CC3001

Construction
Computing
WWW.CONSTRUCTION-COMPUTING.COM
Hyperloop meets BIM
Asite''s Build Earth Live competition to
design a Hyperloop Terminal
COBie on trial
Are we delivering the right sort of
COBie for the client?
Gamechangers for 2017
Emerging innovations in the construction industry
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
VOL 13 NO 01
On the road with BIM
The Dunstable M1-A5 Link Road project
wins a Year in Infrastructure Award
Learning the ropes
Design by logic with
Vectorworks Marionette
CAD USER SEMINAR
ANNOUNCED!
For more details
see page 9
@CCMagAndAwards

CONTENTS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
CONTENTS
COBIE ON TRIAL 16
Bond Bryan Digital has collaborated with Bill
East, the inventor of COBie, on a project with
the aim of demonstrating that design software
can deliver reliable COBie
OFF-SITE MANUFACTURING 18
The off-site manufacture of building
components is changing the way the
construction industry works, introducing
significant cost-savings and other benefits
BUILDING BETTER SECURITY 20
David Chadwick discusses the issue of security
in the cloud and the construction industry in
general with Steve Cooper of Aconex
HYPERLOOP MEETS BIM 26
Running simultaneously with the Hyperloop
Pod competition in Los Angeles, Build Earth
Live held a BIM focused event, organised by
Asite, to design terminals for the proposed
Dubai to Fujairah Hyperloop
I NEWS................................................INDUSTRY NEWS....................................................................................................6
• 'Digital built Britain' discussed at NBS • 3D REPO BIM APP IS AN ASSET TO CROSSRAIL
CASE STUDY...................................THREE CONSTRUCTION GAMECHANGERS FOR 2017.....................................8
• KENNY INGRAM OF IFS OUTLINES SOME KEY TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2017
SOFTWARE REVIEW........................VECTORWORKS MARIONETTE: LEARNING THE ROPES................................12
• VECTORWORKS MARIONETTE ALLOWS ANYONE TO EXPLORE DESIGN CONCEPTS WITH ALGORITHMS
CASE STUDY...................................MERCURY RISING...............................................................................................14
• MERCURY ENGINEERING HAS ADOPTED INTERGRAPH® CADWORX® & ANALYSIS SOLUTIONS
CASE STUDY...................................INSIDE WORK.....................................................................................................24
• BROWN & CARROLL POLISHES UP ITS PROJECT PLANNING WITH ASTA POWERPROJECT ENTERPRISE
CASE STUDY...................................ON THE ROAD WITH BIM....................................................................................28
• THE DUNSTABLE M1 TO A5 LINK ROAD PROJECT HAS WON A BENTLEY YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD
SOFTWARE REVIEW........................123BIM PUBLISHER.............................................................................................30
• RDV SYSTEMS HAS RELEASED PLUG-INS FOR ITS INTERACTIVE VISUALISATION AND MODELLING APPLICATIONS
TRAINING MAP................................AUTODESK TRAINING.........................................................................................32
• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING
BOOK REVIEWS...............................THE CYBER HOUSE RULES...............................................................................34
• SECURITY IS MORE OF A SOCIAL ISSUE THAN A TECHNICAL ONE, AS RAEF MEEUWISE'S NEW BOOK EXPLAINS
January/February 2017 3

COMMENT
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Comment
Building a case for security
by David Chadwick
As fascinating as it may seem to
have the Americans complaining
about the Russians interfering in
the US presidential elections, it is all
symptomatic of a much larger cyber
security problem that is set to take centre
stage in our industry this year. Hacking
into emails and spreading misinformation
around is just one manifestation of the
problem, and it affects everybody, from
global organisations like Yahoo to
individuals caught up in the latest
phishing email variant.
What do the cybercriminals get out of it?
In the case of the election hacking
mentioned above, political advantage for
one. Most of the others are about money
- the phishing scams that garner massive
amounts of data from account holders
that they can sell on to unscrupulous
marketing companies, or blatant
extortionists using every trick in the book
to separate people from their hardearned
cash.
But what about the construction
industry? What are the vulnerable areas
that we need to concern ourselves with?
We are an industry that gathers huge
amounts of information in a daily basis,
which is then shared with disparate
groups of workers - so what do we need
to be wary of?
As Aconex point out in this issue, it's
nothing to do with the dissemination of
construction information - building
models, drawings, planning documents
and so on - as these are distributed
through secure portals to nominated
individuals. It's the uncontrolled areas that
are starting to cause the most anguish,
and much of these fall, also within the
purlieu of the property developer.
This has been exacerbated by the
growth in demand for BYOD (Bring Your
Own Device) which might save money for
the company, but introduces an anarchic
element to the workforce, who will happily
download private corporate information
and let it mingle with who knows what
dubious applications bugs and viruses on
the owner's device.
Just as unsafe is the growing trend for
the Internet of Things (IoT). A fridge that
orders groceries when it runs out might
sound marvellous in theory, but it is
connected to the Internet, has its own
(inferior or factory set) access code, and
to be able to place an order with the local
supermarket needs direct access to your
online bank account, as well.
That's a domestic issue, but installing an
oil tank with similar capabilities on a newbuild
is a construction issue - and so will
be all other instances where the IoT is
specified for modern buildings.
And what about Virtual Reality, the
ability to download building models and
wander through them at will, and
autonomous cars, which will start to
change the urban landscape quite
dramatically, even without the
autonomous buses which will shortly
follow them. These are all exciting and
innovative developments for our industry,
but they will also come with their own
unique security issues.
The construction industry can't stand
aloof from the cyber threat, as it will
underpin much of our planning from now
into the future. No matter how clever we
become at securing our assets, whether
they are financial, protecting our
buildings from potential terrorist threats,
or securing our customer and supplier
information, there will always be cleverer
people out there trying to undermine our
best efforts.
As Raef Meeuwisse, author of the new
book 'Cybersecurity Exposed' (reviewed in
this issue) explains, it's not about
protecting what we know about - it's about
protecting what we don't know about.
4 January/February 2017

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Available in stand-alone and
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Update progress from your mobile
Produce quality reports easily
Create better tenders, faster
See why it is the software choice for most UK
construction planners: elecosoft.com
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Asta Powerproject: The power behind successful projects

INDUSTRY news
Newcastle-based NBS
recently welcomed Mark
Bew MBE to its offices to deliver
an industry talk to a 50-strong
audience on the 'Digital Built
Britain' programme. Mark, who
chairs the UK BIM Task Group,
spoke about the programme
which is the next phase of the
UK's journey towards a new
generation of smart infrastructure
and construction.
Mark touched on the journey
the UK construction industry
has been on, the praise for the
sector getting 'BIM ready' for
last year's mandate and looked
ahead to future trends including
BIM Level 3, quantum computing,
quantum sensing and
smart cities.
Mark, who is also chairman of
PCSG, said: "The progress
made in the last six years or so
has been fantastic but progress
mustn't stop there. We need to
continue to drive the quality of
data we’re using across the
industry that will help drive trust,
better use and better productivity
for us all.
"UK figures show that from
2009 to 2014/15 the construction
industry saved £1.2 billion
through the efficiencies and
benefits brought about through
the use of BIM and digital engineering.
In everyday terms
those savings would equate to
Mark Bew MBE (left) and NBS Chief
Executive Richard Waterhouse
'DIGITAL BUILT BRITAIN' DISCUSSED AT NBS
buying five schools and getting
one for free, and those are the
messages we need to be pushing
to showcase the improvements
and progress that the
industry is making."
The Digital Built Britain programme
which will be led by
Mark, with collaboration from
Innovate UK and the Department
of Business Energy and
Industrial Strategy, BEIS, will
bring together the development
of BIM, smart cities, industrial
controls and advanced manufacturing.
The programme will
work to guide, inform and educate
construction professionals
to understand the connection
between how buildings and
infrastructure impact society
and how using new technologies
and quality data will help
create smart cities that will keep
the UK at the forefront of the
world's stage in terms of construction
and digital excellence.
NBS Chief Executive Richard
Waterhouse said: "To welcome
such a key industry figure like
Mark to our offices was a great
privilege. Hearing again, that
the progress made over the last
six or seven years has catapulted
the UK construction industry
as leaders in digital information
and digital construction in an
international arena is fantastic."
www.theNBS.com
FORMER EXCITECH LEAD JOINS CLEARBOX
Clearbox has bolstered its
team with the arrival of
John Williams, former Head of
Excitech Consulting. John
joins Clearbox after 30 years
in the construction industry,
working with customers to
improve their outcomes
through a wide range of digital
technology.
John will use his wider industry
knowledge, along with his
new found exposure to the
Clearbox platform, to work with
customers to support their
implementation of solutions,
not only to address the compliance
and contractual requirements
for BIM Level 2 and
beyond, but also to realise the
opportunity of BIM to provide
lean processes, reduced waste
and ultimately increased ROI.
www.clearboxbim.com
3D REPO BIM APP IS AN ASSET TO CROSSRAIL
3D Repo has started development
on a unique mobile
platform for Crossrail designed
to manage maintainable
assets. The cloud-based innovation
by 3D Repo brings
together previously disparate
databases and information
sources to provide on-site,
instant access, to both historical
and real-time information.
The project is funded under the
Crossrail innovation programme,
Innovate 18.
Working with Crossrail, 3D
Repo has demonstrated integration
between information
already held within asset lifecycle
information management
software. Through a Crossrail
Asset Information and Configuration
Management System
(AIMS), data matrix ID labels
and RFID tags can be scanned
using a mobile device to provide
real-time access to plant
and system diagrams and
operation and maintenance
(O&M) manuals. 3D Repo’s
mobile platform will also let project
managers, maintenance
personnel and stakeholders
access different 3D views of an
asset allowing them to select
information that is most relevant
to them for the purposes of
installation, snagging and commissioning,
for example.
“With the Crossrail project
nearing completion we wanted
to demonstrate a system that
could provide a one stop solution
for post-delivery asset management.
3D Repo application
could deliver direct cost savings
in terms of simplified management
processes and transparency
of work, at every stage
of the project, from planning to
construction and handover to
facilities management,” said
Harry Parnell, Head of Digital
Project Delivery at Balfour Beatty
and Project Manager in
Crossrail’s Woolwich Station.
www.3drepo.org
6
January/February 2017

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

INDUSTRYfocus
Three construction gamechangers for 2017
Automated bridge building behemoths, bricklaying robots, Smart Buildings and self-repairing
cities - these are now real concepts being used to design and construct the built environment.
Here, Kenny Ingram, Global Industry Director of Construction at IFS, outlines the key trends and
opportunities for companies to leverage in 2017
Opportunity #1: Within five years,
35% of asset owners will move
over to outcome- and
performance-based contracts
According to a 2015 report from
Transparency Market Research the global
market for Product Lifecycle Management
will reach over $75bn by 2022 - forecast to
grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) of 8.1% from 2015 to 2022. As with
other industries, this means that contracts
in the construction sector will become
increasingly complex and service-based.
It is not a new idea, and examples of
service-based contracts can be found
across a range of industries. In
aeronautical manufacturing, Rolls Royce
famously introduced the 'Power-by-the
Hour' concept in 1962, supplying a
complete engine and accessory
replacement service on a fixed-cost-perflying-hour
basis. More recently, Rolls
Royce added Engine Health Monitoring,
which tracks on-wing performance using
onboard sensors and Lease Engine
Access, supplying clients with a back-up
engine during off-wing maintenance.
It's clear that connecting assets using the
Internet of Things (IoT) with enterprise
applications that manage them will
accelerate the innovation of business
models, but the key takeaway for
construction companies is that they need
to be crystal clear about the core purpose
of their asset. If a company is building a
hospital, for example, it might win a
contract by guaranteeing provision of an
agreed number of beds over time, or even
the health outcome of patients. The
company will need to access performance
data in order to evaluate and adapt its
offering, and be able to measure a range
of parameters over time.
How can companies leverage this?
Today, IoT enables construction companies
to measure assets and data in a detail and
quality that has never been possible
before. Essential metrics to keep in mind
are availability, reliability, maintainability,
supportability, cost of ownership, and end
result. Technology functions within
construction firms need to empower
business analysts with asset performance
indicators so they can find the most
profitable models that will add revenue
streams through service-based contracts.
Ultimately, construction companies will
operate more like service industries acting
on a performance-based model.
Opportunity #2: In the next five years 25%
of work in the construction industry will be
carried out by robots
Driverless cars, battalions of self-driving
trucks - for most of us these are now firmly
on the technology agenda. - yet for many
in the construction industry this all still
seems some time away. It isn't.
A 2016 PWC report pinpoints China as a
prime example of booming demand
driving huge growth in industrial robotics:
"Since 2013, the number of shipments of
multipurpose industrial robots in China has
roughly doubled to an estimated 75,000 in
2015… forecast to double yet again to
150,000 by 2018, according to the
International Federation of Robotics."
8
January/February 2017

COBie or not COBie?
That is the Question
Join us on the 16th May at this CAD User seminar to explore, amongst other issues:
Is COBie still a practical solution
for delivering building information
to the people who need to use it?
Why can't we just give the client
the 3D model instead?
What information does the
building owner need, and how
would they prefer it to be
delivered?
What happens when theory
comes up against practice?
Learn the power, importance and
the why's and how's of leveraging
the information you are accruing
in your 3D model
Hear presentations from industry
experts discussing the pros and
cons of each solution
Put your questions to the panel
Network with your peers
In Association with:
Who owns the building model,
and who will maintain it through
the life of the building?
For the day’s agenda visit:
www.caduser.com/seminars
Follow us: @CCMagAndAwards
The London Transport Museum,
Covent Garden, WC2E 7BB
FREE TOUR
INCLUDED
COMPLIMENTARY COPY
of Innovative Vectorwoks BIM by
Jonathan Reeves
An inspiring read for Architects getting
started with BIM or who want to be
level 2 BIM compliant.
EARLY BIRD
£75 EXCL. VAT
BOOK BY
31st MARCH
Seats are just £95 excl. VAT and
include refreshments and lunch.
For more information and to
book your place please visit:
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call 01689 616000 or email
seminars@caduser.com

INDUSTRYfocus
A new remotely-operated bridge building
machine in China, the SLJ900/32, operates
without conventional crane technology. It
travels across the bridge constructing a
temporary track as it goes, and tows each
new segment with it - extending between
the bridge's columns and dropping the
segment into place. Bridge building is
dangerous, time consuming work with high
insurance premiums. An automated
solution may already be with us.
Engineers are now exploring solutions for
high-skilled, precision crafts in construction
too. US firm Construction Robotics'
SAM100 bricklaying robot is currently being
marketed as "Assisting the mason with the
repetitive and strenuous task of lifting and
placing each brick," but as the system gets
more sophisticated, how long will it be
before the mason disappears and the
robot remains?
Similarly, construction professionals are
recognising the benefits that drones can
bring to the sector, including improved site
survey efficiency using real-time imagery,
and rapid data collection using GPS
recording and aerial imagery. Again, how
long will it be until drones surpass mere
surveillance duties and begin construction
and repair works?
The University of Leeds is already
pioneering a £4.2m national infrastructure
research project into creating miniature
drones that perform complex tasks, in
essence helping cities to 'self-repair.'
How can companies leverage this?
Perhaps the most urgent action is to
recognise the change and start
establishing a strategy for digital
transformation. Again, reskilling recruitment
of tech-savvy younger professionals will
pay dividends. Graphic design,
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality
(VR) will be hugely important in keeping
companies competitive as clients become
more immersed in the digital world. The
ability to construct buildings in digital form,
and explore them using VR, will become
especially key for architects. BIM is of
course the first step along that journey, but
company requirements will quickly evolve.
As VR continues to immerse itself in the
construction space companies will also be
able to take trainees outside of a
pressurised working environment and
visually walk them through the correct
training processes. Companies can invest
in AR technologies to better improve health
and safety practices and training. For
example, computer-generated images,
information and visual data can be
superimposed over an employee's
physical surroundings to help guide them
with technical tasks - helping to safely and
visually teach them on the ground.
Opportunity #3: Smart building market to
be worth $36bn by 2020 - IoT security to
be heavily scrutinised and debated in 2017
There is no doubt that the Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT) market is evolving
rapidly. In the report 'Digital Transformation
- an Internet of Things perspective', IDC
predicts that the installed base of IoT
endpoints will grow to 30 billion by 2020.
For industries wishing to pursue IIoT it is
key to accept that for the foreseeable
future there will probably not be any
underlying standard on how to connect up
devices safely and securely. Instead,
industries should expect and plan for doing
bespoke integration development, or even
retrofitting of other sensors and
communications capabilities to equipment
and assets in order to get them connected.
We are at the very beginning of
understanding what the IoT is capable of in
terms of connecting building solutions.
Whether it is environmental controls,
communications interfaces, video
surveillance or energy conservation, the
potential to benefit from significant cost,
time and energy savings - as well as
optimal space allocation and improved
occupant comfort when building
automation and smart sensors are in place
- is clear. However, all buildings are
different, and it's not a simple solution by
any stretch.
How can companies leverage this?
Perhaps the biggest opportunity, and one
that is often overlooked when we talk about
Smart Buildings, is with existing structures.
How do we make sure these structures
don't fall behind the curve; how do we
make them more efficient and compatible
with IoT? The answer begins with having
an automated system that manages all of
the sensors, data and assets in a simple,
effective and holistic manner. Company IT
systems should include functionality for
contract and project management, risk
management, project budget and cost
control, forecasting and accounting,
mobile solutions for site work, and call and
case management.
Asset management software can also
help organisations transition from
calendar-based maintenance to ongoing,
automated predictive maintenance, so that
any piece of underperforming or damaged
kit connected to the database - whether it
be the boiler, A/C system, pipework or
lighting - is flagged for immediate
inspection before it has ever caused a
problem, saving valuable time, money and
resources.
There are, of course, serious concerns
with new and existing structures
incorporating IoT technology - and the
concerns are justified. If people with the
wrong motives access design information
in BIM models, they can infiltrate a
building's system and control assets such
as ducts and air flow - cutting off air supply
- or set off a fire alarm or sprinkler system.
The more we automate, the bigger the
risk. So how do we police every single
person who has access to this
information? There is plenty of debate
happening on this topic, and it is
fantastically exciting, but clear work needs
to be done by manufacturers on designing
each of their IoT devices to be optimally
secure, as well as building managers to
ensure they are prioritising infrastructure
and cyber security.
For construction companies, daring to
experiment is vital. Prototyping and trying
out solutions on a small scale will enable
companies to be ready to seize the
opportunity. Digital transformation is going
to be an enormous game changer. Its
effects will be as powerful and epochdefining
as the invention of mass
production at the beginning of the
twentieth century. Since time immemorial
construction has always been about men
and machines. With cybernetics, IoT, Smart
Buildings and speed of construction to the
fore that is soon set to change - so start
preparing now.
www.ifsworld.com
10
January/February 2017

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SOFTWAREreview
Vectorworks Marionette: learning the ropes
Integrated within Vectorworks, Marionette allows anyone - even those with no programming
knowledge - to explore interesting design concepts, as long as they can formulate the logic that
drives them
beyond the software's physical limitations,
by encompassing what can be achieved
logically. Any sequence of actions, from the
input of the starting data, through a series
of modifying processes, can be used to
define a Vectorworks object, draw a 2D
shape or build a 3D model.
Vectorworks Architect contains
excellent free-form morphing and
modelling tools, enabling architects
to create buildings with organic shapes of
some complexity. But, while producing
some stunning architecture, the tools have
whetted the appetite for increased control
over the form of a structure - whilst not,
necessarily, staying within the bounds of
physical manipulation of the geometry.
Besides artistic design there are many
other factors that can influence the design
of a building, from optimising space
utilisation to adhering to environmental
constraints, and so a way of addressing
these issues was required.
The solution was provided for
Vectorworks Architect by the introduction of
Marionette, a Python-based graphical
programming language that allows users
to manipulate Vectorworks objects using a
'graphical script' rather than a traditional
programming language. It is based on
logical workflows, and provides users with
no programming skills the ability to create
application algorithms which they can use
to explore designs, build interactive objects
and streamline complex workflows.
Graphical scripting is destined to have a
significant role in the future, providing an
infinite ability to explore form and function
in design conditions.
The graphical script resembles a flow
chart comprising a number of nodes, each
of which either represent a type of input or
a function that performs operations on the
input. Running the script (from left to right)
with the data path shown by wires between
the Nodes in logical sequences, generates
Vectorworks drawings or BIM objects. The
network created by these Nodes can then
be converted into a Plug-In object, where
its parameters are editable in the Object
Info palette.
Marionette provides a library of node
types, available in the Resource Manager,
which can be linked together logically in an
infinite number of configurations,
supplemented by custom configured
Nodes that can be used, repeatedly, to
provide specific functions for the developer,
but also the architect, designer and
student. There are no practical limits to the
sources of input data either, whether taken
from the internet, Excel spreadsheets,
manually inputted and so on.
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT
Previous design constraints have now
been overcome and have now been taken
THE WIND ROSE
Hence the Wind Rose, a Marionette
generated Weather Analysis tool that can
be used to provide accurate
meteorological data for any Vectorworks
Project, drawing localised sources of
weather data from the internet. If your
project is reliant on very precise knowledge
of local weather conditions throughout the
year then you can either download the data
you need in some third-party format and
refer to that when you lay out the model, or
download the Wind Rose, whose Nodes
have been set up to receive weather data
from the internet and which can be linked
via the Object Info palette and the Object
Nodes to integrate weather data directly
with Vectorworks model files.
Marionette is an integral part of
Vectorworks Architect. Unlike other similar
applications which require additional
software connections, users can create
Marionette scripts and link them directly to
drawing and modelling tools within the
software. Site specific weather data can
then be used directly to set the
parameters of model elements,
influencing, for example, the orientation of
the principal glazing elements to maximise
the effects of sunlight.
KNOWING YOUR NODES
Any logical proposition can be broken
down into simple constituent parts. In
Marionette these are called Nodes, and
they perform a number of different
functions, of which there are fourteen
basic types, the most relevant of which are
as follows:
12
January/February 2017

SOFTWAREreview
The Input Node indicates the source of
data and the data flow. It is an
organisational node which provides basic
functions like adding or subtracting data,
or setting up ranges or lists of data.
The Math Node provides a number of
mathematical functions such as square
roots, division etc., which can be
supplemented by complex mathematical
equations created using a dedicated
piece of Marionette scripting, and
'wrapped' to become a single Node, with a
newly defined name.
The Object Info Nodes extract the
parameters of an object (defining the
centre point of a circle, for instance) and its
diameter, whilst the Object Nodes create
standard graphics objects.
The Operation Nodes define the action
that can be performed on an object, such
as rotate, move or delete, or how the math
Node operates on data, whilst Point Nodes
define the locations of objects, placing
them within a 2D drawing - x,y inputs, or
3D model - x, y, z inputs.
CREATING A SIMPLE POLYGON
Clicking on the Marionette icon opens a
drop-down menu showing the types of
Nodes available. Selecting the Input folder
provides further options. For the polygon
we will need to use real number (real) and
integer (int) Input Nodes to input the radius
of the polygon and the number of sides.
Under Object Nodes we find the polygon
Node and select that. We will then need
the Point2 Node to define the centre point
of the polygon.
Selecting a Node places it onscreen,
where it can then be dragged roughly into
position. It will be seen that the Real, Int
and Point2 Nodes have only one output
point, but the regular polygon has three
input points - for centre point, Radius and
Number of sides, and one output for the
Polygon. A connection is made between
the Point2 output and the centre point on
the polygon Node by dragging a wire
between both, defining the centre point of
the polygon as it will be drawn.
In the Object Info palette the Point2
parameter will be shown as zero, the
default position, unless a specific location
is inserted. The Real Input Node is then
dragged to an appropriate position and a
connection made between it and the
radius input point in the polygon Node -
the parameter appearing in the Object Info
palette. The same for the Int Input Node to
define the number of sides of the polygon,
connecting it to the number of numSides
input point in the polygon node.
All that remains is to run the script, which
will produce a regular polygon in the
position indicated. The script created can
be grouped to be copied and used in other
places throughout a wider network - or, as
we have seen earlier, wrapped and
renamed and then placed in the Node
library for other projects (it is then classified
as a Marionette object).
If we use the data flow Nodes, we can
input ranges or lists of data, each of which
will need to be defined with single input
Nodes. To avoid confusion, the specific
source of each bit of input data can be
entered above the type name of the Node.
Furthermore, wrapping groups of Nodes
and naming them cuts down the number
used in a network, which can often
become quite complex.
THE MATH NODE
Mathematics drives many functions and
objects in Marionette. If you understand
the math equation, however, you can
create the graphical script that represents
it. You will need an input Node for each
value and a math Node for each operation
in an equation. When you go to Node
selection you will initially be presented with
a number of basic math functions -
addition, division and square root - but if
you scroll down you will find more
complex functions such as power and
logarithmic functions.
The script for a mathematical function is
set up by processing each function in the
correct order, one by one, feeding the
result of one math function into the input
point of the next. The correct order of
function must be retained here or the
values returned will be incorrect. Renaming
Nodes is also important here, so that other
users can follow the logic of the script.
Further functions available with different
categories of Nodes allow users to
manipulate the geometry of an Object,
aligning it with geometry created with other
parts of a network, or rotating geometry, or
specifying the orientation of an object.
Users can also change the colour of
Node fills using the Attributes palette, but
as these are different to distinguish one
class of code from another, one should be
wary of doing this.
www.vectorworks.com
January/February 2017 13

CASEstudy
Mercury rising
Irish engineering services provider, Mercury Engineering has
enhanced its schedule certainty and ability to design and build Right
First Time with Intergraph® CADWorx® & Analysis Solutions
Mercury Engineering was
contracted to upgrade an existing
process plant located near to
Groningen, in the Netherlands. The project
scope was the design of a new process
plant with product pipelines that needed to
connect into an existing facility. To achieve
this, it was necessary to route the new
pipelines along an existing pipe bridge,
and across the roof of the existing
structure and into a new building.
The main goal of the project was to
shorten the project schedule by
maximising the amount of piping
prefabrication that could be completed offsite
before piping installation was
performed on-site. To meet this goal, and
ensure that the new piping would fit when
erected, Mercury Engineering needed asbuilt
information of the existing facility.
The new piping connected with the existing tie-ins
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Unfortunately existing as-built information
was lacking, therefore the initial challenge
was how to capture the as-built situation
quickly and accurately. To ensure
successful on-time project delivery,
Mercury Engineering determined that it
would be necessary to laser scan the
existing building, roof space, and pipe
bridge. This would provide an accurate
design basis for the new pipe routes and
tie-ins that had to be designed. Having
this information available would also help
to ensure and guarantee that the new
piping would fit on the pipe bridge and
could be constructed inside the existing
building without clashing.
Particular attention was paid to the tie-in
points, and extra scans were done in
these areas to ensure that enough detail
was captured to accurately design the tieins.
After this, Leica CloudWorx in
combination with CADWorx Plant
Professional was used to manipulate the
piping route to match the scanned as-built
positions of the new tie-ins and to
accurately design them. Visualisation of
the pipe bridge inside the CAD system
helped to identify space for the new
pipelines, enabling them to be routed
easily alongside other existing services,
which made connecting the old and new
building seamless.
The pipework installation was detailed
before the new building was constructed.
As the building was being erected and
took shape, it was laser scanned, and the
new point clouds were integrated with
CADWorx Plant Professional. Using
CloudWorx in combination with CADWorx,
Mercury Engineering was able to make
minor modifications to the pipework as the
project was ongoing, to align the routings
and to make changes to the overall
design to reflect the changing as-built
condition of the new building.
This additional site-check increased
confidence in the accuracy of the
isometrics issued to the fabrication
workshop, which were auto-generated via
Isogen directly from the CADWorx design
model. In doing so, Mercury Engineering
ensured that the piping would fit first time,
and avoided unnecessary fabrication
rework on-site, helping to keep the project
schedule on-track.
14
January/February 2017

CASEstudy
Connecting the old facility with the new building
our training and implementation services.
Using CADWorx tools enabled us to get
started immediately - we were able to
produce fabrication isometrics
immediately after completing our
coordination process."
REALISING RESULTS
For this project, Mercury Engineering
needed a solution that was able to detail
mechanical, electrical, and HVAC
(heating, ventilation and air conditioning)
design as well as produce trusted, highquality,
industry standard piping
isometrics. The company selected
Intergraph CADWorx Plant Professional
due to its breadth of modelling
capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and its
ability to produce 2D deliverables in
DWG formats. Another key reason was
the short learning curve and ease of use -
Mercury's staff new to the product
required only 3 days of training before
they were productive.
In addition, Mercury Engineering was
already familiar with the ease-of-use of
CADWorx solutions as the company's
BIM (Building Information Modelling)
group has successfully used the solution
for over three years.
Additionally, Mercury had previously
developed industry-specific CADWorx
format catalogue and specification
content for other projects, which included
their SAP part coding. Due to this,
Mercury were also able to accelerate
their procurement process and take
delivery of materials for the project using
the material control (BOM) reports
produced by Isogen.
Schedule certainty due to ability to
track progress better
Ability to design and build Right First
Time due to access to accurate asbuilt
data
Reduced labour on-site due to the
ability to generate trusted high-quality
isometrics.
MOVING FORWARD
Mercury Engineering uses CADWorx
Plant Professional solutions to manage
3D graphical and material information.
Currently, more than 1.48 terabytes of
data is handled across their active
projects. The company has 27 active
users of the software working on 4 new
projects currently.
Ciaran McCreary, 3D VC / BIM engineer
at Mercury Engineering commented on
the company's experience of Intergraph
CADWorx tools: "We were very happy
with the Intergraph staff who performed
Laser scan view highlighting the new piping through the facility
ABOUT MERCURY ENGINEERING
Mercury Engineering is a leading
European contractor, working in semiconductor,
oil and gas, pharmaceutical,
healthcare, food and beverage
industries, specialising in the provision of
mechanical, electrical, fire protection and
technology services. It is also involved in
other sectors of the construction industry,
including commercial building services,
data centres, manufacturing,
infrastructure and healthcare.
The company has a reputation for
getting the job completed on time, within
budget and to the highest quality, making
them a contractor of choice for industry
leaders for 40 years.
www.mercuryeng.com
ABOUT INTERGRAPH CADWORX &
ANALYSIS SOLUTIONS
Intergraph CADWorx & Analysis offers a
complete software series for plant
design & analysis. Intergraph’s plant
design and analysis offerings are easy to
use, extremely flexible, totally scalable
and are trusted by over 80% of the
leading plant engineering companies
and owner operators worldwide to
deliver accurate and reliable results. For
more information visit:
ppm.intergraph.com
KEY BENEFITS
Mercury Engineering received significant
benefits from using Intergraph's
CADWorx solution on their project. The
three key benefits were:
January/February 2017 15

CASEstudy
COBie on trial
Are we delivering the right sort
of COBie for the users of the
data - the client?
Delivering BIM Level 2? If you are
involved in UK Government
projects you should have been
delivering native models, PDF drawings
and COBie since last April, but to
comply with the spirit of COBie you
should be providing standardised
structured data that can be used by the
clients when you hand over the project,
which should allow them to maintain the
asset throughout its entire lifecycle.
Many contractors claim to support
COBie and have delivered digital
information to clients, proving their
compliance with the aims of BIM - but
how much of the information supplied
can be utilised by real users on real
projects?
Attempting to address this problem,
Rob Jackson of Bond Bryan Digital, a
brand of Bond Bryan Architects and
early BIM adaptors and enthusiasts, got
in touch with William (Bill) East of Prairie
Sky Consulting, the inventor of COBie, to
collaborate on a project built around a
small dormitory scheme on a
fictitious site adjacent to the University of
Illinois, USA, with the aim of
demonstrating that design software can
deliver reliable COBie.
In the past, vendors have undergone
COBie trials to demonstrate their ability
to deliver COBie from their own tools.
However, this exercise was about
demonstrating that users could provide
suitable information on a 'real' project to
suit the user, rather than the vendor.
This required developing the design
models from two dimensional drawings
and schedules.
Although the site itself is fictitious, the
models are based on a project that has
actually been built. Originally called
Barracks 101, it can be seen as a set of
redacted PDF drawings and COBie
files on the National institute for
Building Sciences (NIBS) website. It
lies under Project 4, but the information
is limited and design data modified to
make it generic.
The project was selected deliberately,
16
January/February 2017

CASEstudy
as it was complex enough to
demonstrate the full requirements of
COBie. It is also of a size that would
enable others to replicate the project,
and where knowledge of the design is
limited, encouraging further training to
take place. The architectural model was
created using Graphisoft ARCHICAD
with the structural, mechanical, electric
and plumbing models being developed
in Autodesk Revit.
The architectural and structural models,
provided by Craig Hardingham of MLM,
are complete, but more work is required
to produce the building services models,
to be produced by Headcount
Engineering. The model was exported
from ARCHICAD using the IFC2x3
format, covered by ISO16739:2013
which has been developed by
buildingSMART International.
Bond Bryan have a long history of
using IFC dating back to 2007, and the
company won a Construction
Computing Award in 2015 for their
interoperability work using IFC as an
exchange format on the Bradford
College project. Whilst IFC is not a
requirement of BIM Level 2, COBie is a
subset of IFC, so it is a logical method to
transfer the structured data into tools
that can validate and export COBie.
Using this open standard allows the
data to be validated using free or other
commercial tools. The validation
process is critical though to ensure the
data is correct, otherwise it is simply
'junk in, junk out'.
Whilst Bond Bryan Digital have
developed an expertise around
geometry and data validation, Bill East
was the officiator of the validation
process in this case. Bill has also
recently published a book with Alfred C.
Bogen on COBie Quality Control to
demonstrate in detail how to check and
fix COBie.
The example project model is
compliant with NBIMS-US V3 standard
rather than BS1192. This highlights the
minor differences between the US and
UK versions of COBie, and the COBie
files utilise OmniClass, rather than
Uniclass. Although a structural model
wasn't required to be able to provide the
COBie data, one was produced to
replicate a typical real-life project scenario.
DELIVERABLES
As the fictitious elements of the project
were designed to draw out various
lessons about COBie, and to be able to
present the findings as a guide for
others, a number of deliverables have
been made available in various formats.
All of the information is freely available at
www.prairieskyconsulting.com and Bond
Bryan has shared a GRAPHISOFT BIMx
Pro file that allows users to see the
drawings in the context of the model on
mobile devices.
It wasn't an easy job either, as both
Rob and Bill worked outside standard
work hours to produce a valid model,
with a lot of toing and froing of ideas and
talks with the various software vendors.
Some of these resulted in modifications
to the authoring software. The final
outcome proved that ARCHICAD can
produce a valid COBie file, endorsed by
Bill East, and that it was 100% COBie
compliant. But it didn't stop there.
Following on the success of the
collaboration, and having proved that
ARCHICAD could deliver COBie
compliant models, a book was
published to in August 2016 to share the
intricacies of the process, titled
'Delivering Construction-Operations
Building information exchange (COBie)
in Graphisoft ARCHICAD'.
The book is based around the East
Dormitory project, but also contains
information about the general concepts of
COBie and knowledge gleaned from other
projects. It demonstrates the workflow
involved in creating COBie using
ARCHICAD - a step-by-step guide
following the structure of COBie and typical
design processes. The book also features
a number of tricks and tips, and identifies
some of the smaller issues with creating
models to deliver COBie in ARCHICAD.
ENHANCED WORKFLOWS
Much of the book focuses on explaining
the mechanics of delivering COBie, but
the original precept was that the
processes currently in place weren't
delivering the goods as well as they
might. To this end the book identifies
where improvements to some of these
workflows could be implemented, and
suggests which might be usefully added
to future software releases.
Rob Jackson explains that "COBie's
fundamental aim is to take information
that already exists traditionally and
transfer it efficiently, effectively in a
standardised method, in a 'digital
suitcase' to the people who really need
the data." He adds, "Working with Bill
has allowed us to understand what the
author of COBie's intentions were when
developing the standard. Whilst it was a
real challenge to deliver, it now means
we understand the requirements and the
intricacies much more thoroughly.
Hopefully the book helps others in their
own journeys in moving from an
analogue to a digital exchange of
information with clients."
The model developed for the study was
also shared with a client who wanted to
test their Computer Aided Facilities
Management (CAFM) tool for its ability
to import COBie. For that it needed a
model that was fully valid, and that is
what was provided.
The East Dormitory project continues
with plans to build and share further
models for the project, and Bill East is
working with other collaborators to write
further books, including one on the
Autodesk Revit workflow with COBie.
The work with Bond Bryan is still
ongoing as well, as other models need
reviewing and further design federation
required. Both partners are also
considering setting up training courses
around delivering COBie.
GROUNDS FOR CONCERN?
So, we come to the same questions as
before. Are we successfully delivering
the data requirements of BIM Level 2,
and are we now on the path to BIM Level
3 (Digital Built Britain)? Evidence shows
that most of the industry is still not
producing BIM Level 2 outputs, and
those that are still don't produce files
truly compliant with the standard.
www.bondbryan.com/digital
www.prairieskyconsulting.com
www.graphisoft.com
January/February 2017 17

TECHNOLOGYfocus
Off-site Fabrication
The off-site manufacture of building components is changing the way the construction industry
works, introducing significant cost-savings and other benefits
How is it possible to build a bridge in
Holland, ship it across the Channel,
and put it together in Dublin, and
yet do it for half the price that it would have
cost to erect it on site? That's the point that
BuildOffSite's Richard Ogden made at
Trimble's recent conference in Coventry.
Stretching the point further, he said that
car manufacturers do it as a matter of
course - with 2 million options available to
them, but with 80% conforming to common
platforms - most of them are identical with
mere badging differences between them.
In fact many companies own competing
brands (Rolls Royce owned by BMW, for
instance) and reap the benefits from
shared components.
At the most basic level there is little
difference between manufacturing and
construction industries, and most buildings,
even the business of updating period
houses, can be put together from
components manufactured off-site. In fact,
in London, he added, 85% of building
components are prefabricated, and even
more significantly, in the recent case study
in this magazine on the new entrance to
Leeds station, the site's location preempted
the storage and construction of the
building, and much emphasis lay in the
fabrication of components, and their
delivery to the site using the river.
Do not, Richard warned though, consider
that the process of increased off-site
fabrication is merely a reaction to local
requirements, but a shift towards a more
efficient way of construction - he considers
it to be a 'disruptive' technology, in the
same way that Uber, AirB&B and Tesla are
reinventing their particular markets. Five
years ago they were not even names in
telephone directories, but now they are
changing the way their industries operate.
In a similar way, Off-site fabrication
presages an entirely new approach to
construction that renders the traditional
construction site somewhat archaic and
dysfunctional.
To give just one instance, Richard had us
imagine a typical building site with several
workmen standing around, leaning on their
shovels - twenty men watching two men at
work - inefficiently engaged on a serial
construction process, and compared that
to a delivery of building components,
delivered JIT (Just In Time - a common
phrase in manufacturing) and ready for
instant erection by a dedicated team. A
more striking example is, perhaps,
provided by Chinese companies building
skyscrapers manufactured off-site in just a
couple of weeks.
IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT BIM
This would have been impossible, though,
without BIM. Companies that have invested
in the BIM process are well placed to take
advantage of off-site fabrication, such as
Trimble, and KPMG, quoted by Richard as
a company taking the vision of Smart
Construction fully on board.
Trimble's route to Smart Construction was
outlined by Kevin Lea, Product Manager -
A&D Solutions at Trimble, in his later talk on
the technical efficiencies of BIM. With
reference to Trimble's own structural
engineering applications, Kevin outlined the
relationship between Tekla Structures and
Tekla Structural Designer, explaining where
each was most likely to be used, and how
they fitted into the architects and engineers
working processes - and, of course, how
they aided the off-site fabrication process.
Asking whether we get full value out of
BIM, Kevin expanded on the deliverables
that Consulting Engineers require from BIM
documentation / drawings from Tekla
Structures and code-compliant design from
Tekla Structural Designer and TEDDS.
Tekla Structural Designer being, of course,
Trimble's new software solution for the
structural design and analysis of buildings.
To place off-site fabrication in a current
context, Kevin described the relationship
between BIM and actual working
processes. Stating that although we
create drawings and Level 2 compliant
BIM models, which are shared with other
disciplines in the design team, sharing
18
January/February 2017

TECHNOLOGYfocus
Tekla Structural Designer
models with manufacturers is still typically
rare. This is a shame, he added, as it can
save significant time and effort, enabling
everybody to understand the project more
effectively. After all BIM is about sharing
project data across the entire project team
for maximum effect.
In addition, practical integration of the
analysis and design process is also rare,
as engineers do not always appreciate the
full value of BIM. However with the
introduction of Tekla Structural Designer
engineers have the opportunity to benefit
from a fully integrated workflow that
matches their requirements better than
ever before.
THE FIM PROCESS
Fabricators have been relying on
documents and drawings produced by
Tekla Structures' 3D models for a number of
years, not only for fabrication but also for
estimating and construction sequencing.
The development of the BIM process, with
its model-based workflows, has increased
productivity, providing improved project
management and a more comprehensive
information flow between detailing and
fabrication - and a secure base for
fabrication planning and management.
Using the constructible Tekla Structures
model as a single source of information
ensures that manufacturers will always
have the same consistent data for material
reports, fabrication drawings and
manufacturing data for the production
office and shop floor.
When everybody has access to the visual
model all ancillary processes are
coordinated, the creation of logistics, plans
and schedules, the availability of materials,
providing the information needed to plan
and monitor components in production.
The increasing use of mobile devices
brings shop floor workers into the process,
helping them to better understand work in
progress, and improving the efficiency and
quality of production.
As a bonus, being able to quickly create
conceptual models within Tekla Structures,
enables them to be used to generate
accurate quantities for estimation and
bidding, which, using visuals from the Tekla
model, can be used to present costings
and solutions to clients, helping
manufacturers to win more business.
Using BIM as a collaboration tool also
allows users to work with MIS software and
CNC equipment using proprietary links, or
common standard formats - IFC, DXF,
DWG and DSTV-NC. Supplementing these
are processes and applications developed
by Tekla users for the fabrication of
components, and made available through
the Tekla Open API programme.
The benefits of implementing a
Fabrication Information Modelling
process, therefore, brings all of the usual
benefits of BIM - the use of a single model
as the source of information and the
elimination of errors and rework. The
information-rich models provide a
powerful source of intelligent and wellorganised
information for fabrication, with
data for CNC processing, material
handling and robotic welding.
With access to the Tekla 3D model,
manufacturers are able to break projects
down, classifying and organising them into
individual building sections, project phases,
truck lots or any other type of breakdown to
coincide with the construction process.
The production status of each of these can
then be reflected within the model. In this
two-way process, erection sequencing and
other construction processes are critical in
allowing manufacturers to optimise
production planning.
Manufacturers can also use the 3D
models to generate additional dimensions
to help fabrication, and, of course, to
produce detailed reports covering all
aspects of manufacture. Shop floor
fabricators can be brought into the loop as
well, using Trimble's mobile solutions,
giving them a greater understanding of the
project, and enabling them to ask
questions about any aspect of it.
TEKLA STRUCTURES OR TEKLA
STRUCTURAL DESIGNER?
The key question, of course, is how will
Tekla Structural Designer provide additional
benefits for the fabricator, when Tekla
Structures already delivers a
comprehensive solution? Kevin Lea stated
that Tekla Structural Designer's focus is to
provide engineers with a comprehensive
BIM solution for the code-compliant design
of steel and concrete buildings. Through
bespoke integration tools the engineer's
model can be passed efficiently to the
fabricator using Tekla Structures. This BIM
process can assist the manufacturer with
topics such as estimating and procurement
as well as providing a more thorough
understanding of the project. What's more,
if changes need to be made to the
structure, the Tekla Structure model and
Tekla Structural Designer models can be
synchronised, helping to refine the design
throughout the design process.
www.tekla.com/uk/solutions
January/February 2017 19

TECHNOLOGY focus
Building better security
David Chadwick discusses the issue of security in the cloud and the construction industry in
general with Steve Cooper of Aconex
How secure is the cloud when the
weakest link is, inevitably, the
user? I recently discussed this
topic with Steve Cooper, general
manager, UK & Ireland at Aconex.
Security of data is becoming a major
issue, not just in the construction
industry but in all walks of life. I wanted
to find out what steps are being taken
to mitigate possible lapses in security
in an industry which is increasingly
reliant on sharing its rapidly growing
data files with its workforce across
multiple building sites.
"On the face of it," Steve said,
"systems in use throughout the industry
look pretty secure anyway - secure
servers, distributing password
protected documents to authorised
recipients - what could possibly go
wrong?" There are different degrees of
protection, though, and cyber criminals
are smart and becoming smarter. "If
there is a loophole in any system, they
will find and exploit it."
But what possible information could
they want from the construction
industry? Sub-contractors, site
managers, engineers and other team
members hardly seem like the typical
targets of cybercrime. However as
members of project teams they do
form part of a network, at one end of
which are the daily deliveries of
materials and equipment, and at the
other a financial system for controlling
large amounts of money. Between
these two points lie plenty of
opportunities for fraud, theft and
mismanagement.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Aconex provides the most widely used
cloud and mobile project management
platform for the global construction
industry. Last year Aconex acquired
Conject, integrating its construction
management solutions with the Aconex
platform. Originally with Conject, Steve
Cooper explained the role that Aconex
plays in providing as secure an
environment as it can for its clients.
"First", he explained, "the scale of
Aconex, a listed public company,
allowed a significant, sustained
investment in security to protect its
customer and user communities. All
employees are required to take online
awareness and best practice courses
in all aspects of security." He also
stated that one of the big challenges
for customers is clarity about what they
are trying to protect.
"One of the biggest challenges that
Aconex faces from their clients", he
added, "is that individual organisations
are sometimes not very scrupulous
about their information, how to protect
it and the part it plays in a bigger
picture." When information from
multiple project partners across the
supply chain is brought together,
especially when operating with BIM, it
can become considerably more
sensitive and open to misuse.
Aconex, as custodian of their clients'
information, has put in place a highly
secure system of transmission,
requiring every transaction to have at
least two levels of security. Secure
socket layer encryption, encryption at
rest and two-factor authentication
(which operates using unique,
randomly generated codes) are each
becoming significantly more important
to Aconex customers.
In addition to that, customers are
20
January/February 2017

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TECHNOLOGYfocus
increasingly interested in ensuring their
data is appropriately safeguarded
physically and legally in accordance
with their specific demands.
With regard to companies operating a
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy,
Steve said that the communication
between these devices and Aconex
servers is still encrypted to the same
degree. Owners of such devices are
still only able to see what they are
authorised to see on Aconex, and there
is a range of controls and measures in
place to provide confidence to
customers and users on project teams.
One of their design principles, he
said, is that every company on a
project gets its own area - a private
space in the multi-tenant cloud
architecture - equivalent to having their
own servers, where clients can be sure
they have their own information
protected from unauthorised access.
WHAT DATA IS PROTECTED?
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is
one of the main drivers in construction
today. The process is data driven with
the potential to include massive
amounts of detail in multidimensional
models. Infrastructure projects are also
jumping on the BIM bandwagon, where
many of the public projects are of
national importance.
Without being unduly alarmist, there is
a risk that people can acquire a
considerable amount of information as
to how a system works, the layout of a
building or a transport hub, and from
that, can deduce how to infiltrate such
areas with criminal or terrorist
intentions.
Because of this, asset owners and
their supply chains should be
conscious of the level of detail they
include in models themselves. Aconex
recommends that project teams be
selective about the information in their
models, ensuring that virtual assets are
less vulnerable to security breaches
and unauthorised data access.
The government is working closely
with industry to help provide advice
and guidance in this area. PAS1192-5
is a set of recommendations for
government and its suppliers which
provide protection for critical
information being shared within project
and asset supply chains.
THE INTERNET OF THINGS
Our discussion naturally moved on to
other areas where security risks are
paramount - such as the Internet of
Things (IoT), the all-embracing
scenario which connects people,
buildings and processes, covering
everything from smart cities right down
to personal effects.
Absolutely everything that
communicates with anything else - the
Fitbit on your wrist, your central heating
system or burglar alarm, the latest
cars, remote sensors on buildings -
has to have its own unique identifier,
which needs password protection. You
will have heard about cars being
hacked in the US, with remote
computers wresting control from the
driver. Would you have thought to
reconfigure the car's password after
you bought it, or would you rely on the
manufacturer's settings? Multiply that
scenario many times with the massive
increase in wireless connected
devices.
And IoT will appear in places you
least expect it to. Steve described a
particular French company, a glass
manufacturer, that rents glass as a
service, instead of selling it as a
product. Each window comes with a
digital chip in it that can communicate
with other panes, and which senses
and records ambient temperatures.
BUILDING A SECURE
ENVIRONMENT
So are we building a smart
environment, or a dumb one where
every additional connected device
becomes another weak link, and we
become subservient to those who can
exploit it? Steve expanded further on
the Aconex philosophy. "Aconex", he
said, "has the resources to look at the
wider picture - and that includes the
way cities are going to evolve to
accommodate things like autonomous
transport, higher density populations,
environmental issues and, of course,
increasingly vocal social groups and
their demands."
ACONEX
And what of Aconex, after welcoming
Conject under its brand? "When it
comes down to project control," Steve
said, "there are four areas that need to
be addressed - time, money, scope
and quality. That covers how much a
project is going to cost, how long it will
take to complete it, what is being built
and whether it will achieve its intent.
Project control is about how all of these
areas interact."
Aconex offers a full project controls
platform, supported by Conject's
domain expertise, effectively
integrating files and PAS1192-5
documents, communications,
workflows, costs and now time
(through integration to Primavera P6
and other planning applications), and
taking into account the effects of
change on these integrated resources.
A full project controls solution includes
budgeting and forecasting, progress
and performance measurement,
change and contract management,
programme management, and
payment applications.
All areas are covered by Aconex in a
single platform, selling to broad
communities. With the increasing
technical complexity of building and
infrastructure projects, Aconex now has
more involvement with information
technology managers within
companies that manage projects.
Smart building projects are
increasingly having to conform to, and
be certified against, security protocols.
That takes them beyond the technical
capabilities of traditional project
managers, and requires the input of IT
specialists.
Wise companies, not wishing to
attract the sort of headlines that could
hit their share values hard, will take
security issues on board, and in this
risky climate could even quote their
security credentials as a public
relations exercise.
www.aconex.com
22
January/February 2017

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CASEstudy
Inside Work
Brown & Carroll polishes up its project planning with Asta Powerproject Enterprise
Asta Powerproject is well known as
an industry-standard planning
tool. It's in active use by over 90%
of top UK construction contractors to
manage master programme planning.
However, one of the benefits of having a
tool in such wide use is that many
specialist contractors and subcontractors
can benefit from it as well.
One such specialist contractor is
Brown and Carroll London, who has a
spotless reputation for delivering quality
work. With expertise in high-quality
joinery, today they utilise far more than
wood, creating stunning interiors
spanning metals, textiles, stone and
light. The reputation of the business
rests not just on the quality of its work,
but its perfect delivery record. The
company has not missed a handover
for an enviable 25 years.
Planner Matthew Kingston carries a lot
of responsibility for sustaining the
company's delivery record. One of the
tools he relies on most is Asta
Powerproject. The use of the software
has grown in recent years, as Matthew
described: "We've been using Asta
Powerproject for as long as I can
remember. It used only to be used to do
things such as plot where we needed to
install joinery on site. Today, when we
get programmes and dates to install to
from our clients we work backwards
from there. We use the software to
undertake full programme detailing for
design, manufacturing and installation,
as well as progress reporting against all
these activities, and resource planning.
"As the market increases we are
producing more and more bespoke
joinery, and need to be able to
graphically show our workload in order
to plan towards handovers, not only on
current live projects but on upcoming
and future projects."
EXPANDING REQUIREMENTS
Brown & Carroll is going from strength
to strength, now approaching £50m
annual turnover. It has recently
expanded into the heritage, luxury
residential, hotel and restaurant space.
Consequently, its need for project
management is expanding too, as it
must drive and monitor progress on
multiple, often multi-million pound,
contracts. Matthew told us: "These
days we tend to have fewer
simultaneous jobs but they are larger
with much more value in each one. We
have just converted to the Enterprise
version of Asta Powerproject and we
are building separate programmes
within it to enable us to assign
resources effectively. It means we can
now have an overview of all our
projects at one time."
Activities are diverse, time-consuming,
and need careful end-to-end project
management. Delivery timeframes vary,
and Brown & Carroll often design and
develop specialist items which may take
several months to move from design
and approval, through ordering and
manufacture and then installation.
Explaining the timelines, Matthew said
"Our work is never off-the-shelf. We may
have around 8 weeks for design and
approvals, then manufacturing can take
anything from 6 to 15 weeks, depending
on the item. However, really specialist
items could have lead times of 12-14
weeks just for the manufacturing stage.
24
January/February 2017

CASEstudy
In that case it might take at least 16
weeks to get it to site to install it, and
that last part can take another couple of
weeks. Even just the manufacturing
stage can't be managed as a single
programme bar, but is a full sequence
of works."
The team uses Asta Powerproject to
help it prioritise and manage activities
on extremely large projects, where such
programmes could run to tens of
thousands of lines. Matthew explains
how he might manage this for the
outfitting of a multi-storey tower block: "I
create hammock activities for aspects
like our design and drawing of different
items. We can manage groups of
activities to apply for specific needs,
linked to a particular drawing for a
particular location, then can assign
resources to it. It helps us manage
multiple similar items - for example, we
might have 20 different joinery items on
one single level, and another 20 on
another level."
BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
Brown & Carroll's specialism is taking
client ideas and bringing to life. While
some of its jobs seem superficially
similar - such as outfitting a reception
area or a tea-point - each is
approached uniquely, and with the
highest possible design values.
Balancing design with delivery
practicality is a constant challenge.
Matthew works to create reusable
processes that can adapt to its wide
variety of typical projects. He said: "We
have a number of typical sequences we
undertake, and have to adapt them to
suit each item. There is no typical
programme: everything is built
specifically. I've built a lot of task pool
templates that sit on the side, with
typical hours allocated. You can drop
them into a programme, but they then
need tweaking. Like a tea point, for
example - the core is similar, so some
items are repeatable, but they are never
the same."
He continued, "Clients often ask for the
impossible, and even sometimes the
ludicrous, in terms of joinery design.
Whatever they request we must turn it
into something deliverable. It's our job
to turn their vision into workable joinery
somehow, perhaps by changing
materials, to do what they are after just
with a slightly different look. This could
be materials that aren't readily available,
that do not meet sustainability
requirements i.e. FSC/PEFC, or that are
on a long lead time. Being able to
demonstrate this enables the design
team to put forward solutions within the
time we have available to achieve the
best result."
LAST BUT NEVER LEAST
While every trade in the construction
business understands the pressures of
deadlines, the Brown & Carroll team is
at the sharp end on almost every
occasion. Matthew explains: "Our
biggest challenge is that we are a
finishing trade. We're often the last guys
in before handover to the client, so we
are super-constrained in terms of the
end date. If a preceding activity is
delayed due to unforeseen
circumstances then it impacts us, and
there may not be an opportunity to
recover that delay by extending the
handover date. The way we have to
achieve this would be to accelerate our
works, so being able to see this on the
programme software enables us to
manage this across all our works and
prioritise activities."
Being the last trade, the Brown &
Carroll team is used to being in the
firing line, and has long since
recognised that it needs clear
information to inform internal
discussions, and strong evidence to
present to clients, especially if handover
is hampered by change.
Matthew described the process: "We
build our sequences in Asta
Powerproject, then do a progress
dropline with comments against it. If
we've finished the designs and issued
them to the architects, but the line
shows we should have had drawings
back, our contract managers can see
that the impact will be a delay of two
weeks. The software helps us to raise
early warning flags and is a good tool
for communication. We can go into a
meeting and demonstrate the delay by
showing the dropline and the
implications.
"Asta Powerproject takes all our
information inputs and provides reports,
filters and many more options which
enable us to cater for every department
and ensure that we are hitting our
targets - every single time."
www.astapowerproject.com
January/February 2017 25

CASEstudy
Hyperloop meets BIM
Running simultaneously with the Hyperloop Pod competition in Los Angeles, Build Earth Live
held a BIM focused event, organised by Asite, to design terminals for the proposed Dubai to
Fujairah Hyperloop
Who would have thought, just five
years ago, that we would be
seriously pursuing a technology
that will see people placed in capsules that
are shot across continent at speeds up to
1200kph inside sealed, near-vacuum
tubes. Now such seemingly sci-fi concepts
are not just on the agenda, but prototype
models are being built and are competing
against each other in a competition to
refine the technology and discover the
potential winners in the industry.
The Hyperloop is in the news at the
moment, courtesy of Elon Musk, founder
of Tesla and SpaceX, who has set up a
global competition for companies and
educational institutes to design the
capsules that will be used in Hyperloop
One, and to compete against each other,
running trials through a three kilometre
length of tube erected in California.
It's not the only Hyperloop competition
being run though. Elon Musk's event is
designed to sort out the technology
hopefuls from the runners up. The
International Build Earth Live BIM
competition, created and organised by
Asite and now in its eighth year, ran their
event over a 48 hour period last
September, focusing on the BIM
aspects of the project. The contest was
open to teams of professionals within
the AEC industry.
Far from being a hypothetical project, the
Hyperloop One project will end up being
built, with the winning team possibly being
commissioned by the United Arab
Emirates Government to build a terminus
at each end of a Hyperloop between
Dubai and Fujairah, a project which will
shorten the travelling time between the
two cities to a mere 10 minutes.
Commenting on the event, His
Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al
Gergawi, vice chairman of the Board of
Trustees and managing director of
Dubai Future Foundation said, "Dubai is
hosting this global event as part of the
vision of His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
vice president and Prime Minister of the
UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the
UAE and Dubai a global platform for
innovative minds to come together to
create futuristic solutions on issues of
relevance to humanity. This contest is a
great opportunity to explore innovation
ideas in the smart transportation sector."
HYPERLOOP ONE
A technology that has been quoted as
reducing the time required for travel
between New York to Beijing to just two
hours, yet with the cost of building a
single Hyperloop tube being a mere 10%
of the cost of conventional high speed
trains, is suddenly looking very attractive.
A non-partisan assessment of the
technology must also concede that it will
require rather less upheaval and impact
on the countryside and its occupants
than comparable high speed rail
developments - HS2 for instance. It will
also change people's habits and the
way they travel, work and commute,
coalescing with The Dubai Autonomous
Transport Strategy plans to convert 25%
of commutes into autonomous mode.
The project, being seen as one of the
world's most important initiatives, turning
Dubai into a global laboratory for next
generation technologies in the field of
transportation, is just one part of Dubai's
strategy. The Roads and Transport
Authority, headed by HE Mattar Al Tayer,
and which is working on plans to
implement the Dubai Autonomous
Transport Strategy, has also started trial
26
January/February 2017

CASEstudy
runs of the first driverless smart vehicle
that can accommodate up to 10
passengers. This is part and parcel of
the Dubai Government's aim to provide
innovative services using other emerging
technologies, such as 3D printing,
driverless cars and robotics, and to
enhance the status of Dubai as a
pioneer in providing futuristic solutions
for all sectors.
Hyperloop One is the premier sponsor
of the Build Earth Live contest for the
Dubai Future Foundation, alongside
global design software developer,
Vectorworks Inc. The organisation's
Founding Board Member, Peter H.
Diamandis, who is also the CEO of XPrize
Foundation said "Dubai has been a
leader in working to shape the future of
transportation and this event presents an
incredible opportunity to work with the
best and brightest minds to come up with
solutions that will benefit not only the
region, but the entire world."
The fact that there is a real chance that it
will be built in the near future is quite
exciting - and, should it prove successful,
the Dubai project will just be the first of a
rapid global expansion of the technology.
Hence the interest in designing and
building the infrastructure to support it. A
high-level design brief was released to all
potential participants, together with
details of the event and the introduction of
the final projects, and the contest will be
judged by a committee of global experts.
ABOUT BUILD EARTH LIVE
The Station design for a super-speed
Hyperloop terminal was the latest event
challenge in the annual Build Earth Live
series. Design teams from around the
world where given just 48 hours to
collaborate using BIM and to come up
with a design to meet the brief: to design
a Hyperloop station terminal within the
context of the two great global cities;
Dubai and Fujairah.
This was the eighth collaborative BIM
competition hosted by Build Earth Live to
raise awareness of cloud-based working,
international developments in
interoperability and enhance public
access to the design process. The teambased
competition, like earlier Build Live
Earth events, was developed to bring
together architects, engineers and other
collaborators from around the world
during and after working hours. Teams
were free to exploit any interoperable
technology and to update a public
collaboration site where visitors could
observe and comment on the
collaborative process.
The event concluded with presentations
to the press and awards announced by
an expert panel. Award winners gained
recognition as leaders in their field and
masters of collaborative technologies.
MOBIUS TRIP
Build Earth Live Hyperloop attracted 250
registrations from 29 different countries,
over 1 miliion views on its hashtag and
130,000 interactions on Twitter. The
registrations were narrowed down to just
7 finalists, with Team Mobius from France
crowned overall winners for their elegant,
innovative design.
It was not just the design that earned
Mobius the prize - the team was ranked
first after the panel evaluated the projects
from technical and economic
perspectives, as well as their ability to
reinvent transportation for passengers
and cargo alike. The panel also evaluated
safety and security, efficiency and
sustainability.
We are approaching a new era of
profound transport change - potentially
as significant as the transition from
horses to the horseless carriage - and the
ramifications that it will have for the
design of cities and their infrastructure is
awe-inspiring. But we must always keep
in mind the 'soft centres' of modes of
transport like the Hyperloop - namely the
passengers.
Will the passengers in the Hyperloop
Pods of the future demand a toilet in each
capsule and window seats and
refreshments on longer trips? A fine
balance will also have to be struck
between point-to-point journeys and
intermediate stops, taking into account
the extensive acceleration and braking
that each stop will incur.
Another point. The technology is not
exactly new. Vacuum and capsule
technology is over a hundred years old,
and is still in use today. Department
stores used them to flash money and
invoices up to the accounts department,
to return in a few minutes with the change
and the invoice, and hospitals still use
them to send blood tests, for example,
from the Coronary Care Unit to the path
lab for an equally rapid turnaround. The
design has not changed one iota.
You could argue that vacuum and
capsule technology has proved its value
as a simple, reliable and thoroughly
tested transportation system for over a
century. Now we just need to incorporate
the human element!
www.asite.com
January/February 2017 27

CASE study
On the road with BIM
The A5-M1 (Dunstable Northern Bypass) project won the Innovation in Roads category at the 2016
Bentley Year in Infrastructure conference for its imaginative use of BIM on a Civil Engineering Project
Travelling East to West across the
Northern outskirts of London is
always going to be a bit tiresome,
but the new link between the M1, just
North of Junction 11 to the A5, North of
Dunstable, is a welcome addition to the
road network. The plans originally drawn
up for the project were based on
traditional drawing and planning
methods, producing reams of
construction drawings for the various civil
engineering elements to be employed on
the job - whilst, today, in this BIM driven
world, everything is model based.
A new roundabout joins the link road to
the A5, and 4.5 kilometres to the east the
connection to the new 11A conjunction
will be via a dumbbell roundabout. The
team involved - Costain, Carillion and
AECOM - were naturally keen to use BIM
on the project, despite the fact that
design standards for civil engineering
hadn't developed at the same pace
between infrastructure and building
schemes, and that the people they would
be using on the project were unfamiliar
with BIM and the required working
practices. BIM standards and processes,
it was thought, could actually be
developed concurrently with the project.
Besides this, although the Highways
England Project was not classified as a
BIM Early Adopter scheme, it was felt that
using BIM for the project would advance
the development of all parties involved
and realise potential savings throughout
the construction process.
KEY CHALLENGES
There were three main challenges that
faced the project, outlined by Adam
Goodall, Construction Manager for the
Costain Carillion JV on the A5M1 project
and David Bennison a Director at HDB
Associates Limited, who were
commissioned to develop and implement
BIM processes on the project. The first,
already alluded to, was the fact that BIM
was introduced well after the original
plans had been developed, and that the
staff had no expectation of its
introduction, nor that they would have to
be involved in a new way of working.
The second challenge was that there
was no established Classification System
for infrastructure projects. It was decided
that, rather than merely replicating the
standard processes in digital format,
which would have been quite
unambitious, the team should go all out
and introduce 4D, 5D and even 6D
processes - one of the differences
between building and infrastructure
projects.
The challenge here was that much of
the time and cost information required for
4D and 5D modelling is process ledparticularly
for formation and subformation
work and earthworks.
Classification systems need to be able to
classify these processes as unfinished
and calculate relevant costs incurred to
date, as well as finished items. Each of
the different disciplines involved in the
project faced this problem, and the way
that David's team resolved them will be of
great benefit to any future projects with
similar issues.
The third challenge was to produce the
BIM models and establish the processes
for implementing the BIM project without
interfering with the production of
traditional design deliverables. With the
BIM models being produced in a parallel
process to traditional methods, they were
not able to produce the 2D drawings the
project required.
THE PROJECT'S BIM AIMS
Besides taking the opportunity to trial
BIM on the Dunstable project there were
a number of other, more concrete, aims.
All BIM data, including those elements
previously thought unclassifiable, were to
be stored in a Common Data
Environment (CDE), compliant with
28
January/February 2017

CASEstudy
BS1192:2007. A fully federated 3D model
of the scheme was to be produced and
maintained throughout the duration of the
scheme, and used for coordination, clash
management, communication and
buildability.
3D Services Models, both existing and
proposed, were to be modelled with high
accuracy on the Eastern section of the
scheme. Models were also set up for
temporary works such as traffic
management and structural pads, with
particular emphasis on the M1 - this is
the first project to involve the creation of
a link road to a busy, managed, section
of a motorway). 3D models of existing
conditions were also set up to coordinate
permanent and temporary works.
A 4D programme model and 5D cost
model were to be embedded within the
model; 4D to visualise construction
methodologies and ensure buildability,
and 5D for target and projected costs,
integrated into the model using attribute
data. A 6D Asset model was projected
for use in future Highways England
projects. Finally, the BIM lessons learned
were to be collected and documented for
use with future projects.
OUTCOMES
The reaction to the BIM processes from
all team members was positive,
particularly when they realised that the
deliverables were the same as those they
expected from traditional methods. That
was helped by the way that the BIM team
led by Adam and developed by David
Bennison's team, simplified its
introduction by creating templates
through which they could access the
parts of the application they needed,
where to enter data and where to find the
results, guiding them through unfamiliar
processes. The templates were tested
and saved as operational manuals, and
different operational guides were
developed for each discipline - a
substantial task, but one which enabled
engineers unused to BIM to find their way
through each process.
To satisfy 4D and 5D requirements, a
classification system was established
based on the Manual of Contract
Documents for Highways Works Volume
4 Section 3, which contains a library of
standard item descriptions for Highway
works. This is the traditional classification
used by the teams and the basis of the
Highways Work Breakdown Structure
(WBS).
Two problems became evident. The
filenames and levels required to classify
the 3D objects in such a complex
infrastructure project involving a number
of different technologies, and many
composite objects that could comprise
numerous elements. A drain chamber, for
instance, could contain 20 different
classification systems, each requiring a
different filename and level - ultimately
amounting to many thousands of levels.
This was addressed by treating each of
the object elements as attributes, a far
more sensible way of handling a
multiplicity of information, made feasible
by the improved hardware, processing
power and search algorithms. As a result
one level or layer became sufficient to
contain all associated data, including
cost and materials, as attributes.
The second issue involved the
classification of processes that were not
easily quantified as cost or time
elements, such as the creation of
earthworks, the digging of ditches, the
creation of slope angles and so on. Each
engineering discipline had its own share
of indeterminate processes.
The solution was to create specific
properties that could be quantified, such
as storing the cross-section area of the
object as attribute data and then dividing
it into the volume to obtain its length,
which is the required unit of
measurement and which, therefore, could
be costed. These Bill of Quantity (BOQ)
elements had a description, units of
measure and a formula, and were linked
to the list of rate tables for calculation
purposes.
SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS
Because of the lag between the original
planning for the project and its restart,
much of the information was held in older
versions of Bentley's software such as
MXRoads, which caused problems
because of its incompatibilities with
MicroStation. In a bid to prevent similar
problems from a multiplicity of project
members bringing along their own
software solutions, the number of software
vendors involved in the project was kept
to an absolute minimum.
The increased functionality required for
the 4D and 5D modelling was provided by
Synchro because of its ability to handle
.DGN files and other functions that the
processes required, some of which could
not have been addressed by using
iModels.
Bentley's ProjectWise was instrumental in
developing the templates that assisted the
project teams, and in managing the
sharing of information between the
Bentley civil engineering applications
used.
In all, the exercise of implementing a BIM
system in parallel to traditional working
processes validated the benefits that
could be accrued from such a process,
and provided a basis for all future projects
involving each member of the team.
www.bentley.com
January/February 2017 29

SOFTWAREreview
123BIM Publisher
RDV Systems has recently released plug-ins for its interactive visualisation and modelling
application for AutoCAD Civil 3D and Bentley MicroStation
Using 123BIM Publisher proved to be the difference between the Connecticut
Department of Transport a project getting rejected or approved
With many vested interests,
partners and prospective
stakeholders to satisfy, the
promoters of civil infrastructure projects
need the best tools available to put
their visions across. As such projects
involve a range of different
technologies, comprising large and
complex data files, which must be put
across to the public and clients with
varying degrees of technical know-how,
they need to be presented in a highly
visual and easily accessible format,
one with which most of us are all now
quite familiar - namely interactive online
visualisations.
It's quite a major task, as the
engineering elements in such projects
are usually very large, requiring
specialist software to be viewed.
Engineering models have to be
combined with project designs and
terrain data imported from such
disparate sources as aerial
photographs, GIS data, SketchUp
models and 3D BIM models from
applications like AutoCAD Civil 3D and
Bentley MicroStation.
123BIM
Last November, RDV Systems,
developers of visualisation and BIM
software, released 123BIM Publisher, a
3D modelling plug-in for both Civil 3D
and MicroStation, which allows
engineers and visualisation specialists
to build fully interactive 3D scenarios.
A SaaS platform, 123BIM Publisher is
being used by US transportation and
engineering companies on
infrastructure projects of all sizes, to
present their projects using the three
main components of 123BIM Publisher:
123BIM.com is the SaaS
collaboration platform that hosts
designs and to share them with anyone
who has web access.
123BIM Virtual Tour gives viewers the
chance to engage in guided virtual
tours of 3D models, simple enough to
be used by non-technical people.
123BIM Navigator is a desktop app,
which allows users to work offline, and
take off animations and images from
any point of view within a 3D project
model.
The release of the plug-ins for 123BIM
Publisher follows the successful use of
the application by the Connecticut
Department of Transportation (DOT)
which has utilised it to present some of
their developments.
Richard Armstrong, Principal Engineer
at the Connecticut DOT, said that
"Public awareness and support for our
projects is critical, so the ability to
communicate our plans as thoroughly
and as often as is necessary is a game
changer. 123BIM Publisher gives my
team the freedom to visualise our
designs and publish our 3D interactive
models to the platform.
"Because the 123BIM platform makes
it easy to deliver always-updated 3D
renderings, videos and virtual tours, we
can present and revise our project
plans as much as we and the public
need, allowing for a true dialogue
rather than a monologue, garnering
faster public support and approval with
minimal expense. Using 3D models can
be the difference between a project
getting rejected or approved."
123BIM is the collaboration
technology that allows users to view,
navigate and share information using a
standard browser. Besides providing
remote access to the model, it allows
multiple users to synchronise their
30
January/February 2017

SOFTWAREreview
Construction staging in 123BIM Navigator
123BIM Virtual Tour has a simple, accessible menu system
views, so that dialogues can take place
between remote team members or
other stakeholders referencing the
same view of the model. Working on a
shared model held in a central resource
always ensures that the complete
model is up to date.
123BIM Navigator allows users to
present models in HDTV quality, and to
navigate through a model using simple
mouse and keyboard controls, and
because the software uses a high-end
rendering engine the speed and effects
are equivalent to those you would
expect in a modern gaming
environment.
Drive-throughs and flyovers can be
simulated using predefined camera
viewpoints and camera animations.
123BIM Navigator can also be used to
evaluate design alternatives. Users can
readily switch between a number of
different views and show construction
staging, with the ability to attach
related information to each view.
The models can also be used to
address environmental and safety
issues, the most important currently
being water levels and flooding. They
can highlight the impact of building
upon flood plains, perhaps, or simulate
fog and other restricted visibility factors
such as shadows in highway and
building design.
123BIM Virtual Tour is used to give the
public access to proposed projects,
and comes with a straightforward menu
to encourage unaccompanied access.
Neighbourhood tours can be set up,
enabling the public to learn how they
and their neighbours are going to be
impacted by new developments.
The 3D Tours can be accessed from
desktop computers or mobile devices,
starting out from branded project
landing pages - and most consumers
are now totally au fait with navigating in
3D game engine environments. Google
Analytics can also be applied to their
usage, so that you can check up on
how many people used the 3D Tours.
RDV MODEL DEVELOPMENT
If you want to develop top quality
presentations for one of your projects
but are running to a tight schedule, with
not enough time to train up your own
3D model development team, then you
can utilise the services of RDV Systems
themselves, who will be able to provide
a combined solution for you. They will
take your model data and deliver a fully
interactive 3D virtual model of your
design, from early concepts right
through to the final design, with all of
the tools that you need for either
presentation or collaboration.
In addition to the Connecticut
Department of Transport, other
organisations using the RDV 123BIM
platform include the Arizona DOT,
Dewberry Engineering, Florida DOT,
Maine DOT, New Jersey DOT, and
TranSystems Engineering.
ABOUT RDV SYSTEMS
RDV Systems has been delivering
innovative visualisation and BIM
software products since 2005, with the
goal of helping engineers, designers,
architects and planners effectively
communicate infrastructure project
designs at a cost that makes
visualisation feasible for engineering
projects of any size.
Through 123BIM the entire project
ecosystem can easily leverage the
interactive 3D project model, providing
an alternative approach to traditional
visualisation tools, which rely on the
development of images and videos - a
costly and time-consuming process in
comparison to using the model
information already available.
123BIM Publisher has turned 3D
visualisations into a rapid and affordable
tool that stakeholders can use for a
range of different projects - involving
roads and highways, rail infrastructure,
airports, sea, residential and
commercial development, municipal
infrastructure, urban planning,
landscape architecture, mining or plant
and power.
Providing the technology as a plug-in
to the two foremost infrastructure
applications makes it even more of a
practical and cost-effective solution,
enabling developers to shorten approval
times, gain public support and ensure
the success of civil engineering projects.
www.rdvsystems.com
January/February 2017 31

YOUR GUIDE TO
4
5
6/10
9
7
8
1
2
12
14
15
17 11/13
35
41
40
16
18
20
33
32
29
23/42
21
25 26
24/27
19/30
22 28
3
31
42
*location guide
not 100% accurate
SCOTLAND
GLASGOW 6
CADASSIST
Contact:
Gordon McGlathery
Tel: 0141 354 8993
Fax: 0141 353 9315
training@cadassist.co.uk
www.cadassist.co.uk
ACDEGHIJKLMNOPQTX
FIFE 7
GlenCo Development
Solutions
Contact: Jack Meldrum
Tel: 01592 223300
Fax: 01592 223301
jackm@glenco.org
www.glenco.org
A C M K
ABERDEENSHIRE 8
Symetri
Contact: Craig Snell
Tel: 01467 629900
training@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
A B D H I J K M N O P S X
ABERDEEN 1
TMS CADcentre
Contact: Craig Hamilton
Tel: 01224 224421
info@thom-micro.com
www.tmscadcentre.com
A C E L H O
LARBERT 9
TMS CADcentre
Contact: Craig Hamilton
Tel: 01324-550760
info@thom-micro.com
www.tmscadcentre.com
A C E L H O
GLASGOW 10
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
IRELAND
DUBLIN 4
Paradigm Technology Ltd
Contact: Des McGrane
Tel: +353-1-2960155
Fax: +353-1-2960080
dmcgrane@paradigm.ie
www.paradigm.ie
A C M G K L
SOUTHWEST
BRISTOL 2
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
NEWBURY 3
RWTC Ltd
Contact: Richard Willis
Tel: 01488 689005
Fax: 01635 32718
richard@rwtc.co.uk
www.rwtc.co.uk
A M
Bristol 12
Micro Concepts Ltd
Contact: Peter Hurst
Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162
training@microconcepts.co.uk
www.microconcepts.co.uk
A B D I J K M N O P S T X
N.I
BELFAST 5
Pentagon Solutions Ltd
Contact: Tony Dalton – Training
Services Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355
Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355
tony@pentagonsolutions.com
www.pentagonsolutions.com
A C D E G K L
TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY:
AUTOCAD AND LT :
AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING:
AEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS :
3D MODELLING & ANIMATION:
AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE:
FM DESKTOP:
GIS/MAPPING :
REVIT:
VAULT FUNDAMENTALS
AUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
VISUALISATION :
AUTODESK CIVIL :
INVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL :
NAVISWORKS TRAINING :
PRODUCT UPDATE COURSES
INVENTOR PUBLISHER :
GOOGLE SKETCHUP
CHARACTER ANIMATION :
AUTODESK SIMULATION :
FACTORY DESIGN SUITE :
AUTOCAD ELECTRICAL :
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
X
For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact:
Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk

SOUTH/EAST
GUILDFORD 22
Blue Graphics Ltd
Contact: Matt Allen
Tel: 01483 467 200
Fax: 01483 467 201
matta@bluegfx.com
www.bluegfx.com
A D R K
HERTFORDSHIRE 23
Computer Aided
Business Systems Ltd
Contact: Gillian Haynes
Tel: 01707 258 338
Fax: 01707 258 339
training@cabs-cad.com
A C D E K H
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 42
Causeway
Technologies Ltd
Contact: Sue Farnfield
Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134
Sue.Farnfield
@causeway.com
www.causeway.com
A C D E K
LONDON 24
CADASSIST
Contact:
Gordon McGlathery
Tel: +44 (0)208 622 3027
Fax: +44 (0)208 622 3200
training@cadassist.co.uk
www.cadassist.co.uk
ACDEGHIJKLMNOPQTX
BERKSHIRE 26
Cadpoint
Contact: Clare Keston
Tel: 01344 751300
Fax: 01344 779700
sales@cadpoint.co.uk
www.cadpoint.co.uk
A C D E K
CENTRAL LONDON 27
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
SOUTHHAMPTON 42
TRAINING
NORTH LONDON 28
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
OXFORDSHIRE 25
Man and Machine
Contact: Robert Kenny
Tel: 01844 263700
Fax: 01844 216761
training@manandmachine.co.uk
www.manandmachine.co.uk
A D I J M N O P Q X
BERKSHIRE 30
Mass Systems Ltd
Contact: Luke Bolt
Tel: 01344 304 000
Fax: 01344 304 010
info@mass-plc.com
www.mass-plc.com
A E F
HAMPSHIRE 31
Universal CAD Ltd
Contact: Nick Lambden
Tel: [44] 01256 352700
Fax: [44] 01256 352927
sales@universalcad.co.uk
www.universalcad.co.uk
A C M E K H
MILTON KEYNES 21
MicroCAD - Milton Keynes
Contact: David Huke
Tel: 01908 410026
training@microcad.co.uk
www.microcad.co.uk
A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X
High Wycombe 19
Micro Concepts Ltd
Contact: Kerrie Braybrook
Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162
training@microconcepts.co.uk
www.microconcepts.co.uk
A B D I J K M N O P S T X
Cambridge 29
THE NORTH
MIDLANDS
MANCHESTER 11
CADASSIST
Contact:
Gordon McGlathery
Tel: 0161 440 8122
Fax: 0161 439 9635
training@cadassist.co.uk
www.cadassist.co.uk
ACDEGHIJKLMNOPQTX
MANCHESTER 13
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
NORTH EAST 14
Symetri
Contact: Craig Snell
Tel: 0191 213 5555
training@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
A B D H I J K M N O P S X
YORKSHIRE 15
MicroCAD - Bradford
Contact: Darren I’Anson
Tel: 01274 532919
training@microcad.co.uk
www.microcad.co.uk
A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X
NOTTINGHAM 33
MicroCAD - Nottingham
Contact: George Gubas
Tel: 0115 969 1114
training@microcad.co.uk
www.microcad.co.uk
A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 32
AIT Spatial Ltd
Contact: Philip Madeley
Tel: 01933 303034
Fax: 01933 303001
training@aitspatial.co.uk
www.aitspatial.co.uk
A C D E F G K L
BIRMINGHAM 35
NORTH EAST 16
MicroCAD - Durham
Contact: Chris Swinhoe
Tel: 0191 374 2020
training@microcad.co.uk
www.microcad.co.uk
A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X
LANCASHIRE 17
QUADRA SOLUTIONS
Contact: Simon Dobson
Tel: 01254 301 888
Fax: 01254 301 323
training@quadrasol.co.uk
www.quadrasol.co.uk
A C M K
YORKSHIRE 18
Symetri
Contact: Craig Snell
Tel: 01924 266262
training@symetri.co.uk
www.symetri.co.uk
A B D H I J K M N O P S X
SOUTH YORKSHIRE 20
THE JUICE GROUP LTD
Contact: Sarah Thorpe
Tel: 0800 018 1501
Fax: 0114 275 5888
training@thejuice.co.uk
www.thejuicetraining.com
A C D E K R
CHESHIRE 41
Excelat CAD Ltd
Contact: Vaughn Markey
Tel: 0161 926 3609
Fax: 0870 051 1537
Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com
www.ExcelatCAD.com
B N
Excitech Ltd
Contact: Alan Skipp
Tel: 01992 807500
Fax: 01992 807574
info@excitech.co.uk
www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015
A B C D E H K L M N Q S X
Head Office
Riverside House
Brunel Road
Southampton
Hants
SO40 3WX
A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X
Micro Concepts Ltd
Contact: Emily Howe
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 716200
training@microconcepts.co.uk
www.microconcepts.co.uk
A B D I J K M N O P S T X
Armada Autodesk
Training Centre
Contact: Steven Smith
Tel: 01527 834783
Fax: 01527 834785
training@armadaonline.co.uk
www.armadaonline.co.uk
A D E M K H

BOOKreview
The Cyber House Rules
Security is more of a cultural Issue than a technical one, as Raef
Meeuwisse explains in his new book
Amid accusations of political
chicanery by the Russians
interfering in the American
Presidential elections, mass theft of
personal information from major Internet
players like Yahoo, DDoS (distributed
denials of service) attacks that seriously
disrupt access to the Internet and the
hacking of websites previously considered
secure to set up phishing attacks and steal
personal, political and company
information, one would be correct in
thinking that we are in the throes of a war
against cybercriminals.
And this war is only set to intensify, as the
explosion in criminal activity on the net is
being more than matched by the growth in
the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Building
technologies, autonomous transport
systems, and a host of personal devices
from Fitbits and watches to connected
home devices.
Each Wi-Fi connected smart appliance,
vehicle, environmental sensor needs an
Internet address, and as they are so easy
to acquire and set up many users are quite
happy to carry on using the security codes
they were supplied with. For the
cybercriminal that is the equivalent of
leaving the back door open, as hacking
into, say, your Netflix account via your
Chromecast device could then potentially
open a path to your Amazon Prime
account, for example, which conveniently
holds your bank account details.
Now this particular sequence of hacks
may never actually occur (Google regularly
updates the Chromecast's firmware, for
one thing) but the essence of a safe
security system is not just about closing
the loopholes that you already know about
in your system, but in blocking off access
to cybercriminals to parts you don't know
about - but which they probably do!
All of this is explained in detailed terms by
Raef Meeuwisse, in his new book
'Cybersecurity Exposed: The Cyber House
Rules.' Whilst it provides a breakdown of
different types of security breaches, the
reasons for them, and the impact of recent
'megabreaches', the book, written in Raef's
distinctive and unique style, also focuses
on the human elements of security. This is
to be expected given the author's long
experience and involvement in the industry,
and his insider knowledge derived from
advising many companies about how they
should address the problem within their
own industries.
The underlying theme of the book is that
developing a secure environment for a
company to operate in is a people
problem as much as a technical one.
Whilst every aspect of information flow
needs to be assessed - from the lowliest
device on the network to the central
servers and operating systems - working
processes that constantly monitor security
need to be established.
IT managers, responsible for defining and
implementing the security systems that the
company requires need to have the ear of
business managers, and the usual
balancing of costs with the likelihood of
breaches disavowed - likewise the
sacrificial role of the security expert when
security breaches do occur.
The book also stresses the need to have
an established strategy for security built in
from the start, rather than operating a
detection and recovery system, pointing
out that the latter, reactive, solution could
cost companies a thousand times more.
Raef admits that he has not included a lot
of technical information in the book about
the different types of security breaches that
might occur, and how to set up what he
calls 'security by design', but that is
understandable, as advances in
technology and the evolution of
cybercriminals make that impracticable,
and specific examples would soon
become outdated. Instead, the focus is on
the human aspect of security, the reasons
companies fail or succeed, and the need
to develop a safe culture within a company
that minimises the opportunity for such
megabreaches.
Let me illustrate that with a personal
anecdote. In hospital whilst reading
Raef's book, I was struck by the
similarities between the culture Raef was
advocating and that of the NHS. Before
every procedure that incurred risk, I was
asked my date of birth to certify that I was
me (as a patient, equating to an item of
information). In the operating theatre, the
surgeon, nurses and technicians
indulged in a formal dialogue that
explained exactly who I was, what they
were going to do and why.
Security of the patient's well-being was
the underlying ethos of the NHS staff to
the extent that this standard of behaviour
had become second nature to them. I was
there to have a pacemaker fitted,
programmed using Wi-Fi. I take it I am now
part of the 'Internet of Things'...
You might be thinking that security issues
aren’t really a concern for those of us in the
construction industry, but I would beg to
differ. Not only do we happily transmit large
data files around the world, but we are
responsible for designing Smart Cities,
setting up the infrastructure and specifying
the IoT solutions that will dominate our
lives in the future. We are also corporate
entities in our own rights, with the need to
keep our finances, business activities and
shareholder's concerns secure and in
place - all the more reason, then, to give
Raef's latest work a read.
Cybersecurity Exposed: The Cyber House
Rules' is published by Cyber Simplicity Ltd.
34
January/February 2017

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
9th November 2017, London
www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk
For more information or to get involved in the leading
industry event please contact::
josh.boulton@btc.co.uk or call: 01689 616 000
@CCMagAndAwards
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