Getting more from on-site plant equipment By combining BIM with 4D scheduling and machine learning, Aquila is looking to improve construction site equipment utilisation in real time, as Andrew Johnson, Project Manager at BIM Academy, explains
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n 2019 BIM Academy, in collabora- the construction phase – our research The need to deliver cost savings is tion with Buildstream, Costain and has proven this is achievable. a prominent feature in the development Northumbria University, conducted In addition, with the announcement ear- of Aquila, with the desire to remove addia feasibility study – code named lier this year that the UK has brought for- tional unnecessary project costs. Which SiteView – to research how combining ward laws to end its contribution to global is why it was essential to develop a BIM and 4D scheduling could improve warming by 2050, with the new target commercially, as well as technically, viathe sequencing, timing and operational now set at achieving a 78% reduction of ble solution. management of plant equipment on site. carbon emissions by 2035 – the pressure is The results were phenomenal, and subse- on to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to Plug and play quently BIM Academy was awarded net zero as quickly as possible. Aquila utilises simple, yet smart, plug Innovate UK funding in 2020 and the This means good practice of energy and play mobile technologies, rather than making of “Aquila” began. management on site, in addition to budget intrusive Internet of Things (IoT) instalTo find the solution, first we needed to savings, is needed now more than ever. lation to sense equipment operation. address the problem. And the problem IoT refers to a system of interrelated, was poor utilisation of plant equipment Plant optimisation internet-connected objects that can colmeant unnecessary spending (it is esti- Aquila has been developed to optimise lect and transfer data over a wireless netmated poor utilisation of plant equip- plant equipment operations using real- work without human intervention. IoT ment is wasting up to £100bn globally time data. It will eliminate earthwork hardware is typically expensive and per year) and perhaps installation is disruptive more importantly, this on operational plant machinery spits out Aquila will eliminate earthwork estimations and activity. exceptionally high levels automatically determine the plant and Real time feedback of emissions, having a negative impact on the equipment’s productivity output through machine Most 4D tools currently environment (the conavailable aim to be planlearning algorithms in the platform struction sector is responning simulation tools, sible for around a fifth of competing with more all global emissions). Improved and estimations and automatically determine established Gannt tool/chart derived syssmarter analysis of plant equipment will the plant and equipment’s productivity tems which provide a visual view of tasks produce efficiency savings in both of output through machine learning algo- displayed against time. these areas, and more. rithms in the platform. This means no However, Aquila provides a real-time, Plant equipment, particularly heavy more performance predictions, we can decision-enhancing platform where projearthmoving equipment such as excava- accurately set project schedules for plant ect teams can review what is happening tors, bulldozers and dump trucks repre- equipment, monitor and measure in-use, on site through a 4D model, predicting sent a major cost element in construction down-time and emissions output. Plus and controlling the impact of future projects ranging from 10% in a commer- take lessons learned from one project to schedules and generating new benchcial project, and up to 50% in major the next to maximise these efficiencies. mark datasets for future projects. infrastructure projects such as highways, The consequences of equipment downA 4D model allows designers and projrailways and energy projects. time can be severe, ranging from delays in ect teams to visualise the project The feasibility study investigated the a project caused by an unexpected break- sequencing, identify errors in the plan opportunity of improving productivity down to the inconvenience of idle equip- and optimise the best path of construcon site by 15% or more, by increasing ment taking up valuable space — all con- tion. It is also a better way of communiplant equipment utilisation throughout tributing to an overspend in project budget. cating the plan to the entire team.
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