CC1801

Construction 

Computing 

WWW.CONSTRUCTION-COMPUTING.COM 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 

VOL 14 NO 01 

Talking to machines 

Newtecnic explains the benefits of 

committing to digitisation 

Allplan Bimplus 

The key to successful project delivery 

Vectorworks 2018 

Multiple Drawing Views head a 

plethora of great new features 

A seismic challenge 

Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live 

Connection V2.0 helps reconstruct 

earthquake damaged buildings 

A digital strategy 

How does IFS Applications 9 

counter the ‘Carillion Effect’? 

@CCMagAndAwards

CONTENTS 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 

CONTENTS 

TALKING TO MACHINES 12 

The construction industry can increase 

productivity and quality while reducing energy 

consumption, lowering costs and saving time 

through creating strong links between designing 

and making 

VECTORWORKS 2018 16 

Vectorworks 2018 enhances the Vectorworks 

portfolio, improving access to a flexible and 

diverse set of new and existing design features 

A SEISMIC CHALLENGE 22 

The Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live Connection 

V2.0 helped in the digital reconstruction of 

historic buildings, destroyed in the August 2016 

earthquakes in Italy 

IMPERATIVES FOR CHANGE 24 

Industry, infrastructure and information are a 

trio of imperatives that give construction no 

choice but to continue its drive for change, 

writes By Ben Taunt at Elecosoft 

I NEWS................................................INDUSTRY NEWS....................................................................................................6 

• WEB-BASED, REAL-TIME CHANGE DETECTION SOFTWARE • HS2 AWARDED BREEAM INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME CERTIFICATE 

CASE STUDY....................................WHAT GOES AROUND.....................................................................................10 

• A HISTORICAL ROUNDHOUSE HAS BEEN RECREATED IN SCOTLAND WITH THE HELP OF TRIMBLE SOFTWARE 

CASE STUDY...................................EMBRACING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT....................................................14 

• MMB INTEGRATES BENTLEY PROJECTWISE WITHIN OPENPLANT TO ENHANCE ITS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 

EVENT FOCUS.................................INFORMATION EXCHANGE..............................................................................18 

• THE FUTURE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT WAS THE HOT TOPIC AT THE TAKE CONTROL SEMINAR Q AND A 

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................A DIGITAL STRATEGY.........................................................................................26 

• HOW DOES IFS APPLICATIONS 9 HELP TO COUNTER THE 'CARILLION EFFECT'? 

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................ALLPLAN BIMPLUS.............................................................................................28 

• WHY ALLPLAN BIMPLUS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL PROJECT DELIVERY 

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................AUTODESK BIM 360...........................................................................................30 

• LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IS ENHANCED WITH AUTODESK BIM 360 

TRAINING MAP................................AUTODESK TRAINING........................................................................................32 

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

CASE STUDY...................................MUD, MUD, INGLORIOUS MUD!........................................................................34 

• FAILED PROJECTS CAN OFTEN PROVIDE MORE VALUABLE LESSIONS THAN SUCCESSFUL ONES 

January/February 2018 3

COMMENT 

Editor: 

David Chadwick 

(cad.user@btc.co.uk) 

News Editor: 

Mark Lyward 

(mark.lyward@btc.co.uk) 

Advertising Sales: 

Josh Boulton 

(josh.boulton@btc.co.uk) 

Production Manager: 

Abby Penn 

(abby.penn@btc.co.uk) 

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Ian Collis 

ian.collis@btc.co.uk 

Circulation/Subscriptions: 

Christina Willis 

(christina.willis@btc.co.uk) 

Publisher: 

John Jageurs 

john.jageurs@btc.co.uk 

Published by Barrow & 

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Published 6 times a year. 

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All rights reserved. 

No part of the magazine may be 

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Articles published reflect the opinions of 

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of the publisher or his employees. While 

every reasonable effort is made to ensure 

that the contents of editorial and advertising 

are accurate, no responsibility can be 

accepted by the publisher for errors, misrepresentations 

or any resulting effects 

Comment 

Carillion - the bubble has burst 

by David Chadwick 

There will hardly be a company in the 

construction industry left untouched by 

the demise of Carillion. It will impact the 

thousands of contractors who will not now 

be paid for work done on one of the many 

projects that Carillion farmed out, the 

contractors working on projects that will 

be shelved or put into abeyance, not to 

mention the companies that will pick up 

the maintenance contracts for schools, 

hospitals, prisons, etc. More still will feel 

the wind of stable doors slamming shut 

long after the many horses have bolted. 

The laxity in rules, regulations and 

oversight allowing one of the largest 

contractors in the construction industry to 

take the government and its 

subcontractors to the cleaners will be the 

focus of a turbulent 2018, and calls for 

action will grow as the crisis deepens and 

those caught up in look for help. 

It has been suggested that the changing 

role of Carillion, focusing on the 

outsourcing of tenders won by the 

company rather than concentrating on 

managing the projects themselves, led to 

this situation. If you look deeper into the 

mechanics of such a business 

philosophy, you will soon realise that the 

expertise needed within such an 

organisation has more to do with the 

winning of tenders rather then the actual 

management of successful construction 

and asset maintenance projects. 

Moreover, the success of individuals 

within Carillion depends on contracts won 

and farmed out to subcontractors, a role 

substantially enhanced by the apparent 

clout of the company. 

The problem is that projects will be 

taken on with less and less 

understanding of their value, complexity 

and cost, and newer markets will need to 

be found in areas where the company 

has little or no experience, such as 

cooking school meals. There will be 

failures, missed deadlines, budget 

shortfalls and resourcing problems when 

contractors don't get paid - but the 

shareholders will be happy as they see 

the value of the projects increase on a 

regular basis, and the CEOs and other 

principals are suitably rewarded. A 

magnificent Ponzi scheme. 

The Government says that it pays its 

principal contractors, i.e. Carillion, on time 

and can't understand why such payments 

have not been handed on to the 

subcontractors who are actually doing the 

work. That boils down to a serious 

amount of money being held up in an 

organisation to feed its sales teams, 

contract managers and others, rather 

than filtering down to the construction site 

to pay for the employees, the building 

work being carried out, the materials 

being sourced, and the management of 

the project itself. 

Over the next few years there are going 

to be calls for more government 

intervention, greater oversight, and 

massive handouts to keep businesses 

going and public services adequately 

maintained. Companies engaged in 

similar practices will come under greater 

scrutiny, and may need to reassess their 

business philosophy. 

You might think that this comes under 

the heading of 'unfortunate timing'. The 

construction industry is already facing 

problems in many areas after all, with the 

uncertainties of Brexit, the lack of 

affordable housing, falling house prices, 

skill shortages and so on. The 

construction industry is going to take 

centre stage for a while, as the most 

appropriate stick for beating the 

government with - hence the decision to 

pre-empt the furore by 'investigating the 

'fat cats' within Carillion. 

4 January/February 2018

TRANSFORM THE WORLD. 

DESIGN WITH 

VECTORWORKS. 

The Vectorworks ® line of design software and BIM solutions 

delivers a robust suite of capabilities that will enhance your 

modelling process and simplify your workflows. 

VISIT US AT VECTORWORKS.NET/UK 

CALL US TO FIND OUT MORE ON 01635 580318 

EMAIL US AT UKSALES@VECTORWORKS.NET 

IMAGE COURTESY OF CAIQUE NIEMEYER.

INDUSTRY news 

ABVENT ANNOUNCES TWINMOTION 2018 V2 

Abvent Group has launched 

Twinmotion 2018 v2, a 

major update to its award-winning 

3D immersion software 

developed especially for architects, 

designers, landscapers 

and urban planners. Powered 

by Unreal Engine, Twinmotion 

2018 v2 offers a number of 

key updates that will make the 

visualisation software even 

more attractive to Mac and 

Windows users alike. 

New features in Twinmotion 

2018 v2 include: 

• Compatibility with VR controllers 

such as Oculus Touch 

and HTC Vive controllers. 

Users can view projects in 

TRIMBLE ACQUIRES STABIPLAN 

Trimble has acquired Stabiplan 

B.V. based in Bodegraven, 

Netherlands, a 3D 

CAD/CAE software and BIM 

content provider for the 

Mechanical, Electrical and 

Plumbing (MEP) industries in 

Europe. The Stabiplan acquisition 

broadens Trimble's existing 

construction solutions for 

MEP contractors and engineers 

that enable automated 

estimating, project management, 

modeling, detailing, layout 

and construction. Financial 

terms were not disclosed. 

Stabiplan's solutions include 

Stabicad software and the 

MEPcontent BIM content 

library. Stabicad is a 3D 

BIMmotion using VR controllers 

while the VR mode is 

activated. 

• New environment setting 

options, including Sun power, 

Ambient power and White balance, 

which allow users to 

customise the environment in 

real-time. 

• New library sources - Water 

materials and Particles, which 

include fire, smoke, waterfall, 

fountains, fog, etc. 

• Compatibility with Artlantis 

6.5: enabling projects developed 

with the software to be 

exported to Twinmotion as either 

a Windows or Mac project. 

www.twinmotion.com 

CAD/CAE software solution for 

Revit and AutoCAD, which 

integrates design, drawing 

and engineering 

calculation/analysis, supporting 

workflows from engineering 

to construction. MEPcontent.com 

is an open online 

BIM library for MEP contractors 

and engineers in Europe. 

With MEPcontent, MEP engineers 

and contractors can 

deliver technically accurate 

models and drawings while 

including manufacturer-specific 

content, to ensure that a 

model contains uniform and 

accurate information for fabrication 

and documentation. 

www.trimble.com 

BIM CONTENT GETS STYLISH ONLINE 

BIMobject has released two 

BIMobject Content Style 

Guides for digital building 

product creation, to encourage 

standardised, high-quality 

BIM content in the industry. 

Forming the first two parts in a 

series, the guides describe 

ideal content creation for 

Autodesk Revit, as well as for 

the company's platform for 

digital building products, the 

BIMobject Cloud, where the 

guides are available for download 

by registered users. 

The purpose of the BIMobject 

Content Style Guides is 

to provide a practical, implementable 

process document 

for BIM content developers in 

order to further standardised 

content creation and ensure 

sufficient, high-quality data 

and consistent presentation 

across the AEC industry. This 

will in turn benefit BIM users 

in their work processes, and 

manufacturers, whose digital 

building products are more 

likely to be specified for real 

projects when created 

according to the guidelines. 

The guides will also contribute 

to maintaining high 

content quality across the 

BIMobject Cloud, further 

improving the user-friendliness 

of the platform. 

The guides will help content 

developers create usable, 

standardised, future-proof and 

life cycle-optimised BIM content 

that can be used in different 

parts of the BIM process. 

Future guides will cover content 

creation for other industry-leading 

BIM software, such 

as Graphisoft ARCHICAD, and 

the company's own solution 

for parametric BIM content 

creation, BIMscript. 

www.bimobject.com 

VECTORWORKS DESIGN SUMMIT 2018 

The 2018 Vectorworks 

Design Summit will take 

place from November 4 to 

November 6, 2018 in 

Phoenix, Arizona at the Sheraton 

Grand at Wild Horse 

Pass. This ultimate training 

experience will consist of 

industry workshops, inspirational 

design and networking. 

"The architecture and landscape 

in Arizona are very different 

from the city backdrops 

we have had in the last 

three years, and I think our 

customers will enjoy getting 

away from the hustle and 

bustle of their daily lives to 

enjoy this scenic desert location," 

said Nicole Davison, 

vice president of sales at 

Vectorworks, who is originally 

from Tucson. "The weather in 

November will be beautiful 

and allow us to network outside 

and enjoy the mountains, 

sun and native Arizona 

landscape." 

The call for speakers and 

trainers at the Vectorworks 

Design Summit is currently 

open. Presentations should 

be one or two hours and 

cover best practices, efficiency 

gains, tips, tricks or techniques 

that streamline workflows 

and empower designers 

to create innovative 

design solutions. 

In addition to completing a 

short application, candidates 

who have not spoken at a 

past Design Summit must 

include a short video demonstrating 

their presentation 

skills. Proposals are due by 

February 21, 2018, and those 

chosen will be notified by 

March 9, 2018. 

www.vectorworks.co.uk 

6 

January/February 2018

City of Coatesville Brownfield 

Redevelopment Project 

Site revitalization project leveraged 

reality modeling to prepare plans for future 

commercial development and to quantify 

22,400 cubic yard of available clean fill. 

High Fidelity, Engineering 

Ready Reality Context 

ContextCapture Saved the City of Coatesville $300,000 

With ContextCapture, you can quickly and automatically generate a high fidelity 

geo-referenced 3D model from ordinary digital photography captured from 

UAVs, vehicles, or handheld smartphones. The resulting 3D mesh is precise 

and extremely accurate, available the day you take the photos for the most 

demanding projects. The model is engineering ready and does not require 

any further processing, translation, or manipulation. 

» 750 aerial photos in 20 minutes 

» 3D engineering-ready model 

in 8 hours 

» Final engineered plan in 3 days 

“ContextCapture has changed the way 

we work. It helped us reduce risk, ensure 

safety, and deliver a superior project 

result. And, we accomplished it all with 

a dramatically compressed timeline and 

with significant cost savings.” 

April M. Barkasi, PE, Coatesville’s 

City Engineer, CEO/President, 

CEDARVILLE Engineering 

To learn more and try it out yourself visit www.bentley.com/CoatesvilleFidelity 

© 2017 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and ContextCapture are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct 

or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

INDUSTRY news 

WEB-BASED REAL-TIME BIM CHANGE DETECTION 

3D Repo has announced the 

release of the first web 

based, real-time change detection 

software for 3D construction 

models. The cloud based 

solution provides a fast and reliable 

way to detect all changes 

in underlying 3D models, in real 

time, via an encrypted web 

browser. The patent pending 

innovation is a first for the industry 

as it operates on any 3D 

models, regardless of their file 

type, software used to produce 

them or file size. Called 3D Diff, 

the 3D Repo solution also 

allows users to share visualisations 

with project partners and 

stakeholders irrespective of 

location or time-zone. 

"The uniqueness of our 

change detection algorithm 

means that users can mix and 

match models from different 

modelling tools and pipelines 

and still be able to spot exactly 

what has changed over time 

between any two revisions," 

commented Dr Jozef Dobos, 

CEO of 3D Repo. "This 

becomes invaluable, not only 

during the design coordination 

stages, but also throughout 

construction when contractors 

introduce as-built models. It is 

also important for litigation when 

the proof of who did what and 

when may result in legal liability 

and financial claim." By comparing 

the actual geometry of a 

model rather than underlying, 

software specific object IDs or 

labels, 3D Diff can detect 

changes between models from 

different sources. For instance, 

a user may pass 3D models 

from PDMS to Navisworks as 

well as to Tekla due to project 

specific requirements. Without 

3D Diff, there is no way of verifying 

what data has been lost in 

translation from one package to 

the next. 3D Diff also runs in real 

time, regardless of the model 

file size, so even the largest and 

most complex projects can be 

instantly differenced. 

In addition to offering a fast, 

effective, software independent 

solution for change and clash 

detection, 3D Diff requires no 

installation of desktop software. 

Data is fully encrypted and project 

privileges, such as view 

only or edit, can be assigned to 

individual project partners. 

The new solution builds on 3D 

Repo's award winning cloud 

based BIM platform that allows 

users to access, via the web, 

the latest 3D models and make 

real time changes and informed 

decisions. The 3D Repo platform 

is different from other collaboration 

tools as it uses a 

component-based database – 

meaning that information is live, 

useful and accessible throughout 

the entire project lifecycle. 

www.3drepo.org 

HS2 GETS BREAAM INFRASTRUCTURE CERTIFIED 

HS2 has become the UK's 

first infrastructure project to 

be awarded a BREEAM Infrastructure 

(pilot) Scheme Certificate 

for its ambitious sustainability 

strategy on Phase 1 of 

the project. The assessment 

demonstrates that HS2 is committed 

to going beyond 

enhancement and protection of 

the environment, to address the 

key social and economic 

impacts of the development. It 

includes features such as working 

in harmony with communities, 

being a great neighbour, 

putting safety and wellbeing at 

the heart of the project, and 

building sustainable economic 

benefits for the whole of the 

UK, such as better skills and 

career opportunities for a new 

generation. 

HS2 Environment Director, 

Peter Miller, said, "We are very 

pleased to receive this 

BREEAM Infrastructure certificate. 

Our goal with HS2 is to 

design and build the most sustainable 

high-speed railway of 

its kind in the world, working in 

partnership with our supply 

chain and local communities to 

leave a positive legacy for 

future infrastructure projects 

both in the UK and beyond. 

ONLINE STORE FOR 3D, AR AND VR MODELS 

With over 2 million models 

online Sketchfab, the 

world’s largest platform to 

publish, share and discover 

3D content has launched the 

Sketchfab Store: a new marketplace 

to buy and sell assets 

for 3D, AR or VR projects. 

The Sketchfab store combines 

a powerful browserbased 

3D player with an 

advanced 'Model Inspector', 

allowing every aspect of a 3D 

model including textures and 

topology to be scrutinised in 

This certificate is a testament to 

our sustainability commitments 

and to the lasting benefits of 

the HS2 project." 

BREEAM Infrastructure is part 

of the international BREEAM 

family of sustainability standards 

for buildings and infrastructure. 

Later this year the 

best of BREEAM Infrastructure 

will be brought together with 

market leading sustainable 

infrastructure scheme CEE- 

QUAL to provide a new world 

class international scheme for 

the future called CEEQUAL 

(2018). The CEEQUAL (2018) 

development process includes 

significant valuable feedback 

and learning from the application 

of the BREEAM Infrastructure 

pilot to HS2. 

BRE Director of Infrastructure 

Chris Broadbent said "From 

2014 HS2 was the first project 

to engage with BRE in the 

development of BREEAM Infrastructure 

working with us to pioneer 

a new approach to a sustainability 

strategy which 

applies right across the entire 

HS2 project. This is a first for 

the UK and it will set the standards 

for future infrastructure 

projects around the world." 

www.breeam.com 

real-time, letting buyers purchase 

with confidence: what 

you see is what you get. In 

addition, because Sketchfab 

generates an interoperable 3D 

format with every download, 

purchased files render consistently 

across many different 

destination applications. 

The Sketchfab store has 

launched as a beta with more 

than 4,000 models from over 

170 creators already available 

and more features planned. 

www.sketchfab.com 

8 


MODEL 

CHECKING 

FOR 

QUALITY. 

Use Solibri Model Checker to guarantee the quality 

on your construction projects. As the industry moves 

on from clash detection and geometry checks our 

solution offers: 

• Second Generation Class Detection 

• Model version comparison and reporting 

• COBie validation and export 

• Instant and visual BIM data mining 

• Customisable and user defined rulesets 

• Supports collaborative workflows 

• And much more... 

TRIAL 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TRIAL AT SOLIBRI.COM 

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CASEstudy 

What goes around... 

A historical roundhouse has been recreated in Scotland with the help of Trimble 

Iam going to assume that the original 

Iron Age builders of the timber 

roundhouse in Whithorn in Scotland 

didn't have to comply with the rules and 

regulations governing the safety of the 

occupants that we now have to contend 

with. I must also assume that they were 

familiar with the materials they were 

working with and the techniques they 

used to construct their roundhouses. 

Naturally, when the decision was made 

to recreate one of their roundhouses as 

authentically as possible using traditional 

materials and methods, their present day 

counterparts had to learn how to go about 

it whilst meeting the demands of current 

building regulations. 

Trimble's Tekla Structural Designer was 

therefore used to create the ambitious 

replica of the mid 400 BC roundhouse. 

The software was used in conjunction with 

Tekla Tedds to produce a modern 

interpretation of a 2,500-year-old template, 

which was 13 metres in diameter, nine 

metres high and constructed using 

various types of wood. 

When archaeologists and volunteers 

from AOC Archaeology uncovered the 

Iron Age house, which included evidence 

of a hearth, flooring and structural 

timbers, the Whithorn Trust set about 

plans to build the full-scale reconstruction 

of their discoveries at Whithorn, on a 

peninsular in the south west corner of 

Scotland. As such, the charity called 

upon a local structural engineer, Finite 

Engineering, to design the structure to be 

built on the chosen monument site. 

Finite Engineering used Tekla Structural 

Designer to design and build the 

predominantly timber structure, thanks to 

its ability to pinpoint the ideal and exact 

location onsite where the structure should 

be built. Finite then utilised Tekla Tedds 

software in order to check and design the 

timber members of the model. 

Andrew Morrow, Director at Finite 

Engineering, designed the roundhouse 

and said: "The Whithorn Trust briefed us to 

create a replica of the original 

roundhouse, by using materials and 

structural forms based on the findings 

from a newly discovered woodland, which 

was just down the road from the chosen 

site for the roundhouse reconstruction. 

This project was a big task, as they 

wanted the roundhouse to look authentic 

by using similar materials, but we also had 

to structurally engineer the new building in 

a way that it would obtain a building 

warrant approval. 

"I used the Tekla Structural Designer 

software to create the 3D model of the 

roundhouse structure and calculate 

accurately the geometric intention from 

the details provided by the architect." 

Tekla Structural Designer gives 

engineers the power to analyse and 

design buildings efficiently and profitably, 

by creating physical, information-rich 

models. From scheme design all the way 

through to detailed design, one single 

model covers structural analysis and 

design requirements, encompassing both 

gravity and lateral systems. 

Andrew continued: "One of the main 

factors we had to consider was the wind 

load of the structure. We used Tekla 

Structural Designer to work out the wind 

loading positioning on the site; it allowed 

me to complete a full wind analysis. The 

analysis tests the stability of the building 

and its ability to resist lateral wind loads. 

This was important as the client stipulated 

that they wanted no internal walls and also 

as few rafters as possible to extend to the 

ground, as such assessment of its lateral 

stability was paramount. 

"The structure was complex and used a 

lot of timber, and as the charity wanted to 

build the roundhouse traditionally using as 

few nuts and bolts as possible, Tekla 

Structural Designer accommodated this 

as it allowed me to design the 

roundhouse in way that would be 

structurally stable without the many bolts 

usually required on a new build." 

Largely created by local volunteers, with 

much of the materials having been 

donated by local landowners, the site is 

now a visitor attraction offering guided 

tours and is also being used as a 

prehistoric education resource and arts 

venue. The project also went on to win a 

Scottish Heritage Angel Award for Best 

Rescue, Recording or Interpretation of a 

Historic Place. 

For more information about Tekla 

Structural Designer visit: 

www.tekla.com/uk/products/teklastructural-designer 

10 


A customisable 

costing tool for 

projects of all sizes 

Combined with 

Asta Powerproject BIM, 

Bidcon provides a tool kit 

for 5D planning 

To find out more please visit: 

elecosoft.com/bidcon 

elecosoft.com/bidcon 

Bidcon: The modern approach to cost estimation

CASEstudy 

Talking to machines 

The construction industry can increase productivity and quality while reducing energy consumption, 

lowering costs and saving time through creating strong links between designing and making. 

By Andrew Watts FICE FIED FIET FRSA RIBA, CEO of international building engineers, Newtecnic 

Throughout history, models have 

always been made in order to 

understand the complexities of 

buildings. For centuries, these were 

physical scale models that allowed a close 

examination of the proposed structure. 

More recently digital models perform the 

same function. These not only allow 

stakeholders to comprehend the project 

but also provide the ability to ensure that 

crucial decisions are based on the fullest 

and most detailed information available. 

By committing designs and associated 

information and data to digitalisation it is 

possible to achieve total quality assurance 

for each component of the building, and of 

the entire finished entity. This occurs 

because, by designing and then 

manufacturing components digitally, any 

technical, structural and aesthetic issues 

can be resolved in advance of physical 

work commencing. This is not news to 

engineers and architects, who are often 

highly digitised, but the digital chain is often 

broken between building designers and 

contractors. However, when links are 

strengthened through the whole supply 

chain, the results are spectacular. 

LEADING THE WORLD FROM 

MOROCCO 

As part of the programme of cultural 

development in 

Morocco, and 

inspired by the 

Bouregreg 

River, the dramatic sculptural form of the 

Grand Théâtre de Rabat in Morocco 

incorporates an 1800 seat theatre, a 7000- 

seat amphitheatre and a smaller 

specialised performance space. Clever use 

of GRC panels meant the fluid design 

envisaged by architect Zaha Hadid was 

successfully interpreted, resulting in the 

addition of a cultural venue of the highest 

standards for the city of Rabat in Morocco. 

The main envelope system for the Grand 

Théâtre project is based on an opaque 

glass-fibre-reinforced concrete (GRC) 

rainscreen cladding, fixed to the primary 

structure, which is a mix of reinforced 

concrete and steel. The main driving 

parameter for the design of the GRC 

system was the required 60-year life-span 

of the envelope system. This required the 

use of monolithic GRC panels, up to 4 × 

2m in size, which did not require the 

conventional steel backing frame to be 

cast-in underneath the panel. 

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) 

analysis for cladding pressures was 

undertaken and subsequently validated by 

a series of wind tunnel tests. This analysis 

allowed the use of realistic values for wind 

loads, which drive stress and deflection 

analysis of the panels while taking into 

account the effects of the geometry of the 

building. Structural calculations for each 

component were undertaken for each 

projectspecific 

configuration using finite element 

modelling and scripting to automate the 

structural analysis process for all panels. 

The design of the adjustable steel fixing 

bracket was conceived so that only one 

fixing type was used across the whole 

project, which would minimise cost. 

Physical tests were designed to validate a 

single design for the connection between 

GRC panels and steel fixings, which could 

be used safely across the entire project. 

This spectacular building produced at a 

very reasonable cost is an exemplar of how 

early stage deep analysis and thorough 

testing before the tender stage delivers a 

guaranteed result. It was important in this 

project to ensure that local fabricators and 

contractors were deployed. Digital 

simulation of all processes resolved any 

potential problems prior to physical work 

commencing and 3D printed GRC panels 

were thoroughly tested to validate 

computational analysis. 

FLEXIBLE DECISION MAKING 

By considering and studying everything in 

advance of physical work it is possible to 

understand the true implications of project 

choices and decisions. Digitising projects 

enables flexibility because general 

properties can be analysed in relation to 

fine details. This means that decisions over 

materials can be made with a full 

understanding of their cost, aesthetics and 

construction technique implications. 

Working this way means 

material parameters can be 

12 


CASEstudy 

KCTV Tower in Istanbul 

Grand Théâtre de Rabat in Morocco 

better understood and designers can go 

beyond simply claiming that a certain 

component or finish is better. They can 

prove it in terms of material or fabrication 

cost in addition to visual considerations. 

Using digital models to explain building 

techniques to contractors and work with 

them to develop and optimise strategies 

can be done at an early stage to 

improve outcomes. 

Adding these types of services to the 

production of buildings is new for many 

contractors, but those that that we work 

with discover that the application of 

engineering design becomes their 'service 

element' and allows them to present fully 

validated solutions to their customers. This 

in turn lets them win more contracts in the 

confidence that they can be fulfilled on 

time and to budget. 

COMPUTER CODE 

Computer code is the shorthand that 

delivers the robust instructions that solve 

complex engineering problems. Computer 

code also provides the living user manual 

to operate the building for decades to 

come. Every design, test and action 

related to a building's genesis, 

construction and maintenance is captured. 

This record becomes available to anyone 

who needs to engage with the project. 

One use of this data at the Grand Theatre 

de Rabat involved using a Total Station to 

pinpoint component locations and their 

fixing points with a laser. The 

coordinates were fed to the Total Station 

from the optimised engineering design 

and, by following this simple guide, 

costly mistakes and misalignments 

totally avoided. 

Across the globe in Australia the 

advanced structure that forms the façade 

of Botanica, an innovatively 

conceptualised residential block in 

northern Queensland could have been 

made from either steel of concrete. By 

simulating the design and fabrication of 

both options the cost was calculated with 

a high degree of precision and concrete 

was selected. In the past, this decision 

would have put more emphasis on 

material costs, but because every aspect 

was considered in advance the true cost 

was revealed. This strategy addresses 

risks in new ways that seek to define all 

parameters so they can more easily be 

understood, calculated and managed and 

costs and schedules guaranteed. 

ACCELERATING PRODUCTIVITY 

Deploying these techniques means that 

amazing buildings can be delivered at 

ordinary prices. Designs can evolve 

smoothly to suit all parties and various 

design options considered and proven. 

An example of this is the KCTV Tower in 

Istanbul, where early stage investment in 

design engineering has paid a massive 

dividend at the building stage. All the big 

decisions have been made and the 

building is progressing as predicted with 

pre-made components that are exact 

representations of their digital equivalents. 

This is very different to many projects 

where late stage changes contribute to 

dysfunctionality and defects. 

TEN TIPS FOR SMOOTH BUILDING 

DELIVERY 

1. Invest in early stage problem solving to 

avoid late stage issues 

2. Use engineering as a service that 

seamlessly joins construction disciplines 

3. Break down the barriers between 

thinking and doing 

4. Apply rigour to design and 

management processes - keep looking for 

what's been missed 

5. Use data to introduce flexibility into 

decision making 

6. Take problem solving back to first 

principles - conformity is dangerous 

7. Connect contractors and fabricators with 

designers and clients through shared data 

8. Deploy technology that allows everyone 

to understand their project role and 

responsibility 

9. Think about production machinery at the 

earliest stages of the project 

10. Improve processes through learning 

www.newtecnic.com 


CASE study 

Embracing Information Management 

MMB integrates ProjectWise within OpenPlant to enhance its Information Management strategies 

When it comes to BIM the emphasis 

is now on the Information 

Management, with the Building 

element merely one part of it. Instead of just 

creating a Building Information 

methodology for single building projects, 

the information, processes and workflows 

can be shared between many projects, 

providing enhanced efficiencies in the 

design and delivery of each. A company 

that has very much taken this philosophy 

on board is Mott MacDonald. 

I am an enthusiastic admirer of Mott 

MacDonald's enterprising work within the 

rail industry, and was also delighted to 

see them emerging as the leading 

design-build organisation in the UK 

water sector. Mott MacDonald Bentley 

(MMB) was established in 1999 as a joint 

venture between the consulting giant 

and the privately held civil engineering 

and construction company, JN Bentley. 

In 2014 Mott MacDonald acquired 

Bentley Holdings, including the JN 

Bentley subsidiary. 

By wholeheartedly embracing a BIM 

methodology, MMB has been able to 

deliver process improvements, 

collaborative workflows, and flexible 

program management to all of its clients, 

with over 500 water projects with their 

technical project information authored, 

managed, and shared in ProjectWise. This 

brings enhanced efficiency and decreased 

design costs, while yielding steady 

corporate growth. To accelerate this 

success, however, MMB realised that it 

required a step change in its information 

management strategy. The organisation 

decided to integrate ProjectWise with 

OpenPlant PID to implement technology 

solutions for optimal information 

management and improved productivity. 

DIGITAL COMPONENTS CATALOGUE 

As part of its new information management 

strategy, MMB needed to create a reusable 

digital library of high quality components 

that supported users of different software 

platforms. The project team relied on the 

interoperability of ProjectWise to serve as 

the cornerstone for its approach and 

established a digital components 

catalogue (DCC) with over 4,000 waterspecific, 

reusable BIM objects accessible 

to all users through a single location. This 

centralised and standardised approach to 

objects optimised consistency and 

efficiency in BIM deliverables. 

On a recent project designing and 

constructing the Roebuck Service Reservoir 

for Yorkshire Water, MMB's onsite 

construction team experienced conditions 

different from those anticipated in the 

design process. This required a 

fundamental design change, expected to 

take up to two weeks. Having access to a 

wealth of intelligent components in the 

DCC allowed the design change to be 

completed in a matter of hours, with 

revised, approved drawings issued via 

ProjectWise to the site later that same day. 

The availability of well-structured data in 

ProjectWise saved significant time and 

more than GBP 20,000 in onsite costs for 

the project. 

The DCC is also a core enabler of Mott 

MacDonald's Carbon Portal supporting 

environmental sustainability, expecting to 

help the organisation exceed the UK's 

Government Construction 2025 carbon 

reduction target of 50 percent. The Carbon 

Portal is an in-house assessment and 

optioneering tool for all sectors, including 

water, used across all regions to assess 

capital and operational carbon in projects 

to help cut carbon and costs. 

All content in the DCC is assigned a 

unique carbon ID allowing MMB to match 

information contained within its models with 

the company's carbon databases. MMB 

continues to add content from additional 

water projects using ProjectWise as a solid 

platform for its DCC. Coupled with the use 

of a connected data environment, the DCC 

facilitates MMB's global information 

management strategy and is expected to 

add long-term value to the business 

serving thousands of international users. 

CONNECTED DATA ENVIRONMENT 

An early adopter of Mott MacDonald's 

group-wide connected data environment, 

MMB sought to embrace BIM Level 2 and 

also capitalise on the group's global 

resources. Aligning with Mott MacDonald's 

"Common Way of Working" required MMB 

to understand the needs of stakeholders 

working in a connected data environment 

and focus on balancing the needs of its 

own integrated management system to 

14 


CASEstudy 

MMB’s “Common Way of Working” allowed for rapid deployment 

of predefined templates to projects around the globe 

The availability of intelligent components from the DCC through 

well-structured data in ProjectWise enables quick 

accommodation of design changes 

ensure quality, environmental 

sustainability, safety, and efficient global 

resource allocation. Hosted on 

ProjectWise, MMB's collaborative 

approach allows the rapid deployment of 

predefined templates to projects around 

the globe, which has significantly reduced 

project start-up time and provides 

efficiencies that can be passed directly to 

its clients. 

Working in a connected data 

environment optimises information mobility 

and, combined with the availability of 

intelligent components in the DCC, 

enables quick accommodation of design 

changes, reducing errors and onsite costs. 

Furthermore, leveraging the expertise 

and resource availability within Mott 

MacDonald's global connected data 

environment provided MMB with 

consistent and rigorous work methods, 

resulting in a daily increase in productivity 

by 62.5 percent and design cost savings 

of 50 percent. 

OPENPLANT STREAMLINES 

DATA EXCHANGE 

With a large proportion of its work related 

to process engineering, MMB recognised 

the importance of adopting a consistent 

means of delivering intelligent P&IDs as 

part of its information management 

strategy. To accomplish this, the project 

team relied on Bentley's OpenPlant to 

facilitate a seamless flow of information 

from design through commissioning that 

could be integrated with the connected 

data environment hosted on ProjectWise, 

providing a single source of asset data. 

Bentley's interoperable software enabled 

MMB to create a standardised client 

symbols library, generate client specific 

scheduling, and specify and manipulate 

asset data using datasheets all accessible 

through a data source on its SQL server. 

Using OpenPlant PID, MMB realised the 

potential for reducing rework by providing 

information from the P&IDs, motors, and 

equipment in a manner that allowed the 

client to assign function blocks to the 

items within their own database early in the 

design process. The ability for the client to 

assign asset tags to their devices and 

furnish the same information to MMB's 

database eliminated the use of system 

integrators to carry out the task. 

OpenPlant's interoperability facilitated and 

automated the data exchange in the early 

stages of design, reducing potential errors 

and costly rework. 

Similarly, OpenPlant facilitated seamless 

data exchanges with other vendors' 3D 

modeling applications, allowing crosspollination 

of P&ID datasets with thirdparty 

software. MMB created a test project 

as proof of concept to demonstrate that 

software packages such as Revit can work 

flawlessly with OpenPlant through a single 

data source. 

Having established a company-wide SQL 

server, MMB combined all of the table 

outputs from OpenPlant PID with the 

outputs from other parametric modeling 

packages and created an SQL script that 

writes to each of the third-party package 

software tables, ensuring data consistency 

between each package. As a result, asset 

data that historically was buried within 

Revit has been liberated and can be 

controlled, verified, and approved as any 

other MMB deliverable using Bentley's 

data manager interface. Having access to 

this client data allows MMB to deliver a 

synchronised numerical and visual dataset 

that can contribute to the client's overall 

asset information model and assist its 

clients in achieving their aspirations for 

better information management. 

A SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH 

Integrating OpenPlant with ProjectWise 

introduced rigour into the management of 

BIM project data to improve the flow of 

information through all stages of MMB's 

projects. By providing the right information 

at the right time to the right people, MMB 

eliminated costly construction delays. The 

interoperability of Bentley applications 

facilitated effective data sharing and 

collaboration, and optimised information 

mobility enabling MMB to establish its 

information management system as a 

single source of truth for its technical data 

throughout all project lifecycles. 

The use of ProjectWise and OpenPlant 

PID enhanced the management of BIM 

project information, helping MMB 

improve productivity and accelerate 

corporate growth. Using the digital 

components catalogue standardised 

MMB's content management strategy, 

optimising the consistency and efficiency 

of BIM deliverables. 

Working in a connected data 

environment significantly reduced project 

start-up time and allowed MMB to 

capitalise on the expertise and resources 

of the Mott MacDonald global group to cut 

design costs by 50 percent. 

www.bentley.com 


SOFTWAREreview 

Vectorworks 2018 

Vectorworks 2018 enhances the Vectorworks portfolio, improving access to a flexible and diverse set 

of design features 

Last issue I took a look at 

Braceworks, the analytical software 

introduced by Vectorworks when 

they released the latest version of 

Spotlight, one of the industry focused 

modules based around core Vectorworks 

parametric modelling. Braceworks 

calculates the stresses inherent in 

temporary structures erected for the 

entertainment and exhibition industries, 

enabling its users to meet the strict 

safety standards that must be adhered 

to for any platform, stage setting or 

arena equipment that necessarily 

involves large numbers of the public as 

performers or spectators. 

Braceworks was just one feature 

released as part of Vectorworks 2018. 

The latest version was released at the 

end of last year, alongside the 

announcement of the new UK and Ireland 

offices for the company, necessitated by 

the growing client base for the software, 

and the need for greater involvement by 

the company itself in supporting its 

customers, manifested by an increase in 

regional seminars and exhibitions 

throughout the UK. 

But what of the Vectorworks 2018 itself? 

Vectorworks owes much of it popularity to 

the intuitive nature of the software, its 

ease of use, and its completeness as a 

design solution. It's available as a 3D 

design application, the basis of much of 

the design work done prior to analysis by 

Braceworks, and as an architectural 

application - enabling architects and 

landscape designers to take projects right 

through from terrain development, 3D 

modelling and construction to the 

production of lifelike visualisations, high 

quality rendering and animations. Some 

of the latest developments reinforce the 

company's commitment to collaboration 

in building design and BIM, using the 

resources of its Cloud Service. 

VECTORWORKS 2018 

When a company releases new versions 

of its software, one of the commonly used 

phrases to describe the latest changes is 

'enhancements to ease of use'. This was 

certainly apt last year, when Vectorworks 

introduced Resource Manager to 

Vectorworks Architect. Architectural 

design relies heavily on the reuse of 

components and features, and enhancing 

the ability to find and reuse work that has 

been done before immeasurably speeds 

up the design process. 

Vectorworks 2018 makes it even easier 

to access thousands of pre-drawn 

elements - doors, chairs, windows, walltypes, 

etc. - with its comprehensive 

search feature, and to then incorporate 

them into new designs, or to make up 

your own as you go along. The new 

functionality includes more advanced 

search functions (the use of AND, OR, 

etc.) which enables users to find 

aggregated or isolated results, and the 

ability to filter for multiple criteria. The 

Resource Manager has an improved 

layout that now includes folder 

breadcrumbs - links left behind that help 

you navigate back to the pages that got 

you where you now are - as well as new 

navigation options and vertical 

orientation. 

SUBDIVISION MODELLING 

Because of its roots in 3D design the 

modelling of 3D components is a 

fundamental feature of Vectorworks, and 

the software can be used to build simple 

3D block layouts for concept urban 

design, which can then be developed into 

fully featured construction models of 

buildings, or for sophisticated 3D design 

using its free-form modelling and 

subdivision modelling tools. 

The variation in shapes that can be 

incorporation into Vectorworks building 

designs is virtually unlimited using 

subdivision modelling, based on Pixar 

Animation Studio's OpenSubdiv libraries, 

which themselves have been enhanced in 

the latest release by new editing modes. 

Modelling is now faster and easier, and If 

you can think it, you can design it. 

The way you develop your designs is 

taken a step further in the latest version. It 

16 



Multiple drawing views 

Complex shapes created using subdivision modelling 

saves time if you can see the results of 

design changes to a model from different 

perspectives and angles, and as they 

occur. Hence the introduction of Multiple 

Drawing Views, a feature that Vectorworks 

users have been requesting for some 

time. Again, there is no practical limit to 

the number of views that you can create 

for a project - just as many as you need 

to optimise your working patterns. When 

you want to focus upon an element of the 

design you click on an icon to split the 

screen, and load the views that will best 

display the changes you intend to make. 

You don't need to switch between views 

to see how your changes will work, as 

they will be displayed, side by side. You 

can start working in one view and then 

finish in another. Besides making it easier 

to see how your changes affect each 

model view, much time is saved in not 

having to reload large and complex 

models - and you can even start a 

complex render in one view whilst you 

work on the model in another. 

REAL-TIME EDITING OF ELEVATIONS 

Multiple Drawing Views is complemented 

by another new feature, namely the ability 

to edit elevations, and sections in realtime, 

instead of having to switch back and 

forth between, say, floor plans and 

elevations. It wasn't an easy feature for 

Vectorworks to implement, but it has 

improved the software's usability 

considerably, and users can now edit 

elevations while they are viewing them, 

and update floor plans as they do so. 

RENDERING AND VISUALISATIONS 

Renderworks, the software’s integrated 

renderer, uses the latest MAXON 

CineRender engine along with a variety of 

viewing tools that enable users to prepare 

models with a few clicks and then upload 

them to the cloud so that clients, project 

teams and others can view them in the 

latest stereoscopic viewing tools. This 

includes cheap ones as well such as 

Google Cardboard, enabling users to slot 

their smartphone in for a full 3D 

walkthrough. 

Vectorworks 2018 gives users the 

opportunity to play around with lighting, 

reflections, day and night, seasons and 

weather to simulate any condition that the 

buildings will be exposed to. The new 

version also introduces faster and higher 

quality renders within Renderworks, 

including better rendering of metals - in 

particular for brushed metals - and a new 

cloth shader for visualising woven-cloth 

patterns. This also illustrates the 

usefulness of Vectorworks as an interior 

design tool, as well as a landscape and 

building design application. 

Other advanced features allow shadows 

on virtual objects to be composited or 

integrated properly onto real photos, the 

control of multiple light reflections, and a 

new parallax shader effect to speed up 

displacement mapping. Renderworks 

also has a new panorama feature that 

enables you to give your clients a 360 

degree view of their projects. 

IMPROVED WORKFLOWS 

There are a number of improvements to 

workflows in the latest version, ranging 

from streamlining the ability to produce 

reports and schedules - automating much 

of the processes and simplifying the 

accumulation of data from different 

sources - to the generation of documents 

from BIM files with enhanced graphic 

controls, and the distribution of drawings. 

Drawings can now be published using 

issue dates and include a new and more 

tightly integrated title block object. 

The new way of handling object plug-ins 

takes advantage of the way they were 

handled in the last release for doors and 

windows, and expands it to other types of 

object. Changes to any of these will now 

be reflected in all instances in a project. 

Enhancements to Vectorworks BIM 

processes enable all IFC related data to 

be displayed in the Data pane of the 

Object Info Palette, empowering users to 

review, input and edit the information in 

one clear location. The ability to import 

Revit files, made available previously 

using the Teigha BIM library from the Open 

Design Alliance, is now taken further, 

allowing Revit Objects to be translated into 

native Vectorworks symbols and objects, 

facilitating the incorporation of design 

information from Revit. 

SITE DESIGN AND LANDSCAPING 

Vectorworks Site Design tools also have 

their share of enhancements. Principal 

among these is the ability to import TIFF 

files with Georeferenced information 

(GeoTIFFS), similar to features available 

in ArcGIS and GRASS GIS. Improved site 

modelling now includes the ability to edit 

contour lines. The latest Landscaping 

features introduce enhanced plant tags, a 

new foliage tool and a tree survey tool for 

generating existing site conditions from 

GIS and tree survey data - using 

geolocated tree species data. 

A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE 

The wide range of enhancements within 

Vectorworks 2018, of which just a 

selection are covered here, serve to 

indicate the diversity and range of the 

application, which continues to go from 

strength to strength. 

www.vectorworks.co.uk 


EVENTfocus 

Information exchange 

The future of information management was the hot topic during the Q and A session of the 

Construction Computing Take Control seminar, held in association with Newforma in November 

We overran our timeslot on the Q 

and A session at the Take Control 

seminar last November, held in 

association with Newforma. Small wonder, 

as the seminar generated some interesting 

questions for the panel. The speakers in 

our morning session - Paul Daynes of 

Newforma, Kenny Ingram from IFC, Andy 

Stanton of TfL and Stefan Mordue from 

AECOM - we were delighted to welcome 

Mervyn Richards, OBE to the panel. Mervyn 

is well known to many in the industry and 

has been involved in all matters concerning 

BIM since its earliest days, helping to 

develop BIM standards. 

One of the first questions put to the panel 

asked about the impact of BIM on a typical 

company. Kenny Ingram got the session off 

the ground by stating that the decision to 

use BIM should not be seen merely as an 

IT project, but that it should herald change 

throughout the company, most importantly 

at board level. Depending on the scope of 

the project you have to develop champions 

at every level of the process, in order to 

include things like FM, financial controls 

and so on. 

Kenny added that you shouldn't just use 

people who are available, but rather those 

who are amenable to change and able to 

drive it through, and who can take that 

message down into the business. After 

running the business and hopefully making 

money, the board should consider the 

challenge of information management the 

next important challenge. 

A culture change is needed - and if you 

don't have the right foundations in place 

then you are not going to be able to adapt 

in the future. BIM is disruptive, he 

conceded, and it may be better to phase it 

into the business. You could do this by 

function, and choose different elements - 

finance, project or cost control, as the first 

steps, and develop from there. 

Paul Daynes concurred that change was 

inevitable, but stated that it needed to be 

sympathetic to the business needs of the 

company as well as the project, and that 

the increased overlays on project delivery 

from many information sources needed to 

be taken into account. Concentrating on 

the business improvement aspect of 

delivering a project involves being able to 

combine different work processes, like 

change control, as-built inspections, task 

assignments, which you need to analyse, 

see what the work involves, do cost 

comparisons, and based on those do an 

adjustment in costs and fees. After 

reconciling all of that you can then push for 

improved project delivery. It's in these 

areas, he said, that there are inefficiencies - 

the inability of different parts of a company 

to share information effectively. 

Andy Stanton, a recipient of BIM and other 

information in his role as Asset Manager at 

TfL, spoke about the importance of getting 

information across which is correct, but 

which is also going to be used. Although 

many companies are supplying information 

designed to facilitate asset maintenance, 

using products like ERP and BIM, when it 

comes to the crunch a lot of organisations 

are not. There needs to be greater 

democritisation of data. 

Andy mentioned a particular app, Station 

Master, for people who travel on the 

London Underground. Station Master is a 

3D tool which shows the location of 

stations, their exits and things like WiFi 

hotspots etc, and to which users can add 

their own input to make the app more 

comprehensive. How does that info help, 

he asked? Well, It empowers its users to be 

a part of the process. However Andy also 

cautioned that at the end of projects they 

18 

january/February 2018

EVENTfocus 

are often provided with so much 

information that users are starting to 

trivialise it. 

Stefan Mordue added that information 

management is all about creating new 

value from data. At the end of a building's 

lifecycle, for instance, people could use 

that data - knowing what's in a building - to 

dispose of it more efficiently, to recycle it, 

use it in different ways. At the end of an 

asset's life it may not have a social value, 

but in monetary terms (how much copper, 

how much steel?) all of the different 

components add up. 

THE CHANGING FACE OF BIM 

Although the seminar looked at information 

management issues beyond BIM, it was 

salutary for Mervyn Richards to kick off by 

reminding us where we have got to with the 

BIM mandate. At the moment, he said, we 

are still adapting to the mandate change 

that declared that centrally funded projects 

must use BIM level 2, in order to increase 

the capability and competence of the 

industry. Now we need to ensure that 

delivery on cost and on time can also 

transform asset management activity. This 

is now underway, and the first returns show 

a heartening saving of 1 billion pounds 

already. We are teaching people how to 

work collaboratively, but they won't get 

anything worthwhile out of it, he cautioned, 

unless they understand the value of 

managing that information. 

However, there is a second major feature 

of the program - we are trying to make 

things 25% more efficient because we 

cannot train people in the industry fast 

enough. That is not just an attempt to fill the 

current skills gap. If we can upskill more 

engineers, etc. then we can increase that 

workforce more quickly. Looking forward, 

that will enable us to grab a larger slice of 

the global construction program over the 

next 15-20 years. 

We are seen, globally, as leaders in the 

field of information management and 

training, and its interesting to note that 

major Asian markets, as well as 

countries such as Australia and Russia, 

now also favour the use of BIM. The 

original term BIM, Mervyn said, is all 

about CAD and computer aided 

construction, but now people are starting 

to reject the term because it is in danger 

of becoming a barrier in the use of 

technology in the drive to gain 

efficiencies. It is the focus on information 

management that is more important. 

Another audience member provoked a 

good response from the panel by relating 

their own experiences. Having lived half his 

life with the Internet and smartphones, and 

thinking himself up to date, he chatted 

about his time with his daughter whilst 

commuting to the office and school. She 

was engrossed with Minecraft on her 

mobile, communicating with a friend in the 

next village and exchanging data with other 

players halfway round the world. She 

looked at him blankly and didn't understand 

the problem with such collaboration - the 

implication being that ‘it's just what we do’. 

Such simple interactions might suggest a 

real mindset change in the next generation 

set to enter the industry. There's a new 

breed of people coming into the industry 

wanting to use the tools they use day in 

and day out to do their jobs. Whether they 

are structural engineers, project managers 

and so on, they just want to do their work 

more efficiently. Stefan Mordue agreed with 

this, stating that the real issue is that we 

can collaborate well internally, but 

collaborating with others outside that circle 

is more of a problem. 

There is a danger here though, Andy 

Stanton cautioned, as we are actually 

now getting worse at collaboration, 

because there is too much information to 

share. Andy quoted an instance within 

TfL where a client and an engineer were 

trying to sort out a problem, and were 

going backwards and forwards through 

2D drawings, 3D, Revit, SketchUp etc. 

This was taking weeks, and Andy 

reckoned that if they had just sat down in 

a room with a 2D format drawing they 

would have sorted it in half a day. 

This is a necessarily brief overview of a 

fascinating hour and a half of questions. I 

can't do full justice to the efforts of the panel 

here, and to the attention of the attendees, 

who would have kept us going for another 

hour if some of us hadn’t needed to get 

away! The whole day at the Institute of Civil 

Engineers in London was a valuable 

experience for all, and will be the precursor 

to further events later this year. 

www.constructioncomputing.co.uk/seminars 


CASEstudy 

Chilling out 

IES digs out the cold facts about industrial fridges using CFD 

IES is well known for its building 

performance application, IESVE and VE 

2017, that analyse the environmental 

impact of a building project. When you 

think about it, the mathematics that go 

into solving problems like carbon 

emissions, heating requirements and 

other factors that determine whether a 

building is going to meet sustainable 

targets, are not too dissimilar to the 

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) 

studies outlined here. 

The CFD analysis also illustrates the 

level of detail addressed, mainly focused 

on what happens when a door is opened 

that separates an extreme environment 

from a normal one. 

DOVER WESTERN DOCKS REVIVAL 

In the first case study, IES Consulting 

were commissioned to perform internal 

an CFD analysis to study the transient 

variation in temperature in the refrigerated 

chilled storage rooms for the Dover 

Western Docks Revival project, for 

instance the variation in temperature 

when doors are kept open to the outside 

for a considerable period of time. 

IES Consultants carried out two types of 

analysis on this project: Steady State 

analysis to look at general operation of 

the system and transient analysis for the 

worst case scenario of how things can 

change. The Steady State CFD simulation 

studied the general distribution of airflow 

and temperature within the Refrigerated 

Chilled Store and the adjoining loading 

space of the proposed Dover Port 

Western Docks Revival project. This was 

followed by a transient CFD simulation, 

where the external doors were set to open 

to outside conditions of 28 o C with a wind 

speed of 8.23m/s, and air curtains 

switched on. 

The Steady State study simulation 

showed that the temperature in the 

refrigerated chilled store was observed to 

be in the range of 12°C to 13°C. The 

temperature in the Inload Bay was 

observed to be around 26°C. Under the 

normal operating conditions, the 

Refrigerated Chilled Store shows quite an 

even distribution of temperature. 

In the transient analysis, the average 

temperature was observed to stabilise 

around 18.5°C for the refrigerated chilled 

store after six and half minutes. Within the 

refrigerated chilled store it was noted to 

vary from 25°C near the open doors to 

about 18°C at the back of the room. 

REGENERON BULK BIOLOGICS 

The second case study looked at what 

happens when you open the door to a 

chilled environment, and the effect of 

different periods of its opening. IES 

Consulting was commissioned to perform 

the analysis for a GMP cold room in the 

Regeneron Bulk Biologics facility in 

Limerick, Ireland. The analysis looked at 

different operation scenarios of the cold 

room. 

The performance of the GMP cold room 

within the Regeneron Bulk Biologics 

facility was analysed under various 

conditions. A Steady State CFD 

simulation was carried out to look at the 

general operation scenario. It was 

observed that the temperature in the GMP 

cold room was between 3 o C to 6 o C. 

A dynamic CFD simulation was 

performed with 'product' cooling from 

21 o C to 2 o C across a period of 12 hours. 

A combination of steady and dynamic 

CFD simulations assessed a scenario 

where the door was closed after being 

open for an extended period of time. It 

was observed that the flow patterns in the 

GMP cold room prevented the average 

temperature of the cold room increasing 

beyond 6 o C. The opening of the door 

increased the temperature only in the 

immediate vicinity of the doors. 

A further dynamic CFD simulation 

assessed a scenario where a door was 

opened for only a short period of 10 

seconds. The results indicated a similar 

scenario to the one described above. The 

average temperature of the cold room did 

not go beyond 5 o C. The warm air coming 

in through the door remained localised to 

the region near the door and quickly 

dissipated after the door was closed. A 

dynamic CFD simulation was performed 

to look at switchover from the 'Run' 

evaporators to the standby evaporators. 

The switchover caused average 

temperatures to increase by 5 o C when all 

the evaporators were off. 

MSD CARLOW, IRELAND 

MSD Carlow is a pharmaceutical 

warehouse in Ireland. IES Consulting were 

commissioned to perform internal CFD 

analysis to study the performance of the 

cooling systems within the cold rooms at 

the Facility. This consisted of a set of 

three rooms with different set points being 

simulated together to see how the 

interaction takes place when the door 

opens to the outside versus door opens 

to either of the inside rooms etc. 

A very comprehensive analysis of the 

cooling system was carried out. Steady 

State CFD simulations were performed to 

study the airflow patterns within the three 

interconnected chilled rooms of the MSD 

Carlow warehouse to study the cooling 

systems installed in chilled rooms. Three 

scenarios were analysed: 

All main cooling units were operational 

All standby cooling units were 

operational 

Two rooms with the main units were 

operational, one with standby unit 

operational and with a forklift present 

in each room. 

Maintaining temperatures in chilled 

warehouses is critical. It brings to mind, 

however, other scenarios requiring cold 

environments to be maintained, such as 

data centres with banks of servers. 

www.iesve.com 

20 


From design 

to reality 

Louis Vuitton Foundation (France) 

Tekla Structures is intelligent 3D modelling software at the heart of the digital 

construction process. From concept drawing to reality, collaboration between 

people and across technologies becomes more efficient and rewarding. 

Together we are shaping a smarter future for construction. 

www.tekla.com/uk/solutions 

TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

CASEstudy 

A seismic challenge 

The Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live Connection V2.0 helped in the digital reconstruction of historic 

buildings, destroyed in the August 20166 earthquakes in Italy 

GIS data was imported from QGIS 

A point cloud model overlay served as a reference point 

You may remember the devastating 

earthquakes that Italy suffered a 

couple of years ago, which 

destroyed historic buildings in a number of 

villages in the country's central region. One 

of the villages, Grisciano, believing it 

possible to reconstruct a row of old 

buildings, asked for help in doing so. 

Responding to their plight, the Sapienza 

University in Rome assembled a 

multidisciplinary team of experts to help, 

with their Department of History, Drawing 

and Restoration of Architecture tasked to 

create digital model surveys of the 

destroyed buildings. 

Leading the team were Michele Calvano, 

Architect, Adjunct Professor and 

Researcher at the university, and Mario 

Sacca, Architect at ArchiRADAR, a wellknown 

Italian architectural practice. 

Between them they created a workflow that 

they could use that was suitable for a 

unique challenge in urban reconstruction. 

The main problems they had to overcome 

were the ruinous state of the buildings and, 

due to their age, the lack of any documents 

and drawings that could be used to rebuild 

them. Instead, they had access to regional 

GIS data, photographs, and 3D scanners 

to provide a point cloud of the whole area 

which they could use as a reference point. 

To assist them, they had Graphisoft's 

ARCHICAD 3D modelling software and 

Rhinoceros and Grasshopper plug-ins. 

More significantly, they were able to trial the 

latest release of the software, which 

features the Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live 

Connection V2.0. Live Connection V2.0 

provides a significant upgrade to the way 

in which ARCHICAD and Grasshopper 

work together. Calculations carried out 

using Grasshoppers algorithmic processes 

automatically update both the ARCHICAD 

and Rhino models. 

AN ARCHICAD BIM PROJECT 

The main aim of the project was to create a 

usable 3D BIM model in ARCHICAD for 

historical reference and subsequent 

rebuild. The starting point was to use what 

GIS data they had to recreate the terrain 

and to develop mass building volumes in 

Rhino and Grasshopper. 

This was then used to generate the terrain 

mass in ARCHICAD, and for placing 

conceptual Morph volumes, created in 

ARCHICAD by using a point cloud survey 

of the area for reference. The team then 

added more properties to the ARCHICAD 

Morph volumes and placed custom planar 

objects on the volumes to define openings. 

Grasshopper was then to be used to 

extract Morph settings to generate walls, 

slabs and roofs in ARCHICAD. 

QGIS, a free and open source GIS 

application, was used to open and display 

the available GIS data. Grasshopper, open 

in an adjacent screen area, was able to 

read QGIS information, Vectors and other 

building geometry data and Metadata, 

and to use it in its calculations. 

ARCHICAD then used the Grasshopper- 

ARCHICAD Live Connection to create a 

terrain mesh and mass building volumes 

for the buildings in ARCHICAD. 

Once the Grasshopper code was 

created, the entire terrain and all the 

acquired building components were 

acquired and automatically transferred to 

ARCHICAD as real BIM components. That 

probably needs reiterating: the GIS data of 

the whole area can be processed by the 

algorithmic definitions in Grasshopper and 

used automatically to generate the BIMbased 

master plan in ARCHICAD, which 

can then display a BIM model of the 

terrain and buildings acquired from the 

GIS database. 

FINE-TUNING THE BUILDINGS 

The QGIS screen was replaced on 

loading by Rhino, and the display area 

showed terrain contour lines and mass 

building volumes as red lines and 

surfaces. ARCHICAD was used to show 

the layer that contains the point cloud 

data, imported earlier and displayed in 

the ARCHICAD 3D view, along with 

trees, streets and all the details of the 

22 


CASEstudy 

Additional properties are accessed from ARCHICAD’s 

Interactive Schedules 

The completed buildings are real BIM objects 

elevation and roof surfaces of the 

destroyed buildings. 

The point cloud was used as an overlay - 

a visual reference point for the work in 

breaking up the mass volumes into 

individual buildings. The point cloud also 

supplied additional information about 

individual buildings; roof shapes, colours, 

materials and textures as well as storey 

characteristics and openings. 

ARCHICAD was used to define the 

simplified shapes of individual buildings 

using its Morph tool, with the help of the 

point cloud information. The positions of 

doors and windows were placed as simple 

planar objects created in ARCHICAD, and 

then deconstructed later in Grasshopper. 

With the ARCHICAD building model 

starting to take shape, the external building 

envelope was created using the colours, 

roof-shapes and openings taken from the 

point cloud reference. 

The properties of the ARCHICAD morphs 

were extended further to contain 

information about storey heights, walls 

and slab thicknesses. As real BIM data, 

this information was also available on 

Interactive Schedules. Opening the 

schedule sheet that contains the data, 

they could select one of the schematic 

openings in the ARCHICAD model, 

created using the point cloud reference, 

showing the planar surfaces as simple, 

custom-made ARCHICAD library parts 

that illustrate the position and geometry of 

the openings. 

The mass models and their components 

were able to be viewed in ARCHICAD as a 

3D model. As a Grasshopper component 

was used to define the size and position of 

the external doors and windows in 

ARCHICAD, based on the parameters of 

the planar referenced openings placed 

earlier, all openings in the 3D model could 

be selected in one click by selecting the 

corresponding Grasshopper components. 

THE GRASSHOPPER CODE 

Having defined storey heights, walls and 

slab thicknesses, as well as roof shapes, 

the next step was to use Grasshopper 

code to create walls, floors and 

openings. This was again achieved using 

the Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live 

Connection to deconstruct the Morphs 

and extract their settings in Grasshopper, 

bringing in the additional properties that 

defined wall, slab and roof geometry 

directly from ARCHICAD, and using this 

as input for further operations within 

Grasshopper, generating real walls, slabs 

and roofs in ARCHICAD. 

Similarly, the schematics highlighting the 

planar openings and geometry were 

selected in Grasshopper, highlighted in the 

ARCHICAD and Rhino screen displays, 

and the properties of the ARCHICAD 

openings elements were extracted and 

used in Grasshopper to generate real 

openings in the ARCHICAD project. These 

external openings were no longer 

schematic surfaces but real doors and 

windows placed in real ARCHICAD walls. 

Because it is possible to deconstruct 

ARCHICAD schematic elements, like the 

planar surfaces that depicted the openings 

on the Morph mass volume, they were also 

able to access their parameter and 

property values, and utilise the 

Grasshopper-ARCHICAD Live Connection 

tool to automatically create real objects 

from them. 

The same was done for slabs, walls and 

roofs. By selecting the appropriate code in 

Grasshopper for creating slabs etc. in 

ARCHICAD from Morphed volumes and 

inputting their properties, real objects were 

created using components of the Live 

Connection tool. Again, because of the 

Live Connection, changes to the mass 

volume of the buildings automatically 

updated the BIM model and all related 

objects withIn the ARCHICAD BIM Project. 

Photographs of the area prior to the 

earthquakes showed that one of the 

rooflines was irregular, so the height and 

alignment of the ridge lines was modified in 

order to replicate its unique rooflines. The 

change was displayed in all model views 

automatically, including the elevation view 

displayed underneath the 3D view showing 

the layer combination that contained the 

walls, slab and roof elements. 

All that remained was to display the terrain 

and reconstructed models in the 

ARCHICAD 3D window, and so the point 

cloud data was once more added as an 

overlay. The team is now able to use the 

ARCHICAD BIM Project model BIM to 

create sections, elevations, renderings and 

quantity estimations, as well as include the 

various floorplans of the destroyed 

buildings - all generated from the GIS and 

point cloud data using Grasshopper. 

Thanks to Live Connection the final detailed 

ARCHICAD BIM Project is now live. 

www.graphisoft.com 


INDUSTRYcomment 

Imperatives for change 

Industry, Infrastructure and Information are a trio of imperatives that give construction no 

choice but to continue its drive for change, writes By Ben Taunt at Elecosoft 

It may be early days in 2018 yet we 

already know that it will be a landmark 

year in construction. Recent events 

have sent a shockwave through the 

sector. When a year starts with such 

uncertainty, we all know it can be hard to 

sustain a positive mindset. The start of 

2018 is unquestionably uncomfortable for 

many. Yet, despite the fact that 

construction is in the headlines for all the 

wrong reasons right now, we believe that 

there are still grounds for optimism. 

The relationship between Government 

as a partner in construction delivery is 

under scrutiny, and may well shift in 

response. However, its position as a 

major customer for the sector will remain, 

regardless. It still offers a pipeline of 

amazing business opportunities, both 

directly and in its support for private 

sector projects that help it towards its 

strategic and policy goals. 

Securing that opportunity, and 

maximising its profit potential, however, 

will require construction businesses to 

continue their efforts towards 

modernisation and efficiency. 

Whatever the ramifications of recent 

events may be, the Government, as the 

largest single customer for construction, 

and with ambitious targets for new 

infrastructure and housing, will be setting 

much of the agenda. It is already 

demanding increased impetus for digital 

transformation and modernisation to meet 

its strategic objectives and aid in the 

delivery of its estimated £600 billion of 

public and private infrastructure 

investment over the next 10 years, across 

thousands of projects. 

It is critical for UK construction to 

continue its drive for change, so it can 

power through current challenges, grasp 

these and other opportunities, and 

emerge as an economically vibrant, and 

internationally competitive, industry sector. 

BIG YEAR FOR BIM 

2018 will be another very big year of digital 

change, which will not just be focused 

around BIM. We've seen some arguments 

that BIM is effectively now done, or even 

dead - but that's far from true. Perhaps we 

are past the first milestone, now that BIM 

is mandated for the public sector, but it 

has a long way to spread across the 

private sector. Adoption remains highly 

variable, at different points in the value 

chain. What's more, the challenge of 

getting to Level 3 BIM still lies ahead for 

everyone. The industry has barely 

scratched the surface of its systemic, 

collaborative and openness challenges. 

In some ways, however, it is right to say 

that the debate really should not, and 

cannot be focused solely around BIM. BIM 

24 


INDUSTRYcomment 

has now been subsumed into a wider set 

of policy imperatives which span the 

entire transformation challenge facing 

construction, and which will determine its 

long-term viability. 

Three policy imperatives are coming 

through loud and clear in the latest 

Government positions: 

Industry: The latest Industrial Strategy 

recognises construction as a strategic 

industry upon which the productivity 

of the country depends, which was 

rapidly reinforced by the 

announcement of a Construction 

Sector Deal which will put 

transformation of the sector through 

better adoption of digital and 

manufacturing technologies at the 

heart of its plans. 

Infrastructure: We do not have to look 

far for what is driving this approach. 

Massively ramping up plans and 

funding for housing was a significant 

initiative throughout 2017, with 

enormous delivery implications that 

will stretch out for at least the next 5 

years. Alongside this sits the twin 

imperative of supporting infrastructure 

spanning everything from road, to rail, 

to air terminals. 

These mega-projects, both 

underway and in the works, are 

needed to support not just the future 

expansion of cities and creation of 

new towns, but to sustain the UK's 

increasingly uncertain economy. 

Again, the problem lies not in the 

ambitions that have been outlined, but 

in the delivery. The recent white paper 

on Transforming Infrastructure 

Performance clearly stated that the 

intent was to 'transform how we 

deliver' our infrastructure. 

Information: Lastly in this trio sits the 

information economy, and there is no 

doubting the UK's ambition to remain 

a leader in the digital sector. The UK is 

'the digital capital of Europe' 

according to the officially endorsed 

TechNation 2017 survey, with £6.8 

billion of investment, and a growth 

rate that dwarfs other sectors. Small 

wonder that our policy makers intend 

us to be both an enabler, and creator, 

of highly connected smart cities. 

This brings us back to BIM: at the 

heart of the Digital Built Britain 

strategy, again relying on the 

construction industry to transform and 

become digitally agile, collaborative, 

and competitive. 

STEP CHANGE OR TOTAL 

REINVENTION? 

The way digital transformation is viewed 

really needs to change. Or, perhaps, to 

expand: while most main contractors 

have already recognised the opportunity 

and imperative of not only embracing 

BIM but seeking out other digital benefits, 

the same is not yet true of every 

company. 

KPMG's 2017 global survey 

conclusions stung. It told a story of an 

industry in crisis, one 'replete with a 

continued inability to increase 

productivity, raise performance levels, 

and reduce project failures'. It echoed 

what so many reports, including Farmer, 

have suggested: it is becoming 

business-critical for construction 

companies, individually and collectively, 

to address their productivity issues to 

resolve their profitability ones. If they do 

not, it threatens their ability to continue in 

business - as has been proven. 

The answer lies not in total 

transformation, deep systemic change, 

or demolition of tried and tested 

construction project methodologies - but 

in step changes: clearly identified, 

doggedly made, in every aspect of 

delivery and to address a variety of 

prevailing challenges, using the array of 

available digital opportunities. 

Productivity requires efficiency - you 

can speed up delivery by improving 

the use of time, smart scheduling, 

and seeing ahead to eliminate the 

risks of potential clashes and crashes, 

bringing an array of profitability gains 

through shorter project durations, 

fewer late penalties and growing 

customer trust that can lead to less 

onerous retention terms. 

Skills challenges are endemic but can 

benefit hugely from digital change, as 

you use smarter software to manage 

and allocate resources for maximum 

efficiency and minimum cost. The 

capability of digital tools to enable 

collaboration between project 

managers, with clients, and with subcontractors 

can significantly aid 

overall team efficiency. 

Supply challenges are inevitable, yet 

software such as Bidcon helps you 

procure more smartly and link cost 

management to your planning. You 

can leverage BIM objects that can 

smoothly slip into the model, and 

leverage modern methods of 

construction such as prefabrication 

and offsite manufacture, could be 

transformative - and contribute also to 

the skills challenge, by reducing 

reliance on traditional trades, or only 

site-based working. 

Digital insight holds the key to better 

decisions, deeper understanding of 

risk, a clearer view ahead and a host 

of other business benefits. Software 

such as Powerproject BIM already 

delivers 4D planning and deeper 

visibility of progress than ever before, 

with 3D models connected to the 

programme. The Internet of Things 

promises connected equipment and 

plant maintenance, mobile 

technologies deliver understanding of 

real time site operations, and artificial 

intelligence is rapidly bringing new 

ways to analyse and make decisions. 

BIM helps unlock a powerful array of 

benefits that construction companies can 

only fully leverage if they build digital 

capability and fluency. If they do not, they 

risk not falling further behind in the 

comparative industry stakes, but it will 

threaten their very viability. On the road to 

a digital future, BIM is merely a pit stop. 

Behind it should lie old inefficiencies, 

while ahead lies only opportunity. 

It is to be hoped that 2018 will be looked 

back upon as the year that the 

construction industry truly woke up to 

efficiency, and embraced digital. It's time 

for construction businesses to take 

action, not only because of a Government 

mandate for BIM adoption, nor as a 

defence against uncomfortable truths, but 

to secure all the opportunities that digital 

and the future market can deliver. 

www.elecosoft.com 



A Digital Strategy 

How does Applications 9 from IFS help to 

counter the 'Carillion Effect'? 

IFS Applications 9 - individualised Dashboards 

One of the most striking facts 

about the Carillion disaster was 

the inability to turn the ship 

around when all the sirens were sounding 

and it was evident to most that it was 

heading for the rocks. The signs were 

there aplenty, with warnings that 

cashflows were tight and getting tighter, 

contractors were not being paid and 

projects were being put on hold or 

delayed. But too much was already 

committed, and it would have been a 

brave man who stood up and attempted 

to throw an anchor over the side. 

But enough of the tortured metaphors. It 

must be assumed that the lack of a clear 

statement of accounts allowed the board 

of Carillion and their accountants to 

persuade investors and the banks that 

the problems that they had were of a 

temporary nature, and the volume of 

business that they had in hand was 

sufficient to see them pull through. We 

must also assume there was insufficient 

flexibility in their system to allow them to 

change direction. 

There will be many other companies 

taking note of what Carillion is going 

through at the moment, and the carnage 

it is wreaking amongst its 

subcontractors - and the industry itself. 

These companies will, hopefully, be 

analysing their own situations, and 

assessing whether they have the 

systems and resources to weather the 

changes they will be forced to make, 

and to prevent them being the next 

domino in line after Carillion. 

CAPITALISING ON CHANGE 

It is evident that, besides having 

management solutions in place that 

provide comprehensive and up-to-theminute 

statements of an organisation's 

financial health, such a solution must be 

capable of reacting to change and to 

minimise risk - in fact, to be in a position 

to take advantage of it. 

Helping companies adopt just such an 

agile business approach is IFS, who have 

developed enterprise-wide solutions that 

are designed to work the way people 

want to work, and which can be 

configured to a company's specific 

requirements with a minimum of 

customisation, and with sufficient 

inherent flexibility to allow users to finetune 

the applications to their own needs. 

Their solutions are designed to let users 

capitalise on change, and to move 

quickly, act globally and take advantage 

of the latest technology. 

APPLICATIONS 9 

You can't have the above though without 

running an integrated business model 

that provides access to every scrap of 

information available from a project, or 

within an organisation, throughout its 

lifetime - from concept and planning to 

design and construction and forward into 

projected costs for running and 

maintaining a project for many years. The 

terminology that describes this process is 

called the Digital Asset Lifecycle, of 

which the mandated BIM strategy run by 

the Government is just one part. 

Applications 9 from IFS provides just 

such a framework, covering entire 

projects within one integrated 

application. It includes, for instance, 

modules that cover bidding and 

estimating, risk management, cost and 

progress control, equipment hire and 

rental, finance and project accounting 

and document management - and if your 

organisation manufactures off-site, you 

can add manufacturing and fabrication to 

the list. The underlying imperative that 

links all modules within Applications 9 is, 

of course, cost control, which allows 

monthly project cost reviews to be 

managed more effectively. 

Where most organisations talk about 

Capex and Opex, IFS are amongst the 

trendsetters in the industry who work on 

a TOTEX basis, where both Capex and 

Opex data can be managed using just 

one integrated set of numbers, with 

obvious benefits from using qualified 

information directly linked to its source. 

STRENGTH IN ALL AREAS 

You can't really offer a comprehensive 

solution if you have had to compromise 

in any particular area. IFS have ensured, 

therefore, that each of the modules 

within Applications 9 provide industryleading 

solutions - strong project 

management, progress control and risk 

management solutions, for instance, for 

construction projects, and effective 

maintenance and facilities management 

for the management of long-term 

assets. To reinforce this inclusive set of 

tools, if required, IFS allows the 

incorporation of information from non- 

IFS business applications. 

Contract management is designed to 

handle complex contracts, and those 

where variations and applications for 

payment are the norm, and to deal with 

complex subcontracting activity. Risk 

management is a feature of the whole 

project, and not just a process that 

evaluates the bidding process, enabling 

26 



risks to be evaluated and corrections 

implemented at any stage. 

Asset and service management extends 

beyond the management of clients 

assets, and allows organisations to 

manage their own internal assets and 

equipment. This is indicative of a 

management solution that extends 

beyond the requirements of individual 

project and asset management, allowing 

companies to amortise operational costs 

alongside administrative, legal, 

accommodation and even - as we have 

discovered to be lacking with Carillion - 

pension pots. 

Document management and supply 

chain support include the important 

elements of revision level management, 

document deliverables and approved 

workflows, and for the latter, efficient 

procurement, manufacturing and 

inventory control. 

ENGINEERING COMPONENTS 

A common asset information registry 

provides the tools to manage a complete 

project equipment and asset component 

list, allowing the data to be used at all 

stages of an asset's life, in accordance 

with the requirements of an organisation's 

BIM strategy. 

THE CARILLION EFFECT 

It is difficult when talking about complete 

Enterprise Management to avoid referring 

back to the 'Carillion Effect', which is 

going to colour all such implementations 

in the future. It is important, then, to 

adopt a solution that gives an 

organisation the ability to recognise and 

counter the issues that bedevilled that 

company. This means that individual 

project plans are not isolated from the 

main business system and are able, 

like IFS Applications 9, to work with 

leading tools such as Primavera and 

Microsoft Projects. 

To be effective, project details need to 

be accurate and reliable, like the 

Estimating module within IFS 

Applications which, aligned to the work 

breakdown structure, is able to provide 

accurate estimations at any stage - 

essential for establishing project costs 

and payment liabilities. 

Changes within a project are a major 

challenge, hence the inclusion in 

Applications 9 of many features that 

address change; document 

management, project baselining, project 

budgeting, forecasting revision, contract 

change management, audit trails and 

approval workflow. Managing change 

effectively helps improve project 

profitability. Being able to clearly identify 

areas subject to change and manage 

them within a projected workflow ensures 

a company can manage projects 

properly within an overall business plan. 

With the dramatic increase in 

companies working together on projects 

as joint ventures, with sub-contracting 

and outsourcing becoming more 

prevalent, companies are finding it 

increasing difficult to keep control of their 

many ventures. Recognising this, the 

subcontract management module of IFS 

Applications 9 allows complex subcontracts 

to be managed within the 

overall project management solution. 

SITE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT 

The latest technology is used to provide 

instant feedback to site and asset 

operations, using both web and mobile 

solutions, organising subcontract work, 

and managing work orders. 

IFS LOBBY 

Whatever your role within an 

organisation, you need information to be 

delivered quickly, simply and to be 

relevant. IFS allows companies to 

configure individual Lobby pages 

(dashboards) that reflect the role of each 

manager. This centralises information 

from multiple sources, screens and data 

services and presents it in an easily 

digested form on individual screens. 

These are the main portals that enable 

users to drill down through the Enterprise 

Information repository to find and select 

exactly what they need. 

Lobby pages are flexible enough for 

users to integrate preconfigured data 

streams with tailored content, enabling 

them to increase the visibility of key data, 

and to incorporate it within 

supplementary tailored output. 

BEATING THE CARILLION EFFECT 

Will the implementation of software like 

Applications 9 prevent companies like 

Carillion from overreaching? I can't 

answer that. It will never prevent CEOs 

making unilateral decisions to expand 

portfolios without assessing the impact 

on their organisations, and to attempt to 

obfuscate deteriorating balance sheets 

with expanding order books, but it will 

provide organisations with accurate 

information about current activity, future 

liabilities and the financial impact of 

projects and their contribution to a 

company's overall health. 

www.ifs.com 



Allplan Bimplus 

ALLPLAN's data focused BIM 

collaboration tool, Allplan Bimplus is the 

key to successful project delivery 

Allplan Bimplus task management 

Richard Brotherton, CEO, ALLPLAN 

Ispent a fascinating afternoon at 

ALLPLAN's new UK office recently, 

where I was not only brought up to 

date about ALLPLAN's engineering and 

architectural software, but learned a lot 

more about the philosophy of the 

company, its origins and how it fits within 

the wider Nemetschek Group. 

Like its sister company, Vectorworks, 

ALLPLAN is opening new offices initially 

both here and in America with the 

intention of increasing its market for its 

advanced design tools, which have 

dominated the German market for so 

many years. This will be followed up by 

further offices in Europe and the Middle 

East. The Nemetschek Group comprises 

three of the major architectural software 

developers - Vectorworks and Graphisoft 

being the other two - with up to 14 other 

partners, including companies like 

Bluebeam and Data Design Services. 

Richard Brotherton, CEO of ALLPLAN 

explained how they work together: "Each 

company is independent of each other, 

and develops its own applications. Like 

ALLPLAN, all have been heavily involved 

in developing BIM compatible workflows 

since well before the terminology was 

established. All are at the forefront of 

adopting BIM processes and workflows, 

but with significant differences in the way 

they address the challenges they pose." 

One of the key points that Richard 

made was the way that the BIM process 

was handled in Germany in comparison 

to the UK. The requirements, he said, 

were much more clearly defined, and 

when companies tendered for projects 

they knew exactly what they were being 

asked to deliver. In contrast he cited the 

UK experience, where companies 

attempted to overstate their case, 

promise too much and then struggle to 

deliver all that was asked of them. 

Richard also pointed out the increased 

complexity of projects and client 

requirements, the shortage of skilled 

employees, the prevalence of multiple 

complex tools and the fact that, basically, 

BIM as we are implementing it in the UK 

is just too complex. This has led to 

engineers and architects becoming 

involved in other aspects of a project in 

which they lacked relevant experience. 

Recent studies have suggested that 

there still remains much scepticism within 

the UK about the effectiveness of BIM, 

with only 31% expecting it to increase 

effective collaboration within the industry. 

ALLPLAN's focus, then, is to provide a 

solution that gives both architects and 

engineers the ability to deliver a project 

within their technical capabilities - in other 

words to provide them with advanced 

tools and yet allow them to work the way 

they always have done. To achieve this, 

companies must move from paper to 

Cloud BIM, and from file exchange to 

data flows. BIM is more effective when it 

is used to share information, rather than 

to facilitate the exchange of data files - a 

time-consuming, inefficient and errorprone 

collaboration method - with a more 

suitable method of delivery. 

Allplan Bimplus is available, like all of 

Allplan's applications, in either 

subscription or perpetual mode. The 

subscription model allows users to pay 

only for what and how much they use, 

optimising the cost of the software within 

an organisation. 

ALLPLAN BIMPLUS 

Above all, the design and engineering 

process needs a flexible, focused, data 

sharing platform, like Allplan Bimplus. 

Allplan Bimplus is not just another 

viewing platform for BIM models, but 

rather a cloud-based repository for the 

masses of information in a BIM project. 

This information is defined and 

categorised so that it can be used 

throughout the entire lifecycle of a project 

by all project members, whatever system 

or discipline they are working on. 

It allows core Allplan Applications, 

Allplan Architecture and Allplan 

Engineering, to connect to the Allplan 

Bimplus central BIM coordination model, 

to utilise and share the project and task 

information it contains - the wealth of 

properties, costs, material details, and 

other attributes assigned to each 

component, along with the geometrical 

28 



Allplan Bimplus for architects 

Signing in to Bimplus engineering 

and location properties of each. All work 

on a project is carried out using the 

Allplan Bimplus model, including work 

undertaken on external applications, 

including SCIA, SDS/2 and other sister 

brands and, of course, Revit. 

Allplan Bimplus forms the underlying 

tool for successful data management. It's 

a natural progression for the openBIM 

philosophy developed by ALLPLAN years 

before BIM was nominally established. It 

is an open solution for cooperation 

between project partners, allowing full 

collaboration by merging models from 

multidisciplinary teams, using standard 

formats IFC and BCF. 

Each discipline forms a new transparent 

layer with data underneath that can be 

shared with other disciplines. As an 

openBIM tool, other formats can also be 

used, notably Excel, Project and AEF, the 

Analytical Exchange Format. Allplan 

Bimplus connects data via breakdown 

structures, and on setup needs to ensure 

each layer for each discipline is 

connected. Allplan Bimplus comes with 

full API capabilities as well, theoretically 

enabling tools and routines from any 

application or discipline to be used for 

calculation or analytical purposes. 

Both Allplan Architecture, the fullyfeatured 

CAD application and Allplan 

Engineering, the structural design and 

reinforcement general arrangement tools 

for the engineering office, can work within 

Allplan Bimplus in either 2D or 3D, or a 

combination of both. If users are more 

familiar with working in a 2D environment 

then they can continue to do so, but the 

parametric design tools they will be using 

will automatically develop the 3D model 

and populate the Allplan Bimplus 

information database at the same time. 

Other Allplan solutions that support the 

Allplan Bimplus model include Allplan 

Design2Cost, which controls quantities 

and costs in the early stages of a 

building project. A portfolio of project 

related solutions are similarly available to 

support building projects using Allplan 

Bimplus as the hub for all data and 

project collaboration. 

The strength of the system is that users 

are able to contribute at a level that 

reflects their expertise and capabilities. 

There is, essentially, no difference 

between designing in 2D and 3D, and 2D 

draughtsman can switch viewports to 3D 

views at any stage. 

As you would expect, collaborators are 

able to work on the model 

simultaneously, either by ring-fencing 

critical elements and synchronising the 

updates after work has been completed, 

or through real-time collaboration where, 

for instance, an architect may update a 

section of a building that requires input 

from an engineer to reconfigure the 

supporting structure. Changes are made 

either in 2D or 3D and displayed in 

whatever view each of them has open. 

Supporting view panes show component 

attributes which, when modified, update 

the Allplan Bimplus data file. 

ENGINEERING WORKFLOWS 

One of the major benefits of using 

Allplan Bimplus is that engineers can be 

involved right at the start of a project, 

even though model attributes differ for 

engineers and architects. More complex 

structures can be delivered at an earlier 

stage, fully satisfying all the demands of 

delivery at different Levels Of Detail 

(LOD 100, 200, 300 and 400). 

Because it uses a Common Data 

Environment, Allplan Bimplus enables 

users to combine model building with 

SCIA tools to work out structural forces 

earlier on in the project, using tools that 

are already available within the Allplan 

environment. To work out reinforcement 

requirements, for instance, CDE access 

within Allplan Bimplus makes 

uncorrupted analytical data available as 

and when required. Additional analytical 

data, components and their attributes, 

supporting documents and other material 

can only be used with the model 

following inclusion within the Allplan 

Bimplus CDE. 

THE RETURN OF EXCEL 

Allplan Bimplus can be used on 

smartphones, laptops etc. and 

reinvigorates the use of Excel. It creates 

spreadsheets to provide access to 

Allplan Bimplus information, filtered and 

categorised in the many ways that Excel 

is capable of, and allowing users to 

modify elements of the model even 

without the intervention of Allplan. These 

are capable of being updated without 

compromising the integrity of the model, 

such as component suppliers and prices, 

material qualities, etc. 

As a result Excel can become a BIM 

tool, allowing, for instance, Allplan and 

SCIA users to work together to solve 

analytical structural problems. We will 

cover more of this in the next issue, 

where we look more closely at ALLPLAN's 

extensive reinforcement tools, which 

allow you to do things like modelling 

tendons and reinforcement bars together. 

www.allplan.com 



Autodesk BIM 360 

Lifecycle management for construction projects is enhanced by Autodesk's BIM 360 and the new 

Connect and Construct Exchange 

BIM 360 - Automatic clash detection 

Autodesk's Forge provides access to the 

many and varied applications developed 

by its partners that leverage the information 

available in a project, providing deeper 

analysis and insights that enhance the 

decision making processes. BIM 360 also 

addresses the risks and uncertainty that 

plague construction projects by integrating 

its project management tools and 

database with machine learning analytics 

and insights. The result is closer 

collaboration among project teams, greater 

transparency about changes, and 

improved data continuity that translates into 

increased profitability. 

With BIM firmly entrenched in the 

design and construction 

processes, you may have 

noticed how the emphasis is shifting 

towards a more integrated approach to 

information management that covers the 

entire construction lifecycle. This was the 

background to the release of the next 

generation of the BIM 360 platform at 

Autodesk's 25th annual user conference, 

Autodesk University. Cloud-based BIM 

360 connects all aspects of the 

construction project lifecycle, helping 

Project, Field and BIM Managers to deliver 

projects on time and budget whilst 

adhering to industry standards, safety 

rules and project specifications. 

At the same conference, and another 

development of the Forge programme 

which we wrote about in the last issue, 

Autodesk launched the Connect and 

Construct Exchange, a new BIM 360 

integration partner program designed to 

bring third-party software applications and 

data into the BIM 360 construction 

workflow. To get it off the ground, the 

Connect and Construct Exchange was 

launched with more than 50 inaugural BIM 

360 integrators. Most of the integrators are 

based in the US, but one, Datum360, is a 

UK-based Engineering Design company, 

of which more, later. 

If it has done nothing else, then - and 

there are still those who haven't taken it 

fully on board - BIM has acted as a 

catalyst in the drive to harness the mass of 

information we are compiling within the 

industry to empower all processes, 

workflows and collaboration. 

This is demonstrated in the next generation 

of BIM 360, which, built on the Autodesk 

Forge platform, supports informed decisionmaking 

throughout the construction project 

lifecycle by centralising all project data in a 

single place. Autodesk Forge acts as a 

connected developer cloud platform which 

enables customers and partners to create 

customised, scalable solutions for 

engineering, construction and 

manufacturing challenges. 

Andrew Anagnost, president and CEO of 

Autodesk, explained the rationale behind 

Forge: "Construction projects are growing 

more complex, but Autodesk meets that 

challenge head-on with BIM 360, making 

construction work safer, simpler, and 

connected. With the confusion of an everincreasing 

number of construction apps 

across the industry, the option to manage 

all project data in a single cloud platform 

results in more predictable building 

project outcomes." 

BIM 360 STATS 

The new BIM 360 platform was developed 

by Autodesk talking to 500 construction 

professionals from 100 different 

organisations. Since its launch It has 

progressed apace, logging almost four 

million models and approximately 200 

million field observations. Autodesk believes 

that working with professional partners has 

enabled them to provide a "game-changing 

project management service." 

Explaining further, Andy Leek, director, 

Virtual Design and Construction at PARIC, a 

St. Louis, Missouri-based construction 

services firm, said "Construction software is 

so fragmented with endless vendors 

claiming to offer the best mousetrap for each 

particular process. PARIC is trying to solve all 

of our problems as seamlessly as possible, 

and Autodesk BIM 360 could ultimately be 

our backbone to connect everyone from 

design to ownership in one place." 

CONNECT AND CONSTRUCT 

EXCHANGE 

Besides providing an enhanced flow of 

information and utilities between all partners 

in the construction process, BIM 360 is now 

able to connect fragmented workflows 

across preconstruction, execution, 

fabrication, installation, and facility 

30 



BIM 360 - Handling construction issues 

BIM 360 - Trench and excavation lists 

management. The new Autodesk Connect 

and Construct Exchange adds value for 

each of these phases of construction with 

an inaugural group of more than 50 BIM 

360 integration partners. The Exchange 

makes the software developed by each of 

these partners available to customers, 

giving them a broader choice of solutions to 

enhance and extend their workflow to meet 

a variety of construction needs. 

To cite two examples, you have Rhumbix 

and Datum360. Rhumbix was developed to 

manage field operations in a paperless 

environment. It enables construction teams 

to manage timekeeping, quantity tracking, 

and other critical tasks from the palm of 

your hand with just two taps on a mobile 

device. Its CEO, Zach Scheel, said "Our 

seamless integration with BIM 360 ensures 

that everything on the job site is tracked and 

communicated back to the home office and 

field trailer." 

Datum360 is a SaaS design checking tool 

for coordinating and checking construction 

management. It is used to define and 

specify engineering information 

requirements (CLS360) and then capture, 

aggregate, measure, report and share data 

with the construction site's digital twin on a 

trusted data backbone (PIM360). It helps 

manage engineeering information for assets 

and integrates it with content published in 

BIM 360 Docs, provides visualisations with 

Forge Viewer, and interacts between 

models and data to drive collaboration and 

assure the integrity of data. 

RISK MITIGATION - MANAGING 

ISSUES 

The two biggest factors that affect the 

profitability of a construction project are risk 

mitigation and issue management - the 

ability to identify risks and to devise plans to 

deal with them, and the capacity to respond 

rapidly to the issues that occur. It's 

impossible of course to eliminate all risks or 

issues, and as a result they incur delays, 

added costs, rework, client dissatisfaction 

and legal consequences. BIM 360 helps 

companies implement a standardised way 

of doing things - from worker safety, 

equipment inventory and management, 

through to resource management and 

quality assessment - making it easier for 

managers to identify and resolve issues 

before they impact the project. 

With all information gathered in a single, 

cloud-based repository, it is possible to 

create a location structure for the project 

and pin issue locations to design views, 

which assists managers in assigning 

responsibility for their resolution to local 

managers, superintendents, subcontractors 

and project engineers. 

Individual dashboards provide access to 

the information and tracking of the project, 

and can issue management status updates 

in a variety of formats on mobile devices 

when in the field. A centralised information 

repository also makes it easier to create, 

manage, distribute and approve RFIs and 

Submittals with project controls and activity 

tracking. Users can create submittals 

packages, track the flow of approval 

processes and manage all information in a 

single document library, maintaining an 

audit trail of all activity. 

CONSTRUCTABILITY REVIEWS 

BIM 360 facilitates the publishing, viewing, 

markup and sharing of comments within a 

single application for design reviews. All 

drawing sets can be published to a single 

library with control access, and which can 

be viewed on most mobile devices, with the 

ability to add markups and measurements, 

and even to address and resolve 

constructability problems. 

BIM coordination between designers and 

trades is automated, making it quicker to 

identify and resolve problems between 

disciplines, and ensuring that everyone 

contributes to the coordination process. A 

single library enables project members to 

upload all models, aggregate model 

viewing, and maintain full version histories. 

Another feature of BIM coordination is the 

automatic clash detection, which eliminates 

design issues, ensuring that fewer problems 

occur on the job site. When multiple models 

are published and coordinated, users are 

able to see how many clashing objects 

exist. These are highlighted along with 

surrounding geometry for context. 

REDUCED SAFETY RISK 

In an industry which has the worst safety 

record for employees in the UK, Health and 

Safety is, belatedly, making an impact. BIM 

360 can be used by construction managers 

to focus on this issue as well. The biggest 

safety risks, though, are those you are 

unaware of. BIM 360 enables managers to 

get the company's safety program into 

everyone's hands to avoid these safety 

blindspots. It can be used to communicate 

safety standards to workers in the field by 

publishing safety checklists to mobile 

devices, to execute inspections, and to 

raise issues to resolve any problem areas to 

avoid risky situations. 

Collaboration and communication are the 

key elements that help drive a project's 

progress. BIM 360 allows managers to 

extend access to critical information to the 

whole team so they remain in the loop for 

any updates and changes, and can 

contribute to projects in real time. 

www.Autodesk.com 


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 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




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: 


Tel: +44 (0)208 622 3027 

Fax: +44 (0)208 622 3200 




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 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




SOUTHHAMPTON 42 

TRAINING 

NORTH LONDON 28 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




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 

Graitec - Milton Keynes 

Contact: David Huke 

Tel: 01908 410026 

david.huke@graitec.co.uk 

www.graitec.co.uk 

A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X 

High Wycombe 19 


Contact: Kerrie Braybrook 

Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162 




Cambridge 29 

THE NORTH 

MIDLANDS 

MANCHESTER 11 

CADASSIST 

Contact: 


Tel: 0161 440 8122 

Fax: 0161 439 9635 




MANCHESTER 13 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




NORTH EAST 14 

Symetri 


Tel: 0191 213 5555 




YORKSHIRE 15 

Graitec - Bradford 

Contact: Isobel Gillon 

Tel: 01274 532919 

training@graitec.co.uk 



NOTTINGHAM 33 

MicroCAD - Nottingham 


Tel: 0115 969 1114 




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 

Graitec - Durham 


Tel: 0191 374 2020 




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 


Tel: 01924 266262 




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 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




Riverside House, Brunel Road 

Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX 


Tel: 02380 868 947 





Contact: Emily Howe 

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 716200 




Armada Autodesk 

Training Centre 

Contact: Steven Smith 

Tel: 01527 834783 

Fax: 01527 834785 

training@armadaonline.co.uk 

www.armadaonline.co.uk 

A D E M K H

CASE study 

Mud, mud, inglorious mud! 

Failed projects can often provide more valuable lessons than 

successful ones. Watchet Marina is a case in point 

If you wanted to pick an example that 

highlighted the things that could go 

wrong with a project then you could do a 

lot worse than to take a look at Watchet 

Marina. Twenty years ago the historical 

town was described as being a bit sad and 

run-down. On the Southern shores of the 

Bristol Channel, Watchet has a long history 

as a commercial port for coasters carrying 

iron ore to Wales, timber from Portugal and 

so on. Following its closure, it was 

reasonable to believe that improving the 

port to accommodate the leisure industry 

would improve the town's image and bring 

in accompanying business - and the best 

way of doing this would be to build a 

Marina and upgrade the adjacent quay. 

The main challenge to this are the extreme 

tides that affect the area, depositing vast 

quantities of mud every tide. West 

Somerset District Council (WSDC) were not 

unaware of this, and a number of studies 

were considered to evaluate the scheme's 

viability. One concluded that marinas were 

a popular feature of the West Country, but 

the study covered the southern coastline 

and not the vastly different conditions of the 

Bristol Channel. The second confirmed that 

dredging would be needed and outlined a 

way to do it, estimating that it would not be 

necessary more than once a year. 

The scheme was deemed viable by the 

Council, but only if some of the cost could 

be defrayed by building apartments and 

other facilities on the adjacent East Quay. 

Tenders were sent out and following 

protests from local groups concerned 

about the East Quay project, a 

compromise was made by favouring a 

contractor who claimed they could 

complete the project within budget and 

with fewer buildings. 

When the selected contractor began work, 

however, and in spite of the fact they were 

Marina specialists, they discovered 

problems that they hadn’t originally 

considered, and scaled back their work 

accordingly. Instead of regrading the 

Marina floor, they found the rock base so 

tough that the task was abandoned. The 

three silt pumping pipelines they had 

agreed to install were likewise abandoned, 

and with them the vital means of removing 

the silt, which was building up at 18 inches 

a day. The design for the double gates of 

the marina lock was also replaced with a 

single gate design, removing the means of 

keeping the water levels within the Marina 

at a constant, high level. Shortly after 

installation the gate was damaged, leading 

to its removal. It is currently awaiting an 

expensive replacement. 

In the meantime, prompted by the 

Environment Agency, concerned about fish 

migration upstream in Washford River (a 

piffling brook that actually helped to scour 

sediment from Watchet Harbour) the offset 

outlet to the outer harbour was closed. It 

transpires, now, that 70% of the mud that 

enters the inner Marina comes from the 

outer harbour which silts up regularly. 

The contractors informed the Council that 

they had modified their plans, but the 

recipient of this vital information did not 

pass it on to their fellow councillors. 

Engineers working for the contractors also 

expressed their concerns, but these, also, 

were not acted upon. In fact, both directors 

of the contractor and the separate project 

management company, which appeared to 

remain invisible during all of this, have gone 

on record to say that they originally had 

reservations about the viability of the whole 

project. Halfway through the project 

ownership of the Marina changed hands, 

and the East Quay construction element 

was put on hold. 

Despite the lack of information flow within 

the council it soon became apparent that 

serious problems had arisen. The chief 

executive of WSDC contacted its legal 

advisers about the legal steps needed to 

terminate the project, and being advised of 

them, but not their consequences, went 

ahead anyway. 

The contractor pulled out, having 

completed the construction of the Marina but 

not the mud alleviation measures, and the 

Marina duly filled up with mud. A floating 

dredger was employed to pump the mud out 

of the Marina, which was now mudbound, 

giving boat owners a mere couple of hours to 

move their boats at high tides. The pump 

couldn't take the workload and is now high 

and dry also awaiting repairs. The outer 

harbour also needs to be dredged, but as 

that responsibility lies with the Town Council, 

which can't afford it, it continues to contribute 

to the Marina's problems. 

What can we learn from all this? 

Background research on the viability of the 

project was minimal and reflected dissimilar 

scenarios. The client, WSDC, being neither 

civil engineers or project managers, lacked 

competence in this area, relying on the 

contractor's experience. They, in turn, did 

not fully research local conditions and work 

requirements until work had commenced, 

and had to abandon vital elements. The 

council handed responsibility to the 

contractor and project management 

company, breaking the communication link, 

so that ongoing issues could not be 

adequately addressed. 

Furthermore, the project ran mainly on 

verbal agreements, with no audit trail and 

scant documentation, so WSDC appears 

unable to sue the contractor for not 

delivering a working Marina, or vice versa. 

The conclusion? Naivety and 

incompetence on the part of WSDC was 

compounded by poor information 

management from all parties, and what 

should have been a beacon to invigorate a 

middling seaside resort has become an 

embarrassing failure. The principals have 

moved on, but the mud remains - an 

intractable problem in more ways than one. 

34 


DATE FOR YOUR DIARY 

15TH NOVEMBER 2018. LONDON. 

NOMINATIONS OPEN 4TH JULY 2018 

For sponsorship enquiries or more information on this leading industry event please visit 

www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk 

Contact josh.boulton@btc.co.uk 

or call 01689 616000 

Sponsored by: 

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