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CAD User<br />
MARCH/APRIL <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL 37 NO 02<br />
WWW.CADUSER.COM<br />
Northern Excellence<br />
Collaboration and coordination on<br />
City Campus Manchester<br />
A Workout for BIM<br />
Jonathan Reeves shows how BIM can<br />
benefit a small-scale Vectorworks project<br />
Digital Synergy<br />
Twinview simplifies Asset<br />
Information Management<br />
Naviate Zero<br />
Symetri sets a new benchmark for<br />
sustainable building design<br />
INDUSTRY NEWS • CASE STUDIES • HARDWARE & SOFTWARE FO<strong>CU</strong>S • PRODUCT REVIEWS • FEATURES
CONTENTS<br />
MARCH/APRIL <strong>2024</strong><br />
CONTENTS<br />
CADVENTURE CONTINUES 12<br />
Founded by Paul Lewis and now run by MD<br />
Elaine Lewis,Cadventure are celebrating their<br />
35 years in the AEC industry with a conference<br />
on Digital Intelligence and the launch of<br />
Cadventure International<br />
NAVIATE ZERO 18<br />
Symetri sets a new benchmark in sustainable<br />
building design with the launch of Naviate<br />
Zero, which has been created to measure the<br />
embodied carbon stored in a design<br />
A WORKOUT FOR BIM 22<br />
Jonathan Reeves explains how JRA's use of<br />
BIM on a small Vectorworks-based project<br />
proved invaluable for discussions with the client<br />
TWINVIEW 26<br />
David Chadwick discusses the rationale behind<br />
the launch of Twinview with Rob Charlton, the<br />
CEO of Space Group<br />
NEWS.................................................INDUSTRY NEWS.......................................................................................................6<br />
• A NEW SITEVIEW, POWERED BY AI • A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR DIGITAL TWINS<br />
TECHNOLOGY FO<strong>CU</strong>S......................AI MEETS BIG DATA..............................................................................................8<br />
• ACCESS COINS USES AI AND BIG DATA TO TRANSFORM CONSTRUCTION WITH ERP<br />
TECHNOLOGY FO<strong>CU</strong>S......................A BIM HEALTH CHECK....................................................................................10<br />
• SIMON HAILSTONE AT CAMBASHI LOOKS AT THE STATE OF PLAY WITH BIM DATA MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE<br />
EVENT FO<strong>CU</strong>S...................................THE CADVENTURE DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE CONFERENCE...........................14<br />
• HOW DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE CAN ENABLE US TO BUILD BETTER AND IMPROVE COLLABORATION<br />
EVENT FO<strong>CU</strong>S...................................BIM & TONIC........................................................................................................16<br />
• NEMETSCHEK RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS 60TH YEAR WITH THE LAUNCH OF DTWIN<br />
SOFTWARE FO<strong>CU</strong>S...........................TEKLA <strong>2024</strong>..........................................................................................................20<br />
• TEKLA'S <strong>2024</strong> SOFTWARE LINE-UP OFFERS AN ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE AND CONNECTED WORKFLOWS<br />
TECHNOLOGY FO<strong>CU</strong>S......................MAKING DESIGNS CONSTRUCTABLE............................................................24<br />
• DBM VIRCON DEVELOPS CONSTRUCTABLE MANUFACTURING MODELS FROM ENGINEER'S DESIGNS<br />
EVENT PREVIEW................................7 THINGS TO SEE AT DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION WEEK...................................28<br />
• PREVIEWING THE UK'S LEADING EVENT FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT<br />
CASE STUDY......................................NORTHERN EXCELLENCE...............................................................................30<br />
• COLLABORATION DELIVERS A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR DIGITAL AND CREATIVE LEARNING<br />
TRAINING MAP...................................AUTODESK TRAINING.......................................................................................32<br />
• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING<br />
INDUSTRY FO<strong>CU</strong>S.............................DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORTS......................................................................34<br />
• HOW THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS REGULATION WITH ADVANCE ADOPTION OF DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORTS<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 3
COMMENT<br />
Editor:<br />
David Chadwick<br />
(cad.user@btc.co.uk)<br />
News Editor:<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>k Lyward<br />
(mark.lyward@btc.co.uk)<br />
Advertising Sales:<br />
Josh Boulton<br />
(josh.boulton@btc.co.uk)<br />
Production Manager:<br />
Abby Penn<br />
(abby.penn@btc.co.uk)<br />
Design/Layout:<br />
Ian Collis<br />
ian.collis@btc.co.uk<br />
Circulation/Subscriptions:<br />
Christina Willis<br />
(christina.willis@btc.co.uk)<br />
Publisher:<br />
John Jageurs<br />
john.jageurs@btc.co.uk<br />
Published by Barrow &<br />
Thompkins Connexion Ltd.<br />
35 Station Square, Petts Wood,<br />
Kent BR5 1LZ<br />
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Single copies can be bought for £8.50<br />
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Published 6 times a year.<br />
© <strong>2024</strong> Barrow & Thompkins<br />
Connexion Ltd.<br />
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Articles published reflect the opinions of<br />
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accepted by the publisher for errors, misrepresentations<br />
or any resulting effects<br />
Comment<br />
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be<br />
by David Chadwick<br />
In this issue we celebrate two<br />
anniversaries. The first is Nemetschek's<br />
incredible 60th, and the second is<br />
Cadventure's 35th anniversary, reached at<br />
the end of last year. The driving force for<br />
each were two visionaries, albeit with<br />
different types of vision.<br />
Georg Nemetschek, an engineer, realised<br />
in the 1970s that, while computers were in<br />
a very early stage at that time, they were<br />
still an ideal vehicle for the type of<br />
calculations involved in developing<br />
architectural designs - leading to the<br />
development of Allplan. The records don't<br />
say what the computers configurations<br />
were at that time, but I do know from<br />
personal experience that the graphics<br />
capabilities were somewhat limited.<br />
I was a computer user at about that time<br />
too - on the back of a Land Rover on<br />
Salisbury plain. FACE (Field Artillery<br />
Control Equipment) was operated by two<br />
NCOs to calculate trajectories for the Royal<br />
Artillery. As a junior subaltern, I sat behind<br />
them with a button on a cable attached to<br />
the computer. When their efforts looked as<br />
if they were correct, I pressed the Enter<br />
key. I was in sole command of ENT. The<br />
graphic display was incandescent figures<br />
at the top of the equipment. As<br />
Nemetschek's vision was a couple of years<br />
prior to that, it was some foresight.<br />
Fast forward a number of years, and I<br />
started working within the IT industry, as an<br />
observer, and not a doer. In 1980 a<br />
publisher, Europress, helped me set up<br />
and produce a magazine, Windfall,<br />
covering the Apple II computer. I wrote<br />
about Format 80, VisiCalc and PERT, the<br />
forerunners of Word, Excel and current<br />
project management software. Graphics<br />
capabilities were somewhat limited at the<br />
time, but I somehow remember something<br />
called Pink CAD, but when I Google it now<br />
it only comes up with images of an<br />
ostentatious American automobile.<br />
Paul Lewis, another engineer, was also<br />
involved in computing around that time,<br />
and also realised that, while things were<br />
starting to get really interesting in the field,<br />
a lot of architects, civil engineers and<br />
others working in an industry unfairly<br />
renowned for its blinkerism would need<br />
help to leverage the possibilities within the<br />
new and exciting area. To this end he<br />
established Cadventure, an apt name, to<br />
assist them.<br />
That need for guidance continues -<br />
perhaps even more so now, as the issues<br />
we currently contend with have multiplied<br />
while the resources have grown more<br />
complex - from the lack of young people<br />
entering the industry, to the 'threats or<br />
promises' of AI.<br />
There is no doubt that we have to<br />
accelerate the development of smart cities<br />
to accommodate rising human populations<br />
and the looming possibilty of population<br />
dispersion from unsustainable ecological<br />
deserts. We will need the resources of<br />
complex machine learning to ameliorate<br />
the evolution of the human race.<br />
Countering that we have the adverse<br />
capabilities of AI, which can be used to<br />
fake news stories, create images and<br />
videos indistinguishable from reality, and<br />
otherwise build alternative scenarios to<br />
spread information with a malicious intent.<br />
I applaud software developers within the<br />
construction industry who are introducing<br />
AI features in their most current releases -<br />
a welcome addition to help cope with the<br />
complex demands we face - but would<br />
offer a note of caution. They are an<br />
unsensient tool, performing complex tasks<br />
at the prodding of a human being. Most of<br />
the jobs in the construction industry, for<br />
example, aren't at risk from AI as<br />
construction is still building a world for<br />
humans, as difficult as that sometimes<br />
proves, and that is an unattainable task for<br />
current AI - and we must keep it so.<br />
4 <strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il 2023
FASTER WORKFLOWS<br />
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you’ll find faster workflows at every stage of design,<br />
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Start your free trial at VECTORWORKS.NET/<strong>2024</strong><br />
Railing<br />
Handrail<br />
Gravity Mode<br />
Endpoint<br />
OYAKI FARM BY IROHADO | COURTESY OF TONO MIRAI ARCHITECTS
INDUSTRY news<br />
A NEW SITEVIEW, POWERED BY AI<br />
PlanRadar is set to launch its<br />
new AI-powered 'SiteView'<br />
feature, which will empower<br />
users to capture 360° imagery<br />
of a project while walking the<br />
site, with the images automatically<br />
mapped onto a 2D plan,<br />
creating a detailed visual<br />
record of activity across every<br />
stage of the build.<br />
Group Co-CEO Ibrahim Imam<br />
noted, "This feature's a game<br />
changer for PlanRadar users,<br />
combining the easy-to-use<br />
experience with the highest levels<br />
of accuracy, making it possible<br />
to achieve complete visual<br />
as-builts, field progress and<br />
photo documentation in place<br />
of taking thousands of photos.<br />
"In addition, with our core documentation,<br />
communication<br />
and ticketing platform, SiteView<br />
means anyone working on a<br />
project can now easily go back<br />
and look 'behind the wall' to see<br />
exactly what was built or<br />
installed, often reducing rework."<br />
SiteView enables construction<br />
teams to walk a site with a 360°<br />
camera attached to a helmet,<br />
and SiteView does the rest.<br />
Reality capture images are<br />
automatically transferred from<br />
camera to app and ready to<br />
review in PlanRadar shortly<br />
after a site walk is completed,<br />
aligning the path walked onto<br />
the 2D plan. This makes it easy<br />
to document visual 'as-builts' in<br />
minutes once images are transferred,<br />
as well as quickly maintain<br />
any visual site documentation<br />
required. Additionally, a<br />
compare feature makes it easy<br />
to view images captured on<br />
two dates side-by-side during<br />
the build to see progress and<br />
spot any deflections.<br />
www.planradar.com<br />
NIMA CONFERENCE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED<br />
At the nima Virtual Spring<br />
Conference on 18 <strong>Apr</strong>il<br />
<strong>2024</strong> visitors will witness exclusive<br />
live content from inspiring<br />
industry speakers at the forefront<br />
of digital change, and,<br />
post-event, this content will be<br />
available on demand to share<br />
with the wider industry.<br />
The <strong>2024</strong> Conference will<br />
inform, educate, share and<br />
signpost you to critical information<br />
and sources that will allow<br />
you to design, build and operate<br />
more efficiently and effectively<br />
through the better use and<br />
understanding of information<br />
management. The day will open<br />
with a welcome from nima chair<br />
Anne Kemp, and then the conference<br />
is structured around a<br />
series of four main keynote<br />
talks, each followed by a panel<br />
discussion. The full line-up of<br />
speakers is now available here:<br />
https://shorturl.at/wJZ12<br />
MAKING SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING ADD UP<br />
Perega has launched its<br />
innovative CO2 accounting<br />
tool: The Carbon Calculator.<br />
The evolutionary platform<br />
empowers Perega's clients to<br />
assess the whole carbon footprint<br />
of their projects, from<br />
inception to completion.<br />
Importantly, enabling them to<br />
make greener material choices<br />
to faster, and better,<br />
achieve a more sustainable<br />
built environment.<br />
The calculator has been<br />
Hexagon's Geosystems division<br />
and the Nemetschek<br />
Group have announced a<br />
strategic partnership to accelerate<br />
digital transformation within<br />
the AEC/O industry. As a first<br />
step, the partnership is driving<br />
the adoption of digital twins by<br />
offering their customers a<br />
seamlessly integrated end-toend<br />
workflow for efficient and<br />
sustainable building operations.<br />
Hexagon leverages its end-toend<br />
reality capture and<br />
Scan2BIM solutions to automatically<br />
capture accurate and realtime<br />
field data to create Digital<br />
Twins across all sectors. It uses<br />
its AI-powered solutions to support<br />
building analytics and simulations,<br />
generate progress<br />
insights as well as provide an<br />
immersive experience navigating<br />
assets during design, construction<br />
and operations<br />
through its VR/AR and positioning<br />
technology.<br />
developed by the firm's dedicated,<br />
in-house Net Zero Carbon<br />
Group and uses a sophisticated<br />
algorithmic framework,<br />
analysing material emissions<br />
data to achieve lower-carbon<br />
outcomes. Harnessing the<br />
power of the latest digital technology,<br />
the calculator seamlessly<br />
integrates within the<br />
Revit model, offering a comprehensive<br />
carbon impact<br />
assessment.<br />
https://perega.co.uk<br />
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR DIGITAL TWINS<br />
dTwin, Nemetschek's new horizontal,<br />
open, and cloud-based<br />
Digital Twin platform delivers<br />
data-driven insights and helps<br />
customers to efficiently manage<br />
facilities from design to operations,<br />
fusing all data sources of<br />
a building in one overarching<br />
view. dTwin brings together all<br />
relevant information from<br />
CAD/BIM, IWMS, and more with<br />
the real-time streams from building<br />
operations, providing value<br />
via visualisation, data analysis<br />
and assets management.<br />
Jointly, Nemetschek and<br />
Hexagon will provide customers<br />
with the tools, services<br />
and expertise for an end-to-end<br />
digital twin workflow by joining<br />
the up-to-date building data<br />
through Hexagon's latest reality<br />
capture solutions with the<br />
smart and efficient building<br />
operations powered by<br />
Nemetschek's dTwin.<br />
www.hexagon.com<br />
6<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
VISIBILITY<br />
CONTROL<br />
AC<strong>CU</strong>RACY<br />
CONSTRUCTION ERP SOFTWARE<br />
From pre-construction to post construction<br />
Visibility is everything; trust<br />
our software to give you control<br />
and accuracy.<br />
Access construction management<br />
software enables you to accurately<br />
estimate contracts, manage your<br />
projects with clear visibility and<br />
control your costs.<br />
Access Construction ERP Software<br />
comprises award-winning Enterprise<br />
Resource Planning (ERP) EasyBuild and<br />
ConQuest Estimating can help you with:<br />
• ESTIMATING<br />
• SITE MANAGEMENT<br />
• ACCOUNTING<br />
• HR AND PAYROLL<br />
• TRAINING<br />
• COMPLIANCE<br />
• PRO<strong>CU</strong>REMENT<br />
• HOSTING AND CYBER SE<strong>CU</strong>RITY<br />
WHY CHOOSE SOFTWARE<br />
FROM ACCESS CONSTRUCTION?<br />
• Two core products written for the<br />
construction industry – ConQuest<br />
Estimating and EasyBuild ERP<br />
Software<br />
CONTACT US AND<br />
BOOK A DEMO TODAY<br />
Search: Access Construction<br />
• Bought alone or as an integrated<br />
package, we create the right solution<br />
for your company which can scale<br />
as you grow<br />
• Seamless implementation, with<br />
product training and dedicated<br />
customer support
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
AI Meets Big Data<br />
How Access COINS uses AI and Big Data to transform construction with ERP<br />
The construction industry is<br />
traditionally known for its reliance<br />
on manual processes, siloed data<br />
and a slow turn towards digital<br />
transformation. However, construction<br />
technology is currently experiencing a<br />
surge of innovation driven by artificial<br />
intelligence (AI) and Big Data. By<br />
integrating these technologies into<br />
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)<br />
software, construction companies are<br />
poised to unlock a new era of efficiency,<br />
profitability, and risk mitigation.<br />
ERP software acts as the 'central<br />
nervous system' of a construction<br />
company, managing crucial functions<br />
like project management, financials, the<br />
supply chain, service, and even the<br />
workforce. When infused with AI and Big<br />
Data - the vast amount of information<br />
available from both current and earlier<br />
building projects - the systems morph<br />
into intelligent hubs, transforming how<br />
construction companies operate across<br />
the entire project lifecycle.<br />
OPTIMISING PROJECT<br />
MANAGEMENT WITH FORESIGHT<br />
Project delays and cost overruns have<br />
long plagued construction companies.<br />
The AI built into ERP can significantly<br />
improve project management by<br />
analysing historical data.<br />
It does this by identifying trends and<br />
patterns, highlighting potential<br />
bottlenecks and allowing<br />
managers to finetune the ERP<br />
system to generate more<br />
accurate project schedules and<br />
budgets. Historical data on project<br />
durations, labour costs, and material<br />
requirements can be used to create<br />
more realistic forecasts, reducing the<br />
risk of projects overrunning or needing<br />
costly rework. AI can also predict and<br />
proactively address risks by analysing<br />
historical data such as subcontractor<br />
performance records.<br />
ERP systems, using the power of AI and<br />
big data analysis, can identify potential<br />
disruptions before they even occur,<br />
allowing project managers to take<br />
preventive measures and mitigate risks<br />
before they escalate. Alternatively, AI can<br />
optimise resource allocation by analysing<br />
a project's human resource requirements<br />
and worker skillsets to create optimal<br />
staffing plans, ensuring<br />
the right people are<br />
assigned to the right<br />
tasks and<br />
maximising<br />
efficiency and<br />
productivity.<br />
REAL-TIME VISIBILITY: A<br />
TRANSPARENT CONSTRUCTION<br />
SITE<br />
The construction site is a dynamic<br />
environment with constantly changing<br />
variables. However, big data can<br />
provide real-time visibility into every<br />
aspect of a construction project. This<br />
transparency allows for improved<br />
resource utilisation and tracking with<br />
enhanced progress monitoring,<br />
stemming from streamlined<br />
communication and collaboration<br />
capabilities. Real-time data sharing<br />
across all project stakeholders, from<br />
architects and engineers to<br />
subcontractors and on-site workers,<br />
fosters better collaboration and ensures<br />
everyone is on the same page.<br />
BOOSTING EFFICIENCY AND<br />
PRODUCTIVITY WITH<br />
AUTOMATION'S HELPING HAND<br />
Construction companies are burdened<br />
by repetitive tasks such as data<br />
entry, generating reports, and<br />
scheduling meetings. AIpowered<br />
automation within<br />
ERP systems can handle<br />
these tasks, freeing<br />
up valuable<br />
human<br />
8<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
resources to focus on higher-level<br />
functions. This also leads to a reduced<br />
administrative burden, as project<br />
managers and other staff can dedicate<br />
more time to strategic planning, client<br />
communication, and problem-solving.<br />
Automation also improves data<br />
accuracy. Manual data entry is prone<br />
to errors, but AI can automate data<br />
capture and validation, ensuring the<br />
accuracy and consistency of project<br />
information. With real-time data at their<br />
fingertips and AI-powered insights<br />
readily available, project managers<br />
can make informed decisions quickly<br />
and adapt to changing circumstances,<br />
leading to faster and data-informed<br />
decision-making.<br />
BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE<br />
FUTURE: A GREENER PATH<br />
FORWARD<br />
The construction industry is a<br />
significant contributor to raised carbon<br />
levels and its role in climate change -<br />
hence the drive towards zero carbon<br />
commitments and the introduction of<br />
embodied carbon calculation software.<br />
Big Data and AI within ERP can be<br />
harnessed to the same cause,<br />
promoting sustainability through<br />
several methods.<br />
Optimising material usage is an<br />
important and obvious step. AI can<br />
analyse project plans and suggest<br />
ways to minimise material waste,<br />
reducing their environmental impact<br />
by identifying and selecting<br />
sustainable materials and construction<br />
methods, reducing the environmental<br />
footprint of projects and building a<br />
more sustainable future for the<br />
construction industry.<br />
Selecting the most sustainable<br />
materials could come with an<br />
unsustainable price tag, though - the<br />
financial cost of shipping it in, as well<br />
as the embodied carbon cost - and AI<br />
can be used to factor that into the<br />
increasingly complex calculations.<br />
PROTECTING PROFIT MARGINS<br />
WITH FINANCIAL FORECASTING<br />
Financial forecasting within<br />
construction ERP software plays a<br />
critical role in maximising construction<br />
profit margins. Traditional methods<br />
often rely on estimations and historical<br />
averages, which can be inaccurate<br />
and lead to missed opportunities or<br />
financial shortfalls.<br />
AI-powered ERP systems, however,<br />
can analyse vast amounts of real-time<br />
data on project costs, material prices,<br />
labour expenses, and market<br />
fluctuations. This allows for highly<br />
accurate financial forecasts that<br />
consider potential risks and<br />
opportunities. With this level of<br />
foresight, construction companies can<br />
make informed decisions about<br />
resource allocation, pricing strategies,<br />
and project budgeting.<br />
For example, identifying potential<br />
cost overruns early on allows you to<br />
take appropriate steps and negotiate<br />
for improved terms with suppliers or to<br />
adjust a project's timelines. This<br />
proactive approach, enabled by<br />
accurate financial forecasting within<br />
the ERP system, helps construction<br />
companies stay ahead of potential<br />
problems and ultimately safeguard's<br />
their profit margins.<br />
THE ROAD AHEAD: EMBRACING<br />
THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION<br />
While AI and big data hold immense<br />
potential for the construction industry, a<br />
successful implementation requires<br />
careful consideration and planning.<br />
Besides getting to know which areas of<br />
a project are of most concern, cause<br />
the cost overruns and which can be<br />
addressed by AI etc., additional<br />
challenges will include the ability to<br />
integrate the new technologies within an<br />
existing IT infrastructure, address data<br />
security concerns, and ensure<br />
employee buy-in.<br />
However, by overcoming these<br />
hurdles, construction companies can<br />
harness the power of AI and big data<br />
to revolutionise the way they build,<br />
paving the way for a future<br />
characterised by efficiency,<br />
sustainability, and innovation.<br />
ACCESS COINS IS AN AI-<br />
POWERED ERP BUILT FOR THE<br />
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY<br />
With real-time data collection,<br />
automated reporting and analysis and<br />
powerful forecasting tools, Access<br />
COINS is a powerful ERP packed with<br />
features specific to the construction<br />
industry and can turn data into<br />
actionable insights. Fundamentally it<br />
uses AI to help construction<br />
companies control cashflow, uncover<br />
efficiencies and automate processes<br />
right across the construction lifecycle.<br />
Search 'Access COINS' or visit the<br />
website to learn more.<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 9
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
A BIM Health Check<br />
Simon Hailstone, Principal Consultant at Cambashi, looks at the current state of play with BIM data<br />
management software<br />
In his recent article in this magazine<br />
(Whatever Happened to BIM Level 2,<br />
Jan/Feb issue), Mervyn Richards<br />
highlighted the challenges in the<br />
definition and use of standards, not only<br />
for BIM adoption, but also for its<br />
effective implementation. He pointed<br />
out that many research projects have<br />
concluded that one major problem<br />
impacting the delivery of construction<br />
projects is the lack of quality<br />
information. In other words, data.<br />
It's perhaps not surprising then that<br />
the fastest growing sector for providers<br />
of Architecture, Engineering and<br />
Construction (AEC)-related software<br />
over the last five years has been<br />
applications for BIM data management.<br />
These applications cover a range of<br />
capabilities, from generic file storage<br />
and management through to fully datadriven<br />
Common Data Environments<br />
(CDEs). Some address specific aspects<br />
of the overall BIM Design, Build,<br />
Operate, and Integrate cycle, while<br />
others aim to cover the entire end-toend<br />
process.<br />
GOING FOR GROWTH<br />
One thing is for sure - the demand for<br />
these applications is certainly on the<br />
up. I have accumulated over 25 years<br />
of expertise in the AEC software<br />
applications industry, and since joining<br />
Cambashi in 2008 as a principal<br />
analyst specialising in researching the<br />
BIM market landscape, I've gained<br />
unique insights into the intricate<br />
dynamics of the data management<br />
solutions landscape.<br />
The extensive BIM research we have<br />
undertaken at Cambashi indicates that<br />
the BIM data management software<br />
sector as a whole had a five-year<br />
compound annual growth rate (CAGR)<br />
of over 20%. This contrasts with the<br />
design-related applications growth of<br />
around 10%, and even outstrips the<br />
buoyant construction tech sector<br />
growth of 16%.<br />
Although geographically much of this<br />
software growth has been primarily in<br />
the US, BIM awareness globally has<br />
also seen similar levels of growth<br />
across Europe and Asia.<br />
SEAMLESS PROCESS<br />
The data management solution<br />
landscape is diverse, reflecting not only<br />
the different approaches of the software<br />
vendors, but also the emerging state of<br />
BIM and digital transformation within the<br />
construction industry. A key tenet of BIM<br />
is the creation of a seamless process<br />
throughout the built asset lifecycle.<br />
However, existing practices in long<br />
established industries are not easily or<br />
rapidly changed. The result is inevitably<br />
a hybrid of types of digital assets<br />
managed by a mélange of processes.<br />
Despite tech sector marketing<br />
messaging to the contrary, not everyone<br />
is floating in the cloud in the data<br />
equivalent of the Gaia hypothesis.<br />
Aspects of the construction lifecycle are<br />
still driven by a document- and filecentric<br />
approach. PDFs, Excel, and<br />
prints are still very much in place, and<br />
the scope of vendor applications<br />
reflects this.<br />
In some respects, the path of data and<br />
lifecycle management in AEC reflects<br />
the one already taken in the<br />
manufacturing sector over the last 25<br />
years. The drive there was from the<br />
design engineering discipline, and<br />
consequently the major design software<br />
vendors focused on capturing control of<br />
the established CAD file base. However,<br />
the evolving situation for BIM data<br />
management in AEC has some distinct<br />
differences and potential advantages:<br />
Firstly, public sector BIM initiatives<br />
related to infrastructure are helping<br />
to set the agenda and, in principle,<br />
are driving awareness, integration<br />
and adoption. This contrasts with<br />
the early adopters in manufacturing,<br />
where corporate competitive<br />
advantage and vendor isolation<br />
limited the opportunities for whole<br />
lifecycle benefits.<br />
Secondly, current technologies, in<br />
particular the cloud and on-demand<br />
services, lend themselves<br />
particularly well to large, distributed<br />
data sets for information<br />
contributors and consumers.<br />
LEADING VENDORS<br />
According to our research, the top 10<br />
providers of BIM data management<br />
10<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
software accounted for more than 85%<br />
($1.5Bn) of the total worldwide market<br />
in 2023. Of course, this includes the<br />
usual suspects - Autodesk, Bentley,<br />
Nemetschek - who start from a position<br />
of model file and existing end-user<br />
dominance. Each has taken a<br />
somewhat different approach to<br />
supporting the BIM lifecycle, but all are<br />
moving from their design file roots<br />
towards end-to-end, data-driven<br />
outcomes.<br />
Trimble and Oracle have a long history<br />
in the construction sector. It is no<br />
surprise to see both in the top 10<br />
providers, although the nature of their<br />
solutions highlights the challenge of<br />
defining the boundaries of 'pure' data<br />
management vs. core process support.<br />
Procore has been one of the fastest<br />
growing vendors in recent times<br />
supporting the construct part of the<br />
BIM cycle, and underlying this is a<br />
strong data management platform. Its<br />
success reflects how technologically<br />
untapped parts of the construction<br />
industry can be connected and<br />
significant efficiencies gained.<br />
All of the major vendors have a<br />
presence in China and have<br />
experienced growth in tandem with the<br />
historical boom in construction there,<br />
although the recent downturn in the real<br />
estate sector is proving challenging.<br />
Glodon is the largest local incumbent,<br />
with around two thirds of the nearly<br />
$150m market, and its reach within the<br />
construction sector is substantial.<br />
This software market is somewhat<br />
unusual in that there is no 'long-tail' of<br />
small, often niche providers. Cambashi<br />
research suggests that the number is<br />
less than 50 vendors accounting for<br />
around 15% of the market. Compare<br />
that with more than 600 small vendors<br />
in the design space with 20% of the<br />
market. This may reflect the fact that<br />
this sector has been driven historically<br />
largely top-down by general<br />
contractors and larger practices and<br />
the larger vendors have built on their<br />
existing user base. It may also hide the<br />
fact that generic or home-grown<br />
solutions are more prevalent.<br />
It is important to remember that<br />
vendors continue to make significant<br />
investments in new technologies that<br />
will eventually benefit the entire AEC<br />
ecosystem. All are in it for the long<br />
haul, and in the case of the data<br />
management of long-lived assets, it's<br />
probably the biggest game in town.<br />
DIGITISATION JOURNEY<br />
So, is BIM data management software<br />
set to continue its steady rise?<br />
Although the digitisation journey in AEC<br />
is still in its infancy, we can expect to<br />
see this trend continuing. Cambashi<br />
sees a CAGR for the next five years of<br />
around 15%, assuming no 'super<br />
disruptors' appear to challenge the<br />
status quo?<br />
There is a burgeoning number of<br />
software startups in the AEC sector.<br />
This, combined with the rapid<br />
acceleration of AI, spatial computing<br />
and new business models (e.g.<br />
treasury.space) means there is a good<br />
chance that the BIM data management<br />
space as defined today will grow in<br />
new directions, and will inevitably<br />
challenge the incumbents.<br />
With most major AEC firms well into<br />
their digital journeys, the opportunities<br />
for the industry lie with users in SMBs,<br />
small practices and subcontractors.<br />
Indeed, many vendors are now turning<br />
their attention to this potentially lucrative<br />
market. However, demonstrating the<br />
value and returns to all levels of the<br />
supply chain remains one of the biggest<br />
challenges. BIM data management will<br />
therefore become even more critical in<br />
providing these proof-points in the<br />
digital economy.<br />
For more information visit:<br />
www.cambashi.com/bim<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 11
INDUSTRYfocus<br />
Cadventure Continues<br />
Founded by Paul Lewis and<br />
now run by MD Elaine Lewis,<br />
Cadventure are celebrating<br />
their 35 years in the AEC<br />
industry with a conference on<br />
Digital Intelligence and the<br />
launch of Cadventure<br />
International<br />
The late 1980s was a great time to<br />
start an IT company, as desktop<br />
computers were beginning to<br />
acquire the power to run more<br />
advanced software with better quality<br />
graphics. This was sufficient to<br />
persuade Paul Lewis to think about<br />
using his experience and expertise to<br />
help architects and engineers get the<br />
best from the emerging technology.<br />
Paul studied for his BSc. in Computer<br />
Science at Lancaster University,<br />
following this up as a graduate<br />
Technical Engineer at British Aerospace.<br />
Continuing his studies, he achieved his<br />
MSc. in Computer Aided Design and<br />
Engineering Systems, then moved to<br />
Intergraph Corporation, the original<br />
home of MicroStation. This journey was<br />
the spark that inspired Cadventure.<br />
Not to be outdone, Elaine studied<br />
Economics at Lancaster University (they<br />
met when she tripped over his rucksack)<br />
and studied for her MBA at Cranfield<br />
before continuing her commercial career<br />
as a Director for a start-up.<br />
And the last 35 years? Whilst waiting<br />
for his car to be fixed one fateful day in<br />
1989, Paul took the opportunity to find<br />
a bit of office space in Kingston-Upon-<br />
Thames where he could bring his idea<br />
to life. He chose the name Cadventure,<br />
as everything he wanted to do was<br />
centred on CAD, and starting his own<br />
company was an adventure. So, in the<br />
same week that Sir Tim Berners-Lee<br />
proposed the commercial idea of the<br />
internet, Cadventure was born.<br />
This year, they celebrate their 35th<br />
year in the industry with a growing<br />
reputation and the launch of<br />
Cadventure International as a leading<br />
European supplier of solutions for the<br />
Construction industry.<br />
Cadventure's very first client was<br />
Foster & Partners, who asked Paul to<br />
tune their DEC VAX machines and to<br />
sort out their electrostatic plotters. They<br />
have since worked together on many<br />
occasions - the first of many<br />
consultancy engagements, to which<br />
Cadventure added training, delivery<br />
and software sales.<br />
Significant milestones along the way<br />
also include becoming a Bentley<br />
Channel Partner in 1993, a Vectorworks<br />
Channel Partner in 2003, introducing<br />
3D printers to their clients in 2005 and<br />
being appointed as the SpaceClaim<br />
reseller in 2010. In 2019 they were<br />
invited to become resellers for<br />
Bluebeam and Solibri.<br />
12<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
INDUSTRYfocus<br />
The Building Centre, just off<br />
Tottenham Court Road, has been their<br />
London home since 1997, which is<br />
when Elaine, Paul's wife, joined the<br />
company to support with its growth<br />
plans. Elaine rapidly became an<br />
essential part of the business, leading<br />
to her taking over as Managing Director<br />
in 2013.<br />
Another UK office was opened in 2007<br />
on Cotswold Airport near Cirencester,<br />
which is now home to the Head Office<br />
team. Aircraft just happened to be<br />
another passion of Paul's, and residing<br />
on a working airport means there is<br />
always something interesting happening.<br />
Paul is quite unconventional in the<br />
way he does business. He is<br />
passionate about the technology,<br />
encouraging his staff to think outside<br />
the box and be flexible in helping the<br />
company's clients, and to add value to<br />
these relationships. This customercentric<br />
approach has worked well for<br />
Cadventure over many years.<br />
As Elaine Lewis comments "If we<br />
continue to put our clients at the centre<br />
of what we do, ensuring that we meet<br />
their needs, then it is proven that<br />
ultimately it will also be good for our<br />
vendors and for Cadventure."<br />
The formation of Cadventure<br />
International has expanded its footprint<br />
from the UK into Europe, establishing<br />
Cadventure International's head office in<br />
Dublin. Cadventure have also picked up<br />
a whole series of awards for their work<br />
culture, being named Employer of the<br />
Year regional finalists for Apprenticeships<br />
with the National Apprentice Scheme.<br />
They have also been recognised by both<br />
Bentley Systems and Bluebeam with<br />
awards for both new business<br />
development growth and exceptional<br />
commitment as partners.<br />
Cadventure truly is a family company.<br />
Whilst they have grown and adapted<br />
their range of activities over the last 35<br />
years, they remain true to their vision to<br />
help architects, engineers and<br />
construction companies understand<br />
their purpose, people and processes<br />
and to use technology to deliver<br />
projects more effectively.<br />
Most recently Cadventure have<br />
introduced new consultancy services<br />
around Bentley ProjectWise, SYNCHRO<br />
and BCDE, and have given strategic<br />
information management advice to<br />
some of the largest infrastructure<br />
delivery partners in the UK.<br />
Today Cadventure has an enviable<br />
collaboration network - an extended<br />
team of technical consultants who form<br />
part of the Cadventure Collaboration<br />
Community. This is a hugely-talented<br />
and growing international community of<br />
leading software and solutions experts.<br />
Together they are able to harness their<br />
collective capabilities to deliver diverse<br />
and complementary skillsets to service<br />
client engagements across the<br />
broadest range of technologies.<br />
Cadventure also like to find a way to<br />
give back to the AEC community. They<br />
are enormously proud of their<br />
partnership with Alison Watson MBE<br />
and Class Of Your Own as their global<br />
training provider, one of the enthralling<br />
speakers at Cadventure's recent<br />
symposium on Digital Intelligence.<br />
Cadventure have developed and deliver<br />
the technical training promoted by<br />
Alison, using Bentley software, to<br />
teachers worldwide.<br />
This empowers the teachers to<br />
educate the next generation of AEC<br />
professionals through the Design<br />
Engineer Construct technical<br />
qualifications for 11-18 year olds. Along<br />
with providing internationally accredited<br />
DEC Level 1 to 3 qualifications that<br />
carry UCAS points, the program is<br />
vitally important in building a<br />
community of bright young minds keen<br />
to explore career opportunities in the<br />
Built Environment, not just here in the<br />
UK but all over the world.<br />
With a growing reputation within the<br />
industry, Cadventure has gathered<br />
friends and supporters throughout the<br />
industry, many of whom Elaine has met<br />
through being a mentor for Women in<br />
BIM, a judge for the Women in<br />
Engineering and Construction Awards<br />
(WICE Awards), as a supporter of<br />
MIPIM Ladies, and she has been<br />
chosen as one of the top 30 most<br />
Inspirational Business Women in STEM<br />
and Construction in 2023. She is also a<br />
non-Executive Director for nima.<br />
But, most importantly, Elaine and Paul<br />
are proud of the support from their<br />
Cadventure team, some of whom have<br />
been part of the Cadventure story for<br />
more than 20 years.<br />
As for the future? Cadventure are<br />
keen to build on the success of the<br />
recent Cadventure Digital Intelligence<br />
Conference and further expand their<br />
global reach with Cadventure<br />
International, and continue to look for<br />
ways to bring the solutions that in the<br />
past only bigger companies have used<br />
to the wider AEC community. Watch<br />
this space!<br />
www.cadventure.co.uk<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 13
EVENTfocus<br />
The Cadventure Digital Intelligence Conference<br />
David Chadwick reports back from the inaugural Cadventure Digital Intelligence Conference, which<br />
explored how Digital Intelligence can enable us to build better and improve collaboration<br />
It's quite refreshing discussing Digital<br />
rather than Artificial Intelligence. The<br />
latter now appears to be attached to<br />
any process that requires complex tasks<br />
to be performed more efficiently, and<br />
which are often probably better described<br />
as advanced machine learning. At the<br />
Cadventure Digital Intelligence<br />
Conference, though, the emphasis was on<br />
collaboration and exploring the best tools<br />
and resources available to leverage digital<br />
information within the built environment.<br />
The conference was held in London,<br />
appropriately at 8 Bishopsgate, the new<br />
home of Cadventure's conference partner,<br />
Bentley Systems. Presentations from<br />
thought leaders covered productivity,<br />
connectivity and sustainability, exploring<br />
new ideas and discussing how Bentley<br />
technology is transforming the design<br />
and construction process, with a couple<br />
of thought-provoking presentations from<br />
outside the industry.<br />
To set the scene, the opening Keynote<br />
presentation was delivered by Fabrice<br />
Bourrelly, an Interactive Senior Consultant<br />
at Cityscape Digital, who works within the<br />
real estate industry. and whose current<br />
focus is on the development of real-time,<br />
immersive technology, creating interactive<br />
models of buildings and landscapes. With<br />
some compelling examples, he<br />
demonstrated how video games have<br />
opened the industry up to a completely<br />
new way of designing.<br />
The slickest renders have their<br />
limitations, he explained, A single image<br />
shows only one viewpoint. What real-time<br />
technology allows us to do is to<br />
communicate design intent far better by<br />
enabling stakeholders to interact in realtime<br />
with designs in the same way that<br />
games ineract with 3D environments in<br />
video games.<br />
Paul Shillcock, MD of Operam Academy,<br />
gave the closing Keynote. Paul is an<br />
expert in helping teams maximise their<br />
potential, based on his experiences in<br />
playing competitive sport and his time in<br />
the British Army. The adoption of a digital<br />
strategy can be challenging for senior<br />
managers, he reasoned, many of whom<br />
who have spent decades working in a<br />
traditional professional environment.<br />
Building effective teams for a digital future<br />
requires requires them to adapt, perform<br />
and collaborate to achieve more.<br />
With Fabrice covering the direction that<br />
virtual and augmented reality is taking us,<br />
and its use of the wealth of digital<br />
information we have available, and Paul<br />
outlining the role of teamwork in managing<br />
that information, the core content of the<br />
conference was neatly encapsulated.<br />
Focusing more directly on the theme of<br />
the conference, the 'meat in the sandwich'<br />
was provided by Simon McGowan, Digital<br />
Project Delivery Coordinator at Balfour<br />
Beatty Vinci, who spoke about Digital<br />
Project Delivery, and the mammoth task of<br />
developing an asset information model<br />
(AIM) for the part of HS2 that his company<br />
is currently working on.<br />
The scale of the project was probably<br />
familiar to many of the attendees, with<br />
over 10,000 models and documents and<br />
over 100,000 individual components,<br />
each of which had to be assigned unique<br />
asset identifiers (UAIDs). Creating the<br />
AIMs added further complexity, as each<br />
asset that they added had to be<br />
integrated within Bentley's ProjectWise<br />
workflow configuration, and required<br />
"integration, lots of testing, further<br />
integration development and the inclusion<br />
of error handling processes, followed by a<br />
lot more testing."<br />
A crucial part of this, Simon explained,<br />
was the push/pull process that integrated<br />
the asset within the AIMs. ProjectWise's<br />
DM3 model files are used to create records<br />
for each component, which are then<br />
tagged. They've currently built around 355<br />
graphic models, each with an average of<br />
25,000 components and a total of 256,000<br />
components to manage. He closed with<br />
three messages for the audience: "Define<br />
the model early, don't be afraid to change<br />
things, and don't put it off."<br />
Simon was followed by James<br />
Colclough and Chris Andrew of AECOM,<br />
who spoke about National Highways<br />
Information Management for a current<br />
A303 project. They talked about the<br />
management of graphic data and data<br />
exchange for asset information models<br />
with over 2,000 data layers. Similarly, the<br />
scale of digital information management<br />
is "challenging." Their key message was<br />
to "ensure the data is fit for purpose, with<br />
effective reporting in place, supported by<br />
dashboards and other deliverables."<br />
Further presentations came from Tom<br />
Price, MD of Informed Engineering<br />
Limited, who spoke about delivering<br />
better projects through improved<br />
collaboration, and Elin Kågas Ramström,<br />
Business Developer Digitisation Road &<br />
Rail at Tyrens, who discussed the use of<br />
digitalisation and innovation within AEC,<br />
and how the Bentley User Group<br />
contributes. Greg Demchak from the<br />
Digital Innovation Lab at Bentley Systems<br />
also gave us all a glimpse into the<br />
Metaverse used for the design and<br />
operation of infrastructure projects.<br />
Personal highlights of the conference<br />
included Alison Watson MBE, Founder &<br />
Chief Executive, Class Of Your Own,<br />
speaking on inspiring the next generation<br />
of construction industry leaders, and Joan<br />
Mulvihill, Digitalisation and Sustainability<br />
Lead at Siemens who talked about<br />
creative thinking and read aloud from<br />
John Ruskin to a captive and enthralled<br />
audience. I'm hopeful that the conference<br />
will become an annual event.<br />
www.cadventure.co.uk<br />
14<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
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BIM & Tonic<br />
Nemetschek recently celebrated its 60th year with the launch of an innovative digital twin application -<br />
dTwin - punningly paired with a gin tasting experience, writes David Chadwick<br />
That's not my title - it was a lovely<br />
play on words from Nemetschek<br />
themselves, who recently hosted a<br />
combined event that celebrated the 60th<br />
anniversary of the company's existence<br />
and the launch of dTwin, seasoned by a<br />
gin tasting experience.<br />
60 years is quite an achievement for a<br />
company. Formed in 1963 by Georg<br />
Nemetschek, the company sought to<br />
leverage the latest developments in<br />
computing technology, such as they were,<br />
for his Munich-based engineering<br />
company. His visionary aim was described<br />
by Yves Padrines, the current CEO of<br />
Nemetschek, which now heads a group of<br />
IT software companies within the<br />
construction industry, media and 3D<br />
visualisation, most of them familiar names.<br />
Realising even then that computers in<br />
the 1970s would provide a suitable<br />
platform for hosting CAD software, Georg<br />
Nemetschek introduced Allplan, the first<br />
CAD solution for architects. Focusing<br />
entirely on those sectors, the company is<br />
now the second largest software<br />
company in Germany, and amongst the<br />
top five publicly listed software<br />
companies in Europe, capitalised around<br />
10 billion Euro. It has enjoyed over 1,700<br />
per cent growth over the last 10 years.<br />
Whilst Allplan, a BIM solution for<br />
architects and engineers, is<br />
Nemetschek's leading brand, better<br />
known in the UK are Graphisoft's<br />
Archicad and Vectorworks. Structural<br />
engineering software and analytics<br />
software is provided by FRILO in<br />
Europe or Risa in North America, whilst<br />
Solibri provides clash detection and<br />
quality assurance.<br />
Another major brand is Bluebeam,<br />
which now has over three million users,<br />
and is soon to add AI functionality,<br />
scheduling and estimation on a<br />
Bluebeam Cloud platform. Less wellknown<br />
are Spacewell, workspace and<br />
energy management software, and Crem<br />
Solutions, a property management ERP<br />
for the German market. A module called<br />
Office also gathers building intelligent<br />
software from the design and<br />
construction lifecycle, for complex<br />
building like hospital clinics, or data<br />
centres, to be handed over at the end of<br />
the construction cycle.<br />
Nemetschek exhibits some<br />
uniqueness compared to the<br />
competition, but it is playing in a market<br />
that is showing variable levels of<br />
growth. Designing and planning is more<br />
digitalised than other areas but still has<br />
levels of digitalisation below 10%. There<br />
is a huge level of digitalisation, however,<br />
that can still be done in facility and<br />
asset management.<br />
CHALLENGES FOR THE INDUSTRY<br />
Yves underlined his statement, pointing<br />
out challenges that affect the industry.<br />
"90% of projects are late or over budget,"<br />
he said, and that "It's a global issue." That<br />
was confirmed by fellow infrastructure<br />
and construction delegates at a McKinley<br />
symposium in Dubai from which Yves<br />
had just returned.<br />
The problem will be compounded as<br />
projects are getting larger and more<br />
complex. In addition, close to 40% of the<br />
global CO2 emissions are from the<br />
construction industry, some from the<br />
design and construction phase, but most<br />
from during the operation and<br />
maintenance of a building. This is<br />
complicated further by an estimated 20%<br />
of materials used in the construction<br />
project being wasted. Last but not least,<br />
16<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
EVENTfocus<br />
is the lack of manpower in construction.<br />
"Take a look at profit margins," Yves said,<br />
"Single digit percentages in the best<br />
cases, to set against the increase in costs<br />
over the last two years. A lot of companies<br />
are, therefore, in the red. Business as<br />
usual, is not an option any longer."<br />
Companies are adopting software<br />
solutions to streamline their workflow, to<br />
design greener buildings, but also to<br />
calculate material resources more<br />
accurately. Energy efficiency is a hugely<br />
important topic, set against the rising<br />
costs of energy. To counter this,<br />
developers, construction companies and<br />
operators are rethinking how they can<br />
streamline their workflows.<br />
DTWIN FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT<br />
The second part of BIM & Tonic was an<br />
introduction to dTwin, Nemetschek's data<br />
driven digital twin of a building aimed at<br />
owners and operators. According to<br />
Nemetschek, a digital twin is not just the<br />
representation of a model. To work<br />
effectively it needs real time data from<br />
sensors and other IoT devices and<br />
building management systems (BMS),<br />
for all parts of the building, aggregating<br />
historical and current data and defining<br />
their relationships.<br />
As it is data, not model, driven dTwin<br />
can use data from any type of source,<br />
including brownfield and older buildings.<br />
Where no model is available, videos and<br />
images can be scanned to BIM and<br />
labelled as a digital twin and populated<br />
with sensors together with their attributes<br />
and operating requirements.<br />
A dTwin model can also be based on<br />
panorama images, reality captures, point<br />
clouds or 2D drawings - in fact anything<br />
that can help to collate the information<br />
needed to manage the building. What's<br />
more, the solution covers more than just<br />
buildings. dTwin can also be integrated<br />
into infrastructure and transport projects,<br />
two sectors where Bluebeam and Solibri<br />
are already used extensively.<br />
Layers of information can be built up,<br />
providing a wealth of connected<br />
information which can be used for<br />
different kinds of analytical insights,<br />
represented in dashboards, reports,<br />
alarms and notifications, helping<br />
decision makers to optimise the running<br />
of their properties and reducing their<br />
costs, improving utilisation or just making<br />
it more comfortable for its occupants.<br />
The analysis is driven by advanced<br />
algorithms that overlay data from each<br />
sensor, including its location in relation<br />
to other assets, material, and other<br />
relevant attributes. This is supplemented<br />
by cameras and other devices that<br />
identify the repositioning of objects<br />
within a building that would affect a<br />
sensor's readings.<br />
How is this relevant? In a hospital, for<br />
example, there are a lot of things that<br />
move every day, and their positioning<br />
may have an effect on the temperature<br />
levels within a room. It doesn't make<br />
sense to keep opening the BIM tool and<br />
start modelling the objects moving from<br />
one place to the other, but the<br />
repositioning can be tracked by other<br />
resources, and compensation made to<br />
the sensor readings.<br />
Nemetschek's own IoT infrastructure<br />
can ingest any kind of device data (a<br />
device agnostic infrastructure) and can<br />
read data, process it, run algorithms<br />
for anomaly detection, identify issues<br />
in real time, and store it in for<br />
subsequent analysis.<br />
If any component requires annual<br />
maintenance, then time-dedicated<br />
notifications can be raised. Similarly, if<br />
there are uncomfortable temperatures or<br />
higher energy consumption in a building,<br />
they can be used to trigger notifications<br />
and alarms, either via email, SMS or<br />
through the platform itself.<br />
The dashboards are customisable and<br />
can read data from whatever facility<br />
management software the manager is<br />
using in order to show work orders,<br />
what's planned, what's in progress, how<br />
it affects the budget, and what kind of<br />
works are currently in progress - all in<br />
real time. Colour coding is used to clarify<br />
each stage of a process, with red<br />
highlighting issues that need attention.<br />
dTwin keeps abreast of the latest<br />
technology, utilising data from the most<br />
up-to-date resources - but the smart part<br />
is adding value by recognising the<br />
relationships between the information,<br />
overlapping real time information with<br />
material properties, their geometry and<br />
position and 3D context.<br />
You can check this by viewing the<br />
model and selecting an area and then<br />
toggling the value of any layers and<br />
seeing how this affects the analysis and<br />
results, whether it relates to electrical<br />
models, MEP, architecture, or any kind of<br />
information. This enables users to<br />
generate different models and leverage<br />
the spatial structure of BIM data to fully<br />
understand the performance and the<br />
different levels of information that their<br />
buildings can provide. Surely a true BIM<br />
& Tonic for the industry.<br />
www.nemetschek.com<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 17
TECHNOLOGY focus<br />
Naviate Zero<br />
Symetri sets a new benchmark in sustainable building design with the launch of Naviate Zero<br />
The Paris Agreement, which was<br />
established in December 2015 at<br />
the COP 21 conference held in<br />
Paris, is an internationally binding treaty<br />
aimed at combatting climate change.<br />
Under the auspices of the UNFCCC, its<br />
main aim is to cap the rise in average<br />
temperature by 2 degrees Celsius to<br />
prevent a disastrous shift in our<br />
climate. The world is warming up and<br />
the principal culprit is carbon dioxide,<br />
which absorbs and radiates heat and is<br />
the main contributor to what we call the<br />
greenhouse effect.<br />
The building industry is a major<br />
contributor to the release of CO2 into<br />
the atmosphere, amounting to 39% of<br />
energy related carbon emissions<br />
annually, according to the Rocky<br />
Mountain Institute (RMI), with a quarter<br />
of these emissions coming from<br />
embodied carbon. Embodied carbon<br />
refers to the carbon emissions<br />
associated with the extraction,<br />
processing, and fabrication of building<br />
materials, as well as the transportation<br />
and construction processes required to<br />
build the building.<br />
The bulk of carbon emissions come<br />
from the energy required during the<br />
operation of the building or<br />
infrastructure through its lifetime. These<br />
emissions can be minimised through<br />
sustainable focused designs and<br />
further reduced by using sustainable<br />
energy sources, building performance<br />
monitoring and other energy efficiency<br />
measures. However, embodied carbon<br />
emissions are fixed once construction<br />
has been completed. The only way to<br />
reduce this is to select building<br />
materials, components and<br />
manufacturing processes which have a<br />
lower carbon emission impact.<br />
Measures range from the most<br />
obvious, for example, using local rather<br />
than distant material sources, as<br />
transport is a significant contributor to<br />
carbon emissions. More complex<br />
examples include material composition.<br />
Concrete, for instance, has variables<br />
that range from the location of the<br />
supplier to the amount of slag, fly ash<br />
or other lime-based materials in the<br />
concrete mix, which could reduce<br />
embodied carbon by 14-33% at<br />
minimal cost. As part of a life-cycle<br />
calculation, embodied carbon also<br />
assesses the ability to reuse materials<br />
when a building is demolished, and<br />
factors in the use of more durable<br />
materials that require less<br />
maintenance.<br />
NAVIATE ZERO<br />
Mitigating the impact of embodied<br />
carbon can only be achieved by more<br />
efficient design and material selection<br />
in the early stages of a building's lifecycle.<br />
This can be done by measuring<br />
the embodied carbon in the design and<br />
comparing options.<br />
Naviate Zero has been created by<br />
Symetri to measure the embodied<br />
carbon stored in a design and is fully<br />
integrated within Autodesk's Revit to<br />
help designers make well-informed<br />
decisions in sustainable design and<br />
construction. Naviate Zero utilises the<br />
extensive database provided by Finnish<br />
company One Click LCA, the leading<br />
global platform for lifecycle<br />
assessment, environmental product<br />
declaration and sustainability.<br />
Naviate is Symetri's platform for<br />
enhancing workflows and performance<br />
in building and infrastructure design. It<br />
consists of a portfolio of solutions<br />
aimed at architects and engineers, and<br />
other industry professionals. Naviate<br />
provides support for the whole BIM<br />
workflow including documentation,<br />
collaboration, project management and<br />
now embodied carbon mitigation.<br />
One Click LCA is the industry-leading<br />
solution for environmental life-cycle<br />
assessment of all building and<br />
infrastructure projects. Whole life-cycle<br />
assessments, from the materials and<br />
products used in the project, through<br />
construction, usage and maintenance,<br />
to the end-of-life deconstruction, are<br />
easily carried out in One Click LCA<br />
using their global data sources.<br />
Manufacturers can create and publish<br />
their own Environmental Product<br />
Declarations (EPDs) in One Click LCA<br />
for incorporation into the construction<br />
project life-cycle assessment. Used in<br />
more than 130 countries, One Click<br />
LCA not only provides the data for<br />
embodied carbon calculations, but also<br />
runs benchmarks on low carbon<br />
products and projects and creates<br />
corporate greenhouse gas reports.<br />
Due to the iterative design process<br />
during the early stages of all<br />
construction projects, being able to<br />
quickly and easily calculate the<br />
embodied carbon stored in the<br />
materials is essential to achieve an<br />
environmentally efficient project.<br />
Symetri have created Naviate Zero to<br />
18<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
enable those calculations to be carried<br />
out in Revit as the design evolves,<br />
before exporting the data to complete<br />
the whole life-cycle analysis in One<br />
Click LCA.<br />
Naviate Zero enables One Click LCA's<br />
EPD resources to be applied to<br />
elements in the model and then<br />
accurately measure CO2 emissions<br />
from building materials inside Revit. It<br />
enables architects to make more<br />
informed sustainability decisions at the<br />
earliest stages of building or<br />
infrastructure design and provides a<br />
simplified process for material selection<br />
and total embodied carbon calculations<br />
for the whole project.<br />
According to Nicolai Karved, Product<br />
Manager at Symetri, "Our primary focus<br />
is on designers who work within Revit,<br />
and we aim to bridge the gap between<br />
professionals whose primary role is<br />
sustainability and those who must<br />
make design decisions and provide<br />
essential data for sustainability<br />
assessments. With Naviate Zero, we<br />
aim to simplify this workflow and make<br />
it easier to make informed decisions".<br />
As an integrated solution within Revit,<br />
users can work with the tools and<br />
dashboards they are already familiar<br />
with. The process of material selection<br />
is just as easy:<br />
1. Choose an element in the model,<br />
such as a wall, floor, ceiling, etc.<br />
2. Naviate Zero will suggest materials<br />
based on the element, which you can<br />
search and filter for one that is most<br />
suitable.<br />
3. Compare the materials suggested<br />
based on their carbon footprint (red<br />
highlighting high and green, low carbon<br />
footprints).<br />
4. Assign your chosen material to the<br />
element. The EPD information is saved<br />
with the element.<br />
5. When all materials are assigned you<br />
can see a summary of the total CO2<br />
emissions of the model, as well as a<br />
breakdown by material or category.<br />
6. Individual elements can still be<br />
viewed and materials modified to fine<br />
tune the model according to other<br />
associated factors, such as availability<br />
and cost etc.<br />
7. The carbon emission data can then<br />
be exported as with any other<br />
information in the model.<br />
One Click LCA's coverage enables<br />
EPD data to be available on a global<br />
basis, rather than the limited data<br />
available from region specific tools. A<br />
bigger plus, though, is that Naviate<br />
Zero can be used to guide the process<br />
by recommending specific EPDs based<br />
on various criteria - a unique feature in<br />
the industry.<br />
SYMETRI'S ASPIRATIONS<br />
The development of Naviate Zero<br />
arises from Symetri's dedication to<br />
providing the tools that will enable their<br />
customers to make positive<br />
environmental contributions. This was<br />
neatly summarised by Mikko Viertola,<br />
the CTO of Symetri, who said "At<br />
Symetri, our purpose is to inspire and<br />
enable people to work smarter for a<br />
better future. Acknowledging the<br />
environmental impact within our client's<br />
industries, we recognised the<br />
responsibility and identified an<br />
opportunity to make a positive<br />
contribution. The vision evolved to<br />
empower individuals to make wellinformed,<br />
sustainably responsible<br />
decisions and has materialised now<br />
through Naviate Zero, a platform that<br />
integrates reliable data to facilitate<br />
informed decision-making in<br />
sustainable design and construction".<br />
Jens Kollserud, the CEO of Symetri,<br />
made an important point when<br />
speaking about the inspiration behind<br />
Naviate Zero. He said that Symetri's<br />
goal is broader than just one product<br />
and that it was about a holistic<br />
approach to decarbonisation. "For<br />
example," he said, "we also have<br />
Naviate Daylight in our portfolio, which<br />
helps in energy consumption reduction<br />
by optimising natural light use in<br />
buildings. Naviate Zero is just one of<br />
our larger missions to help customers<br />
work smarter and more sustainably".<br />
Emphasising the contribution that the<br />
Naviate platform will make to the<br />
industry he continued, "We're<br />
developing a suite of applications<br />
within the Naviate portfolio, each<br />
addressing different parts of the<br />
construction process. While<br />
sustainability is a key focus, there are<br />
other areas where we believe Naviate<br />
can help customers work smarter".<br />
Need any more convincing? With<br />
wastage from building materials and<br />
construction processes estimated to be<br />
up to 30% both during construction and<br />
at the end of a building's lifecycle, we<br />
are obligated to step up our efforts to<br />
reduce the levels of embodied carbon<br />
in our designs.<br />
Find out more about Naviate Zero at:<br />
https://bit.ly/4aIzGCv.<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 19
SOFTWAREfocus<br />
Tekla <strong>2024</strong><br />
Tekla's <strong>2024</strong> line-up of structural BIM software offers an enhanced user experience and connects<br />
workflows across projects and stakeholders<br />
Trimble has announced the introduction<br />
of <strong>2024</strong> versions of its Tekla software<br />
for constructible Building Information<br />
Modelling (BIM), structural engineering and<br />
steel fabrication management. Boasting an<br />
enhanced user experience, Tekla Structures<br />
<strong>2024</strong>, Tekla Structural Designer <strong>2024</strong>, Tekla<br />
Tedds <strong>2024</strong> and Tekla PowerFab <strong>2024</strong> let<br />
users collaborate with ease through<br />
enhanced communication for more<br />
integrated, connected workflows between<br />
all construction project stakeholders.<br />
Usability improvements make the Tekla suite<br />
of solutions ideal for experienced and new<br />
users alike, helping them to be on schedule<br />
and within budget of their projects.<br />
Collaboration is one of the deciding<br />
factors for the success of BIM. The <strong>2024</strong><br />
Tekla versions include industry-standard<br />
communications improvements that<br />
allow users to deliver required<br />
documentation and model information<br />
efficiently, using a wider variety of<br />
supported industry formats. Connected<br />
workflows form the cornerstone of<br />
sustainable construction strategies to<br />
focus on increasing efficiency, optimising<br />
resource allocation, reducing waste and<br />
supporting comprehensive maintenance<br />
across the full lifecycle of an asset - all<br />
anchored in constructible design.<br />
Michael Evans, Senior Product Director<br />
- Trimble Engineering and BIM solutions,<br />
said: "Improving coordination between<br />
all stakeholders on projects is key to<br />
ensuring the industry can deliver projects<br />
on time, budget and schedule. The Tekla<br />
<strong>2024</strong> versions are another significant<br />
step in bringing all those stakeholders<br />
closer together."<br />
TEKLA STRUCTURES <strong>2024</strong><br />
The <strong>2024</strong> version of Tekla Structures<br />
provides an enhanced user experience for<br />
staying on schedule and on budget. It<br />
provides engineers and detailers - who<br />
work on complex geometry projects -<br />
access to more intuitive modelling with<br />
fewer iterations from the start. Automated<br />
fabrication drawing cloning improvements<br />
deliver significant benefits for steel and<br />
precast cast unit drawings creation.<br />
The software's robust change<br />
management allows users to work<br />
efficiently with the opportunity to quickly<br />
deliver drawings that match industry<br />
regulations and transfer model data errorfree<br />
to support client requirements.<br />
TEKLA STRUCTURAL DESIGNER <strong>2024</strong><br />
The analysis capability of the structural<br />
design and analysis software Tekla<br />
Structural Designer <strong>2024</strong> has been<br />
enhanced with Staged Construction<br />
Analysis, which takes into account that<br />
there is a sequence in construction and<br />
loading. This fully automated process,<br />
which is quick and easy to use, can be<br />
applied to the design of both concrete<br />
and steel structures. Structural Engineers<br />
can now also use reference models from<br />
other disciplines such as architecture or<br />
MEP to check compatibility with their<br />
structural model.<br />
TEKLA TEDDS <strong>2024</strong><br />
The latest version of Tekla's software for<br />
structural engineering calculations builds<br />
20<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
SOFTWAREfocus<br />
upon the seamless integration of structural<br />
design information and documentation<br />
with Tekla Structures to improve<br />
collaborative design-to-detailing.<br />
Tekla Tedds <strong>2024</strong> offers updated<br />
libraries of predefined structural<br />
calculations and custom calculation<br />
capabilities for faster, more reliable<br />
structural element design, also in multimaterial<br />
designs. It now also offers<br />
masonry design for US codes, steel<br />
angle design for European and US<br />
codes, and retaining basement wall<br />
analysis and design for European and<br />
US codes.<br />
TEKLA POWERFAB <strong>2024</strong><br />
The 2023i version of the Tekla PowerFab<br />
steel fabrication management software<br />
introduced visual change management<br />
and estimate job costing. The latest<br />
version now introduces enhanced project<br />
management tools for organising and<br />
keeping track of subcontracts, change<br />
order breakdown and integration with<br />
BCF Topics using Trimble Connect.<br />
BCF Topics allows for companies using<br />
different software to collaborate, with the<br />
ability for project managers to do multiproject<br />
follow-up and reporting of<br />
Topics. To further improve the office-toshop<br />
communication and transparency,<br />
Tekla PowerFab <strong>2024</strong> introduces a new<br />
cut list prioritisation.<br />
OPEN INDUSTRY STANDARDS<br />
SUPPORT<br />
An even stronger alignment with industry<br />
workflows through the support of open<br />
standards such as BCF (BIM<br />
Collaboration Format), allows Tekla<br />
Structures <strong>2024</strong> users to communicate<br />
model-based issues among project<br />
collaborators throughout all project<br />
phases. In the software, buildingSMART<br />
properties are supported by improved<br />
and extended IFC property sets, out-ofthe<br />
box.<br />
INTEGRATED WORKFLOWS<br />
By enhancing interoperability between<br />
Trimble software, hardware and other<br />
third-party solutions, Tekla Structures <strong>2024</strong><br />
delivers new integrated workflows for<br />
better collaboration. Enhanced rebar<br />
geometry generation is optimised for<br />
fabrication, delivery logistics and site<br />
operations. Data exchange with the field<br />
and scanning hardware from Trimble<br />
allows users to retrieve as-built data from<br />
the site and share accurate designs back.<br />
Trimble Connect Business Premium -<br />
included in the Tekla Structures named<br />
user license - comes with improved<br />
collaborative workflow capabilities, such<br />
as model-based status sharing.<br />
EXTENDED OFFERING FOR NEW<br />
LICENSES<br />
Tekla Structures users can now leverage<br />
three products in one powerful offering. A<br />
"Named User License" for Tekla<br />
Structures now includes Trimble Connect<br />
Business Premium and Tekla Model<br />
Sharing as an all-in-one solution. Trimble<br />
Connect Business Premium provides<br />
access to workflow extensions and<br />
advanced BIM tools for faster, higherquality<br />
project delivery.<br />
INFORMATION SE<strong>CU</strong>RITY<br />
As part of Trimble's ongoing efforts to<br />
provide enterprise-level security required<br />
in environments that thrive on data<br />
sharing, all Tekla products are certified to<br />
be fully compliant with ISO27001, the<br />
leading global standard for information<br />
security management.<br />
AVAILABILITY AND FREE TRIALS<br />
Visit the website below to learn more and<br />
download the Tekla <strong>2024</strong> versions. The<br />
Tekla Structures BIM software is available<br />
in a free 30-day trial version that lets users<br />
test the functionality of Tekla Structures.<br />
Free trials are also available for the<br />
structural analysis and design software<br />
Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Tedds.<br />
www.tekla.com/<strong>2024</strong><br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 21
CASE study<br />
A workout for BIM<br />
Jonathan Reeves explains how JRA's use of BIM on a small Vectorworks-based project proved<br />
invaluable for discussions with the client<br />
Glazed roof-lights were incorporated to<br />
ensure a good level of daylighting.<br />
Iwas asked to design a small gym and<br />
leisure annex for a private client. The<br />
site is part of the gardens of a large<br />
detached house in Charnwood,<br />
Leicestershire, located behind an<br />
existing garage/store building and was<br />
originally a lawn surrounded by high<br />
hedging to the boundary. The benefits of<br />
the proposed development were twofold:<br />
to provide the family with a home<br />
gym and an entertaining space with<br />
access to the large private rear gardens.<br />
The proposed building will enhance the<br />
property but will also be sustainable, well<br />
insulated, and heated using an air source<br />
heat pump, and provide the family with<br />
the amenity they required without moving<br />
home. The proposed home gym and<br />
office created an additional 95 sq m. or<br />
so of usable floor space.<br />
The proposed layout was quite simple,<br />
with links to the existing garage/store to<br />
the rear, and with the gym and day room<br />
accommodation facing the rear gardens.<br />
The proposed design turned out to be<br />
slightly less than the existing garage,<br />
with a pitched roof with flat roof middle<br />
section to keep the overall height to a<br />
minimum. The existing boundary hedge<br />
was unaffected by the construction.<br />
LANDSCAPE AND APPEARANCE<br />
The proposed construction featured an<br />
area of paving to match the existing<br />
terrace, and sympathetic natural<br />
materials were proposed to match the<br />
existing house, with a brick plinth with<br />
stone cills and render above and colour<br />
coated double glazed aluminium doors,<br />
all set under a tiled roof. The<br />
proportions, symmetry and materials<br />
were selected so that the structure both<br />
appealed to the eye and sat calmly and<br />
comfortably in its private setting.<br />
The proposals also had no effect on<br />
any other properties in the area, as it is<br />
located well back from the road, and<br />
barely visible except for a small portion<br />
of the roof above the existing garage.<br />
The whole project was carefully<br />
developed by me in close cooperation<br />
with the home-owners, respecting the<br />
local context and blending it into its<br />
context. The result was to create a<br />
contemporary solution to their<br />
requirements for a personal fitness and<br />
leisure annex for their family home.<br />
INCORPORATING SUSTAINABILITY<br />
The choice of materials was influenced<br />
by the need to both enhance the<br />
aesthetcs of the site, while using<br />
contemporary energy efficient<br />
construction methods, and technology.<br />
22<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
CASEstudy<br />
This allowed me to create a highly<br />
sustainable development, and it is<br />
intended that local builders and<br />
contractors will be employed, which will<br />
benefit the local economy.<br />
DESIGNED USING BIM<br />
The building was designed from its<br />
conception using custom 3D BIM<br />
modelling which proved to be very<br />
useful in exploring early-stage design<br />
options during meetings with the client,<br />
building regulators and the local<br />
planning office and relating the model<br />
to existing site survey data.<br />
Once it had been accurately modelled<br />
the initial massing studies of the<br />
proposed building within its setting<br />
were also produced. This enabled<br />
detailed proposals to be developed<br />
and a basic strategy was developed<br />
with parametric slabs, walls, doors,<br />
windows and roofs, allowing plans,<br />
elevations sections and 3D<br />
perspectives to be produced directly<br />
from the BIM model.<br />
A full set of coordinated drawings and<br />
images were generated totally from the<br />
single BIM model.<br />
When a few changes were required it<br />
was simple to update the model and<br />
regenerate the coordinated drawings<br />
and sections. This was much easier<br />
than if the project had been drawing in<br />
2D using traditional means.<br />
Following the successful design, the<br />
BIM model was developed to produce<br />
planning drawings. Schedules and<br />
information on quantities were able to<br />
be extracted, and it is planned that .IFC<br />
model exchange will be used as the<br />
project develops.<br />
DESIGN VISUALISATIONS<br />
Overall, using a BIM workflow on this<br />
project from inception right through to<br />
its current stage of development<br />
presented some unique challenges,<br />
such as modelling some of the<br />
junctions between the roof and walls,<br />
and being able to design and use nonstandard<br />
or bespoke windows and<br />
doors. In all, four different design<br />
options were explored until the client<br />
was totally happy with the project,<br />
which was then developed and<br />
submitted for final planning approval.<br />
The planning application has now<br />
been approved and the next stages are<br />
being planned.<br />
JRA ARCHITECTS<br />
I have been a Vectorworks user since<br />
1993 and have always been fascinated<br />
by the potential of 3D modelling,<br />
computer graphics and multimedia in<br />
architecture to develop and explain<br />
design ideas. The benefits of being<br />
able to communicate design ideas to<br />
clients clearly using 3D models with<br />
the quality of visuals that can be<br />
achieved today, or to create<br />
animations allowing them to explore<br />
projects themselves, has proved<br />
invaluable on all of my projects.<br />
As a long-time user I am also<br />
fortunate in being able to promote the<br />
benefits of both Vectorworks Architect<br />
and BIM, and am looking forward to<br />
seeing more of the industry adopting<br />
BIM workflows, and I encouraging them<br />
to work on collaborative BIM projects<br />
with other architects and consultants.<br />
I am also looking forward to exploring<br />
the incorporation of early stage energy<br />
analysis using the integrated Energos<br />
module available in Architect <strong>2024</strong>, and<br />
the virtual reality and BIM motion<br />
capabilities of Twinmotion 2023 with<br />
future Vectorworks BIM models.<br />
I regularly produce a blog on<br />
Vectorworks and associated topics, the<br />
most recent of which covers the latest<br />
developments in Twinmotion, which can<br />
be seen here:<br />
https://youtu.be/A30RWnA7sJs<br />
I am also looking forward to using the<br />
latest AI Visualizser and VR with<br />
Vectorworks Odyssey just released in<br />
Vectorworks <strong>2024</strong> Update 4.<br />
Websites<br />
Architecture:<br />
www.jonathanreevesarchitects.uk<br />
Vectorworks:<br />
www.jonathanreeves-cad.co.uk<br />
Twinmotion:<br />
www.real-time-rendering.com<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 23
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
Making Designs Constructable<br />
Andrew Bellerby explains how DBM Vircon develops constructable manufacturing models from<br />
engineer's designs<br />
Designing, constructing and<br />
operating an asset is a complex<br />
business. It needs more than one<br />
model including geometric and much more<br />
data to cover the whole of the design to<br />
manufacture to construction to asset<br />
management processes and requirements.<br />
Multiply that by the numerous disciplines<br />
and trades that are contributing to the data<br />
accumulation and you may start to<br />
understand the complexities and<br />
intertwined needs of different stakeholders<br />
with their information generation,<br />
consumption and utilisation.<br />
Why can we not use one model? There<br />
are numerous reasons. For example the<br />
design software may not be suited to<br />
delivering the accuracy and level of detail<br />
and information required to manufacture<br />
building components, or provide what the<br />
asset manager needs. Expertise varies,<br />
and there are different skills involved in the<br />
early design of an asset and the knowledge<br />
required for the detailed design to be<br />
developed further for manufacturing and on<br />
to construction.<br />
The requirement for multiple models is<br />
a bigger topic, but generally it is a case<br />
of the right tool for the right job at the<br />
right time and ensuring decision makers<br />
and groups of stakeholders are<br />
empowered with the right information at<br />
the right time too, allowing them to make<br />
fully informed decisions.<br />
Early on in a typical design process there<br />
may not be too much detail or data<br />
required - and it may not be wholly<br />
available anyway. Many decisions and<br />
design iterations are still being made as the<br />
model evolves. Design models are exactly<br />
that, a process with which the architects<br />
and engineers can look at different options,<br />
make and implement decisions around for<br />
example sustainability, aesthetics, space,<br />
structural integrity and much more. They<br />
are typically, however, rarely developed into<br />
a model that can be used for<br />
manufacturing or fabrication of the<br />
components that will make up the asset<br />
Often the specialist subcontractors will<br />
look to value engineer the project to suit<br />
their manufacturing processes. They will<br />
consider modularisation and whether it is<br />
possible to take some of the construction<br />
offsite, or whether they can deliver modules<br />
to speed the erection process.<br />
As an example, historically the structural<br />
engineer's model has sometimes been<br />
discarded and rebuilt for a fabrication<br />
model, assing the detail with constructable<br />
components that reflect how they will be<br />
assembled within the project, and the<br />
additional temporary equipment required to<br />
facilitate the construction. The argument<br />
was that by rebuilding the model you<br />
gained some "intimacy" with it and start to<br />
identify potential issues and areas of<br />
complexity. More recently however we are<br />
starting to see the geometry and data be<br />
adopted, developed and evolved so that<br />
they can be used in manufacturing - but<br />
there needs to be a vigorous checking<br />
procedure in place to ensure quality data is<br />
present and can be built upon.<br />
At DBM Vircon we have been seeing<br />
better outcomes for the asset owner and<br />
the project by working with structural<br />
engineers and collaborating closely at RIBA<br />
stages 3 and 4, bringing manufacturing<br />
and constructability knowledge into the<br />
design much earlier. Developing a<br />
"connected model" to LOD 350 or even 400<br />
for the steelwork or concrete, for example,<br />
allows the engineers to assess aesthetics<br />
of interfaces, connections and spatial<br />
coordination with other trades and services,<br />
while we bring expertise in manufacturing<br />
and constructability to the process. Can we<br />
get a welding rod or a spanner into a tight<br />
space, and have you considered this type<br />
of connection instead? Often it doesn't<br />
make sense to develop the model to 100%<br />
completion as different manufacturers will<br />
have nuances as to how they prefer to<br />
fabricate and our experience is 80-85% is<br />
enough. The result from this collaborative<br />
effort is less RFI's when the models go out<br />
to tender, more competitive and accurate<br />
tenders, and better information and<br />
coordination of the different trade models<br />
and interfaces, to name a few.<br />
Its not a typical workflow we see often in<br />
the UK, certainly we are seeing this more<br />
in Australia and in the US too regularly for<br />
structural workflows. We are now seeing<br />
the asset owner/operator requiring these<br />
type of workflows for multi-disciplinary<br />
deliverables on projects with high<br />
complexity and requirements for services<br />
and modularisation such as data centres<br />
or healthcare.<br />
CONSTRUCTABILITY<br />
A wonderful word, which says it all. For<br />
example, can components be fabricated<br />
off-site and consolidated in the<br />
manufacturing process without affecting<br />
the structural integrity of the design or<br />
adding cost? As the detailed design<br />
develops there is a need to coordinate<br />
elements of the evolved design which may<br />
not have been considered. How, for<br />
example, steelwork connections will affect<br />
the placement of HVAC or MEP services.<br />
How may the required openings affect the<br />
load bearing capacity of beams? Qill I have<br />
enough access on the construction site wto<br />
erect the required parts? Can we save<br />
costs by reducing the amount of site work?<br />
If so, then prefabrication analysis may<br />
highlight the benefits.<br />
Extending the constructability process<br />
24<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
TECHNOLOGYfocus<br />
further introduces more complexity. For<br />
instance, how will we build this on the<br />
construction site? That requires workflow<br />
phasing, logistics planning and erection<br />
sequencing, which is where 4D (time) and<br />
temporary works planning comes into play.<br />
Traditionally the crane positioning, going<br />
back many years, was done using a print of<br />
the drawing and a pair of compasses and<br />
the expertise of the planner. I'm sure that<br />
still happens now too, but things have<br />
progressed. There are many things to<br />
consider: height, reach, lifting capacity,<br />
radius, crane cross-over, utilisation rates,<br />
minimal requirements to relocate etc. There<br />
are software solutions available that can<br />
work within the model environment to assist<br />
with planning and can save £1000's per<br />
day. The calculations required still rely<br />
heavily on the experience of the engineers<br />
developing the plan and defining an<br />
optimal crane and lifting strategy - whilst<br />
not forgetting the health & safety issues<br />
that also come into play.<br />
Tools available such as Tekla Structures -<br />
Crane Tool: How to use (youtube.com) and<br />
3D Lift Plan Basic Training Video<br />
(youtube.com) will help analyse the model<br />
after a crane is positioned and criteria<br />
added and allow capacity checks or to<br />
select parts to configure the most suitable<br />
crane, but as discussed there is still an<br />
amount of human intervention required to<br />
identify the potential for any conflicts or<br />
unseen issues<br />
With many of the complicated projects we<br />
work on we are also engaged to model<br />
temporary steelwork on site, prepare lifting<br />
diagrams, centre of gravity information,<br />
lifting lugs and much more to support the<br />
site teams. The complexity of that could be<br />
another story on its own.<br />
KEEPING TRACK OF CONSTRUCTION<br />
We have often seen animations and<br />
visualisations used in the early design<br />
stages to help the asset owner<br />
understand the design, to assist with<br />
planning and to inform the public.<br />
Nowadays they also provide general walkrounds<br />
and familiarisation with the<br />
construction site for training purposes and<br />
health & safety, or rehearsals for complex<br />
installations and lifts and even<br />
decomissioning<br />
As the construction progresses, we are<br />
now starting to see the introduction of the<br />
new technologies to deliver real-time<br />
feedback and visibility, provide scans,<br />
surveys and drones usage to track<br />
progress against the program, to verify the<br />
quality of the construction, and to sign off<br />
as-built models. This also includes the<br />
collection of installation and other<br />
information during the construction<br />
process, all of which can be crucial in<br />
delivering data to satisfy governmental<br />
requirements for the golden thread and<br />
models that are usable in the<br />
management of the asset going forward.<br />
COMPILING ASSET<br />
MANAGEMENT DATA<br />
Not only does the asset information have<br />
to be suitable for the facility manager, it<br />
also has to be integrated into the various<br />
asset management solutions that the<br />
client will be using. If their information and<br />
project requirements are not encapsulated<br />
clearly and collected through the<br />
construction process, then we start to see<br />
retrospective information models being<br />
created to match their particular<br />
requirements and to reflect what actually<br />
happened on site. It's also important to<br />
remember that the requirements for an<br />
asset information model can be very<br />
different to the requirements for a design<br />
or a construction model, and therefore<br />
that model may need to be conditioned or<br />
post processed for their purposes and to<br />
create value for asset managers.<br />
As an example for an infrastructure<br />
project, a road with multiple lanes may be<br />
modelled as one part for design and<br />
construction. However, for an asset<br />
manager, he would need that splitting<br />
down into lanes and tagged individually so<br />
that the conditional status of each lane<br />
can be mapped.<br />
THE OUTCOME<br />
A federated construction model with site<br />
information included brings together the<br />
information required to run 4D virtual<br />
simulations of the construction process,<br />
including the installation and operation of<br />
temporary structures, material logistics,<br />
schedules and accurate costs, providing<br />
main contractors and owners with the<br />
ability to assess a project's status and<br />
adherence to plan.<br />
Individual trades, subcontractors and<br />
departments, such as MEP and Accounts,<br />
have access to the same data in<br />
associated models, using customised but<br />
familiar formats and dashboards, to<br />
complete their tasks.<br />
DBM Vircon's experience on project<br />
delivery means they have the experience<br />
required to create the links underpinning a<br />
hugely complex process, and to guide the<br />
design and construction teams through<br />
manufacturing and construction in a<br />
collaborative process to deliver better<br />
project outcomes.<br />
www.dbmvircon.com<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 25
INTERVIEW<br />
Twinview<br />
David Chadwick discusses the rationale behind the launch of<br />
Twinview with Rob Charlton, the CEO of Space Group<br />
Ichatted recently with Rob Charlton, CEO<br />
of Space Group, a group of distinct but<br />
symbiotic companies that includes<br />
Twinview, a Lifecycle Digital Twin platform. I<br />
asked about Space Group's background<br />
and whether Twinview aims to simplify<br />
construction or is geared more towards<br />
asset management.<br />
Rob provided me with some history to put<br />
Twinview in context. He started as an<br />
architect 30 years ago in the North East of<br />
England and spent a lot of his career with<br />
the architecture practice SPACE Architects,<br />
which is still going very strong today,<br />
working all over the UK for blue chip<br />
clients, schools, universities and volume<br />
house builders.<br />
Around 20 years ago, Rob realised the<br />
relevance of parametric modelling, which<br />
was instrumental in digitising SPACE<br />
Architects' designs and quickly became<br />
the core of their business. "By using<br />
Parametric software, we can establish a<br />
connection between various design<br />
elements. This allowed us to update plan<br />
sections, elevations, and schedules<br />
through a single model instead of multiple<br />
drawings. It was just mind-blowing for me,<br />
and people take it for granted now, but for<br />
somebody that came from the drawing<br />
board, it was amazing," he said.<br />
"We were one of the earliest adopters of<br />
Revit, and in 2007 moved the whole<br />
practice across to the software", he added.<br />
"That was also when BIM was starting to<br />
be discussed and to assist clients in<br />
implementing a BIM strategy,<br />
BIM.Technologies were formed - now a<br />
well-established, London-based company.<br />
Around that time, BIM.Technologies'<br />
designers realised that components, such<br />
as chairs, boilers, and associated data,<br />
should be readily available to populate BIM<br />
models, so bimstore was created to host<br />
and manufacture components."<br />
"With three separate businesses and<br />
many clients, a large amount of data was<br />
being built up, put on a USB stick, and<br />
given to the clients, but it was never used.<br />
Without a copy of Revit, authoring software<br />
or suitable hardware, they couldn't view it.<br />
So we started developing a cloned version<br />
called BaseView to help our clients access<br />
this information, which ultimately became<br />
Twinview - a simple model viewer to which<br />
we quickly added native facilities<br />
management functionality, and is where we<br />
maintain our client's information today."<br />
Rob explained.<br />
Twinview was then developed further in<br />
2020, adding IoT device functionality and<br />
intuitive dashboarding to help manage the<br />
day-to-day operation of buildings. The<br />
business's principle became to take<br />
buildings from the design stage through<br />
construction and into operation. Now,<br />
everything in the group was geared<br />
towards making the construction sector<br />
more efficient - reducing waste, cost, and<br />
particularly carbon - a personal aim of<br />
Rob's, as buildings produce 39% of<br />
carbon emissions.<br />
"So that's our story," Rob said. "Twinview's<br />
mission is to understand more about<br />
buildings and how they operate, help<br />
reduce carbon and waste, and support our<br />
clients in improving their experience as<br />
building users."<br />
"Whilst that is very relevant to all of us at<br />
the moment," I put to Rob, "The<br />
information you are gathering for the<br />
design stage is somewhat different from<br />
the information you will need to run it<br />
afterwards, and you have two sets of<br />
people - those who are CAD savvy and<br />
those who will be running it afterwards and<br />
don't have a CAD background. How do<br />
you select the information they need to<br />
manage their assets?"<br />
"With 30 years in the industry, I<br />
understand that", Rob replied. "It's not just<br />
the processes, it's the people, and there's<br />
a massive disconnect". He explained that<br />
projects and operations teams could<br />
sometimes be on different planets, with the<br />
26<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
INTERVIEW<br />
people delivering capital projects and the<br />
people running buildings not collaborating<br />
- even within sizeable real estate<br />
businesses. Facilities managers would<br />
rarely have input into the design.<br />
Rob then explained how Twinview helps<br />
address these challenges. "We start with<br />
the end in mind." He explained that at the<br />
beginning of the project, the client needs<br />
to be clear about what they want to get out<br />
of it before they even start putting pen to<br />
paper. "We ask questions about how<br />
they're going to run the building. It's all part<br />
of their Asset Information Requirements<br />
(AIR), asking what assets they want to<br />
maintain in the building. What is their<br />
metering strategy? What sensors are you<br />
going to install?"<br />
That gets the asset managers thinking.<br />
Whereas previously, they knew that they<br />
would be handed over a finished building,<br />
now they were being asked about<br />
individual meter readings, what temperate<br />
levels the future occupants would need,<br />
and whether doors and lights needed to<br />
be maintainable assets.<br />
All of that is set up at the beginning. As<br />
the design is developed, the contractor<br />
provides the technical information within<br />
the 3D model - for example, a boiler would<br />
include its technical features and servicing<br />
details. That's incorporated within Twinview<br />
and connected alongside associated IoT<br />
devices. The client is then provided<br />
access to the 3D model with dashboards<br />
covering all assets, telling managers, for<br />
instance, the current state of a particular<br />
boiler and its energy consumption - with<br />
all the operational maintenance manuals<br />
online, instead of digging them out of<br />
dusty filing cabinets.<br />
"We call it digital synergy, helping clients<br />
connect all their building data from day<br />
one," Rob said. "It's really very exciting. We<br />
are currently working on using AI to aid<br />
owners and operators in identifying<br />
patterns and optimising processes within<br />
their data, while also working with data<br />
scientists to help turn multiple years' worth<br />
of client's building data into insights on<br />
how their buildings really operate."<br />
I asked Rob about the importance of the<br />
Twinview dashboards. "They are central to<br />
giving you true, real-time visibility on how<br />
the building operates. For example, with<br />
today's hybrid working models, you might<br />
find a room heated to 24 degrees on a<br />
Friday, but only one person works from that<br />
room that day. Could you relocate them<br />
and stop heating the room? The<br />
dashboards can help you draw relations<br />
between different data points, such as<br />
temperature and occupancy."<br />
"What if they are not using a large room<br />
effectively and would like to convert it to<br />
smaller units?" I asked. "How do they<br />
update the model?".<br />
"Twinview is perfect if you want to make<br />
some minor amends to your Digital Twin,<br />
Rob said. "Asset managers can move<br />
furniture around and replace boilers using<br />
a simple workflow. More significant<br />
changes may require more intervention<br />
from your architect or BIM consultant.<br />
However, because Twinview is built on<br />
multiple federated models, the model<br />
affected - for example, a tenant model -<br />
can be easily removed and replaced with a<br />
new one without impacting the other<br />
models. Overall, clients can keep the<br />
model up to date and, depending on their<br />
skill levels, we can train them to do more."<br />
"The nice thing," he added, "is you've got a<br />
complete record of everything that's been<br />
done on the building. And if you need to<br />
upgrade any equipment, all the information<br />
required is available via the bimstore<br />
integration, which we own and maintain.<br />
"So asset managers are becoming more<br />
familiar with using a 3D model and<br />
associated data and documents," I<br />
suggested, "particularly due to the Golden<br />
Thread requirements?"<br />
"Absolutely", he replied. "Just a few years<br />
ago, facilities managers would turn up to<br />
multi-billion pound real estate companies<br />
with a lever arch file of information.<br />
Although things are maturing, the level of<br />
sophistication is still relatively low. So we<br />
developed Twinview to be easy to use,<br />
such as getting up-to-date drawings and<br />
accessing maintenance manuals - basic<br />
but beneficial - and as their expertise and<br />
confidence increases, they can start using<br />
the more advanced features and get even<br />
more value from it."<br />
"However, maintaining your information is<br />
the biggest challenge with the Golden<br />
Thread. You need the structure and tools to<br />
log everything but the flexibility to evolve if<br />
building regulations change, and Twinview<br />
offers that perfect blend".<br />
Lack of space prevents me from adding<br />
more of this interesting chat here, but we<br />
will closely examine Twinview's technical<br />
and operational aspects in our next issue.<br />
www.twinview.com<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 27
EXHIBITIONnews<br />
7 things to see at Digital Construction Week<br />
The UK's leading event for innovation and technology in the built environment, Digital Construction<br />
Week (DCW), returns to ExCeL London on 5-6 June <strong>2024</strong><br />
Explore the future of AECO, get<br />
inspired and connect with other<br />
industry innovators at Digital<br />
Construction Week (DCW). At this year's<br />
event attendees can learn about the<br />
latest trends in digital construction, from<br />
BIM and AI to robotics and sustainable<br />
solutions, and meet the companies that<br />
are driving architecture and design,<br />
construction, engineering, and<br />
operation forward. You will be able to<br />
discover how to use new technology to<br />
improve your projects, teams, business,<br />
and the built environment.<br />
The free-to-attend expo features two days<br />
packed full of of inspiring content,<br />
including 300+ speakers across 10<br />
stages, 120 hours of CPD accredited<br />
education, 150+ exhibitors, live demos,<br />
workshops, networking drinks, and much<br />
more. If that isn't already enough to<br />
convince you to<br />
attend, here is a<br />
round-up of<br />
the top seven things you can expect to see<br />
at this year's DCW.<br />
1. NEW: Robot Demo Zone<br />
Experience live demonstrations of stateof-the-art<br />
technologies at the Robot<br />
Demo Zone. A selection of DCW's most<br />
pioneering exhibitors will be<br />
showcasing the latest advances in<br />
construction robotics in action in a<br />
mock construction environment.<br />
Get up-close with tech ranging from<br />
mobile robots to articulated robotic<br />
arms. And learn how these cutting-edge<br />
solutions are automating processes,<br />
increasing safety and reducing<br />
operating costs.<br />
2. Start Up Village<br />
The Start Up Village returns once again for<br />
<strong>2024</strong>, in partnership with the C-Tech Club<br />
and sponsored by Eleco. This area is the<br />
go-to spot on the show floor for<br />
technologies and concepts that have the<br />
potential to solve the industry's biggest<br />
challenges. Head over<br />
to meet the<br />
teams behind 10 emerging brands with<br />
boundary-breaking ideas for AECO,<br />
including Voyage Control, Optimise-AI,<br />
Sytrix and Konstructly.<br />
3. NEW: Table Talks Theatre<br />
Introducing Table Talks - a brand-new<br />
theatre space focused on round tables<br />
and workshops. Take a seat and join live<br />
debates on a variety of topics including<br />
AI, people and change, carbon reduction<br />
and much more.<br />
4. NEW: Construction Disrupted<br />
Podcast live<br />
The Construction Disrupted Podcast will<br />
be recording live in DCW's new dedicated<br />
studio. Presenter Peter Sumpton will be<br />
interviewing some of the best in the built<br />
environment for a revealing look at<br />
innovation and technology in AECO. Drop<br />
by and listen in or sign up for a link to all<br />
the episodes.<br />
5. Information Management Exchange (IMx)<br />
The Information Management Exchange<br />
(IMx) is back, in partnership with nima and<br />
sponsored by the UK BIM Framework. This<br />
year it's bigger and better<br />
28<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
EXHIBITIONnews<br />
than before, with a dedicated classroom<br />
built right on the show floor. Sessions will<br />
be longer, more in depth, and fully<br />
interactive. Don't just sit and listen - get<br />
involved, share your views and find the<br />
answers you're looking for!<br />
6. DCW Happy Hour<br />
Raise a glass with fellow AECO<br />
innovators at DCW Happy Hour. Head to<br />
the DCW Lounge at the end of day one to<br />
grab a beer, juice, or mocktail and blow<br />
off some steam. This is your opportunity<br />
to network with speakers, peers, and<br />
colleagues, and make new connections.<br />
7. BIM Networking Drinks<br />
Another exciting networking opportunity<br />
is the BIM Networking Drinks, sponsored<br />
by DCW, Revizto, Soluis, Digital Guerrilla,<br />
Edify, and Innovating Futures. These<br />
social drinks will take place on Tuesday<br />
4th June with the venue being confirmed<br />
soon. But don't worry, the location will be<br />
easy to get to following day one of DCW,<br />
just a few stops from the ExCeL on the<br />
Elizabeth Line.<br />
Places are limited and invitations will<br />
be sent out closer to the event. There's<br />
no need to worry if tickets sell out<br />
though, as a whole host of after-hours<br />
networking events are also taking place.<br />
Keep an eye on the DCW socials for<br />
more information.<br />
DISCOVER THE INNOVATIONS<br />
TRANSFORMING THE BUILT<br />
ENVIRONMENT<br />
As always, the latest solutions from 150+<br />
leading built environment brands will<br />
make up the central exhibition at the<br />
show. DCW acts as a one-stop shop for<br />
you to learn how to use new technology<br />
to improve projects, assets, teams and<br />
business directly from the companies<br />
driving AECO forward.<br />
The disruptive technologies and<br />
solutions set to be on display include<br />
digital twins, augmented reality,<br />
information management, automation<br />
and AI, drones, robotics and much more.<br />
Meet the teams behind the tech and<br />
discover how these solutions can help<br />
your business be more efficient,<br />
collaborative, connected, sustainable<br />
and profitable.<br />
An array of inspiring brands have been<br />
confirmed to exhibit at the ninth edition of<br />
DCW. These include Autodesk, Bentley<br />
Systems, Bluebeam, Causeway<br />
Technologies, Glider, IFS UK, Mission<br />
Room, MSite, Paperless Construction,<br />
Procore, Sir Robert McAlpine, Symetri,<br />
Strata, Trimble, Twinit, Xinaps, YardLink,<br />
and many more.<br />
LEARN AND GET INSPIRED IN THE<br />
EDUCATION PROGRAMME<br />
It's not just in the central exhibition where the<br />
latest industry innovation will be in the<br />
spotlight. There are also 10 theatres located<br />
around the show floor, running free-toattend<br />
talks, informative panels discussion,<br />
interactive workshops and more.<br />
Hear from 300+ industry experts and<br />
get up to speed on the latest ideas<br />
shaping architecture and design,<br />
construction, engineering, and operation.<br />
Speakers from Bryden Wood,<br />
Skanska, Laing O'Rourke, Restoration &<br />
Renewal (HoP), AECOM, John Lewis &<br />
Partners and Heathrow are just a few<br />
examples of big names who were part<br />
of the 2023 line-up.<br />
The theatres are focused on some of<br />
the key areas shaping the built<br />
environment. These include information<br />
management, geospatial, digital<br />
transformation, people and change,<br />
asset management, net zero and more.<br />
Expect to be inspired and informed by<br />
high profile presenters and curated panel<br />
discussions covering the industry's most<br />
pressing issues, exploring new ideas and<br />
actionable insights. The full programme<br />
will be announced in <strong>Apr</strong>il.<br />
GLOWING REVIEWS<br />
Gary Cowan, Head of Digital<br />
Construction at Kane Group comments<br />
on his visit to last year's show: "Digital<br />
Construction Week brings all the major<br />
movers and makers of the worldwide<br />
construction industry together under one<br />
roof, for knowledge sharing, networking,<br />
and an opportunity for everyone to grow<br />
off each other professionally. An essential<br />
event that should not be missed."<br />
Elaine Allen, Industry Lead for the Built<br />
Environment at Microsoft, echoed this,<br />
saying: "A great event showcasing the<br />
latest innovative technology and trends<br />
within the built environment. The<br />
seminars covered diverse topics led by<br />
expert speakers. I look forward to<br />
attending again next year."<br />
REGISTER FOR DCW <strong>2024</strong><br />
Don't miss your chance to get ahead and<br />
experience cutting-edge technologies,<br />
ground-breaking innovations, and a<br />
thought-provoking education programme<br />
at Digital Construction Week.<br />
The event will take place on 5-6 June<br />
<strong>2024</strong> at ExCeL London. Register for your<br />
free trade ticket:<br />
eventdata.uk/Visitor/DigitalConstructionW<br />
eek24.aspx?TrackingCode=DCW300.<br />
To keep in the loop with show updates,<br />
please visit:<br />
www.digitalconstructionweek.com or<br />
follow the event on social media.<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 29
CASE study<br />
Northern Excellence<br />
Collaboration delivers a centre of excellence for digital and creative learning<br />
Ajoint collaboration between Bond<br />
Bryan and Simpson Haugh has<br />
delivered a state-of-the-art city<br />
centre campus for The Manchester<br />
College and UCEN. City Campus<br />
Manchester combines higher and further<br />
education on a single site, providing a<br />
centre of excellence for digital and creative<br />
subjects, including performing arts, music<br />
and media, hospitality and catering, as<br />
well as computing.<br />
INTEGRATION AND COORDINATION<br />
The collaborative nature of the project<br />
meant that the architects, engineers and<br />
specialist consultants worked in their<br />
preferred software with everything<br />
coordinated via IFC. As a result designs<br />
were brought together from a combination<br />
of Archicad, Revit, Vectorworks,<br />
Navisworks and 2D files, coordinated<br />
using Solibri.<br />
Responsible for the external design and<br />
the main atrium space, Simpson Haugh<br />
modelled in Revit. Meanwhile, Bond Bryan<br />
works in Archicad and was responsible for<br />
the internal massing of the college. From<br />
Stage 4, Bond Bryan took responsibility for<br />
the full technical designs to prepare the<br />
plans for construction.<br />
Brad Stenson, Chartered<br />
Architectural<br />
Technologist at<br />
Bond<br />
Bryan explains the process:<br />
"When we started working together, some<br />
of the other consultants using different<br />
software were unsure of whether they<br />
would be able to coordinate with an<br />
Archicad model. But it didn't hold us back<br />
at all - everything went very smoothly.<br />
"Many people who are used to Revit don't<br />
know how advanced Archicad is for<br />
working with other software. In fact, it's<br />
very straightforward to import IFCs directly<br />
into Archicad. Before joining Bond Bryan, I<br />
had more than four years' experience of<br />
working with Revit - but I definitely prefer<br />
working with Archicad now."<br />
STUDENT-LED DESIGN<br />
Careful consideration was given to ensure<br />
a distinct identity for The Manchester<br />
College and UCEN learners - by creating<br />
separate external entrances and internal<br />
zoning of the facility while maintaining a<br />
connection at the core.<br />
A large central courtyard acts as a social<br />
hub for the college, providing a vital area<br />
for students to meet, relax and create. The<br />
courtyard also eases<br />
orientation,<br />
maintaining a visual relationship between<br />
the differing disciplines.<br />
Inspired by classical courtyard buildings,<br />
the bespoke timber-clad atrium creates a<br />
fresh and welcoming central hub for the<br />
college punctuated by the 'Jewel Box'<br />
theatre and restaurant area at its centre.<br />
The two-tiered terrace is linked by an<br />
inhabited staircase that incorporates<br />
seating, with an overhead arrangement of<br />
north facing skylights, maximising internal<br />
daylight whilst also avoiding overheating.<br />
MODELLING TOOLS<br />
Several features within Archicad helped<br />
to speed up the technical design<br />
process and ensure accuracy within the<br />
model. For example, graphic overrides<br />
meant it was easy to distinguish between<br />
different elements of the design that<br />
looked very similar.<br />
"A striking design feature in the internal<br />
atrium space is a timber colonnade,<br />
which is made up of multiple different<br />
columns and beams which were<br />
individually crafted," says Brad. "We used<br />
the graphic override to colour code<br />
these, which meant we could easily see<br />
how many of each type of column or<br />
beam there was. It made it much easier<br />
for the carpenter to understand and<br />
prevented any costly mistakes.<br />
"Archicad's composite tool<br />
also saved the design<br />
team significant time.<br />
30<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
CASEstudy<br />
This tool enables designers to create a<br />
wall or floor slab with multiple elements<br />
such as insulation, plasterboard, lining and<br />
cladding and then apply it to multiple areas.<br />
Brad continues, "With the composite tool,<br />
once we've created the build once, and we<br />
change one element, for example the<br />
thickness of the insulation, it automatically<br />
updates throughout the model.We used the<br />
curtain wall tool extensively which saved a<br />
lot of time. The design included multiple<br />
window types which we were able to label<br />
A, B, C before reapplying where needed.<br />
Some people find the curtain wall tool<br />
difficult to get to grips with, but I would<br />
suggest persevering - it can be huge time<br />
saver and very useful."<br />
COORDINATION AND CLASH<br />
DETECTION<br />
The four-storey building encompasses<br />
many complex aspects which all needed<br />
careful coordination. Bond Bryan used a<br />
coordination cube system, an approach<br />
developed by Bond Bryan Digital, which<br />
ensures everything is contained within<br />
3x2x1 metre cubes starting from the A1<br />
coordinate. This enabled the team to<br />
double-check the position of all elements<br />
to ensure 100% accuracy.<br />
Incorporated in the building are TV,<br />
radio and sound studios; two<br />
professional standard theatres;<br />
commercial kitchens and a 40-seat<br />
restaurant and bar run by hospitality and<br />
catering students, as well as a double<br />
height art and photography studio.<br />
This complexity meant the mechanical,<br />
electrical and plumbing (MEP) files were<br />
very large, so the team brought the<br />
information into the model for clash<br />
detection and coordination, but then<br />
removed it for ease and speed once any<br />
issues were resolved.<br />
Using Solibri model checker, the team ran<br />
the clash detection process three or four<br />
times to eliminate any coordination issues.<br />
VISUALISATION WITH VR<br />
"Our clients really like Graphisoft's BIMx<br />
and often ask for BIMx files to help<br />
visualise the designs," explains Brad. "For<br />
The Manchester College, we exported the<br />
design as a BIMx file and used a VR<br />
headset to virtually stand in the main<br />
atrium space. Prior to this exercise, many<br />
people couldn't visualise the scale of the<br />
building. This virtual reality approach really<br />
helped everyone to understand how the<br />
building would look."<br />
INFORMATION EXCHANGE<br />
The first phase of the campus was<br />
constructed with a steel frame. Bond Bryan<br />
liaised with the steel frame manufacturer<br />
and structural engineer and sent files to the<br />
fabricator using IFC. "We worked closely<br />
with the manufacturer and in addition to<br />
IFC, shared information via mark-ups and<br />
comments on drawings on areas such as<br />
the stairs so they could easily see the top of<br />
the steel heights," says Brad.<br />
"In addition, Bond Bryan worked on the<br />
construction site one day a week<br />
throughout the build. This enabled us to<br />
oversee the work and ensure everything<br />
was built to specification. In addition, it<br />
meant any queries from the contractors<br />
could be answered straight away."<br />
Once the building was completed, Bond<br />
Bryan handed over design information in<br />
the form of DWGs, IFCs and the BIMx<br />
model, all extracted directly from the<br />
Archicad model.<br />
DELIVERING BREEAM<br />
Built close to the Manchester Arena, the<br />
new campus has served as a catalyst to<br />
rejuvenate the whole surrounding area.<br />
Brad concludes: "This was a challenging<br />
project. However, through close<br />
collaboration with the contractor and<br />
design team, we have achieved a high<br />
quality, beautifully detailed and<br />
functional building for the college.<br />
Moreover, we are delighted that the<br />
building has been awarded BREEAM<br />
Excellent certification, reflecting our<br />
commitment to sustainable design."<br />
With the first phase complete and open<br />
to students, Bond Bryan is now working<br />
on the technical designs for the second<br />
phase of the project, which will provide<br />
50% as much space again with the<br />
creation of more IT, teaching and<br />
classroom space. Construction is due to<br />
start in the Autumn of 2023.<br />
www.graphisoft.com<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong> 31
YOUR GUIDE TO<br />
5<br />
7<br />
3<br />
1<br />
2<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23<br />
24 20 25 26<br />
27<br />
29<br />
SCOTLAND<br />
FIFE 1<br />
GlenCo Development<br />
Solutions<br />
Contact: Jack Meldrum<br />
Tel: 01592 223330<br />
Fax: 01592 223301<br />
jackm@glenco.org<br />
www.glenco.org<br />
ACMK<br />
ABERDEENSHIRE* 2<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
Larbert 3<br />
30 28<br />
19<br />
15 11/16<br />
6<br />
13<br />
17<br />
9/10<br />
18<br />
12/14<br />
*Location guide<br />
not 100% accurate<br />
TMS CADCentre<br />
7 Central Park Avenue<br />
Central Park<br />
Larbert<br />
FK5 4RX<br />
Tel: 01324 550 760<br />
info@tms-scotland.com<br />
www.tms-scotland.com/autodesk<br />
ACELHNO<br />
IRELAND<br />
DUBLIN 5<br />
Paradigm Technology Ltd<br />
Contact: Des McGrane<br />
Tel: +353-1-2960155<br />
Fax: +353-1-2960080<br />
dmcgrane@paradigm.ie<br />
www.paradign.it<br />
ACMGKL<br />
SOUTHWEST<br />
NEWBURY 6<br />
RWTC Ltd<br />
Contact: Richard Willis<br />
Tel: 01488 689005<br />
Fax: 01635 32718<br />
richard@rwtc.co.uk<br />
www.rwtc.co.uk<br />
A M<br />
N.I<br />
BELFAST 7<br />
Pentagon Solutions Ltd<br />
Contact: Tony Dalton - Training<br />
Services Manager<br />
Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355<br />
Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355<br />
tony@pentagonsolutions.com<br />
www.pentagonsolutions.com<br />
ACDEGKL<br />
TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY:<br />
AUTOCAD AND LT:<br />
AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING:<br />
AEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS:<br />
3D MODELLING $ ANIMATION<br />
AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE:<br />
FM DESKTOP:<br />
GIS/MAPPING:<br />
REVIT:<br />
VAULT FUNDAMENTALS<br />
AUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS<br />
A<br />
B<br />
C<br />
D<br />
E<br />
F<br />
G<br />
H<br />
I<br />
J<br />
VISUALISATION:<br />
AUTIDESK CIVIL:<br />
INVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL:<br />
NAVISWORKS TRAINING:<br />
PRODUCT UPDATE COURSES:<br />
INVENTOR PUBLISHER:<br />
GOOGLE SKETCHUP:<br />
CHARACTER ANIMATION:<br />
AUTODESK SIMULATION:<br />
FACTORY DESIGN SUITE:<br />
AUTOCAD ELECTRICAL:<br />
K<br />
L<br />
M<br />
N<br />
O<br />
P<br />
Q<br />
R<br />
S<br />
T<br />
X<br />
For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact:<br />
Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk
SOUTH/EAST<br />
HERTFORDSHIRE 9<br />
Computer Aided<br />
Business Systems Ltd<br />
Contact: Gillian Haynes<br />
Tel: 01707 258 338<br />
Fax: 01707 258 339<br />
training@cabs-cad.com<br />
A C D E K H<br />
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 10<br />
Causeway<br />
Technologies Ltd<br />
Contact: Sue Farnfield<br />
Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134<br />
Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com<br />
www.causeway.com<br />
A C D E K<br />
BERKSHIRE 11<br />
Cadpoint<br />
Contact: Clare Keston<br />
Tel: 01344 751300<br />
Fax: 01344 779700<br />
sales@cadpoint.co.uk<br />
www.cadpoint.co.uk<br />
A C D E K<br />
ENFIELD* 12<br />
TRAINING<br />
BERKSHIRE 16<br />
Mass Systems Ltd<br />
Contact: Luke Bolt<br />
Tel: 01344 304 000<br />
Fax: 01344 304 010<br />
info@mass-plc.com<br />
www.mass-plc.com<br />
A E F<br />
HAMPSHIRE 17<br />
Universal CAD Ltd<br />
Contact: Nick Lambden<br />
Tel: [44] 01256 352700<br />
Fax: [44] 01256 352927<br />
sales@universalcad.co.uk<br />
www.universalcad.co.uk<br />
A C M E K H<br />
MILTON KEYNES 18<br />
Graitec - Milton Keynes<br />
Contact: David Huke<br />
Tel: 01908 410026<br />
david.huke@graitec.co.uk<br />
www.graitec.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
CAMBRIDGE 19<br />
THE NORTH<br />
MANCHESTER* 20<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
NEWCASTLE* 21<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
YORKSHIRE 22<br />
Graitec Bradford<br />
Contact: Isobel Gillon<br />
Tel: 01274 532919<br />
training@graitec.co.uk<br />
www.graitec.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
NORTH EAST 23<br />
Graitec - Durham<br />
Contact: Isobel Gillon<br />
Tel: 0191 374 2020<br />
training@graitec.co.uk<br />
www.graitec.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
LANCASHIRE 24<br />
QUADRA SOLUTIONS<br />
Contact: Simon Dobson<br />
Tel: 01254 301 888<br />
Fax: 01254 301 323<br />
training@quadrasol.co.uk<br />
www.quadrasol.co.uk<br />
A C M K<br />
YORKSHIRE* 25<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
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SOUTH YORKSHIRE 26<br />
THE JUICE GROUP LTD<br />
Contact: Sarah Thorpe<br />
Tel: 0800 018 1501<br />
Fax: 0114 275 5888<br />
training@thejuice.co.uk<br />
www.thejuicetraining.com<br />
A C D E K R<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
SOUTHHAMPTON 13<br />
Riverside House, Brunel Road<br />
Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX<br />
Contact: Isobel Gillon<br />
Tel: 02380 868 947<br />
training@graitec.co.uk<br />
www.graitec.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
CONTRAL LONDON* 14<br />
Symetri Ltd.<br />
Tel: 0345 370 1500<br />
info@symetri.co.uk<br />
www.symetri.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
OXFORDSHIRE 15<br />
MIDLANDS<br />
NOTTINGHAM 27<br />
MicroCAD - Nottingham<br />
Contact: Isobel Gillon<br />
Tel: 0115 969 1114<br />
training@graitec.co.uk<br />
www.graitec.co.uk<br />
ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX<br />
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 28<br />
AIT Spatial Ltd<br />
Contact: Philip Madeley<br />
Tel: 01933 303034<br />
Fax: 01933 303001<br />
training@aitspatial.co.uk<br />
www.aitspatial.co.uk<br />
A C D E F G K L<br />
BIRMINGHAM 29<br />
CHESHIRE 30<br />
Excelat CAD Ltd<br />
Contact: Vaughn <strong>Mar</strong>key<br />
Tel: 0161 926 3609<br />
Fax: 0870 051 1537<br />
Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com<br />
www.ExcelatCAD.com<br />
B N<br />
Man and Machine<br />
Contact: Robert Kenny<br />
Tel: 01844 263700<br />
Fax: 01844 216761<br />
training@manandmachine.co.uk<br />
www.manandmachine.co.uk<br />
A D I J M N O P Q X<br />
Armada Autodesk<br />
Training Centre<br />
Contact: Steven Smith<br />
Tel: 01527 834783<br />
Fax: 01527 834785<br />
training@armadaonline.co.uk<br />
www.armadaonline.co.uk<br />
A D E M K H
INDUSTRYfocus<br />
Digital Product Passports<br />
Lars Fredenlund, managing director of Cobuilder explains how the<br />
Construction Products Regulation will push forward the adoption of<br />
Digital Product Passports<br />
Since its adoption in 2011, the<br />
Construction Products Regulation<br />
(CPR) has set out methods and<br />
criteria for assessing and expressing the<br />
performance of construction products<br />
and conditions for using the CE marking,<br />
which ensures they meet safety, health<br />
and environmental requirements.<br />
As part of the regulation, manufacturers<br />
are obliged to adhere to harmonised<br />
standards when placing construction<br />
products on the market. EU Member<br />
States must do the same when setting<br />
requirements for their performance.<br />
These standards have been drawn up by<br />
european standardisation bodies to create<br />
a common technical language which can<br />
be used throughout the construction sector.<br />
They enable industry professionals, public<br />
authorities and consumers to compare the<br />
performance of products from different<br />
manufacturers in different countries.<br />
There are several benefits to this<br />
regulation. A construction product can<br />
be placed legally on the market in any<br />
Member State and then traded on the<br />
EU's single market, while users of these<br />
products can better define their<br />
performance demands. However, the EU<br />
Commission has identified<br />
shortcomings with existing regulation,<br />
which include the need to better support<br />
both the green and digital transition<br />
taking place in the construction sector.<br />
MOVING TOWARDS GREENER<br />
AND MORE DIGITAL PRACTICES<br />
The formal legal process is well<br />
underway and is expected to be finalised<br />
in Autumn <strong>2024</strong>. The revised CPR<br />
emphasises the need for digital solutions<br />
to reduce existing administrative<br />
burdens, including a construction<br />
products database or system. The EU<br />
has also highlighted that the revised CPR<br />
will need to align with circular economy<br />
principles - promoting the sustainability,<br />
durability and recyclability of products.<br />
Digital Product Passports (DPPs), in<br />
particular, have been specified by the<br />
European Commission as solutions to<br />
meet these demands across sectors by<br />
the implementation of Ecodesign for<br />
Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).<br />
DPPs deliver information on construction<br />
products "including safety information,<br />
instructions of use and the declaration of<br />
performance and conformity."<br />
These DPPs will also enable various<br />
stakeholders to view a detailed breakdown<br />
of a product's environmental data,<br />
ensuring transparency and traceability<br />
across all construction stakeholders - from<br />
manufacturers through to building<br />
contractors and end users. They will<br />
provide comprehensive and standardised<br />
information about a product throughout its<br />
entire lifecycle, with the aim of simplifying<br />
and enriching sustainability practices<br />
within construction.<br />
The Digital Product Passport will play<br />
an important role for end users. It will<br />
make it easier to calculate the<br />
environmental impact of buildings,<br />
facilitate green procurement, document<br />
the content of hazardous chemicals,<br />
ensure compliance with building codes,<br />
or client requirements. Another benefit is<br />
that market surveillance actors can<br />
access the information in a digital format<br />
instantly via mobile devices, and thereby<br />
ensure the reliability of construction<br />
products used in the European market.<br />
STANDARDISATION IS THE KEY TO<br />
MAKING DPPS EFFECTIVE<br />
For DPPs to be created and<br />
implemented effectively, they need<br />
structured product data. This is data<br />
that has been standardised, clearly<br />
defined and is easily searchable. It must<br />
also be machine readable and made<br />
accessible across the European<br />
construction industry, for all<br />
organisations to benefit from.<br />
The latest discussions around the CPR<br />
revision suggest the introduction of a<br />
common European data dictionary to<br />
enable this - which will introduce a<br />
"common digital language" and ensure<br />
companies working across borders are<br />
using the same standardised data<br />
framework.<br />
Many construction stakeholders are<br />
already leveraging common systems and<br />
classification methods, to meet their<br />
individual needs. These systems simplify<br />
the measurement of construction<br />
materials, creating a single source of truth<br />
for everyone involved in a construction<br />
project to draw on the same data.<br />
However, most of these systems are<br />
not interconnected or standardised -<br />
which is why a common European<br />
framework is required. This will make it<br />
easier for all organisations, regardless of<br />
location, to understand product data<br />
and collaborate on projects, while<br />
ensuring interoperability across different<br />
software and systems.<br />
As sustainable and circular practices<br />
become increasingly embedded in<br />
construction - driven by new legislation<br />
such as the revised Construction<br />
Product Regulation - Digital Product<br />
Passports will be key enablers to show<br />
organisations sustainability-related<br />
information about a product. They will<br />
be most effective, though, when industry<br />
stakeholders find common ground in<br />
managing and sharing product data.<br />
www.cobuilder.com<br />
34<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>ch/<strong>Apr</strong>il <strong>2024</strong>
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AWARDS CEREMONY<br />
7TH NOVEMBER <strong>2024</strong><br />
CENTRAL LONDON<br />
www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk<br />
@CCMagAndAwards
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