is, at present, dreadful – and their customers to use a rival product. Thus, productivity. the construction industry must take a large at present, most large developers aim to share of the blame. Part of the problem lies create construction software that does every- in software. thing you could want it to.

There are more than 300 pieces of construc- In practice, of course, it is impossible to build tion software available, according to a pop- software that caters for every aspect of a ular construction management software rapidly evolving workplace, and it would be directory. This is a sign of a healthy market. preferable to have lots of programs that spe- But having this much choice available pre- cialise in doing one thing well – provided, of sents several drawbacks. course, that those programs are interoperable. Khaldon Evans Product Owner Suppose that different stakeholders collab- The benefits of interoperability have only Site Diary orating on the same project are using differ- been widely recognised in the past few years, Tel: +33 2.30.96.20.69 ent programs made by rival developers. and yet most construction software compa- [email protected] These programs aren’t built to communicate nies came to be long before that. It might https://www.mobilesitediary.com/ with one another, and so neither can the therefore take some time for developers to www.twitter.com/mobilesitediary people using them. An update made by one catch up with what the industry is demanding.

JCT Contracts and BIM

Are BIM (and Contracts) just a means to an end?

The BIM world is awash with individuals that are passionate advocates of BIM and of the software and technologies that support the activities that are at the heart of BIM. They are the vital lubricant in the engine of BIM but they are not the motivating force for BIM or for a more enlightened way of working. We can sometimes feel that BIM has become an end in itself!

BIM is only a means to an end. An end that is, for example, a driver of more predictable project outcomes, a facilitator of PRUHHI¿FLHQWGHVLJQFRQVWUXFWLRQSURFHVVHVDQGSURMHFWRSWLPLVDWLRQEXWDERYHDOODPHDQVWRDQHQGWKDWFUHDWHVEHWWHU buildings to serve the needs of society and of business.

BIM with the processes and protocols that surround it are like contracts - in themselves they do not improve the outcomes of SURMHFWV%RWKDUHIDFLOLWDWRUVDQGFRQWUROOLQJPHFKDQLVPVWRGH¿QHµUXOHV¶WKDWKHOSHQVXUHFRQVLVWHQWSURMHFWGLUHFWLRQFRQWURO and management of the participants. In essence BIM related methodologies and protocols, like contracts, are mechanisms that are more about process and control than it is about stimulating behaviours that are focused upon the holistic added value that all parties to a project can bring to the design, construction and operation processes if appropriatel enabled.

Building on a legacy of excellence. Read more on BIM corporate.jctltd.co.uk/category/bim/ During my 30+ years in practice as an Architect, I have frequently witnessed project behaviour from others that is more defensive than it is constructive and this frustrates me deeply. Such behaviour saps project energy and it distracts the participants resulting in less than optimal outcomes. The stand-out projects in my career have been WKRVHZKHUHWKHVHQVHRIDWHDP¶VFRPPRQSXUSRVHKDYHEHHQPRVWHYLGHQW,QWKHVHSURMHFWV,KDYHH[SHULHQFHG true collaboration. FaulknerBrowns has been members of Constructing Excellence since its inception I have been one of a small JURXSRIµ&ROODERUDWLYH:RUNLQJ&KDPSLRQV¶IRURYHUWZRGHFDGHV,QWKDWWLPHWKHFRQVWUXFWLRQVHFWRUKDVHQMR\HG DVHULHVRIHUXGLWHUHSRUWVIURPWKHOLNHVRI/DWKDPDQG(JDQDPRQJVWRWKHUVWKDWKDYHDUWLFXODWHGWKHEHQH¿WVRI collaborative working, focusing upon value not just price, increased project integration and continuous improvement. With the popularisation of BIM I naively believed BIM could be a catalyst for a material step-change in collaboration, given that BIM inherently requires a much higher level of collaboration and team integration. But with the exception of pockets of best (or better?) practice, the reality is that our industry remains wedded to its discipline-centric silos, resulting in us spending too much time checking our rear view mirrors rather than the road ahead. So if BIM can’t change the industry, what can? Well I think I might have seen the light! Contrary to my initial remarks BIM, facilitated by appropriate contractual methods, can change the way we work, the way we behave and the way we interact with each other. My Damascus moment is Insurance Backed Alliancing (IBA) combined with Integrated Project Insurance (IPI). This is truly transformational DQGLWZLOOFKDQJH\RXUOLIHIRUWKHEHWWHURUDWOHDVW\RXUSURMHFWUHODWHGDFWLYLW\±,FDQ¶WYRXFKIRUDQ\RWKHUDUHDRI your life!

:KDWPDNHV,%$GLIIHUHQWLVWKDWUDWKHUWKDQFUHDWLQJPHFKDQLVPVWKDWDLGWKHUHVROXWLRQRIFRQÀLFWRQFHLWKDVRFFXUUHG LWSODFHVEHKDYLRXUVDWWKHKHDUWRIWKHSURMHFWSURFHVVHVVRWKDWSURMHFWSDUWLFLSDQWVSXWWKHSURMHFW¿UVWDKHDGRI WKHLULQGLYLGXDOQHHGVDQGLQGRLQJVRDYRLGFRQÀLFWVDWVRXUFH&RQVHTXHQWO\SURMHFWFKDOOHQJHVDUHVKDUHGDQGWKH solutions are arrived at in a genuine environment of joint endeavour. Whilst BIM is not a pre-requisite for IBA and IPI it was at the heart of the recent government trial project because BIM supports and reinforces the integration of project thinking so effectively.

There is much written about IBA and IPI and it is not for me to explain it in detail here, save to quote the 5HDGLQJ8QLYHUVLW\LQGHSHQGHQWUHVHDUFKSURMHFWUHSRUWµ'HOLYHULQJPRUHIRUOHVVXQGHUWKH,3,PRGHO¶GDWHG February 2018, on the Advance ll project at Dudley College:

[The Project] “has broken new ground in project procurement, organisation and delivery and demonstrated considerable EHQH¿WIURPFROODERUDWLYHZRUNLQJDPRQJWKHNH\SURMHFWSDUWLFLSDQWV7KHSURMHFWKDVDFKLHYHGPDQ\QRWDEOHVXFFHVVHV …... pioneering completely new governance methods, organisational structures and operational processes.” “A notable feature of the project has been the highly effective collaboration between designers and constructors, working in an Alliance with the client, and focused on achieving clearly stated strategic goals and success criteria. The IPI Model, with its comprehensive arrangements for procurement and governance throughout the project – ranging from formal procurement, contract and insurance provisions, through less formal (though very active) facilitation to encourage and support collaborative working – has been instrumental in establishing and enabling DZRUNLQJHQYLURQPHQWLQZKLFKWKLVHIIHFWLYHFROODERUDWLRQKDVÀRXULVKHG&HQWUDOWRWKH,3,0RGHOKDVEHHQWKH sharing of risk and reward by Alliance Members, engendering a sense of ownership of project outcomes and a sharing of responsibility for achieving them.” Finally, in my view, projects delivered in a truly collaborative environment are much more professionally satisfying and rewarding because they drive behaviours and solutions that are optimised rather than driven to the lowest common denominator – often lowest price rather than best value - and generally they are more commercially successful too in my experience for all involved. I profoundly hope we can embrace IBA and IPI with our hearts and our minds and to allow BIM and these contractual arrangements to immerge from the risk averse, confrontational, ZDVWHIXOLQHI¿FLHQWDQGSULFHIRFXVHGPLQGVHWLQWRDEXVLQHVVDVXVXDO,7HQDEOHGDQGHQULFKHGYDOXHDGGHG and collaborative environment.

Author: Nick Deeming is a Partner of FaulknerBrowns Architects. His career has EHHQIRFXVVHGRQWKHEHQH¿WVRIFROODERUDWLRQEHFDXVHKHEHOLHYHVWKDWWKLVQRW RQO\FUHDWHVDPRUHSOHDVXUDEOHZRUNLQJHQYLURQPHQWEXWLVDOVRDPRUHHIIHFWLYH SUR¿WDEOHDQGVXVWDLQDEOHZD\WRZRUN+HLVDSUDFWLVLQJ$UFKLWHFWD&RQVWUXFWLQJ ([FHOOHQFH&ROODERUDWLYH:RUNLQJ&KDPSLRQDPHPEHURI-&7&RXQFLODQG&KDLU RIWKH-&7%,0:RUNLQJ*URXS

Building Innovation Awards to launch at Futurebuild The Building Innovation Awards will celebrate the pioneering individuals, organisations and projects that are embracing emerging technologies and digital transformation to take UK construction to the next level

onstruction is the engine room of the economy, an almost unprecedented international political contributing £110bn to GDP every year. Yet climate, the importance of shouting about our most there is a longstanding perception that as an innovative people, companies and technologies has industryC it is relatively slow, even sometimes reluctant, never been greater.” to innovate and adopt emerging technologies, techniques and materials. While construction may seem to many to rely on age-old ways of doing things, Broun believes that But there is a signiﬁcant – and growing – number of some of the most exciting and groundbreaking individuals, companies and projects that are breaking innovations in the world in ﬁelds such as building out of that mould, embracing the cutting-edge and design, health and safety, supply chain management pushing forward the digital transformation of how and training are happening right here, right now in we design, build and operate our buildings. the UK.

The Building Innovation Awards, launching at “The Building Innovation Awards Futurebuild on 5-7 March, aim to celebrate the pio- recognises the products, services, projects neers who are not only challenging convention but and people that are transforming the UK also proving that doing so can deliver better quality, construction industry, driving the industry greater eﬃciency and a healthier bottom line. forward and setting a new precedent in the technological age.” The awards, which will take place on 23 October at The Midland Hotel in Manchester, are the brainchild of Joe From new products and materials reshaping what is Broun of UK Business Events, the company behind the possible to the contractors and manufacturers already successful Inspire Summit celebrating diversity adopting new ways of working through to the out- and inclusion in construction. standing projects already changing the landscape, the Building Innovation Awards will highlight the He sees innovation as increasingly important to technologies and techniques boosting productivity both the future health of the industry and the wider and proﬁts but also delivering greener, smarter and economy. safer buildings.

“I don’t think many would question the fact that we “The construction sector is seen as one of the final are experiencing the dawn of a fourth Industrial frontiers,” Broun says. Revolution and living in a digital age where emerging technologies are transforming the way we live and “It’s an industry steeped in tradition but one that work,” Broun tells BIM Today. has seen some of the biggest benefits from digital transformation, not just in improving efficiency and “The UK has an enviable reputation as a global safety, as well as bringing cost savings, but in terms leader when it comes to innovation and, as we enter of a significant impact on the way we all live.” 78 “The Building Innovation Awards recognises the • Best Materials Innovation products, services, projects and people that are • Best Health & Safety Innovation transforming the UK construction industry, driving • Best Training & Skills Innovation the industry forward and setting a new precedent in • Best Asset Management Innovation the technological age.” • Best Offsite/Modular Innovation • Best Planning Innovation The launch at Futurebuild, which is also sponsoring • Best Recruitment Innovation the event, will see the Building Innovation Awards • Most Innovative Supply Chain Management open calls for nominations across 20-plus categories • Most Innovative Site Management covering all aspects of construction. • Most Innovative Tender Management • Best Use of Emerging Technology In addition to categories recognising innovative • Best Use of BIM companies, projects, technologies and materials, the • Most innovative New Product Building Innovation Awards will recognise a Young • Best Digital Transformation Innovator and Innovation Champion. • Young Innovator 2019 • Innovation Champion 2019 A panel of expert judges will review the nominations before the winners are announced at a black-tie dinner For more information or to enter, visit at The Midland Hotel, Manchester, on 23 October. www.buildinginnovationawards.co.uk . ■

The categories open for entries are:

• Most Innovative Developer • Most Innovative Contractor • Most Innovative Consultancy • Most Innovative Supplier • Most Innovative Training Provider ...... • Best Technology Partner Joe Broun • Most Innovative Housing Project Event Director • Most Innovative Infrastructure Project UK Business Events Ltd • Most Innovative Commercial Project [email protected] • Most Innovative Public Sector Project www.buildinginnovationawards.co.uk • Most Innovative Energy Project • Most Innovative Restoration/ Refurbishment Project 79 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

Adding value to cold roll-formed steel for construction and manufacturing voestalpine Metsec plc is the UK’s largest specialist in cold roll-formed steel, providing products for the construction and manufacturing industries

he company, based in Sandwell, focuses Headquartered in Oldbury, and with a sales the first tier two designer and manufacturer on adding value through expert design, and technical office in the Middle East, to achieve the standard for design and precision manufacturing and on-time, Metsec has supplied products and design construction in the UK. in-fullT product delivery. services to landmark projects including the Queensferry Crossing, Abu Dhabi airport, In addition, last year Metsec was announced Established more than 85 years ago as a cold Resorts World, Wimbledon, BBC Wales as one of the first six companies globally to roll-forming company, Metsec provides studios and Glasgow Velodrome, along with achieve the new PAS 1192-2 kitemark from purlins, steel framing, cable management, a host of retail sites, sports stadia, hotels and the British Standards Institution (BSI) relating dry lining and custom roll-forming to its broad student accommodation. to BIM, and the only tier two company to be range of customers. Originally founded in awarded the accreditation. 1931, it is now part of the metal forming divi- BIM sion of voestalpine group, a global technology A champion of Building Information Modelling The kitemark is a way for construction and capital goods group. (BIM), Metsec holds BIM Level 2 accreditation, businesses around the world to prove their

80 COMMERCIAL PROFILE

voestalpine Metsec plc headquarters in Oldbury Smithfield Square, a BIM designed project from Metsec capabilities in delivering projects at the solutions provider, Metsec provides the Accreditations design and construction phase and acts as a accompanying accessories, giving customers Metsec is accredited to ISO 9001, BS OHSAS seal of approval for companies qualified to flexibility when specifying. 18001 and was the first cold roll-forming deliver projects at both the design and specialist to operate an Integrated Manage- construction phase. “A champion of Building ment System certified by BSI that complies Information Modelling (BIM), with the requirements of PAS 99. Metsec Purlins Metsec holds BIM Level 2 acknowledges that sustainability is a respon- Metsec’s purlins division is the UK’s largest accreditation, the first tier sibility not a choice and in recognition of designer and manufacturer of light gauge two designer and manufac- ongoing efforts has received certifications for galvanised steel purlins, side rails and mez- turer to achieve the standard BES 6001 ensuring all products are made zanine flooring systems and has provided for design and construction in with material that has been responsibly purlins solutions to a number of sports the UK.” sourced. The company is also accredited stadia, retailers and major airports and rail to ISO 14001 and part of the BCSA Steel stations in the UK and the Middle East. Custom roll forming Construction Sustainability Charter. Metsec specialises in the bespoke manufacture Steel framing of custom roll-formed steel sections, and a vari- Metsec is the market leader in light gauge, ety of additional engineering services including galvanised steel structural framing systems. profile manipulation, drilling laser processes Metsec’s offsite framing solution, Metframe, and welding, enabling complete solutions to delivers considerable time and cost savings be undertaken for a wide range of construc- and has been used on several construction tion, industrial and automotive applications. projects, such as Gosford Gate student accommodation, Palmerston School and Dry lining CATS College Canterbury. Metsec’s dry lining division designs, manufactures and supplies light gauge, non-load Cable management bearing cold-rolled formed metal products voestalpine Metsec plc Metsec cable management manufactures for use in partitioning, dry lining and ceiling Tel: +44 (0)121 601 6000 cable containment and support systems for systems. As a result of extensive research and [email protected] the mechanical and electrical services industry. development, combined with high volume www.metsec.com Products include both pre- and post-gal- advanced manufacturing techniques, all vanised cable ladders, cable trays, cable trunk- Metsec dry lining systems conform to the ing and metal framing systems. As a bespoke latest British and European standards.

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&217$&7$0(0%(52)2857($0RQRUHPDLOVDOHV#FDGDVVLVWFRXN NEWS. ANALYSIS. OPINION. www.pbctoday.co.uk acts as a platform for discussion NEWS and debate across all areas of the construction industry, > PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION providing news and topical features with cutting-edge > BIM policy analysis. > BUILDING CONTROL > ENERGY We welcome contact from all experts who are interested > PLANT, EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES in making an editorial contribution or have an opinion > HEALTH & SAFETY to express. > HR & SKILLS

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www.pbctoday.co.uk CASE STUDIES CASE STUDIES

Powering mobile data capture in Antarctica Capturing project data on-the-go can bring real-time eﬃciency beneﬁts to a project – but what do you do with the information when you’re in one of the most remote and hostile places on Earth?

Location: Rothera Research Station, Adelaide Island, Antarctica Client: British Antarctic Survey Project team: BAM Nuttall, WorkMobile Completion: 2019 Image: © British Antartic Survey

hen it comes to working in remote environments, it doesn’t come much more challenging then Antarctica. wharf a building a new, 74m one to house a new W vessel, the RSS Sir David Attenborough, one of the Earth’s southernmost continent is almost entirely most advanced polar research ships in the world. covered by a thick layer of ice and remains one of the most isolated places on the planet, with temperatures BAM Nuttall is using mobile data collection in order that can plunge to the minus 60s. to improve efficiency and productivity, with field engineers able to conduct tasks such as completing Nevertheless, between 1,000 and 5,000 hardy digital forms, taking photos and videos, and capturing souls make Antarctica their home throughout the signatures in real-time while out on site using the year, working at research stations dotted across WorkMobile tool. the continent. However, due to the site’s remote location, basic At one such station, the Rothera camp used by the services such as internet connectivity and mobile British Antarctic Survey Expedition, construction and phone signals will not be available, making transmit- civil engineering specialist BAM Nuttall is developing ting the data extremely difficult. a new wharf as part of a £100m upgrade. The team will therefore use a localised WorkMobile Rothera, on Adelaide Island to the west of the server to collect and store information in the cloud Antarctic Peninsula, is the largest British facility on for the duration of the project. When they return to Antarctica. It is a centre for biological research by UK the UK, they will be able to download this data and university and international science programmes, as automatically generate the necessary reports and well as being a hub for supporting deep-field and air compliance documents needed for the work. operations. The site includes the Bonner research laboratory, a crushed rock runway, hanger and wharf. BAM Nuttall chose Manchester based WorkMobile’s application because it allows users to create mobile As part of the upgrade, a 50-strong team will spend forms relevant to specific jobs, including site inspec- two Antarctic summers dismantling the old, 60m tions, health and safety forms, site surveys and site 86 CASE STUDIES

“Both BAM Nuttall and WorkMobile have produced a unique and one-oﬀ solution that may as well have been on the planet Mars.”

Colin Yates, chief support officer at WorkMobile, Image: © British Antartic Survey said: “Site inspections and reports are crucial to ensuring projects are completed in line with contractual obligations. But when operating in parts of the world like Antarctica, it makes the job of collecting this information troublesome and can present diaries. Using digital forms to capture the information problems when providing evidence of the work that for these vital documents reduces the risk of data has been delivered. being lost or collected incorrectly, meeting compliance requirements. “It’s great to see that our solution has been adopted by BAM Nuttall as part of their special project. The Rob Youster, director of ICT at BAM Nuttall, believes field team now has a flexible toolkit that can help the project was the most challenging and exciting he meet the needs of the contract quickly and effectively, has experienced in his 30-year career with the firm. so they can clearly demonstrate the service they have provided.” ■ “With the lack of internet connection at this location and site personnel being on-site for six to 10 months, the team had to produce something unique,” he said.

“My team worked on various designs but eventually created a robust, secure mobile data centre that would work in this potentially hostile environment...... Colin Yates “Once the designs were approved, we then needed a Chief Support Oﬃcer preferred supplier that was willing to be ﬂexible in its WorkMobile approach, including its engagement with the client Tel: +44 (0)161 464 6220 and its data capture solution. WorkMobile was that [email protected] supplier and ensured the project had what was www.workmobileforms.com needed; they well worked well with our project teams and met our stringent security requirements. 87 CASE STUDIES

Improving project visibility: Creating a tower management system with reality modelling software

Drones, 3D modelling and GIS have combined to create a tower management system capable of sharing documentation and thousands of images with teams in diﬀerent parts of the country

into the iGTMS with ContextCapture, Bentley Systems’ Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa 3D reality modelling software. The team used a Sector: Telecommunications variety of drone types to take the necessary photos Project team: iSpatial Global Systems South Africa for creating rich reality meshes and then used these Completion: 2017 meshes to explain the environment and structures to the engineers in the oﬃce.

elecommunication stakeholders in South Africa ProjectWise helped the team manage the engineering wanted an iGlobe tower management system content and other content, including drone mission (iGTMS) to improve visibility of the many towers log files, raw imagery and final reports. By creating theyT inspect. This R750m (£42m) iGTMS project basic workflows, the process was easier to understand combined the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and avoided missing steps. The team then linked (UAVs), 3D reality modelling software and geographic models and content back to OpenCities Map (formerly information systems (GIS) to manage all documenta- Bentley Map), which also collected the GIS information. tion used in all processes. The models were shared to the web and mobile portals so that all users could access the information. The organisation hired iSpatial Global Systems South Africa, a world-class engineering company, to create Collaborating effectively the iGTMS for them. iSpatial Global Systems is By creating these 3D reality models, the project team focused on geospatially oriented applications in the improved information sharing among its team, as mining, municipality, utility and private sector, and it well as its collaboration among stakeholders. iSpatial works on risk-based inspections across a wide range Global Systems’ teams are not all located in the same of sectors throughout South Africa. place, making it challenging to share information and results. By sharing the models through the web and Completed in September 2017, the tower manage- mobile portal, all users could access the information ment system integrated geographical information, they needed from any device. while it also prevented duplication and made relevant information easy to access, and it creates total trans- Additionally, ContextCapture models helped viewers parency across projects. iSpatial Global Systems’ proj- see the detailed landscape and location. Many of the ect team needed to accelerate inspection time, reduce towers are in treacherous locations, either in very risk associated with manual site surveys and produce remote areas or difficult places to reach, such as on an integrated and geospatially accurate 3D model that mountains or busy roadways. Knowing this information would be accessible to a dispersed engineering team. ahead of time helped the engineers plan appropriately.

Generating a Tower Management System The project team easily shared all relevant content to The project team took thousands of photos in the the diﬀerent teams working on the projects through ﬁeld to create the structural models to implement ProjectWise. Since all the information was updated in 88 CASE STUDIES

real-time, users knew that they were seeing the most These listings saved time in tracking projects and up-to-date information, which streamlined the results during research and development. Lastly, decision-making process. This knowledge improved the team organised and standardised its geospatial collaboration because everyone was looking at the content with OpenCities Map, making it interoperable same models and easily located them in the system. with other technologies and saving both time and cost. Streamlining workflows The iSpatial Global Systems team saw significant Future positive impacts benefits by using Bentley applications to create an iSpatial Global Systems expects to see a positive iGTMS for its client. The project team created the impact on its local and global markets by using Bent- core management system in a few days and this ley applications. Previously, the organisation tried to quick setup allowed the experts to begin working in balance time and cost savings with information accu- a managed environment and track all project racy and technical people’s safety. Now, the iSpatial progress. The team’s processing time was reduced Global Systems team can speed up the collection of from one week to one day, and the test sections accurate information using UAVs, model in Con- were reduced from a day or two to a few hours. textCapture, store the geographical information in These decreases allowed the team to make quick OpenCities Map, and manage resources in Project- changes to the plans and adjust the drone pilots’ Wise. The telecommunication stakeholders will use missions and flying methodology accordingly. this method as a point of reference on other projects in the future. ■ Bentley’s ContextCapture saved the project significant time and money. The high quality of the model was unlike any other of the organisation’s processing technology. Also, the application could model different scenes and add them together later as one production. This capability not only helped break the project down into smaller sections, but it also allowed the ...... team to conduct smaller sample tests during the Chintana Herrin research and development stages. These smaller Reality Modelling Product Marketing Manager tests produced results in minutes rather than days, Bentley Systems speeding up the process. Tel: +44 207 861 0900 www.bentley.com ProjectWise also helped the team set up standards, naming conventions, workflows and audit trails. 89 CASE STUDIES

Digitising airport construction Raymond Millar, construction director at The McAvoy Group, looks at how Dublin Airport used oﬀsite construction and the latest digital technology to expand its passenger boarding facilities and achieve one of the fastest projects ever completed at the airport

• Programme – The building had to be delivered to a Client: Dublin Airport Authority critical and short programme to accommodate ad- Location: Dublin ditional ﬂights. It was operational within a 16-month Project team: The McAvoy Group, planning, design and construction schedule. Flynn Management & Contractors, Arup, Kavanagh Tuite, Blue Sky, KMCS, i3PT • A highly constrained site – The space for the Completion: 2017 new facility was restricted within the South Apron and the fully operational airport site.

ublin Airport is one of the fastest-growing • Full integration of airport M&E services – All airports in Europe. South Gates is its new mechanical and electrical services – including €22m, 2,200m2 passenger boarding facility, data communications, fire and security – had to whichD has been developed to meet the huge growth link into the existing live airport terminal systems, in passenger numbers. The building provides seven which was a hugely complex operation. boarding gates to serve nine aircraft stands and can accommodate around 1,000 passengers at a time • Open plan environment – Clear uninterrupted and up to 8,000 people a day. spans of over 19m were required for the 120m-long facility. This was achieved by engineering the build- The offsite solution ing modules to incorporate hot rolled structural The dedicated passenger boarding zone was con- steel beams, which removed the requirement for structed offsite by The McAvoy Group to reduce the internal columns – a modular industry first. programme for earlier occupation in order to meet the rising demand for flights from the airport. The • Stringent fire safety standards – The scheme new facility was manufactured at the group’s offsite had to be designed to meet stringent fire safety production centre and was craned into position in regulations that exceeded Building Regulations. just 16 days as 77 steel-framed modules, up to 12m long and weighing up to 13 tonnes each. • Enhanced acoustic specification – A specially designed ceiling solution was developed using The use of an offsite solution allowed the airport suspended panels in different shapes and orienta- operations to continue uninterrupted, with the tions. This provides a high standard of acoustics minimum disruption. It also allowed the fast-track and a strong visual feature, as well as a sense of programme for the project to be achieved. space.

Project challenges Digitising oﬀsite construction McAvoy had to address a number of challenges on BIM was used extensively in the tender and design this project: stages. McAvoy created a virtual reality model of the 90 CASE STUDIES

building to demonstrate the design and offer a fully a safe, comfortable passenger environment with the immersive VR experience. This allowed the client team appropriate levels of service, amenities and passenger to review the internal environment and in particular, information. the innovative acoustic ceiling solution. “McAvoy created a virtual reality model of Virtual reality fly-throughs at the earliest stages of the the building to demonstrate the design project facilitated client engagement and informed and offer a fully immersive VR experience. key design decisions. This allowed the client team to review the internal environment and in particular, the At the detailed design stage, the client was able to innovative acoustic ceiling solution.” make real-time changes to the internal layout. The use of analysis tools also allowed McAvoy to simulate The customer perspective building construction processes, including the com- Iain Heath, project manager at Dublin Airport, said: plex module delivery process on a highly restricted “This is one of the fastest projects we have ever com- airport site. pleted at the airport – from planning to the first flight in just 18 months. The finished building speaks for All the principles of BIM were used for the project. itself. It is a handsome new facility with high quality 3D drawings and models were produced for both finishes and clean architectural lines. the steel structure and architectural modelling, and a common data environment was created. BIM was “We were working to a very constrained programme also beneficial for clash detection for the installation to have the building operational ahead of the busy of complex M&E services. summer season. The project and its innovative use of offsite construction is a fantastic achievement for A range of simulation tools were used to validate the whole team. the performance of the proposed building against international airport standards while meeting the “We were impressed with how McAvoy used BIM functional requirements of the client, Dublin Airport and virtual reality. As an airport, we have a complex Authority. A facility was developed that would provide approvals process but the digital techniques allowed 91 CASE STUDIES

the senior management team to ‘walk through’ the building and to experience the facility, which facilitated design sign-off. In addition to the programme benefits, offsite construction also meant fewer trades working on site and a smaller site footprint. This approach had far less operational impact for the airport and the closure of fewer aircraft stands with reduced timeframes.”

“All the principles of BIM were used for “This project has pushed the boundaries of offsite the project. 3D drawings and models construction to create a valuable infrastructure facility. were produced for both the steel structure The quality of the finished building is excellent, and and architectural modelling, and a you would never know this is a modular building. The common data environment was created. McAvoy Group’s production facilities are impressive, BIM was also beneficial for clash and their systems are robust. We would welcome the detection for the installation of complex opportunity to work with their team again.” ■ M&E services.”

Brian Looney, contracts manager at Flynn Manage- ...... ment & Contractors, added: “The principal driver for Raymond Millar offsite construction was to reduce the programme. Construction Director The McAvoy solution allowed the building to be The McAvoy Group delivered to site within weeks of planning approval. Tel: +44 (0)28 8774 0372 Having fewer trades on site is also a benefit for airport smartoff[email protected] projects, where sites are very constrained and the www.mcavoygroup.com highest standards of security have to be maintained at all times. 92 CASE STUDIES

66 Queen Square: Heritage and innovation combine to deliver unique new build BIM played a key role in blending a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse with state-of-the-art oﬃce space at the award-winning 66 Queen Square

At the same time, the contractor adopted design Location: Bristol and construction methods to suit the historic setting. Sector: Oﬃce/Commercial Once complete, the building would then blend in Project Team: Skanska, voestalpine Metsec with the unique architecture of the Georgian Completion: 2015 townhouses surrounding the 18th century Queen Square gardens.

The refurbishment of the Georgian terrace section, for etsec’s BIM capability and expertise were a example, used traditional materials for the restoration key factor in securing an appointment by elements. Skanska to supply steel framing for 66 QueenM Square, Bristol, a once-derelict site in the “Beyond the modelling benefits, heart of Bristol city centre. however, the BIM process has integrated our work with that of our supply chain This state-of-the-art 5,667m2 office development partners to help achieve technically features a structural solution that has benefited excellent, coordinated structural designs from intelligent supply chain collaboration and a more effectively.” transparent, model-based design process. At the core of this ambitious project lies a combina- The five-storey building incorporates historic Queen tion of technical excellence and tight-knit supply Anne House, a Grade II listed Georgian terrace. chain collaboration to realise outstanding building Renovation of Queen Anne House and the new build design that delivers on aspects of sustainability, were carried out consecutively. building performance and aesthetic appeal, as well as project lead time. The speculative development at 66 Queen Square, delivered under the Workplaces by Skanska banner, “The fusion of new and old on this site has been an saw the smart combination of heritage with innovative incredibly tough challenge,” confirms Derren Masters, new build to create a prestigious commercial space, design director at Skanska. the first venture of its kind in the UK by the company. “We were aiming to be sympathetic to the design of The development was designed to meet BREEAM the listed building existing onsite, but we also needed Excellent level, as well as EPC A to minimise the build- to find a reliable way to connect the new office building’s environmental impact, thus satisfy the energy ing to Queen Anne House, without damaging its basic efficiency demands of a modern office building. structure. 93 CASE STUDIES

66 Queen Square, a BIM designed project from Metsec 2

“It seemed only logical, then, that we capitalise on a for its SFS infill walling solution: stud, track, deflection collaborative approach using BIM to attain cutting- heads and compound members, as well as fixing edge building design. Our BIM model has truly accessories. From this data-rich file, Metsec produced become the information powerhouse that we the drawings and material schedules that would needed in order to visualise our ambitions and inform Skanska’s structural design plans. establish the project’s technical feasibility, without losing sight of budget requirements. “Metsec supplemented our expertise by supplying a Revit model that smoothly plugged into our master “Beyond the modelling benefits, however, the BIM model and whose level of detail really helped us to process has integrated our work with that of our see where the SFS was going to touch the reinforced supply chain partners to help achieve technically concrete frame adjacent to the listed building,” excellent, coordinated structural designs more Masters says. effectively.” “This gave us an in-depth understanding of the inter- When it came to designing a framing solution that face and quantity risks involved and helped our team would smoothly integrate with Queen Anne House, to optimise the structural design. In that respect, Skanska contacted Metsec, which offers the design Metsec’s design service was invaluable to the project.” and modelling capability that Skanska was looking for, to ensure that its design team got the structural Stephen Ginger, managing director of Metsec’s design right from the beginning. Purlin and Framing Division, agrees that closer cooperation between teams through improved informa- “The fact that Metsec had experience of working in tion exchange held the key to better design: “From a BIM and could support our work with a BIM-compliant technical viewpoint, it was important to be able to model for the steel framing system allowed us to feed our designs into the contractor model as it consider Metsec elements at a very early stage,” says illustrated exactly how our framing system was going Masters. to sit within the wider structural solution.

The lightweight structural steel specialist created a “To support the early design stages, we fully detailed BIM model that contained all the required elements the cold rolled steel elements in a 3D environment 94 CASE STUDIES

and shared our design information with Skanska’s Stephen Ginger acknowledges that manufacturer construction team and BIM coordinator, Daniel Reu- BIM knowledge is increasingly crucial to being speci- croft. The high level of design information exchanged ﬁed on benchmark projects like 66 Queen Square: was crucial to ensure that the contractor received “Seeing that BIM modelling expertise is requested the best performing framing solution for its project.” more and more frequently, especially for commercial and residential developments, getting involved in the “Metsec’s early design input meant that we were able BIM journey is indispensable to delivering added to eliminate any potential errors that we may not value to our clients.” have been able to spot in 2D drawings, which directly translated into cost savings,” says Reucroft. 66 Queen Square won the BIM Project Application Award at the British Construction Industry Awards Responsible for coordinating all project models 2014. including models delivered by Skanska’s supply chain partners, he stresses that software is one of the For more information on Metsec and its BIM modelling main challenges in implementing the BIM process as service, please go to www.metsec.com and follow contractors and suppliers do not necessarily have @MetsecUK on Twitter to join the debate, using access to the same software suites. #BIMinAction. ■

“Metsec made it easy by making available compatible Revit ﬁles,” he adds...... voestalpine Metsec plc “Then we simply coordinated their model into the Tel: +44 (0)121 601 6000 construction model and, with the help of the BIM 360 [email protected] FIELD application, all construction information was www.metsec.com taken out of the oﬃce and on to iPads onsite. This has really brought BIM to life at 66 Queen Square.” 95 CASE STUDIES

How 3D tech is mapping the future of Eco-Home innovation As planning and building teams seek to improve efficiencies and cut costs on projects, Sven Van Duffelen, from 3D mobile mapping and monitoring specialist GeoSLAM, looks at how technology is enabling a growing number of developers to prioritise energy efficiency in new housing developments

A notable example is Norwich City Council, which is Client: Blueprint & Nottingham City Council on course to deliver 112 certiﬁed homes at its Rayne Location: Nottingham Park development in 2019. According to the council’s Project Team: Willmott Dixon, Marsh Grochowski, chief executive, the scheme is designed to help Gleeds Structural, BWB Consulting, GeoSLAM alleviate fuel poverty for tenants while generating Completion: 2019 revenue, replacing housing stock lost through Right to Buy, and ensuring compliance with the authority’s environmental strategy. ccording to the Home Builders Federation, homeowners in new builds can now save But how do more councils and local authorities average of £629 per annum in energy bills – a reach this aspirational standard? In a bid to increase signA of just how far new developments have come in the production of Passivhaus builds and reduce recent years. Added to that, a staggering 80% of properties built today have an A or B rating for energy eﬃciency, whereas only 2% of older homes have a comparable rating.

Passivhaus is one example of a scheme enabling these changes. Popular across Europe, Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupier comfort, while maintaining the gold standard in energy eﬃ- ciency – similar to the Minergie-P standard building in Switzerland.

Highlighted at last year’s Passivhaus Conference in Munich was the increasing availability of certiﬁed components, resulting in this type of property becoming much more sought after by both local authorities and buyers on the private market.

As the aspirational standard in housebuilding for the future, there are currently just 65,000 buildings with the certification worldwide, a figure set to increase as local authorities and housing associations across the UK begin to see the benefits of aiming for Passivhaus standard. 96 CASE STUDIES

that can help teams identify problems in advance. Some handheld mobile scanning devices also have the advantage of real-time scanning. The ZEB-REVO RT, for example, has the additional advantage of enabling surveyors to check that they have a complete scan of an area before they leave the site, avoiding the time-consuming process of returning to map a site again.

While the final aim of both Passivhaus and Minergie-P standard builds is to produce a comfortable and energy-efficient home as a final product, it’s equally important to consider the process through which the property is built. Developers must remain conscious about energy wastage, time consumption and cost increases during the construction and design phases in order for these builds to truly reflect their ‘eco’ purpose – a standard the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) demands from residential property developers.

Benefits of SLAM technology Construction projects today often require regular surveys to generate new models as the development takes shape. One issue with static scanners is that they take time to set up and usually require an expe- costs, improve build productivity and facilitate better rienced operative. Handheld scanners can make the communication between stakeholders, developers process quicker, but since many rely on GPS, these have been turning to Building Information Modelling devices are not effective once the building has been (BIM) software. constructed and measurements are needed in enclosed or underground spaces. Evolution of design The benefits of BIM are widely recognised, from its “Using handheld 3D mobile scanning ability to create early design prototyping and minimise technology, surveyors have the potential wastage to its potential to encourage collaboration to quickly re-scan a site at various project between stakeholders. BIM also helps to alleviate the stages, providing a digital update that can pressure on surveyors, who were once required to help teams identify problems in advance.” spend days recording building measurements. One alternative that can support quicker adoption of Integral to the rising adoption of BIM are advances BIM is a mobile mapping tool that uses Simultaneous in handheld 3D laser scanners and associated Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) technology. First processing software, which together have enabled developed in the robotics industry, tools using SLAM organisations and professionals from a wide range are capable of scanning indoors or other difficult-to- of industries to access the technology more easily reach, enclosed spaces. Using information from sen- and, crucially, within the standard of high-spec sors, normally LiDAR and imagery, digital 3D maps can environmental accreditation. then be created based on the location of the device, without the need for GPS. Using handheld 3D mobile scanning technology, surveyors have the potential to quickly re-scan a site SLAM-enabled lightweight scanners, such as at various project stages, providing a digital update GeoSLAM’s ZEB-REVO or ZEB-HORIZON, can allow 97 CASE STUDIES

surveying teams to map and monitor sites on foot or usually take at least a couple of hours with traditional with UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). As a scheme surveying tools for just the one property, which is takes shape, any member of the site team is able to arduous given how many properties we will be pick up a handheld 3D mobile mapping device and building across the entire development. with a ‘walk and scan’ method of data collection, capture and process data in hours and minutes, “For developers, the data-sharing element of 3D rather than days and weeks. This not only saves time mobile mapping tools using BIM is really valuable. throughout projects but also reduces the risk of Whether it’s checking measurements with architects injury when operating in potentially hazardous build to make sure their plans are adhered to, providing locations. detail to our estate agents to support their bid to sell properties, or indeed the new owners who want SLAM technology in action on updates on the build process – I fully acknowledge multi-phase projects how 3D mobile mapping devices such as those from One such example of this technology in action is a the GeoSLAM ZEB family will become ever more recent project with sustainable home developer important in the sustainable developer market.” Blueprint. Delivering an ambitious 450-home scheme at Trent Basin on the banks of the River Conclusion Trent in Nottingham, GeoSLAM was invited to scan As the popularity of Passivhaus and Minergie-P one of the completed Phase 2 properties. standard continues grow and both commercial developers and local authorities turn to eco-friendly “Integral to the rising adoption of driven systems, the need for the technology to BIM are advances in handheld 3D laser support these schemes is only set to rise. With wider scanners and associated processing concerns from both the public and private sectors software, which together have enabled focused on reducing cost, meeting complex speciﬁ- organisations and professionals from a cations and dealing with various stakeholders, tools wide range of industries to access the such as 3D mobile mapping devices with SLAM will technology more easily and, crucially, play a vital role in helping the construction sector to within the standard of high-spec overcome these challenges. environmental accreditation.” No matter the size of the project or deadline, the Ashley Walters, Blueprint’s development manager, speed and simplicity of these devices will prove used a ZEB-REVO to scan one of the buildings, crucial to hitting deadlines, meeting build guidelines and discussed how SLAM technology could assist and regulations and, of course, enabling developers eco-home projects. to stay on budget. ■

“Working on high profile, long-term developments with dozens of stakeholders is an incredibly complex process. These projects can take many years to complete, especially if the environmentally-friendly speci- ...... fication is high or there are multiple phases such as Sven Van Duffelen with our Trent Basin scheme. Relaying data and UK Channel Manager measurements to every single organisation involved GeoSLAM has historically taken us a long time,” he explained. Tel: +44 (0)1949 831 814 [email protected] “We’ve never used a SLAM-enabled tool before, but I www.geoslam.com was surprised how quickly the ZEB-REVO scanned the entire property – just eight minutes! This would 98 CASE STUDIES

Transformation through BIM: A story (so far) Award-winning architectural studio Hawkins/Brown has embraced BIM not simply as a new type of software but as a way of fundamentally changing the way in which projects are designed and delivered. Nathaniel Rackham, the ﬁrm’s BIM manager, discusses the journey so far

n just over four years, we have moved from One such benefit was the ability to append data to delivering three projects through Building the geometries that were being designed. Rather Information Modelling (BIM) to servicing over 60, than using CAD to draw the components of a door Iseveral of which are full Level 2 projects requiring as a set of lines, teams were able to allocate data to an Asset Information Model (AIM). a 3D component. The model knows that the door is a certain size, what ironmongery it is fitted with, its Back in 2015 Hawkins\Brown made a conscious finish and colour etc. decision to invest in BIM and chose Autodesk Revit to assist in the delivery of all above ground projects “By delivering all new projects in a BIM- and Bentley MicroStation for its infrastructure work, enabled environment, Hawkins\Brown such as Crossrail. appreciates that the data within the models can be harvested in such a way The firm soon realised that BIM wasn’t (and isn’t) a that separate projects can be spawned, piece of software but a paradigm shift in the way affording both the practice and its clients practices and projects are managed and delivered key benefits.” and, to that extent, appointed a BIM manager to put in place the necessary office standards, documentation, Teams were able to generate schedules automatically, templates, content libraries and, most importantly, a to feed into cost and programme information and to strategy for staff training (both in the software itself inform a client of the FM requirements of the door. If a and the changes to the management/resourcing of door was deleted from the model as part of a design projects that is often overlooked or not considered). change, it would no longer appear in the schedules or in any other drawn output from the model – all of Once the aforementioned was in place, training which is now well understood by the industry. What sessions were run each week in a variety of core we believe to be less understood is that the process areas. Training was provided by our long-term BIM can also work in the other direction, in that the data consultants, InfiniteBIM, meaning that staff were can influence the design/geometry. trained in the same way. This consistent approach was vital in maintaining a common ‘best practice’ This is an entirely new set of skills for architects to series of workflows for the production of a master. A new way of drawing, modelling or designing model/package information. – through coding. Not only can we manipulate the data that constitutes our design but, through APIs As the number of projects grew across the practice, and built-in coding interfaces, we can also manipulate teams delivering projects in traditional CAD software the capabilities of the software that we are using. began to see the benefits of working in a BIM-enabled No longer are we at the mercy of the buttons that environment. Autodesk gives us – we can build our own. 99 CASE STUDIES

Designing through coding requires a new set of skills develop a single iteration, became live. The design for architects to master, however, and it is no surprise team could tweak the mixes and watch the 3D that many leading architectural practices now have model instantly update. their own computation design team or specialist consultants. It was these sorts of examples that led us to realise scripting could also remove many of the repetitive We are already seeing several projects in the office day-to-day tasks that staff don’t appreciate. The benefit from this. One of the first forays into the auditing of files prior to Information Exchange, the potential of coding was for the Here East project, embedding of Uniclass into our families, applying where we developed a unique ‘dazzle-ometer’ code revisions to several hundred drawings for a package that allowed us to rapidly optioneer unique designs of issue, family renaming and so on could all be auto- glass frit patterns for the building facade, while fixing mated and it was this approach that helped us win the solar control performance. Once a pattern was the coveted A J100 Best Use of Technology in 2018. chosen, the code was then used to automate the setting out of every single dot that made up the frit. “BIM is undoubtably the future for the construction industry and affords us Similarly, for the University of Sussex, we developed almost limitless possibilities through a code to set out a doubly curved wave of pendant the advancement of technology and light fittings. This enabled the designer to massage innovative thinking. This, combined the curvature of the light wave and the grid of pen- with robust government standards, dants, using a tangible set of control points and see provides us with a framework in which the results instantly in 3D. project efficiencies can be achieved while also providing a first-class product More recently, we’ve been working on a façade for clients.” colour pattern code dubbed the ‘spandrel-iser’. This script was used for the East Village project and By delivering all new projects in a BIM-enabled enabled the design team to rapidly test different environment, Hawkins\Brown appreciates that the colour palettes and percentage mixes of colour for data within the models can be harvested in such a over 3,000 spandrel panels. A manual process that way that separate projects can be spawned, affording would have likely taken one individual weeks to both the practice and its clients key benefits. 100 CASE STUDIES

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This approach has led to the creation of our allowing us to communicate with clients ‘live’ on site Emission Reduction Toolkit known as H\B:ERT, which or remotely, tweaking the brief as a team. enables design teams to quickly analyse and clearly visualise the embodied carbon emissions of different BIM is undoubtably the future for the construction building components and construction materials at industry and affords us almost limitless possibilities any time during the design process, allowing easy through the advancement of technology and innova- and robust comparisons between previous/current tive thinking. This, combined with robust government designs/projects and sets the grounds for a complete standards, provides us with a framework in which lifecycle carbon footprint analysis. (The H\B:ERT is project efficiencies can be achieved while also free to download from our website and sits within providing a first-class product for clients. Our recent Revit as a plugin). BIM Level 2 certification award with the BSI as a Tier 1 contractor merely confirms our commitment and “Not only can we manipulate the data demonstrates our genuine capability and capacity to that constitutes our design but, through deliver projects. ■ APIs and built-in coding interfaces, we can also manipulate the capabilities of the software that we are using.”

Another example is the creation of our Project Brief- ing Tool, which assists us in developing client briefs based on our previous projects. In the latest plan of work, RIBA intrinsically linked Stage 7 (In Use) with ...... Stage 0 (Strategic Deﬁnition). This means that analy- Nathaniel Rackham sis of existing projects should inform future briefs BIM Manager & Associate and buildings. By standardising all our previous Hawkins/Brown space data, we are able to build briefs from accurate Tel: +44 (0)20 7336 5749 and reliable quantitative parameters, which can be [email protected] tailored to user populations, allowing us to minimise www.hawkinsbrown.com the risk of abortive work and ultimately streamline the process. Furthermore, the tool is cloud-based, 101 CASE STUDIES

Building with BIM: Erskine House, Belfast BIM has played a key role in shaping GRAHAM Construction’s Erskine House project in Belfast from pre-construction to ﬁnal ﬁt-out and beyond, helping to build lasting relationships

compliant information environment. Demonstrating Developer: Orby Investment the expertise within our business, GRAHAM Interior Location: Belfast Fit-Out was awarded Category B works for the final Project Team: GRAHAM Construction, fit-out of the scheme. Turner & Townsend, Todd Architects Completion: 2019 Introducing BIM in the early stages of pre-construction, our Digital Construction Team held an initial BIM kick-off workshop where we developed the or us, BIM is our process driver – it is at the post-contract BIM Execution Plan, a document vital centre of everything we do and we are renowned to the successful implementation of BIM. It was at for our exemplar BIM processes, with dual BSI this meeting where roles and responsibilities for key FKitemarks to prove it. As standard, at GRAHAM we stakeholders were defined. implement BIM and digital construction on all of our live sites and one such scheme that has benefitted Collaboration is another key factor in the success of from this is our BIM Level 2 project, Erskine House BIM, and Erskine House was a prime example of how in Belfast. the sharing of knowledge and information can help deliver a project of the highest quality while saving This iconic scheme will help to reinvigorate Belfast’s time and cost. city centre – a 1980s building in Chichester Street was demolished in July 2017 before construction of Using our proposed CDE (Common Data Environment), Erskine House began the following September. 4Projects, models were shared every two weeks, set up to align with BS 1192:2007 and A2:2016. “…our clients, HMRC, and the CIOB were given a tour of the project finishing with a Working collaboratively with the lead designers, VR workshop – an initiative that gained who were assigned the role of BIM coordinator, the positive feedback from all involved.” models were then federated and using the clash detection feature through Autodesk Navisworks. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has signed an These steps were repeated regularly until a clash-free agreement to lease over 100,000 sq ft of office space model was achieved. within Erskine House for a period of 25 years. Approximately 1,600 employees are expected to Referring to the Model Production Delivery Table move into the new HMRC office upon completion. created for the project, the models were updated throughout the course of the work, with stakeholders Due to handover in spring 2019, GRAHAM Construc- ensuring they aligned with the Level of Detail and tion is responsible for the design and construction of Level of Information at each work stage. We ensured the new Grade A office accommodation, incorporating that clear model development responsibilities were shell and core retail units, all within a BIM Level 2- documented. 102 CASE STUDIES

COBie information has also been continually virtual reality (VR), we held project team engagement populated – something that is required for each workshops at different stages of the project. Subcon- maintainable asset, including the use of Uniclass tractors were also involved to discuss specific details 2015 and NRM 1 for classification. in VR before commencing work onsite.

BIM 360 Field is another tool used to support our Most recently, our clients, HMRC, and the CIOB were on-site team deliver a stand-out build while helping given a tour of the project ﬁnishing with a VR work- us to capture data and apply it to make informed shop – an initiative that gained positive feedback decisions. In turn, this has saved time, cost and from all involved. resources. Documenting quality on the project, BIM 360 Field was linked to the model, allowing for GRAHAM continue to manage the BIM delivery on the internal review by GRAHAM. HMRC Regional Project with handover of Category A to Category B only weeks away. We use the digital tool for a variety of diﬀerent processes from pre-construction right through to BIM and digital tools have played an essential role in the production of information to support facilities the success of this project, helping to build lasting management of the completed project. relationships along the way. ■

Each of the many features on Field have delivered unique beneﬁts to the project including the use of checklists for safety checks to the capture of progress photographs. In partnership, GRAHAM’s Digital Construction Team and the Quality Department ...... have worked collaboratively to develop Quality Melanie Dawson Assurance/Quality Control procedures and ensure Director of Digital Construction the information is being captured in a structured GRAHAM Construction manner to improve eﬃciency and promote the Tel: +44 (0)28 9268 9500 seamless access of information. [email protected] www.graham.co.uk Complementing BIM, we have incorporated other digital tools to the project. Bringing the model into 103 Index

ALLPLAN UK Ltd ...... 6-7 Landmark PLC ...... 20-21 Bentley Systems International Limited ...... IFC Lloyds Register...... 59 Bluebeam...... 48-49 Nottingham Trent University ...... 32 Bricsys NV ...... 12-13 Script & Go ...... 75 Cad Assist...... 82-83 SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd ...... 64-65 ELECOSOFT LTD ...... 29, 35 Solibri ...... 70-71, OBC Excitech Ltd...... 43, IBC The Joint Contracts Tribunal Ltd ...... 76-77 Faro UK...... 38-39 Trimble MEP ...... 60-61 Graitec...... 54-55 voestalpine Metsec plc...... 80-81 GroupBC...... 24-25

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