CU Sep-Oct 2021

CAD User
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
VOL 34 NO 05
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Who owns the data?
Amodal investigate the problems
of data ownership The Hammers 2021
The Construction Computing
Awards are back on site!
Vectorworks 2022
Getting to the root of the new release
The soul of a building
Redesigning the Duke Ellington
School of the Arts with Archicad
Digital twins: beyond the hype
Are users onboard with the trend yet?
INDUSTRY NEWS • CASE STUDIES • HARDWARE & SOFTWARE FOCUS • PRODUCT REVIEWS • FEATURES

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CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
CONTENTS
THE SOUL OF A BUILDING 10
"Oh my goodness, we've gotta build this
thing!" How Cox Graae + Spack modernised
the Duke Ellington School of the Arts with the
help of Graphisoft Archicad
MAKING THE OFFSITE IDEAL REALITY 12
Duncan Reed at Trimble (UK) explores the
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA)
approach and how it can help to bring the
benefits of Offsite to life
COST VALUE RECONCILIATION 14
A comprehensive Cost Value Reconciliation
scheme should enable you to both manage
and stay one step ahead of our current
material and labour shortages
VECTORWORKS 2022 16
Landscape architects will know what plant
root balls are, and now they're a feature of the
latest version of Vectorworks 2022 alongside
a range of next-gen enhancements, writes
David Chadwick
NEWS.................................................INDUSTRY NEWS.......................................................................................................6
• SIGN UP FOR SKETCHUP FOR IPAD BETA • THE RISING STARS OF FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................RISE OF THE BIMBOT...........................................................................................9
• AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO CARRY OUT SPECIFIC TASKS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES
AWARDS.............................................BACK ON SITE!.................................................................................................18
• THE FINALISTS OF THE 2021 CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARDS HAVE ARRIVED
INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................DIGITAL TWINS: BEYOND THE HYPE.................................................................20
• THE HYPE IS INCREASING ABOUT THE DIGITAL TWIN - BUT ARE USERS ONBOARD WITH THE TREND YET?
CASE STUDY......................................MADE SMARTER...............................................................................................22
• A BREAKTHROUGH NEW PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO REVOLUTIONISE THE STEEL REINFORCEMENT SUPPLY CHAIN
INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................WHO OWNS THE DATA?.....................................................................................24
• MICHAEL BARBER AT AMODAL INVESTIGATES THE PROBLEMS OF DATA OWNERSHIP IN OUR DIGITAL WORLD
CASE STUDY.......................................KEEPING COOL IN THE CLASSROOM................................................................26
• IMPROVING THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF ESFA SCHOOLS
INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................GOOD DATA, BAD PRACTICE............................................................................28
• ARE WE TAKING PROPER ADVANTAGE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF DATA WE ARE NOW CREATING?
CASE STUDY.......................................DOZERS IN THE CLOUD......................................................................................30
• IMPROVING EARTHWORKS PRODUCTIVITY WITH MACHINE CONTROL USING TRIMBLE WORKSMANAGER
TRAINING MAP...................................AUTODESK TRAINING.........................................................................................32
• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING
CASE STUDY......................................ECONCRETE ......................................................................................................34
• DAVID CHADWICK OUTLINES A NEW WAY TO PROTECT COASTLINES FROM THE INCREASING THREAT OF EROSION
September/October 2021 3

COMMENT
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Comment
Architectural design competitions
by David Chadwick
What an absolute pleasure it has
been to write up the Graphisoft
case study on the Duke Ellington
School of the Arts project in Washington DC.
It is a pure, unalloyed, architectural study
with no reference whatsoever to Brexit, the
pandemic, material shortages or anything
else that has conditioned our current
predicaments. The subtitle encapsulates the
whole project: "Oh my goodness, we've
gotta build this thing!"
Entering an international design
competition spurs the creative ambitions of
architects. When you don't have to think too
hard about building regulations, construction
practicalities, financial pressures and
budgets, you can let your imagination soar
and create some amazing structures. And
winning the competition might be a sublime
moment, until you realise that your plans
have now got to be put into practice.
As ambitious as some designs are, the
primary briefing is delivered, and the winner
selected by the client and sponsor of the
competition. They have their own needs and
aspirations for the building, and the winning
design must deliver them. The Duke
Ellington School of the Arts project went
global in its search for a solution that would
turn their iconic warren of an old building into
an inspiring centre for multi-ethnic students
of the performing arts, citing Washington
DC's status as a worldwide hub for the arts.
The competition winners, Cox Graae +
Spack Architects, went to the school and
immersed themselves in the culture and
environment of both the students and the
existing structure.
Besides wanting to create an inspirational
space for the future, the client was also keen
to preserve elements of the building which
retained its links to the past. The resulting
design promised all of this and more,
creating an interesting juxtaposition of both
old and new elements and completely
stripping out a massive area in the centre of
the building in order to build the uniquely
shaped structure housing the stage and
banked seating.
With some previous experience with
Graphisoft's Archicad, the whole range of
the software's design and BIM capabilities
were mobilised by Cox Graae + Spack,
including the design of the structural steel
auditorium, collaboration with a structural
steel detailer to produce a fabrication
model, and the use of BIMx to produce
visualisations and share ideas.
The software, and the juggling of all of the
elements to enable them to work together,
tested the company to the limits. The result
was expressed succinctly by the client who
stated that "the architects understood US!".
I was delighted to write up the story, but am
happy to review my opinion about the role of
design competitions in the industry. They are
an excellent entry point for aspiring young
architects and a potential source of
unexpected riches, but they can also be
unmitigated disasters where flamboyant
designs beguile unwitting judging panels -
one of the most famous instances being the
Sydney Opera House.
Losing entries can also be surprising
sources of original architectural progress,
and projects that might have been built have
become as influential as those that should
never have been, such as the Chicago
Tribune Tower competition in 1922 for the
most "beautiful and distinctive office building
in the world", which attracted 260 entries.
The winning neo-Gothic entry was eclipsed,
however, by the bulk of the other entries
which helped to create the new modernism
which "defined the American Skyline."
Don't forget, either, the Centre Pompidou in
Paris, designed by a young Richard Rogers
and Renzo Piano in 1971. It's a fascinating
history, and the Duke Ellington School of the
Arts has added another chapter to it.
4 September/October 2021

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INDUSTRY news
A CLEARER VIEW OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Symetri is partnering with
Oculo, provider of a digital
construction solution which
uses AI to provide a single
source of truth for construction
projects and on-site
progress.The partnership
allows Symetri to offer customers
greater project visibility,
with benefits ranging from better
issue management, easy
BIM model comparison and
faster decision-making. It also
provides a visual as-built
record that can be referred
back to post-construction or
passed on to building owners.
Oculo does this by transforming
the footage it gets from
simple-to-use hard-hat cameras
into an up-to-date 360°
"streetview" of the construction
site that can be viewed and
navigated through online. This
allows the user to pick any
point on the floor plan and
then see, within a few clicks,
what the site currently looks
like. Doing this repeatedly over
the course of the project then
gives the ability to look back in
time to see what work had
been completed at a specific
date, or to see what lies
beneath walls and areas subsequently
closed up.
Oculo also integrates with
Autodesk's BIM 360, which
allows the Oculo footage to be
seamlessly embedded into the
existing issue management
and snagging workflows that
teams are already familiar with.
www.symetri.co.uk
WHITTLING DOWN WOODS AWARDS SHORTLIST
Nineteen structures and
eleven product designs
have been nominated for the
Wood Awards 2021. Established
in 1971, the Wood
Awards is the UK's premier
competition for excellence in
architecture and product
design in wood. The competition
is free to enter and aims to
encourage and promote outstanding
timber design, craftsmanship
and installation.
The independent judging
panel visits all the shortlisted
projects in person The Awards
are split into two main categories:
Buildings and Furniture
& Product. The Wood Awards
shortlist will be on display at
The Building Centre in London,
from 25th October until 3rd
December, as part of the exhibition
World of Wood.
www.woodsawards.com
MODEL COORDINATION UPDATE FOR BIM 360
SketchUp for iPad (Beta) is
an accessible bridge for
architects and designers looking
to move from paper and
pencil to creating 3D models
using an iPad, iPad Air, iPad
mini, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil,
mouse and keyboard, or multitouch
gestures.
The app leverages 5G connectivity
and offers a robust,
native integration with the Trimble
Connect collaboration platform,
a cloud-based solution
that enables file updates in
real-time. This allows project
stakeholders to collaborate
effectively and users to move
seamlessly between SketchUp
for iPad, Web and Desktop.
"The ability to create new
designs and conceptual ideas
whenever inspiration strikes
and review and update
SketchUp models on the go,
The September 2021
Model Coordination
update for Autodesk BIM 360
includes support for all IFC,
NWC and VUE file formats.
IFC files exported from any
authoring application, any
Autodesk Navisworks NWC
file, and VUE files from Intergraph
SmartPlant 3D, are
now supported in Model
Coordination for aggregation,
and can be reviewed in any
combination with other supported
file formats.
The Model Coordination
viewer has also been upgraded
to increase performance,
including faster model loading,
reduced drop-out and
improved geometry prioritisation
whilst navigating, and
reduced memory usage. The
user's choice of display units
whilst measuring in Model
Coordination are now
retained across sessions.
www.autodesk.co.uk
SIGN UP FOR SKETCHUP FOR IPAD BETA
whether on the jobsite, in a
coffee shop or while meeting
with clients, is something our
professional users are
requesting. We're excited to
deliver a solution that fits how
SketchUp users want to work
today and into the future," said
Christopher Cronin, vice president
and general manager at
Trimble SketchUp.
Autoshape, Markup Mode,
AR model viewing and dozens
of user interface and workflow
enhancements are designed
to fully leverage the unique
capabilities of iPad devices
and their respective supported
accessories. Early access to
SketchUp for iPad is open to a
limited number of users and
granted on a first-come, firstserve
basis. To sign up, visit:
https://www.sketchup.com/pro
ducts/sketchup-for-ipad.
6
September/October 2021

INDUSTRY news
POWERPROJECT COLLABORATION CLOUD
Elecosoft has launched a
new monthly subscriptionbased
software service, Powerproject
Collaboration Cloud.
The service empowers construction
companies to plan,
track and manage projects in
one place, collaborating closely
with team members to deliver
strong results. As users are
connected via the cloud, everyone
involved can share information
anytime, anywhere – in the
office or on-site.
Construction companies that
subscribe to Powerproject Collaboration
Cloud will gain
access to three Elecosoft solutions,
integrated into one package:
Powerproject, Site
Progress Mobile, and Powerproject
Vision. If you're already
using Powerproject or another
piece of Elecosoft technology,
you can upgrade to Powerproject
Collaboration Cloud for the
complete collection.
www.elecosoft.com
MAKING 3D MODELS EASIER TO USE WITH AI
Aerial mapping company
Bluesky International and
the University of Leicester are
using Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning to make 3D
models easier to use in smart
city and digital twin applications.
Using established mathematical
techniques, the project
will focus on Bluesky's
MetroVista mesh models as
the basis for research into the
simplification of the data without
loss of detail or integrity. It
is hoped the outcomes will
address many of the barriers
faced by potential users in the
insurance, real estate and public
administration sectors which
can include processing time,
data storage costs and energy
consumption.
This latest partnership
between Bluesky and the University
of Leicester will be funded
by the £7 million SPRINT
(SPace Research and Innovation
Network for Technology)
programme. The project follows
a previous collaboration
to develop a new portfolio of
geospatial data products for
the UK insurance sector.
"With funded access to the
expert team from the University
of Leicester's Applied Mathematics
Group, we aim to make
the technology more accessible
and open up to new users,"
commented James Eddy, Technical
Director at Bluesky International.
"It's a new product for
many of the sectors involved in
smart city and digital twin applications
so this project will help
us to accelerate the development
of the technology and
encourage people to get
accustomed to it."
www.bluesky-world.com
FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE'S UK RISING STARS
As part of Bentley's inaugural
education programme
the company has announced
the UK finalist projects that
have been selected for the
2021 Future Infrastructure Star
Challenge. Through the Future
Infrastructure Star Challenge
2021, Bentley has invited students
from around the world
to submit their thoughts,
ideas, and innovations that
they see for the future infrastructure
industry.
The winning submission is set
to receive a cash prize of
$5,000 and will be announced
at this year's Year in Infrastructure
Going Digital Awards, taking
place virtually on 1-2
December. The UK finalist projects
include:
University of Sheffield: The
future of green buildings - the
The new Graphisoft Community
merges Archicad
Talk and the English-language
Help Center into one, easy-tosearch
resource for users. The
platform offers fast, efficient
support and search functions,
and ensures quick feedback
from peer users and
Graphisoft experts.
A single sign-in using a
Graphisoft ID gives instant
damaging effect of greenhouse
gas emissions in the construction
industry.
Swansea University: Achieving
net zero - producing rapidly
deployable technology to capture
carbon emissions in UK
urban areas.
University of Westminster:
Transforming horticulture and
food supply chains - can the
UK become fully self-sufficient?
The three projects represent
some of the best work submitted
by college and university
students as part of the competition,
with students gaining
access to Bentley's most popular
software applications as
well as learning resources and
industry experts to help
inspire them.
https://yii.bentley.com/en/awards
STATE-OF-THE-ART GRAPHISOFT COMMUNITY
access to both Archicad Talk
and the English-language
Help Center - multi-language
support will be rolled out on
an ongoing basis. Current
users of Archicad Talk are
encouraged to migrate their
accounts to the new Community
portal as quickly as possible
to take advantage of the
new, streamlined portal - their
previous activities and content
will move with them.
Graphisoft Community also
introduces a fresh, engaging
approach to knowledge-sharing
on the portal through
incentives, badges, rankings,
challenges, and competitions.
https://community.graphisoft.com
8
September/October 2021

TECHNOLOGYfocus
Rise of the BIMbot
An autonomous robot has been designed to carry out a number of
tasks on a construction site, under the control of a 3D BIM model
Iam sure that it was not the shortage of
builders on construction sites that
prompted the development of COSCR,
the Collaborative On-Site Construction
Robot, as one of the main benefits put
forward by its developers was its potential
to take over some of the high level tasks
that most frequently lead to accidents.
COSCR was designed to navigate
construction sites autonomously and
carry out specific tasks with improved
productivity, quality and safety. The robot
is the result of a UK programme led by
Skanska, who have been working with a
consortium of leading technology
companies to develop a prototype
robotic platform that can navigate
construction sites and carry out specific,
preprogrammed activities. Expertise in
automation and robotics have been
supplied by HAL Robotics, ABB and
InnoTecUK, together with project
management expertise from BRE, site
access and productisation experience
from Skyjack, and construction industry
insight from Skanska.
The COSCR platform comprises a
robust mobile base, site sensing
technology and BIM-linked software
systems, and BIM-linked software
systems enable it to navigate safely and
accurately around a construction site. It
uses a laser beam to detect if it is in
dangerously close proximity to workers or
its operator, which either sets off the
alarm or shuts down its operation.
COSCR can be operated manually or
autonomously. In manual mode, an
operator uses a controller to move the
robot around the site. In autonomous
mode, the robot uses its onboard
sensors, as well as maps derived directly
from BIM data, to navigate itself safely
around the site and perform tasks that
have been scheduled by the user.
The robot has been developed to
specific size and weight constraints to
maximise its potential to access the
tightest corners of any site. The platform
is tracked, which enhances the
manoeuvrability, and features a telescopic
mast fitted with a robotic arm, enabling it
to reach heights of up to 4.2 metres.
Sebastian Andreos, director of HAL
Robotics, who were the lead party in the
project, explained that the proof of
concept was to drill and anchor insertion
fittings in a ceiling, an application which
was trialled on a live construction site at
Skanska's Featherstone Building project
in central London. "The COSCR project
has combined the expertise of the whole
consortium to develop a versatile
platform for on-site automation tasks,"
Sebastian explained. "We firmly believe
that COSCR platforms, and others like it,
have a place on construction sites in the
near future and have worked to ensure
we understand the standards that must
be met to allow that to happen. The
platform itself and the control systems
around it have been designed in a
generalisable way to ensure that we can
operate alternative tasks, such as
logistics, painting, inspection etc, and
control multiple robots working on the
same site with ease."
COSCR's programme is based on the
project's 3D BIM Model. After delivering
the autonomous robot on site, it is placed
approximately in the location of its
allotted task. The robot will then fully
'localise' itself within the model and
calculate an optimal route for it to
perform all its tasks.
The safety aspect was emphasised by
Jim Waldron, the Product Safety Manager
at Skyjack - experts, for many years, in
ensuring the safety of construction
workers operating at height. he said that
COSCR is the next step in projects to
take people away from working.
"One of the main challenges", Jim said,
"was in introducing full autonomy into a
robot: a 'Fire and Forget' philosophy
where the programme can operate fully
without further human intervention. To do
that we have to understand all of the risks
associated with running an autonomous
robot on a construction site, working
alongside other robots and people and
ensuring that both remain safe."
Rob Cargill, the Senior Project Engineer
at Skanska, emphasised the role of
robots in the industry, explaining that
they can accomplish tasks several times
faster than traditional methods,
providing considerable advantages both
for the project and for the industry in
general. He foresees a greater use of
robots throughout the industry, from
small 3D scanning devices to large
earthworking platforms.
This was echoed by Skanska UK's Head
of Innovation, Vaibhav Tyagi who said
that "Advancing the use of robotics in
construction has the potential to deliver
huge benefits, both in terms of safety and
productivity. By automating tasks that are
repetitive or present some degree of risk,
such as working at height, we can protect
our people, while improving the accuracy,
speed and quality of the task."
You can watch a video of COSCR in
action at https://youtu.be/Phrv5GiUBR8.
www.skanska.com
September/October 2021 9

CASEstudy
The soul of a building
"Oh my goodness, we've gotta build this thing!"
That was the first thought of
Christopher Ambridge, Associate
principal at Cox Graae + Spack
architects after the firm had just won an
international competition to turn an old
school in Washington DC into the new
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
building. The old building, listed on
America's register of Historic Places and
previously Western High School, has
been modernised to house a new facility
for the arts in memory of the pioneering
American jazz bandleader and
composer, Edward 'Duke' Ellington.
The architectural firm, facing stiff
competition, realised at an early stage
that turning the old warren of a building
into a welcoming environment that
nurtured the talents of its students
required a deeper appreciation of who
the students were, what their aspirations
were and what sort of building would
allow them to flourish. The design they
settled on balances the old iconic
features of the building, which they
wanted to preserve, with an exciting
open atrium behind the main façade,
featuring the curved exterior of the main
performance theatre and stage.
A cursory glance at the principal
features of the design would probably
have you echoing Christopher's initial
sentiments, but more of that later. The
focus of the school's ethos is just as
interesting. Sandi Logan, the School's
Principal, explained that the centre was
created for "students who didn't typically
have access to the arts." She added
that when you enter the building you
now hear music, see dancing, and that
it just gives you a "sense of spirit." It is
now a public school that takes kids at
any academic level as long as they
have a particular aptitude that they want
to develop.
The Duke Ellington School had the
funds to run the $100 million programme
that they had in mind, but just didn't
have a building that gave them the
freedom they needed and that allowed
them to create workshops, build studios
and perform until the Western High
School building became available.
Ronald Lee Newman, the Former
Director of Operations for the school,
echoed Sandi's remarks, pointing out
multi-ethnic communities with their
shared experiences of inequality and
prejudice, wanted to create a focus for
their aspirations and found it in the
School of the Arts. Its location in the
heart of the capital State of America was
also significant. "As Global Ambassadors
to the Arts in Washington," he said, "we
decided to solicit firms worldwide to
enter a design competition."
There were many presentations - some
of them outstanding - but there was only
one company that really captured "the
essence of the people who are here."
Chris Graae and his team did what
every architect should do, namely "sit
back and listen," he added.
TAKING THE BUILDING APART
Joanna Schmickel, a Principal at CGS,
explained what that spirit was. "We
spent time, experiencing people here,"
She explained how one of the principal
features. "The theatre, the heart of it, sits
in a box - and is part of the community."
Gabe Oliver, the Vice President at CGS
explained the early steps that needed to
be taken once the plans had been
adopted. Having recently been
renovated the placer had to be ripped
apart, the gym turned into the dance
studio and the auditorium become the
performing arts centre. The building,
beautiful as it was, didn't allow another
storey to be added to it.
AND BUILDING THE DREAM…
Christopher explained how the project
was tackled. He explained that he was
familiar with Archicad, and had done
some work with 3D elements, but had
never used it as a BIM workflow. In this
particular project though, and aware of
the geometrical complexity of the what
they were trying to achieve, the
company decided to run the whole
10
September/October 2021

CASEstudy
project as a BIM project on Archicad.
William Spack, the Founding Principal
of CGS confirmed this, explaining that
Archicad was a tool that provided the
bridge between the roles of everybody
on the project, using the 3D model to
solve issues that otherwise would have
taken months to work out.
For the theatre, for instance, the
model was shared out to a steel
detailer in Minneapolis enabling them
to visualise what they were looking at,
see what clearances there were and
which they could work with, and
incorporate all of the detailed
components into the model. They
provided the details but they didn't
have to put the model together.
It was up to Christopher to know what
the different parties were doing, and to
put all the work back together again as
a consolidated, accurate building
model. "We created the steel model
then sent it to the steel detailers who
developed the fabrication model," he
said. "This was returned to us in IFC
format and we ported it into our model,
showing each model in different
colours, so that we could ensure that
they fitted together perfectly, or whether
there were clashes.
"Then we had to build it - with steel
erectors who had previously worked in
2D and were unfamiliar with working with
3D fabrication models. The illustrations
featured in this article show the
complexity of the performing arts 'box'.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
An important feature of the design was
the retention of some of the original
features of the building, in order to
create links with the past. This
amounted to keeping some of the
original windows and the use of the
original textured brick wall. Behind the
porticoed entrance, though, they had
the freedom to design the area as a
large feature in the centre of the atrium.
The central, modern part of the
building was offset slightly from the
older frontispiece, creating a slight
sense of separation which added to its
architectural integrity. The new shell of
the theatre didn't quite touch the old
part of the building, creating a tension
that existed between the new and old.
"We wanted visual and literal
connectivity across the building,"
Christopher added. "The atrium was a
device for that, you could look across
the atrium and see the visual arts
department, and you coud look through
the windows at the students." This was
echoed by Sandi Logan, who said, "The
space really does make you feel
connected, and piano sounds resonate
through the whole building."
The excitement of the space was
matched by the excitement the designers
felt about the whole project. As Gabe
said, "You can't go into the building and
see, anywhere, anything that didn't
require Herculean collaboration and
coordination, and the list of things that
are exciting or challenging you will find in
every corner of the building. The rubber
hit the road here."
Ronald Lee Newman has the final
words. "There's something in this
building that helps us push forward,
seeping through the walls, in the air -
they did a great job of capturing US!"
www.graphisoft.com
September/October 2021 11

TECHNOLOGY focus
DfMA: making the Offsite ideal a reality
While Offsite may be proclaimed as the future of the construction industry, if we are to truly
deliver on this Offsite vision and reap the rewards then we need to change the way we are
approaching projects. Here, Duncan Reed, Digital Construction Process Manager at Trimble
(UK) explores the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach and how it can help
to bring the benefits of Offsite to life
Atopic on everyone's lips, it's no
secret that Offsite is heralded as
holding the key to the industry's
modernised, prosperous and efficient
future. Its benefits are well-known, from
time and cost savings to better
construction quality and reduced
material waste, and the UK Government
has also delivered a clear push on these
more modern methods. Featuring heavily
in its plans to "build better, faster and
greener", Offsite also dominated the
2020 Construction Playbook, in which the
government calls for the adoption of a
"manufacturing-led approach" and the
use of "innovation and Modern Methods
of Construction" in the delivery of public
works projects.
However, if we are to truly deliver on this
Offsite vision and reap its promised
rewards - of which there are plenty - it
needs to be considered from the very
outset of a project. If you take a step
back, the success and delivery of any
project will often be determined as early
on as the initial concept and design
phase, with each completed stage in turn
influencing and shaping the next. Clearly
a change of mindset is required, with the
Offsite way of thinking and Offsite
processes required right from the initial
stages of a project.
Indeed, despite the title (Offsite
Construction), the process stretches far
beyond just the final construction and
assembly phase. Only if a project is
designed, modelled and detailed with
Offsite manufacturing and assembly in
mind, can the value of these modern
methods be truly realised.
This is where Design for Manufacture
and Assembly (DfMA) comes into play.
DfMA works to take Offsite further, from
construction to assembly; with an
approach that focuses upon driving the
design process towards creating a
manufactured solution using
standardised components, for ease of
manufacture and efficiency of assembly.
Structures designed in this way can help
to push the well-publicised benefits of
Offsite even further; from a reduced
construction programme time
through to
improved efficiency and productivity
levels on site.
Putting it into numbers, a DfMA project
could result in a:
20-60% reduction in construction
programme time
20-40% reduction in construction
costs
70%+ reduction in onsite labour
Better construction quality
Reduced waste
Fewer queries from site
So, how can you best incorporate DfMA
principles on your next project? At its
heart, is correct-first time products and
components, accurate manufacturing
and assembly tolerances and a structure
that is designed to be easily assembled.
Here, digital technology (such as 3D
modelling software) is perhaps the
perfect partner, with the benefits and
capabilities of BIM aligning with the
demands and requirements of Offsite.
Design can be carried out digitally to
ensure the components are defined and
detailed in accordance with customer
requirements, tested for
manufacture and
coordinated for
assembly.
12
September/October 2021

TECHNOLOGYfocus
It goes without saying that one of the
key requirements of both Offsite and
DfMA is the need for accuracy. With the
aim for all structural components,
whether it be a load-bearing light metal
frame or volumetric pod, to be fabricated
and assembled off-site, before being
lifted and fixed into place on site,
ensuring high levels of precision and
exact coordination between components
is critical. Failure to satisfy these tight
tolerances runs the risk of Offsite's timesaving
benefits being lost, with the need
for extensive rework or even
refabrication. In addition to the
subsequent delays to the overall project
delivery, this could also cause costs to
go up dramatically, as well as resulting in
material wastage - again going against
the core of Offsite construction.
This is where BIM comes into play,
renowned for its information-rich and
highly accurate 3D models. Given the
visualisation enabled by the 3D model, it
enables you to see the proposed
structure before you even get to site, to
build it before you actually build it. In
turn, this can all provide confidence in
the structural design, as well as the
assurance that all components work and
integrate together correctly.
This theme of accuracy carries into
another aspect of BIM, mainly the idea of
the 3D model acting as the central
source of information. Once the main
model is finalised, clash checked and
approved, all documentation, including
quantity take-offs, production schedules,
fabrication drawings and project reports,
is automatically generated using the
data stored within the 3D model. This
integrated flow of accurate and
information-rich data throughout the
construction sequence, from detailing
through to fabrication and on-site
assembly, can be invaluable, facilitating
a more streamlined and efficient process
and, in turn, helping to further push the
value of Offsite construction.
Using a DfMA and BIM approach on
the construction of Vita Student
Westgate, a large student
accommodation scheme in Newcastle,
Intelligent Steel was able to utilise the
direct link between Tekla Structures and
its fabrication machinery, increasing the
speed, efficiency and accuracy of the
process. Using the 3D model data, the
steel-framing machines were able to
accurately place all punching and fixing
holes, which not only allowed for the
frames and trusses to be manufactured
with extreme precision but also enabled
the frame to be self-locating and jigging,
reducing the build-time on site.
Design & Consultancy is another
business operating within the Light Metal
Framing sector. Speaking about the use
of BIM software, Nik Teagle, Director,
said: "For us, it's all about designing with
manufacture and assembly in mind.
Through Tekla, we're able to constantly
develop the way we detail frames and
the fixings and connections we use, all
based off feedback received from
Frameclad - our framing manufacturer."
Another example of DfMA in action is
the construction of the Telford Central
Footbridge. Here, the bridge span was
first pre-assembled near to the final site,
before then being lifted into place during
a road and rail closure. Using Tekla
Structures, SH Structures was able to
plan and deliver a successful assembly,
as Sales and Marketing Manager, Tim
Burton, explained: "Prior to commencing
an installation of this size and complexity,
we must first produce a plan that
meticulously details our whole assembly
method, accompanied by lifting
assessments and crane layouts, all of
which we were aided by the Tekla model.
The software enabled us to extract
accurate weights of components and the
centre of gravity of complex assemblies,
including the bridge structure itself; all
information that was crucial for optimising
crane locations and ensuring an efficient
and safe installation."
While the topic of Offsite may appear to
be everywhere, there is still more that
can be done if we as an industry are to
truly deliver on this modern construction
method - starting with a change of
mindset. Despite the title (Offsite
construction), the Offsite principles and
ways of thinking need to be present and
incorporated at every stage of the
construction sequence, starting from the
initial concept and design phase, with
DfMA a key part of this.
For more information, download Tekla's
new E-Book, 'How to win at digital
construction using a design for
manufacture and assembly approach',
here or visit the website, below.
www.tekla.com/uk
September/October 2021 13

INDUSTRYfocus
Cost Value Reconciliation
A comprehensive Cost Value Reconciliation scheme should enable you to both manage and
stay one step ahead of our current material and labour shortages
In the past year we have seen
building projects being cancelled,
put on hold, and otherwise disrupted
by shortages of both materials and
labour. There are no shortages of
explanations though, as it has been
blamed on everything from Brexit to the
pandemic, not to mention shipping
problems and material scarcities. But in
spite of that we are now seeing a steep
rise in construction demand as various
lockdowns ease and contractors rush
back to work. It's a compound problem
and needs a comprehensive solution.
Simplifying the issue greatly, Brexit
problems stem from the 60% of
imported construction materials that
come from the EU and the red tape that
now accompanies them, causing
mayhem at the docks. And global
shipping was already in chaos as a
result of the pandemic causing labour
shortages at Asia-Pacific docks,
container shortages, incidents like the
Suez Canal blockage and rising
shipping costs.
Some materials - steel, timber and
concrete rebar - have risen dramatically
in price because of international
demand and rising shipping costs, a
trend that is beyond the reach of both
Brexit and COVID and which will be
with us for years to come. New tenders
and contracts should reflect this.
The result is that contractors, who are
already running on tight margins, are
going to find them tightening still
further. Schedules will need to be
adjusted or workers temporarily laid off
while they wait for the materials they
need. This brings with it its own risk, as
workers may need to go to other
projects and may not be available
again when needed. Prices will
continue to rise and suppliers, who are
being hit just as hard as builders, will
be rotated more frequently as
companies search the market for
supplies. And, to put the icing on the
cake, we have a shortage of lorry
drivers to actually deliver what we
manage to come up with!
COMPREHENSIVE CVR
If you are a contractor of any size, you
should already be running Cost Value
Reconciliation (CVR) software, which is
the basis of statutory accounts. It
should allow you to calculate the
retained profit in a contract on a regular
basis based on what's left after you
have subtracted costs and retentions
from its gross certified value. These
include things like subcontractor's
costs, materials, human resources and
labour, plant and other running costs.
It's normally the job of the contractor's
Quantity Surveyor (QS), supported by
the cost clerk to add costs and
subcontractor's liabilities as they occur,
covering all on-site disciplines and
including snagging and defects and the
costs associated with clearing them. All
other costs, such as labour, materials
and plant are normally supplied to the
contractors QS by the contractor's
Finance Controller. Integrating both
sets of data results in the production of
a final residual value, or profit margin.
There are, of course, many other
costs that may not be included in the
general running costs, but provision
needs to be made for them as well.
These include adjustments for
elements left off the original costing or
measurements not picked up by the
clients QS, date adjustments and
variations or contractual claims not
agreed by the client's QS, and even the
possibility of liquidation damages being
charged by the employer.
You also need to remember the
subcontract liability scheme, where
contractors have to take into account
a subcontractor's tax status as
determined by HMRC's construction
industry scheme (CIS) and deduct that
portion from payments, less the cost
of materials.
In the normal course of events a
comprehensive CVR solution, like that
provided by Access Construction, will
14
September/October 2021

INDUSTRYfocus
cover all of these eventualities, and
provide a regular update for
management with an accurate and upto-date
final residual value or profit to
date figure for the project. It should
allow calculations to be made which
balance increased material costs
against delivery dates and work out, for
example, whether paying more for
earlier delivery will be cheaper than a
fortnight's delay which entails laying off
the workforce for that period.
EXCEPTIONAL TIMES
I doubt that we will ever have to go
through another period like the last
couple of years, but we should have
learned valuable lessons from our
experiences. In substance, that means
that the CVR software we choose
should be flexible enough to handle
any all and changes, react in real-time
to problems as they occur, provide an
up-to-date database of suppliers and
other resources, and to use the
information to update running costs
and valuations to calculate a final
retained value.
Keeping in mind the legal aspects of
delays, liabilities and penalties, you
also need to check existing and future
tenders and contracts to ensure they
have provisions to deal with the
fluctuation of materials, which may
need completion dates to be put back
and other hold-ups without incurring
unnecessary penalties. To avoid
incurring punishing liquidated
damages for running behind the
master program, contractors should
either renegotiate contracts or seek
extension of time (EoT). When budgets
are tight, it is worth remembering that
just one penalty not covered by the
provisions in a contract could turn a
profit into a loss.
Keeping a tighter rein on CVR also
gives contractors the ability to 'play the
game'. As suppliers are themselves
seeing a much-reduced throughput,
they will naturally favour preferred
customers. Some have raised prices to
maintain their profitability, but the
majority understand that the whole
industry is under pressure and are
willing to work with customers to
maintain supplies at the right price and
to maintain their goodwill for the future.
If you know your current and future
liabilities you can pay early to 'jump the
queue' - hardly unethical, just good
business practice.
GETTING MORE OUT OF CVR
If a CVR is run as it should be it will
give you greater control over
expenditures and budgets. It should
also be a straightforward process and
easy to use, and that is exactly what
you get with Access ConQuest
Estimating. Pricing the work in each
construction element (subcontractors,
materials, human resources, plant,
labour, etc.) enables you to track the
value and costs against your accounts
and costing system. With an accurate
budget, broken down under cost centre
headings, you will be able to purchase
material and plant and allocate all
costs associated with a project,
providing easy and accurate Cost Value
Reconciliations.
Budget costs are usually revised
monthly, based on the remeasured and
amended internal valuation detailing
what you should have spent, while the
costing system calculates what has
actually been spent. Access ConQuest
Estimating gives you a number of
simple ways to bring this information
together to generate the final cost value
reconciliation sheet.
STATUTORY COMPLIANCE
Cost Value Reconciliation is
fundamental to a project's statutory
compliance and subcontractors are
one of the single biggest areas of cost
on a project. Access Construction ERP
software comprises Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) EasyBuild
and ConQuest Estimating. EasyBuild
informs you of your subcontractor costs
and liabilities during each monthly
reporting period, with both the
commercial manager and the
contractor's QS keeping on top of costs
and identifying variations and
additional works required. With better
controls they can ensure that accurate
information is available to substantiate
monthly client applications.
All of the key financial components of
a project can be accessed from one
smart dashboard, using information
from authorised personnel who can
input and adjust profitability, costs,
revenues, subcontractor liabilities and
valuation adjustments in a secure and
controlled environment. CVR data is, of
course, maintained for the whole of a
project's life, and CVR summary data
can be used from all of a contractor's
projects to prepare monthly
management and period end financial
accounts.
www.theaccessgroup.com/construction
September/October 2021 15

SOFTWAREfocus
Vectorworks 2022
Landscape architects will know what plant root balls are, and now they're a feature of the latest
version of Vectorworks 2022 alongside a range of next-gen enhancements, writes David Chadwick
Waiting for the annual release of
Vectorworks improvements
always bring to mind a visit to
the local pub serving all-you-can-eat
Sunday lunches - you can’t help but
sample the whole menu. Which, in
Vectorworks' case, includes Vectorworks
Architect, Landmark, Spotlight,
Fundamentals, Braceworks, ConnectCAD
and Vision. Unlike my pub lunches I’ll
show a bit of restraint here however and
come back for a second helping of the
new release in our next issue.
Vectorworks 2022 has plenty of
interesting enhancements in the
Architectural version alone, and one of the
first of these concerns the tools that
improve BIM workflows. The new release
provides enlarged and visually improved
worksheets and improved search facilities,
making it easier to create material takeoffs,
reports and schedules. It also includes
new criteria, new search functions and an
improved formula bar, making it easier to
work on more complex models.
The UI is much improved too, with the
Attributes palette modernised to provide a
more efficient layout, delivering accurate
and immediate previews and removing the
need to open dialogue boxes. There's also
a new Status Bar at the bottom of the
application window which gives quick
access to cursor settings, snapping
options and toggle snapping.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS
It's interesting that Vectorworks has also
highlighted the ability to use Apple's
NextGen Tech, which makes Vectorworks'
products faster and more intuitive.
Besides running directly on Apple Silicon
processors, it gives Vectorworks access
to Metal on Mac, and DirectX on
Windows and a new Direct Link to
Twinmotion.
The latter is particularly interesting.
Models can be created quickly and easily
in Vectorworks before being uploaded
directly into Twinnotion using Datasmith's
Direct Link, found in the Visualisation
toolset. Model export settings can be set
low or very high depending on the detail
you wish to export, and show in
Twinmotion. Once in Twinmotion, you can
add its range of animated characters and
other scene-setting components. If there
are any changes to the project you can
return to Vectorworks and make the
necessary updates, and then use
Datasmith to upgrade the scene,
retaining Twinmotion components. This
results in a fast and easy method of
creating high quality visual renderings.
Staying with rendering, the use of the
new Redshift Render Mode from
Vectorworks' sister company Maxon, the
world's first fully GPU-accelerated biased
renderer, speeds up rendering
substantially. It's especially useful for
performance rendering, such as camera
and volumetric effects, lighting and antialiasing.
You will need a powerful GPU to
take advantage of this.
PER-FACE TEXTURE MAPPING
Vectorworks users can now map different
textures to different faces of a solid
modelled object. The Texture tool located
in the basic tool palette provides different
ways of doing this. The first mode allows
users to add texture to all faces
simultaneously. Alternatively, you can add
selected textures to individual faces or
pick up textures from a face and apply
the same new texture to all of the faces
that had the same texture as the first.
More straightforwardly, you can just
drag and drop a texture directly from the
Resource Manager and apply it to a
sample face or multiple faces using a
combination of keystrokes. Once applied,
the Object Info Palette will allow you to
quickly identify which textures have been
applied to each face, and then either
rescale or remap the texture in place.
Double-clicking on the Texture icon
results in a view change to modify the
image with more precision.
REDESIGNED WALL TOOL
The Wall tool has been partially
redesigned to improve control and
accuracy. Wall components are more
16
September/October 2021

SOFTWAREfocus
accurate and turn at door and window
openings. This leads to more realistic
models in 2D and 3D and more
accurate reporting of materials. Round
walls are now recognised as a single
'wall' object in Vectorworks, which
makes reporting much easier, as you
only have to report 'wall' rather than
round wall and 'straight wall'. Users
retain complete control over individual
wall settings when turning them into
integrated components.
DIRECT STAIR EDITING
I say this every time, but I am amazed
how each new release of Vectorworks
manages to enhance its stair settings
still further. Vectorworks 2022 has Direct
Stair Editing, which allows users to
quickly and easily place and edit stairs
in both 2D and 3D views. Starting from a
library packed with different stair types,
users can quickly place them by
drawing a rectangle, indicating the
direction of travel, and creating the stair
path and its height, without having to
open a dialogue box. You can also
directly remodel the stairs in 2D by
selecting one of the smart handles, or in
3D by selecting a side of the stair and
pulling it out, or by inserting the desired
measurements in the heads-up display.
INTEROPERABILITY
Vectorworks takes pride in being a
design hub and continues to invest in
optimising the most-used file formats,
supporting value-added partner products
and ensuring that project teams and BIM
collaboration remain unrivaled. To this
end Vectorworks 2022 includes
improvements to DWG file import to
support Civil 3D, DWG and GIS
georeferencing. Additionally, IFC
import/export capabilities are enhanced
for improved material takeoffs, schedules
and reports and GIS workflows.
LANDSCAPE AND GIS
Vectorworks Landmark 2022 provides
developers with purpose-built design
tools that integrate plot or terrain
development with architectural design. It
can be used either as a standalone
landscape design tool, leveraging GIS,
or to take a project from the first cut and
fill to the creation of production
drawings - with BIM as a common
element throughout.
The demand for more sustainability in
designs has encouraged Vectorworks to
leverage the immense amount of
information available from GIS sources,
specifically Esri. Support for ArcGIS
Layers in Vectorworks allows users to
download and incorporate vector
geometry and data into Vectorworks,
and export information from Vectorworks
back to ArcGIS Feature Layers.
This is another facet of GIS and BIM
Exchange which allows Vectorworks to
read the georeferencing data embedded
in a DWG file, an image or an IFC
import. This makes it easier to
collaborate with design team members,
importing and exporting files without
losing this data.
Site Model Components is a
Landmark feature that lets users either
import geotechnical survey information
to define strata thickness or
subsurface layers, or define the strata
thicknesses as 'components' of the site
model. This helps create a realistic 3D
site model for more accurate 2D
representation in your drawings, and
more accurate calculations for things
like cut and fill analysis. Knowing
what's under your building or lanscape
site enables you to accommodate more
sustainable terrain management
technologies and create more effective
planting schemes.
And speaking of planting schemes, a
new feature that I particularly liked is the
Plant Root Zone. The landscape design
professionals among you will know that,
when you buy a new shrub, it comes
with the complete root ball (usually in a
hessian sack) and the instructions for
planting it. The Root Zone setting in the
plant tool in Vectorworks 2022
introduces all that and more for larger
scale planting, and even provides the
cut and fill figures for each excavation,
along with 2D and 3D representations in
the Plant Object toolbox.
www.vectorworks.net
September/October 2021 17

AWARDS
Sponsored by:
Here's your chance to vote for the
solutions and companies that you
feel have made the most
significant contribution to the industry
during a particularly challenging twelve
months. This year's Construction
Computing Awards will once again be
live rather than virtual - you've probably
had enough of Zoom and Teams by this
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 2021
4PS
Access Construction
Digital Construction Works
Open ECX
Revizto
Symetri Naviate
XYZ Reality
ONE TO WATCH COMPANY 2021
ALICE Technologies
BIMOne
Digital Construction Works
Ensign Advanced Systems
LetsBuild
Paperless Construction
Symetri
point - and will be held at The Royal
Leonardo Hotel in London on Thursday
11th of November. Voting to determine
the winners closes on November the 1st
and you can cast yours now by visiting
the awards website below.
You'll find a full list of the 2021 finalists
across the next two pages, along with
details of the finalists in our project
On Site App
Access Capture - Integration into
EasyBuild ERP
The Digital Construction Works
Integrations Platform
WebContractor
Revizto 5 - Integrated Collaboration
Platform
HoloSite
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2021
Esri UK with Sustrans
ArcGIS Platform - The National Cycle
Network
Revizto with KiwiRail
Revizto Platform - KiwiRail and
Scaling Up Cities with Next-Gen
Railway Issue Tracking
XYZ Reality
Holosite - Substructure Concrete
Works
BIM PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo with Canary Wharf Group
Bond Bryan Digital
Jonathan Reeves Architects
Mercury Engineering
Revizto Revizto 5
The Hammers 2021 - The finalists
3D Repo Platform - Wood Wharf,
Building a City in the Cloud
Information Hub - Gen Zero
Vectorworks Architect - Eco Home
Autodesk BIM 360 - The Digital
Construction Journey
Prague Airport Renovation
COLLABORATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2021
Esri UK with Costain
ArcGIS PlatformDelivering Cost
effective, Sustainable Projects
Revizto Revizto
Smithsonian National Air and Space
Museum
Symetri and Buro Happold
BIM 360 - Buro Happold with BIM
360 and Symetri on maximising
business and operational value
Viewpoint Construction Software
and Highland Council
categories, the winners of which will be
determined by our judging panel. Good
luck to all of this year's finalists, we hope
to see you all at the awards ceremony in
November for an evening that celebrates
the best of our industry. The fact that we
can all meet in person once again is
cause for some celebration too!
www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk
Viewpoint for Projects - Alness
Academy
CLOUD BASED TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2021
4PS
4PS Construct - 4PS Construct in the
Cloud
Access Construction EasyBuild - Access Capture -
Integration into EasyBuild ERP
Asite
Asite - Asite Common Data
Environment.
Digital Construction Works
The Digital Construction Works
Integrations Platform
Ensign Advanced Systems Ensign - Ensign 2020
Glider
gliderbim Common Data
Environment - Powering a Data
Driven Future
IFS UK&I with Stewart Milne IFS Cloud - Optimising Offsite
Manufacturing
LetsBuild
LetsBuild GenieBelt - Vauxhall
Bridge Refurbishment
Open ECX
WebContractor Delivering Cloud-
Based Excellence to The
Construction Industry
Revizto
Revizto 5 - The Integrated
Collaboration Platform
AUGMENTED REALITY/VIRTUAL REALITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2021
Jonathan Reeves Architecture Vectorworks & Twinmotion Virtual
Presentations for Leicestershire
Ecohome
Trimble/Mace
Mixed reality portfolio - Trimble Mixed
Reality Technology for 40 Leadenhall
Street
XYZ Reality
HoloSite - Substructure Concrete
Works
TEAM OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
Foreman Homes Ltd
Symetri, Wessex Water & Autodesk
EasyBuild - EasyBuild and
ConQuest join forces.
Residential Developments Oakley
Site Team
Construction Cloud - Wessex Water
with Autodesk Construction Cloud &
Symetri on Keeping Projects
Operational During the Covid-19
Pandemic
18
September/October 2021

AWARDS
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
4PS
4PS Construct
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Asite
Asite
Digital Construction Works
The Digital Construction Works
Integrations Platform
HEALTH AND SAFETY SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo with HSE, Manchester
University, Atkins
SafetiBase Risk Treatment Tool
Discovering Safety
Access Construction
EasyBuild - Access Construction:
Compliance for the Construction
Industry
Esri UK
ArcGIS Platform - Mapping Pavement
Widths for Social Distancing.
Paperless Construction
Paperless Construction H&S
Paperless Construction - Protecting
the Workforce
BIM SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
3D Repo
Autodesk
AEC Collection
Bentley Systems
OpenBuildings Designer
BIMOne
BIMTrack
Elecosoft
Powerproject BIM
Glider
gliderbim
Graphisoft Archicad 25
Rendra AS
StreamBIM
Solibri UK Ltd
Solibri Office
Symetri
Naviate
Trimble
Trimble Connect
Vectorworks Inc.
Vectorworks Architect
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
Autodesk
AEC Collection
Bentley Systems
MicroStation
Elecosoft
Framing
Graphisoft Archicad 25
Vectorworks Inc.
Vectorworks Architect
COLLABORATION PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
3D Repo
Asite
Common Date Environment
Bentley Systems
ProjectWise
Bluebeam
Bluebeam Studio
Digital Construction Works
The Digital Construction Works
Integrations Platform
Graphisoft
BIMcloud
LetsBuild
LetsBuild GenieBelt
Newforma
Project Center
RedSky IT
Project Connect
Revizto Revizto 5
Viewpoint Construction Software Viewpoint for Projects
DOCUMENT AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
2021
Asite
Common Date Environment
Newforma
Project Center
Paperless Construction
Paperless Construction
RedSky IT
Project Connect
Symetri
Excitech Docs
Viewpoint Construction Software Viewpoint for Projects
ERP SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Eque2 Limited
EVision
IFS UK&I
IFS Cloud
RedSky IT
Summit
Xpedeon
Xpedeon
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
3D Repo
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Asite
Common Data Envirinment
Bentley Systems
Synchro 4D
Bluebeam
Bluebeam Revu
Elecosoft
Powerproject
Newforma
Project Center
PROJECT ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
EasyBuild
CLiP IT Solutions
Construction Industry Accounts
Cubic Interactive
Rapport3
EleVia Software
EleVia Software
Integrity Software
Evolution Mx
RedSky IT
Summit
ESTIMATION AND VALUATION PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
ConQuest
Elecosoft
Bidcon
EleVia Software
EleVia Software
Eque2 Limited
Evaluate
esti-mate
esti-mate
RedSky IT
Summit
RIB Software
iTWO costX
CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Integrity Software
Evolution Mx
EleVia Software
EleVia Software
IFS UK&I
IFS Cloud
Redsky IT
Summit
ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2021
Bentley Systems
AssetWise
BIMOne
BIMTrack
Elecosoft
ShireSystem
IFS UK&I
IFS Cloud
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING APPLICATION OF THE YEAR 2021
Autodesk
Revit Structures
Bentley Systems
ProStructures
SCIA
SCIA Engineer
StruSoft
FEM-Design
Trimble Solutions (UK) Ltd
Tekla Structural Designer
GIS/MAPPING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
Bentley Systems
OpenCities Map
BlueSky
Aerial Photography and Topographic
Mapping
Esri UK
ArcGIS Platfrom
Trimble
Trimble MX50
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2021
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Asite
Adoddle Field for Site
Causeway Technologies
Ermeo
Elecosoft
Site progress Mobile
Graphisoft
BIMx
LetsBuild
LetsBuild GenieBelt
Paperless Construction
Paperless Construction Mobile
Platform
Viewpoint Construction Software Field View
CHANNEL PARTNER OF THE YEAR 2021
Cadventure Ltd
Graitec
Jonathan Reeves CAD & Real-Time- Rendering
Symetri
EDITORS CHOICE
3D Repo
Digital Construction Works
Elecosoft
Esri UK
Glider
IFS UK&I
Trimble
CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
3D Repo
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Asite
Project Portfolio Management
Elecosoft
Powerproject
IFS UK&I
IFS Cloud
Integrity Software
Evolution Mx
Open ECX
WebContractor
Redsky IT
Project Connect
Revizto
Revizto V5
RIB Software
iTWO costX
Solibri UK Ltd
Solibri Office
Trimble Solutions (UK) Ltd
Trimble Connect
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
3D Repo
Autodesk BIM 360
Access Construction
EasyBuild
Asite
Common Data Environment
Bentley Systems
OpenBuildings Designer
Elecosoft
Powerproject
Graphisoft Archicad 25
IFS UK&I
IFS Cloud
Newforma
Project Center
RedSky IT
Project Connect
Solibri UK Ltd
Solibri Office
Symetri
Naviate
Trimble Solutions (UK) Ltd
Tekla Structures
COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2021
3D Repo
Access Construction
Asite
Autodesk
Bentley Systems
Cadventure Ltd
Elecosoft
Glider
Company of the Year 2021
Graphisoft
IFS UK&I
Integrity Software
Newforma
RedSky IT
Solibri UK Ltd
Symetri
Trimble
Vectorworks Inc.
September/October 2021 19

INDUSTRYfocus
Digital twins: beyond the hype
The hype is increasing in the construction industry around the digital twin - but are users
onboard with the trend yet?
Bentley Systems identifies a
digital twin as a digital
representation of a physical
asset, process, or system, which
includes the engineering information
that allows us to understand, model,
and analyse its performance. Its
relationship to the physical asset and
its ability to instantaneously reflect any
changes are where the digital twin
provides its value.
This data is only a twin if we continue
to synchronise and maintain a digital
chronology over a lifecycle. It is how
Bentley's users are addressing a digital
twin: by implementing a continuous
feedback loop of information from their
project sources to one singular source
of information-the digital twin. They can
easily do this by using an open source
library that is designed so it can
integrate with other systems.
Throughout the lifecycle of a project,
data has always been the key element
in keeping things moving forward
throughout the various design, bid, and
construction stages to the eventual
handoff to the owner-operator.
Digitising the data in the form of a
digital twin gives project stakeholders a
competitive advantage by enabling
them to make quick and informed
decisions based on real-time data
accessible at anytime from anywhere. A
trend being seen across the industry is
that digital twins are becoming more
widely accepted and being
implemented on construction projects.
Users of Bentley's design and
construction software are already
onboard with the digital twin concept,
with many a few years in to use. In a
recent development project of an urban
expressway in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China,
JSTI Group chose to implement
Bentley's BIM solutions because they
integrate 3D reality models, GIS, and
other digital solutions within a single
construction management platform.
With a digital twin application and
real-time rendering simulations, they
enhanced decision-making and
increased design efficiency by 15%,
discovering 56 design errors. They also
reduced time spent on construction
planning, coordination, and inspection
by 30%, eliminating design changes
and shortening construction time by
132 days. Overall, they saved CNY 8
million with digital twin technology.
You may ask how these project savings
happen? During the many construction
stages of a project, a digital twin can
deliver a constantly updated source of
information to the entire team. The data
flow between office and field is stored
and easily accessed from one location,
including asset tags, maintenance
records, inspection records, and work
planning details.
Teams can take both design and
reality models and turn them into 4D or
5D construction digital twins. This work
enables the transformation of
workflows, such as model-based
planning, with the real-time progress
tracking from the field. Execution
workflows, such as machine control
earthworks, can be automated. Teams
can leverage the model to access and
capture real-time compliance and
performance tasks or data to make
better, faster decisions that keep
projects in control in terms of cost,
schedule, quality, and safety.
Researchers in the UK have utilised
ContextCapture reality modeling to
20
September/October 2021

INDUSTRYfocus
create a 3D model for the digital twin of
the University of Cambridge's West
Cambridge campus. Within the
construction industry, the use of
unmanned aerial vehicles has
increased dramatically around the
world. They are replacing traditional
methods, such as LiDAR and laser
scanning, which requires a lot of
manual effort.
Their growing use is also increasing
the number of data points on a
construction site due to processing
aerial footage versus aerial LiDAR.
People can fly unmanned aerial vehicles
daily, track progress, and quickly
compute information, such as earthwork
volumes or daily site progress.
With visualisation and reality model
software, such as Bentley Systems'
LumenRT, the integration into digital
twin technology allow visualisation and
simulation aspects to no longer be a
separate process. In the past, if you
wanted a simulation, it was done in a
different format. Tens of thousands of
dollars were spent creating a video
simulation of a snapshot in time that
could only be sent out as a video. Now,
reality modeling software reads the
digital twin and creates interactive
animations and simulations.
With LumenRT, these animations are
tied into the project schedule in the 4D
model. They are quickly updated as
the digital twin updates and are now
part of mainstream workflows. This
cuts back on the time and human effort
needed to support a project, while
getting better quality information.
Users are quickly seeing the value in
this software.
Another new emerging trend for the
construction space is AI/ML. Some
construction software companies are
exploring how these advanced
capabilities can benefit contractors and
construction projects. One example is
the control media indexing service by
Bentley's SYNCHRO. This service
leverages AI and machine learning
(ML) to index the job site photos,
allowing anyone to find a photo based
on date or time, location (geospatial
position), or context (form data and
photo description). It also provides a
custom-trained construction AI/ML
classification of the photo's contents.
Users can search for any text in a
photo, such as equipment tag or photo
objects like cranes, grade stakes,
traffic cones and utility covers.
CONCLUSION
Adoption of digital technology among
engineers and contractors still has
plenty of room for growth. Companies
that are already implementing BIM
workflows may find it easier to take the
next step and transition to digital twins.
Bentley see a lot of excitement around
the digital twin and the ecosystem that
feeds information to it, and believe that
if organisations have yet to embrace it,
it is important to know that the
migration toward digital solutions is
vital and inevitable.
A recent survey conducted by Dodge
Data and Analytics showed that less
than one third of the US civil engineers
and contractors who responded were
using reality capture, model-driven
jobsite automation and digital twins.
This compares with 50% or more from
companies outside of the US. It is,
however, estimated that the global
digital twin market will grow from USD
3.1 billion in 2020 to USD 48.2 billion
by 2026, with an average CAGR of 58%
in that period, according to a report
from MarketsandMarkets.
Bentley Systems see great potential
for the construction industry to evolveand
technology is the primary catalyst.
With the hype continuing to increase
around the digital twin, and more
opportunities being realised by the
construction technology solution
providers, we believe that digital twins
will play an integral part in moving the
industry forward.
www.bentley.com
September/October 2021 21

CASE study
Made Smarter
3D Repo joins Buro Happold and leading steel fabricators in a project designed to revolutionise
the steel reinforcement supply chain with a 'game-changing' breakthrough
Acritical part of Britain's
construction industry is set to
trigger a digital revolution in the
steel reinforcing supply chain, partly
thanks to government funds designed
to make sure future buildings are
'Made Smarter.'
Robotic fabrication, closer
collaboration between sector partners
responsible for sourcing and approving
rebar, and the digital exchange of
quality and GreenHouse Gas emissions
data, are just some of the benefits the
'Rebar 4.0 Supply Chain Made Smarter'
project brings to the construction
industry. Results from the project, part
funded by the Made Smarter Innovation
programme and delivered by UK
Research and Innovation, are a
potential "game-changer" say industry
leaders.
The project is exploring the feasibility
of sharing digital data from the
production of reinforcement bar in the
steel mill, through 3D robotic steel
fabrication, to live project sites.
Ultimately, this ground-breaking 'digital
twin' will feed into Building Information
Management (BIM) systems, supporting
the 'golden thread' of safety critical
construction information. In turn, this
locks in greater long-term building
resilience - as data stored at design and
delivery can be reviewed at any future
point. For private and public sector
clients the benefits are greater clarity
around product assurance, material
provenance, sustainability data and ontime
project delivery.
Lee Brankley, Chief Executive Officer of
the UK Certification Authority for
Reinforcing Steels (CARES), welcomed
the UKRI announcement which confirms
Innovation Hub funding. CARES is the
leading independent international
reinforcing steels product certification
body which checks safety-critical
reinforcement products entering the
construction supply chain.
It has been supporting users,
designers, consultants and specifiers
for four decades, and the organisation's
data-led inspection and certification
services have been providing valuable
transparency into the provenance and
sustainability characteristics of
reinforcing steels moving across
complex supply chains.
Confirming the support that CARES
provides for suppliers by enabling them
to comply with reinforcement standards
without the need for costly, on-site
testing, Brankley said "The sector is
finally on course for a new age of supply
chain certainty built on digital
transparency, with the expertise
provided by our digital partner, Digital
Construction Solutions, and by
collaborating with all project partners we
have designed and mapped out a
process of how to link the Enabling and
Core data flows together within this
complex supply chain.
"Bringing digital assurance solutions to
complex projects will transform
processes across the whole
construction supply chain, significantly
improving the flow of information while
Rebar 4.0 Supply Chain Made Smarter
22
September/October 2021

CASEstudy
Digital Twin technology is used for 'smarter' 3D Robotic rebar fabrication
achieving valuable efficiencies for all our
stakeholders. This collaboration
represents an important step towards
the goals we all share."
Compliance with regulatory systems
and product standards is inbuilt with
CARES approval - and backed up by a
seamless digital solution, the CARES
Cloud App, which provides instant
authentication of a supplier's CARES
certification and traceability to the origin
of the reinforcing steel.
Dr Jozef Dobos, Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of 3D Repo, said:
"Workflows in the reinforcing steel
supply chain are still inherently paperbased.
This, combined with the
ongoing pandemic, uncovered a need
for digital innovation and optimisation.
Our new solution will digitalise the
industry by converting 2D paper-based
processes into fully digital workflows
driven by 3D BIM from the onset,
allowing it to benefit from more efficient
manufacturing processes." Dr Dobos
paid tribute to the "highly effective
collaboration" among all partners - as
well as the key role played by Rebartek
in seamlessly integrating robotic
innovation into the reinforcement
fabrication process.
Spelling out the wider Innovation Hub
goals of Made Smarter's £10 million
total funding for supply chain
sustainable innovation, Made Smarter's
Innovation Challenge Director UKRI,
Chris Courtney, emphasised how digital
technologies had the power to "radically
transform how we manufacture and
deliver the products and services of
today and the future, delivering a
productive, sustainable and flexible
manufacturing sector and enhancing
the future of work within it."
This was echoed by Tony Woods,
Founder and Managing Director of
Midland Steel who stressed: "Midland
Steel has been an advocate for BIM, 3D
engineering and rebar detailing since
2012. We have identified this project as
a major step forward in the digitisation
of the paper-based systems currently
used in the construction industry, to a
process that enables information to be
transferred more efficiently directly from
3D BIM with full traceability throughout.
"From detailing to offsite rebar
manufacturing, to the use of robotics,
the results from this project will be a
world's first and an industry gamechanger
for decades to come - and will
attract new talent to our industry, which
is the lifeblood of construction."
Buro Happold, the leading
international integrated design and
engineering practice which is also a
project partner and powerful advocate
of collaboration, also welcomed the
UKRI announcement.
Dr Al Fisher, Buro Happold Director,
Head of Computational Development,
highlighted the project's potential for
significant efficiency and safety gains.
He explained: "One of the biggest
challenges we continue to face as an
industry is persistent and reliable
tracking and retrieval of design
information throughout the entire
construction process and across all
parties.
"This project seeks to address this
issue, relating design data from the
very earliest design intent through to
fabrication and installation information
on site. In the context of increasingly
distributed teams and working
practices, this capability could not be
more valuable in support of continued
safe and efficient design and delivery of
our projects."
All four project partners: Buro
Happold, CARES, Midland Steel and 3D
Repo have reaffirmed their commitment
to pursue collaborative digital solutions
in support of construction's elusive
'golden thread of information' seen as
mission critical to the sector's long-term
transformation.
MADE SMARTER INNOVATION
Made Smarter Innovation is a national
programme to help businesses who
make things capitalise on new digital
technologies. Its programme supports
the transformation of UK's
manufacturing capabilities through the
development and innovation of
industrial digital technologies (IDTs) and
gives UK manufacturers access to a
digital innovation ecosystem that helps
prove their ideas, quickly develop them
with experts and scale them up to full
production status. The £300 million
partnership between the government
and industry provides match-funding,
specialist advice and results in radical
manufacturing solutions. The
programme is being delivered by UK
Research and Innovation.
www.3drepo.com
September/October 2021 23

INDUSTRY focus
Who owns the data?
Michael Barber, Director of Amodal, investigates the problems of data ownership in our digital world
In the construction industry, data has
to be shared and accessed by many
people throughout a project and
asset's lifecycles in order to inform key
decision-making. The need for
information to be readily available and
retrievable is of primary concern in the
built environment, namely because the
digital Golden Thread of information is a
fundamental part of delivering safe
buildings. There is an argument to be
had however, in terms of who owns and
is responsible for asset data.
Information is playing an increasingly
principal role in the industry, but can a
single party own information completely?
Or is it more nuanced than this? Does
data ownership change according to
project and asset's lifecycles?
In order to really think about how we can
put change into motion, we have to start
opening up areas of conversation that will
alter the way we think and work as an
industry. The construction industry is
notoriously resistant to change, and with
this aversion comes a scepticism for
anything that would actually improve the
industry's outdated processes.
We're in the age of information, which
means that data is one of the most
important resources in our modern world.
The requirement for data is growing
exponentially, particularly in the
construction industry where information
can be leveraged to iron out inefficiencies
and streamline productivity.
Data exists everywhere in the
construction industry, and when mined
correctly can be pivotal to informing the
decision-making processes of both
project delivery and asset maintenance.
The industry builds and monitors
everything from information that is
collected, enabling communication,
mitigating risk and assuring greater
clarity in terms of the future.
DATA'S DEMAND
The world is becoming more and more
digital as the appetite for these solutions
increases. The next generation of
technology such as IoT (Internet of
Things) is going to rapidly accelerate and
will improve connectivity in ways never
previously thought possible.
For the built environment, technology
has the capacity to have a transformative
effect. The construction industry's digital
transformation can have different
meanings and definitions to different
business cultures, and is dependent on
a company's digital maturity. Some
companies are at a lower base than
others, where digital transformation
means they just want to find information
quickly. For others at a more mature
stage, they may see digital
transformation as adopting the latest
technologies to improve processes. On
the whole, digital transformation totally
depends on individual aspirations,
resource and situations. Generally,
digital transformation is about
technology being utilised to improve
construction processes.
The industry is already realising some
benefits of going digital, notably in terms
of managing buildings and improving
productivity. In recent years, technology
has been identified as instrumental in the
delivery of safe buildings - a focus for the
industry given the effects of Grenfell.
Access to accurate, up-to-date
information is the cornerstone of both the
Golden Thread and the soon-to-be
Building Safety Bill which will be
published later on this year.
As highlighted in the regulation system,
a building regulator will be responsible
for implementing and enforcing a more
stringent regulatory regime for all existing
and new buildings in scope - residential
buildings over 18m or 6 storeys - during
their design, construction, occupation
and refurbishment. This regulator will
provide stronger oversight of safety and
24
September/October 2021

INDUSTRYfocus
performance of all buildings. Information
is essential to this learning process to
determine whether an asset is performing
as intended. With the demand for data so
high, it is important for the built
environment to have control of its data.
Ownership and integrity are key here.
INFORMATION IS KNOWLEDGE
During the operational stage asset
owners, engineers, facilities managers
and the like need access to information
to inform where, how and why they make
important decisions regarding building
performance.
The information hierarchy is an
important tool that highlights the
relationship between data, information,
knowledge and wisdom; data being the
lowest and wisdom the highest. This
block indicates that we must enrich data
and build on it in order to achieve the
value we desire to make important,
informed decisions. Once we reach this
idyll at the top of the pyramid, we can
use this 'wisdom' to make our actions.
Looking at information from an inoperation
perspective, clients' ultimate
aspiration is to possess the knowledge to
manage their portfolio safely and
sustainably. Clients have legal and
business obligations to do this, and also
need to ensure they are conforming to
statutory compliance, and health and
safety protocols. Clients define their
targets depending on the information
they need to reach those goals.
Project information requirements (PIR)
and asset information requirements (AIR)
highlight the information that is needed to
manage buildings, and are created in line
with clients' aspirations and/or strategies.
WHO OWNS THE DATA?
Data is the recipe for knowledge, yet its
ownership is a hotly debated topic in
the built environment, especially at the
design stage. Understanding data
ownership is akin to solving the Rubik's
cube; there are so many facets to
consider and things are not black and
white. This is why it is important to
break down data ownership into
smaller increments - in order to reach a
greater sense of clarity around who is
responsible for data at any given time.
At Amodal we take a step-by-step
approach to information management.
This agile method enables project
teams to be more reactive to change,
to see what is and isn't working. Agile
moves with the changing tides of a
business, reflecting its needs as
opposed to following a fixed path that
may not be the best route anymore.
When it comes to data ownership, this
agile method pays in dividends.
In December 2020, the Chartered
Institute of Building (CIOB) published its
Golden Thread report in collaboration
with i3PT Certification. This report
questions whether the built environment
is ready for the Golden Thread, to which
85% of participants agreed.
As part of this report a survey was
conducted on data ownership. It asks
the elusive question of 'who owns the
data?' and divides data ownership into
project stages across design, build and
operation. At the operation stage, 75%
of participants ranked the client as
responsible for owning the data in this
period. Although there was confusion
as to who owns the data during the
design stage - statistics show
participants were torn between the
client, information author and lead
designer - it is encouraging to see the
majority believe that during operation,
the client must own their data.
However It is worth bearing in mind
that, although a small number, 15% of
respondents were either unsure of who
should own data or listed 'other' during
operation. This quantitative data makes
it difficult to assume why, but it could
indicate that for some data ownership
at operation is a grey area.
The report makes a further distinction
regarding rights versus liability. It
pinpoints that just because the client
owns their data, it doesn't make them
responsible for any liability issues.
The resounding implication of the
CIOB's pertinent research is that data
ownership fluctuates depending on
where you are in the process. Data is
never 'owned' exclusively by a single
party; it isn't static and is consistently
changing shape. For the sake of clarity
however, clear signposts are needed to
highlight when ownership may change
and whose responsibility it is to
maintain it.
During operation, from the CIOB
study it is conclusive to say the client
or asset owner 'owns' their data, even
though they are not responsible for
rectifying any issues regarding
products that are listed in their
documents. Going forward, these
distinctions will be fundamental to
make, as the terms 'ownership' and
'responsibility' have very different
meanings, even though they are often
interpreted as the same thing.
www.wearefabrick.com
September/October 2021 25

CASEstudy
Keeping cool in the classroom
IES, Bowmer + Kirkland and Integrated BMS have been working together to improve the
operational performance of ESFA schools, using iSCAN and IESVE to define a new process
The collaboration between IES,
Bowmer + Kirkland (B+K) and
Integrated BMS (iBMS), the first of
its kind between a Main Contractor,
Building Performance Analysis Consultant
and BMS Controls Subcontractor, began
in 2016. The aim was to facilitate more
effective benchmarking, monitoring and
performance verification of schools
delivered by B+K, as an approved
contractor under the Education and Skills
Funding Agency's (ESFA) School Building
Framework. Supported by IES
technology, the three parties are now
close to defining a process which could
finally put an end to the performance gap.
B+K need to ensure that, once
operational, their schools are performing
as efficiently as possible. This is driven
by ESFA guidelines, which require each
contractor to monitor and report on the
energy and water use of each school
using the ESFA's own monitoring tool,
iSERV, or equivalent.
However, B+K ultimately realised the
data they were seeing through iSERV
was only a small proportion of what they
needed to accurately validate
performance of the schools. After
consulting with IES, they recognised that
reporting monthly meter consumption
was not enough and more granular
insights were required to fully
understand the schools' various sensor
and sub-meter data logs and how these
could translate into actionable
intelligence to improve building
performance.
Using iSCAN - which enables the
centralisation and analysis of any timeseries
data from different sources in one
platform, while using a combination of
physics-based simulation, artificial
intelligence and machine learning to
synthesise and fill missing data gaps -
IES performed initial diagnostics on
some B+K schools. This brought to light
previously undetected performance
issues, such as manufacturing and
commissioning issues with heat
recovery units, resulting in overheating,
as well as abnormal use patterns, such
as radiators being left on while the
windows were open.
26
September/October 2021

CASEstudy
REFINING THE COLLECTION
PROCESS
The team began working with controls
contractor, iBMS, to refine the process of
collecting and transmitting data from the
schools. Achieving reliable connectivity
for this data exchange initially proved
challenging. However, the project
partners tested a series of protocols,
starting by collating the data in a BMS
controller for each data point at 15-
minute intervals, exporting to a CSV file
and importing this into iSCAN daily for
analysis. Next, they progressed to an
Open Building Information Exchange
(OBIX) protocol to automate this process,
and ultimately transitioned to an MQTT
protocol to allow direct data upload of
lighter-weight file sizes. This significantly
reduced the bandwidth and traffic on
mobile network routers, whilst providing
granular (1-min) operational insights on
the schools in near real-time.
Next, the team considered how they
might use that data to create energy
profiles for the schools which could be
fed back into the IES Virtual Environment
(IESVE) building simulation software. The
ultimate aim was to create calibrated
simulation models to facilitate
benchmarking and help close the gap
between the actual schools in operation
versus their design intent, as well as
enabling active monitoring to help each
school reduce its energy consumption
and understand when their buildings are
operating out of tolerance.
Many projects already use IESVE to
model the building during the design
phase, which means much of the
information on how the buildings should
be operating is readily available in an
existing model. This collaboration, and
the integration of iSCAN, allowed the
team to close the loop by bringing the
real world data back into the existing
model environment for cross comparison
and validation that the buildings are
operating as intended.
A UNIQUE COLLABORATION
The collaboration is unique as this is the
first time a Main Contractor, Building
Performance Analysis Consultant and
BMS Controls Subcontractor have come
together to tackle the performance gap
as part of a truly integrative process. It
has helped B+K ensure they are
technically delivering the right solutions
for their clients, improving the way they
work with their supply chain and
evolving end client interactions to help
educate and provide guidance on their
energy use through accessible energy
dashboards.
iBMS have also gained valuable
insight on what happens to the
buildings after they are handed over
and how they can learn from this to
improve future installations, while IES
have been able to further explore the
performance gap and how their
technology can prevent modelling
process inefficiencies and errors.
The project team won the Collaboration
Award at the 2020 CIBSE Building
Performance Awards, with the judges
commenting on their ability to come
together to identify and resolve real
challenges in an important sector and
that the potential for other applications
was very strong.
James Vaux-Anderson, Framework
Delivery Director, Bowmer + Kirkland
pointed out the significance of the
project. "The impact of this project could
be massive. To benchmark similar types
of buildings and operate them efficiently
you need to understand so much and
understand it at the right time. You need
granularity of data, the right processes
and tools".
"We think we've come up with a way of
standardising that process of getting the
data [via iSCAN], putting it into a
software tool [IESVE]", he added, "and
outputting the energy profiles. If everyone
had a guide where they could use a
piece of software like this and have a
defined process to follow, we could
remove the performance gap entirely."
His comments were echoed by Jason
Harper, Managing Director of Integrated
BMS, who said "Big data analytics is
becoming more at the forefront of the
industry on the controls and building
management systems side. To be able to
feed that analytics engine you need data
and you need to be able to prove the
data you're sending into it is good and
reliable. It's not good enough to say
we've installed this system, it should be
fine and we'll see how it's going in 5
years. It's something that needs to be
constantly analysed and checked so that
it is performing to the best of its ability.
That's where, I believe, iSCAN and the
processes we are using will really come
into their own."
www.iesve.com
September/October 2021 27

INDUSTRYfocus
Good data, bad practice
Are we taking proper advantage of the huge amount of data we are now creating? Autodesk's
latest industry report has uncovered some decidedly mixed results, writes David Chadwick
The construction industry is generating
data at an increasing rate, but are we
reaching the same stage as the
advertising industry, where people claim
that only 50% of their advertising is
effective, but they don't know which half?
Autodesk recently conducted a survey
across Europe of 1,115 industry
professionals and four contractors to
understand their challenges in using data.
The aim was to determine whether it is
delivering the benefits we expect it to.
The results of the survey have been
presented in a report titled 'Harnessing the
Data Advantage in Construction'. The
problem appears to be that many
organisations lack leadership, are too
resistant to change or don't know where to
start. The report outlines the reasons
behind this and comes up with some
simple steps that every business can take
to overcome these hurdles and make more
data-driven decisions.
First some stats - this is, after all, a report
about data. Some 82% of responders said
that they are collecting more data than
they were 3 years ago, but 39% said that
less than half of that is usable, with 40%
stating that the data is inaccurate,
incomplete, inconsistent - and late! 51%
admitted that they didn't know what data
they should be collecting, and 52%
complained that they didn't know how to
manage that data effectively.
We'll take a further look at the statistics
throughout this article, but it worth noting
here that the 58% of companies that
responded stating they had an effective
process in place also said that they had
fewer safety incidents, a reduction in
change orders, fewer missed schedules
and less rework.
IS COLLECTING DATA WASTING
OUR TIME?
According to the report, "Collecting and
handling this level of information is taking
up significant resources," with one
respondee admitting that "Right now, our
quality managers in the field and safety
team capture all of the data we use. They
give it to our data analytics team, who
analyse it and build out the reports." On
average it appears that 49% of project
management and field supervision staff's
time is spent collecting, managing and
analysing project data each week.
Is the data being collected good, or bad?
The average view is the 40% of the
information gathered is bad, putting this
down to a number of causes split between
'inaccurate data (23%), duplicate data
(21%), missing data (20%), wrong data
(20%) and poor data quality (17%)'. This not
only makes the data unreliable, but extra
work is involved in correcting mistakes and
rechecking data, and basically creates,
rather than solves problems.
WHAT MAKES DATA BAD?
Apart from the sheer amount of data
coming in, and the prevalence of
incomplete or missing data, data from
multiple sources are often difficult to
combine. Rather than pushing on with
large-scale data collection, Autodesk
suggests that taking the time to think
specifically about the fundamentals and
putting a strategic data plan into place,
such as working within a cloud-based
structure or collecting more data on site
using modern technology, may help
businesses to get more from their data.
The more problems you have with your
data, though, the poorer the decisions
made from it. This is probably exacerbated
by the inexperience of decision makers
when it comes to working with data, and
their failure to recognise the impact of their
decisions on the wider organisation.
It is not necessarily the data in this case
that is bad, but the organisation, time and
personnel factors that contribute to poor
28
September/October 2021

INDUSTRY focus
project decision making, with 70% of
respondents agreeing that factors like
schedule compression and stakeholder
requests should allow them, as project
managers and field supervisors, to have
greater autonomy to make rapid decisions
in the field.
GUT FEELINGS
There's an alarming section of the report
that states that professionals often lack
the data to make project decisions
effectively, but which then cites statistics
which state that only 9% of them always
incorporate project data into their decision
making - whilst 64% do it sometimes,
rarely or never. Apparently, however, most
decisions are made on a 'gut feeling',
emphasised by a BIM coordinator at a
German main contractor who said, "The
level of decision making in the field has
always been high, but these decisions
have been made mostly on their
experience and not analysis,"
The same coordinator noted that the main
challenge is always communication
between the ones that collect the data and
those that use it. Although it is being
collected, data might not be making it
through to those who need it - ultimately
increasing the project manager's reliance
on instinct.
WHERE DO WE START?
Knowing where to start has been a main
topic of conversation within the industry for
many years now. 39% have established
data reporting and monitoring practices at
the time of collection and use
and 37% of them, probably in the same
subset, have structured data in a CDE.
More important is the percentage of
companies that have firmly entrenched
themselves in the process by employing
someone to just look after their data.
A very interesting fact is that, whilst 58% of
construction companies have a formal data
plan, 9% of professionals confessed that
they didn't know whether their company
had one or not!
Where data plans are in operation, they
often have different main criteria. For
instance, 52% of data plans outline the
sources and collection methods for
priority data, whilst 45% include the
identification and description of the
project data to be collected. 45% include
quality assurance and control methods
and 45% have standards for project data
formatting and processing.
Importantly, companies with a plan to
analyse data are seeing better outcomes
on the ground, because they are able to
learn from past outcomes. As one main
contractor in Spain explained, "By
tracking issues on our construction sites,
we hope to avoid the same in the future.
It's not just avoiding project-related
problems; it's about avoiding legal
problems as well. It has taken time to
gather data across many projects, but it
has been a good investment."
OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS
Taking a pessimistic view of the above, it is
hardly surprising that professionals are
failing to see how data plans can add value
to their business. They also point to the
cost and resources required to develop a
strategy. Another surprising barrier is stated
to be a company's limited use of
construction technology as a main barrier.
The pitfalls were expressed by one UK
based manager who said, "we had a
project that went terribly bad. A couple of
years later, we had the exact same project.
But because we did not have ready access
to any data related to the first project, we
made the same mistakes all over.
Everything that went wrong was avoidable if
we had the lessons learned from the first
project available to our team."
LEADERSHIP IS CRUCIAL
Construction companies are far more used
to handling technology today, but it is the
people on the ground that matter - and the
company culture. Companies need
employees who are ready and willing to
use new technologies and are prepared to
train them up and support them to do so,
providing formal training in data
management and analysis.
And there are some cases where the
company culture is opposed to change.
"Some of our people just can't get their
heads wrapped around the reports - and
it's not because they don't understand
them: it's more a culture change and shift
in what people are used to," stated
another respondent.
Here, leadership is critical. An Innovation
and Quality Manager explained how his
company responded to one particular
challenge, where they had to change their
approach. "One of the early challenges we
ran into was our approach. "We were giving
iPads to our field staff for taking photos and
completing forms. They initially felt like it
was more work and that we were adding
stages that were not necessary. We had to
explain to them why we were doing it and
how it would save them time - and now
they are really happy." Leadership is critical.
Here are three simple steps to get you on
your way, although I would strongly advise
you to go online and read the report first at
the link below:
Step 1. Start small and begin with data
selection before data collection, Step 2.
Focus on buy-in to gain organisational
support. Step 3. Poor data equals poor
results, so put quality first.
https://constructionblog.autodesk.com/ado
pting-construction-data-strategy-europe/
September/October 2021 29

CASE study
Dozers in the Cloud
Improving earthworks productivity with machine control using Trimble's Cloud-based
WorksManager
Ground Developments Ltd (GDL) is
one of the UK's leading specialist
ground engineering contractors,
offering services that include soil
stabilisation, ground improvement, deep
soil mixing, earthworks and vibro piling. To
improve measuring accuracy, operational
efficiency and gain a competitive
advantage, it approached SITECH UK
and Ireland, a leading distributor of
Trimble® machine control technology, to
upgrade its fleet to machine control.
Nearly ten years later, the partnership is
still going strong.
Based in Whitburn, Scotland, GDL works
with contractors and designers to offer
complete geotechnical solutions to help
prepare construction sites for new
developments and infrastructure. The
company operates a large plant fleet,
including excavators of up to 55 tonnes,
dozers and heavy compaction equipment,
with control guidance installed by SITECH.
The company undertakes standalone
earthworks and soil stabilisation projects
and it also offers integrated ground
engineering solutions.
Back in 2010, GDL noticed that the sites
it was working on were becoming more
complex and that the variation in
topographies was making it difficult to
mark out sites using traditional stakes and
pegs. GDL also needed a way of
controlling the progress of the material it
placed to ensure that it reached the
necessary depths while meeting tight
project deadlines.
"The type of work we were pursuing,
and the constraints required in delivery,
meant that we needed increased
precision while maintaining and gaining
efficiency. The original methodology
wasn't adequate, and this was an issue
for us," explained Julius Newman,
Technical Director at Ground
Developments Ltd. "As our construction
methods evolved, we needed to obtain
data quicker. We required real-time
information at the work face. Accuracy is
of paramount importance in construction,
and it has to be delivered quickly, while
maintaining safety. It had been a
challenge to monitor machine operations
quickly enough to ensure the accuracy of
build was being achieved.
"We were already aware of Trimble's
machine control software and we began
using it as soon as possible - we were one
of the first companies in Scotland to do
so," added Wayne Barr, Project Director at
Ground Developments Ltd. "We originally
worked with another supplier. However, we
were looking for a partner that knew about
soil stabilisation, and who would
understand us a business. We got in
touch with Brian Core, who was the
Technical Sales Consultant at that time,
and the ball started rolling from there."
A NEW PARTNER
"One of the first impressions we had of
SITECH was that its engineers were highly
skilled and that they were very
knowledgeable about earthworks - one of
our key industries," continued Newman.
"While we already had some experience of
Trimble products, SITECH invited a couple
of our operatives down to Newcastle and
gave a demonstration of the different
applications that were on the market. It
also allowed us to try out some of the
equipment to get a feel for ourselves."
"As a supplier, we had previously worked
with other earthworks businesses and we
understood why Ground Developments
wanted to move towards machine
control," explained Brian Core, Key
Accounts Manager at SITECH. "Complex
site designs and topographies can be a
real barrier to the ground improvement
services that the company offers. Trimble
solutions are intuitive and designed with
the operator in mind. Using machine
30
September/October 2021

CASEstudy
control software allowed GDL to visualise
the grade and have the final levels on its
machines, meaning its operators could
dig to the design when bringing soil up to
a certain level and mixing in the layers,"
he added.
INVESTING IN INNOVATION
Following the demonstrations in
Newcastle, GDL purchased the Trimble
3D GCS900 Grade Control System, which
it installed on its Cat® dozers. This
technology made it easier for the
company to grade formations as part of
the stabilisation process because the
GPS allowed it to accurately delineate
each level without needing to utilise an
engineer.
The company then purchased two
Trimble Base and Rover systems to
provide site specific corrections. The
system also enabled further measuring
and setting out, calculation and outputs
while further enhancing the company's
end product solution. In 2010, this
technology helped its team quantify soil
volumetrics on the ground and increase
the speed of setting out points, area
delineations and general 3D stringline
utilisation without relying on traditional
stakes and pegs. GDL later added to its
site positioning portfolio by purchasing
Trimble's SPS930 Robotic Total Station
which heightened its stakeout and site
measurement accuracy even further.
As the relationship with SITECH
progressed and following successful
software demonstrations, GDL purchased
Trimble Busines Center software to assist
with its geospatial solutions, helping it
increase efficiency and provide checks to
help avoid potentially costly errors. The
software also enables GDL to analyse
data, create technical geometries, review
accuracies, and generate numerous
reports for takeoffs, quantitfaction and
cost reporting.
More recently, GDL has added Trimble
WorksManager to its fleet of technology
enabled machines. Trimble
WorksManager is a cloud-based platform
where engineers or office-based staff can
connect to excavators, dozers and other
machines remotely and then sync and
send data back to office. This allows them
to manage data and technology assets
across all projects that they are involved
in, regardless of work location.
DELIVERING VALUE
"Thanks to our partnership with SITECH
over the last ten years, our productivity
has increased immeasurably," added Barr.
"In 2010 we were targeting to move 800
cubes of modified material a day - now
we're targeting 1,500 because of our
improved efficiency. Using Trimble
solutions has meant that we can also
monitor and keep a collection of our site
data to gauge output in a way that we
couldn't prior to 2010."
"For us, the results have been about the
quality of work that we deliver and how
good the finished projects look," added
Barr. "In the last three years, we have won
a lot of repeat business because clients
are happy with the work we delivered
previously. Quality, as always, is
imperative. However, the weather and
other current influences often impact on
time available to handover. Therefore,
getting the work done right the first time is
absolutely critical.
"With the Earthworks and GCS site
positioning systems, machine control
technology, office software and
WorksManager cloud system, GDL can
carry out stabilisation and earthworks
projects quicker and more accurately,"
continued Core. "It is a more efficient way
of working, which means it can complete
projects in shorter timeframes and
handover to the housebuilder faster than
other businesses. Over time, this has
given it a competitive advantage and the
company is now winning more tenders
than ever because it can quantify more
accurately and offer shorter timeframes."
"We've been working closely with Brian
for the last eight years and he has been
an excellent partner," continued Barr. "One
of the reasons we've remained with
SITECH for so long is it doesn't just see us
as a customer, but as a partner in a joint
SITECH-GDL venture. We speak to the
team on a weekly basis and, if there's ever
an issue, we know we can pick up the
phone and someone will be able to
provide technical assistance."
Could Trimble Heavy Construction
solutions be the answer for your project?
SITECH has more engineers than any
machine control supplier in the UK, which
means there will always been someone
on hand to provide the technical support
you need.
www.sitechukandireland.com
September/October 2021 31

YOUR GUIDE TO
5
7
2
4 1 3
21
22
23
24 20 25 26
27
29
SCOTLAND
FIFE 1
GlenCo Development
Solutions
Contact: Jack Meldrum
Tel: 01592 223330
Fax: 01592 223301
jackm@glenco.org
www.glenco.org
ACMK
ABERDEENSHIRE 2
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
ABERDEEN 3
LARBERT 4
TMS CADcentre
Contact: Craig Hamilton
Tel: 01324-550760
info@thom-micro.com
www.tmscadcentre.com
ACELHO
30 28
19
10/18
15 11/16
6
13
17
8
12/14
*Location guide
not 100% accurate
TMS CADcentre
Contact: Craig Hamilton
Tel: 01224 223321
info@thom-micro.com
www.tmscadcentre.com
ACELHO
IRELAND
DUBLIN 5
Paradigm Technology Ltd
Contact: Des McGrane
Tel: +353-1-2960155
Fax: +353-1-2960080
dmcgrane@paradigm.ie
www.paradign.it
ACMGKL
SOUTHWEST
NEWBURY 6
RWTC Ltd
Contact: Richard Willis
Tel: 01488 689005
Fax: 01635 32718
richard@rwtc.co.uk
www.rwtc.co.uk
A M
N.I
BELFAST 7
Pentagon Solutions Ltd
Contact: Tony Dalton - Training
Services Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355
Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355
tony@pentagonsolutions.com
www.pentagonsolutions.com
ACDEGKL
TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY:
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AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING:
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For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact:
Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk

SOUTH/EAST
GUILDFORD 8
Blue Graphics Ltd
Contact: Matt Allen
Tel: 01483 467 200
Fax: 01483 467 201
matta@bluegfx.com
www.bluegfx.com
ADRK
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 10
Causeway
Technologies Ltd
Contact: Sue Farnfield
Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134
Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com
www.causeway.com
A C D E K
BERKSHIRE 11
Cadpoint
Contact: Clare Keston
Tel: 01344 751300
Fax: 01344 779700
sales@cadpoint.co.uk
www.cadpoint.co.uk
A C D E K
ENFIELD 12
TRAINING
BERKSHIRE 16
Mass Systems Ltd
Contact: Luke Bolt
Tel: 01344 304 000
Fax: 01344 304 010
info@mass-plc.com
www.mass-plc.com
A E F
HAMPSHIRE 17
Universal CAD Ltd
Contact: Nick Lambden
Tel: [44] 01256 352700
Fax: [44] 01256 352927
sales@universalcad.co.uk
www.universalcad.co.uk
A C M E K H
MILTON KEYNES 18
Graitec - Milton Keynes
Contact: David Huke
Tel: 01908 410026
david.huke@graitec.co.uk
www.graitec.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
CAMBRIDGE 19
THE NORTH
MANCHESTER 20
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
NEWCASTLE 21
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
YORKSHIRE 22
Graitec Bradford
Contact: Isobel Gillon
Tel: 01274 532919
training@graitec.co.uk
www.graitec.co.uk
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NORTH EAST 23
Graitec - Durham
Contact: Isobel Gillon
Tel: 0191 374 2020
training@graitec.co.uk
www.graitec.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
LANCASHIRE 24
QUADRA SOLUTIONS
Contact: Simon Dobson
Tel: 01254 301 888
Fax: 01254 301 323
training@quadrasol.co.uk
www.quadrasol.co.uk
A C M K
YORKSHIRE 25
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
SOUTH YORKSHIRE 26
THE JUICE GROUP LTD
Contact: Sarah Thorpe
Tel: 0800 018 1501
Fax: 0114 275 5888
training@thejuice.co.uk
www.thejuicetraining.com
A C D E K R
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
SOUTHHAMPTON 13
Riverside House, Brunel Road
Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX
Contact: Isobel Gillon
Tel: 02380 868 947
training@graitec.co.uk
www.graitec.co.uk
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CENTRAL LONDON 14
Symetri Ltd.
Tel: 0345 370 1500
info@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
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OXFORDSHIRE 15
MIDLANDS
NOTTINGHAM 27
MicroCAD - Nottingham
Contact: Isobel Gillon
Tel: 0115 969 1114
training@graitec.co.uk
www.graitec.co.uk
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 28
AIT Spatial Ltd
Contact: Philip Madeley
Tel: 01933 303034
Fax: 01933 303001
training@aitspatial.co.uk
www.aitspatial.co.uk
A C D E F G K L
CHESHIRE 30
Excelat CAD Ltd
Contact: Vaughn Markey
Tel: 0161 926 3609
Fax: 0870 051 1537
Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com
www.ExcelatCAD.com
B N
BIRMINGHAM 29
Man and Machine
Contact: Robert Kenny
Tel: 01844 263700
Fax: 01844 216761
training@manandmachine.co.uk
www.manandmachine.co.uk
A D I J M N O P Q X
Armada Autodesk
Training Centre
Contact: Steven Smith
Tel: 01527 834783
Fax: 01527 834785
training@armadaonline.co.uk
www.armadaonline.co.uk
A D E M K H

CASE study
ECOncrete
As weather patterns increase the erosion of our coastline will speed up, meaning we not only lose land
but also a diverse natural environment. David Chadwick outlines a new way to protect it
Along the West Somerset coastline
we have a number of coastal issues
- hardly surprising as we have the
second highest tides in the world. These
range from coastal erosion at Watchet
which threatens to wipe out a section of
road, and the intentional breaching of the
sea defences at Porlock after deciding that
it was cheaper than keeping the sea at bay.
Being a densely populated island and
having a propensity for building on our
picturesque coastline, or in vulnerable
wetland locations, we have similar
problems all over the country. Hence my
interest in ECOncrete technology, which
provides a more environmentally sensitive
solution to the problem than throwing large
rocks at it or raising the white flag.
ECOncrete is an international ecoengineering
company which provides
environmentally-sensitive concrete
infrastructure solutions. In the USA it has
partnered with the Seaview at Shark River
Island Homeowners Association, American
Littoral Society, and Neptune Township to
stabilise their vulnerable and eroding
shorelines, reduce flood risk, protect
critical infrastructure, and expand the
marsh buffer for a community along Shark
River Island. The full-scale installation
follows a two year pilot project that was
granted approval by local and federal
regulatory authorities
In comparison to traditional concrete
erosion control infrastructure, ECOncrete's
technology enables a biodiverse
ecosystem of marine life to grow on
concrete. This infrastructure provides an
ecological alternative to traditional
concrete and constitutes an
environmentally-sensitive shoreline
erosion control plan.
ECOncrete has installed 42 innovative
marine mattresses at the site, home to a
community of approximately 200
townhouses. The ecological concrete
mattresses will be coupled with two
additional flooding and erosion control
structures, a nearshore sill and an upland
berm to help dissipate wave energy and
protect the adjacent marsh area. The area
will be restored and planted by a
volunteer effort organised by the
American Littoral Society.
The contractor for the project, Renova
Environmental Services is responsible for
the regrading of the shoreline, placement
of the marine mattresses, construction of
the nearshore sill, regrading of the eroding
marsh and creation of the terrestrial upland
berm habitat. Construction began in July.
An initial site visit was performed in the
spring of 2016 with the president and
property manager of the Homeowners
Association, as well as the Neptune
Township's Director of Engineering and
Planning, and funding approved by the
Seaview at Shark River Island
Homeowners Association for the design
and construction of the living shoreline.
To ascertain how well it worked, a twoyear
pilot project was deployed at the site
to monitor the performance of the
mattresses in the intended environmental
conditions, and positive results were
submitted to the local state and federal
permitting agencies who authorised of the
full installation. The American Littoral
Society provided support in the forms of
ecological advice, design support for the
marsh sills, planting plans, agency
coordination and logistical support, both
towards the completion of the restoration
of the marsh area and landscaping of the
upland berm area with native vegetation.
Once established, the native plants will
help reduce the potential for further
erosion, and, as we see in this country
when our coastal regions are threatened,
the initial marsh re-planting will be
undertaken and led by volunteers. For the
US, read the littoral society
www.littoralsociety.org and for the UK it
would probably be supported by the
National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk or
a proliferation of local bodies and
organisations.
Post-installation monitoring will have to
take place over the course of several years
to evaluate the performance of the overall
project, with the scientific results being
paramount towards the future use of
nature-based infrastructure measures
throughout the region.
Andrew Rella, PhD, Technical Director of
Business Development, ECOncrete Inc.,
said: "We are extremely proud to have
implemented our pioneering bio-enhanced
marine mattresses at Shark River Island.
This is a truly unique partnership, having
first been approached back in December
2015. Our aim is to create a hybrid living
shoreline to prevent the ongoing erosion
between the marsh and marina bulkhead
at the northwest corner of the Island and to
provide an ecological uplift across the site."
Capt. Alek Modjeski, the Habitat
Restoration Program Director of the
American Littoral Society stressed the
importance of the project. "This area has
suffered heavy erosion that not only
impacts nearby residences but also the
local ecology. The Littoral Society believes
this hybrid living shoreline will help reduce
the waves, boat wakes, and currents that
have affected the marsh and make the
surrounding area more storm resistant,
while also providing habitat for a host of
wildlife. As part of the project, we will be
planting native grasses in the eroded
marsh along with native shrubs and
grasses along the newly created upland
berm. Our partnership with Stockton
University has also enabled us to stake
proper marsh elevations, meaning the
plants will also have a better chance of
establishment before storm season."
Perhaps this project could also serve as
an example for the constantly evolving
coastline of the UK.
https://econcretetech.com
34
September/October 2021

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