CU Jul-Aug 2022

CAD User 

JULY/AUGUST 2022 

VOL 35 NO 04 

WWW.CADUSER.COM 

Studio Bark 

Advancing the eco-design of 

construction projects 

Extending reality 

Bentley uses NVIDIA's CloudXR to 

push the boundaries of digital realities 

PIM to AIM 

The evolving management 

needs for a building's 

complete lifecycle 

Get smart 

Using smart sensors and buildingcentric 

IoT to shape smart cities 

Curbs without limits 

How Vectorworks Landmark is 

helping Curbs Studio win projects 

Image - Black Barn, credit: Lenny Codd 

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

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CONTENTS 

JULY/AUGUST 2022 

CONTENTS 

VISUALISING CARBON 14 

3D Repo provides an API that allows 

designers to view embodied carbon within the 

building components and methods of 

construction in their 3D models 

STUDIO BARK 20 

Studio Bark is the nucleus of a group of 

architects actively promoting the eco-design 

of construction projects, including embodied 

carbon analysis and site analysis 

EXTENDING REALITY 24 

Bentley Systems introduces extended reality, 

using NVIDIA's CloudXR, to push the 

boundaries of digital realities for the ITER 

fusion reactor project 

ASICS IN THE CITY 28 

How smart sensors, building-centric IoT and 

building data management are helping to 

shape the smart cities of the future 

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

• VOLUMETRIC MODULAR TOOL GOES OFFSITE • ENSCAPE REAL-TIME RENDERING NOW ON MAC 

INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................EXPANDING HORIZONS.....................................................................................10 

• WHAT ARE THE KEY DRIVERS FOR SUCCESS THAT CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES SHOULD NOW BE LOOKING AT? 

AWARDS.............................................CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARDS 2022................................................14 

• NOMINATIONS FOR THE 16TH ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN! 

CASE STUDY......................................CURBS WITHOUT LIMITS..................................................................................16 

• VECTORWORKS LANDMARK HAS BEEN A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN ENABLING CURBS STUDIO TO WIN NEW PROJECTS 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................PIM TO AIM.......................................................................................................18 

• DAVID CHADWICK DISCUSSES THE EVOLUTION OF BUILDING MANAGEMENT NEEDS WITH MERVYN RICHARDS 

SOFTWARE FOCUS...........................THE INTEGRATION IMPERATIVE.......................................................................22 

• GRAPHISOFT HAS NOW INTEGRATED DDSCAD'S MEP SOLUTION WITHIN ARCHICAD 

INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................UK TEKLA AWARDS 2022.................................................................................26 

• TRIMBLE’S STEVE INSLEY LOOKS AT THE WINNING PROJECTS IN THIS YEEAR'S UK TEKLA AWARDS 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................GET SMART.............................................................................................................30 

• MATTHEW MARGETTS EXPLAINS WHY YOU CAN'T IGNORE BUILDING DATA MANAGEMENT 

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

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

CASE STUDY......................................DRONES OVER HS2.........................................................................................34 

• BALFOUR BEATTY VINCI DIGITISES HS2 CONSTRUCTION WORKFLOWS WITH NEW DRONE SOFTWARE 

July/August 2022 3

COMMENT 

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David Chadwick 

(cad.user@btc.co.uk) 

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Comment 

Future ITERations 

by David Chadwick 

If you think our recent weather was hot 

then consider the ITER project that has 

been running in France for the last five 

years, and which still has some time to 

run, to construct the world's largest 

dedicated fusion reactor. The 30m tall 

structure is projected to hold plasma - 

the ionized gas consisting of positive 

ions and free electrons you will find at 

low pressures in fluorescent lamps or at 

very high temperatures in nuclear fusion 

reactors. It does so at temperatures 10 

times that of the centre of the sun - 

150.million degrees. 

In current tokamak (the term refers to its 

design) magnetic fusion experiments, 

insufficient fusion energy is produced to 

maintain the plasma temperature, and 

constant external heating must be 

supplied, but for every 50MW of power 

put into it, the plasma will produce 

500MW of fusion power for periods up to 

400 to 600 seconds - a tenfold return on 

energy expenditure. The current record for 

fusion power gain in a tokamak is Q = 

0.67 held by the European JET facility 

located in Culham, UK, which produced 

16 MW of thermal fusion power for 24 MW 

of injected heating power in the 1990s. 

The ITER Tokamak will be the largest 

ever built, with a plasma volume of 830 

cubic metres. ITER's huge plasma 

volume will enable it to produce, for the 

first time, a "burning plasma" in which the 

majority of the heating needed to sustain 

the fusion reaction is produced by the 

alpha particles generated during the 

fusion process itself. The production and 

control of such a self-heated plasma has 

been the goal of magnetic fusion 

research for more than 50 years. 

The facts and figures surrounding ITER 

are mind-blowing, and you really should 

visit the website, ITER.org. The cost will 

make you wince, but the ultimate benefits 

are also staggering, as the fusion 

process is totally different to fissionbased 

power generation systems, with 

their short lives and the problem of 

disposing harmful expended radioactive 

isotopes. If the process to build a selfgenerating 

or heating process is 

successful it points the way to unlimited 

and relatively free energy once the 

construction costs have been absorbed. 

The ITER project is truly an international 

one with 35 countries involved, 

producing such things as the 100,000 

kilometres of niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) 

superconducting strands to make ITER's 

toroidal field magnets, which were 

fabricated by suppliers in six ITER 

Domestic Agencies: China, Europe, 

Japan, Korea, Russia and the USA. 

Current minor problems aside, 

production of this started in 2009 and 

was completed by 2014. 

Why am I writing about this here? It 

strikes me that the heart of the current 

energy crisis is providing the hope that 

future energy supplies are well and truly 

on the agenda, with the promise of major 

innovations solving some of the 

problems we have and enabling us to 

move away from carbon-based energy 

sources. It also forms the subject of a 

Bentley case study, where they are 

developing and testing the use of digital 

simulations in the form of virtual, 

augmented, mixed and now extended 

reality, using the resources of NVIDIA's 

CloudXR platform. 

The issues that have had to be resolved 

in the process have extended Bentley's 

digital simulation capabilities in all 

aspects, enabling them to formulate a 

philosophy for creating solutions across 

all areas and disciplines within the 

construction industry. They have termed 

this 'the Metaverse' and, unlike some 

meta-themed projects, are turning theory 

into 'réalité'. 

4 July/August 2022

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INDUSTRY news 

VOLUMETRIC MODULAR TOOL GOES OFFSITE 

R 

&D spending in the construction 

sector surged by 

20% on an annual basis to a 

record high in the first quarter, 

analysis of the latest ONS 

data by innovation funding 

specialist Catax shows. The 

construction industry spent 

£138m on R&D in Q1 2022 - 

up 20% from £115m recorded 

in the same quarter of 2021. 

R&D spending on a quarterly 

basis also climbed by 14.1% 

from £121m. 

The construction sector's 

Trimble will be demonstrating 

the latest addition to its Tekla 

Structures constructible modelling 

software, The Volumetric 

Modular Tool, at Offsite Expo 

2022 this September. Hosted at 

the Coventry Building Society 

Arena on 20-21 September, Offsite 

Expo is a must-attend event 

for anyone working within the 

offsite industry. With exhibitors 

from a wide range of sectors 

and specialities, it's an ideal 

opportunity to discover the latest 

offsite solutions and learn 

more about advancements in 

industry technology. 

Launched in the 2022 version 

of Tekla Structures, the new Volumetric 

Modular Tool is the next 

step in improving offsite construction, 

helping to make the 

BIM workflow even more efficient 

and effective. The new tool 

comes in perfect timing with the 

event’s focus on offsite and 

BIM, two areas of construction 

that could hold the key to the 

industry's future, combining the 

latest digital practices and offsite 

processes. 

Designed specifically for the 

offsite market, the new tool 

enables users to construct 3D 

models of modular units far 

quicker and easier, with 

automation at the tool's core. 

As well as saving valuable time, 

with a basic unit able to be created 

in just a couple of clicks, 

the tool also offers a clear 

assembly hierarchy, automatically 

creating and organising 

assemblies, sub-assemblies 

and parts ready for production. 

www.tekla.com 

NEW HIGH FOR CONSTRUCTION R&D IN Q1 

performance was significantly 

better than the performance of 

UK industry as a whole. Total 

R&D spending by UK businesses 

rose 14.1% on an 

annual basis to £12bn in Q1 

2022. This was a 13.9% quarterly 

increase. By comparison, 

GDP in Q1 was up 8.7% on an 

annual basis according to the 

ONS2. The ONS R&D spending 

statistics don't factor inflation, 

which was running at an 

annual 7% in March this year. 

https://catax.com 

BRICSYS PARTNERS WITH VREX FOR VR 

Bricsys, part of Hexagon, is 

collaborating with virtual 

reality platform VREX to 

improve model exchange 

workflows, allowing users to 

create detailed models in BricsCAD 

BIM and export to the 

Vrex VR platform with minimal 

effort. The enhanced workflow 

enables AEC companies to 

streamline collaboration 

between the multiple stakeholders 

working together on a 

project in a VR environment. 

Bluesky International's 

geospatial data is providing 

environmental insights and 

informing future green space 

plans in a bid to enhance resident 

well-being, improve air 

quality, maximise biodiversity 

and improve surface water 

management at a large housing 

estate on the outskirts of 

Swansea, Wales. 

The Green Infrastructure Consultancy 

is a UK based company 

advising private, government, 

institutional and NGO 

clients on urban green infrastructure 

policy, strategy, planning, 

design, installation and 

maintenance. It is working with 

the housing association Pobl 

on mapping green infrastructure 

and opportunities for 

improvement around the Penderi 

housing estate. 

The consultancy has been 

tapping into Bluesky's National 

This reduces the potential for 

errors and miscommunication 

and helps unlock valuable 

insights in real time. 

The BricsCAD BIM solution 

leverages OpenBIM and certified 

IFC workflows, making it 

easy for Vrex subscribers to 

virtually meet inside the 

model, perform visual inspections 

and exchange buildings 

and project data in a compliant 

manner from any location. 

www.bricsys.com 

BLUESKY FOR GREEN SPACES IN SWANSEA 

Tree Map (NTM) which provides 

accurate height, location 

and canopy coverage data for 

trees 3m and taller. For the 

Penderi project, The Green 

Infrastructure Consultancy has 

interrogated additional datasets 

that look at existing habitats 

and species, topography, vegetation 

cover, flood risk, accessibility 

to greenspace and 

ecosystem resilience. 

Gary Grant of The Green Infrastructure 

Consultancy said: 

"Pobl understands how important 

high quality and accessible 

green infrastructure is for residents 

health and wellbeing and 

how green infrastructure will be 

at the forefront of their efforts to 

mitigate for, and adapt to, climate 

change. They have a 

sophisticated approach that 

requires access to data and 

good maps." 

www.bluesky-world.com 

6 

July/August 2022

VISIBILITY 

CONTROL 

ACCURACY 

CONSTRUCTION ERP SOFTWARE 

From pre-construction to post construction 

Visibility is everything; trust 

our software to give you control 

and accuracy. 

Access construction management 

software enables you to accurately 

estimate contracts, manage your 

projects with clear visibility and 

control your costs. 

Access Construction ERP Software 

comprises award-winning Enterprise 

Resource Planning (ERP) EasyBuild and 

ConQuest Estimating can help you with: 

• ESTIMATING 

• SITE MANAGEMENT 

• ACCOUNTING 

• HR AND PAYROLL 

• TRAINING 

• COMPLIANCE 

• PROCUREMENT 

• HOSTING AND CYBER SECURITY 

WHY CHOOSE SOFTWARE 

FROM ACCESS CONSTRUCTION? 

• Two core products written for the 

construction industry – ConQuest 

Estimating and EasyBuild ERP 

Software 

CONTACT US AND 

BOOK A DEMO TODAY 

Search: Access Construction 

• Bought alone or as an integrated 

package, we create the right solution 

for your company which can scale 

as you grow 

• Seamless implementation, with 

product training and dedicated 

customer support

INDUSTRY news 

ENSCAPE REALTIME RENDERING NOW ON MAC 

Enscape's popular real-time 

rendering software is now 

available for the Mac platform. 

Following a successful open 

beta, Enscape for Mac is now 

shipping for SketchUp 2021 

and 2022. "The release of 

Enscape for Mac now brings a 

truly integrated real-time visualisation 

workflow to the Mac 

platform. Many customers 

have helped develop this 

product through our open beta 

program, and they are excited 

to now have the choice of two 

great platforms: Windows and 

Mac," said Petr Mitev, Vice 

President, Visualisation Product 

Group at Enscape. 

"We are thrilled that our 

SketchUp users can now 

enjoy this popular real-time 

rendering software on the Mac 

platform. Enscape's Mac version 

integrates directly into 

SketchUp, and no syncing, 

importing, or exporting is 

required. We know our Mac 

user base will be excited to 

now be able to seamlessly 

design and visualise their 

models in real time," said 

Hugh McEvoy, Director of 

Strategy and Business Development 

at Trimble. 

https://enscape3d.com 

NEMETSCHEK GROUP INVESTS IN SYMTERRA 

The Nemetschek Group has 

invested in the UK-based 

start-up SymTerra, a construction 

site communications platform. 

SymTerra’s communication 

platform allows easy, 

instant, and intuitive communication 

across multiple contractors 

to the same project. 

Clients, contractors and subcontractors 

can now document 

works via images and 

video, cross reference assets 

and activities, and share information 

instantly with who they 

need to. 

As the founders come from 

construction themselves, 

SymTerra is set to resolve a 

unified pain-point across all 

construction sites: poor communication. 

"We’ve lived the pain of the rework 

issue due to poor information 

and communication on our 

projects", explains John Ryan, 

SymTerra Co-Founder and 

CEO. "Unlike existing software 

where information is siloed, we 

allow site teams to communicate 

and share updates 

through flexible pricing and user 

permissions that reflect how 

work is actually delivered. Our 

users have helped refine 

SymTerra to be a tool that site 

teams want to use". 

www.nemetschek.com 

KEEP IN SYNCH WITH CONSTRUCTION CLOUD 

Cloud-based distributed 

document management 

system BIM SyncShare now 

integrates with Autodesk Construction 

Cloud, a portfolio of 

software and services that 

combines advanced technology, 

a builders network and 

predictive insights for construction 

teams. BIM Sync- 

Share gives project stakeholders 

the opportunity to create 

shared working folders, 

which deliver files between 

internal servers and external 

locations. Project teams can 

import construction files from 

Autodesk Docs, Autodesk 

Build, or BIM 360 directly into 

BIM SyncShare. 

The synchronisation of files 

between internal company 

servers and key cloud applications 

such as Autodesk Construction 

Cloud, Google Drive, 

Dropbox and OneDrive allows 

distributed teams, including 

external partners, to collaborate 

on the most up-to-date 

project information. 

"Having a wide array of construction 

stakeholders leads to 

a multitude of different software 

solutions on any given 

project, impacting efficiency, 

accuracy, and project complexity," 

said James Cook, 

director, partner integrations, 

Autodesk Construction Solutions. 

"BIM SyncShare’s cloudbased 

platform reduces complexity 

and delay risks by 

ensuring teams are working 

from the most up-to-date files." 

https://bimsyncshare.com 

ESSENTIAL CYBER CREDENTIALS FOR GLIDER 

Glider has received its 

Cyber Essentials Plus certification. 

Following the renewal 

of its IS0 27001, and the attainment 

of its Cyber Essentials 

certificate earlier in the year, 

acquiring its Cyber Essentials 

Plus Certification demonstrates 

the company's outstanding 

commitment to cyber security. 

Glider's flagship product gliderbim® 

is an intelligent information 

management platform 

which supports the whole 

asset data lifecycle, from conceptual 

design through to the 

operation and maintenance of 

buildings. As a software 

provider which hosts sensitive 

project and asset information, 

Glider pledges to always keep 

data secure. 

Nick Hutchinson, Managing 

Director of Glider, commented 

on the certification: "This is yet 

another accreditation that 

demonstrates Glider's commitment 

to cyber security. The 

Cyber Essentials Plus certification 

reassures our existing 

clients that we have a strong 

defence against cyber attacks, 

and will let new clients know 

that their data is in safe hands 

with Glider. I can't thank the 

team enough for their dedication 

to cyber security and gaining 

this certification." 

https://glidertech.com 

8 


INDUSTRYfocus 

Expanding horizons 

David Chadwick looks at the key drivers for success that Access Construction believe construction 

companies should now be looking at 

It seems very timely to take a closer 

look at the increased discussion 

around employment issues in the 

construction industry, coming as it 

does at a period when there is a 

decline in the skilled workforce even as 

we're faced with an upturn in the 

anticipated construction output. The 

Construction Products Association 

(CPA) forecasts that output in the 

industry will grow by around 4.3% in 

2022, with most of that coming from 

infrastructure and housebuilding - but 

a significant amount will also come 

from repairs, maintenance, and the 

latest fashion to hit the industry - 

retrofitting. 

That means the industry will need an 

extra 217,000 builders if that rate is set 

to be sustained over the next 4 years. 

It's a significant challenge, and it 

affects manual skills such as 

bricklayers and dry liners, as much as 

quantity surveyors or project managers. 

According to the The Chartered 

Institute of Building (CIOB) women 

currently make up around 14% of 

construction industry professionals, 

while less than 6% of workers are 

BAME. We now have an opportunity to 

increase those percentages and build 

a more diverse workforce, one that will 

bring in new ideas and different points 

of view. It could be a huge opportunity 

for the construction industry to both 

modernise and attract a more diverse 

talent pool, while also upskilling its 

existing workforce. 

When put alongside the other issues 

currently affecting the industry 

expanding your construction company 

can seem like a tough challenge. There 

are a number of strategies you should 

take into consideration if you are 

planning on doing so however, and 

Access Construction recently 

outlined some of the key areas to 

focus, which are as follows. 

EXPANDING YOUR 

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 

The first of Access Construction's 

suggestions is to review your 

workforce, and it's a no-brainer to 

prioritise increasing the number of 

women working in construction at the 

top of the list. This needs to be 

reflected in a positive drive from the 

industry itself, which has to start 

thinking outside the box when it comes 

to recruiting from outside the sector. 

This could include introducing flexible 

working to accommodate specific 

needs, for example, which could help 

to both attract new entrants to the 

industry and retain existing ones. 

The next suggestion from Access 

Construction is to improve data and 

analysis. A single source of truth is the 

mantra for the industry. Data improves 

decision-making, enabling you to 

make the right decisions at the 

right time. With up-to-theminute 

access to multiple 

projects, 

teams, 

invoices, logistics, and costs, you can 

eliminate errors, improve 

communications, increase productivity 

and reduce costs - mitigating risks and 

avoiding costly disputes. Investing in a 

construction management software 

solution is therefore an essential tool for 

expanding your construction company. 

The next piece of advice is to win more 

tenders. Winning tenders is not a 'suck 

it and see' process. Leveraging the data 

you should have at your disposal from a 

complete construction management 

solution enables bids to be fine-tuned, 

eliminating the duplication of work and 

admin tasks by incorporating 

successful data from earlier bids. Using 

such a system will cut out the failures 

and errors and introduce the real-time 

updating of prices and materials, 

thereby balancing resources. 

Improving your internal processes 

ensures that your successful 

tenders are properly 

constructed and quicker 

to put together, 

comprehensive, and 

guaranteed to be 

profitable. Using a 

centralised 

system - 

10 


INDUSTRYfocus 

an all-in-one tendering and 

construction estimating solution - can 

automate administration tasks and 

huge chunks of data. This will save you 

hundreds of hours a year, meaning 

you'll be able to tender for more 

construction projects with that 

recouped time. 

The past few years have been 

anything but business as usual for all 

those involved in construction. Against 

this backdrop, contractors have had to 

contend with significant turbulence in 

the supply chains - which in turn 

causes backlogs - delays, increased 

energy costs, and shortages of 

materials, equipment, and staff, leading 

to soaring prices. 

VISIBILITY AND CONTROL 

The underlying factor behind these tips 

is enhanced visibility and control of your 

processes and your data. Taking the 

first of them as an example, leveraging 

your workforce and introducing flexible 

working enables companies to take 

advantage of external training courses 

to upskill employees, or to balance 

working periods during school holidays. 

For each of these there is a cost 

involved, whether it be a slight delay in 

completion or an adjustment made for 

material deliveries. Knowing what these 

are will encourage you to make more 

supportable decisions. 

Believe it or not, one of the biggest 

technological upheavals in the 

manufacturing industry was initiated by 

Eli Whitney in 1799, a supplier to the US 

army, and adopted in 1890 by Frederick 

Taylor. This was the 'Just in Time' 

concept, which was subsequently 

adopted by Toyota for the motor 

industry. The underlying principle of JIT 

is that no inventories are stored, with the 

objective being to purchase and receive 

goods only when they are needed. 

The principal worked for the motor 

industry, but it has taken until 2020 and 

beyond for the construction industry to 

realise that the same principal could 

apply to them. Even more so in fact, as 

construction projects are not like cars 

moving somewhat predictably along a 

conveyor belt, but are long-term 

projects, with uncertain supply lines and 

costs, revolving workforces and skills, 

and limited ability to store materials 

waiting to be used on a project. 

Visibility, then, is very much the key. 

Companies cannot afford to have data 

in different siloes, relying on outdated 

methods, emails, spreadsheets and 

foreign data formats to bring it all 

together and make sense of it. Once a 

project is underway, it is all too easy to 

lose control with supply issues, cost 

changes and design and engineering 

changes - and even compliance issues. 

Projects then start to run over 

deadlines, over budget and, even 

worse, compromises have to be made 

that degrade the outcome and impact 

on a company's reputation. 

The UK Government is trying to 

elevate standards, and The Hackitt 

Review of Building Regulations and Fire 

Safety is part of this, with its "golden 

thread of information" - announced in 

the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower 

disaster. The study underlined the need 

to end the "race to the bottom" of quick 

and cheap in favour of a long-term 

focus on the lifecycle of a built asset, 

promulgating end-to-end visibility 

through the use of construction 

software, from initial construction 

estimates and planning to supply chain 

operation through to what's actually 

taking place on site as it happens. 

PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS 

Integrated applications and cloud 

storage break down the barriers of the 

traditionally fragmented supply chain of 

manufacturers, distributors and 

contractors, allowing field capture of 

information using consistent standards 

that is stored in the cloud. This allows 

project managers and directors to track 

and analyse it, all synched in real-time, 

and using mobile apps so that site 

managers can control purchase 

requisitions and update goods received 

and timesheets without having to return 

to the office, with the information instantly 

updating the overall project dashboards 

for the teams away from the site. 

Objectively viewed, attempting to bring 

together disparate trades, complex 

supply chains, architects, engineers, 

and accountants, and getting them to 

work together on a project is probably 

why the construction industry is late to 

this particular party. The availability of a 

comprehensive construction 

management application from 

companies like Access Construction 

enables these groups to work together 

and navigate the thin path between 

success and failure. To find our more 

search: Access Construction: 

www.theaccessgroup.co.uk 


AWARDS 

Sponsored by: 

The Construction Computing Awards 2022 

Iremember introducing last year's 

Hammers Awards by observing how 

the construction landscape had been 

massively changed as a result of COVID- 

19 and the various lockdowns. And now 

here we are now in 2022 facing new 

challenges that are every bit as serious 

and which affect the whole country, not 

just the construction industry. 

The rise in energy costs, adding to the 

shortages and rising prices of materials 

and the lack of skilled workers, are 

causing huge problems in the workforce, 

hence the increase in articles in the 

magazine about shaving off a bit more 

from already diminished profits. 

The industry is still buoyant though, and 

the people I talk to are optimistic about 

the future, their visions and the projects 

they are engaged on. There is a great 

opportunity to meet and discuss them at 

this year's Construction Computing 

Awards in November - and to find out 

which companies have won top honours 

in each of the categories of course. 

There is still plenty of time to see your 

choices nominated as finalists in the 

2022 awards, or to put your company 

forward for one of the judged awards, 

which laud project excellence in a 

number of categories along with 

technological advances that will change 

the industry. The cut-off date for 

nominations and project entries is the 

7th of September. 

The 17th annual Construction Awards 

evening will be held on 10th November at 

The Radisson Blue Edwardian, 

Bloomsbury St, London WC1B 3QD and 

represent a perfect opportunity to 

celebrate the industry success stories 

from the past twelve months and catch 

up and network with your colleagues and 

friends in the industry, who have no 

doubt been working from home for 

extended periods of time now too. 

You will find a full list of the 2022 

awards categories on the page 

opposite, so please visit the awards 

website below to make your 

nominations for this year's finalists. 

www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk 

@CCMagAndAwards 

12 

July/August 2021

AWARDS 

The Construction Computing Awards 2022 Categories 

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 2022 

ONE TO WATCH COMPANY 2022 

BEST USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT 2022 

BEST USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT 2022 

BIM PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

COLLABORATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

CLOUD BASED TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2022 

AR/VR PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2022 

TEAM OF THE YEAR 2022 

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

DIGITAL HEALTH AND SAFETY SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

BIM SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

COLLABORATION PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

DOCUMENT AND CONTENT PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

ERP SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

ESTIMATION AND VALUATION PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SUITE OF THE YEAR 2022 

ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2022 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING APPLICATION OF THE YEAR 2022 

GIS/MAPPING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2022 

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR 2022 

CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

EDITOR'S CHOICE OF 2022 

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2022 

COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2022 

July/August 2021 13

TE3CHNOLOGYfocus 

Visualising carbon 

3D Repo provides an API that allows designers to view embodied carbon within the building 

components and methods of construction in their 3D models 

Hosted by 3D Repo and codelivered 

by ZERO, the recent 

online webinar 'Visualising 

Carbon: BIM to Zero'' explained how 

embodied carbon can be visualised 

within construction models, enabling 

architects and engineers to make 

informed choices about what building 

materials they use and the building 

processes they adopt based on the 

amount of embodied carbon within each. 

ZERO are a group of construction 

industry professionals who were taking 

part in the webinar to highlight the major 

issues facing the planet from the point 

of view of a not-for-profit, independent 

group of self-styled next generation 

radicals, relating our current situation to 

their futures as potential leaders within 

the industry. Launched by James 

Bowles, 4D Consultant at Freeform, in 

2001, the group now has 400 members 

based in 40 countries worldwide. ZERO 

sponsors events and working groups 

and is building a low carbon playbook, 

where working groups have been 

focusing on individual topics to provide 

practical guidance for people working 

on low carbon projects, enabling 

members to explore solutions and foster 

the adoption of significant actions which 

could have an immediate impact on an 

individual project's CO2e (embodied 

carbon) levels. 

Putting that in context, James 

explained that the construction industry 

emits 4 billion tonnes of CO2e annually - 

equivalent to 12% of all human-related 

emissions. This combines data from all 

of the processes involved in 

construction, from mining and extraction 

to processing and manufacture, 

assembly, transport from its source and 

to the construction site, construction 

processes - in fact, all emissions during 

a building's lifecycle and its eventual 

demolition or repurposing. 

Leveraging the expertise within their 

group, ZERO offers advice in all areas: 

designing with embodied carbon in 

mind; tools available for embodied 

carbon measurement; how to develop 

awareness and upskill people; 

technology innovations and low carbon 

methods of construction. Going further, 

they want to change people's mindsets, 

get clients to insert CO2e related 

clauses into contracts, and set targets 

and promote dialogues by sharing 

success or failure. 

James was joined by Tasha Greenfield, 

a Design Coordinator at Natural Building 

Systems and a co-leader of the ZERO 

Next group. With access to all available 

sources of information about carbon 

emissions, ZERO were able to provide 

some striking and quite alarming 

statistics, such as that the built 

environment contributes around 39% of 

total global emissions, 31% of which are 

materials. Figures from the Institute of 

Structural Engineers (IstructE) show that 

one return economy flight to New York 

emits 1000Kg of CO2e, and if we 

stopped driving cars we would each 

save 3000Kg CO2e per annum. You can 

view the full presentation on YouTube 

here: https://youtu.be/jbwhK0oScBE 

Besides IstructE, other suppliers of 

carbon data include Building 

Transparency, who have developed the 

Embodied Carbon in Construction 

Calculator (EC3) - a free database of 

construction EPDs Environmental 

Product Declarations (EPD) defined by 

ISO 14025 that 'quantifies environmental 

information on the lifecycle of a product 

to enable comparisons between 

products fulfilling the same function'. 

The CIC Carbon Assessment Tool is 

similar, developed to create a common 

platform for evaluating the carbon 

performance of buildings and 

infrastructure in Hong Kong from raw 

material extraction to the end of 

construction. 

Closer to home, Professor Geoff 

Hammond and Craig Jones, from the 

Sustainable Energy Research Team 

(SERT) at the University of Bath, are 

behind the Inventory of Carbon and 

Energy (ICE), which has been providing 

an online source of data for embodied 

energy and carbon of construction 

materials since 2006. 

There is a variety of tools for measuring 

CO2e but, as Tasha suggested, it's early 

days and processes are still being 

evaluated and refined. Even the EC3 

User Guide is a work in progress. 

14 


TECHNOLOGYfocus 

VISUALISING WITH POWER BI 

How does 3D Repo leverage such 

data? Andrew Norrie, Commercial 

Director at 3D Repo explained how their 

software is used to manage BIM 

models and the data behind them. It is 

not a carbon tool in itself, but can link 

to all sources of carbon information 

using its API, mapping the data to 

individual components in a model, and 

presenting the information in Microsoft's 

Power BI dashboard. "It's similar to how 

we use PlanBase," he explained, 

"designed to help the public view 

planning applications, and SafetiBase 

which does the same for Health & 

Safety compliance or to view on-site 

safety issues." 

Implementation Manager at 3D Repo, 

Mia Dibe, demonstrated how their 

solutions were based around three 

methods, each of which can be 

individually customised to suit each 

project. Method 1, Mia explained, is 

where models are directly embedded in 

Power BI, and pick up their data from 

external sources, linking it to the 3D 

models in 3D Repo as required and 

viewing it within Power BI. 

Method 2 is mainly a manual process, 

using a custom Dynamo script to 

source embodied carbon data and 

linking it to, say, a Revit model, from 

which data is extracted and applied to 

the 3D Repo model, subsequently 

viewing it within Power BI. 

Method 3 uses metadata from a 

variety of sources - CSV, PDF, 

Excel,API, SQL and so on - mapping 

carbon data directly to BIM objects, 

which could be anything from materials 

to logistics, and linking that directly to 

the 3D Repo model - again using Power 

BI to display the results. Alternative 

APIs, such as OpenText, Asite, Procore, 

Luminova, Dynamo can also be 

integrated with 3D Repo, giving 

unlimited access to carbon data from 

all sources. Similarly, other LCA (Life 

Cycle Assessment) data sources, 

available in spreadsheets, are easily 

brought into 3D Repo. 

Power BI displays a graphic 3D 

rendering of the model, accompanied 

by data browsers which, when you click 

on components - such as columns, 

floors, structural foundations and other 

features - display the CO2e in each 

component material, and elements of 

its carbon scoring with reference to its 

lifecycle. The model is colour-coded for 

ease of reference, and the CO2e can 

be accumulated from each phase to 

provide lifecycle data. Once the model 

is set up then subsequent changes to 

any of the external data are 

automatically applied. 

COMPARING RESULTS 

Using Power BI's capabilities, the 

results of several simulations can be 

displayed simultaneously to compare 

the scale of CO2e using different 

materials and building processes. Mia 

used this to show the differences 

between buildings with a high CO2e 

based content using concrete, average 

Rebar, XPS insulation and steel 

framing. This was a typical project 

which uses less intensive CO2e 

materials and the best conventional 

result that could be achieved using 

commonly available and approved 

materials. The best quoted solution, 

however, uses rammed earth, cement 

bonded wood chip, straw insulation and 

engineered wood. The stark differences 

highlight the results that can be 

achieved with carbon reduction, 

ranging from 6448 tonnes CO2e for the 

most CO2e expensive solution, 3300 

tonnes CO2e for a typical solution, 

100+ tonnes CO2e for best 

conventional, to the final one of minus 

0.15t CO2e. Step forward the first of the 

three little piggies, whose house 

wouldn't survive the wolf's huffing and 

puffing but would certainly earn credits 

for its environmental credentials. 

THE BENEFITS OF VISUALISING 

THE DATA 

Visualised CO2e in 3D models 

facilitates the inclusion of carbon 

metrics in the BIM process. It reduces 

the double-handling of data from clients 

and makes decisions and outcomes 

accessible to all. It also demonstrates 

how changing components and 

materials can significantly alter a 

building's carbon performance without 

affecting its appearance. 

Strategies for embodied carbon 

reduction, such as optimising material 

choices, will reduce the embedded 

carbon in a building. For example, 

abandoning the project would, of 

course, provide a 100% reduction in 

CO2e. Building less, to spec and with 

no additional creative elements might 

save 20% of CO2e. Building clever - 

designing with low carbon materials, 

could save up to 50%. The best option, 

though, Andrew suggested, is to build 

efficiently. Eliminate waste, use low 

carbon construction methods and other 

processes outlined here and you could 

realise a massive 80% reduction in 

Carbon emissions. The choice, as 

always, is yours. 

www.3drepo.com 


CASEstudy 

Curbs without limits 

The one-stop garden design solution, Vectorworks Landmark, has been a crucial factor in enabling 

Curbs Studio to win projects 

Curbs Studio, a landscape designbuild 

firm from Massachusetts, 

have shown that winning work is a 

constant consideration in the design 

process. The firm specialises in 

transforming residential yards. "We work 

with people who are living in their forever 

homes," said Lucas Machado, Curbs 

director of operations. "A lot of our 

clientele are people who appreciate the 

design-build process. They're looking for a 

phased approach to developing their 

dream home." 

These forward-thinking clients tend to 

think in the present day while also 

anticipating what they'll want their 

"personal oasis" to look like, Machado 

said. However, bigger dreams require 

deeper budgets. 

Working with a design/build practice like 

Curbs can mean finalising the entire site 

design vision at the front end and 

implementing additions as budget 

permits. "The clients are empowered to 

have a greater long-term vision and work 

towards it piece by piece with us instead 

of all at once, which also ensures that the 

final product is uniform," he said. 

THE CURBS STUDIO DESIGN-BUILD 

PROCESS 

Initial consultations occur over Zoom. Here, 

Machado and Rong Rong, Curbs' director 

of landscape architecture, try to gain a 

sense of the client's goals for their site. 

Then a site visit takes place to catalog 

existing conditions like property lines, 

sunlight and shading, and grading. Rong 

documents this information in Vectorworks 

Landmark, where she'll later create and 

detail a site model. 

But first, Machado, Rong, and the client 

must reach an iron-clad understanding of 

development intentions for the site. Rong 

uses the Morpholio Trace app on an iPad 

to sketch out proposed site elements that 

align with the client's initial keyword 

indicators - for an ongoing project, one of 

these words was "industrial." These initial 

sketches can include things like retaining 

walls, custom fire pits, porches, or other 

site furniture. 

Curbs designs predominantly custom site 

elements rather than purchasing them premade, 

Rong said. Sometimes pre-made 

elements don't fit the client's site both 

practically and conceptually. Designing 

their own pieces, Rong explained, allows 

Curbs to be flexible with what the client 

wants without being limited by what's 

purchasable in a store. It's also a bit of 

revision control - engaging the client 

frequently about these elements before 

modeling occurs, Machado explained, is a 

better alternative to spending substantial 

time modeling and developing one idea 

that may need to be redone anyway if the 

client doesn't approve. 

Rong, who's responsible for the bulk of 

the technical design process within Curbs 

Studio, imports approved sketches into 

Vectorworks and places them on the site. 

At this point the sketches are still 2D; she's 

thinking about space, shade, sizes, and 

relative positioning as she builds the 

Vectorworks file. "It's the magic of 

Vectorworks and Rong's talent that clients 

can throw out an idea and then start to see 

it come to life in the model," Machado said. 

Rong takes those initial sketches and 

precisely models them in Vectorworks 

while simultaneously documenting 

information needed to build them. This 

data is carried into worksheets that are 

linked with the geometry itself, so she's 

16 


CASEstudy 

able to input changes to the 

spreadsheets and have them reflect in the 

model automatically. 

She considers material selections 

following layout and modeling. "We love 

being able to use real pictures of material 

surfaces as textures in Vectorworks. It 

adds a lot of realism to our models," Rong 

said. Following material selections, she 

creates a set of schematic drawings for 

presentation and virtual reality videos to 

share with the client. If the client 

approves, Rong further details the models 

and prepares the project to be 

implemented onsite. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF MODELING 

AND VISUALISATION 

It hardly need stating that visualising 

design elements comes with a range of 

advantages. Even simple things like the 

sketches Curbs creates at the start of their 

process are crucial to guiding clients 

through the project's journey. 

Curbs' visualisation extends far beyond 

initial concept drawings, though. Once 

Rong models the custom pieces, she 

creates shop drawings and visual 

diagrams to help fabricators like 

carpenters and blacksmiths create the 

objects. She's careful to be precise; 

these diagrams are what carry sketches 

into reality. 

Adding graphics to 2D plan drawings 

also helps inform clients through the 

review process. Rong's plan drawings are 

both easy to interpret and attractive; the 

graphics legend distinguishes between 

existing elements and proposed 

additions, and each feature on the 

drawing is clearly labeled. 

Final renderings invite the client to explore 

their new space before it's built. These 

renderings are key to ensuring the client 

gets what they want from the design. In the 

rendering opposite, the custom fire pit 

shown diagrammatically above can be 

seen in the greater context of the site. 

CHOOSING VECTORWORKS 

LANDMARK FOR LANDSCAPE 

DESIGN-BUILD 

In many ways the all-in-one nature of 

Vectorworks Landmark aligns with the 

mission of Curbs Studio: to be a fullservice, 

one-stop-shop solution. 

"A holistic process in Vectorworks gives 

us a competitive advantage over those 

who use other software programs," 

Machado said. 

The software is crucial to Curbs Studio as 

they fulfill the "build" domain of their 

design-build practice. That's clear from the 

fabrication drawings mentioned earlier. 

Rong does something similar with the site's 

planting plan: once she's finished laying 

out plants, she sends a complete plant 

schedule to local nurseries to acquire 

them. The schedule is automatically 

created in Vectorworks based on the 

model."We can see the total number of 

plants and their costs, which is very helpful 

for the client," Rong said. 

She also includes images of the selected 

plants in the plans so the clients can see 

exactly what they're agreeing to have 

planted on their property. In Landmark, this 

can be done easily by importing images as 

resources or pulling them from their plant 

database records. "We think it's really 

important for the client to understand what 

colours they're getting and when those 

colours will bloom," she said. 

www.vectorworks.net 



PIM to AIM 

David Chadwick recently discussed the evolution of management needs - from the design and 

construction of a building to its occupation and maintenance - with Mervyn Richards 

We talk glibly about using 

information accrued during the 

design and construction 

processes of a project to build an asset 

information model to 'operate' the 

building, but the information required and 

the management processes involved in 

each part of the project are somewhat 

dissimilar, to say the least. Given that the 

whole of life of a project is many times the 

duration of its construction, it might be 

useful to understand more fully the needs 

of the Asset Manager. I am grateful to 

Mervyn Richards OBE for his help in 

providing me with a comprehensive 

background on CDEs and their role in the 

procurement and delivery processes of a 

project, and an insight into the 

development of the sets of information 

required to operate and maintain the 

project throughout its complete lifecycle. 

The Common Data Environment (CDE), 

is a process that manages, collates and 

distributes shared information collated 

during the design and development 

phases of any project that uses BIM 

processes and workflows. It produces a 

Project Information Model (PIM) which is 

handed over to the client after 

construction, providing a full record of the 

projects audit trail, construction 

processes, components and materials, 

published documents and 

communications between members 

involved in the project. Handed into the 

clients' 'custody', the PIM is there to be 

used in the event of a failure in its intended 

purpose and used as evidence in the 

event of litigation, or to support ongoing 

construction projects on the project. 

Some data is added directly to objects 

within the 3D model or extracted and 

added to other information within the 

Construction Operations Building 

information exchange (COBie) 

spreadsheet, and handed over at project 

completion and integrated with asset 

management systems, such as computeraided 

facilities management (CAFM) or 

asset management databases. Projectrelated 

documentation, such as operation 

and maintenance manuals, as-built 

drawings and data enriched models in 

industry foundation classes (IFC) format, 

will also be provided. 

Although it will form the basis of the 

Asset Information Model (AIM), the 

information available within the CDE and 

subsequently the PIM, is not totally 

compatible with the information required 

by Asset Managers tasked to manage the 

purpose or function of a building. Facilities 

or Asset Managers therefore need to keep 

a separate record of the maintenance and 

operation of a building, creating a 

separate audit trail maintained by 

whichever software solution is related to 

each function - either within the AIM, or 

separately, dependent on the software 

being used. 

To maintain an AIM within a BIM 

workflow, information requirements should 

also include organisation information 

requirements (OIR), asset information 

requirements (AIR) and, of course, 

exchange information requirements (EIR) 

to facilitate sharing of information between 

processes and procedures. 

18 



WHAT IS ASSET MANAGEMENT? 

You could probably write the list yourself, 

but the discipline of asset management 

involves everything that you would need to 

handle the maintenance of a building: 

asset registers; drawings; contracts; 

licences; legal, regulatory and statutory 

documents; policies; standards; guidance 

notes; technical instructions; procedures; 

operating criteria; asset performance and 

condition data - and all previous asset 

management records. 

To compound the problem further, the 

project may involve the refurbishment of a 

building, or ongoing construction - which 

means incorporating surveyed or scanned 

data in various formats within the BIM. 

Additional building work, or further 

refurbishment, will require an up-to-date 

PIM of the project to be released to the 

contracted builder, employed under the 

terms of a new contract, and used 

subsequently to update the building's AIM. 

OIRS AND AIRS 

OIRs (organisation information 

requirements) are documents that define 

the setup of the asset management 

system. A high-level document, it covers 

information requirements such as data 

format, function and responsibilities and 

delivery programmes. The earlier this is set 

up the better, as it enables the 

organisation to integrate a project's needs 

towards a common purpose. 

The OIR is used to develop a detailed 

AIR document which defines the data and 

information required in an AIM to support 

asset management activities. It also forms 

the client's brief and outlines the purpose 

of the building and the employer's goals. 

The development of an AIR takes time 

and effort but a comprehensive AIR will 

significantly improve the process of 

developing the AIM. Whilst the AIR may 

begin as a series of notes taken from AIR 

development workshops, it should be 

developed into a digital plan of deliverables 

and specified as part of a contract or an 

instruction to asset managers. 

Sometimes the OIR and the AIR overlap, 

with the AIR propagating the client's CAFM 

solution being used to define or influence 

the clients OIR - occurring on some 

Government contracts where FM/AM is 

outsourced to third parties and the 

information list not made available. 

DELIVERABLES 

In addition to the legal and managerial 

responsibilities outlined in the OIR, an AIR 

should be able to provide information on 

the operational costs for maintenance, 

heating, lighting, cleaning and catering. 

The costs of planned and preventive 

maintenance should be based on 

minimum standards of repair, and could 

even include the cost of defect liabilities if 

problems aren't fixed. To manage all of this 

the AIR must include technical records for 

all installed equipment, their maintenance 

schedules with unique identification details 

and locations, structural survey records, 

and data supplied by environmental 

monitoring sensors, together with all 

associated drawings and documents. 

Outlining the deliverables that must be 

produced during the design process 

enables project managers to make 

decisions to continue the design and 

construction, or to ascertain whether the 

requirements are capable of being met 

within the budget. 

Records must be kept of maintenance 

activity, based on specified maintenance 

philosophies, listing inspections, their due 

dates and results, H&S inspections 

including asbestos registers, and 

management if applicable. The AIR 

defines the data and information required 

in an AIM and should be produced 

collaboratively, setting up workshops for 

information users to help them understand 

the full range of information required to 

meet all asset management activities. 

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN AIM? 

Like BIM an AIM should be a single source 

of truth, but could comprise multiple 

databases, file stores or bidirectional links 

to other enterprise systems. Its contents 

should be validated using a defined IMP 

and integrated, i.e. supporting 

interoperability and core information 

management with BIM level 2 intelligent, 

federated models. 

The AIM should comprise two parts: a file 

store containing 'published' files such as 

documents, reports, surveys, drawings 

and, where appropriate or at BIM Stage 2, 

geometric 3D federated models, as well as 

a data store comprising non-geometrical 

structured data - a relational database that 

should be referentially and relationally 

maintained. 

INTEGRATED LIFECYCLE BIM CDE 

SOLUTIONS 

Asset information is managed thereafter 

using its own common data environment 

(CDE) and workflow for collecting, 

managing and disseminating information 

within a managed process (BS EN ISO 

19650-1:2018; BSI 2019a) and facilitating 

collaboration between project and asset 

stakeholders. Suppliers of AIM systems 

usually classify CDEs for either the 

design/build phase of a project or its 

operation as OPEX and CAPEX. 

Companies working in this area include 

Bentley Systems (following its acquisition 

of GroupBC) and gliderbim, Trimble 

Connect for engineering and construction 

projects, Oracle's Aconex and Viewpoint 

for Projects. 

Typically provided via a Project Sharer, or 

through MS SharePoint, Lifecycle BIM 

CDEs allow facility designers, builders 

and owners to collect and share 

information and visualise it in 2D and 3D, 

integrating the information with other 

solutions, such as CAFM, CMMS, BAS, 

SCADA and GIS. The IFC file sharing 

format is used to facilitate the sharing and 

viewing of 3D Models with external 

systems and with FMs and AMs with 

access to visualisation solutions, but who 

will not be formally CAD trained. 

In its simplest format the CDE may be 

accessed via a project server or 

SharePoint but establishing it should be a 

main priority. It should also provide 

adequate validation processes for asset 

data and work in progress, and should set 

out functions and responsibilities prior to 

'sharing' with the team. It should also 

maintain an audit trail to be used in the 

event of disputes or to look back at 

historical changes. 

It's a big issue, generating lots of 

theoretical guidance and uncoordinated 

standards, but not much practical 

activity. We'll be revisiting the subject in 

our next issue when we take a closer 

look at ISO et al. 


CASEstudy 

Studio Bark 

Studio Bark is the nucleus of a group of architects actively promoting the eco-design of newbuild 

products, including embodied carbon analysis and site analysis. David Chadwick reports 

Aiming for zero carbon emissions 

and reducing global warming is not 

just the province of large-scale 

developers, it's a problem that affects us 

all, and it is refreshing to see even small 

practices using the tools that larger 

organisations have taken on board to 

mitigate their impact of their designs on 

the environment. I had an interesting 

conversation recently with Steph 

Chadwick (no relation), the founder and a 

director of Studio Bark in London, 

alongside Wilf Meynell in which I learned 

how they have responded to client 

requests to focus on sustainability in their 

home designs. 

The Covid pandemic has prompted a 

major upheaval in people's working 

practices and their living arrangements. 

With working from home or hybrid work 

practices reducing the amount of 

commuting that people are subject to has 

come a significant exodus into the 

countryside. Professionals who only need 

to visit the office a couple of days a week 

are taking advantage of the value of their 

London based properties and moving into 

larger and more rural properties. A large 

percentage of them, though, are going 

one step further, and ploughing the 

difference in land and property values into 

building their own homes. 

The changing values of society don't just 

allow them to satisfy their demands for a 

more satisfying and relaxing way of life 

but allows them to indulge (if that is the 

right word) themselves in addressing 

global environmental issues. They can 

afford to spend extra money on materials 

and building design and methods to 

satisfy their environmental credentials. 

This falls neatly in line with Steph's own 

philosophies, and his practice is building a 

reputation for itself for its self-build houses 

which incorporate the latest construction 

technologies, materials and practices, 

reducing their embodied carbon levels. 

They also use Studio Bark's site analysis 

app to check for any planning issues and 

the constraints of locations chosen by 

clients for their properties. 

A MULTI-STAGE APPROACH 

What is interesting about Studio Bark is 

that it offers its creative design and 

analysis workflows on a multi-stage basis 

Design Pack, taking its clients through the 

levels involved in housebuilding. This 

starts with concept creation, where the 

technical and creative elements are 

discussed with clients using sketches, 3D 

modelling and other visualisation tools to 

develop the initial concept. The design is 

then progressed through technical 

requirements and embodied carbon 

option analyses, through to 2D drawings 

to satisfy planning applications and 

subsequently provide construction 

drawings to send to building contractors 

for pricing. 

As Steph says, the evolving Design Pack 

forms the basis of the Design and Access 

statement required for planning, producing 

drawings and perspective views to illustrate 

the proposal. Physical models and 

visualisations can be helpful in giving 

confidence to planners, parish councils and 

others that the design is well considered. 

The proposal will then be developed into a 

full set of planning drawings including 

plans, sections, and elevations. 

Other than exceptions, the practice 

produces to-scale CAD drawings for the 

planning submission. Once granted, the 

design is 'fixed': subsequent design 

changes are possible but may require a 

new planning application. Studio Bark 

uses 2D versions of Vectorworks to 

produce the drawings, and SketchUp to 

provide 3D walkthroughs and more 

realistic 3D visualisations. 

EMBODIED CARBON 

CALCULATIONS 

To reduce the amount of carbon 

embodied in the construction of a 

building Studio Bark uses data from RICS 

analysis, ICE (Inventory of Carbon and 

Energy) Database and IStructE, to name 

a few, which enables them to compare 

embodied carbon in different materials or 

building processes. The data source for 

each material is comprehensive and 

includes the cost of extraction or 

manufacturing, the cost of global 

shipping and local deliveries, and even 

provides information on the retained 

carbon throughout the life of the building. 

As Studio Bark doesn't use BIM, the 

quantities and schedules of materials 

aren't automatically calculated, but the 

results are compiled, aggregated and 

presented within a spreadsheet. 

The subsequent occupation of the 

20 


CASEstudy 

building and its impact on global 

warming - classed as even more of a 

threat to the planet than carbon 

emissions - relies on its design, layout 

and the type of heating and ventilating 

systems required and their fuel or 

operational needs. These are kept to a 

minimum, along with their carbon 

emissions, using the latest technologies. 

Steph and his team act as advisors to 

their clients, balancing their budgets 

within achievable results. Although used 

regularly for clients and capable of 

providing a comprehensive analysis of a 

buildings carbon emissions, Steph says 

that the app they have developed is not 

ready yet for commercial release and is 

mainly a tool for their clients. 

SITE FINDING 

The demand for suburban expansion 

comes up against another barrier - the 

encroachment on green spaces and 

other constraints. Studio Bark offer site 

finding and site evaluation services 

drawing upon our detailed knowledge 

of planning policy to cope with the 

plethora of laws and byelaws that its 

clients will encounter. 

PARAGRAPH 80 

Studio Bark also has a successful track 

record securing planning permission for 

ambitious designs on challenging sites 

across the UK. Its portfolio of built work 

encompasses residential and 

community projects specialising in 

bespoke homes with extensive 

experience delivering projects through 

Paragraph 80 of the National Planning 

Policy Framework (NPPF), winning the 

RIBA East award for a Paragraph 80 

project in Suffolk. 

A national study into the policy was led 

by the studio. Launched in 2018 and still 

ongoing, it has resulted in the National 

Paragraph 79 database, which gives the 

practice an unparalleled wealth of 

knowledge on this forward-thinking 

policy. It would be well worth looking at 

their analysis on a number of Paragraph 

79 and 80 (which superseded 

Paragraph 79) projects, which you will 

find on their website at 

https://studiobark.co.uk/paragraph-80 if 

you are interested in the subject. 

U-BUILD 

Associated with Studio Bark is U-Build, 

run by Steph's colleague, Nick Newman, 

which has developed the widely 

published U-Build flat pack construction 

system for aspiring self-build clients and 

as an example of circular design. 

U-Build was developed with structural 

engineering from Structure Workshop and 

testing from Cut and Construct. It aims to 

transform the way people think about 

buildings and the way they are built, by 

simplifying the construction process and 

enabling anyone to participate. 

Parametric design enables an efficient 

workflow, generating quantities and 

cutting lists. The system also works in 

conjunction with the in-house carbon 

counting tool that Studio Bark have 

developed, allowing for accurate 

embodied and operational carbon 

calculations to be generated. 

In a refreshing aside at the end of my 

chat with Steph he said that he knew 

nothing about BIM (perhaps tongue in 

cheek) and had never heard of digital 

twins. When I consider what Studio Bark 

are achieving I wonder if we will have to 

revise our assessment of its importance 

at this end of the market. 

www.studiobark.co.uk 


SOFTWARE focus 

The integration imperative 

Graphisoft's vision according to Huw Roberts is "A world of buildings that make people's lives better, 

created together by digitalised multidisciplinary teams". The company has now taken that process a 

step further with the integration of DDScad's MEP solution 

Graphisoft held a global online 

conference in July to celebrate its 

40th anniversary. As CEO Huw 

Roberts explained, that represents 40 

years serving the construction industry, 

and it comes with some other impressive 

landmarks. These include being the first 

company to develop BIM practices and 

model servers within its architectural 

design solution, Archicad, as well as being 

the first company to propose real-time 

integrated design. In that time, he added, 

Archicad will have been the principal tool 

to design and build millions of buildings, 

from the tallest skyscrapers to the 

humblest abode. 

Now one of the Nemetschek group of 

companies, Graphisoft is still showing 

strong growth and high customer 

satisfaction, and remains committed to its 

belief in OPEN BIM. This gives customers 

the ability to share data and models with 

other mainstream CAD applications, 

rather than tying them down to one 

mainstream application. 

The main theme of the celebration was 

integration, and along with launching 

Archicad, 26 enhancements to BIMcloud 

and BIMx, and the development of an 

integrated level of service featuring 

Graphisoft Forward, Learn and Graphisoft 

Community, the Graphisoft vision for the 

future also focused on embedding 

DDScad within its Archicad architectural 

software. DDScad is an Internationally 

renowned software company that has 

developed design solutions for MEP - 

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing - 

developers, and timber-frame buildings. 

Brought within the Graphisoft portfolio in 

January this year, the software has 

recently been upgraded to DDScad 17. 

Archicad already comes with many 

features that enable architects to work with 

structural engineers, and the ability to 

include MEP components in designs, but 

the integration of a complete, standalone 

MEP solution highlights the direction 

Graphisoft is travelling towards the 

development of a total integrated solution. 

DDSCAD 17 

DDScad is the OPEN BIM solution for the 

design of mechanical, electrical and 

plumbing (MEP) systems. Acquired by 

Nemetschek in 2013, DDScad includes 

integrated calculations, clash detection, 

and automated functions that can 

instantly increase productivity with a 

modular structure tailored to the needs of 

individual users. 

As a complete solution in its own right, it 

can be used to design complete MEP 

systems, perform MEP calculations, 

create designs, reports and parts lists and 

detect and prevent design errors - with 

built in clash detection and error detection 

as a matter of course. With most functions 

automated, it will save MEP designers 

time and effort. 

As a standalone and modular solution, 

DDScad allows user to pay just for the 

modules, functions and features that they 

need. Users draft and produce traditional 

DWG or PDF output, or seamlessly 

collaborate in an OPEN BIM workflow 

exchanging models using IFC - all from 

the same application. 

DDSCAD 17 ENHANCEMENTS 

Whether you have come across DDScad 

before or not, the enhancements to the 

software and new functions in version 17 

highlight the main features of the software. 

It kicks off with a newly designed Start 

Page which displays a complete Project 

Overview, with an Intelligent Search 

function for finding individual components 

in each of the modules. Custom templates 

can be created easily to configure projects 

according to individual needs. 

Model views have been enhanced too, 

enabling users to select objects in 2D 

layouts and zoom directly into a preferred 

3D render mode, displaying them side-byside 

or saving them along with section 

views and part models. 

Importing and exporting data has also 

been improved and the import IFC file 

manager dialog redesigned to specify 

more precisely which IFC model contents 

are to be imported. Exported PDF files are 

true-to-scale with layer structure and text. 

To meet BIM requirements, properties of 

components can extended and exported 

as property sets in IFC format. 

A host of other enhancements have been 

introduced, including the ability to create 

symbol text and label types to more 

properly identify their location and function 

within the model. With the help of tags, 

you combine different symbol text 

modules with each other, for example with 

building number, floor number, room 

number, and the name of the component, 

and within the 'name' field in the properties 

window users can change the 

designations of components, as well as 

22 


SOFTWAREfocus 

the description of cables. Changes are 

also synchronised, enabling adjustments 

to be carried through into other disciplines. 

DDSCAD 17 ELECTRICAL 

In DDScad 17 the System Navigator is 

further developed, combining the functions 

of the former project manager and making 

electrical planning even clearer and easier. 

The cable calculation, for instance, now 

uses a new property window, in which all 

important settings are directly available. 

You have more options for displaying 

objects, performing calculations, making 

reports, and creating labels. 

You can place LED strips quickly and 

easily when planning room lighting in the 

new release. They can be arranged 

straight or curved like cable ducts, and 

the beam direction of the LEDs can be 

easily changed. You can also generate a 

parts list. 

In line with the 'labelling' and 'naming' 

functions, users can create component 

symbols for single-line and multi-line 

circuit diagrams, and the System 

Navigator facilitates the creation of a 

detailed cable list. A full cable 

calculation table, based on IEC 60364 

standards can be downloaded in HTML 

or tabular format. 

The layout of cable systems benefits 

from the ability to adjust radius bends in 

flexible pipes and assign conduits to 

cable routes. Instead of clash detection 

issues, DDS17 applies plausibility checks 

to cable layouts, checking dimensions, 

invalid distances, and the continuity of 

cable connections. 

DDSCAD 17 MECHANICAL & 

PLUMBING 

The System Navigator has now been 

integrated within the Mechanical & 

Plumbing module, providing better 

uniformity with the properties field and 

supplementing the previous calculation 

dialogues. This allows users to calculate 

heat load quickly and more accurately, 

especially when calculating the heat load 

for unheated rooms. This is important for 

underfloor heating, where the temperature 

below a heating circuit can be adjusted 

flexibly in complex adjacent situations, 

influencing volume flow calculations. 

Visualisation filters are particularly useful, 

allowing rendered models for your 

sanitary, heating, air conditioning and 

ventilation planning. Additional states of 

the systems can also now be visualised. 

Groups of components can be created 

using the software's multi-edit function, 

allowing users to replace several objects 

at the same time - such as radiators, air 

diffusers and valves on a circuit - although 

parts of a system or line can be locked, 

preventing them being unintentionally 

changed during a multi-edit process. 

The Mechanical & Plumbing sector also 

takes advantage of the new labelling 

function, allowing users to decide which 

information is to be displayed on each 

component. 

WOODEN FRAMED BUILDINGS 

Because of its Scandinavian roots (the 

company was founded in Norway) 

DDScad Architect & Construction has 

been developed to provide a solution for 

the design of timber frame buildings 

incorporating real-time BIM project 

information to produce timber house 

production data automatically, based on 

integrated component information and 

taking international standards and 

regulations into account. 

The application is designed for 

architects, building contractors and 

producers/marketers of prefabricated 

houses. One module (Architect) assists 

with outlines, design criteria, general and 

detailed planning as well as automatic 

quantity billing. The Construction element 

of the software takes care of the technical 

aspects of timber frame buildings. Using 

the intelligent 3D building model the 

software produces all production 

drawings in 2D and 3D, including 

quantities and cutting lists and a 

complete bill of materials. This 

information can also be used for 

production lines, purchasing and 

logistics. 

DDSCAD VIEWER 

Now that DDScad is part of Graphisoft, it 

can take advantage of the company's 

OPEN BIM solutions to view, analyse, 

merge, and discuss BIM models with the 

free OPEN BIM tool DDScad Viewer. It 

also allows users to exchange data 

independently of file format even if they 

don't own BIM software. 

THE INTEGRATION MINDSET 

Whilst advancing the integration 

dialogue, it must be remembered that the 

expertise of structural engineers and 

MEP specialists is embedded within the 

applications that they have become 

adept in. Persuading them to move 

towards a more integrated construction 

approach which includes their 

capabilities within an overall design and 

construction process could be 

considered a hard sell. The benefits of an 

OPEN BIM solution such as Graphisoft's 

suite of products - which essentially 

means you don't have to continually shift 

data between a couple of different 

applications - could persuade such 

experts to graduate to a more open and 

collaborative design environment. 

www.graphisoft.com 



Extending reality 

Bentley Systems implements extended reality, using NVIDIA's CloudXR, to push the boundaries 

of digital realities for the ITER fusion reactor project 

Afascinating discussion was 

presented at the NVIDIA global 

conference about the next phase 

of digital reality presentation - beyond 

virtual and augmented reality -between 

William Cannady, technical product 

manager at NVIDIA, and Greg 

Demchak, director of the digital 

innovation lab at Bentley Systems. The 

discussion focused on NVIDIA's 

extended reality solutions, and how 

Bentley is using them within a digital 

twin ecosystem to interact with large 

complex engineering models, using 

virtual reality (VR) and holographic 

headsets and leveraging game playing 

experiences and the cloud. 

Greg demonstrated the work that he 

was doing in his lab with his 

development team, backed up by actual 

end users with complex real-world data 

sets. He also introduced the concept of 

extended reality, digital twins, and the 

emerging subject of the metaverse for 

industrial-scale use. 

William put that in context. Extended 

reality (XR) provides another level of 

dealing with digital realities. "Virtual 

reality," he said, "effectively obfuscates 

your senses and presents an artificial 

world for you to see and experience. 

Augmented reality primarily focuses on 

taking existing views and cameras and 

augmenting helpful data that lay on top 

of it to provide more information about 

what you are viewing. And then," he 

continued, "there's mixed reality, a 

combination of both virtual and 

augmented, that takes the spatial 

awareness of the existing view and 

overlays interactive and augmented 

components. All three of these 

technologies make up extended reality 

and can be used interchangeably." 

Greg then explained that XR was now 

being tested in a real-life scenario-the 

fusion nuclear reactor, ITER, where 

Bentley Systems is testing VR 

applications on top of CloudXR, 

NVIDIA's platform for VR solutions. 

ITER is one of the largest experimental 

energy projects in the world. Situated in 

southern France, the 35 collaborating 

nations are building a massive tokamak, 

which is a magnetic device that 

produces fusion in an experimental way 

by generating energy in the same way 

that the sun generates energy, 

theoretically producing a 10-fold return 

on energy input. "It is a huge, 

complicated project," Greg explained, 

"intended to generate plasma-and a lot 

of heat. And, from that, it produces 

electricity." The key is fusion, not fission, 

and the need to create the extreme 

conditions to maintain plasma at 

temperatures inside the tokamak that 

exceed that of the center of the sun. 

The magnets holding the plasma 

together are some of the most powerful 

magnets ever produced on Earth. 

Despite the huge cost, it is hugely 

important because it is also one of the 

most environmentally friendly sources of 

energy with no carbon dioxide or 

harmful atmospheric emissions, 

inherently safe and fulfilling our need for 

carbon-neutral energies. 

The project is huge-a seven-story high 

assembly hall containing the 30-by-30- 

meter tokamak vessel constructed off 

site, assembled and dropped into 

place. It also includes a massive 

amount of detailed wiring and the 

installation work that goes along with it. 

The total project includes 39 buildings 

centred around the Pre-assembly Hall, 

with its massive overhead cranes and 

the Tokamak Assembly Hall, all 

modelled in extreme fabrication-level 

detail. "And there is the problem," 

explained Greg. "How can we provide a 

high-quality digital experience of this 

huge project, even simulating its 

construction bit by bit?" 

"To enable the workers to simulate the 

project's construction, you need a VR 

and mixed-reality experience, but we're 

dealing with highly detailed fabrication 

24 



models-and we don't want to simplify 

the geometry." Greg said. "We want to 

confront the complexity of this project 

head-on, just like these workers in the 

field do.' 

Fortunately, the project already has an 

extensive Catia 3D model that is used 

for both 3D and 4D simulations by 

bringing the model into SYNCHRO, 

Bentley's construction simulation 

software.4Dsequencing an animation 

can be rendered using NVIDIA's 

Omniverse-but that's just a video 

rendered frame by frame from a single 

point of view. The client wanted to go 

beyond video and get into an immersive 

experience of the model that you could 

walk through in VR. 

THE CHALLENGE 

The team needed to break out of 2D 

projections and, using a high frame rate, 

make it interactive-for very complex 

engineering models with millions of 

parts and intricate assembly details 

currently trapped inside a 2D screen. 

That meant facilitating multi-user 

design reviews in VR at 90 frames a 

second, without reducing the 

complexity of the model, using an 

Oculus Quest headset. The Catia 

models are loaded into SYNCHRO 

along with the Primavera P6 schedule, 

where they are linked together to 

produce the construction sequence. 

This data is available via the Bentley 

iTwin platform-which includes the 

geometry, the business logic, and the 

metadata, including the animation-for 

use in game engines. In this case, it 

was the Unreal Engine from Epic 

Games. 

"We knew how we could get it into 

Omniverse. We didn't yet know how to 

get it into an Oculus experience," 

explained Greg. "We moved to the Unreal 

game engine and wrote a plug-in that 

could connect with the iTwin cloud, 

request geometry data, and then render it 

at runtime using LOD algorithmsdelivering 

the right number of polygons 

and triangles just when the user needs it." 

Without deleting or removing 

geometry, the application, running in 

CloudXR, can run different LODs 

depending on how close viewers are to 

an object, optimizing the high frame 

rate using Unreal Engine. "There are two 

optimizing innovations here," said Greg, 

"writing directly for Unreal Engine, and 

streaming everything to the Oculus 

rather than running the app on the 

device itself." 

TETHERLESS DEVICES AND 

STREAMING 

William added another issue. " To work, 

interactive experiences become most 

interactive when you're not thinking 

about technology. And so tetherless, not 

having to be tied down to a computer, is 

really important to provide a fully 

immersive, interactive experience. That 

usually means using a mobile device 

with very limited processing power and 

memory, and low-fidelity graphics. The 

more realistic the experience looks, 

however, the more you can evaluate the 

actual performance and application. 

"While streaming is very popular for 2D 

displays," he said, "it is very 

complicated and hard to stream a 3D or 

360-degree world where you have two 

eyes and limitless views of where a 

head could be looking, so we created 

our method of solving this through 

NVIDIA CloudXR." 

NVIDIA CloudXR is a technology that 

allows you to effectively stream your 

remote application locally or on a cloud 

server. It accounts for the device 

components, the network conditions, 

and the actual application you wish to 

stream. It also supports streaming from 

any location, where the only way you 

can remotely connect to it is via the 

public internet. CloudXR employs a 

series of quality-of-service parameters 

that make it easy for it to automatically 

tune itself to differing network 

conditions. "Being able to offer that 

flexibility in varying network conditions,' 

explained William, "really sets apart the 

level of experiences you can make 

available to CloudXR users." 

ITER is a huge and complex project 

and Bentley Systems, courtesy of 

Briganttium Engineers, Greg and 

NVIDIA, is at the forefront of the 

technology being used to facilitate its 

construction, pushing forward the 

boundaries of digital simulations using 

XR. If you are interested in learning more 

then you might also want to view a 

presentation that more fully and visually 

describes Bentley's involvement (although 

in this instance only in 2D): 

www.nvidia.com/en-us/ondemand/session/gtcspring22-s42027/ 

www.bentley.com 


INDUSTRYfocus 

UK Tekla Awards 2022 

The 2022 Tekla Awards winners have been announced, celebrating the hard work, innovation and 

achievements of those working within the BIM and construction industry. Here, Steve Insley, 

Trimble's Business Director UK & Ireland, takes a look at the winning projects. 

Held each year, the Tekla Awards 

are open to users of Trimble's 

Tekla Structures and Tekla 

Structural Designer software in the UK 

and Ireland and welcome projects of all 

sizes and complexity. 

Commercial Project - ARUP / 

King's Cross R8 

Part of the wider King's Cross Masterplan 

in London, Plot R8 is one of the last to be 

constructed and comprises two 13-storey 

buildings: an office block to the west and 

a residential block to the east. A unique 

engineering challenge for the project was 

the presence of three shallow and 

operational brickwork train tunnels within a 

few metres of the site boundary. 

ARUP's project team developed 

innovative digital tools at every stage from 

early concept to construction, 

implementing automation into its 

workflows to improve project delivery and 

add value. The Tekla-Grasshopper Live 

Link was one of the tools that enabled 

ARUP to generate its structural BIM model 

and efficiently respond to fast-paced 

design development. 

Coordinating in a 3D environment from 

an early stage enabled ARUP to explore 

different structural framing options and 

produce key metrics from the BIM model 

to inform major decisions. As well as 

generating the full structural frame and 

foundations in Tekla Structures, the 

Grasshopper script parametrically 

controlled ARUP's own custom 

component for forming web openings in 

steel beams, meaning the opening setting 

out could be adjusted seamlessly as the 

MEP layout developed. 

The script also contained Carbon Factors 

for different life cycle stages and 

automatically calculated the embodied 

carbon for every individual element in the 

structural model as it was generated. 

Public Project - William Hare / The Factory 

An ultra-flexible cultural and arts space in 

Manchester, The Factory consists of two 

parts known as the warehouse and the 

theatre - both of which have moveable 

partitions and are acoustically isolated. 

Steel construction was at the forefront of 

the project. As well as creating the box-ina-box 

design, the structural steelwork had 

formed trusses and transfer structures that 

helped the building bridge over numerous 

site constraints and create the necessary 

column-free venue spaces. 

William Hare's use of Tekla software had 

a significant benefit in enabling and 

facilitating effective collaboration on the 

project, with the steel fabricator 

responsible for the coordination of the 

steel, acoustic bearing and precast 

interface. Trimble Connect was also used 

extensively for collaboration and 

communication with the clients, designers 

and the internal project team. 

Industrial Project - Billington Structures / 

Newhurst EfW facility 

The Newhurst EfW facility is a significant 

addition to the UK's waste management 

infrastructure, with Billington Structures 

responsible for fabricating and supplying 

2,900 tonnes of structural steelwork, 

including the complex connection design 

and temporary works design. To 

accommodate the flowing curved lines of 

the architectural vision, the steel frame 

had members curved in plan, in elevation 

and, in some locations, in both axes. 

With the curves modelled using Tekla 

software and then curved accurately on 

site, in factory conditions, site erection 

was very fast. 

Billington Structures used Tekla's IFC 

export function - vital in helping the team 

to share the Tekla model and coordinate 

with sub-trades and clients. The model 

was also used to visualise, report and 

track which steel lots had been 

completed, checked and issued for 

fabrication. 

Infrastructure Project - SH Structures / 

Stockingfield Footbridge 

Linking three communities, the new 

Stockingfield Footbridge (a twin span 

cable stay structure) provides access 

across Stockingfield Junction on the 

Forth & Clyde Canal, in the Maryhill area 

of Glasgow. 

SH Structures' primary challenge was to 

develop a design that would give the 

required connection across the canal 

junction: getting something to work 

structurally that would cope with the 

dynamics while also fitting into the 

congested and topographically complex 

site. Utilising Trimble's hardware, in 

addition to its constructible modelling 

software, SH Structures was able to 

download IFC files of the completed Tekla 

model into the SX10 Total Station on site, 

enabling the site team to accurately 

identify the 3D coordinates of any point on 

the structure - key when setting out. 

Pushing the digital software/hardware 

integration further, SH Structures also used 

the augmented reality function of the 

SX10, overlaying the 3D model onto a live 

site image. 

Sports & Recreation Project - BHC Ltd / 

Alexander Stadium redevelopment 

An international-standard athletics venue, 

Birmingham's Alexander Stadium is set to 

be the host of the 2022 Commonwealth 

Games. Besides constructing a new west 

stand, the redevelopment project included 

the construction of new north and south 

tiered seating, with BHC Ltd responsible 

26 


INDUSTRYfocus 

for supplying the structural steelwork, offsite 

fire protection, metal decking, 

concrete topping, precast terracing and 

steel stairs. 

Tekla Structures helped BHC Ltd design, 

detail and fabricate the long-span trusses 

and deliver them to site, on time and within 

programme. The 3D model also enabled 

the project team to accurately coordinate 

the structural connections with the 

cladding interfaces, and develop the 

connection details for visible areas within 

the model. 

Small Project - Hasson Engineering 

Solutions / Hydro Ness 

The Hydro Ness hydroelectric generation 

project was developed as part of The 

Highland Council's aims to reduce carbon 

dioxide emissions. A key part of the 

project was the architecturally striking 

canopy structure housing the 

hydroelectric generators and associated 

equipment. This structure presented 

Hasson Engineering Solutions with a 

significant challenge in defining its 

geometry (both locally and globally), 

facilitated by the parametric modelling 

methods within Tekla Structures, to 

achieve the doubly curved, faceted form 

proposed in the artist's concept. 

One of the most powerful - and labour 

saving - techniques was the use of 

custom components which automated the 

definition and execution of countless 

perforations in the cladding panels. The 

feature managed the parametric 

definitions of the perforations providing full 

control of their size, number and 

distribution within every panel. 

Tekla Structural Designer - Civic Engineers 

/ Rutland Mills Chimney 

Originally a cotton mill, work has begun to 

transform Wakefield's Rutland Mills into a 

mixed-use cultural destination. While the 

iconic engine building's chimney was 

truncated down to a third of its original 

height in the 1980s, Hawkins/Brown 

Architects proposed rebuilding the 

chimney's silhouette back to its original 

height in a steel work lattice sat atop the 

remaining masonry stack, providing a 

focal point to the complex. 

Using Tekla Structural Designer, Civic 

Engineers modelled the global deflection 

and distribution of forces for the chimney, 

and varied the support stiffness to test the 

sensitivity of different diameter and length 

tension rods. 

The second challenge for Civic Engineers 

was optimising steelwork tonnages within 

the design of the lattice tower. Tekla 

Structural Designer's live Grasshopper link 

allowed the computational engineering 

team to use genetic optimisation 

algorithms in-built with Rhinoceros 7 

(McNeel Associates) on the TSD analytical 

capabilities, running hundreds of iterations 

to define the geometry of the lattice tower. 

Through this process Civic Engineers were 

able to reduce the steel work tonnage of 

the lattice by 40% from the initial scheme 

design at planning. 

Public Choice - Struccie Design Associates 

/ National Children's Hospital, Dublin 

The National Children's Hospital in 

Dublin will provide a world-class medical 

facility for children and young people all 

over Ireland, who have complicated or 

serious illnesses. 

Struccie Design Associates were 

appointed to undertake the steel detailing 

for the roof package, with the roof 

structure's oval form reflecting the 

architecture of Dublin's best-known civic 

spaces and buildings. Challenges to the 

project included the rafters which were 

curved with transverse purlins spanning 

the curved rafters to create a faceted 

framework, the steel to concrete 

connections and the overall complex 

geometry. 

To utilise the site survey data and enable 

accurate positioning of the concrete cores, 

Struccie Design Associates used Trimble 

Connect to import all design team models, 

providing an accurate, multidiscipline 

model to reference and work from. Besides 

providing effective collaboration, Trimble 

Connect highlighted clashes and 

suggested changes to the design, using 

the 'To Do' function tool to tag relevant 

team members. 

All 2022 UK Tekla Awards winners are 

invited to a celebratory activity day in 

September, and the winners automatically 

entered into the Tekla Global Awards 2022, 

with the chance to win a trip for two to 

Trimble Dimensions in Las Vegas USA. 

www.tekla.com/uk/bim-award 



ASICs in the city 

Richard Mount, Director of Sales at ASIC design and supply company Swindon Silicon Systems, 

looks at the role of ASICs, or smart sensors, in the management of smart city assets 

The article on 3D Repo and ZERO in 

this issue looks at a recent webinar 

by the two companies that 

examined the presence of embodied 

carbon throughout the lifecycle of a 

construction project, from digging the 

construction materials out of the ground, 

using them as the building blocks of a 

project, analysing carbon emissions 

throughout its projected life - and the 

buildings ultimate demolition. The 

projected life element is undoubtedly the 

longest period and is probably subject to 

variations in carbon emissions as its 

performance is modified. 

One of the most promising methods of 

reducing the effects of CO2e (embodied 

carbon) is the employment of more 

efficient building methods and 

processes, but this can only be achieved 

using an effective feedback mechanism 

that provides the data that allows material 

and usage optimisation to be achieved. 

In short, that means measuring a 

building's performance so that 

adjustments can be made to improve the 

quality of life of its inhabitants, and to 

enhance its environmental status. 

This can be achieved using sensors to 

monitor many aspects of its 

performance. Similar sensors are 

becoming increasingly prevalent in the 

creation of smart cities. The article by 

Smarter Technologies in this issue looks 

at the incorporation of the data that the 

sensors provide in analysing a building or 

smart city's performance. 

According to the United Nations, we can 

expect 68 per cent of the global 

population to live in urban areas by 2050. 

To cope with this increase, cities are 

focusing on the use of technology to 

improve equity for residents, facilitate 

more sustainable living and encouraging 

better use of resources. Here Richard 

Mount, Director of Sales at ASIC design 

and supply company Swindon Silicon 

Systems, explores the sensor-driven 

technologies that enable smart cities, 

and the Application Specific Integrated 

Circuits (ASICs) that support them. 

THE BASICS OF ASICS 

Istanbul, Turkey ranked as the number 

one congested city in the world in 2021, 

as reported by the TomTom Traffic Index, 

with drivers in the city losing an average 

of 142 hours per year to traffic jams. With 

increasing populations and a limited 

amount of space, modern cities like 

Istanbul need to rethink how they plan 

and manage several aspects of city life if 

they're to create more streamlined, 

enjoyable environments for their citizens. 

To combat urban inefficiencies, many 

countries are making their cities 'smarter' 

by harnessing data to manage assets, 

resources and services - ultimately 

aiming to improve operations across the 

city. Above all, a smart city must be 

informed by those who commute, work, 

live and socialise there. Collecting data is 

vital in understanding how a city can best 

serve the needs of its citizens. 

The world is turning to Internet of Things 

(IoT) technology to achieve these smart 

cities. Data collected by sensor-rich IoT 

devices is analysed by cities in real-time 

and used to improve many aspects of 

critical infrastructure. Intelligence 

provided by smart city technology 

enables enhanced services capable of 

anticipating user's needs, reducing public 

spending and increasing sustainability. 

28 



SMART SENSORS 

Generally, smart city technology 

architecture can be divided into four 

layers. First is the sensing layer, which 

uses sensors to generate data. Then 

there is the network layer, which 

consists of the hardware and software 

resources that enable network 

connectivity and communication. The 

data layer receives and stores vast 

amounts of data, and finally the service 

layer interprets this information in an 

intelligent and usable way. 

Digitalisation and advancements in the 

IoT are driving large-scale adoption of 

sensor technologies across cities. It allows 

cities to collect data from citizens, 

buildings and assets that can be 

processed to monitor and manage 

everything from traffic and transportation 

systems to crime detection. Technologies 

such as artificial intelligence and highspeed 

internet networks are being 

integrated with sensor networks to 

enhance data collection further. 

SMART UTILITIES 

A wide variety of sensors must be 

employed to collect all the information 

necessary for a smart city to function 

effectively. For example, smart meters can 

be used to improve efficiency and reduce 

costs among utilities. Meters that measure 

voltage, amperage and power factor can 

monitor electricity consumption, while 

positive displacement-type sensors detect 

water usage. 

Smart meters enable consumers to 

monitor their own usage and make 

individual-level changes to prevent waste 

and cut costs. Utility companies can also 

see consumption patterns and implement 

plans to improve efficiency. For example, 

electricity companies often offer incentives 

to shift demand to match peaks in power 

generation. A network of smart water 

meters in a piping system can be used to 

obtain an accurate water balance, helping 

to find leaks and manage resources where 

demand exceeds supply. 

REDUCING CONGESTION 

Looking to the future, we can expect smart 

cities to adopt even more sensor-driven 

technology. When driving, humans tend to 

speed up to meet the car in front of them, 

resulting in phantom traffic jams. By 

maintaining a consistent speed and 

distance from other cars, automated 

vehicles may provide an opportunity to 

reduce congestion in smart cities. 

Autonomous vehicles would be 

impossible without sensors - radar 

sensors send out radio waves that detect 

objects and gauge their proximity to 

neighbouring vehicles in real time, while 

Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) 

sensors use lasers to create 3D images of 

the detected objects and map the 

surroundings. 

CUSTOM ICS 

The signals generated by smart sensors 

can be digital but are more commonly 

analogue values, such as voltage or 

current. To interface with the network layer 

and facilitate data analytics, these 

analogue values must be conditioned and 

digitised. This can be achieved using 

numerous off-the-shelf integrated circuits 

(ICs). However, where original equipment 

manufacturers (OEMs) want to 

differentiate themselves, both technically 

and commercially, from their competition, 

ASICs are often a better route to take. 

An ASIC is a custom device designed 

specifically for the customer's application, 

resulting in a chip designed to deliver an 

optimised performance exactly to their 

specific requirements. Smart cities employ 

sensors in a wide variety of applications 

and mixed signal ASIC design allows for 

investment in performance where it 

matters for each particular use. Swindon 

will be able to optimise the entire signal 

path down to the finest detail, while 

removing unnecessary features to reduce 

cost. 

Smart sensors must be compact, use as 

little power as possible and remain reliable 

at all times. When designing an ASIC, the 

developers integrate as much of the 

circuitry as possible into a single package. 

This reduces component count, resulting 

in higher reliability, a reduction in PCB 

space and reduced power consumption. 

Assembly becomes simpler, and the 

electronics are afforded greater protection 

from environmental factors such as 

vibration - essential if the smart sensors 

are going to be deployed around a 

bustling city. 

In a smart city, smart sensors must 

remain in operation for many years. They 

are likely part of a ten year plus investment 

cycle, so manufacturers want to avoid 

having to constantly update and change 

the electronics. With standard IC 

components, obsolescence will inevitably 

become a problem. Manufacturers of 

standard IC devices tend to upgrade the 

product throughout its lifetime, which can 

cause system performance issues if the 

new part is not compatible with the 

existing performance requirements. 

A custom silicon solution ensures ASIC 

supply for the lifetime of the sensor. ASICs 

are designed with non-obsolescence in 

mind, and the ASIC supplier will work 

closely with those manufacturing smart 

city technology to produce a nonobsolescence 

plan. Using techniques 

such as storing wafers in dry nitrogen for 

up to 30 years, the need for costly system 

redesign and requalification can be 

eradicated. 

Many cities around the world have 

already begun their journey to becoming 

smart cites. As the urban population 

grows, we can expect to see increasing 

adoption of IoT technologies to improve 

quality of life for citizens. Smart cities 

would not be possible without smart 

sensor technology. OEMs who choose the 

ASIC design route can expect 

improvements in performance and 

reliability and well as reductions in size 

and power consumption, helping smart 

cities to function as efficiently as possible. 

www.swindonsilicon.com/contact-us 



Get Smart 

Matthew Margetts, Director of Sales and Marketing of Smarter Technologies Group explains why you 

can't ignore building data management 

The world around us is becoming 

increasingly connected, which has 

only been further accelerated by the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Today's building 

owners and developers are reimagining 

and transforming their premises to create 

healthy indoor environments and adopt 

building-centric Internet of Things (IoT) 

offerings. Building owners who 

understand emerging smart building 

technology trends and data management 

will be positioned at the forefront of 

innovation and be able to command 

higher valuations for their properties. 

The good news is that today's 

sophisticated software uncovers 

opportunities and improves building 

performance for the long run, allowing 

building owners to reap the cost-saving 

benefits of analytics. 

Imagine using smart management 

systems to continuously offer simple and 

meaningful information about what is 

happening inside a building. This data can 

be used to: 

Develop smarter maintenance protocols 

Increase efficiency 

Create a healthier building environment 

Lead to happier tenants 

Improve environmental, social, and 

governance (ESG) tactics and reporting 

Work towards net zero goals 

On the flip side, a building with no analytics 

in place leads to equipment breaking down, 

issues with temperature and air quality, 

costly downtime and massive inefficiencies 

that affect the organisation's bottom line and 

carbon footprint. Without concrete data at 

your disposal, you don't have the 

information you need to resolve these 

issues as quickly as possible (never mind 

detecting them in the first place). Simply 

put, if you're not capitalising on data 

analytics in buildings in 2022, you're not 

building or operating a truly smart building, 

and you're losing a competitive edge. 

SMART DATA ANALYTICS 

Collecting the data is one thing, but its 

usefulness is only as good as its 

management and analysis. A robust system 

will simplify and analyse complex data 

patterns to conduct root-cause analysis and 

monitor equipment and energy use. This 

allows building managers to optimise 

operations and prioritise opportunities to 

reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and 

improve occupant comfort. 

A smart building comprises a system of 

connected sensors transmitting data via a 

secure network to intelligent data analytics 

software that offers insights for automation, 

maintenance, and efficiency opportunities. 

Fitted to assets and equipment you 

would like to track and manage, 

sensor technology can also be built 

into assets and everyday items by 

default. To illustrate this point, 

picture an office building. 

Environmental sensors can 

monitor the environmental 

conditions of the office, such as 

temperature, humidity, lighting, noise, and 

indoor air quality; light sensors can monitor 

and automate the brightness of the room; 

occupancy sensors measure space 

utilisation, such as desk occupancy; and 

biometric scanners and cameras can 

control access. The data from these 

sensors and applications is transferred via a 

data network (which could be WiFi, GPS, 

RFID, WiMAX, WPAN, Bluetooth, GSM, or a 

combination) to your cloud solution for 

analysis and reporting. The only limit on 

sensors is very often the imagination, and, 

specifically, not having a solution that can 

integrate them properly. 

One example of a holistic smart system is 

Smarter Technologies' SmarterView building 

data management platform which provides 

powerful, real-time insights that allows 

facilities managers to optimise their 

operations, using smart sensors and tags 

turn everyday objects into smart IoT 

devices,transmitting data from tags 

wirelessly, which they can then monitor and 

control in real time. 

This comprehensive asset management 

overview allows for immediate action, 

automation and analysis. Through smart 

data analytics, buildings benefit from 

system-wide opportunities for building a 

healthier environment, developing 

efficiencies, and improving comfort levels 

for tenants - whilst, at the same time, 

reducing overhead expenditure. 

THE BENEFITS OF SMART DATA 

A building management system that 

includes smart data analytics offers 

numerous benefits for building owners: 

System-wide, high-level data capture of 

an entire estate and operations 

Healthier building environments through 

air quality control and HVAC monitoring 

The ability to balance energy load during 

low occupancy or off-peak periods 

Eliminating waste by analysing sensor 

data 

30 



annual profit. 

By using the data to rebalance the load for 

these sites, Smarter Technologies was able 

to help clients unlock further opportunities, 

such as: 

 

 

 

 

EV charging stations utilising excess 

power that would otherwise go to waste 

Battery storage of excess energy, used to 

offset higher energy costs down the line 

New/better equipment using 

recovered costs 

Improved maintenance work using 

recovered costs 

Optimising performance for individual 

assets 

Scheduling equipment maintenance 

against actual needs 

Automating equipment to reduce manual 

tasks, eliminate errors, and improve 

efficiency 

BUILDING THE BOTTOM LINE 

Using smart data analytics can result in 

significant cost savings. So, where do 

these savings come from? Some 

examples include: 

Air quality and temperature data 

Along with revealing valuable information for 

creating a healthier, more comfortable 

environment for tenants, monitoring 

temperature and air quality presents a prime 

opportunity for energy and cost savings. For 

example, a HVAC system can control 

temperature according to occupancy, 

keeping rooms at a comfortable temperature 

and reducing energy wastage from empty 

rooms being cooled or heated. 

Eliminating waste 

Smart technology combined with data 

analytics can enable many forms of waste 

elimination. For example, sensors can be 

used to monitor building necessities such 

as office supplies and break room 

inventory, ensuring that these are only 

replenished when necessary. Building 

managers can also use the data to identify 

unusual usage patterns. Another example 

is the use of bin level sensors for smarter 

waste management. These sensors can be 

used to optimise waste management 

processes by alerting the system when 

bins are full, preventing unnecessary (or 

late) collections and helping with better 

sorting of waste and recycling. 

Transforming maintenance and repairs 

Preventive maintenance is an essential 

aspect of efficient building management. But 

although manual routine maintenance is 

important, it's not always necessary and not 

the most efficient use of time and resources. 

Use smart data analytics instead to monitor 

and identify the need for maintenance 

before breakdowns happen. This extends 

the life of important assets, prevents costly 

downtime and facilitates more efficient 

maintenance procedures. 

Energy load balancing in action 

One of the most useful applications of 

building data management in the current 

climate is effective energy management. For 

example, smart data analytics enables 

energy load balancing and phase readings 

that enable you to reroute power to a battery 

between units to balance your electricity 

consumption more efficiently. You can even 

connect the batteries of electric vehicles to 

the building for bidirectional charging,or to 

optimise operations to make use of off-peak 

hours to reduce energy expenditure. 

IoT company Smarter Technologies used 

data analytics software to conduct an initial 

assessment of three client sites to show 

where costs can be recouped with proper 

energy management. All clients were 

experiencing wasted energy. One client, for 

example, was wasting 46% of its total energy 

use in 24 hours, amounting to 34% of its 

LEVERAGING ANALYTICS 

Today's cloud-based systems deliver 

detailed, real-time reporting on all aspects 

of network activity. This performance data 

is powerful. It can be used to improve 

efficiency, enhance the comfort of the 

occupants, reduce energy usage, reduce 

costs, and help organisations future-fit 

their operations. 

Data is a key commodity in any business; 

better visibility of business operations at any 

level has proved time and again to enable 

management to make better decisions. In 

addition, access to accurate data means 

more transparency and easier reporting, 

which has become essential for 

demonstrating compliance and ESG 

commitments. 

It's an over-used and somewhat adapted 

quote from management thinker Peter 

Drucker, but it is true that "you can't 

manage what you can't measure". And with 

real-time data from IoT technology, you can 

measure, manage, automate, report, 

optimise, and more-all while reducing 

human intervention and making buildings 

more comfortable to be in. 

ABOUT SMARTER TECHNOLOGIES 

Smarter Technologies tracks, monitors and 

recovers assets across the globe in real 

time, providing asset tracking systems to 

the open market and fulfilling the world's 

most complex asset tracking requirements. 

Our services cover a vast array of business 

sectors, products and equipment from 

container or pallet tracking to military-grade 

devices; and can be used across a broad 

spectrum of industries. 

https://smartertechnologies.com 


YOUR GUIDE TO 

5 

7 

1 

2 

3 

21 

22 

23 

24 20 25 26 

27 

29 

SCOTLAND 

FIFE 1 

GlenCo Development 

Solutions 

Contact: Jack Meldrum 

Tel: 01592 223330 

Fax: 01592 223301 

jackm@glenco.org 

www.glenco.org 

ACMK 

ABERDEENSHIRE* 2 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 

info@symetri.co.uk 

www.symetri.co.uk 

ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX 

ABERDEEN 3 

30 28 

19 

15 11/16 

6 

13 

17 

9/10 

18 

12/14 

*Location guide 

not 100% accurate 

TMS CADcentre 

Contact: Craig Hamilton 

Tel: 01224 223321 

info@thom-micro.com 

www.tmscadcentre.com 

ACELHO 

IRELAND 

DUBLIN 5 

Paradigm Technology Ltd 

Contact: Des McGrane 

Tel: +353-1-2960155 

Fax: +353-1-2960080 

dmcgrane@paradigm.ie 

www.paradign.it 

ACMGKL 

SOUTHWEST 

NEWBURY 6 

RWTC Ltd 

Contact: Richard Willis 

Tel: 01488 689005 

Fax: 01635 32718 

richard@rwtc.co.uk 

www.rwtc.co.uk 

A M 

N.I 

BELFAST 7 

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 

HERTFORDSHIRE 9 

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 10 

Causeway 

Technologies Ltd 

Contact: Sue Farnfield 

Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134 

Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com 

www.causeway.com 

A C D E K 

BERKSHIRE 11 

Cadpoint 

Contact: Clare Keston 

Tel: 01344 751300 

Fax: 01344 779700 

sales@cadpoint.co.uk 

www.cadpoint.co.uk 

A C D E K 

ENFIELD* 12 

TRAINING 

BERKSHIRE 16 

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 17 

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 18 

Graitec - Milton Keynes 

Contact: David Huke 

Tel: 01908 410026 

david.huke@graitec.co.uk 

www.graitec.co.uk 


CAMBRIDGE 19 

THE NORTH 

MANCHESTER* 20 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




NEWCASTLE* 21 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




YORKSHIRE 22 

Graitec Bradford 

Contact: Isobel Gillon 

Tel: 01274 532919 

training@graitec.co.uk 



NORTH EAST 23 

Graitec - Durham 


Tel: 0191 374 2020 




LANCASHIRE 24 

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* 25 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTH YORKSHIRE 26 

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 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTHHAMPTON 13 

Riverside House, Brunel Road 

Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX 


Tel: 02380 868 947 




CONTRAL LONDON* 14 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




OXFORDSHIRE 15 

MIDLANDS 

NOTTINGHAM 27 

MicroCAD - Nottingham 


Tel: 0115 969 1114 




NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 28 

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 29 

CHESHIRE 30 

Excelat CAD Ltd 

Contact: Vaughn Markey 

Tel: 0161 926 3609 

Fax: 0870 051 1537 

Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com 

www.ExcelatCAD.com 

B N 

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 

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 

Drones over HS2 

Balfour Beatty VINCI digitises HS2 construction 

workflows with new drone software 

If the Victorians had totted up the 

amount of time and money they had to 

invest to build the UK National Rail 

network, which is still in use today nearly 

200 years later, they would have been 

aghast at the outcry and expense of 

modernising the system, starting with 

HS2. An electrified rail network is 

considerably greener than most other 

forms of transport, but it is hamstrung by 

having to run freight, local and express 

services on the same track laid down 

many years ago. 

For a public transport network designed 

to last for at least the next 100 years, it is 

galling to listen to its detractors citing 

'prohibitive costs' as their main objection. 

It is encouraging, then, to be able to 

present some small savings in its 

construction workflows as an example of 

the mindset of the companies engaged in 

the project, demonstrated by Balfour 

Beatty VINCI (BBV) on one of the 

Midlands sections. These have been 

achieved with the use of drones to 

digitally survey workflows using Esri UK's 

Site Scan software. 

SITE SCAN 

Site Scan for ArcGIS is Esri's cloud-based 

drone flight management and image 

processing software, offering flight 

planning, hardware management, scalable 

image processing and unlimited data 

storage. It can also integrate seamlessly 

with BBV's Esri enterprise GIS system. 

Esri UK explained that BBV had adopted 

Site Scan to digitise survey workflows, 

reduce costs and enhance safety on its 

90km stretch of HS2. The faster and more 

efficient drone surveys are already saving 

around £20,000 a year on monthly 

construction progress surveys on a single 

site, instead of using physical surveys 

and the subsequent updating of CAD 

models. BBV estimates this could save 

around £1.6m if the same workflow was 

applied across 80 sites in the first year. 

Another benefit has been the removal of 

800 'working at risk' days and a cost saving 

of £30,000 per year from monitoring 

aggregate stockpiles, using a single drone 

operator to carry out 3D volumetric 

measurements in 20 minutes. Previously, 

contractors would take a full day to 

physically measure stockpiles and 

calculate transport requirements, often 

working in steep and difficult environments. 

Site Scan Drone surveys, used to 

manage aggregate stockpiles and 

monitor progress of construction, are then 

shared using various 2D and 3D outputs 

with multiple stakeholders, including highdefinition 

imagery and 3D terrain models. 

The new software was rolled out across 

the BBV business to almost 400 users in 

autumn 2021, including 13 drone pilots. 

The major civil infrastructure project 

spans from Long Itchington Wood tunnel 

in the south to the West Coast Main Line 

tie-in near Lichfield in the north, with a 

major junction into Curzon Street Station in 

central Birmingham. The main works civil 

engineering contracts will deliver 

earthworks, ground engineering and many 

structures including bridges, viaducts and 

tunnels along the 90km stretch of the UK's 

new high speed rail line. 

"We needed the right software to manage 

an increasingly complex and varied use of 

drones and meet the needs of multiple 

teams, from logistics to site managers to 

engineers," explained Dan Fawcett, 

Innovation Director at Balfour Beatty 

VINCI. "New digitised workflows are 

rapidly replacing traditional, physical 

working practices and introducing new 

levels of efficiency, accuracy and safety. 

On major projects such as HS2, the ROI 

achieved is significant." 

Other applications of the new software 

include helping to show compliance with 

design tolerances in built structures 

against BIM and CAD models, speedingup 

design cycles, particularly in 

earthworks and excavations design, and 

monitoring the installation of utilities. Site 

Scan supports RTK drones to ensure 

highly accurate data capture and point 

cloud creation, and Super-user training for 

Site Scan is being provided by Esri UK 

partner Heliguy, the drone consultancy, 

hardware and training specialists. 

THE POTENTIAL OF DRONES 

In addition to improving workflows and 

reducing costs on the HS2 project, this 

example proves that drones are fast 

extending the reach of site surveyors and 

project managers, enabling highly 

accurate and more frequent surveys to be 

run from any remote location - having 

proved to be most effective elsewhere. The 

ability to launch a drone, fly to any part of a 

structure, take measurements and 

produce a visual record of the problem - 

whilst seated back in the site office or 

elsewhere - supported by Esri's ArcGIS 

application, is transforming the industry. 

www.esriuk.com 

34 


NOMINATE NOW AT: 

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Nominations Close 7th September 

The Construction Computing Awards or "The Hammers" as they are 

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The Independent 

Rhode Partners Architects, US 

Photo © Nick Simonite

CU Jul-Aug 2022

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