AEC Magazine November / December 2019 by X3DMEDIA

Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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How is go Ar tificia ing t l Inte o ch llige ange nce desi gn

HoloLens 2 for 4D

An open source future? Continuous verification

Mixed Reality coming of age in Synchro

Bryden Wood on why hoarding IP is bad

The quest for real time data

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It’s clearly black and white...

The power of BricsCAD, now in dark mode by user request “In one day, (users) were productive, and within one week, they had made a full migration to BricsCAD. It’s like we never changed our (CAD) platform.” Dario Pibiri, Piping and Mechanical Engineer at Ecophos®

www.bricsys.com

Bricsys® is a global provider of dwg engineering design software brought to market under the BricsCAD® brand. Founded in 2002, Bricsys is a member of the Open Design Alliance.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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Augmented thinking HoloLens 2 and - AI in AEC 10 4D construction 36 The media is full of stories about Artificial Intelligence, but what impact will it have on the AEC professions?

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CHARLOTTE TAIBI charlotte@x3dmedia.com

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BricsCAD BIM: one year on 20 Last year, we posed the question - is BricsCAD BIM a potential Revit killer? We attended the Bricsys annual conference to see how the software has progressed

The case for open sourcing 25 Bryden Wood’s Jaimie Johnston explains why hoarding IP won’t save construction (and what we need to do instead)

Bentley Systems on Digital Twins 28 Digital Twin means different things to different people. Bentley has a vision that might not clarify its use but certainly a technology backbone to support it

For HoloLens 2, visual experience and interaction might grab all the headlines, but the biggest impact should come from Azure cloud connectivity

Continuous verification 38 Greg Corke caught up with Topcon VP Ian Stilgoe to learn how new technologies are helping change construction verification

PresenZ for V-Ray 40 This new rendering add-on uses lightfields to bring new levels of interactivity and dynamism to 360 VR renders

Model complexity 42 Understanding and communicating the form of one of the world’s most complex building designs was a tricky task, made easier thanks to 3D printing

Next gen construction professionals 44

Digital Construction Works (DCW) 32

The message from Class of Your Own, one of the industry’s key advocates of getting young people interested in construction, is now being heard loud and clear

When it comes to optimising construction, there’s still a huge mountain to climb. A new technology-agnostic joint venture from Bentley and Topcon is here to help

Also this month: 5, 6, 8, News 46 The potential legal and contractual issues around offsite and modular construction November / December 2019

02/12/2019 11:04

Adding information to a BIM is hard ...we make it easy Consistent level of development in Building Information Modeling (BIM) is difficult to achieve. At Bricsys, we’ve applied machine learning to BIM workflows to simplify and facilitate the creation of high-fidelity building models. Adding information consistently is hard

Using Propagate to speed steel detailing

Adding information to a BIM in a consistent manner is a daunting task. Being able to continuously add level of development (LOD) is critical to the creation of a digital twin. Traditional BIM workflows do little to assist a BIM technician in managing LOD. It’s just too easy to add rich detail in one area, extract drawing sections from those areas, and leave the rest of the model at a reduced LOD. And variable LOD is generally acceptable until it’s time to extract schedules. Then, the weakness of an inconsistent level of development becomes glaringly apparent.

Let’s talk about connecting steel members and raising LOD across a model simultaneously. Consider a column-beam connection using an end plate and several bolts. We want to detail this connection once, inserting the end plate and the fasteners, and creating the holes in the beam web for the bolted connections. Once this process is complete for a single instance of the connection, PROPAGATE can do its magic.

A.I. can help At Bricsys, we leverage machine learning technology to assist you in managing a continuous increase in model LOD. The primary toolset for this purpose in BricsCAD® BIM is called PROPAGATE. It’s a tool that helps automate the process of adding data – “the information” – to a building information model. At the simplest level, PROPAGATE is used to copy details throughout your building model. It maps the details of a selected element to similar elements in the model. What does this mean? Anytime a specific detail is required / needed or usable in multiple locations in the model, using Propagate is likely the fastest way to make it happen.

The Propagate Workflow We’ve built five variants of Propagate to guide you through the workflow. Each of the five “flavors” were designed for specific use cases. This helps to keep the Propagate workflow clear and concise - e.g., when connecting steel members, cleaning up wall-slab connections, raising the LOD of a roof edge detail, or placing lighting fixtures, windows, air diffusers or columns on various surfaces in your BIM.

www.bricsys.com

The general workflow of PROPAGATE consists of two major steps: defining the detail to be replicated and choosing where to apply it. The first step is to simply select the base solids – the beam and the column. The next step is to select the detail objects, a.k.a. “sub-entities”. These are the elements that you want to PROPAGATE throughout the BIM. Detail objects can be solids, block references or even faces – e.g., a hole in a base solid can be propagated by selecting its faces.

Detail volume creation After you select the base and detail objects, PROPAGATE defines the detail volume, switches the visual style to X-ray and zooms in to the detail for verification. You can alter the detail volume as needed to accommodate target solids that are further apart, or the need to replace existing details with new details that are smaller than the original. Think about this for a moment – there is no need for perfect alignment of beams and columns throughout the model. Enlarge the detail volume to encompass the largest gap, and the elements will be joined properly throughout the entire BIM.

Let the A.I. do its magic… Once the detail volume includes everything that you want to PROPAGATE, choose where to apply the detail. The view will zoom out to show all possible locations for the operation and will flag each potential location with an icon that shows your options. As the user, you have full control over what

PROPAGATE does. Individual details can be toggled on or off; potential interferences are noted, and situations where multiple valid alternatives are possible are also called out. Make your selections from the A.I.’s recommendations and PROPAGATE does its work.

…and voila! Tens, hundreds or even thousands of detail increases will sweep across the BIM in seconds. In one fell swoop, PROPAGATE can raise the LOD of all similar steel connections from 200 to 450. Yes, it’s real. And it’s a Bricsys innovation that’s available today in BricsCAD® BIM. But innovation doesn’t end with PROPOGATE – it’s just the beginning. BricsCAD®, BricsCAD® Mechanical and BricsCAD® BIM include A.I. features that increase LOD, infer design intent, automate parameterization and reduce model size by detecting & instancing repetitive geometry. All in one multi-threaded, modern and cost-effective CAD system. Do you know BricsCAD®? If not, you simply don’t know what you’re missing.

There’s a lot more to explore The time-savings offered by Propagate just scratches the surface of the power in the BricsCAD BIM workflow. There’s a lot more to explore, and you can do just that free, for 30 days. In less than ten minutes, you can sign up, download the trial, install it and start experiencing the future of Building Information Modelling. Start in 3D, stay in 3D throughout the workflow – and it’s all in DWG. BricsCAD BIM lifts creativity, not complexity. Visit us at bricsys.com/bim and download a full-featured trial copy today.

News

ROUND UP Satellite imagery

Epic Games gives away Datasmith and new assets

Plex.Earth Timeviews is a new service designed to make up-to-date satellite imagery easily accessible from within AutoCAD and (soon) BricsCAD. The aim is to help users understand project environments, make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes ■ plexearth.com

Revit model health Architecture, interior design and urban design firm CBT Architects is using Ideate Explorer to keep its Revit models ‘clean and accurate’ by finding, editing and deleting elements; viewing all elements in a Revit model; and auditing Revit warnings ■ ideatesoftware.com

Bluebeam Revu 2019 The 2019 release of Bluebeam Revu, the collaboration tool that centres on the markup and editing of 2D and 3D PDFs, boasts improved speed, enhanced takeoff functionality and is now said to be easier to deploy throughout an organisation ■ bluebeam.com

Allplan 2020 Allplan 2020 features new tools to help architects model stairs and roofs as well as complex shapes using the new integrated Visual Scripting. For engineers, there are new steel modelling tools and Allplan Bridge, a fully integrated solution for modelling, static calculation and design ■ allplan.com

pic Games is continuing its aggressive push into the AEC sector by making Datasmith, its toolkit for importing and prepping CAD and BIM data for use in Unreal Engine, completely free forever. Previously, Datasmith was part of Unreal Studio, which was about to come out of free beta and cost $49 per month on subscription. Epic Games has also extended the free availability of Twinmotion, its architectfriendly real-time viz tool based on Unreal Engine, that the company previously said would only remain free until November 2019. AEC firms will now be able to download the software for free until the next release, which is anticipated

to ship in the first quarter of 2020. Once downloaded, the free version can be used indefinitely. The 2020 version will also include a direct link to Rhino and a direct export to Unreal Engine. Epic Games is not stopping with software; it recognises that assets are extremely important to viz workflows, so has acquired Quixel, a Swedish firm that owns Megascans, a huge library of 2D and 3D photogrammetry assets that are used by leading game developers, filmmakers, and visualisation specialists. All 10,000 library assets – which include anything from concrete and pipeworks to fabrics and plants - will be made available for free, for use within Unreal Engine. ■ unrealengine.com

Civil visualisation Civil FX Studios, a specialist firm that offers visualisation services for civil engineering projects, is developing Civil FX Vision, a standalone visualisation application that is designed specifically for transportation or other civil projects. It will launch in 2020 ■ civilfx.com/civil-fx-vision

Structural update The 2019i release of structural BIM tool Tekla Structures features enhanced control of user-defined attributes, a new model search tool, optimised mesh reinforcement detailing, and a new lofted plate and slab feature. There’s also a new Edit Shape Geometry feature that enables the ‘easy, constructible modelling’ of certain complex structures, including ramps, ductwork and slabs ■ tekla.com/uk

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HoloLens 2 appearing on site soon rimble is taking orders for its Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 system, a site-ready mixedreality solution that enables workers to visualise 3D data on project sites. The XR10 is more than just a HoloLens 2 integrated into an industry-standard hardhat; it also includes Trimble Connect for HoloLens, a cloud-based software optimised for the mixed reality headset. Trimble Connect for HoloLens is an application-specific extension to Trimble Connect, the cloud-based collaboration platform. The software currently relies on file-based transfer, but a spokesperson told AEC Magazine that Trimble is actively

exploring data streaming options, such as Azure Remote Rendering. Bentley Systems is also working with HoloLens 2 for 4D construction with Synchro. See page 36 to learn more. ■ buildings.trimble.com

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02/12/2019 11:31

Autodesk launches Construction Cloud

Design in VR with Arkio rkio, a collaborative tool for modelling buildings or entire urban plans in VR and AR, has updated its beta release. Arkio Beta v0.6.4 now allows users to load Arkio creations directly into Revit. All geometry, textures and Arkio components will be converted to native Revit (2019 & 2020) and Enscape elements to further develop designs in BIM.

■ arkio.is

ust as we were going to press, Autodesk announced the availability of the Autodesk Construction Cloud, which appears to be the aggregation and repackaging of all of its acquired and in-house developed web services. The company cited Assemble Systems, BuildingConnected, BIM 360, Construction IQ and PlanGrid as the core components, which connect AutoCAD, Revit and Civil 3D data to the construction management, bidding and contracting process. The tech stack has over 50

Vectorworks gets hot on GIS

enhancements, including new AI features which look for drawing and model issues pre-construction. We explore this in more detail in our cover story on page 10. Cloud services and tech stacks, mainly aimed at connecting owners, designers, contractors and sub-contractors are the new battle ground for software developers in the AEC market, as Autodesk goes head to head with Procore, mainly in the North American market. There are many other big players on this area too, such as Trimble and Oracle.

ectorworks users are to get ‘better and quicker’ access to GIS imagery, data and geometry through a tighter integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Online services. The CAD and BIM software developer says the integration will help AEC and landscape professionals early on in the design process. Users will be able to access online mapping and aerial images with two new tools - Geoimage and Geolocate.

■ construction.autodesk.com

■ vectorworks.net

nity Reflect, the real-time 3D tool is due to launch in December with an annual subscription fee of $690. The software can create live links to multiple Revit models and also bring across the BIM metadata. Support for Navisworks, ArchiCAD, Rhino and SketchUp is also in the pipeline. Autodesk has confirmed that there will be a future integration with Autodesk BIM 360 that will allow users to flag design issues in VR and have them show up automatically in BIM 360’s issue registry so they can be resolved later on. Unity has big plans for the software, including new workflows for on-site Quality Assurance & Control and support for higher quality visuals through the High-Definition Rendering Pipeline. It also

COURTESY OF SHOP ARCHITECTS

Unity Reflect ships, plus link to BIM 360 U

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ProjectWise 365 for SMEs

has several use case workflows under consideration, including a two way live link, drone scanning, smart cities (IoT) and construction sequencing. You can see the full roadmap at tiny.cc/o807czs To find out more about Unity Reflect read our AEC article tinyurl.com/AEC-Unity

entley Systems is targeting small and mid-sized design teams and firms with its new ‘instant-on’ SaaS-based BIM collaboration platform ProjectWise 365. Utilising Microsoft 365 technology, ProjectWise 365 is designed to extend the accessibility and affordability of collaborative BIM, eliminating paper-based workflows, thirdparty PDF review, and other point solutions

■ unity.com/aec/reflect

■ bentley.com

November / December 2019

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News

ROUND UP Collaborative VR Igloo Vision has re-engineered its Shared VR Cylinder, an immersive projection space that can be used to engage with 360° or VR content for collaborative design review. A new self-supporting structural frame is said to offer faster set-up times and a smaller footprint ■ igloovision.com

VR for BIM 360 The Wild has released a new integration which will allow AEC teams to coordinate and collaborate on their Autodesk BIM 360-hosted models, in an immersive virtual or augmented reality workspace. The software includes tools for sketching, massing, material sampling, and speech-to-text annotations ■ thewild.com/bim-360

Intelligent AM ARID is a new cloud-based asset registry and information database application from Microdesk that uses machine learning and AI to analyse assets names and values, identify inconsistencies and make recommendations based on industry standards ■ microdesk.com/arid

BIM 360 for Civil 3D Autodesk BIM 360 Design now supports Civil 3D, enabling teams to collaborate on complex projects with horizontal and vertical structures, such as airports and railway stations. Previously, the software was focused on Revit Cloud Worksharing capabilities ■ autodesk.com/bim-360

Learning Camera BAM Nuttall has teamed up with techfirm Iotic and Cranfield University to develop an AI-based, computer-vision system, the Learning Camera project, which employs a standard webcam and an IoT framework of smart sensors to collect real-time environmental data to create digital twins of construction sites ■ thelearningcamera.bamnuttall.co.uk

VR BIM CAVE Multidisciplinary contractor Winvic Construction has opened its new Centre for Innovative Construction (CIC), which includes a VR BIM CAVE, an interactive meeting room and a training space. The centre will be used for clash detection, dimensional design checks, spatial awareness assessment and data asset information retrieval ■ winvic.co.uk

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Real-time rendering tool Lumion gets closer to nature umion 10, the latest release of the architectural focused 3D rendering tool, offers a range of new features, including fine-detail nature models, displacement mapping, real night skies and new content for creating living spaces and environments. The new fine-detail nature models, which include 3D tree and plant models, are designed to visually enrich a scene with, for example, leaves that flutter in the wind. Displacement mapping is designed to enhance the realism of select materials, showing the grain of wood, the surface of bricks, or the bumpy texture of gravel. With the new Real Skies at night feature, users can place a building or home under a clear, starry night to help give a sense of ‘wonder and beauty’. Lumion 10 also features new interior objects including seating, tables and kitchen models. The software can also

demonstrate movement and social connections with new high-quality animated people. Finally, there is a new paint placement tool that allows users to place hundreds of nature objects in a project by sweeping the mouse like a brush across an area. Users can scatter swathes of trees, rocks and shrubs over the landscape to provide context for an architectural design. ■ lumion.com

AMD launches new GPU for VR and viz MD’s Radeon Pro workstation graphics division has been pretty quiet over the last 12 months, but it’s now looking to fight back against Nvidia with a new professional GPU based on its 7nm ‘Navi’ RDNA architecture. The Radeon Pro W5700 is designed for high-end workflows, including real-time visualisation, virtual reality (VR) and

GPU rendering. It features 8GB GDDR6 memory, five Mini DisplayPorts, and one USB-C port for new generation VR headsets. Look out for a full review in the next edition. ■ amd.com/radeonpro

HP offers single source remote workstations P is making a big play for remote workstations with the introduction of HP ZCentral, a new software suite that allows individuals to connect remotely to a dedicated HP Z workstation and IT managers to create pools of HP Z workstations for groups to share. HP ZCentral is not an entirely new technology. The remoting software, HP ZCentral Remote Boost Software, is really just an evolution and rebranding of HP RGS (Remote Graphics Software). New features include integrated collaboration

tools, whereby users can easily share screens, and better image quality at high resolutions through image scaling. The new part is HP ZCentral Connect, a software broker that HP says allows IT departments to easily assign workstations, monitor connections and logins all through one simple interface. Users can access the next available workstation within an assigned pool of centralised workstations. Previously users of RGS relied on the third-party Leostream broker. ■ hp.com/ZCentral

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02/12/2019 11:31

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September / October 2019

02/12/2019 11:07

Feature The media is full of stories about Artificial Intelligence (AI) - both its huge promise and its possible negative effects on all aspects of our society. But what impact will it have on the AEC professions? Martyn Day explores

f we are to believe films like Blade soon as possible. The reasons are quite great masters, and can do impressive party Runner, 30 years from now simple. When you happen to be in the pieces, you have to question if an AI-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have type of project, the type of field in which system could come up with Cubism, progressed so far that we can repli- experience requires two to three years, it’s Pointillism, Brutalism, Gothic or Art cate ourselves, so precisely that we find it almost impossible for you to compete with Deco. Could we ever respect a branded AI almost impossible to tell ‘them’ apart any kind of machine that can immediately that starts a new artistic wave, simply by from ‘us’. As we jointly populate a pollut- have 10 times, 50 times, 100 times, a thou- being a bit random and remixing its data? There will always be signature archied planet, where farmers harvest weevils sand extra million times your experience. “The reality is that we already have tects. However, as we look at meeting the for protein under acrid orange skies, surrounded by the decay of our concrete cit- enormous quantities of data, enormous needs of a global population of nine bilies, we can look forward to a struggle for quantities of blueprints and models that lion in housing and infrastructure, survival as ‘they’ seek to escape their hundreds of thousands, millions of houses maybe we are going to need a bit of help weak and stupid creators. And running that have already been developed. Why do to get this done efficiently. From everything I have heard and from at 2hrs and 44 minutes, we can all turn I need a new one? They tend to be the same against the director who clearly forgot and can be packaged in very similar sys- talking with developers, the AI systems tems. Why shouldn’t I just go into an app, we will see in our industry will augment how to use video editing software. Dystopian futures have become the de and choose what kind of household I want? our design abilities, not move humans facto standard when contemplating the “Architecture as an artistic practice, is away from the process of design. In the potential fruits of our technical prowess the only one that will survive, and it will main, they are chiefly striving to automate and AI is possibly the most exciting, be developed by a tiny elite. We’re talking the mundane tasks and provide oversight daunting and feared technology under five percent, one percent of architects, to complex processes and interactions. development today. It is seen as the max. The rest. They are done. They’re sword of Damocles, as while it has the doomed. They’re gone. Finito. This is the Getting back to design potential to help us across a huge range end. Muerto!” Errazuriz concluded. Racel Williams, AI development managof tasks, it could also er at Autodesk has spent make many of us redunthe last year travelling dant, irrespective of eduIt is perhaps not unsurprising that many of the the world, talking to cation level or type of job. customers early AI developments are there to check quality Autodesk The deployment of AI about what their biggest and coherence of data. Mental atrophy from and automation is pain points are and what relying on computers could be a problem expected to impact docthey are really struggling tors, lawyers, accountwith. Unsurprisingly, ants, financiers, as well these were mainly cenas possibly architects and engineers. There are a series of five video posts as tred around design changes. So the team With today’s cloud infrastructure, all Errazuriz reacts to comments from main- is researching Machine Learning (ML) there needs to be is one algorithm per job ly outraged architects and well worth a and AI when applied to CAD, PDF and function developed, having learnt from watch (tinyurl.com/AI-arch). BIM, how the industry documents data thousands, millions of previous legal cases, Errazuriz’s post has certainly caused a and how these objects and components patients, buildings, construction sequenc- commotion and is undoubtedly a sim- relate to one another. ing and, with the power of the cloud, it can plistic view based on some core AI vecLooking away from AI and ML in spebe flicked on and be everywhere - an over- tors. Removing the emotion for a second, cific Autodesk products, Williams muses night global job grab. Plus, the more it’s within it there is some logic to potential on the bigger picture, “There’s obviously used, the more it learns. In this vision of future capabilities, but AI as the master lots of things that as an industry (not just the future, AI is more 2001: a space odys- builder is a long, long way from what is Autodesk, but the whole CAD industry) sey ‘HAL’ than Tyrell Corporation repli- available today. we can do to work better together to figure cant, so you might want to put off going on Errazuriz does talk about the exponen- out how we can be more strategic in what that spacewalk; it might not let you back in! tial nature of AI learning and how with data we’re collecting and what we’re tryBringing matters closer to home, a enough data, an expert system can easily ing to do with that data later on. When we recent Instagram video post by New assimilate all our knowledge, and this is were doing Google Analytics in the early York-based Chilean designer Sebastian undoubtedly happening. But architecture days, like any company out there we were Errazuriz, went for the jugular. is essentially creative, shape, form, light, just trawling through this lake of informaOver a warm beverage, Errazuriz deliv- materials, systems and very personal. tion; there was no strategy and companies ered his warning, “I think it’s important Conceptual origins of things that are very were just collecting all this data. Now we that architects are warned as soon as pos- hard for computers to come up with. realise that we need to be more strategic sible, that 90% of their jobs are at risk. If While there are AI algorithms in about what we’re doing with the data to you haven’t really realized that, you research which have learnt techniques potentially solve specific issues. should be taking measures right now, as from Rembrandt, Canaletto and other “From our side, the industry needs to

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02/12/2019 11:07

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Feature 1

1 Bricsys is working with Leica and HOK on a project that could mean dumb point cloud data isn’t so dumb anymore 2 Autodesk’s Construction IQ will be breaking out from simply monitoring construction and heading back into design and documentation to identify problems even earlier in the process, saving more time and money. It’s specifically looking at code compliance and issues raised in review

collaborate together to try to figure out what those standards are so we can actually solve bigger problems. As a former architect, I had to do a lot of manual tasks, and that wasn’t what I signed up to do! Generative Design, AI, Machine Learning can help bring people back to where they can, and do what they signed up to do in the first place, which is design awesome things.”

AI accuracy Keith Bentley, EVP, CTO of Bentley Systems, has a frank assessment, “You will not be a competitive software company unless you’re a good AI company. Five years from now our entire conference [Year In Infrastructure] will be about different types of machine learning. Algorithms are helping with the process of either designing, operating or building.” Bentley is one of our go-to guys to understand the impact of new design technology. In 2018, the company acquired AIworx, a machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) developer, to specifically bring in house a team of AI programmers to boost the company’s Digital Twin advancements. Bentley highlighted areas where the AIworx team has been adding its AI know how, recognising information in context, via image recognition (finding cracks in highways and bridges or rust on towers). The second area for AI attention

is recognising patterns in BIM models. Bentley explains that, unfortunately, a lot of what people create today and what they believe is an accurate representation of things is, in fact, incomplete. When data is collated and mapped within an iModel, it’s often the case that there is inaccurate data, incomplete data, inconsistent or redundant data. In the future, Bentley’s software aims to do a much better job of sorting out consistency, and checking for standards, with algorithms. Bentley sees solutions in offering smart project predictors and many other tasks. Autodesk’s Racel Williams agrees that

there is an issue with model quality checks and rules-based solvers, “We don’t want people to do that for the rest of their lives!” she notes, “We are trying to understand those relationships and work out a way those people don’t have to write rules again and again. We are finding the quality of drawings and the quality of modelling isn’t consistent across the board, but first we need some understanding of what ‘good’ is like, what makes for a ‘good’ model?”

AI in BIM One of the more recent and interesting examples of the application of artificial

Artificial Intelligence (AI) explained According to Autodesk’s Kyle Bernhardt, AI logic can come mainly in two forms: Machine Learning (ML) and human-defined. “Machine learning is a particular technological approach

that takes large scale datasets to train a set of algorithms to produce an output that would otherwise be very challenging to write with manual code, such as determining if there’s a dog in a picture. This is

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essentially brute force computing and especially useful in pattern recognition. It is a subset of AI. The more data it has, the better it should be. Bernhardt expands on the theme, “AI is really all about

codifying advanced logic, the expertise of the human condition, in a technological way. We talk a lot about that idea of delivering more, in a better way, with less of an impact; it’s something we take really

seriously. AI is all about enhancing the intense creativity of the creative professionals; giving them a superpower. Machine learning is one of our best vectors to deliver on that promise.”

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Feature intelligence comes from Belgian developer Bricsys. Having developed a competent AutoCAD compatible product, the company has turned its eye to creating a new BIM tool. Instead of modelling with an array of pre-configured components Lego CAD, as it were - BricsCAD BIM allows the designer to work with solid geometry, crafting the shape and punching holes for windows and doors. Once happy with the form, the designer simply

types BIMify into the command line, then AI goes through the model automatically identifying building components such as walls, doors, columns, floors and assigning IFC tags. This is the antithesis of current working methodologies and once more allows architects to experiment with form at the conceptual phase, knowing intelligence can be added afterwards. BricsCAD BIM now supports Rhino and Grasshopper, so it’s possible to bring

in mesh geometry from pretty much any design or visualisation system. It means one could BIMify dumb geometry from products such as SketchUp, Blender, Unreal, Unity or AutoCAD etc. The next challenge for Bricsys is to apply this AI to the scanning world. Working with Leica and HOK, the plan is to scan buildings internally and externally and let the AI interpolate between the external and internal meshes, to

Eleven AI start-ups to watch in AEC Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming to all aspects of the AEC industry. At the moment many are early start-ups but there is quite a range of new products and services using AI to enhance AEC workflows. While a few mentioned here are still in open beta testing, many are commercially available. Here is the AEC Magazine guide to the emerging developers. TestFit offers AI-enhanced site feasibility study and building configuration. The target market is architects, developers, and general contractors. Models generated by the software can be tweaked in real-time using generative design technology for instant review of options. The user can specify a wide variety of parameters to guide option generation. A set of configuration utilities can spatially layout units, stairs, amenity spaces, elevators, corridors, and balconies. A parking configurator solves stalls, drive aisles and ramps. Monthly subscription start at $375. ■ testfit.io Spacemaker uses AI for construction site simulation pro-

posals. It allows users to explore multiple sites by sorting out the best options from each, based on user criteria and its own understanding of site selection, environmental criteria, and more. Spacemaker provides a breakdown of each proposed project, allowing teams to explore multiple options indepth. It is designed for collaborative workflow among architects, engineers, real estate builders, urban planners, and local authorities. The software lets architects and developers weight various parameters, such as natural light, noise regulations, and the number of rooms a plot can fit. The software uses machine learning to add user choice to its knowledge base, gaining additional expertise with use. Named customers include Skanska, Obos, AF Gruppen, and NREP. The platform is available on monthly subscription. ■ spacemaker.ai Hypar Explore is a browserbased platform for early design exploration. It enables reuse of data from existing building designs in new projects. The “don’t start

from zero” approach combines BIM data from multiple sources, displaying 3D views with analytical data previews. AI-enhanced generative design algorithms allow fast exploration of multiple design options. Being in the browser, allows Hypar Explore to bypass uploading of heavy BIM data sets by reviewing content and uploading results from user inquires. The service supports IFC standards, allowing it to be BIM platform independent. A designer can provide a set of requirements and ask for ten options, for example, to be generated from the data. Currently users execute Python or C++ scripts to interact with BIM data; the company is working on more user-friendly interaction. The developers, led by two Autodesk AEC alumni, Ian Keough and Anthony Hauck, are aiming for Hypar Explore to become an open platform where users buy and sell custom scripts and data. Hypar Explore currently works in free preview mode. ■ hypar.io Smartvid.io uses AI to pro-

TestFit

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cess and review jobsite photos to prepare detailed reports. It aggregates data from Autodesk’s BIM 360 Docs and BIM 360 Field, then tags files for review. The goal is to reduce jobsite risk by combining human and artificial intelligence. The software includes a Safety Suite for observation, safety monitoring, and predictive analysis. The AI engine, named Vinnie, is trained to recognise construction risks in photos and other project data. The observation utility offers risk scoring and workflow analysis, while the predictive analysis solution creates prioritised project rankings. The company claims its predictive-based approach to construction site monitoring has led to safety incident rate reductions of up to 30%. Named customers include Barton Malow, Shawmut, AECOM, Suffolk, and Skanska. Pricing is by inquiry. ■ smartvid.io OpenSpace offers AI-powered photo site documentation, automatically mapped to plans. The company says its proprietary Vision Engine platform is the first “fully automated reality capture sys-

tem, enabling builders and owners to capture 360 video and photos without any manual input and in a fraction of the time of traditional tools.” The software allows realtime data gathering that assembles reports in a few minutes. The software uses the $800 Garmin VIRB 360 camera, which builders or site managers strap to their hardhat to document site development. The software then uploads the data to a cloud service, where photos are organised, stitched and mapped to project plans automatically. Objects including windows and moulding are automatically identified. Named users include Beck Group, DPR Construction, Hathaway Dinwiddie, NOVO, and Suffolk. Contact the developer for pricing. ■ openspace.ai Alice Technologies is an AI-based construction scheduling and management platform. It collects data including crew size, expected quantity of cranes and other heavy equipment, materials, design models, and production rates. The software then runs millions of simulations to arrive at schedules for user review,

Alice Technologies

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interpolate the voids where the scanners can’t penetrate. It’s possible to ‘infer’ the walls, windows, floors, doors and columns. Scan-to-BIM may actually become a reality. As Graphisoft has been rewriting the core features of its flagship BIM tool over the last few years. ArchiCAD has seen some subtle uses of AI in features such as its stair design tool, for instance, which now uses predictive technology to auto-

mate the generation of complex forms, whilst taking into account hundreds of design codes. Also, Graphisoft has deployed AI behind the scenes, to optimise software performance with a self-learning multithread-balancing algorithm to optimise navigation predicting what to cache and where a user is likely to move in a view. Akos Pfemeter, vice president, marketing told AEC Magazine, “We believe it will be mission critical for the future of our

modification, and bidding. The company claims the result is shorter projects, lower operating costs, and increased site safety. As the user adjusts a suggested simulation, all changes ripple through the plan to provide a real-time update of cost and time. The selected simulation automatically generates a full 4D cost-loaded schedule for tracking and visualisation. Alice can also be used once the project is underway to find alternatives if changes or problems occur. The AI algorithm in Alice has been trained by mapping out the relationship between building sequence and schedule, by analysing thousands of existing projects. Named users include Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co, AF Gruppen, and Parsons. ■ alicetechnologies.com

crete was poured today?” Data reports can be exported to more than 800 existing construction management solutions or to popular cloud storage and data sharing sites. Named users include DM Civil, TCD, GSE Engineering, Croker Construction, Kypreos Group, and COLAS WA. The product is available on monthly subscription. ■ apemobile.com

APE Mobile is a mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows) for capturing field data and generating real-time updates. It offers checklists, daily logs, and automates paperwork to deliver PDF reports that conform to a company’s existing workflow. Site assistance technology uses AI to explore existing databases and to understand natural language enquiries. Users can make queries like “Show all inspections for Phase 3” or “How much con-

data collection. The tech combines sensor data with data from mobile devices, and processes the results in real-time on a cloud-based analytics platform. The platform prepares actionable analytics including workforce location, schedule and cost risk issues, and can issue early warnings to predict and prevent safety incidents. Reports include a heat map showing employee location. Kwant says it has analysed

Limiting risk From the conversations we’ve had in researching this article, it’s clear that

computer vision, deep learning, and AI algorithms originally developed for aerospace with off-the-shelf cameras and other sensors. All Intsite machines are linked globally via the cloud, creating a network of machines each learning from the other. Intsite has two products: ForeSite combines ADAS safety technology with AI to optimise movement, guiding operators to the most efficient trajectories and providing safety alerts; AutoSite builds on the knowledge gained by ForeSite to extend

learning to selected construction industry models. It then applies context-aware image analysis, speech recognition, dynamic translation, and voice input similar to what is available from Apple Siri or Amazon Alexa. The company says Nucon technology will be useful for defect resolution, prediction and discovery of high-risk issues, and identification of workflow lapses that may snowball. The product is still under development; a beta version is available. ■ nucon.io

Hypar Explore’s ‘don’t start from zero’ approach uses AI-enhanced generative design algorithms to allow fast exploration of multiple design options

AI Construct is an earlystage venture working on the integration of robotics into a 5D BIM planned environment. The company is looking towards a time when onsite deployment of robotic equipment becomes commonplace. Using 5D models (BIM plus time and money), the software is aimed to guide companies with big data to achieve workflow and safety improvements. The company will use AI to create virtual project builds, to identify potential problem areas and assist in finding solutions. Data collected from from robots, sensors, and cameras will aid autonomous activities and be used for real-time reporting. ■ ai-construct.co.uk

Kwant.ai uses proprietary, wearable low-power sensors to automate construction site

thousands of project schedules using AI as a foundation for the standardisation of all the unstructured site data into meaningful “buckets.” The software works with Procore construction management software. The company claims it has validated data showing 11% productivity increase and 80% reduction of safety incidents by its current users. Named customers include Walsh Brothers, OHL Judlau, Malbro Construction, Vorea, Hollister Construction Services, Magil Construction, and Paric Corporation.

industry but, in our opinion, we have still yet to see a breakthrough practical application that would move the needle for our industry by and large. In development terms, the company’s next focus for applying AI will be automation of mundane tasks such as annotation and layout.”

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Pricing direct from Kwant. ■ kwant.ai Intsite uses AI to optimise and automate the use of heavy equipment for construction, mining, and container ports. The stated goal is to “transform heavy machinery into smart and autonomous robots quickly and cost effectively.” The technology started as a guidance system and smart dashboard for construction cranes. The system combines

guidance into autonomous decisions and actions. Named users include Infralab and Shikun & Binui Solel Boneh. Pricing is quoted on an individual basis. ■ intsite.ai Nucon is creating an AI engine to improve construction quality management. It does this by automating the collection, organisation and analysis of construction data. Nucon is building its software by applying machine

Hypar Explore

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Spacemaker

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Feature only a small number of AI-enabled fea- vices (available in North America only at time to do more design. tures and applications have found their the moment) use machine learning in two From talking to industry leaders, it way into our industry’s core products. As of its core services: Bid Board Pro, which seems the next five years is going to be a the biggest player in the market, it is per- helps subcontractors track projects they crucial time for the development of AI in haps to be expected that Autodesk has have be invited to bid on, and, in BC Pro, the industry. AI will be in most applicathe widest AI footprint but even here, it’s which helps general contractors find and tions; it will be on demand through cloud still a niche technology that is appearing invite subcontractors to work on projects. services. AI will be watching project manin a number of its acquired web service Chelsea Hodge, product lead for agement; construction sites and it will be products, namely Construction IQ, which Autodesk’s Building Connected, explains, deployed from concept through the whole helps construction project teams manage “Typically sub-contractors are getting product lifecycle. What we are seeing risk and improve performance, and dozens of invitations to bid from different today is really only the start, as the major Building Connected, which is used for general contractors every week. Some are software developers are only just building online bid management. even getting hundreds of invitations each out their AI teams and so, even before we Construction IQ is Autodesk’s most week, and this manual process can huge- see tools, software companies admit that mature AI solution. Manu Venugopal, ly painful.” they have to sell AI internally to their senior product manager, building inforBid Board is a centralised service that development teams, as well as learning mation, explained the aims of using AI in tracks and logs these bid invites and from the customers what are the low the product, “We are trying to make our ensures they don’t get missed. Bid invite hanging fruit that they should be tackling tools more assistive when they are deal- emails are forwarded to Building with this new capability. It’s a clear sign ing with a lot of information and data. We Connected, which parses each invite with how far we have to travel before we have to use AI and Machine Learning to learn natural language processing, irrespective worry about replicants, terminators and from the data, both past and present in of layout variation, and formats them murderous mainframes, not least because design and construction, and assist in consistently for system access. Any due Autodesk believes we have still yet to that decision-making process. We have dates or deadlines get logged and warn- define what ‘a good’ drawing or model is. more than 1,500 active projects now and ing of impending deadlines appear. My concern is not about job losses. The are working with many companies, This is similar to the way Expensify problem, as always, is human. As a child, I including BAM, AECOM, and US-based (expensify.com) or Tripit (tripIt.com) work. studied mathematics with my father and firms PARIC, Swinerton and Danis.” When it comes to match making con- he used to get irate at me for being lazy and Venugopal added that using a calculator. I thought I Construction IQ has a was so lucky that I lived in the database of over 30,000 If we make incorrect assumptions, or put time when we were allowed to construction projects, use calculators in class and in bad data in, there is a danger that we just which had 150 million exams. However, my father realaccept the outcome and move the process issues and related inspecised when checking my work, tions from which to learn. that while I would get the overon, underpinned with bad data “With recent developall process usually correct, I ments we have been taking would get the answer wrong, as this intelligence slightly upstream into tractors and sub-contractors, it’s a recom- I was literally accepting the result that the the design and construction space, ‘the mendation issue, Hodge explained, “We calculator was spitting out, without any design risk management aspect of con- use statistical modelling to predict the contemplation of whether the number was struction’. We found that many of the likelihood of a given sub performing a vaguely in the right ballpark. I learnt to at issues that Construction IQ is finding, given trade in any given location. And least mentally pre-calculate the target area there is some link back to the design and our inputs into the model include things and where the decimal point should be! preconstruction phase. Customers want like the sub’s previous actions on In an increasingly automated world, to apply the technology even earlier. Building Connected, their trades and ser- our AI work assistants can only go on the “It turns out that over 70% of RFIs in vice areas in their profiles and other fac- data that is input and usually that data construction have a root cause in design tors.” Hodge admitted they took inspira- will come from us. If we make incorrect and documentation errors [from tion from Uber passenger scores, com- assumptions, or put bad data in, there is Autodesk data science team’s research] bined with a bit of online date matching. a danger that we just accept the outcome Our research also showed that 38% of all and move the process on, underpinned the litigation problems, came from the Conclusion with bad data. It is perhaps not unsurdesign and documentation phase [from The topic of AI is so mired in societal fear prising that many of the early AI develEngineers Daily (2011)].” of its implications that it clearly needs to opments are there to check quality and In short, AI will be checking the meta be knocked off its pedestal. Most of the coherence of data. Mental atrophy from data in submittals, together with compo- coverage in the media looks at the con- relying on computers could be a problem. nents which have been marked-up in BIM cerns of governments’ utilisation of face 360 Docs. This new work was launched at recognition, tracking and its application Always remember: Autodesk University in Las Vegas. to big data from insurance companies garbage in = garbage out. and social media networks. While of From Uber to dating course, those concerns may well be valid Now we have seen what AI is currently capaThere’s nothing wrong with taking inspira- in the very long term, it somewhat obfus- ble of and who are the main developers. In tion from how some of the most impactful cates the positives that AI can bring to subsequent AEC articles, we will look deeper web service providers have deployed AI. other areas. AI will save lives and it will into AI, to what hopes developers and designAutodesk’s Building Connected web ser- enable better buildings and free up more ers have for this technology.

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Feature

BricsCAD BIM: one year on Last year, we posed the question - is BricsCAD BIM a potential Revit killer? With Bricsys now under the umbrella of Hexagon, AEC Magazine attended the company’s annual conference in Stockholm to see how the software has progressed by Martyn Day

n 2018 Bricsys was acquired by the ing model to immediate BIM model. It also instances, then automatically apply the Hexagon group, a seriously big does site topology design. It costs €1,180 same detail. You can also press an animate player in the laser scanning and for a perpetual licence (approximately button, which will move the geometry process plant sector, owning brands three months subscription for a single seat back and forwards in situ, so you can such as Leica, MSC and Intergraph. The of Revit) and BricsCAD BIM also comes check that the detail performs as you would expect in variations. ambitious small CAD developer from with the DWG compatible drafting engine. Bricsys doesn’t stop at DWG and BIM; it Site tools have been massively beefed Ghent in Belgium had found a seriously also has developed a very powerful and up with support for Triangular Irregular big backer to secure its future. The decision to acquire came from low-cost 3D mechanical application, along Network (TIN) surfaces, grading and Hexagon’s plant division, as Bricsys pro- the lines of DS Solidworks and Autodesk alignment. One wonders where Bricsys vides an in-house alternative platform to Inventor, which also offers comprehensive intends to go with this; it’s almost as if it AutoCAD, on which its CADWorx Plant sheet metal folding / unfolding. There’s was going to attack the civils market! In design product was built to run. Also, even a cloud-based collaboration portal. fact, it is, but through a number of thirdthere was an obvious opportunity to have party developers. an AutoCAD-compatible CAD system in BIM enhancements Bricsys 24/7 is the company’s cloudthe market, when Autodesk was forcing In BricsCAD V20, work continues on the based Common Data Environment (CDE) subscription on its customers. core BIM modelling tool. There’s support collaboration portal for teams working on To be honest, the Bricsys CAD offering for IFC 4.0 and better support for BCF projects. This year, 24/7 was made free to is a bit of mind warp. The company was (BIM Collaboration Format). There’s a all those on maintenance / subscription. primarily known for developing an new tool which can automatically generNot content with developing for all verAutoCAD clone, or as it preticals at once, Bricsys is also fers to call it a ‘cyclone’ and, producing its own VR walkas CAD modellers go, it’s HOK is liking what it sees in the development through tool. On stage at the actually very good. AutoCAD company’s annual conference direction of Bricsys and has decided to get users will find it familiar, we saw fly-throughs of a from the keyboard shortcuts involved with exciting development initiatives massive point cloud of to LISP and DWG compatibilKnokke, a seaside town in such as the Scan-to-BIM partnership ity. However, Bricsys has long Belgium, running on a €500 since surpassed the core Windows tablet. This was a 1 AutoCAD functionality and added a raft ate stairs between floors and the addition terabyte data file of around of new powerful drafting utilities – and of a shell command to make solids hollow. 25,000,000,000, points. We also saw a continues to do so each year. Elevation views are now generated with 1/2 terabyte point cloud file of a cathedral Using this platform as a base, Bricsys automatic hatching and materials can be sampled at original resolution. The techhas developed a unique BIM offering copied and applied quickly throughout nology reduced resolution when moving, which uses ACIS solids and Artificial the model. Point clouds have been and then filled out to full resolution from Intelligence (AI) to turn the traditional reworked with direct support for common stationary viewpoints. The aim is to get ‘Lego’ build through components para- formats including RCP and RCS. All good this technology working on a phone with digm on its head. Designs start with no solid stuff and, of course, there are also any point cloud size. intelligence; the user just models the lots of 2D enhancements which can be geometry, so a building has the required seen here (bricsys.com/bricscad). Rhinoceros shape and layout, then makes holes for Major improvements are to be found in Probably one of the most exciting addiwindows and doors and types in the parametric propagate tool. This tions is new support for McNeel’s Rhino ‘BIMify’. Next the AI automatically AI-powered utility makes it possible to and Grasshopper, bringing generative ‘finds’ the walls, doors, floors, windows, parametrise and save defined details in design to the BricsCAD platform. On columns etc. in the model and applies the library for their future re-use at any stage, we saw the Grasshopper plug-in IFC tags to them. time, in any model. Once a detail is used to design a fully parametric canopy Architects don’t have to worry about defined, the software can go and look and update through a number of different using the right components - it’s like mass- through the whole BIM model, find other permutations in real-time! Once the

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1 One of the most exciting additions is new support for McNeel’s Rhino and Grasshopper 2 BricsCAD BIM now features enhanced support for the BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) 3 BricsCAD can handle BIM models and fully 1:1 accurate, manufacturable solid models in the same environment 4 Bricsys 24/7 is the company’s cloud-based Common Data Environment collaboration portal for teams working on projects

design was ready, it was “baked” back into the model and made available to edit in BricsCAD, complete with BIM data. With the release of the (work in progress) Rhino Inside (tinyurl.com/rhinoinside), Rhino can now work inside most design apps including Revit, Unity, Unreal, Blender, SketchUp and AutoCAD. Developers such as Graphisoft have established especially deep links with Rhino too. Rhino is the lingua franca of geometry between applications. However, when mixed with Bricsys technology there is a unique capability. As Rhino can extract meshes from pretty much anything, it’s now easy to get these into BricsCAD. Then, once inside, it’s possible to use the BIMify command to add BIM intelligence to dumb data. So, if you are an architect that works in 2D, and have historically had a model made for visualisation, it would be possible to get the mesh into BricsCAD and to turn that into a BIM model. Ideally the geometry would not come in one giant connected mesh, but Bricsys CEO Erik de Keyser assured us that the company also has tools for this. This in itself is quite mind blowing and has the potential to change the way we think about dumb data - it doesn’t have to stay dumb anymore.

The Collective De Keyser made clear the company’s intention not to compete with third-party developers and has been actively romancing Autodesk’s third-party developers to come and port their apps to BricsCAD. The attraction is that the combined price of third-party applications on top of perpetual licences of BricsCAD will look like a bargain compared to ongoing Autodesk subscriptions. The Collective is the Bricsys term for its development community. This year, Enscape and AX3000 join the fold, the former offering near instant photorealistic architectural visualisation and the latter a www.AECmag.com

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The parametric propagate tool is an AI-powered utility that makes it possible to parametrise defined details

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Mechanical in AEC Bricsys has an impressive Russian mechanical development team headed up by Dimitry Usakov. While I won’t go into detail of the mechanical prowess, the one thing worth noting here is that, on stage, Usakov demonstrated the design and auto- identified through analysis of the images. team in response, having its contract to sell mation of a complex escalator assembly. In There will obviously be issues with false Autodesk products removed and then reinthe previous demonstration of BricsCAD ceilings and floors and other voids specif- stated. Autodesk distributor and reseller BIM, the model of a train station included ically in older buildings, but this process Mensch und Maschine was down as a versions of this escalator. It turns out that should drastically speed up the time from Bricsys event sponsor, but I can’t see any of these escalators were, in fact, full 1:1 accu- scanning to actually having a model and Bricsys’ products on its website. Getting a rate, manufacturable solid models. The save designers the pain and living hell of channel will be hard, so maybe it will have performance of zooming, panning and working with point clouds in their BIM to be direct and through word of mouth. exploring the model was not impeded by environments. what surely would be a large, memoryConclusion and graphics-hungry mechanical assem- Structural and MEP Bricsys’ development team continues to bly within the BIM model. De Keyser also stated that the company impress, adding more intelligence and So why is this important? High model was working hard on expanding its BIM unique solutions to its BIM alternative. The details kill nearly all other BIM mod- offering to include structural and MEP support for Rhino and Enscape makes it a ellers. In BricsCAD, the two can sit side- elements. Given the way architectural viable tool for advanced architecture firms. by-side, making the software an interest- models are generated, we are looking for- Rhino’s geometry sorcery in getting geomeing choice for those looktry from other CAD proding for an architectural ucts, when put in combinatool which can also be tion with BIMify AI, opens With many firms looking for tools which cover used in projects that will up a whole new world for both AEC and manufacturing, to help bridge the end up being digitally dumb meshes and intefabricated. The software’s gap between BIM and digital fabrication, BricsCAD grated workflows. appears to have a unique position - it does both ability to handle large The presence of HOK at amounts of data in both the event was also an the millimetre and kilointeresting endorsement. metre range is another super-power. ward to seeing how that’s implemented. While cautious, HOK is liking what it sees We can only imagine the forthcoming in the development direction of Bricsys Scan-to-BIM Structify and MEPify commands and has decided to get involved with excitAt the event, Bricsys, Leica and HOK ing development initiatives such as the announced that they would be working The challenges announced Scan-to-BIM partnership. A together to have a crack at delivering on Bricsys certainly has the development real Scan-to-BIM tool would revolutionise the promise of ‘Scan-to-BIM’. While Scan- team running at full-stretch and the surveying and dramatically speed up the to-BIM is talked about of a lot, it’s not product is fleshing out dramatically year- process of getting as built environments. actually possible without a lot of manual on-year. While this velocity is great to With many firms looking for tools work in the ‘to’ part of the equation. De see, the challenge will come in building which cover both AEC and manufacturKeyser thinks that, with the BIMify AI, it out a reseller channel. Obviously, the ing, to help bridge the gap between BIM should be possible to deliver something software can be bought and downloaded and digital fabrication, BricsCAD appears that is more useful than point clouds or online, but resellers know where custom- to have a unique position - it does both, on meshes. The concept is to scan the exterior ers are, and this is a mature replacement a platform that’s familiar to millions of and interior of a building and then use or companion seat market. AutoCAD users! This could be yet another almost the inverse of BIMify to allocate the I know of one Autodesk reseller who direction in which Hexagon may wish to voids between the scans to BIM compo- tried to take on Bricsys, in addition to take the product, as buildings turn into nents. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, and set up a manufacturing assemblies and there are Internal floors and ceilings define the sales channel for BricsCAD. But the resell- as of yet no single BIM-to-fabricate tools. planes, and windows and doors could be er then felt the full force of Autodesk’s legal ■ bricsys.com

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Feature

The case for open sourcing Jaimie Johnston, head of global systems at Bryden Wood explains why hoarding IP won’t save construction (and what we need to do instead)

traditional design approach. source best practice for the collective n 1956, Dr. Mervin J Both the digital and physical good. The issue facing the industry is not Kelly, an American processes must transform a lack of potential work – UK government physicist and engineer, simultaneously, and both is investing £600 billion in the built envienters a courtroom in must be open source. ronment over the next 10 years – it is our New Jersey for the verFragmentation in the design ability to deliver high performing assets dict in one of the most importo delivery process has creat- with our current capabilities. Easy to say, tant antitrust cases in history. Kelly is president of Bell ed narrow but deep specialist harder to action. But at Bryden Wood Labs, the main provider of teleroles – for instance the ‘archi- we’ve begun by developing a number of coms services in the US and his tect’ may now comprise a con- open-source innovations. company is the subject of a long-standing cept architect, an executive architect, a lawsuit to break up the Bell System, which façade architect and an interiors architect. Creative, technology-led design is (allegedly) monopolising the market. Consequently, an asset’s design undergoes The vision for BIM was to enable designThe outcome of the trial is dramatic. Bell multiple handovers from concept to detail ers to use data from existing assets to Labs is forced to license all its patents roy- to fabrication, and so on. At every stage, make better informed decisions at the alty free and is simultaneously barred design gets diluted and ‘value engineered’. front end of the design process. However, from entering any industry other than tele- Current procurement methods encourage because these tools get deployed once the communications. So, almost 8,000 patents everyone to limit their scope of work to concept design has already been develin a wide range of fields (1.3% of all the well-defined and defensible pieces, and oped, there is a missing link that would then current US patents) become freely pass risk down the line. The result is a allow a truly data driven design process. available to anyone. The patents cover protectionist environment with little scope Bryden Wood has created and launched technologies created by the most innova- for innovation. When innovation does three web-based, free, algorithmic tools to tive industrial laboratory in allow the digital design prothe world - the lab that cess to start much earlier invented the transistor, the go much faster - before Open sourcing technology will create a much and solar cell, and the laser - and feeding into existing BIM more diverse workforce across all aspects of workflows. The result is a suddenly all their secrets were out. However, the innocomplete digital process the built environment who will challenge vation, competition and colfrom design to delivery. and ultimately change the sector laboration that followed the Prism (prism-app.io) is our judgement changed the open source app to accelerate industry and then the world. the design process for preciWe now recognise that this very happen, it’s in small pockets and focused sion manufactured housing in London. It’s moment was the birth of Silicon Valley. on one aspect of the process. free, easy to use, and combines spatial planThe case for open sourcing in design and We think a number of things are needed ning rules with precision manufacturer construction is no less compelling. We to reverse this trend. expertise to quickly determine viable housknow the industry can’t continue in its curFirstly, a new, holistic, design process ing options for a given development. rent form. We won’t meet the UK’s need for that simultaneously considers client val- Designs, produced in hours, can then be fed housing, education, healthcare and trans- ues, design, procurement and assembly into existing BIM workflows, and in turn port infrastructure by designing and (on and off site). It needs to be technology- into platform-based construction solutions. building traditionally. Change is essential. based and highly digital but that’s not all. Our Seismic tool (seismic-school-app.io) It must be intrinsically linked to (and accelerates the design of primary schools, A new, open source solution maximise the benefits of) DfMA. this time embedding operational requireWe can’t adopt a sophisticated digital Secondly, we must recast the sharing of ments from the Department for Education design process while using Victorian con- knowledge, and create common solutions (DfE) in an app that has successfully struction methods. We can’t tack design for that everyone can unite behind and pro- been used by children to design their manufacture and assembly (DfMA) on to a gress. This will only happen if we open own schools.

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1 The open source Prism app aims to help accelerate the design process for precision manufactured housing in London 2 The Seismic app has successfully been used by children to design their own schools

For Highways England we developed a rapid engineering model that uses data from an existing asset’s performance to produce 200+ design options as opposed to one option, heavily iterated. The result is a motorway designed in days, not months. It’s our view that free, web-based apps like Prism and Seismic will remove current barriers to entry, speed up design, and enable many more people to design the buildings and infrastructure we badly need. We’re hoping to create a community who can adapt the apps and boost their functionality. Meanwhile, tools like those we developed for Highways England put new technology directly into the hands of our clients to help them monitor and run their asset as efficiently as possible.

A Platform approach to DfMA Platforms are sets of components, with designed in compatibility, that combine to produce highly customised structures, highly efficiently. Just as the chassis revolutionised car manufacturing by providing a common platform for customisation, the Platform system is based on repeatable forms and standardised connections, enabling many different kinds of space to be built with a single ‘kit of parts’. In the words of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), ‘a single component could be used as part of a school, hospital, prison building or station’. This point is crucial because sectorspecific thinking within the industry has long been a constraint. Many people view housing, for instance, as being separate from and different to anything else, which forces a reliance on demand in one particular market sector. As a result, a manufacturer of a residential system may find it difficult to achieve the full benefits of a manufacturing approach because the housing pipeline is inconsistent. A universal Platform system, with inter26

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operable components that work across sectors, will allow manufacturers to expand their capability efficiently across building types to be able to service a much larger share of the overall construction market. In turn, creating consistent demand and sustainable pipelines in different sectors. Interoperability will mean companies don’t have to work in isolation. With Platforms, the industry can work collectively, in a model of continual improvement, to accelerate the pace of change. Our work on Platform systems has been published, for free, on our website. And, through The Construction Innovation Hub, we have launched an open call for Platform-based solutions to encourage anyone, from within or outside the construction industry, to get involved. This is part of the largest ever Government-backed R&D programme in our sector and closes at the end of this month (constructioninnovationhub.org.uk/platform-design-open-call). By combining digital design tools with sophisticated DfMA, we can create a new, technology-led process with increasing benefits for all through complete interop-

erability. Open sourcing both the digital and physical solutions could mean the powerful network effect we have observed in numerous other sectors finally comes to construction. The skills gap in our sector is well documented and worsening, and understandably Generation Z view a career in construction as bleak and unrewarding. However, a tech-led career in a fast-moving sector creating high performing assets, is a totally different prospect and one we must foster. What is certain is that open sourcing technology will create a much more diverse workforce across all aspects of the built environment who will challenge and ultimately change the sector. Although the 1956 judgement was a painful one for Bell Labs, the impact was lasting and positive. The question is, how much more powerful could the outcome for construction be if we voluntarily share solutions, starting now? It could be the transformative moment we’ve all been waiting for. ■ brydenwood.co.uk

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Bentley on Digital Twins Digital Twin is a term we’ve heard many times, in many different contexts, meaning many different things and there’s the danger of it just being used to replace the highly overused ‘BIM’. Bentley has a vision that might not clarify its use but certainly a technology backbone to support it. by Martyn Day and Greg Corke

he term Building Information Modelling (BIM) is at least 20 years old and, as terminology goes, it’s become less of a differentiator. As always happens, fresh workflows and tools come along and have new buzz words and marketing and, in our space, the concept of the Digital Twin has somewhat taken over. While BIM is a process that typically delivers a 3D model of a design, in essence the Digital Twin takes this model and augments it with data for performance simulation or for maintenance over the lifecycle of the building or constructed asset. In simple terms, this makes perfect sense. However, what was designed is 28

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never exactly what gets built and iTwin Design Review wagons and obfuscating any what gets modelled doesn’t neces- to help generate what original meaning. Bentley calls a project sarily match the sequencing or Bentley Systems is into Digital Twin make-up of the physical construcDigital Twins in a big way. tion. A ‘Digital Twin’ cannot be a twin if it Much of the messaging at the 2019 Year doesn’t truly match the as-built asset. In Infrastructure (YII) Conference in If this level of accuracy is achieved, Singapore was around establishing then how can the Digital Twin be uti- workflows to create Digital Twins and to lised? To be a true Digital Twin, does the leverage those data assets across all sorts physical building or asset need to be con- of projects from civils, architecture, plant nected ‘live’ through Internet of Things and transport. (IoT) sensors or would it suffice to have a Company CEO, Greg Bentley explained, reality model captured every few months “Our endeavours till now have made softto monitor and assess changing condi- ware to produce useful deliverables, but tions? There are many questions and, therefore a static and dated purpose. Our unfortunately, we have an industry that objective in Digital Twins is to make the is very adept at jumping on jargon band- value of those deliverables endure over www.AECmag.com

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Feature

the longevity of the asset and have ever- (AI) expert Sir Nigel Shadbolt. In short, detailed as for plant. But here, companies green visibility into what has been ‘dark Twins must have a clear purpose, be involved in the water system would like engineering’ data to synchronise its trustworthy and function effectively. to be able to have a holistic view of how changes over time and to open up this Considering the scale and diversity of the city is working and would like to see a dark data for immersive visualisation. data/systems used throughout the UK, connection between these context mod“But even more importantly, the visi- delivering a monolithic twin for the els, plus their real model of the water sysbility of analytics, including analytics whole of the country would be impracti- tem or the subway system. These are the over time for Digital Twin is that fourth cal and undesirable. The plan for the things people are trying to build.” dimension, 4D.” National Digital Twin is to create a Bentley went on to say how the combi- secure, federated twin, an ecosystem of Creating twins nation of CAD, GIS, scan and BIM data to digital twins owned by different asset Much of Bentley’s YII event concerned make a Digital Twin can help simulate owners and connected by securely how firms go about implementing a workand explain real world performance, shared data. These assets/systems would flow to build useful Digital Twins. Santanu when combined with IoT sensors. For be represented at different levels of gran- Das, SVP, design integration business unit Bentley Systems, Digital Twins are pre- ularity. High quality, standardised data showed a plan with five stages of maturity dominantly about providing benefits to and seamless interoperability is of para- to achieve Digital Twin execution. the owner / operators. mount importance (read our National It’s possible to start by simply referencObviously, this data is only a twin if we Digital Twin article - tinyurl.com/Twin-AEC). ing your asset as to where it is located on continue to synchronise and maintain a As one would expect, Bentley is very Earth. The next phase is to aggregate the digital chronology over a lifecycle. In pre- focused on interoperability and relies on associated data into a 3D model and host it vious years, we have seen Bentley focus the open source iModel.js library that is on the cloud for collaboration. Stage three heavily on beefing up its reality capture designed to be easily used and integrated is to add a 4D timeline. Stage 4 is all about capabilities (photogrammetry or laser with other systems. At its core, iModel.js connecting IoT devices to the real-world scan to mesh). Now the firm has the tech- is a wrapper for all sorts of data from all asset. The final stage is to use analytics to nology and service capability to scan and sort of sources. When used in conjunc- get visibility of real-time performance capture highly accurately at building or tion with iModelHub, design tools (even which can be linked back to the Digital city scale, infrastructure and built assets Autodesk’s Revit) can store all the design Twin to provide automatic reports, warnand convert them to ‘Reality ings or to schedule predicMeshes’. Using this technoltive maintenance. ogy and Bentley’s iTwin Das makes the point that In many respects, a lot of the confusion and Services — a platform for you don’t need to get to stage blurring of meaning within ‘Digital Twin’ managing and consuming five for it to become a Digital comes in that fact that the start point really Twin. “It just means that at infrastructure digital twins is in the creation of a BIM model — it’s possible to keep both any particular stage I keep the original BIM model and augmenting my particular the reality mesh from the asset with these stages of actual asset in sync. changes made to any through all phases sophistication,” he says. In many ways, the UK, for all the nega- of the design process, giving insight into In many respects, a lot of the confusion tivity aimed at its construction market’s the how it came to be. and blurring of meaning within ‘Digital efficiency, has led the charge in adopting iModel.js can also handle incredibly Twin’ comes in that fact that the start BIM and now Digital Twins. Greg large models and this is important when point really is in the creation of a BIM Bentley heaped praise on the efforts of identifying the key target markets for model and to stand any chance of attaining the Centre for Digital Built Britain at the Bentley’s Digital Twin technology, as Digital Twin nirvana, collecting and referUniversity of Cambridge, which has been Keith Bentley, CTO explains, “In the UK, encing all the data from planning, through helping define Digital Twin workflows. it’s the transportation industry, trains design and construction to operation. Using its own West Cambridge campus and road (Highways England), where you In the real world, the BIM model is as a guinea pig, researchers have utilised would have a really large model. It would mainly used to create drawings for conContextCapture reality modelling to cre- be much larger than can be managed on a struction, and perhaps with a COBie file ate a 3D model for its Digital Twin. This desktop computer or an application that alongside if you’re are lucky, which prois then managed by Bentley’s AssetWise, tries to load it all in memory. vides a list of serviceable items in a buildtogether with AssetWise Operational “Civil applications are the second larg- ing. Of course, there might also be a conAnalytics, to give insights into the col- est Digital Twin use case that we see, struction BIM model too. A Digital Twin is lected IoT data and to help to predict such as using drones and AI to identify layers and layers of augmentation on top of asset failures or operational events. cracks for predictive maintenance and the original 3D model and requires a holisThe West Cambridge project is a pilot mapping that back to the Twin. Then tic approach to data gathering and storing. for the National Digital Twin, built on the there’s commercial buildings and camBentley has a concept of Project Digital ‘Gemini Principles’ (tinyurl.com/gemini- puses. The city models that we’ve been Twins and Performance Digital Twins twin). Offering guidance, specifications shown are another good example. But a and this is perhaps a more complex definiand standards, the Gemini Principles Digital Twin of a city is a different beast tion to get your head around. A Project were defined in 2018 by a task group to a twin of a plant. Digital Twin is the front-end work from the Open Data Institute, co-founded “City models require context informa- involved in the design and construction of by the inventor of the web Sir Tim tion and you have GIS data, you have any asset. This is predominantly but not Berners-Lee and Artificial Intelligence building outlines, but it would not be as exclusively what most people call today

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the BIM process, which creates a multiFor Shell, a Digital Twin is the virtual them the most, or books them but doesn’t layered model with associated drawings representation of the physical elements turn up. Data like this can help owners and project information. It could also have and the dynamic behaviour of the asset see whether a building is being used in a 4D timeline to provide an accountable through its lifecycle. It starts with the 3D the best way. And if it isn’t, change it up record of who-changed-what-and-when, as model and gets hooked up to the project to make it more efficient. In some buildwell as simulating construction, logistics, execution plan through visual tools, ings Microsoft discovered it was 40% and fabrication sequences. enabling digital rehearsals, leading to oversubscribed in terms of the space it A performance Digital Twin is for the as- better construction planning, critical actually needed. This will help it plan built asset, for simulation, operations, over path analysis and then all this data flows future office requirements and bring its lifecycle and is created from this original over into an as-built Digital Twin. down asset costs dramatically. BIM design data plus, in some cases, a realiThis is linked to dynamic simulation Microsoft is also using pedestrian simty model of what actually got built. While models and process analysis. If changes ulation on its campus to determine things there is probably only one Project Digital need to be made because of a new pro- like how long it would take people to exit Twin, there can be multiple Performance cess, the Digital Twin can be used to see a building. Predictive modelling could Digital Twins created from that data to suit what effect it might have. This gives also help explore the impact of moving a multiple lifecycle tasks, should that be Shell much better up time and optimisa- subway station one block north, in terms monitoring energy usage, pedestrian flow, tion of its facilities. of pedestrian movement, street traffic space utilisation, traffic flow, facilities manThere is also a digital transformation parking, or even commerce. agement etc. In a performance Digital Twin, going on at Microsoft around smart One of the YII award winners, CCC Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine buildings. In Singapore, Microsoft occu- (China Communications Construction) learning (ML) can also be used for analytics pies six floors of Frasers Tower and the First Highway demonstrated how it modto gain visibility and insight and to help company has wired up the building to a elled a 68km corridor that included 30 to enhance the effectiveness of the asset. Digital Twin on its Azure cloud to test 40 bridges and had a budget of approxiObviously, there are a lot of buildings out twin technology and apply what it mately $7 billion. The company started and infrastructure that are already in learns to its own office layout and opera- with a Digital Twin of the existing linear existence and were probably developed tions. The system gives real-time asset which was optically captured to genusing a traditional 2D drawing process. In updates every five minutes. erate a reality model of the existing road this case, the project and terrain. Conceptual would be a reality model, design was done in created from a laser scan Bentley OpenRoads BIM struggles to get owners excited. However, or photogrammetric surConceptStation, and then they obviously see the value in the longevity and moved into OpenRoads to vey to capture the asmaintenance of their assets and can save money complete the design. Post built. If an intelligent model is required, this construction, the operator through their efficient management may mean re-modelling uses the same model to do from the scan data. Both traffic simulation, in case of these approaches are being explored in Microsoft has also been eating its own they need to do widening in the future. the University of Cambridge project. dog food closer to home at its Redmond Singapore itself also has a project to With so much data being required to be campus. With a view to driving down make a Digital Twin. The country is collated together, this is where Bentley costs, it connected all 145 buildings with spending $73 million to build a twin of iModel.js technology comes in, as it was two million sensors (although it subse- the actual city, down to individual road architected to process data in the cloud quently found that only a quarter of those signs. This will be used for designers, into a format which has multi-resolution sensors were relevant). By running the planners and policymakers to explore representations, in much the same way data through thousands of machine learn- future buildings and infrastructure that Google Maps works. If you zoom into ing algorithms, it was able to prioritise scenarios, together with other uses such a region you get a more detailed view. what things should be fixed in what order, as mapping the mosquito-borne With iModel.js there can be multiple based on the potential cost impacts on the Dengue fever outbreaks over time, lookmodels with different degrees of tessella- business. To run the system cost £2million ing at sustainability projects and new tion, but all have the underlying knowl- a year, but it paid for itself in 18 months. traffic measures. edge of versions, links and relational data. Microsoft has also been doing This has almost infinite scale and could research into how its buildings are being Conclusion be as large as a country. This can only be utilised, using IoT sensors to monitor Bentley Systems is really betting the farm done on a server. occupancy levels at different times, the on selling Digital Twin workflows to energy used in each space and if the owner / operators that want to have digiThe benefits building is unnecessarily consuming tal dashboards and live performance On the benefits of using a Digital Twin, energy when no-one is in it. information from their assets. These are Bentley brought out some heavy hitters While it may sound a tad Big Brother, plant, road, rail, campuses, water, power at YII, most notably Shell. Sada Iyer, Microsoft has analysed data in Office and major building owners that have preShell’s VP projects & engineering applications to see which teams commu- built and future assets. Bentley has had explained how the language in the ener- nicate the most, so they can place them to tackle both problems with developing gy market has changed. It used to be all closer together in the building(s) to cut technology for laser scanning and photoabout capital efficiency, but now it’s down on travel time, as well as analysing grammetry as well as supporting rich about lifecycle optimisation. usage of meeting rooms and who uses and complex data structures.

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The UK National Digital Twin pilot project at the University of Cambridge 1 The reality model of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) building and surrounding site captured by a Topcon drone and processed with Bentley ContextCapture 2 Plant model and operational data viewed through the dashboard first view on Bentley’s AssetWise platform

There are still some questions to be answered, such as does a Digital Twin need a detailed 3D model? In reality, it probably only needs to have the information that is relevant to what you are trying to achieve with your twin. Also, have you really got a Digital Twin if you don’t deploy ‘live-link’ IoT devices and if not using IoT, how regularly should your asset be surveyed or inspected, and the data refreshed? In the future this will likely be automated, but until this happens the danger will be in not continually investing in the upkeep of the digital asset. There is a lot still to define, such as best practice and it will be different horses for different courses. As is the norm with Bentley Systems, looking back over five years (or more) of development work, you can see how the company has built-up and fleshed out the backbone of this ‘iTwins’ technology, starting with jumping both feet into reality capture, all its asset management tools, the launch of an open source iModel variant (iModel.js) last year, the Azure server-level infrastructure and the placement of its analysis tools in the cloud. It might not have seemed all that clear at the time but at this year’s YII, it slapped you right in the face. This has been a very long-term vision and is a very smart business angle to run. BIM struggles to get owners excited. However, major infrastructure owners obviously see the value in the longevity and maintenance of their assets and can save money through their efficient management through the lifecyle. Digital Twins in this context make a lot of sense. Now we just need to stop marketing people using it interchangeably with BIM.

What is a Digital Twin? According to Bentley Systems, a Digital Twin is a digital representation of a physical asset, process or system, which allows us to understand and model its performance. Digital Twins are continuously updated with data from multiple sources — which is what makes them different from static, 3D BIM models. Digital Twins of new assets are sourced from the design BIM data and can then be augmented with a scan of the asbuilt reality. Existing infrastructure and buildings can be modelled through photogrammetry

or laser scans to deliver a reality mesh. Alternatively, an as-built BIM model can be created. In the UK, the Centre for Digital Built Britain (cdbb.cam.ac.uk), a partnership between the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the University of Cambridge, has developed ‘The Gemini Principles’, a set of proposed guides for the development of the National Digital Twin and an Information Management Framework that will enable it. The CDBB has identified the some of the key benefits of

Digital Twins as the following: •

•

• • • • •

Integrating city-scale data to optimise power, waste and transport. Better asset maintenance using predictive data analytics. Improving organisational productivity. Better asset tracking. More efficient use and management of equipment. Finding ways to reduce energy consumption. Using augmented reality to help with maintenance and inspection.

■ bentley.com

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Digital Construction Works (DCW) Everyone in construction knows that data between design office and site is often lost, inefficiently recreated, or does not flow at all. There’s still a huge mountain to climb. A new technology-agnostic joint venture from Bentley and Topcon is here to help by Greg Corke

he fundamental problem that construction industry is not going to be you’d go back to your office and just focus the construction industry faces solved by technology alone. There contin- on the work that you had and not necesis its tendency to deal with low ues to be a huge challenge in terms of sarily how to help improve that workflow.” The Constructioneering Academies hanging fruit — focussing on education and culture. The true scale of this became clear have now been running for several years islands of automation and not addressing the fragmented workflows that continue when Bentley and Topcon opened their with hundreds of contractors, engineers, to exist between the design office and ‘Constructioneering Academies’, that surveyors and asset owners attending the bring together engineering firms and one-day events. There are eight sites construction site and vice versa. That was the message around the world, from five from Topcon CEO Ray to thirty acres in size, with a O’Connor, speaking at Bringing new efficiencies to the construction whole smorgasbord of techBentley Systems’ YII event nologies on show from industry is not going to be solved by in Singapore last month. machine control devices, And it’s one we’ve heard technology alone. There continues to be a huge scanners and total stations, challenge in terms of education and culture before. Bentley and Topcon to reality modelling and have been banging the ‘concloud services. The aim is to structioneering’ drum for help improve construction three years now. contractors with a view to teaching best execution and reduce project costs by While the two companies have made practices in integrated engineering and automating the digital construction progood progress in technology develop- construction. cess through surveying, engineering ment, not least linking their two cloud “It was shocking that they didn’t know design, constructible model development platforms (Bentley ProjectWise for engi- what each other did, and how they did it,” and as-built data collection within a conneering project collaboration and Topcon admits O’Connor. “From a macro stand- nected data environment. Magnet Enterprise for construction exe- point, absolutely yes, but from a practical But constructioneering isn’t about cution), bringing new efficiencies to the standpoint they didn’t understand, so training, as Ian Stilgoe, VP

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3D control for concrete paving

Geopositioning Europe at Topcon Positioning Group explains, “It’s about opening people’s eyes to various workflows that already exist.” Ulrich Hermansk, chief marketing officer at Topcon Positioning Group, believes that the academies are all about getting the people of execution and design together in a room to talk. “We were acting like a moderator,” he says. While the academies continue to raise awareness about the potential of constructioneering, Bentley and Topcon have acknowledged that many firms need more help than they could ever get from a one-day event. So last month the two companies launched a joint venture called Digital Construction Works (DCW) which will offer these firms indepth consultancy. DCW draws on Topcon’s expertise in surveying, on-site execution and the capture of as-built assets, and Bentley’s knowledge of engineering design, project information management and asset www.AECmag.com

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The heavy hitters behind DCW Looking at the personnel that are heading up the new joint venture it’s clear that Bentley and Topcon are taking DCW very seriously, particularly as their core businesses could also be negatively impacted by losing key staff. DCW is led by CEO, Ted Lamboo, who most recently served as senior VP of strategic partnerships at Bentley. The COO is Jason Hallett, formerly a Topcon VP responsible for global software business development and digital construction initiatives. Other heavy hitters include Tom Dengenis, former chief executive for Synchro and Bentley’s VP of global accounts, Susan Brandt, who will serve as vice president of business development. “We decided together that

DCW CEO, Ted Lamboo (left) and COO Jason Hallett (right)

we needed to take the best people in the industry that have the knowledge of everything, from planning, through survey, through design, through execution, through inspection, to

bring the best talent in the world together and form this Digital Construction Works,” said Topcon CEO Ray O’Connor, speaking at the launch in Singapore.

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Feature Drones play a key role in fast and continuous site survey

maintenance. This will be combined with fresh R&D from a dedicated Labs unit, as well as essential direction from major firms in industry. DCW is an independent company, which Harry Parnell, head of digital project delivery for Balfour Beatty describes as ‘the only end-to-end construction solutions service provider’. The process starts at planning and construction but goes all the way through to operations and asset management. agnostic and is not limited to working The company will be supported by a The key aim is to help firms automate with Bentley and Topcon solutions, network of service providers, as Stilgoe and optimise construction operations by although it faces a big challenge in con- explains. “So, you know, this core, the lab connecting disparate tools and work- veying this message to industry. is a big chunk of what DCW is. It’s the flows. It’s all about the delivery of real“It’s looking at the challenges of proj- proving ground. Now, if we get a contract time dynamic data. ects or specific customers and saying, that says we need a laser scan in 30 difThere are four areas of focus: con- OK, lab guys, you know, you’re the geeks, ferent countries and I need a 30km highstruction modelling (4D/5D), advanced go work it out, put in all the pieces you way sample set, you know we’re not work packaging, digital twins (which we need to. When it’s working, we can then going to do that with the lab guys — that cover in detail on page 28) and continuous, go to the customer and say these are the would be a waste. We’re going to outautomated surveying through drones, right things you need to go and get,” source that to a network of partners. photogrammetry and laser scan. says Stilgoe. “Most of these big companies have big Fast and continuous site surveying is Of course, Bentley and Topcon will digital departments now, but they’re pullone of the cornerstones of construction- also benefit in other ways, by getting a ing every piece they can find themselves, eering and key to keeping the physical direct line into industry, as Ted Lamboo they’re doing a lot of, what you might say, and digital model in sync. But in terms of CEO of DCW explains, “Anything that inside R&D. We have a lot of that already, data processing and data so if we put it together, we flow this presents a major can help them much faster, challenge and is a continual Bentley and Topcon are keen to stress that DCW that’s the goal of the project.” focus for the DCW Labs. is not a sales outlet for their products. In fact, “If you want earthworks Conclusion DCW is technology-agnostic and is not limited Few would deny that the volumes and productivity to working with Bentley and Topcon solutions premise of constructioneermapping, you can’t wait a week to get the data proing is sound, but it’s provcessed. And that really was ing a difficult sell to an one of the births of the DCW project,” leads to an improvement in how we can industry stuck in its ways. It’s not just explains Stilgoe, adding that it’s not industrialise or standardise, if it has to about technology; it’s about fundamenpractical to put 50 surveyors onto to a do with Bentley or Topcon products, we tally changing the way the construction project to get the result, because the data would feed them back to Bentley and industry works. Everyone knows there can’t be processed quick enough. Topcon, let them improve the workflows, are huge inefficiencies, and something “There is currently a gap where we improve the technology, so that will needs to be done, but not necessarily want to get the data from sites back to the serve a bigger audience.” how to get there. office in a much quick and efficient manDCW currently has 50 staff, split evenDCW is a smart move from Bentley ner,” says Balfour Beatty’s Parnell. “Real ly across North America and Europe. The and Topcon as it gives the technology time is a word which has been used quite projection over the next two years is firms an independent entity to help solve a lot at the moment in time. But with these to increase that to around two hundred, these challenges head on at the heart of large file formats and with these large but it is not the intention to grow signifi- industry. Lessons learned will also help datasets, can we actually get real time?” cantly larger. drive future software development, so “[DCW is] not trying to be a service com- there are downstream benefits too. All of Flying solo pany that’s a multimillionaire engineering this will no doubt help turn the ship, but Bentley and Topcon are keen to stress house,” says Stilgoe. “We’re not trying to when you’re talking about construction, that DCW is not a sales outlet for their achieve that. We’re trying to enable the it’s a very big ship to turn. products. In fact, DCW is technology- industry to do what it’s capable of.” ■ digitalconstructionworks.com

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Feature

HoloLens 2 and 4D construction The HoloLens 2 is a vast improvement over the first generation mixed reality headset. Visual experience and interaction might grab the headlines, but for AEC firms the biggest impact should come from Azure cloud connectivity by Greg Corke

ou’ve no doubt heard the name, but you might not know exactly what the Microsoft HoloLens does. In short, it’s a mixed reality headset that beams holographic images directly into your eyes. The visor is transparent so you can still see the real world around you, but it’s a world that is populated with virtual models that can be interacted with and manipulated as if they were real. In the AEC sector there are two main use cases. The first is at 1:1 scale where 3D or 4D models can be seen on the construction site, in the precise location of where they will be built or where they should have been built. This could be to track progress, to help visualise or communicate construction sequences or for verification. The second use case is for design review or project planning where multiple users collaborate around a scale model. This type of workflow is also common in fully immersive VR. But while VR offers superior visual quality, HoloLens is better for team communication as you can still see your fellow collaborators — expressions, gesticulations, and other non-verbal cues. Collaborative sessions can also be held across multiple locations. In many respects the original HoloLens 36

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was a prototype unit. It was uncomfortable to wear for long periods, the viewing angle was poor, and it could only handle relatively small 3D models. Three years on and HoloLens 2 now addresses many of these issues. The new HoloLens is easier to put on and while it is only slightly lighter, it is much more comfortable, having been rebalanced so it’s not so front heavy. I hardly noticed I was wearing the device throughout a ten-minute demo of Synchro XR, a special version of the virtual construction and 4D modelling tool from Bentley Systems. It’s also easier to jump in and out of mixed reality by flipping up the visor, rather than having to take off the device completely, as you did with HoloLens 1. Field of view, the window through which you see the holographic images, has also been improved. With HoloLens 1 you had to be very precise about where you were looking, and it was easy for models to disappear out of sight. This also made it hard to see the wider context of a scale model as the edges simply got cut off. It was usable but it took some getting used to and you had to make some compromises in how your worked. With HoloLens 2, Microsoft has increased the viewing area by 2.4x, and it’s both wider and higher. You still need to move your head precisely to bring models into view, but it does make the device more usable. The quality of the holographic images is also better; models are notably crisper and more vibrant. These are all evolutions, but the way in which you interact with the device has changed quite dramatically. Forget the head gaze and finger tap. With natural hand tracking you now get 25 points of articulation per hand, for pinching, pull-

The HoloLens 2 is much easier to put on, not unlike a baseball cap

ing and pressing. In Synchro XR, you can reach out and push 3D buttons that light up as your finger gets close, pinch and move sliders or grab, rotate and scale models as you would a real-world object. It’s not perfect — buttons sometimes failed to press first time during my 10 minute demo — but it’s much more intuitive than before.

Get yourself connected All of the above advancements are important and lead to a much better experience, but the ability to connect HoloLens 2 directly to Microsoft’s Azure cloud service is likely to have the biggest impact on AEC workflows. On a general level, devices can be managed centrally, and users authenticated using Windows Hello technology. It also means everyone can access the very latest data, on demand, leading to much better clarity on projects. There’s also no need to mess about with files. With the new Synchro cloud services, for example, 4D construction data is held in a cloud database that can be updated continuously through different devices – desktop, iPad or HoloLens. With Synchro XR, users can experience a 1:1 scale, animated simulation of planned work in the context of where it will take place. Users can track progress, comparing recently completed work directly with the model. Updates can be done in real time and time stamped, as Greg Demchak, technical architect, Bentley Systems, explains, “If I change the status of some www.AECmag.com

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4D construction in mixed reality Synchro XR on HoloLens 2

equipment or a piece of steel being erected, that becomes a moment captured in that database history and then because Synchro is time oriented we can scroll backwards through time. And you can see the playback of what happened.” Synchro XR can also use the HoloLens to record voice notes which are then automatically turned into text and added to the model. The software doesn’t currently support video or photo notes but Demchak says this would be easy to do. Cloud connectivity also means HoloLens 2 can handle significantly larger models. With HoloLens 1 you were limited to what the device’s onboard GPU could render, which is about 200,000 to 300,000 polygons at 60 FPS. This meant it simply wasn’t possible to work with a large construction model at a high level of detail. Instead, it had to be simplified or broken down into manageable chunks. HoloLens 2 blows this out of the water and it can now handle hundreds of millions of polygons. Rather than having to rely on the on-board GPU for graphics processing, the graphics can be processed remotely and streamed over WiFi. Bentley is making the most of the new GPU streaming technology. Demchak told AEC Magazine that his team has streamed huge 600 million polygon models at 60 frames a second using Synchro. This has been done both with a local workstation and in the cloud using Microsoft’s Azure remote rendering service. Currently in preview, remote rendering can also be used with other devices including mobile phones and tablets. Of course, you’ll need a high-bandwidth, low latency connection to do this, and the roll out of 5G will help in the future. www.AECmag.com

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The Trimble XR10, a special hard hat version of the HoloLens 2

Team effort Synchro XR is not just for on-site work. 4D models and animations can be explored from a bird’s eye view from the comfort of the office. Multiple participants can collaborate around the same model to get a better understanding of the work and project schedule. Participants can grab the model, move it, rotate it, scale it up or down and take live sections. Using a time slider, it’s easy to step forwards and backwards through each stage in the construction sequence. The beauty of the system is that everything feels really intuitive and much more natural than when interacting with models using the HoloLens 1. Bentley says virtually no training is required and I’d have to agree. With this in mind, the developers of Synchro are bringing processes into the HoloLens environment that historically needed to be done on the desktop application and hence required some degree of training. Identifying and recording potential health and safety risks is a prime example. Here, 3D icons representing ‘fall risk’, ‘electrical hazard’ and others can be dragged and dropped into the model. The plan is to introduce more functionality which could include logistics planning, where users can place things like tower cranes, diggers, scaffolding and temporary works at different stages along the timeline.

Going the distance? In 2016, weeks after Bentley got hold of

its first HoloLens 1, Bentley fellow Stéphane Côté could hardly contain his excitement when he told AEC Magazine that it offered ‘truly exceptional tracking for indoor applications’. This might be true over short distances but from our discussions with AEC firms over the last few years it would seem that accuracy over longer distances is not as good. Objects might appear in the wrong location, offset from where they should be. HoloLens 2 doesn’t solve this, admits Mark Day, global sales lead, mixed reality, Microsoft, but it’s far more accurate than HoloLens 1, “So instead of being able to look at two metres and be five centimetres off, we might only be five centimetres or ten centimetres off at twenty metres. But you’re still off and your ‘off ’ isn’t necessarily going to get bigger in relationship the further you go out.” Bentley has been exploring the use of spatial anchors that the HoloLens 2 would pick up as you move through the building and adjust. “You want to use more terrestrial and celestial data input to be more geospatially accurate,” adds Day.

Here comes the sun There are other limitations. It’s been widely reported that HoloLens doesn’t work well in direct sunlight and this remains the case for HoloLens 2. Construction firms are finding workarounds though. Demchak recalls a customer that carries an umbrella and another that literally covers the whole visor to go into a ‘temporary VR mode’. Trimble has developed a hard hat version of the HoloLens 2, the XR10, through Microsoft’s OEM program. Maybe someone will find a practical solution to combat direct sunlight. Until then HoloLens 2 is likely to find more favour with interior construction projects or retrofits, rather than on open sites.

Conclusion HoloLens 2 feels like a significant step forward for Microsoft and its mixed reality device. While HoloLens 1 felt a bit like a development platform, HoloLens 2 looks ready for market. The enhanced viewing area and better interaction are certainly welcome improvements but it’s the Azure cloud connection that really turns this into an enterprise ready device. Whereas previously firms may have struggled with file-based transfer; now with applications like Synchro XR the data can flow much more freely. We’re looking forward to hearing how construction firms get on. ■ microsoft.com/hololens ■ synchroltd.com

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Feature

The quest for continuous construction verification Topcon’s new GTL-1000 is a compact scanner and fully featured robotic total station in one, enabling a site engineer to complete a layout and scan on a single set-up. Greg Corke caught up with Topcon VP Ian Stilgoe to learn how the device is helping change construction verification.

and compares what has actually been built e all know that when con- already have become expensive mistakes. Stilgoe explains that a site engineer against the design/fab model, automaticalstruction errors are picked up late, they can prove typically uses a robotic total station every ly flagging any out-of-tolerance or inaccuextremely costly. Topcon hour of every day, but tends to leave laser rately constructed work. Verity works best with steel work and estimates that 5% to 12% of a construction scanning to specialists. But it shouldn’t project budget is consumed by mistakes be a specialist task - it should just be part other vertical type construction. Stilgoe recalls one of the pilot projects for the and rework. But the industry continues to of the process, he says. This was the driving force behind the GTL-1000, a renovation of a stately home be heavily reliant on manual checking. The industry is starting to get some development of Topcon’s GTL-1000, a near Heathrow, where only the fascia was excellent construction verification tools combined instrument with a laser scanner left intact and the rest was gutted. “The which automatically compare point that sits on top of a robotic total station. apartments were so expensive that almost clouds against design and fabrication It’s a no compromise instrument, says every millimetre mattered,” he explains. models, but getting timely laser scan data Stilgoe, “a high-speed scanner that is just “Inside the building it was all concrete from site is still proving a major chal- as good as any other scanner on the mar- and steel and blockwork. They were literlenge. This is partly down to technology ket, without any disadvantage of the robot. ally scanning every time they put a layer and partly down to of block down, making skillsets, as Ian Stilgoe, sure they didn’t lose any VP Geopositioning volume.” If you don’t need specialist surveyors to do the Europe at Topcon is not as effecscanning part, you should do the scanning whenever tiveVerity Positioning Group on horizontal conyou need it, not whenever the subcontractor or the struction projects, such explains, “The site engineer’s on site looking as asphalt and bridges, surveyor or the even in-house team is available after the whole project says Stilgoe, but this is and knows everything something that is being about what’s going on. The scanning team “It means that if you’re doing layout, explored in the DCW Labs (see page 30). come in, do what they need to do, then go which you do every day, you can scan at In civils projects, drones are used away again. A week later or two weeks any time,” he says. “You’re not thinking increasingly for reality capture, using later they get the data set. There was a about it differently. You’re not going Bentley Systems ContextCapture to turn disjoint between what the decision pro- back to the office to get a different prod- a collection of photos into a reality mesh. cess is on site and this verification. And it uct. You’re not going back to the office to But drones have their tended to become an as built. get a different guy to do it. And it means limitations, as Stilgoe explains, “It’s “You know, verification is a new word that verification becomes much more okay for your earthworks, but when you around what we’ve been doing for years, continuous.” start to get concrete is it accurate enough? called as-built. But as-built was like, you Data acquisition is only the first stage. Get into anything with a roof, much more know, ‘when we’re finished you can do In Topcon’s workflow the point cloud data complicated - even the sides of the buildyour as-built’.” is then processed using MAGNET Collage, ing is not so easy with drones. But use The problem with a traditional as-built before being taken into construction veri- the drones for the bigger picture, because is it essentially becomes a report at the fication software ClearEdge3D Verity (see you do need it,” he says. end of a project and even if mistakes are AEC Magazine’s in-depth review tinyurl. But this might change. “There’ll be identified at this late stage they may com/verity-AEC). The software analyses a combination of drones and scanning

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in the future when these drones are, say small enough, safe enough and autonomous enough, which they’re not yet indoors.” Automation and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also coming to reality capture. Stilgoe admits that Topcon is working with Boston Dynamics to use its Spot Mini robot. This is under NDA, so he can’t share details, but later on in our interview he does raise the important point that you don’t necessarily have to scan the entire site as the processing can become too technical. “We’re more interested in recognising what’s there and intelligently measuring what you want to measure rather than measure everything and try and extract,” he says. “You can use visual recognition and then decide what’s got to be measured. Your AI becomes a camera and camera sensors are very cheap, scanners are very expensive, and it just means your deployment can be easier on verification processes.” This is one for the future but, for now Topcon, is laser focused on replacing robotic total stations on site. “So, most construction sites will have five to ten robots, you know, depends on the size of project,” says Stilgoe. “Our goal is to have www.AECmag.com

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a minimum one of these GTLs replacing a robot, and eventually, why wouldn’t you just replace all the robots? “Because if you don’t need specialist surveyors to do the scanning part, you should do the scanning whenever you need it, not whenever the subcontractor or the surveyor or the even in-house team is available. “So that’s certainly the goal, to keep the [GTL-1000] factory busy,” he smiles.

1 The Topcon GTL-1000 is a compact scanner integrated with a ‘fully featured’ robotic total station 2 ClearEdge3D Verity compares the design/fab model against the laser scanned as-built model, automatically flagging any inaccurately constructed or out-of-tolerance work

■ topconpositioning.com

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Software

PresenZ for V-Ray Greg Corke reports on an easy to use rendering add-on for V-Ray for 3ds Max and Maya that uses lightfields to bring new levels of interactivity and dynamism to 360 VR renders

t Nvidia’s annual GTC event around the building from lightfield to The net result is you can create lightin 2016, CEO Jensen Huang lightfield, seeing it from different vantage fields dramatically quicker. At the unveiled Iray VR, a new tech- points and at a much higher quality than a launch event at Escape Technology’s nology that promised to bring game engine. London office, PresenZ founder Tristan photorealism to fully immersive virtual Lightfields work by essentially render- Salome told AEC Magazine that on averreality. It made for a phenomenal presen- ing a scene from hundreds of points with- age it takes only 50% longer than a tation but, as is often the case with GTC in a fixed volume. The problem with Iray standard 360 VR render. This equates to keynotes, there was a kicker. It took eight VR was it took a brute force approach, so tens of minutes on a multi core desktop high-end GPUs one hundred hours to every single light probe within the cube workstation, significantly faster if you render the VR experience and, when had to be rendered individually, leading to run it though a render farm. It’s also viewed in VR, the low-res display of the prohibitively long render times. possible to create VR movies, rendered HTC Vive didn’t really do justice to the Three years on and, even though we frame by frame. photorealistic output. In truth, it was now have significantly faster GPUs, Iray PresenZ is available as a plug-in for 3ds more of a technology demonstration VR would still probably be inpractical to max or Maya. It works with the V-Ray renthan a viable commercial product. use on everyday hardware. But what if dering engine, which means you not only Iray VR used lightfields, a technology you could do things smarter? get high-quality output, but most arch viz that sits somewhere specialists should be able to between a fully interactive use the software with little VR experience and a static or no training. According to The big attraction of the software is that it 360 VR render. Like a 360 promises to slot seamlessly into established Salome, all you need to do is VR render, it uses ray tracreplace the existing camera ing, so the quality is photo- workflows. In V-Ray, users simply replace the with a special PresenZ camcamera — all other assets remain the same realistic. But instead of era that tells the renderer to viewing the scene from a shoot rays from certain orisingle fixed point, the pergins and directions. All son wearing the VR headset can move Lightfields get smart other assets remain the same. their head a small distance in any direc- PresenZ is an application that takes a difPresenZ currently works with V-Ray tion — forward/backward, up/down, left/ ferent approach to lightfields by render- CPU, but a V-Ray GPU version is coming right. In other words, six degrees of free- ing the scene selectively. It starts with a soon. There’s also an Arnold for dom (6DoF). ‘detect phase’ that just sends ‘probe rays’ Maya and a Unity plug-in in development. In the case of the Nvidia demo it was a or ‘intersection rays’ that are very fast to Renders are created from a ZOV vol1m cube, enough to give you the effect of cast and don’t need to evaluate any shad- ume box with a default size of 1m x 1m motion parallax, but not enough to go for er or lighting. and 0.5m height. According to Salome, a wander. Shift your head to one side and During this phase, the software kind of this is enough to support your natural objects that are close appear to move scans and analyses the 3D scene from the head movement and feel that are you more than the ones further away. It Zone of View (ZOV) — the volume box really inside the space. meant you could peek around a column from which you view the scene — to define It’s technically possible to make this or over a balcony, revealing new detail which are the useful render rays that need box much bigger so the user can walk within the scene, or simply get a much to be cast to generate the final render. freely within the scene. However, this better sense of depth and immersion. The ‘render phase’ then takes this list of would not only increase render time, but The idea behind Iray VR was that an rays with different origins and directions put unnecessary load on the GPU when architectural visualiser could create a and casts them as standard camera rays viewing the scene in VR. Best practice is series of these lightfields for a client pres- from the render engine, which in turn will to create a Multibox, which allows users entation. The client could then teleport do the shading and lighting as usual. to subdivide a large space into multiple

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1 Working on top of V-Ray, PresenZ slots into established arch viz workflows 2 PresenZ uses V-Ray so can deliver photorealistic results 3 The HP Reverb Pro mixed reality headset offers the best resolution in its class

ZOVs. Each ZOV is then loaded in and out of memory as the viewer moves between them. Salome says the transition between boxes is seamless. Output can be viewed on a standard desktop display or VR headset using the PresenZ Dashboard, a Windows application that also allows you to organise your renders, create Multibox structures and add teleport points between ZOVs. The software works with any OpenVR compatible headset, including HTC Vive, Oculus and Windows Mixed Reality. It’s also compatible with the excellent human-eye resolution Varjo headset. We imagine this delivers incredible results, but those on a tighter budget might be better off with the HP Reverb Pro Edition, which offers impressive resolution for the price — 2,160 x 2,160 per eye, which is four times as many pixels as the original HTC Vive.

describes a scenario that should resonate with many viz artists.

Controlling the narrative

Conclusion

Real time engines like Unreal Engine and Unity can deliver excellent visual quality and give freedom to explore a building from any angle. However, for client communication, many architects still want to control the narrative, showing off the project from set vantage points. It also gives architects the opportunity to present designs without having to create a fully developed viz asset. “It’s that classic walk from one place to another place and you’re like ‘don’t go around that corner because we haven’t done that bit yet,” laughs Lee Danskin, CTO Escape Technology as he www.AECmag.com

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PresenZ offers an interesting new slant on architectural visualisation in VR. It bridges the gap between photorealistic static 360 VR renders and fully interactive game engine experiences which give you an incredible feeling of scale and immersion. The big attraction of the software is that it promises to slot seamlessly into established workflows. V-Ray is still the number one ren3 derer for arch viz, and apart from some special treatment that’s needed for transparent objects, PresenZ offers a simple way to extend the life of

V-Ray assets and keep control of the narrative in client presentations. Of course, PresenZ does face competition from game engines. The quality in Unreal Engine might not yet rival V-Ray, but it is excellent and set to get better with the addition of real time ray tracing. But while there is considerable hype behind Nvidia RTX, the GPU horsepower required to deliver ray trace renders at the high frame rates that VR demands is still some way off. Finally, a quick note about pricing. PresenZ is free to use but all images are watermarked. You can either license the PresenZ Dashboard viewer or pay per render using credits. It means V-Ray users can try out the technology for free, check the results and only pay for the final output if they like it. If you use V-Ray and want to bring a new level of dynamism to your static 360 VR renders, it’s definitely worth giving it a go. ■ presenzvr.com ■ escape-technology.com

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Model complexity Understanding and communicating the form of one of the world’s most complex building designs was a tricky task. Stephen Holmes looks at how Killa Design used 3D printing to breakdown the intricacies of Dubai’s Museum of the Future

ubai’s Museum of the Future is one of the most complex structures ever built. Its curved exterior and steel skeleton make it almost impossible for some to comprehend. Standing at 78 metres high and with barely a straight line in sight, its elliptical design has turned it into a landmark design in a city not short of adventurous architecture. Primarily an exhibition space, which will showcase innovative and futuristic concepts, the building was designed by architects Killa Design. Its futuristic torus-shaped structure won the design competition for the build-

ing in 2015, with its unique shape and column-free interior space attracting the attention of the judges. Concrete in structure from its basement levels to the top, 1,024 exterior panels are supported by a steel diagrid structure — a framework of 2,400 intersecting steel members — with composite concrete floor slabs. “Frankly, the floor plates are the only thing that are flat in the entire building,” says Shaun Killa, design partner at Killa Design. “Everything else is curvaceous, the overall form is parametrically designed.” The creation was voted ‘Most Complex Building in Construction’ earlier this

year so that explains why Killa’s team turned to 3D printing to help explain the build. The team used a number of in-house Ultimaker S5 3D printers to create models to give contractors, manufacturers, and government review engineers a complete understanding of the building before construction began. Killa, said: “3D printing helps us to present and explain ideas during creative brainstorming sessions, and significantly speeds up the design process. “For challenging and organic designs, like the Museum of the Future… we find traditional methods of model-making inefficient and sometimes unworkable.”

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Case study The Ultimaker S5 is a desktop FDM 3D tools. In that case our 3D printer was The outside of the structure is decorated printer. It has a build volume of 330 x extremely helpful.” with phrases written by Dubai’s ruler 240 x 300 mm and the benefit of dual In addition to the exterior shape, the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al material extruders. company printed cutaway models to Maktoum in giant Arabic calligraphy, With one nozzle outputting a PVA sup- show the relationships between the with the script creating the form of the port material, it can build models with building’s core steel structure and con- building’s windows which, with the help sharp overhangs and gradients, such as crete panelled exterior. of 14km of LED lighting, also create a the Museum’s elliptical shape, with the While FDM 3D printers are not night-time spectacle. support material simply dissolved with renowned for their ability to print in fine By being able to sit down around 3D water once the part has finished printing, detail, the output of the Ultimaker S5 printed scale models, specialist mainteleaving the PLA or ABS nance staff were able to plastic structure. plan how each element The S5 has also added would be accessed by 3D printing helps us to present and explain simplicity with 24/7 autofor cleaning and ideas during creative brainstorming sessions, ropes mated material handling future repairs. and significantly speeds up the design process and filament humidity conBy allowing such quick trol, as well as efficient air access to 3D printed modShaun Killa, Killa Design filtration with its Pro variels for all manner of stakeant – creating an ideal holders involved in a projpackage for an office-based 3D printer. allowed for detailed cross sections showing ect, Killa is adamant that in future the With so many complex shapes to work the individual steel girders, interior and practice will be able to push building with, the design team needed as much exterior cladding, and slab flooring – right designs to even more ambitious levels. help as possible. down to the individual coupling methods. “With Ultimaker we have innovated our Tommaso Calistri, architect at Killa 3D printed segments were used to pro- process of design and we are confident Design, said: “You need your brain to vide a clear insight into the museum’s the technology will help us to coordinate work in a complete three-dimensional interior space arrangement and, more problems much clearer and faster, allowenvironment – as much as your brain can surprisingly, the printed model of the ing us to create even more complex buildbe good, you have some limitations, and museum also helped to create a cleaning ings in the end,” he said. that’s why we had to have some external strategy for its façade. ■ killadesign.com ■ ultimaker.com

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1 The Museum of the Future has almost no straight lines in its design 2 Architects use 3D models to prepare for construction 3 A 3D printed model of the Museum of the Future 4 The Ultimaker S5 desktop FDM 3D printer 5 A cutaway model shows the interior structure

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Feature

Next gen construction professionals

Since 2009, Alison Watson’s Class of Your Own has been the industry’s key advocate of getting young people interested in construction. The path has been long but the message is being heard by the industry

Daren Whitaker, of Renaker Build igitally savvy construction friend or relative that works in the sector. professionals are hard to find, We never envy school-leavers having to Limited, who took seven students from St and expensive to recruit, but make such an important choice about Ambrose class of 2019 explained, “Here at how many of you have a strat- their future career, whether it is signing Renaker, we’re all about identifying egy which looks ahead five or ten years to up for a university place, or joining an young people with the right character and apprentice scheme, we are expecting the appropriate experience and knowlcreating your own in-house? We frequently see published warnings them to make a very mature decision. edge. We’ve certainly found this by workfrom industry leaders in almost every Alison Watson and Class of Your Own is ing alongside Design Engineer Construct profession, bemoaning the low quantity trying to do something about that, by students from St Ambrose Barlow RC of good quality young candidates coming addressing a long-term strategy for edu- High School – their personal and profesthrough the education system, and the cating secondary school students on the sional development continues within the construction industry is certainly no dif- breadth and depth of worthwhile opportu- organisation, to the mutual benefit of the ferent. We need to compete with medi- nities to be found in construction. business and the individual. cine, finance and the law in capturing the Ten years ago, as a former land surveyor, “We are committed to the training and best talent early, and a general ignorance Watson started to work with schools, development of these young people amongst students and even parents of the building materials for use in the class- and take great pride in seeing their career opportunities available in the con- room, which explore the different roles achievements.” struction sector makes this difficult. and activities involved. This led to the creWith around one hundred schools up Ask most fifteen-year-old students to ation of a series of award-winning qualifi- and running in the UK, and support from name construction-related job roles, and cations aimed at students from eleven Heriot Watt University and global industhe answer is likely to be trial partners including builder and architect. Topcon Positioning Ask the same group I can’t be anything other than proud when I hear Systems and Mott about career MacDonald Group, the that Lauren from Manchester, who was going to programme is poised to advice they law school or into finance, has achieved a major go international. received in relation to Watson commented on civil engineering award for apprenticeships constr ucthe highs and lows of tion, and introducing innovation in they could well describe a years old, through to GCSE and A-Level, the constantly changing political landretired civil and the results have been breathtaking, scape of education: “Education should not engineer who earning Watson an MBE for her efforts. be about politics but spend any time with came into The Design Engineer Construct pro- teachers and you get the impression that bore them gramme, or DEC for short, introduces meeting targets and filling out paperwork with stories industry terminology, technology, prois more important to the system than the about the cesses and professions in a way that inter- childrens’ education. This made the early good-old days. ests and excites students. It does so under years incredibly hard, finding forwardYoung people the watchful eye of industry sponsors – thinking headmasters that were willing to choosing to companies who not only fund but also give enthusiastic teachers a free hand to pursue a support the schools through the curricu- try out something new for the sake of the career in la, by informing, guiding and encourag- kids. Fast-forward ten years and we still c o n s t r u c - ing teachers and students alike. The DEC have the politic goalposts moving with tion, is curriculum is aimed at students ages 11 to every election or cabinet reshuffle, but the a l m o s t 18 years and is offered at intermediate lev- results in terms of impact on the career of always due to els to encourage and excite learners. young people has been worth the effort. a link to some It is no surprise that these sponsors get “I can’t be anything other than proud the pick of the crop amongst school leav- when I hear that Lauren from ers, sometimes filling their apprentice- Manchester, who was going to law school Alison Watson ship and sponsors degree programmes or into finance, has achieved a major civil speaking at Bentley exclusively from DEC classrooms. engineering award for apprenticeships, Systems’ YII event

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or that Chris from Sheffield cites DEC as a major contributing factor in getting through the first year of university degree in structural engineering with supreme confidence.” The growing flow of similar success stories is humbling.

fessional is on hand to support the teach- years of software experience. One implier through the various stages of the pro- cation is that students enter University cess. This means working with architects, and higher education with raised expectaplanners, engineers, surveyors and many tions, and whilst no-one is suggesting that others to engage students and explain the the have degree-level depth of knowledge, nuances of their role, in the context of the they certainly have the skills and understudent project. standing to give them a good head-start. How does it work? Through the DEC qualifications, stuWhen a school signs up to delivery of the dents get a good feel for the industry; they DEC is looking for industry sponsors. If you DEC learning programme, the first step is explore the different career options and want to get involved, to help inspire the next to identify suitable teachers. Rarely do they can leave school at sixteen or sixth- generation of construction professionals visit these teachers have any experience in form college at eighteen with up to five ■ designengineerconstruct.com design and construction but do sometimes have a product design background or have been delivering design & technology (DT) lessons previously. Otherwise, they could be mathematics teachers, physics teachers, art or geography teachAt Bentley Systems’ Year In ers, which might sound like an inauspiInfrastructure (YII) event in cious start to instructing tomorrow’s Singapore last month, Class engineers. But with the support of teachof Your Own featured prominently. It was clear that er-training specialist, White Frog, teachBentley’s management were ers soon gain the confidence to dive in. putting their full weight Paul Woddy, who heads the DEC team at behind the program and were White Frog explains more, “Teaching DEC willing to back Watson’s aims teachers is unlike any other training we on a global scale. At the event, Bentley and have ever done and has easily become my Class of Your Own announced favourite course to deliver – after all these a new global partnership to years I still jump at the chance to deliver continue to develop the futurethe courses personally, rather than delefocused global DEC curricuThe Drummond Community High School Team, Winners of the 2019 lum. Through Bentley gate the fun! The challenge is not to turn a Future Infrastructure Challenge: DEC Hyperloop, on stage with Alison Institute’s support of Class of maths teacher into a construction profesWatson at Bentley’s YII awards in Singapore last month Your Own’s DEC programmes sor or even a CAD expert, but to demonstudents will be able to gain strate that teachers already know enough hands-on knowledge and skills gramme to the most exciting Bentley to attend the YII event to light a fire under the students and point for careers in key infrastrucinfrastructure projects around in Singapore. ture professions. the world. David Robertson, director them in the right direction. In fact, you With DEC expanding outside “Our students are provided of digital advancement could argue that teachers are the ultimate the UK, the new programme is with face-to-face support from research for Bentley Systems, expert in how a classroom or school already moving into schools in world-class sector professionsaid, “Our partnership with should be designed, and in the first round Ireland, Lithuania, Thailand als thanks to industry partners Class of Your Own demonand the United Arab Emirates who truly understand what strates the two organisations’ of training, it is our job simply to unlock and offers technology education DEC can do. Expanding the shared goal of providing stutheir confidence to do exactly that, and to and project-based, real-world programme outside the UK dents with valuable learning help the students design an eco-classroom. experiences through interaction means we can offer genuine, experiences that apply to realThe courses and books that we have with industry professionals. meaningful opportunities for world infrastructure profesdeveloped introduce just enough of the DEC will feature access to students and teachers around sions and encourage students Bentley’s engineering design the world. We’re helping the to pursue those professions. process, terminology and technology to and 3D modelling technologies surveyors, technologists, engiBentley is very excited to partake away the fear, remembering that each including ContextCapture, neers, architects and managers ticipate in this important school is supported by professionals that OpenBuildings, OpenRail, and of future infrastructure.” learning initiative to advance visit the classroom and help explore difOpenRoads ConceptStation. The Earlier in 2019, Bentley career opportunities for stumore advanced future infraInstitute and Class of Your dents around the world.” ferent aspects throughout. When it comes structure qualification frameOwn hosted the first ever At the black-tie awards to the technology, we often hear that last work, for students aged 16 and Future Infrastructure event, Bentley gave Watson a year’s students know more about Revit or older, including foundation level Challenge: DEC Hyperloop surprise Bentley Institute OpenBuilding than the teacher does, even study at colleges and universichallenge in London. The Knowledge Advancement deliver classes to this year’s students. This ties, focuses on rail, highway, event included students from Advocate Award in recogniport, and hyperloop projects. four schools in the UK whose tion of all she has achieved might sound strange, but the curriculum “Our vision is to inspire and assignment was to conceptualwith Class of Your Own and is so well defined that with a little guidengage young people and their ise a design of a hyperloop promoting young people to ance and periodic professional support, teachers to reach their full transport system and stations consider infrastructure as a the students run with it.” potential through world class for their own towns and then profession. She was joined on education,” said Watson “So, to adapt this to Singapore. stage by the winning Future Structured professional support is vital we’re very excited to partner Students from Drummond Infrastructure Challenge team to the DEC programme, and can’t be with Bentley to offer the new Community High School from from Scotland, complete with delivered by random visits from whoever curriculum, which applies Edinburgh, Scotland won the kilts, an epic moment that is available on the day. The sponsor liaises industry knowledge and skills challenge and were awarded a brought a standing ovation. with the teacher to map out an annual gained in the existing DEC procomplimentary trip from ■ bentley.com plan, ensuring that the appropriate pro-

IMAGES COURTESY OF BENTLEY SYSTEMS

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Bentley backs education

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The panacea of offsite construction and DfMA what legal risks? As momentum grows for offsite and modular construction, senior construction lawyer May Winfield explores the potential legal and contractual issues

ffsite and modular construc- duce or implement these concepts halftion is not a new concept and way through the design process. KPMG’s Smart Construction Report has been used in the construction industry for some time; (April 2016) pointed out that traditional however it has not gained extensive trac- construction procurement methods gention within the industry until recently. erally mean that construction designs are really only tested for This arguably is partly due to their buildability once teams the Government’s express are on site, where it is more push towards greater offsite costly and disruptive to recticonstruction. In the 2017 Autumn Budget, fy mistakes. the Chancellor of the A design suitable for manuExchequer made a commitfacturing needs to be comment that “the Department for pleted or frozen before the Transport, the Department of manufacturing process comHealth, the Department for mences to avoid expensive Education, the Ministry of reworking. Could BIM be Justice, and the Ministry of used to test out the design for Defence will adopt a pre- The majority feasibility and achievability sumption in favour of offsite of the legal before incurring the expense construction by 2019 across manufacturing? articles that ofBoth suitable capital programmes, the designer and the I have seen manufacturer in turn need to where it represents best value for money”. on this topic understand the requirements The industry has seen a sigfocus on the and limitations of the manunificant increase in interest facturing process and any site issues of around offsite manufacturing, limitations (such as those ownership which will restrict the size of modular construction and design-for-manuf acturing components transported to prior to (“DfMA”) although some delivery and site). In this regard, the corquestion whether these are rect parties need to be the risks of involved at early stages of the simply the latest buzzwords damage in to hit the industry. design to ensure that the proThe reported benefits of offposed design is feasible and transit. site construction and DfMA for the intended However, the achievable are numerous, and include manufacturing process. potential increased efficiency, reduced I have seen suggestions that cost, reduced waste and issues do not this early involvement can be reduced time. However, these achieved via a two-stage prostop there benefits are necessarily in curement such as using the turn predicated on the correct NEC supplementary ECI processes being put in place. For exam- clause (for use with NEC EEC contracts ple, offsite construction and DfMA Options C and E) or a JCT Prerequire a shift in mindset from typical or Construction Services Agreement. traditional design and construction, as it However, equally where the contractor is is obviously far more difficult to intro- being appointed under a design and

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build contract, would they be happy to take on responsibility for all the offsite construction and DfMA to date if they had not had sufficient early involvement? When considering the end of the manufacturing process, it would be equally important to ensure the relevant individuals have appropriate and sufficient training to handle, and put together, the manufactured components when they arrive from the manufacturer.

What about legal risks? With new processes come new risks. The majority of the legal articles that I have seen on this topic appear to focus on the issues of ownership prior to delivery and the risks of damage in transit. However, the potential issues arguably do not stop there. For example, what about insurance and liability for the components after delivery when on site, and responsibility for quality of the manufactured components? Equally importantly, is it clear who takes responsibility for the correct and defect-free assembly of the components? This article considers some of the potential legal and contractual issues that could be considered, although this article is not exhaustive or legal advice and specialist advice should be obtained on your particular concerns. As a starting point, it is worthwhile to ensure that the split of rights and obligations is consistent and comprehensive throughout the suite of contracts between the parties, e.g. the employer, contractor, consultant and manufacturer, including that there is no gap in rights or duties. Are the binding contractual terms clear on who is responsible for the manufactured components at each stage of the process? How far are the contractor and consultants responsible for the manufacturer’s interpretation of their design and the subsequent manufacture and assemwww.AECmag.com

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Comment

tions even extend to requiring the components to fit into the notified construction on site, or would such obligations be an onerous step too far? Due to the nature of offsite manufacturing, the contract terms on this would no doubt have to take into account the length of the design and fabrication process such as, in appropriate circumstances, reasonable allowances for price inflation. Would advance payment be required by the manufacturer, although backed by corresponding advance payment bonds and possibly a project bank account?

What about standard form contracts? bly, particularly if the results ownership. An employer may Factory_OS are not as envisaged? Equally is constructs modular want to ensure that the manuunits on a factory it clear who is responsible for facturer (if not contracted assembly line any additional costs and delay directly with them) does not due to interoperability issues arising due have any unexpected retention of title to the different software platforms used over the manufactured components. by the parties? Given how new the technologies and Issues such as the correct programme to processes are, it will no doubt be imporbe complied with for manufacture and tant to ensure binding clarity and consisassembly, and responsibility for interpre- tency of testing and checking regimes tation and application of the design, are (both at the manufacturing facility and arguably complex matters that could on site) and sufficient (but reasonable) cause friction between parties and should rights to visit the facility to carry out be clarified at an early stage. inspections on quality and progress. Who is responsible for damage during Where a project is using multiple manustorage, in transit and during construc- facturers for different components, stantion? Do the relevant responsible parties dardised risk assessments and quality have insurance cover for such damage? Is management or testing and checking there clarity on who is responsible for regimes could provide important reasinsuring the components at each stage? surance and speed up compliance checks. What about responsibility for failure in Arguably, the manufactured compoquality or KPIs due to untrained assem- nents would be regarded as “goods” under bly of the components on site, e.g. does the the Sale of Goods Act and Supply of Goods manufacturer have express obligations to and Services Act so that the implied warprovide sufficient assembly guidance? ranties of satisfactory quality and fitness Indeed, on a related issue, when setting for purpose apply. Whilst employers may out the KPIs for the components within understandably require warranties as to the contract documents, are parties com- quality of the components given the limitfortable that these are both measurable ed evidence of durability of the compoand achievable? nents at present, parties will equally need One important area that will no doubt be to obtain specialist legal advice on the of great concern will be ownership. This impact of these statutory implied terms includes ownership during manufacture and discussions had with their insurance and during transit, and clarity on when broker on whether they give rise to any this ownership (and risk) passes. Are the insurance coverage concerns. contract terms clear on this, e.g. will it What about responsibilities and duties pass on payment or on delivery? The JCT on the manufacturers themselves? This Standard Form of Building Contract (both could feasibly include obligations to meet 2011 and 2016 editions) contains an exam- the project’s programme dates and an ple of a retention of title clause that deals obligation to provide a schedule of manuwith off-site materials; it provides for pay- facturing/delivery to avoid prolonged ment in respect of materials stored off-site storage on site and consequential storage and title to pass provided that certain con- costs and increased risk of damage. Delay ditions are met. Some parties may require in manufacturing timetables could have payment to be backed by a vesting certifi- significant consequences for the project cate or bond to protect passing of title or timetable as a whole. Could the obliga-

Do we have any help from standard form contracts in seeking to make contractual arrangements for offsite construction and DfMA? Some non-exhaustive examples are provided below for consideration and discussion, of some of the available standard form contract documentation. As some readers will be aware, the RIBA DfMA overlay (in a joint publication by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Off-site Management School, “RIBA Plan of Work 2013: Designing for Manufacture and Assembly”) provides helpful new task bars which are supplemental to the eight already included in the RIBA Plan of Work 2013. These set out which activities should be carried out or considered at the various stages. The task bars include, for example, suggested BIM Tasks for DfMA and suggested Procurement Tasks for DfMA. The NEC Supply Contract and NEC Supply Short Contract appear to take further steps towards incorporating manufacturers into the contractual supply chain framework. In this standard form contract, the typical NEC early warning procedure is tailored to the requirements of a manufacturer and purchaser by incorporating some changes to the usual NEC provisions. For example, the parties are to warn of events that may affect the price, delay the delivery or impair the performance of the goods or impair the usefulness of the services to the purchaser. The contracts contain a manufacturer style limitation of liability at Option X25: “The Supplier gives the Purchaser warranties for the amounts stated in the Contract Data and in the form set out in the scope. A warranty is given to the Purchaser before Delivery”. Some commentators suggest these contracts can be utilised for international fabrication and supply arrangements. There is not enough room in this article to discuss this in detail, and readers are advised to

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obtain specialist legal advice if they would like to know more. From an international perspective, some commentators suggest suppliers and manufacturers use Incoterms to clarify delivery obligations although these are not without their complications and specialist drafting advice will be needed. For example, the importance of choosing the most appropriate Incoterm and choosing the appropriate jurisdiction and applicable law. Many of these issues are admittedly the same issues arising in any case when purchasing materials from an international supply chain. The position nonetheless remains that there are currently no accepted standardised terms within the industry for offsite construction and DfMA. As we have seen with BIM, it may therefore be sensible to be more detailed and explicit in contractual terms than normal regarding the parties’ positions and expectations, to avoid misunderstandings and disputes regarding rights, duties and deliverables.

Legal and contractual side thoughts Like BIM, the nature of offsite construction and DfMA requires a good or increased level of collaboration between parties. Imbedding collaborative processes and appropriate information exchange processes within the contractual documents could assist to ensure this takes place, whilst encouraging the project team to develop a mindset of collaboration being business as usual. If the offsite facility is constructed and located on-site, will planning permission be required as well as appropriate contractual documentation for a licence/lease to occupy and use the site for this purpose? The contract with the manufacturer may need to cover the usual provisions of Modern Slavery Act 2015 and GDPR requirements, and contain appropriate dispute resolution clauses to endeavour to resolve disputes quickly and amicably where possible, preventing serious delays and costs to the projects if delivery of the manufactured components is delayed during a costs dispute.

Quick reminders on insurance Some commentators point out that offsite construction and DfMA provide benefits for insurers due to a reduced H&S risks (reduced on-site time and number of workers). Parties may be wise to have a specific conversation with their insurance broker and specialist advisers where offsite construction and DfMA are being contem50

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plated. What is the impact on project-specific insurance policies; for example, where the relevant manufacturer is manufacturing components for multiple projects at once? What is the impact on latentdefects insurance cover? Equally a clear split in design responsibility and liability between the contractor, designer consultant and manufacturer may assist to clarify whose PI policy responds in the event of a design or other error in the components. In this regard, will we see parties insisting on crossindemnities between themselves as regards the quality and composition of the resulting components? It is very possible that new forms of insurance will develop to cater for these new processes and ways of working and resulting changing risks. Indeed, Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme (BOPAS) provides a risk-based evaluation which is stated to demonstrate to funders, lenders, valuers and purchasers that homes built from non-traditional methods and materials will stand the test of time for at least 60 years.

Conclusion – evidence backed benefits The UK Government recently announced the first direct investment in a modular housing factor; £30m investment in Ilke Homes; the Welsh Government has followed suit – announcing a planned £10m investment into modular factories. The potential benefits to the industry of offsite construction and DfMA are arguably undeniable. The McKinsey Global Institute’s Report, Reinventing Construction: A Route To Higher Productivity (February 2017), suggests that parts of the construction industry could move toward a manufacturinginspired mass-production system that would boost productivity up to tenfold. In addition, it also suggests that productivity could be boosted by 50 to 60 percent by acting in seven areas including rethinking design and engineering processes. Specific examples are given for this - of encouraging off-site manufacture, minimising on-site construction through the extensive use of pre-cast technology, assembling panels in factories and then finishing units on site. KPMG’s Smart Construction Report (April 2016) in turn noted that whilst offsite construction costs were greater, the shorter construction time facilitated earlier revenue generation and provided greater savings when applying standardised product catalogue across a portfolio. In fact, KPMG reported that finan-

cial net savings of 7% were possible due to a shortened construction time; calculated as £36m savings for a 50-storey London office building. KPMG equally pointed out that offsite construction in itself is not the panacea to all the industry’s ailments. It still requires the industry, and clients in particular, to develop compatible procurement and contractual strategies to facilitate and enable more collaborative investment in offsite construction to make it feasible. Nonetheless, the chief executive of Legal & General Homes stated in KPMG’s report that offsite construction enables parties to build houses quicker, cheaper and better with greater certainty of costs.

A final word from Mark Farmer On being asked about offsite construction and DfMA, Mark Farmer, author of the “Modernise or Die” report and recently appointed as new independent champion for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), confirmed his support of offsite construction and DfMA, “The initial impetus behind BIM has led to pockets of best practice and a passionate but designer skewed lobby pressing for change. For too long, the wider industry and its clients have not had sufficient drivers to embrace change. “My evangelism on moving to greater levels of pre-manufactured content within the whole construction industry is not about ‘analogue building in a shed’ but is about embracing technology as part of the solution. This has direct ramifications for the speed of digitalisation as the advent of digital manufacturing is creating greater ‘hard wired’ links between digital design and component, element or building system manufacturing and assembly. “The ability to retain the digital thread as far into the construction process as possible has accelerated in a world where post Grenfell regulatory reform and a politicised climate change agenda is going to increasingly dictate technology from cradle to grave as being the only way to better assure high performance outcomes. This in my view will force higher levels of pre-manufactured value, which will increasingly require the rigour of ISO 19650 at the heart of either fully vertically integrated or simulated integration via multi-party alliancebased workflows and business models.” May Winfield is a senior construction lawyer specialising in BIM & innovation, and associate director at BuroHappold Engineering. You can find her on Twitter @Buildlaw_Arttea www.AECmag.com

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