Give IT a whirl

Steve Kennett looks at five technologies that could save you both time and money - if only you gave them the chance.

[Extracts ...]

Collaboration tools improve information flow

There’s an argument that on some projects the teams are too small to justify the overheads of installing a project collaboration system, training people to use it and putting the protocols in place. But although email and paper-based drawings may still be the quickest ways of passing on information, for anything above the £5m mark collaboration tools bring advantages. Paul Wilkinson, a specialist in collaboration technologies, says: "The higher the capital value of the project, the more likely it is for construction teams to use collaboration platforms. And the earlier they introduce the tools, the bigger the advantage."

Recent developments that might sway contractors include Asta's Sitecontrol. This allows contractors to use handheld devices like mobiles to streamline snagging tasks. Rather than going around with a clipboard and camera, contractors can simply input the information on their handheld device and then synchronize it with the collaboration platform back at the office. It will then automatically alert the relevant package contractor with the details.

Wilkinson says collaboration tools are also increasingly used for project cost control and contract change management. "BIW has a suite of tools that allows people to run NEC3 contracts and automatically provide early warning notices notifying people about likely cost increases."

Get your design ideas across with building information modelling

It's reckoned that building information modelling (BIM) shaved 5% off the project cost of Heathrow Terminal 5 – that’s £210m. Since then the Avanti project, a government-funded initiative that took the same principles and applied them to 30 smaller projects, showed savings of up to 10%. The concept is simple: everyone on the project shares the same 3D CAD model to design, build and, ultimately, run the building. This means that each team doesn’t have to draw its own building and because everyone is working from the same set of data, errors are reduced and clashes can be detected. The usual advantages are time and cost saving and quality improvement.

Despite successful demonstrations of BIM and the availability of the technology, its uptake in the industry has been minimal. According to Paul Wilkinson we’re only scratching the surface when it comes to its potential. "We’re talking of a take-up level that is probably under 5% of industry projects and they might only be doing the 3D part and not getting into 4D or 5D, so they’re not modelling the time dimension or costs," he says.

And it’s not just megaprojects where BIM has the potential to deliver. Architect HOK now models all its designs in 3D using Autodesk’s Revit. According to David King, the practice’s technical director, it’s then a question of the extent to which the project team wants to use it. "Increasingly on major projects, clients and contractors are buying into the benefits of BIM." Chief among these is the quality of information – you have a lot more confidence in the design and far fewer requests for clarifications, says King. And in times when clients want certainty that their projects are going to be delivered within budget and as efficiently as possible, BIM might hold the key.

(Full original article available here)