CU Jan-Feb 2021

CAD User 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 

VOL 34 NO 01 

WWW.CADUSER.COM 

Gliding over all 

An innovative culture stimulates 

success for Glider 

Archicad-Revu 

Márkus Engineering use online 

collaboration to meet the 

challenges of Covid-19 

AI in BIM 

What role will AI play in the future 

of BIM and construction? 

An elevated view 

Esri and Heliguy create an 

end-to-end AEC drone solution 

INDUSTRY NEWS • CASE STUDIES • HARDWARE & SOFTWARE FOCUS • PRODUCT REVIEWS • FEATURES

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CONTENTS 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 

CONTENTS 

PRINCIPAL TOWER 12 

WSP has utilised Bentley's technology to 

overcome complex challenges in delivering a 

new high-rise tower in London 

ARCHICAD-REVU 18 

Márkus Engineering decided they needed to 

'up their game' to meet the challenges of 

Covid-19, and did so by adopting online 

collaboration with Bluebeam Revu 

AN ELEVATED VIEW 22 

Esri UK has signed a partnership with drone 

hardware specialist Heliguy to create an endto-end 

drone solution for the AEC industry 

AI AND BIM 28 

Craig Johnson at Trimble Solutions (UK) 

explores the topic of Artificial Intelligence and 

imagines its future place within the world of 

BIM and construction 

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

• WIN AN ARCHITECT WITH WIGNALL & MOORE • NEW FREE PLATFORM TO SEND 3D MODELS 

CASE STUDY......................................A BIM INSPIRED ECO HOME............................................................................10 

• THE EARTH SHELTERED ECO HOME PROVES BIM ISN'T JUST A RESOURCE FOR LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC PROJECTS 

CASE STUDY.....................................TOTAL ACCESS..................................................................................................14 

• THE ACCESS GROUP ACQUIRES EASYBUILD TO STRENGTHEN ITS LINE-UP OF SOFTWARE AND SERVICES 

INDUSTRY COMMENT......................SMART RETROFITTING......................................................................................16 

• NATHAN DOUGHTY TALKS US THROUGH ASITE'S RECENT REPORT ON DECARBONIZING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 

INDUSTRY COMMENT......................HOW DRONES ARE CHANGING CONSTRUCTION...........................................20 

• IAN BARNES, DIRECTOR AT SITECH UK & IRELAND, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE BENEFITS OF DRONES 

COMPANY PROFILE.........................COMPLETE SYMETRI..........................................................................................24 

• SYMETRI JOINS FORCES WITH EXCITECH TO FORM AN INTERNATIONAL PARTNER OF SOFTWARE AND SERVICES 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS.....................WELCOME TO THE CONSTRUCTION CONTROL CENTRE..............................26 

• BUILDOTS COMBINES HELMET MOUNTED CAMERAS AND AI TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCTION TOOL 

COMPANY PROFILE.........................GLIDING OVER ALL............................................................................................30 

• HOW GLIDER HAS CULTIVATED SUCCESS THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE CULTURE 

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

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

CASE STUDY.....................................A CAMPUS COMMAND CENTRE.......................................................................34 

• IES RAN A PILOT PROJECT WITH HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY TO INVESTIGATE ENERGY, CARBON AND COST SAVINGS 

January/February 2021 3

COMMENT 

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Comment 

The growth of new technology in construction 

by David Chadwick 

Whilst we remain in the grip of the 

Coronavirus pandemic, the new 

year is already witnessing a 

remarkable effort from scientists within the 

pharmaceutical industry to roll out a 

number of vaccines that are showing 

dramatic results from one of the early 

adopters, Israel, which will hopefully be 

replicated here in the UK. Both countries 

have responded to the crisis by taking a 

chance and arranging vaccine orders from 

a number of suppliers, acting quickly to 

both certify and distribute them. 

This good news is accompanied by 

figures that show that the construction 

industry is weathering the pandemic, with 

the shortfall in new construction projects 

over last year less than 5%. We are starting 

the new year with a much more positive 

outlook than we probably expected. 

This is reflected in the stories that are 

gathering the most interest in the press, 

which are focusing on how a greater use of 

the latest technologies are bringing better 

efficiencies and improved working 

practices on the building site, and the use 

of smart technology to handle one of the 

most pressing issues of our time which, 

unfortunately, has taken a back seat during 

the year of Brexit and Covid-19, namely 

global warming. 

Taking the second of these first, I asked 

Nathan Doughty, CEO of Asite, to expand 

on their recent report 'Smart Retrofitting: 

the Key to Decarbonising the Built 

Environment' in this issue of the 

magazine, as I felt it laid down some 

strategic routes for tackling a problem that 

was of critical global importance before 

the pandemic elbowed it aside. In the 

article Nathan points out the role that 

Digital Twins (the meme of the last couple 

of years) will play in building integrated 

models that can be used to aggregate 

and analyse data from multiple sources, 

and plan ameliorating tactics. 

Technology is starting to make an impact 

on building processes both on building 

sites and infrastructure projects, and one 

of the most interesting areas is in the use 

of drone technology to enhance the 

capture of site data, which gives site 

operators faster and safer access to 

remote or difficult to reach sections of a 

project. Sitech's Ian Barnes provides us 

with an interesting overview on how drones 

are changing the construction industry, 

supported by a technical overview of Esri 

UK's partnership with drone experts 

Heliguy, which brings the GIS company's 

expertise in geophysical data collection 

and analysis to the construction site, 

supported by Heliguy's drone deployment 

skills - and offering training and support for 

any company wanting to 'take-off' with the 

technology. 

Going further, we have included an article 

that explores how Buildots, winners of the 

'One to Watch: Company' award at the 

Construction Computing Awards in 

November, has leveraged a basic 

technology using artificial intelligence 

algorithms to turn it into a comprehensive 

site monitoring and evaluation tool, linking 

digital images captured by helmet 

mounted 360 degree cameras with a site's 

2D plans and 3D models, to check on 

construction progress and other site 

management issues. 

Finally, IES describe how Heriot Watt 

University used their ICL Digital Twin suite 

to studies to calculate Energy, Carbon and 

cost savings on a sample of the 

Universities buildings. 

4 January/February 2021

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INDUSTRY news 

HOOPS PLATFORM IMPROVES BIM WORKFLOW 

Tech Soft 3D has announced 

the release of the HOOPS 

Native Platform 2021, which 

provides notable improvements 

in support for BIM workflows, 

the latest file format support, 

and optimisations for manufacturing 

workflows. 

In addition, the Tech Soft 3D 

website has been updated with 

a free 90-day HOOPS Native 

Platform evaluation experience. 

Developers interested in building 

desktop and mobile apps 

using the Platform can now 

start their free evaluation, interact 

with demos, watch videos, 

walk through tutorials, read 

partner success stories and 

browse the updated documentation, 

all in just a few clicks. 

The HOOPS Native Platform 

2021 integrates three 

advanced HOOPS technologies 

– HOOPS Visualize, 

HOOPS Exchange and 

HOOPS Publish – for desktop 

and mobile application development, 

including high performance 

graphics, CAD data 

access and 3D data publishing. 

New features in the Platform 

include: 

• Faster loading of large models 

to support BIM workflows, 

improved measurement operators, 

and Qt Quick support for 

cross-platform application 

development 

• Support for 3MF and other 

new format updates, accelerate 

the development process 

and improved support of BIM 

workflows 

• Improved Product Manufacturing 

Information (PMI) support 

in Technical Data Packages 

(TDP) to support modelbased 

design (MBD). 

www.techsoft3d.com 

WIN AN ARCHITECT WITH WIGNALL & MOORE 

Award winning art & architecture 

studio Wignall & 

Moore, have launched a competition 

to seek out the most 

innovative client briefs and 

architectural proposals. Born 

and raised in Yorkshire, 

James Wignall of Harrogate 

and Bradley Moore of Hull, 

want to bring innovative and 

creative projects to life that 

enhance, showcase and celebrate 

the culturally rich heritage 

of Yorkshire. 

Wignall commented: “This is 

our opportunity to really explore 

some striking concepts and 

innovative design, right on our 

doorstep. Whether you’re a 

business in need of a new 

premises, the owner of a heritage 

asset in need of restoration 

or an arts organisation 

looking to make a splash, we’re 

looking for entries that will challenge 

conventional design concepts 

and inspire the future 

against a backdrop of history.” 

The competition offers the 

chance to win a design concept 

worth up to £10,000. 

Moore added: “This will 

include a full site study, client 

workshop, planning investigation, 

design drawings and 3D 

visualisation of your project. In 

short, we will act as your advisors 

to develop your design 

and bring tangible detail to 

your plans. Four runners up 

will also benefit from a design 

consultation, where you can 

bounce your ideas off of the 

team to help move your project 

closer to realisation.” 

For more details on the combination 

and it’s expert judging 

panel visit: 

www.wignallandmoore.com/ 

myproject/ 

NEW FREE PLATFORM TO SEND 3D MODELS 

Anew simple and secure 

platform, 3D Send, has 

been created to share and 

view 3D models without needing 

to download them first. 3D 

Send has been developed by 

3D Repo to allow architects, 

engineers, construction professionals, 

hobbyists, or anyone 

else to instantly share a 

3D model. Models can be previewed 

in the web browser or 

downloaded to use with your 

favourite tools with no requirement 

for sign-in or registration. 

Dr Jozef Dobos, CEO at 3D 

Repo, said: "Sharing 3D models 

can be a slow process and 

with everyone using different 

software and file types it can 

be a laborious task. 3D Send 

streamlines this process 

including offering a preview 

option, democratising model 

data so you can share models 

with absolutely anyone you 

need to." 

3D Send users can share 

unlimited numbers of models, 

up to 500MB at a time. Files 

are stored safely and securely 

until they have been downloaded 

for up to 14 days using 

3D Repo security. 3D Repo 

has independent verification 

via BSI to achieve the highest 

standards of information security, 

privacy, and management 

processes and controls. 

https://3dsend.com 

AUTODESK BUILD NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE 

Autodesk Build, a new project 

and field management 

solution and part of Autodesk 

Construction Cloud, is now 

available to users globally. Initially 

announced at Autodesk 

University 2020, Autodesk Build 

now provides construction 

teams with a single solution for 

project management, quality, 

safety, cost and closeout by 

connecting data, workflows 

and teams in one highly-configurable 

environment. Easy to 

deploy, adopt and use, 

Autodesk Build unifies best-inclass 

features from BIM 360 

and PlanGrid and adds powerful 

new capabilities to make 

information immediately available 

across the entire construction 

team. Owners, general 

contractors and specialty contractors 

can enhance project 

quality by relying on Autodesk 

Build for real-time visibility that 

keeps teams in sync, improves 

collaboration, mitigates project 

risk and enables data-driven 

decision making. 

"For Autodesk Build, we developed 

a strong, cohesive foundation 

that not only delivers on 

the vision of connected construction, 

but that can scale 

with customers' growth," said 

Stephanie Ho, global head of 

customer success, Autodesk 

Construction Solutions. 

www.autodesk.com 

6 

January/February 2021

INDUSTRY news 

THE WATER SECTOR RUNS ON BLUESKY 

Water sector solution 

provider MWH Treatment 

is using the latest 3D computer 

modelling technology to 

improve the delivery of major 

construction projects across 

the UK. Created by Bluesky 

International, models are used 

throughout the lifecycle of projects; 

from the production of 

animations at the concept 

stage right through to Virtual 

Reality (VR) simulations for 

health and safety training. 

Derived from the most up to 

date and accurate aerial photography 

the Bluesky 3D models 

are helping MWH Treatment 

drive efficiency and collaboration 

and have already 

been used on a number of 

developments including the 

Winchburgh upgrade works for 

Scottish Water and Thames 

Gateway Desal upgrade for 

Thames Water. 

"The Bluesky 3D models provide 

us with a crucial understanding 

of locations we are 

working in," commented 

Stephen Kennedy, Head of Digital 

& Innovation at MWH Treatment. 

"They provide initial site 

intelligence and inform true 

visualisations for our Visual Project 

Initiation activities - part of 

the concept and planning 

stage of most projects. We also 

use the 3D detail to facilitate 

collaboration, concept design 

and planning and, by taking the 

data into other platforms, as 

the basis of our design." 

www.bluesky-world.com 

HOLDING NEW-BUILDS TO A HIGHER STANDARD 

Anew organisation to champion 

consumer rights and 

ensure new-build homes are 

built to a high standard has 

been launched by the government. 

Natalie Elphicke MP will 

chair the new homes quality 

board, which will oversee consultation 

on a new industry 

code of practice and new 

homes ombudsman service. 

"The new arrangements will 

lead to a step-change in how 

new homes are built and sold 

and how customers are treated. 

The board is committed to 

driving new-build quality and 

strengthening protections for 

buyers," said Ms Elphicke. 

The code of practice will 

require developers to have an 

effective complaints procedure 

with timelines by which they 

have to address any problems 

that may arise. The new 

homes code will place more 

demands on builders from the 

sales process up to two years 

after the buyers move in. 

www.nhqb.org.uk 

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARDS IN 2020 

The latest edition of the Economic 

& Construction Market 

Review from Barbour ABI 

highlights levels of construction 

contract values awarded 

across Great Britain. Certain 

sectors in 2020 experienced 

strong growth whilst others felt 

the impact of the Covid-19 

pandemic. The infrastructure 

sector contract awards in 2020 

were valued at £14.5 billion, an 

increase of 40% on 2019. A 

large increase in utilities and 

civil engineering projects contributed 

to the total, increasing 

Causeway Technologies 

has accelerated its roll-out 

of a new facial recognition tool 

to help construction companies 

implement contactless 

biometric sign-in on site. The 

technology is part of a recent 

update of Causeway's Donseed 

biometric labour management 

software. The cloudbased 

system offers a range 

of tools to monitor operatives 

and subcontractors on site 

using biometric technology. 

Causeway said that while the 

business increased the speed 

of the tool's development in 

response to Covid-19, it had 

always been part of a wider 

strategy to provide contactless 

biometrics on a hardwareagnostic 

platform. 

by 61% and 54% respectively. 

The hotel, leisure and sport 

sector contract awards for 

2020 was £3.1 billion, which is 

a decline of 43% compared to 

2019. This was largely due to a 

fall in arenas & stadia, and 

audience & exhibition centres, 

falling by 68% and 63% respectively. 

However, most significantly 

the medical & healthcare 

sector saw an increase of 62% 

in 2020 compared to 2019 with 

a total value of contract awards 

at £2.0 billion. 

http://ubm.io/2FRLrwm 

CONTACTLESS BIOMETRICS FOR CAUSEWAY 

Unlike a key card or access 

fob that can be shared, biometrics 

are based on the 

unique profile of the person. 

This makes them a more 

secure option, especially when 

it comes to recording hours 

worked, checking competencies 

and managing health and 

safety on site. Donseed helps 

contractors gather data about 

who has visited site, how long 

they have worked and what 

their credentials are. The latter 

includes managing site inductions 

online and being alerted 

to expiring training certifications. 

Data is available in realtime 

via a dashboard, giving 

greater control over costs, 

risks and workforce efficiency. 

www.causeway.com 

8 


CASEstudy 

A BIM inspired eco home 

JRA's Earth Sheltered Eco Home was the runner up in the Construction Computing Awards BIM 

Project Of The Year category, proving BIM is not just a resource for large-scale public projects 

The project categories of the 2020 

Construction Computing Awards 

highlighted some interesting 

developments in the industry, 

particularly with regard to the slightly 

different focus on BIM and 

collaboration, which resulted in more 

construction projects being entered for 

the Collaboration Project of the Year 

category than the BIM Project of the 

Year. You might say that the essence 

of BIM is collaboration, but many of 

the entries submitted focused on the 

sharing of information between 

partners within a project, rather than 

using the information being created 

from the model to enhance the 

construction process itself - a fine 

distinction. 

Submissions for the BIM Project of 

the Year category were also divided 

between large-scale projects and 

small-scale house designs. There is no 

reason why BIM should not be 

considered a factor in individual 

property development as well as public 

building projects (which BIM was 

initially conceptualised for). 

Jonathan Reeves of Jonathan Reeves 

Architects (JRA). Jonathan is a 

passionate Vectorworks user, and in 

addition to running his architectural 

studio in Loughborough he also 

teaches courses on Vectorworks 

Architect software and associated 

visualisation applications, such as 

Twinmotion and Enscape. 

The project submitted by JRA for the 

awards is for a four-bedroom family 

home in Leicestershire on a rural plot of 

land that had been in the ownership of 

a family for over 20 years. His clients 

wanted to maximise their family space 

while creating a unique, low profile and 

ecologically advanced home, and 

being involved in the construction 

industry themselves, they were quite 

ambitious in their requirements. 

JRA developed their ideas for the 

site, suggesting an Earth Sheltered 

Eco Home which the clients loved the 

idea of. The aim was to try and 

minimise the impact of the proposed 

building in the local landscape, to be 

environmentally friendly, but also to 

convince the planners that the house 

would not be visible from the nearby 

the ground level by one metre and 

using the excavated earth to bank up 

to the front of the site, blending the 

building with the grounds so that it 

appears to grow out of the site. Parts 

of the perimeter are also to be 

surrounded by curved natural stone 

walls, giving an organic and rural feel 

to the whole property. 

Towards the rear the property opens 

up onto sunken private gardens, 

accessible via a wall of sliding glass 

doors covering the bulk of the living 

space, and which maximise the 

amount of light entering the building. 

These are supplemented by large 

circular roof lights which will let in 

sunlight and ventilation into the 

bedrooms and the depth of the home. 

The building is to be highly insulated, 

and will rely on a ground source heat 

pump for central heating, and 

rainwater recycling to further minimise 

energy usage and running costs. 

The building was designed using 

custom 3D BIM modelling, which 

proved to be very useful in exploring 

early-stage design options during 

meetings with the client and planners 

One of these was a delightful project 

10 currently in January/February progress and designed 2021 by 

roads. 

This was to be achieved by lowering 

and relating the model to existing site 

survey data. Once it had been

CASEstudy 

accurately modelled the initial massing 

studies of the proposed building within 

its setting were also produced. 

Once a basic strategy had been 

agreed, detailed proposals were 

developed with parametric slabs, walls, 

doors, windows and roofs, allowing 

plans, elevations, sections and 3D 

perspectives to be produced directly 

from the BIM model. A full set of 

coordinated drawings and images 

were generated totally from the single 

BIM model. 

When a few changes were required it 

was simple to update the model and 

regenerate the coordinated drawings 

and sections. This was much easier 

than if the project had been drawn in 

2D using traditional means. Following 

the successful design the BIM model 

was developed to produce planning 

drawings, some schedules and 

information on quantities, and it is 

planned that .IFC model exchange will 

be used as the project develops. 

VISUALISATIONS OF THE ECO HOME 

The project was also exported to 

Twinmotion via the .C4D file format, 

enabling JRA to produce high quality 

animations and some virtual panoramic 

images for the client. Additionally, 

Twinmotion's Presenter mode was used 

with a VR headset to give the clients a 

truly immersive experience. 

Overall, using a BIM workflow on this 

project from inception right through to 

its current stage of development 

presented some unique challenges, 

such as modelling some of the junctions 

between the roof and walls, and being 

able to design and use non-standard or 

bespoke windows and doors. 

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PLANS 

Jonathan has been a Vectorworks user 

since 1991 and has always been 

fascinated by the potential of 3D 

modelling, computer graphics and 

multimedia in architecture to develop 

and explain design ideas. The benefits 

of being able to communicate design 

ideas to clients clearly using 3D 

models with the quality of visuals that 

can be achieved today, or to create 

animations allowing them to explore 

projects themselves, has proved 

invaluable on all of his projects. 

One might say that the use of BIM on 

these projects contributed no more 

than traditional workflows and 2D 

drawings would have. However, that is 

to miss the point entirely, argues 

Jonathan. BIM is all about setting 

standards and operating procedures 

that make not only design, but also 

collaboration much easier, simplifying 

the task of sharing data with other 

professionals who use different 

technologies, different file formats and 

different ideologies. 

We all have a simple aim in mind: 

cutting waste in terms of time, money 

and effort and improving the 

architecture that emerges - while also 

enjoying the process! 

Jonathan continues to promote the 

benefits of both Vectorworks Architect 

and BIM and looks forward to seeing 

more of the industry adopting BIM 

workflows, advocating for working on 

collaborative BIM projects with other 

architects and consultants. Hopefully, 

he says, this will include incorporating 

early-stage energy analysis with the 

integrated Energos module available in 

Vectorworks Architect 2021, and the 

virtual reality and BIM motion 

capabilities of Twinmotion 2020 with 

future Vectorworks BIM models. 

www.jonathanreevesarchitects.co.uk 

www.real-time-rendering.com 

www.vectorworks.net 


CASEstudy 

Principal Tower 

WSP has utilised Bentley's technology to overcome complex challenges in delivering a new 

high-rise tower in London, subsequently winning the Structural Engineering category at the 

Year in Infrastructure 2020 Awards 

Bentley's Year in Infrastructure 

conference was held online last 

November, for obvious reasons, but 

rather than limiting access and content, it 

gave an opportunity for many more Bentley 

users across the globe to tune into a very 

impressive line up of keynote sessions, 

presentations and tuition videos. Neither 

were entries to the Year in Infrastructure 

Awards affected, as all categories were well 

represented and available online for full 

scrutiny by interested architects and 

engineers in each technology. 

We are always especially interested in 

UK-based winners, and this year we were 

delighted to see entries from Network 

Rail, winners of a special recognition 

award for Advancing Virtualisation 

through Digital Twins for its work in 

overcoming challenges in the Covid-19 

lockdown, and SWECO, winners of the 

Advancements in Project Delivery Award 

with its Digitalisation with BIM. 

It was the Structural Engineering award 

given to WSP for its innovative approach to 

the design of a new addition to London's 

skyline, Principal Tower, for its client 

Brookfield Properties & Concord Pacific, 

that particularly interested us. Building 

anything of substance in the centre of 

London is always going to be a challenge, 

not only because of the wealth of historical 

architecture, but also because of the 

concentration of adjacent construction 

above and below ground and the 

supporting substructure that 

accommodates services and a complex 

underground transport system. 

The main challenges that WSP had to 

overcome were the very complex site 

constraints. Due to the presence of a 

height restricted viewing cone to the west 

of the site and a 6-track Victorian aged 

railway infrastructure to the east, the 50- 

storey tower had to be located above a 2- 

track protected railway corridor (for future 

expansion) located next to the existing 6- 

tracks, therefore creating complex transfer 

structures at ground level as well as 

construction challenges. 

The challenge at feasibility stage, and 

where Bentley products were used 

effectively, was to persuade the local 

railway authorities that constructing piles 

50mm away from the Victorian railway 

infrastructure would not have any 

detrimental impacts. WSP used Bentley's 

Plaxis and Ram Concept in unison to 

design the top down approach. 

Multiple design cases were analysed in 

Plaxis to understand the movement of the 

adjacent tunnel during the excavation, 

construction and long-term periods. The 

predicted movements in each case 

indicated that a horizontal prop would be 

required to reduce any detrimental impacts 

on the tunnels. Top down construction fitted 

this challenge perfectly, allowing the 

ground floor slab to be built first, which 

acted as this permanent prop, hence 

ensuring tunnel integrity. The predicted 

lateral forces exuded by the arches were 

also extracted from the Plaxis model and 

applied to the ground floor slab, which was 

designed in Ram Concept. This crossplatform 

analysis gave WSP confidence to 

present the solution to the railway 

authorities and for them to give permission 

to proceed with the development. 

WSP effectively used Bentley products on 

other parts of the building. One being the 

use of RAM concept in an innovative 

approach to the design of the junction 

between two critical supporting elements, 

the 3m deep piled raft and the surrounding 

500mm deep ground bearing raft at 

basement 2 level. A series of RAM 

Concept models were created with varying 

dead loads to replicate the Tower 

construction sequence. 

This allowed WSP to identify the areas of 

high stress and specify a pour strip to be 

infilled when the superstructure was near 

completion, as at this stage most of the 

vertical movement had occurred under the 

self-weight of the structure. This solution 

actually resulted in a 60% reduction in 

reinforcement requirement, which was 

equivalent to 17 tonnes. Although a 

relatively modest material cost saving on 

paper, there are other factors to include 

such as labour cost and health and safety 

to on-site personnel. 

The refined design methodology resulted 

in the reduction of two layers of large 

diameter reinforcement bars over a 

considerable area. There is a significant 

cost in labour relating to the construction of 

12 


CASEstudy 

these large rebar (40mm diameter) which 

sometimes require multiple operatives to 

install just one of the bars in some 

locations. It also reduced the risk relating to 

the health and safety of construction 

workers who have to handle such heavy 

materials, a perfect example of using Ram 

Concept to show how good design 

practices can improve the health and safety 

risks of the on-site operatives. 

A MOVING TARGET 

It is interesting to note how WSP addressed 

the changing forces that large scale 

construction projects are subject to during 

the whole of the construction phase. RAM 

Concept analysis was used to give advice 

to the contractor about the impact of 

temporary works to the substructure slab 

designs, particularly as the analyses also 

included the assessment of tower crane 

bases, hoists support, mobile crane loads 

amongst other things. 

Even more interesting, the contractors 

were able to dispense with the customary 

temporary propping that is usually 

required from ground floor slab down to 

the foundations to accommodate higher 

construction loadings associated with 

dissembling tower cranes. Due to the 

confidence in the optimised design, WSP 

using analysis in Ram Concept could 

demonstrate the ability to share extra 

capacity out of the slab. Being able to 

validate to the contractor that propping 

wouldn't be required saved them money 

and time. 

WSP developed their innovative 

engineering solutions to unlock this 

challenging site using RAM Concept and 

Plaxis. From modelling 3m deep rafts, 

designing slabs on elastomeric bearings, 

hanging swimming pools and indirect 

outriggers to long term ground movement 

predictions Bentley's tools have been 

critical for the viability and timely delivery of 

the Principle Tower project. 

Explaining the rationale behind using 

WSP's innovative use of Plaxis and RAM 

Concept, Brandon Eastwood, Senior 

Structural Engineer at WSP said, ''Because 

construction in London is heavily 

constrained by the presence of tube 

tunnels and railway infrastructure, our 

project data did double duty. Not only did it 

guide our design, but it helped get the 

project off the ground by proving the 

structural integrity up front to the local 

railway authorities, therefore allowing the 

clients vision to be realised.'' 

He expounded further on this, saying that 

the data they were able to provide in such a 

constrained site proved WSP's ability to 

maximise the footprint and comply with the 

spirit of local codes. Although there is no 

set rule on how close construction can 

occur to these assets, an exclusion zone is 

generally set of at least 1m, not 50m, which 

was only achieved by instilling confidence 

in the local rail authorities following the 

Plaxis analysis. 

If this 1m guideline would have been 

required at Principal Place, the entire 

development (including the 50-storey 

tower) would not have been feasible, as the 

building would have encroached into the 

viewing cone to the west. The combination 

of RAM Concept & Plaxis was instrumental, 

therefore, in delivering a design that 

provided the ROI to the client which proved 

that the project was economically viable. 

BIM AND HVAC ENDORSEMENTS 

Whilst the innovative practices outlined 

above won WSP the Structural Engineering 

category at the Year in Infrastructure Awards, 

the project had worthy results in other areas 

too. It was delivered in a BIM environment, 

providing an excellent example of an 

embedded sustainable design from a 

project's inception. 

It was also developed with a bespoke 

Sustainability Implementation Plan (SIP) 

which was used extensively to monitor the 

design process. This included features 

such as a façade designed to maximise 

daylight while minimising summertime solar 

gain, and office floors (in the 11-storey 

commercial building adjacent to the tower) 

designed to accommodate traditional 

HVAC strategies, along with ultra-low 

energy mixed mode ventilation, extensive 

energy metering, and the specification of 

high-performance plant and equipment. 

The building achieved an improvement 

over Part L by up to 30%, an EPC B rating 

and a BREEAM rating of Excellent. 

Nello Petrioli, WSP Associate Director and 

Project Engineer on the Principle Tower 

project, said "Much like fine craftwork relies 

on excellent tools, engineers rely on software 

to produce fine engineering solutions. 

Bentley's applications have proven to be an 

indispensable tool in providing the fine 

engineering solutions necessary for a highly 

complex project like Principal Tower." 

www.bentley.com 


INDUSTRYfocus 

Total Access 

The acquisition of EasyBuild by The Access Group starts 2021 off with a strengthened line-up of 

management software and services for the construction industry 

As if 2020 hadn't already provided 

EasyBuild's CEO Carol Massay 

with an action packed schedule, 

it looks as if her workload is going to 

be further increased in 2021 following 

the acquisition of EasyBuild by The 

Access Group. This is the second 

major acquisition in the construction 

industry by the software and services 

company, which also acquired 

ConQuest, suppliers of software for 

Estimators and Quantity Surveyors, a 

couple of years ago. Adding the 

Borehamwood-based ERP solutions 

provider to its portfolio provides The 

Access Group with a comprehensive 

and market-leading set of software 

solutions for the industry. 

EasyBuild, which we have been 

following over the last couple of years 

in this magazine, was founded in 1999 

with the aim of providing ERP software 

to meet the specific needs of a 

number of individual companies in this 

complex sector. Whilst it covered the 

requirements of main contractors in 

the industry, it also supplied tailored 

solutions to companies with more 

particular requirements, such as civil 

engineers, demolition contractors, 

concrete frame erectors, interior fit out, 

roofing and cladding contractors, 

joiners and rail, highways and utilities. 

EasyBuild provided all of the critical 

tools they needed to manage projects 

in a timely and efficient manner. 

Adding ConQuest's range of 

solutions for the construction industry 

further strengthens and fills out the 

range of solutions that the Access 

Group, the new parent company, can 

offer to the industry. Following Carol 

Massay's success as CEO of 

EasyBuild over the last five years, it is 

only appropriate that she is tasked 

with taking this sector of The Access 

14 


INDUSTRYfocus 

Group forward as Head of 

Construction. 

Carol is happy to extend her 30 years' 

experience of working within the 

construction industry. Starting with one 

of the top ten housebuilders, she 

continued her journey with an 

established Irish-based civil 

engineering and building contractor. 

With the experience gained in her role 

there, Carol moved into construction 

technology, where she has since 

helped drive the message to embrace 

technology to promote a more efficient 

way of working within the sector. 

EasyBuild has grown significantly in 

the last five years since Carol joined as 

CEO, winning awards for their software 

every year for the last four years. 

Her new boss will be Brendan 

Flattery, Managing Director of Access 

ERP, who commented "The Access 

ERP business already has a strong 

footprint in the construction sector, 

serving over 1,000 Access customers. 

Since the acquisition of ConQuest in 

2018, we've been looking for other 

complementary solutions to expand 

our offering, primarily in the UK, but 

with an eye towards Europe. With their 

range of ERP solutions, specifically 

designed for the complex project 

management needs of this sector, 

EasyBuild was an obvious choice. We 

are really excited to be welcoming 

Carol and the whole EasyBuild team 

into the Access Group." 

Carol Massay said "Joining Access 

gives EasyBuild a new level of 

expertise in the provision of integrated 

software solutions, an acceleration of 

our product development and gives 

our customers the opportunity to 

explore a wider range of business 

solutions from one provider." 

It has been Carol's personal ambition 

to help transform the sector and deliver 

the message to embrace technology to 

promote a more efficient way of 

working. Commenting on her new role 

further, she said "My journey continues 

now as part of The Access Group, and 

I'm really excited to be joining Brendan 

and the team as part of the Access 

ERP business." 

THE ACCESS GROUP 

The Access Group, founded in 1991, is 

a leading provider of business 

management software to a wide range 

of mid-sized UK organisations, of which 

the construction sector is just one part. 

It provides software and services for 

more than 35,000 customers across 

commercial and not-for-profit sectors, 

supported by its innovative Access 

Workspace cloud solutions which 

transform the way business software is 

used. 

Amongst the applications that Carol 

will be adding to her team's portfolio 

are the ConQuest estimation and 

tendering applications, designed to 

automate and speed up the ancillary 

processes that construction companies 

have to deal with. ConQuest Estimating 

software, for instance, is packed with 

features that help remove timeconsuming 

administrative tasks from 

an employee's workload, such as the 

creation and distribution of hundreds of 

subcontractor enquiries, or the ability to 

locate detailed project reports and 

audit trails. It also enables users to 

revise quotations in seconds in order to 

accommodate changes in 

requirements or quantities. 

Automating much of the process 

enables estimators to speed up the 

responses from subcontractors, 

eliminate mistakes and erroneous 

information and, ultimately, price more 

projects. Quantity Surveyors and 

Finance Directors are also able to 

benefit from ConQuest Estimating, 

giving the improved project costing and 

better control over projects, and 

therefore the management of 

subcontractors. Because of the way the 

software is designed, historical pricing is 

available to be brought up to compare 

with current and quoted prices. 

With better access to costs, Finance 

Directors can analyse historical trends, 

and link the information to future 

requirements to provide more accurate 

budgets and forecasts, and ConQuest 

Estimating software also comes with 

full report generation capabilities. 

As with EasyBuild's ERP solutions, the 

devil is in the details, and ConQuest 

addresses the individual requirements 

of a number of specialised 

subcontractors. 

Companies engaged in 'fit out and 

refurb', for instance, operate on the 

fringes of construction, and need a 

degree of flexibility in the measurement 

of the quantities they require. They 

operate on higher level cost plans and 

bills of quantities, allowing them to 

meet the needs of clients of bespoke 

and one-off projects. One of the key 

features they demand, for instance, is 

the ability for their estimators, 

designers and planners, to extract data 

from onscreen models. 

Building contractors, on the other 

hand, need to be able to import or 

create a bill of quantities on a first 

principles basis, which means that they 

need to know the exact costs of labour, 

materials and other resources. 

Likewise, civil engineering contractors 

tend to estimate by first principles, but 

prefer to incorporate their own labour, 

resource and plant information. 

ConQuest software enables users to 

build libraries of cost items and create 

in-depth gang build-ups, all of which 

ultimately contribute to pricing, 

resources requirements, supplier 

quotations and other composite items, 

as valuations. Subcontractors 

apportion their costs in a range of 

categories - per sq.m, or by the hour, 

day or week of a shift's work input. 

They also like to import the bill of 

quantities in any number of formats 

from ConQuest's libraries, which 

contain millions of items specific to 

their trade, and get access to it all with 

just one click! 

A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION 

Estimating and Quantity Surveying are 

a natural addition to EasyBuild's range 

of ERP tools, but there are undoubtedly 

a number of other tools within The 

Access Group that will benefit the 

construction industry, which will 

become more evident as the new 

arrangement matures. We will be sure 

to report on their development and 

integration in the future. 

www.easybuilduk.com 


INDUSTRYcomment 

Smart Retrofitting 

Nathan Doughty, CEO of Asite, talks us through the company's 

recent report on decarbonizing the built environment 

The awakening of our society to the 

need to take action on climate 

change has been the driving force 

behind the multitude of global initiatives 

and agreements focused on 

decarbonisation. Buildings account for the 

largest share (39%) of global energyrelated 

carbon emissions. So with 80% of 

the homes that people will inhabit in 2050 

already built and up to 75% of today's 

buildings expected to still be in use in 2050, 

our priority must be the retrofitting of 

existing buildings, both residential and 

commercial, at scale to meet energysaving 

targets. 

In its latest report, Asite explores the 

technologies that can expedite the 

retrofitting of residential and commercial 

buildings and, therefore, mitigate carbon 

emissions. The report, 'Smart Retrofitting: 

The Key to Decarbonizing the Built 

Environment', provides insight into the 

burgeoning role of digital twins in the 

industry's journey to net zero and examines 

how digital engineering will help us achieve 

a resilient and sustainable built 

environment. 

TECHNOLOGIES CENTRAL TO 

CHANGE 

The AEC sector, alongside asset 

managers, software providers and 

manufacturers, is key in advancing our net 

zero carbon goals. Within engineering and 

construction, digital engineering and the 

tools and processes that it encompasses 

could bolster our efforts to reduce carbon 

emissions and overcome existing 

obstacles. Moreover, these technologies 

allow for greater network 

interconnectedness among regions, which 

is imperative to a global approach. 

Asite's report focuses on a number of key 

transformative technologies, which can 

overcome barriers and address some of 

the key areas preventing the sector from 

realizing its decarbonization goals. 

CIRCULAR ECONOMY 

A circular economy is based on the 

principles of designing out waste and 

pollution, keeping products and materials 

in use, and regenerating natural systems 

to bring clear environmental, social, and 

economic benefits. These principles, 

which enable a restorative and 

regenerative built environment, also drive 

retrofitting programs. 

The EU-funded BAMB (Buildings as 

Material Banks) project works to enable 

the shift to a circular building sector by 

championing the repair, reuse, and 

recovery of building materials and 

components. The BAMB Circular Building 

Assessment (CBA) is a methodology that 

compares and assesses product and 

material resource flow during the lifetime 

of a built asset and beyond. BAMB CBA 

also includes extending the life of 

buildings through increased adaptability 

and flexibility. 

The method is being developed into a 

prototype BIM-compatible software 

product that can access data from 

BIM/CAD models combined with BAMBgenerated 

datasets, and other external or 

user-supplied data, to provide an 

assessment of reuse potential, 

transformation capacity, resource 

productivity, and energy performance. 

MATERIAL PASSPORTS 

To establish long-term circularity in the built 

environment, we need quality, open 

ingredient data on what materials are in a 

building. Material passports are qualitative 

and quantitative documentation of the 

material composition of a building, showing 

their recycling potential and environmental 

impact. Creating value through recovery 

and reuse is a key part of the retrofit 

process, and this requires that information 

is easily accessible - material passports 

offer an effective tracking mechanism. 

To support this, computational 

technologies, such as BIM and 

Geographical Information Systems (GIS), 

allow for the modeling and analysis of 

building stock, in terms of material 

composition, and the creation of a public 

material register. BIM-based material 

passports can support the optimisation of 

the retrofitting process. BIM offers a 

knowledge base for geometry and material 

properties and coupling to further 

databases to assess eco-indicators and 

recycling potentials. 

SMART GRID INTEGRATION 

As it stands, existing power grids are 

insufficient when it comes to energy 

efficiency, reliability, security, or the 

integration of renewable energy to meet our 

net zero goals. With little change over the 

last decade, the deployment of low-carbon 

technologies will result in less predictable 

electricity production, changing load 

16 


INDUSTRYcomment 

patterns, and a need to enable electricity 

flow in both directions. Therefore, new 

flexible ways of balancing supply and 

consumption are required. 

Smart grids help optimise energy use. 

They are fitted with information and 

communications technologies (ICTs), 

including sensors, in-home smart meters, 

and automation systems, to the electricity 

network to enable real-time, two-way 

communication between suppliers and 

consumers. This creates a more dynamic 

interaction on energy flow, which will help 

deliver electricity more efficiently and 

sustainably. Here, connected buildings 

become both receivers and energy 

distributors, enabling end-user energy 

management. 

Connecting the existing building stock to 

integrated infrastructure, supported by 

intelligent technology, has a key role to 

play in handling rapid urbanisation, 

reducing our environmental impact, and 

"future-proofing" our societies beyond our 

2050 targets. 

SMART BUILDINGS 

Smart buildings use a range of 

technologies, such as sensors and 

actuators, to gather activity data on 

elements within a building that can then be 

analysed and measured to produce 

useable insights to automate various 

processes, such as HVAC systems. 

Critically, these systems and devices are 

connected and "talk" to each other as well 

as a central system to make the building 

more efficient, reducing its environmental 

impact. The collection of status, 

automation, and actionable data means 

that issues are quickly detected and 

addressed. 

Cloud computing alongside affordable 

Internet of Things (IoT) technology has 

made building-automation systems 

economically viable for a wider range of 

organisations, thus overcoming many of 

the financial barriers associated with 

retrofitting older buildings. Furthermore, 

every building type and nearly all historic 

buildings can benefit from smart systems 

and management platforms. 

THE FUTURE OF RETROFITTING 

While the technologies mentioned above 

can transform individual processes and 

help the retrofitting process, using them 

together can have a more significant 

positive impact on a built asset. As a 

holistic monitoring resource for tracking an 

asset in real-time, digital twins offer the 

most comprehensive means of retrofitting 

at scale. 

A digital twin is a digital representation of 

an asset, process, or system. Supported 

by a constant stream of real-time 

operational data provided by IoT 

technologies, digital twins use AI, analytical 

software, and cloud infrastructure to 

transform data into actionable insights in 

the form of perception, prediction, 

recommendations, and simulation. 

A calibrated model can be created 

through the interrogation of data from the 

built asset, which is used to determine 

the appropriate inputs for a simulation 

model that, in turn, is compared to 

measured sensor and meter data. This 

calibrated model then becomes a digital 

asset. Simply put, digital twins help 

visualise the invisible. 

In the case of retrofitting, digital twins 

enable the retrospective analysis of 

existing structures, including the ability 

to identify inefficiencies, track usage, 

enable predictive maintenance, 

visualise how humans interact with a 

space, and simulate future building 

conditions, ultimately helping to 

optimise decision-making. 

These abilities provide an understanding 

of real-world conditions, which supports 

the long-term sustainability of an asset and 

offers continued purpose and value to the 

built environment, even beyond the 

attainment of global 2050 goals. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

Amalgamating technologies, a digital twin 

brings together resources and information 

on a shared platform, providing a single 

source of truth for the asset it virtually 

replicates. This approach utilises a variety of 

technologies allowing us to not only achieve 

our goals but future-proof our buildings 

beyond 2050 decarbonisation targets. 

To extract value from the technologies 

and resources currently available and 

create a built environment underpinned by 

resilience and sustainability, the industry 

needs to operate in a holistic manner with 

regard to operating and maintaining 

existing buildings. Expanding our technical 

infrastructure to enable data connectivity 

and a bidirectional flow of information will 

be necessary to connect real-world assets 

to digital twins via IoT, sensors, and realtime 

data. 

To learn more about how value can be 

extracted from technologies to support the 

delivery of retrofits at scale and help the 

construction industry meet its 

decarbonisation goals, read Asite's latest 

report Smart Retrofitting: The Key to 

Decarbonizing the Built Environment, 

which is available as a free pdf on their 

website. 


CASEstudy 

Archicad-Revu 

Márkus Engineering decided they needed to 'up their game' to meet the challenges of Covid-19. 

They found that online collaboration with Bluebeam Revu achieved just that, while providing 

other benefits too 

Budapest-based civil engineering firm 

Márkus Engineering is seizing the 

opportunity to be at the forefront of 

the burgeoning AEC industry in Hungary. 

The family-run multidisciplinary engineering 

and management firm, based in Budapest, 

specialises in high-end building projects, 

managing over 60 projects worth over 40 

million euros, overseeing everything from 

design through to operation, is upping its 

game with Revu. 

At the beginning of 2020, Managing 

Director Tamás Márkus Sr. set his intention 

for the firm to become more digital and 

BIM-focused, because in his words, "either 

you keep up or you fall behind." His goal is 

to position Márkus Engineering as a 

progressive firm at the forefront of 

Hungary's rapidly growing AEC market. The 

switch to digital, however, became an 

urgent priority when the Covid-19 

pandemic hit Europe: Márkus had to adapt 

to maintain communication and progress 

on the hotel project during lockdown. 

In 2020, with face-to-face work restricted 

by the coronavirus pandemic, Márkus 

Engineering needed a reliable online 

project collaboration platform to maintain 

information flow between project teams 

both on- and off-site. When lockdown 

procedures were introduced, the firm was 

in the midst of managing a major 

renovation project in the heart of Budapest 

- the creation of a new Radisson Collection 

Hotel in St. Stephen's Square. With delivery 

of the high-stakes project under threat, the 

Márkus team needed a solution that would 

help them stay on schedule and on 

budget. Crucially, the solution had to work 

with Archicad, Graphisoft's BIM software, 

which was used by the project's designers 

and architects. 

Tamás Márkus Jr., engineer, suggested 

trying Revu, as he'd experienced how easy 

it was to use while working at another firm. 

With Graphisoft's help, Markus installed 

Revu, enabling them to keep the hotel 

project on schedule, despite lockdown 

restrictions. Project teams found that they 

could switch seamlessly to remote working 

thanks to Archicad's Bluebeam 

Connection, which integrates Graphisoft's 

BIM authoring tool with the design review 

workflows in Revu. Better yet, switching to 

digital collaboration with Revu significantly 

streamlined working processes, leading to 

time and cost savings across the project. 

Design reviews, quantity takeoffs and 

estimations were all much quicker. 

Márkus has now made its switch to Revu 

permanent. It's the firm's strong belief that 

BIM-based solutions are needed to provide 

the best possible quality of service and 

communication tool to clients. And in 

Márkus' experience, Graphisoft's and 

Bluebeam's solutions are among the most 

competitive and simple to use. 

RADISSON COLLECTION HOTEL 

Their most ambitious project to date is 

building the new Radisson Collection Hotel 

in Budapest's central plaza, St. Stephen's 

Square - a spectacular hotel to attract 

tourists to the centre of Budapest. Márkus 

was appointed to manage and provide 

technical supervision to ensure project 

delivery on time and on budget. 

Construction on the 71-room hotel began 

in mid-2019 and is set to complete in 

2021. The renovation involves the retention 

of the landmark building's original 

character features. Once complete, it will 

feature a rooftop bar with views of St. 

Stephen's Basilica. 

The Budapest Radisson project was 

designed using Graphisoft's Archicad. 

Bluebeam and Graphisoft are sister 

companies under the Nemetschek brand, 

a leading global software provider for the 

AEC industry that covers the entire lifecycle 

of building and infrastructure projects. 

ARCHICAD AND REVU 

INTEROPERABILITY 

Graphisoft's Bluebeam Connection 

provides a bidirectional link between 

Archicad and Revu. All markups created in 

Revu are imported as native Archicad 

entries, appearing in the correct location on 

design layouts, without any manual work, 

and saving time in design reviews. 

Revu's Studio allows users to invite team 

members from anywhere in the world to 

collaborate, giving external stakeholders 

the ability to mark up and review 

documents in real time. Four teams on the 

Budapest Radisson renovation project 

used Revu and Studio: The architects and 

18 


CASEstudy 

design teams, Márkus Engineering, the 

general contractor, and the property 

owners' facility management team. 

Graphisoft Hungary provided training to 

quickly bring the Radisson project teams 

up to speed with Studio's functionality. 

The Archicad-Revu design review 

workflow allows Views or layouts to be 

saved as PDFs in Archicad, to be sent to 

project stakeholders for markup in Studio. 

The PDF markups are subsequently reimported 

into Archicad using Bluebeam 

Connection, allowing Architects to manage 

the markups using the Markup Tools palette 

Switching to Archicad-Revu led to a 50% 

time savings on design reviews for Márkus 

Engineering. For a small business working 

on a project as complex and ambitious as 

the Radisson renovation, gaining this time 

back was a blessing. 

Márkus found several other key features in 

Revu sped up design reviews, such as the 

creation of customised Tool Chests, to 

supplement pre-made speciality toolsets 

within Revu, which make marking up and 

measuring much faster. Each discipline 

creates its own designated toolset. 

Customised Tool Chests have also proved 

useful for creating fault logs, which are 

automatically tracked in the Markups List. 

Physical document comparison can take 

up a lot of time. With Revu, Márkus could 

automatically compare two documents in 

minutes, saving time and reducing human 

error. In addition, spotting differences 

between plans and dealing with any 

resulting cost changes is faster and more 

accurate in Revu. Changes can be 

marked in different colors using the 

Overlay Pages function, and work can 

then be accounted for and acted on. 

Submittal Reviews are simpler with Studio. 

Because remote and on-site workers can 

add markups or queries in real time, issues 

are resolved quickly and it's easy to track 

actions. Submittals reviews run smoother, 

saving time and increasing productivity. 

SIMPLE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 

To meet their complex document 

management challenge, Márkus used 

Studio Projects to host a Digital 

Dashboard, using it on a daily basis to 

access up-to-date project information, from 

construction drawings to RFIs. Digital 

Dashboard is a customisable navigation 

interface that links to a folder structure 

granting quick access to important project 

files. The team didn't have to spend time 

searching for the information they needed 

among the 1,250 plans and 15,000 links 

stored on the Digital Dashboard. 

Márkus kept up its weekly project 

meetings during lockdown with Studio 

Sessions. Because Revu is accessible 

online all of the time, there was no need to 

wait for face-to-face meetings for 

approvals. Using Archicad's Bluebeam 

Connection, project stakeholders had 

direct access to the most commonly used 

review process features. It created a 

uniform working environment, where, as 

Tamás Márkus Sr. put it, everyone was able 

to "speak the same language". 

Quantity takeoffs and estimations are 

critical for every construction project, 

and dedicated calculation functions in 

Revu enabled Markus to complete 

quantity takeoffs and estimations five 

times faster than before. The team also 

found the improved accuracy of Revu's 

Dynamic Fill function and measurement 

were particularly helpful, as was the 

electronic signature tool for RFI 

approvals and registration. 

Since the majority of architects in 

Hungary (89%) use Archicad, the easy 

integration with Revu helped Márkus 

collaborate with designers. While Márkus' 

partners who hadn't worked with Bluebeam 

before, adapted to it easily, and now have 

plans to adopt it for other projects. "With 

the help of Bluebeam, we're taking the first 

steps on the technology ladder. It's helped 

us put our small business on an equal 

footing with bigger players to gain a 

competitive edge in the local market," 

Tamus Markus Sr. added. 

Márkus saved thousands of euros in 

paper printing costs with Revu. What's 

more, it helped eliminate human error. 

Previously, the team had to manually redline 

delivered prints and digital PDF files, 

risking mistakes. The Archicad-Bluebeam 

Connection meant that all project 

stakeholders-even those not necessarily 

linked to any BIM platform-could mark up 

directly onto digital deliverables. 

The transition to Archicad-Revu has 

helped the firm level up their digital 

workflows, reducing overall work hours on 

the Radisson project. Time is money in 

construction, and any time saved adds 

profit to the bottom line. The team has a 

new digital strategy in place, which includes 

Graphisoft and Bluebeam on all future 

projects to keep pace with the industry, 

staying agile and competitive. 

www.graphisoft.com 

www.bluebeam.com 


INDUSTRY comment 

How Drones are changing Construction 

Ian Barnes, Director at SITECH UK & Ireland, the leading distributor of Trimble technology, 

shares his thoughts on the benefits of drones 

In the last few years, improvements in 

drone and unmanned aerial vehicles 

(UAVs) technology has changed how we 

use them - they are no longer viewed as 

just high-tech toys. The use of drones has 

particularly increased in the construction 

industry to help businesses improve 

accuracy and productivity. Additionally, as 

purchase and set up costs gradually 

decrease to make the technology more 

affordable, more construction and civil 

engineering businesses can benefit from 

the technology. 

There are several benefits of using drones 

on site, such as improving survey accuracy 

of large areas without difficulty, collecting 

and sharing data, and improving health and 

safety. Improving these areas can help 

companies keep their infrastructure projects 

on track and avoid costly delays. Let's take 

a closer look at some of their benefits. 

PROGRESS TRACKING 

According to a study from Engineers Daily, 

design errors account for 38 percent of 

construction disputes. Inaccurate and 

incomplete designs can push projects 

behind schedule and over budget as 

confusion mounts. Progress tracking in 

drones can limit these issues by capturing 

highly accurate site data. Contractors 

simply fly the drone to collect data when it's 

required, meaning that there's no need to 

halt construction work to complete surveys. 

Collected data can then be uploaded to a 

cloud-based platform where contractors 

can access the data anywhere, anytime 

and easily interpret the information. 

"Civil contractors and surveyors can use 

the technology to produce weekly progress 

reports to share across the company and 

to stakeholders," explained Jan Wouter 

Kruyt, Director of European Operations at 

Propeller, who teamed up with SITECH to 

develop the Trimble Stratus drone package. 

"More accurate progress tracking can 

boost overall efficiency while minimising 

disputes that can often derail projects. For 

instance, contractors can highlight the parts 

of a site that they are excavating and 

provide an estimate on how long this will 

take and plan the next stages of 

construction accordingly." 

MAPPING SITES 

As well as surveying, innovations in drone 

software now enable contractors to produce 

detailed 3D maps and models using the 

data and site footage that they gather from 

flights. This highly accurate site data can cut 

costs because the detailed visualisations 

help teams align on their activities and 

reduce the risk of design errors that require 

rework later down the line. For example, 

Trimble Stratus, powered by Propeller, uses 

a data analytics and visualisation platform 

to capture georeferenced high-resolution 

aerial images. All they need to do is lay out 

their ground control points and fly the 

drones, enabling them to access highly 

accurate topographic surveys without 

causing bottlenecks. 

As with progress tracking, when 3D 

mapping is combined with a suitable 

analytics platform, you can communicate 

this data across your team and with third 

parties. Contractors can store and share a 

single source of truth across the cloud 

instead of running around with a pencil and 

a piece of paper. Improved digital mapping 

also means that every member of the team 

is aware of the site's landscape, is working 

from the same information and immediately 

receives any updates. Instead of taking 

hours, or even days to cover the site on 

foot, all you need to do is fly the drone - 

providing a real field-to-finish solution for 

mapping sites. 

HEALTH AND SAFETY 

According to the Health and Safety 

Executive (HSE) annual report in 2019, 

slips, trips and falls were the second 

highest cause of injuries and fatalities in the 

UK construction industry. Construction 

companies and shareholders are 

understandably concerned with any injuries 

on site and are looking for ways to minimise 

risk. Drones can quickly complete surveys 

in dangerous areas and take contractors 

out of the high-risk areas where these 

injuries could occur. 

Drones are piloted remotely, and this is 

essential when surveying sites where it is 

too risky to send people. In quarries, for 

example, surveying requires people to 

move around rocky and uneven surfaces 

that can put people in danger. Some sites 

also have dangerous structures or 

hazardous and flammable materials on-site 

that workers should not be in close 

proximity to. Instead of sending out 

engineers with pegs, operators can stay at 

a safe distance and easily fly the drone over 

the area to collect data, saving the surveyor 

time and minimising risk in the process. 

As drone technology becomes more 

sophisticated and accessible to contractors, 

it could deliver real productivity benefits 

while minimising risk to workers. It's hardly 

surprising that the construction industry will 

receive a £8.6 bn lift over the next ten years 

because of these innovations. 

Drone flights and data processing 

provided in an easy to use package that 

covers workflow, data clarity and the 

practical is just one of the services 

developed by SITECH to support the 

digital worksite. For more information on 

how you can successfully set up your 

drone flights, visit: 

www.sitechukandireland.com/sitech-droneservices 

20 


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TECHNOLOGYfocus 

An elevated view 

Esri UK signs a partnership with drone hardware specialist Heliguy to create an end-to-end 

drone solution for the AEC industry 

Fig.1 

Esri is the foremost provider of GIS 

geographic information systems, 

location intelligence and mapping, 

supplying since their launch in 1969, 

software to more than 350,000 

organisations worldwide. With their vast 

expertise in the acquisition, distribution 

and presentation of geospatial data, 

they have become a natural partner of 

the AEC industry which, itself, has 

extended the use of GIS information 

throughout many projects. This has been 

exemplified by the new partnership 

formed by Esri UK with drone specialists 

Heliguy, to provide an end-to-end drone 

solution for the AEC industry. 

The one-stop solution is the final piece 

in Esri UK's strategy to offer all parts of 

the drone workflow to construction 

companies, providing customers with 

drone hardware, pilot training and flying 

services from Heliguy, and adding that to 

Esri UK's existing comprehensive drone 

flight planning, data capture and data 

processing software and its wider GIS 

platform. 

The current focus on improving data 

collection and accuracy within the 

industry for site planning and layout, 

reality and context modelling, 

construction verification, etc. - plus, of 

course, the monitoring and analysis of 

environmental issues and resource 

Fig.2 

monitoring - has seen a dramatic 

increase in the tools available. 

Capabilities now range from laser-based 

aerial surveys, building 3D models from 

2D digital imagery, and the use of infrared 

and other technologies, to the more 

mundane helmet mounted 360 degree 

videos compiled in walkabouts and used 

to compare actual with scheduled 

progress on projects, or to highlight 

accident hot spots on building sites. 

To support most of these technologies, 

though, we are witnessing a bigger shift 

towards the use of drone technology 

which can accomplish all of these tasks 

much quicker, safer and at far lower cost 

than before. Drones are cheap, versatile 

and capable of following very accurate 

flight paths - witness the use of 

battalions of illuminated drones 

performing complex maneuvers at the 

restricted New Year's fireworks displays 

in London. Drones extend the reach of 

operators and allow safe access to 

otherwise difficult to reach areas of a 

construction site. 

All of these data collection tasks are 

meat and drink to Esri UK, but 

containing these processes in one 

solution provides users with a much 

more cost-effective workflow. It also 

allows Esri to streamline their processes, 

and to incorporate drone hardware 

management and data capture and 

processing within the solution, linking 

the information to their data collection 

and analysis modules, and, ultimately, to 

integrate the information within CAD and 

BIM workflows. 

FLIGHT PATH PLANNING 

A major part of the solution is Site Scan 

for ArcGIS, Esri's cloud-based drone 

mapping software for imagery collection, 

processing and analysis. This allows 

users to securely process imagery in a 

scalable cloud environment to create 

high-quality 2D and 3D imagery that can 

be quickly shared throughout an 

organisation. 

The illustrations with this article 

demonstrate the total integration of Esri's 

solution within a construction project, the 

first Fig.1, shows the creation of a 3D 

flight plan using the Site Scan flight 

management software, used to build a 

set of images of the exterior of a highrise 

building. 

Advanced flight modes can be tailored 

to the type of site being captured. In this 

case, users can set the bottom and top 

elevations, the slope or rate of altitude 

and the number of digital images to be 

created together with the orientation of 

the camera. Creating a similar set of 

images using traditional technology 

22 



Fig.3 

Fig.4 

would have been difficult, if not 

impossible. Flight paths can be created 

using absolute height coordinates or to 

follow undulating tracks within a 

specified height tolerance. 

After a flight is complete, the software 

lets the pilot upload data automatically 

for cloud processing, saving a huge 

amount of time as there's no need to 

return to base and download images 

onto the desktop. 

Fig.2 shows a point cloud of an office 

building and how the drone's inspection 

and measurement tool can be used to 

calculate building heights and 

orientations and tag the resulting images 

with the data. 

The accuracy that can be achieved with 

the technology is quite remarkable, as 

shown in Fig.3, where a volume analysis 

is represented by a heat map for a cutand-fill 

project. The image compares the 

digital terrain model to the 3D grading 

surface, with contours. The application 

settings reveal that the achieved 

accuracy can be as small as plus or 

minus 0.05m! Heat maps are also a 

function of Fig 4, which shows an 

orthomosaic image of the range of 

temperatures throughout an asphalt 

plant at midday. 

Esri UK provides similar analytical tools 

for a wide range of environmental and 

planning issues, from tracking water 

sources and assessing flood plains, 

vegetation coverage, urban traffic 

analysis and the monitoring of air 

pollution in built-up areas, all of which 

provide critical resources for effective 

and environmentally sound urban and 

infrastructure planning processes. 

WHO IS USING DRONES? 

Current Esri UK drone software 

customers include Skanska Norway, 

Arcadis and PCL Construction in North 

America, while UAV specialist Heliguy 

manages some of Europe's largest drone 

programmes, working with Balfour Beatty, 

Atkins and Network Rail. The potential in 

the UK is huge, as AEC organisations 

which use Esri's GIS software to plan, 

design, build and maintain buildings and 

infrastructure include Mott McDonald, 

Costain, Crossrail, the SKANSKA, 

Costain and Strabag Joint venture, and 

Highways England. 

Commenting on the new partnership, 

Craig Evenden, Head of AEC & BIM at 

Esri UK said: "Esri has invested heavily in 

creating its drone technology and this 

new relationship completes the picture in 

the UK. By providing a single source of 

hardware and software, the partnership 

will help customers maximise their 

investment in drones and GIS. As drone 

usage grows, accelerated by the Covid- 

19 pandemic, the AEC community is 

demanding more integrated 

programmes that can easily grow across 

their business. Heliguy's vast experience 

and training capabilities, coupled with 

Esri's cloud-based drone and GIS 

software are a perfect match for the AEC 

industry's new enterprise requirements." 

Heliguy is a UK company. It also has a 

base in Dallas, Texas. The company was 

formed in 2006 and has been a key 

player in the development of the industry, 

making them ideally placed to empower 

integrated solutions and assist Esri UK in 

developing its drone strategies. Heliguy's 

customer portfolio includes companies 

like Balfour Beatty, Network Rail, 

Sellafield Sites, Costain, National Grid 

and Gatwick Airport, as well as more 

than 40 of the UK's emergency services. 

Through the new partnership, Esri UK 

and Heliguy will work on joint projects, 

aiming to introduce new and more 

efficient workflows by bringing together 

customers' GIS and Survey teams who 

have traditionally worked separately on 

drone-related projects. 

"The AEC drone industry is still in its 

infancy, which sees many piecemeal 

projects with no proper joined-up 

internal approach, which leads to 

failure," commented Ruairi Hardman, 

Heliguy's Business Development 

Manager. "Internal drone programmes 

that can scale across a business are a 

fairly new phenomenon and these are 

what we look forward to delivering 

alongside Esri UK. Robust, standardised 

drone workflows, designed for the longterm, 

can lead to 1-2% efficiency gains 

which translates into millions of pounds 

on large-scale construction projects." 

Companies new to the technology and 

its capabilities will be ably supported by 

both Esri UK and Heliguy, offering onestop-shop 

support to enterprise drone 

programmes, including consultancy, 

hardware supply, UK CAA-approved 

online drone training and industryspecific 

closed courses, in-house 

repairs and an R&D lab for custom 

integrations and bespoke operations. 

Heliguy also specialises in drone 

defence solutions. 

www.esriuk.com/engb/industries/aec/overview 

www.heliguy.com 


COMPANYprofile 

Complete Symetri 

Symetri Ltd, part of the Addnode Group, joins forces with Excitech Ltd to form an international 

market-leading partner of software and services for the construction and manufacturing 

industries, writes David Chadwick 

In another fresh start to 2021 we 

welcome the acquisition of a prominent 

UK company to form a new alliance and 

a merging of expertise that will bring 

impetus to the industry. Excitech, an 

Autodesk Platinum Partner with 3,500 

customers and 150 staff, has been 

acquired by Addnode Group and, following 

a period of integration, has now become 

Symetri. While the name has changed, they 

will still be providing the same awardwinning 

services to the construction 

industry as before, supporting their 

customers using a wide range of third-party 

software, supplemented by enabling 

applications developed by both Symetri 

and Excitech. 

I spoke to David Hughes and Yvette 

Dainton at Symetri about the direction the 

company will be taking under the new 

ownership and what Symetri brings to the 

table. For the latter, rather a lot it seems, 

but that does not diminish the role that 

Excitech has played through its 35 years of 

service to the industry. 

The success of Autodesk within the 

construction industry has long been 

supported by their outstanding partners, 

who help their clients implement its 

applications, guiding them through the 

specific range of tools that they need to run 

their practices and companies, and 

running training and other support services. 

In addition, Symetri has developed an 

additional range of applications that fill a 

number of gaps in the market, helping their 

customers become more productive, 

adhere to standards and automate a 

number of routine workflows. 

Symetri is a European company 

headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with 

a strong presence in both the AEC 

(architecture, engineering & construction) 

and Manufacturing industries. In the UK 

more specifically, it has a large footprint of 

manufacturing customers and, prior to the 

Excitech acquisition, a smaller presence in 

AEC. Within the UK it acquired Cadassist in 

2018, who many of you will remember, and 

which was regarded as a successful 

partner within the AEC space. The laudable 

aim of Symetri is to combine and leverage 

the knowledge and expertise of both 

companies in both manufacturing and 

construction industries. Symetri now 

supports more than 10,000 customers 

across the UK and Nordics. 

WHAT WILL SYMETRI BRING TO THE 

PARTY? 

As an already established partner in the 

UK, the additional expertise and 

knowledge the acquisition brings now 

makes Symetri a large customer-centric 

partner with much to offer. The sense I got 

was that this is a company focused on 

building a community of customers in the 

UK to share ideas and develop 

applications that solve long established 

problems for architects, engineers and 

manufacturing construction professionals. 

Two such solutions are Naviate and 

CQFlexMon. 

NAVIATE 

We have previously covered solutions 

developed by Excitech, such as Excitech 

DOCS, Excitech Mail and Excitech CAD 

Checker. Symetri Europe, likewise, has 

developed a range of productivity tools 

under the Naviate banner covering 

architecture, engineering and 

construction. Naviate is a product 

portfolio for users of Revit and Civil 3D 

and helps customers maximise 

productivity and reduce risk through the 

cultivation of knowledge, workflow 

optimisation and business continuity. 

Naviate compliments Autodesk solutions 

by helping its customers become more 

productive with both Revit and Civil 3D. It 

enables Symetri consultants to work 

together with their clients to fine tune their 

24 



use of these applications, adhere to 

standards, and automate routine 

workflows. In fact, their range of products 

introduces some interesting modules 

alongside others that you would expect. 

NAVIATE MODULES 

Naviate Architecture provides industry 

specific tools to help organise the 

documentation associated with a project 

and to optimise BIM working methods, with 

complementary tools for editing doors and 

windows, automatic room drawing 

creation, and a unique curtain grid 

designer, among others. Naviate's Simple 

BIM module can be implemented to allow 

users to share limited amounts of data 

using basic IFC and simple workflows. This 

probably illustrates the useful role that 

Symetri BIM consultants have in analysing 

a client's needs and tailoring a solution that 

matches those needs. 

Naviate delves into other areas as well, 

and one I find particularly interesting is 

Naviate Daylight (mainly because I haven't 

come across this solution before). Daylight 

area ratio checking against a BIM model 

allows architects to optimise the design of 

indoor lighting, windows, and other areas 

to provide optimum occupational comfort 

for future inhabitants. 

Naviate Site & Landscaping does for 

landscaping projects what Naviate 

Architecture does for architects, namely 

automating and accelerating document 

production using built-in standards for 

landscape designers, architects, and 

engineers. 

Naviate Structure provides a range of 

tools that aid in steel reinforcement and pile 

cap detailing and modelling. Coupled with 

the free Naviate Rebar Extension 

application, which offers a multitude of 

tools for automatic rebar generation based 

on configured settings, the Structure 

offering is quite compelling. 

CQFLEXMON 

CQFlexMon helps Symetri customers 

monitor and analyse the usage of Autodesk 

network licences, and with Autodesk's 

Transition to Named User programme 

underway, could be a useful solution to 

provide a clear picture of how a business 

currently utilises networked licences, and to 

help determine actual user need. Additional 

modules include Application Usage, which 

allows monitoring of the actual usage of all 

software installed, and Licence Debit, to 

help calculate the costs accrued from the 

usage of licences. 

DYNAMO AND DYNAMO STUDIO 

Whilst Naviate provides a range of preconfigured 

tools to achieve common tasks, 

there will always be a need for project 

specific workflows for bespoke geometry 

and data manipulation. I am a big fan of 

conceptual design using algorithmic design 

tools, ever since the concept was 

introduced some years ago by Bentley with 

their GenerativeComponents and Smart 

Geometry conferences. With the 

transmigration of some early practitioners 

into the Autodesk world it was obvious that 

the technology would become more 

widespread, with different software 

developers taking up the challenge. 

Dynamo is used to develop conceptual 

designs outside of Revit using unique 

workflows and algorithms to develop 

architectural concepts that can be tweaked 

or automated by modifying the underlying 

maths. Algorithmic scripts can be created 

to model almost any factor that conditions 

the design of a building, from 

environmental considerations to price of 

occupancy, and while the software may be 

'untethered' from Revit, it still retains its BIM 

connectivity, enabling it to be incorporated 

within any 3D model. 

Discussing the infinite possibilities of 

Dynamo led my conversation with David 

and Yvette into other areas of design and 

manufacturing and delivery, common to 

both industries. David pointed to the current 

trend towards off-site fabrication and 

modular building within the industry. 

"Symetri," he said, "with expertise in both 

areas, are now well placed to advise clients 

in both these and similar technologies with 

affinities to Autodesk's manufacturing tools - 

such as BIM 360." 

PRACTICAL ISSUES 

With the acquisition of Excitech, Symetri 

now has 220 consultants and technical 

experts across the Nordics and the UK, 

with 23 regional offices offering consultancy 

and training, supported by more than 80 

developers working on proprietary solutions 

like Naviate and Excitech DOCS. As well as 

retaining their prestigious status as an 

Autodesk Platinum Partner, the group has 

access to technologies from another 40 

partners. In the UK, Symetri will retain 

Excitech's Enfield, Bishopsgate and 

Cambridge offices, in addition to its existing 

four offices across the country. 

David added that customers should be 

assured that there will be no change to 

licences held, terms and training courses 

agreed, orders placed or being rolled out, 

or resources being implemented. He did 

say that there will be some new faces 

appearing, but to all intents and 

appearances it will be business as usual. 

Excitech DOCS and Mail will also retain 

their names. In the short-term, he added, 

emails to Excitech have been redirected to 

their Symetri equivalents, and the website 

has changed to symetri.co.uk. 

After a challenging 2020 it is gratifying to 

see companies moving forward and 

strengthening their roles within their 

industries. I am keen to explore the tools 

Symetri has developed and can't wait to learn 

more about the Symetri Visualisation Table! 

www.symetri.co.uk 



Welcome to the construction control centre 

Buildots builds a comprehensive construction management tool from site surveys using helmet 

mounted cameras, supported by advanced AI techniques for detailed data analysis 

Israel has been the home to many 

tech advancements over the years 

including the USB flash drive, 

autonomous driving aid Mobileye and 

GPS navigation software app Waze. The 

country is also home to construction 

tech start-up Buildots, which was 

launched in Tel Aviv in 2018, opening its 

UK Headquarters the following year. The 

company recently celebrated reaching 

the milestone of hiring it's 50th 

employee and more recruitment is 

expected this year. They are clearly a 

company on the rise and worthy winners 

of the One to Watch category at the 

Construction Computing Awards in 

November 2020. 

The digitisation of the construction 

industry is bringing tremendous 

opportunities for companies developing 

transformative technologies that can 

handle the exponential growth of 

information that accompanies it. If you 

are in the industry, you can either be 

transfixed by the sheer wealth of data 

available, or utilise it intelligently to 

increase productivity and growth. The 

two enablers currently in vogue are the 

establishment of Digital Twins that 

replicate physical construction projects 

with digital models, and the use of 

Artificial Intelligence to analyse and 

improve construction processes. 

This is the premise behind Buildots, 

which starts from a seemingly simple 

operation and uses the visual 

information captured to provide a 

'mission control room' that can facilitate 

more effective management of a 

project's daily operation across multiple 

stakeholders. 

HELMET MOUNTED VIDEO 

It works by using lightweight hard hatmounted 

360° cameras that 

unobtrusively capture data while staff go 

about their normal work, providing 

information about every aspect of the 

construction site. It can be rapidly 

utilized by anybody on site without the 

need for intrusive training sessions or 

down time. Once the data has been 

collected it is automatically analysed to 

build a complete and up-to-the moment 

snapshot of every aspect of progress 

and construction. 

The cameras are worn by members of 

staff who passively capture the images 

during their normal site walks. They are 

automatically uploaded and compared 

with the expected progress of the site 

by a sophisticated AI system, working 

with BIM, which uses the 3D images 

captured to create an up-to-date digital 

twin of the project. This gives the 

management team live information on 

everything that is happening on site, 

without the need to be constantly 

inspecting progress. 

Besides providing an update on the 

exact stage that construction has 

reached, flagging partially completed 

26 



activities (loose ends), or highlighting 

where additional labour is required, the 

data can be used for numerous other 

purposes. 

The most obvious is the automatic 

spotting and logging of snags, enabling 

them to be recorded in real time and 

dealt with before they cost serious 

money. Subcontractors' work can also 

be logged and monitored enabling the 

accounts office to approve invoices and 

pay on time without having to verify work 

done with site inspections. Errors are 

also spotted instantly, with the visual 

logging creating a culture of 

transparency that is likely to lead to a 

reduction in their incidence in the future. 

Site planning is dramatically improved, 

as managers are provided with more 

accurate and up-to-date information to 

manage materials deliveries, enabling 

them to be more precise in terms of 

quantity or timescales, and cutting out 

wait times. Specialised tradespeople 

can be managed better thanks to the 

ability to match appropriate labour 

requirements to locations on-site. 

Removing a time-consuming reliance on 

paperwork, which is frequently 

inaccurate or delayed en-route to the 

site office or time-wasting site visits, site 

managers will also become aware of 

non-documented site issues, such as 

excess or waste material building up on 

site, and can specify its removal. 

The use of artificial intelligence to link 

the images collected - which can build 

up to two million for a mid-sized project 

- facilitates the use of individual images 

to highlight construction issues, or to 

resolve disputes, during or after 

construction has been completed. 

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE, 

POSSIBLE 

Buildots believes that the increased 

transparency of their solution will help 

to reduce errors, waste and rework, 

and enable better communication with 

the workforce. No longer will senior 

staff have to spend hours completing 

routine paperwork and inspections, 

leaving them free to focus on 

management issues that require the 

human touch, ultimately making the job 

more satisfying. 

The solution handles the management 

of tasks and processes that are 

currently impossible or highly 

impractical for site staff to complete and 

provides detailed, accurate and 

objective data that can be acted upon. 

Using advanced AI capabilities to 

provide a consolidated project view, 

Buildots provides a 'percent complete' 

overview of tasks and highlights urgent 

issues which puts control firmly in the 

hands of the contractor. 

Buildots' game changing solution 

mixes a profoundly simple and easy to 

use hardware technology with highly 

sophisticated artificial intelligence 

which, according to Buildots, 

represents a radical leap forward 

towards the aim of the connected 

jobsite. This offers companies the ability 

to transform their construction projects 

almost overnight into fully digitally 

managed environments without 

disruption or delays. Moreover, Buildots 

wanted their solution to be so 

straightforward to operate that it could 

be integrated seamlessly into existing 

work practices without the need for 

time-consuming training. 

DEPLOYING BUILDOTS 

One of the huge advantages of Buildots 

is how straightforward it is to introduce. 

It even comes with all necessary 

equipment - 360 Degree cameras, hard 

hat mounts and docking stations, and 

for setup you just need to provide 

design and scheduling information. 

It can also be integrated with existing 

digital construction management tools 

or be adapted to existing project 

workflows through customisable user 

interfaces. The Buildots Control Centre 

app provides a comprehensive view of 

the construction project thereafter. 

Buildots is also sensitive to issues of 

privacy on site, and the AI software 

contains algorithms that automatically 

blur facial features and devices such as 

phone screens. It captures images rather 

than sound, so staff can be reassured 

that their privacy is not being infringed. 

The ease with which the system can be 

introduced, combined with the cost and 

time savings it brings, mean it will have 

a wide appeal throughout the 

construction industry, and the 

introduction of artificial intelligence into 

the day-to-day working environment of 

the building site offers long term 

benefits for the sector. 

The value created by the system is 

undeniable, changing the lives of the 

people who work on site and helping to 

increase construction operator's 

unbelievably small margins. Buildots 

gives contractors visual, measurable 

and archivable oversight of every aspect 

of the construction site. The construction 

'mission control rooml' has most 

definitely arrived. 

www.buildots.com 



AI and its place in the future of BIM 

Craig Johnson, Business Development Manager - Steel - Structures Division at Trimble 

Solutions (UK) explores the topic of Artificial Intelligence and imagines its future place within the 

world of BIM and construction 

Having experienced the benefits 

that digital ways of working can 

offer, the value it can deliver and 

the challenges it can help solve, the 

construction industry is perhaps more 

open to the adoption of new technology 

than ever before. The question now is 

what is next for the industry? How can it 

push this progression even further? 

All technology, of any kind, is in a state 

of constant development, as we strive to 

increase its value and ask ourselves 

'what's next?'. BIM is no different, with 

the industry looking for ways in which it 

can further improve the efficiency and 

productivity benefits the technology 

offers to our detailing, engineering, 

fabrication and construction workflows. 

Perhaps the most recent development in 

this case is the idea of parametric 

design, or data driven design as it is 

also known, with an increasing number 

of detailers and engineers already 

adopting this innovative way of working. 

PARAMETRIC DESIGN 

Through the use of parametric design 

tools and modelling software, 

parametric design enables detailers to 

input their required rules, parameters 

and design algorithm, with the relative 

output then generated by the computer. 

Pushing this technology further is the 

idea of computer-driven design. Here, 

users can input the basic required 

parameters and allow the computer 

software to automatically generate 

various different design iterations at 

speed. As well as saving valuable time 

and facilitating complex structural 

geometry, this process can also help to 

determine and identify the most 

optimum and efficient design solution. 

In many ways, parametric and 

computer-driven design is a starting 

point for a new way of working, one 

where the software and technology is 

provided with more power but the user 

is still ultimately in control of the inputs 

and outputs. Now, with more people 

adopting parametric design within their 

BIM workflows, what is next? 

THE CLOUD AND ITS DATA 

While cloud-based software, such as 

Trimble Connect, is not necessarily new 

itself, it continues to be a great and 

effective way of enabling a connected 

workflow, facilitating collaboration and 

ensuring an open route of 

communication between project teams - 

three things that have proved especially 

valuable throughout the last twelve 

months. Essentially a huge data storage 

facility, a project's BIM model, along with 

all of its associated drawings, schedules 

and documentation, can be stored in 

the cloud, easily accessible for teams to 

review and individually work on. 

However, what happens to this data 

once a project has been completed? 

Often, the majority of it will remain in the 

cloud, unused and unutilised by its 

owner. Yet, the rise of Machine Learning 

and Artificial Intelligence (AI) could 

change this. 

MACHINE LEARNING 

In simple terms, AI is a form of Machine 

Learning, where existing information and 

data is used to develop its own 

intelligence system; to learn and think in 

a way similar to humans and provide its 

own solutions. Typically, the more data a 

28 



Above: Parametric design and complex geometry in Tekla Structural Designer 

machine is exposed to, the better it will 

become at detecting and internalising 

patterns in said data and, in turn, 

understanding and providing insights. 

Within the context of the construction 

and BIM industry, AI has the potential to 

successfully harness and utilise the 

significant amount of past project data 

that is presently unused; helping to further 

improve and enhance our productivity 

and efficiency levels as a result. 

While every building and structure is 

itself unique, detailing and modelling 

tasks can often be repetitive by way of 

nature and/or design. For example, 

various concrete panels, steel beams 

and columns and their various 

connections are often all found within a 

construction design project. It is these 

very data similarities where the potential 

for automation arises - something that 

parametric design has already given us a 

glimpse of - with a company able to 

utilise its experience and known good 

design choices from past projects to help 

automate, design and optimise the new. 

Putting this into practice, consider the 

task of detailing a complex steel 

connection. Through AI and Machine 

Learning, it is possible that BIM 

software (in the future) may be able to 

detect patterns and similarities between 

a user's new model and their previously 

completed designs, automatically 

suggesting and recommending 

solutions based on past projects and 

the library of data. In this case, the 

optimum steel connection could feature 

fewer welds, fewer bolts or even less 

steel, saving money and materials, as 

well as being quicker and easier to 

fabricate and assemble. 

It is evident that such automated 

technology could deliver very real timesavings 

to a project, both in terms of the 

initial detailing work and in improved 

accuracy. However, it could also 

contribute towards helping project 

teams achieve a more optimum and 

efficient design. Imagine if AI 

technology had the capacity to look at 

past designs and categorise what 

worked well and what didn't; taking this 

existing data and using it to not only 

design the new, but improve it. 

Pushing this idea further still, what if 

collaborative platforms could then feed 

fabricator and construction information, 

such as costs and time, into this? The 

result could be a new age of BIM 

designs that are driven, not only by 

design, but fabrication and construction 

too. What was easy to fabricate? What 

was easy to install? What was most 

cost-effective? What was most 

successful? 

Ultimately, however, both the success 

of AI in these complex environments 

and how much we, as an industry, are 

able to get out of such technology 

depends greatly on acceptance. It relies 

on a sense of trust - trust and 

confidence in the solutions that this 

automated and machine-learned 

software suggests. Only then can we 

reap the rewards of our technological 

advancements. 

www.tekla.com/uk 



Gliding over all 

How Glider has cultivated success through an innovative culture 

One of the key objectives of a 

business is to look after its 

people and its clients, to form 

a consolidated community, built on a 

foundation of trust and communication. 

When Nick Hutchinson and Steve 

Rukuts founded Glider five years ago 

they began cultivating a strong internal 

culture, one which would reflect the 

core values of their business, setting a 

clear path for the future and the 

success they have achieved to date. 

In the past twelve months alone 

Glider has enjoyed significant growth 

in its team while winning industry 

awards - including the Cloud Based 

Technology of the Year category at the 

2020 Construction Computing Awards 

- not to mention having the honour of 

working with and continuing to support 

many outstanding businesses who are 

doing some groundbreaking things in 

the built environment. 

This year Glider strengthened its team 

with the addition of a new Business 

Operations Manager, a new Head of 

Sales, plus a Digital Delivery Manager 

and Software Engineer, all of which will 

be instrumental in supporting their 

clients and stakeholders. 

CULTURE IS EVERYTHING 

Nick told us: "For me, culture is 

everything, it drives who we are, how 

we behave and how we treat people at 

all levels. We do this with a social 

conscience and have taken giant steps 

to not only be a responsible business, 

but to ensure the safe keeping and 

wellbeing of our magnificent team." 

Looking ahead into 2021, Nick 

added: "We will be celebrating our fifth 

anniversary this year and have plans to 

continue our expansion of the team 

and entry to new markets. Combined 

with introducing new software 

technology to the industry to safeguard 

its future." 

The continual onset of digital 

globalisation is tearing down 

geographic boundaries and removing 

barriers to new market entry. Glider is 

constantly growing and evolving 

through its innovative approach to 

information management, and it is this 

innovation which has become a core 

driver of growth, performance and 

customer value. 

Steve told us: "I am frequently asked 

what makes a business successful? Is 

it a phenomenal understanding of your 

market? A visionary growth strategy? A 

value-driven customer focus? A 

strategy that enables digital 

transformation and the answer to this 

is, all of the above. But there is also 

something else; successful businesses 

are innovators, ones which are ahead 

of the curve - and at Glider we always 

want to be that one step ahead. 

"To truly create an innovation culture, 

we must take action on innovative 

ideas. This isn't to say that every idea 

is a great one, but the creative process 

should always be acknowledged and 

appreciated. Often business leaders 

are largely focused on the urgent 

matters of everyday management and 

innovation may be placed on the 'we 

will look at this tomorrow' pile. 

Although innovation is considered an 

important issue, it may not be given 

the same level of priority as other more 

pressing concerns. 

"If more business leaders were aware 

of the fact that postponing innovation 

today would undermine their ability to 

innovate tomorrow, then innovation 

would be given higher priority status." 

GLIDERBIM AT WORK 

One such example of its innovative 

nature is how Glider is playing a key 

role in the digital transformation of 

Coventry University. With the 

introduction of its pioneering Common 

Data Environment (CDE) software 

gliderbim®, Glider is enabling the 

University's Estates Digital Services 

Team to create their own unique CDE 

for data, models and documentation - 

providing the tools they need to 

manage the production, approval, 

delivery and maintenance of all estate 

asset information. 

Coventry University is known for the 

world-leading calibre of its engineering 

and design graduates - particularly in 

the automotive field - and is rapidly 

expanding, with multiple locations 

across the UK including Coventry, 

London and Scarborough. The 

University had a requirement to digitise 

its estates information and over the last 

30 



Nick Hutchinson 

Steve Rukuts 

two years, Glider has worked 

alongside the University to support its 

digital journey, creating asset 

information models hosted by the 

gliderbim® CDE platform. 

The BIM Manager for Coventry 

University Estates Digital Services 

Team, Hadeel Saadoon, spoke about 

the project: "Coventry University is an 

enormous estate with 138 buildings, 

including accommodation. We first 

started working with Glider to discuss 

the best approach for onboarding 

estate asset data, however, this quickly 

transitioned into a wider project to 

implement the use of gliderbim® 

across the entire estate." 

Steve commented that "This was 

initially a complex project, with the need 

for accurate data capture, information 

alignment and analysis programming. 

In addition, it required the delivery of 

live projects as well as supporting an 

active University campus. We began by 

providing a central location for 

information, which meant a major clean 

up and complete scan of the existing 

physical archive was needed." 

Nick added: "This is one example of 

the way in which we are supporting 

forward-thinking clients. At Glider we 

have some of the AEC industry's most 

talented developers, information 

management consultants and thought 

leaders, shaping the future of the digital 

built environment and allowing clients 

to take control of their data." 

BIG PICTURE THINKING FOR 

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 

For Glider innovation is at its core, selfconfessed 

bold thinkers, helping others 

achieve the extraordinary. The Glider 

big-picture thinking for information 

management generates new ideas to 

solve the complexities of large scale 

construction and infrastructure projects. 

The gliderbim® CDE is a secure and 

structured repository for managing 

information about the design, 

construction, management, operation 

and maintenance of built assets. It is 

used to collect, validate, manage, 

communicate and share information 

across distributed teams. 

It is continuously updated throughout 

the asset lifecycle, holding the latest 

and most accurate information. 

gliderbim® not only enhances 

collaboration but it streamlines systems 

and increases data security. 

The advanced data management 

technology within gliderbim® is ISO 

27001 compliant and can integrate with 

any single sign-on solution using 

Security Assertion Markup Language 

(SAML). With its metadata security 

classifications and G-Cloud compliant 

security model, client data always 

remains secure. 

Nick said: "We thrive on guiding asset 

owners, public sector bodies, 

developers, architects, engineers and 

contractors through the full lifecycle of 

a building project - from conception to 

operation. We are here to support our 

clients through every phase of their 

asset's lifecycle through our specialism 

in information management and our 

custom-built CDE platform. 

"The concept from which Glider was 

born is still very much part of who we 

are today and that is down to the 

passion we have for innovation and 

embedding this into our business 

culture. We remain committed to driving 

societal change and enabling a 

sustainably stable future for the built 

environment." 

www.glidertech.com 


YOUR GUIDE TO 

4 

5 

8 

6/10 9 7 1 

14 

15 

16 

17 11/13 18 20 

33 

2/12 

35/41 

40 32 

23/42 

21 

25 26/19 

30 

3 

42 

31 

22 

29 

24/27 

28 

*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 223330 

Fax: 01592 223301 

jackm@glenco.org 

www.glenco.org 

ACMK 

ABERDEENSHIRE 8 

symetri 

Contact: Craig Snell 

Tel: 01467 629900 

training@symetri.co.uk 


ABDHIJKMNOPSX 

ABERDEEN 1 

TMS CADcentre 

Contact: Craig Hamilton 

Tel: 01224 223321 

info@thom-micro.com 

www.tmscadcentre.com 

ACELHO 

LARBERT 9 

TMS CADcentre 

Contact: Craig Hamilton 

Tel: 01324-550760 

info@thom-micro.com 

www.tmscadcentre.com 

ACELHO 

GLASGOW 10 

Excitech Ltd 

Contact: Alan Skipp 

Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01922 807574 

info@excitech.co.uk 

www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015 

ABCDEHKLMNQSX 

IRELAND 

DUBLIN 4 

Paradigm Technology Ltd 

Contact: Des McGrane 

Tel: +353-1-2960155 

Fax: +353-1-2960080 

dmcgrane@paradigm.ie 

www.paradign.it 

ACMGKL 

SOUTHWEST 

BRISTOL 2 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 



A B C D E H K L M N Q S X 

NEWBURY 3 

RWTC Ltd 

Contact: Richard Willis 

Tel: 01488 689005 

Fax: 01635 32718 

richard@rwtc.co.uk 

www.rwtc.co.uk 

A M 

BRISTOL 12 

Micro Concepts Ltd 

Contact: Peter Hurst 

Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162 

training@microconcepts.co.uk 

www.microconcepts.co.uk 

A B D I J K M N O P S T X 

N.I 

BELFAST 5 

Pentagon Solutions Ltd 

Contact: Tony Dalton - Training 

Services Manager 

Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355 

Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355 

tony@pentagonsolutions.com 

www.pentagonsolutions.com 

ACDEGKL 

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: 

AUTIDESK 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 

ADRK 

HERTFORDSHIRE 23 

Computer Aided 

Business Systems Ltd 

Contact: Gillian Haynes 

Tel: 01707 258 338 

Fax: 01707 258 339 

training@cabs-cad.com 

A C D E K H 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 42 

Causeway 

Technologies Ltd 

Contact: Sue Farnfield 

Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134 

Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com 

www.causeway.com 

A C D E K 

LONDON 24 

CADASSIST 

Contact: Gordon McGlathery 

Tel: +44 (0)208 622 3027 

Fax: +44 (0)208 622 3200 




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 




TRAINING 

NORTH LONDON 28 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01922 807574 



ABCDEHKLMNQSX 

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 

ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX 

HIGH WYCOMBE 19 


Contact: Kerrie Braybrook 

Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162 




THE NORTH 

MIDLANDS 

MANCHESTER 11 

CADASSIST 

Contact: 

Gordon McGlathery 

Tel: 0161 440 8122 

Fax: 0161 439 9635 




MANCHESTER 13 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01922 807574 



ABCDEHKLMNQSX 

NORTH EAST 14 

symetri 


Tel: 0191 213 5555 



ABDHIJKMNOPSX 

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 266 262 



ABDHIJKMNOPSX 

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 

CHESHIRE 41 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




SOUTHHAMPTON 42 

CAMBRIDGE 29 

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

CASEstudy 

A campus Command Centre 

IES ran a pilot project with Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University to 

investigate energy, carbon and cost savings for the whole campus 

The project set out to create a 

Command Centre, initially focusing on 

three buildings on the Edinburgh 

campus, before rolling it out for the entire 

campus, populating each building model 

with real-world data with a dashboard for 

each building. This would allow The Heriot- 

Watt Univerity (HWU) Facilities Management 

team to visualise performance at campus 

and individual building level. 

The three buildings chosen for the pilot 

project were the GRID Building, built in 2019 

for mixed use with VRV heating/cooling, the 

Edwin Chadwick Building, built in 1987 for 

mixed use with cellular offices, seminar 

rooms, lecture rooms and workshop 

spaces and gas heating, and the Robert 

Bryson Hall, built in 1992, the halls of 

residence with gas heating. 

An editable model of the campus was 

created using IES' intelligent Community 

Design tool (iCD), part of the ICL Digital Twin 

suite of technology, and available data from 

Open Street Map, further edited based on 

knowledge of the campus. Additional data 

could be entered or imported from different 

sources throughout the project. 

All three buildings were data rich with realworld 

information, which could be refined in 

the virtual environment to calibrate systems 

performance and analyse options for 

energy improvement. Using this model IES 

conducted early stage analysis, simulating 

and comparing multiple scenarios. 

The campus level iCD model was exported 

to create an online Campus Information 

Model (iCIM), to visualise and share 

information from the site. The iCIM is a 

centralised, cloud-based repository for the 

community data, including all 3D buildings 

and landscape objects, accessible by any 

stakeholder via browser, providing an ideal 

platform for data-driven visualisation and 

decision making. 

The project consisted of three phases; A, 

B, and C. Phase A focused on data 

collection, model population and an 

assessment of the building's performance. 

Here, HWU provided IES with detailed 

information on the buildings for the model 

so that more visualisations and metrics 

could be available within the iCIM. IES then 

evaluated the current performance of the 

buildings based on monthly bills, data from 

sensors and metered live data, including 

BMS data and Automated Meter Reading 

(AMR) data. 

As the GRID building included extensive 

use of intelligent sensors and meters, IES 

created a connection with its innovative 

iSCAN tool to allow import of data streams 

and their visualisation on the iCIM, including 

the implementation of customisable widgets 

(i.e. actual weather data from weather 

stations to support the 'meteorology portal') 

as well as customised dashboards, 

showing specific performance indicators for 

the building. This helped HWU clearly 

identify data availability and completeness 

from the various sensors and meters 

installed, and review the efficacy of the PV 

installation etc. For the other two buildings, 

the data collection resulted in a digital 

model that better represented their 

geometry, thermal and functional behaviour. 

Phase B focused on operational 

performance optimisation. This phase was 

aimed at ensuring that the buildings 

performed at their best, identifying any 

inefficiencies and opportunities for 

operational savings. 

For the GRID building, IES used the 

available metered data from the buildings, 

imported in the previous phase, to identify 

faults, gaps and carried out advanced 

analysis of the data, enabling continuous 

monitoring of the buildings' performance 

For the Edwin Chadwick Building and 

Robert Bryson Hall the operational 

performance was reviewed through the 

creation of a 'hybrid' VE model that was 

calibrated by combining monthly electricity 

and gas totals with simulated data. For all 

three buildings, IES then used the VE 

models created and linked the operational 

data collected through iSCAN to create and 

fine-tune the models, so that they could act 

as "Digital Twins" of the buildings, better 

reflecting the actual performance. 

IES then virtually tested multiple forecast 

scenarios/strategies and Energy 

Conservation Measures (ECMs) to 

determine the optimal configuration to 

achieve the projects goals. The impact of 

each ECM/scenario was assessed in terms 

of energy/cost savings and effect on user 

comfort in the building. 

The ECM's tested for the two older 

buildings, the Edwin Chadwick Building and 

Robert Bryson Hall, included analysing how 

to reduce the infiltration levels, improving 

insulation and using air-source heat pumps 

to improve the heating system, replacing 

the older style boilers. The implementation 

of these ECM's indicated potential energy 

savings of 43% for the former and 44% for 

the latter, and carbon savings of 36% and 

39% respectively. 

For Phase C, IES created a Command 

Centre for live data analysis via the ICL 

iSCAN tool. This enabled a deeper 

operational analysis of the buildings, and 

provided a single web portal for the FM 

team at HWU to visualise general 

information on the three buildings as well as 

data available from BMS systems, AMRs 

and renewables. IES developed 

dashboards where operators could see 

indicators or aggregated values at a glance 

without looking at actual time series data. 

The final outcome of this pilot project will be 

calibrated Digital Twins and a set of 

recommended ECMs for two of the three 

buildings analysed (Edwin Chadwick and 

Robert Bryson), with associated estimated 

savings and return on investments, together 

with a first version of a Command Centre to 

allow facility managers to easily review issues 

with operational performance and undertake 

predictive rather than reactive maintenance. 

www.iesve.com 

34 


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11TH NOVEMBER 2021 

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@CCMagAndAwards

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