CONSTRUCTION
Tools of the Trade
High-tech solutions for the construction industry By Alexandra Kay
C
ontractors in the construction industry are driven to keep projects on track, on time, and within budget. And lately there have been additional challenges for the construction industry, including labor shortages, heightened HSE requirements, and the rising cost of lumber. “Alaska challenges are like any other state, but bigger,” says Nelson Hays, a construction technology engineer with Accupoint, which specializes in construction technology solutions. “The short construction season and challenges of remote work demand innovation to deploy and operate a system with minimal downtime.” Technologies and techniques have been (and continue to be) developed to streamline processes and procedures, improve communication, build efficiencies, and reduce or mitigate challenges that a construction project may face. Below Accupoint, PDC Engineers, Drake Construction, NANA Construction, Cornerstone General Contractors, and Remote Alaska Solutions share some of their insights and solutions for Alaska’s construction industry.
Building Information Modeling Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the process of creating and managing a digital representation of a project. It can be used for scheduling, decision making, cost estimation, and operations maintenance and sustainability. BIM allows engineers, architects, contractors, and other construction professionals to collaborate on a 3D model of a project. With BIM, when one aspect of a design is changed, the software updates to reflect that change—so everyone involved with the project is in the know. According to the Ernst & Young report Construction Technology Trends to Watch, the estimated savings of project cost using BIM is typically between 4 to 6 percent. And according to a Dodge Data & Analytics report, 73 percent of US contractors are using it.
Augmented Reality | Virtual Reality Augmented reality (AR) is a mixture of digital and real world, while virtual reality (VR) creates an entirely new digital world. AR and VR allow customers and companies to envision a project through design, build, and postconstruction. Working with one or both, companies can provide a 3D view of building exteriors and interiors, providing a final vision of what a project will look like. For example, Trimble SiteVision “uses augmented reality to help show inspectors and foreman on site the vision of the project without the need of survey stakes,” says Hays. “It also facilitates communication between the contractor, engineers, and project owner with a clear visual progress on the project or changes that need to be made.”
Natnan Srisuwan | iStock
UAVs Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) use cameras and sensors in the pre-planning stage of construction to obtain data and measurements in order to develop existing conditions for construction sites. Later, they can be used to provide builders and clients with real-time status reports, as well as provide monitoring for safety, efficiency, productivity, and waste avoidance. “The use of RTK-GNSS drones, or UAVs, for survey applications is a game-changer,” says Hays. “Large areas can be surveyed in a fraction of the time, allowing for precise 16 | August 2021
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