What Construction Companies Must Know About Trends Like IoT And Digital Twins

Worldwide, the construction sector employs the largest workforce and is often considered to be one of the biggest drivers of the economy. In 2018 alone, the annual spending on construction worldwide was estimated to be around USD 11.4 Trillion. While most disruptions in the actual construction operations have been through the inventions or progress made in mechanical equipment and raw materials, there is a growing role being played by technology and digital transformation in propelling the sector to newer heights. From modelling projects through interactive visualization to enabling workforce safety, technology is slowly (but surely) becoming an integral part of the construction sector.

Now comes the question of what can the industry explore next with technology? We have handpicked two great options to explore further – Digital Twins and the Internet of Things (IoT).

A digital twin involves the concept of having a digital representation of a physical object created with accurate data. This digital representation supports real-time visualization of any impact the object may have when acted upon by external influence like a physical force, mechanical or chemical or electronic stimulation, or any other forms of influence.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to devices, or small machines, connected to the internet which allows them to be managed, analysed, and subject to activities – mechanical or electronic, from remote locations.

We’ve said it often that Building Information Modelling (BIM) has revolutionized the construction industry and paved the way for transitioning from pen and paper drawings to more efficient computer-based modelling. Bringing Digital Twins and IoT to the mainstream in this area will enable even more exciting possibilities in building or project design.

So, what are the possibilities, the construction sector must explore from trends like digital twins and IoT?

Here are 4:

Sustainable Project Planning

Using data from IoT sensors in existing projects worldwide, engineers can study the feasibility of new projects under similar environmental conditions. They can model each layer of a building based on how factors such as temperature, pressure, wind, and humidity impact the layer, with the data sourced from sensors on buildings in similar environments. This will ensure sustainable project planning and realize long-term benefits for tenants or owners of the project.

Predict Resource Requirements

Studies have shown that on average, 25% of productive time is wasted due to delays in resource handling and logistics. These delays often occur due to labour shortage, miscalculated time for material and equipment availability, and other factors that arise mainly due to improper planning. BIM helps optimize resource procurement and provisioning by enabling more precise predictions and estimates. With powerful digital twin technology, construction companies can further enhance the plan for optimum resource utilization. Based on data-driven models, engineers can create digital twins of projects to estimate the resources needed in terms of man, machine, and materials far in advance. This will also help in reducing the wastage of resources and ensure better logistics efficiency for intense demand scenarios.

Quality & Compliance Assurance

While BIM has allowed for efficient project planning in the construction sector, they have some limitations in assuring the quality assurance of a built structure or in stages during the construction. This is one area where IoT and digital twinning can make a difference though. By integrating the designed model with actual data captured by IoT sensors in the structure being constructed, it was possible to continuously analyze and monitor the progress of construction and ensure adherence to pre-defined standards. For example, an intelligent AI-enabled digital twinning platform could help in identifying cracks and intrusions in structures using image processing algorithms on data captured by IoT sensors. This information can be used to alert contractors and have them manually inspect the construction with experts. This will greatly enhance the quality and compliance of buildings and structures. Environmental and other physical compliance requirements can also be validated at every stage by modelling digital twins of the structure with real-time data generated by sensors.

Workforce Safety

Being a labour-intensive sector, the construction industry is also, unfortunately, known for being one of the most dangerous industries for the human workforce as the majority of the work involves labour in the open air and often on high rises. Digital twinning in co-ordination with IoT sensors on the building as well as in the form of wearables for workers can prove to be a huge safety aid in the workplace. Managers or supervisors can be alerted when employees work in a potentially dangerous site or when they are deployed for handling hazardous work materials. They can ensure that these workers have enough safety gear and access to safety procedures in the event of a mishap. This level of preparedness can prove to be the difference between life and death in dangerous scenarios often witnessed in large construction projects.

The construction industry stands to benefit immensely from adopting emerging trends such as digital twin and IoT. The right knowledge and selection of technology can help businesses in this space leverage great power in this way. They can build better landmarks with sustainable techniques and improve the working conditions for thousands of workers who rely on the construction sector for their livelihood.

The Impact Of Adopting BIM On How Construction Companies Work

The benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM) are well-known.

From encouraging collaboration among different stakeholders through common understanding on an interoperable software to helping construction companies with cost estimation, construction sequencing, and identifying conflicts between the building and utility elements; BIM has been transformative when applied to construction projects.

Studies have found that BIM has reduced cost estimation time by 80%, and has reduced the need for changes by 40% through early detection of a problem.

Yet, despite knowing the benefits, the adoption of BIM has been slow among construction companies.

According to a survey by AutoDesk and IDC, only one in three construction companies in India has planned a digital transformation roadmap for the next 12 years.

So, what’s stopping companies from adopting BIM? One clear challenge is the sense that adopting BIM will drive tremendous changes to the way construction companies operate. Companies are apprehensive about what this means. Let’s talk about those changes and what they could do to overcome the challenges?

Changes That Companies Must Make To Adopt BIM

  1. Get consensus on BIM adoption

One of the primary barriers to BIM adoption is garnering support from the management and other stakeholders. Change is always difficult. Considering that BIM in India is still a new concept and requires investment in time, money, and new skills, stakeholders may be divided in their opinion about BIM adoption. There are also multiple stakeholders involved in construction, so getting everyone on the same page can be a herculean task. Different stakeholders may have numerous concerns such as who will lead the implementation, who will take the onus to re-train employees, re-design the process, etc. One key area of concern for managers and supervisors, for instance, is the higher transparency BIM will bring into project activities and progress. They may worry about being out on the spot or worry about pressure.

The only solution to seek consensus is to communicate clearly the pros and cons of implementing BIM, especially framed in the context of the relevance to helping these people achieve their specific tasks. Be prepared to answer all their questions about transitioning to BIM, so they are convinced and green light the implementation process. Communicate at an early stage to avoid any issues at a later stage.

  1. Hire the right people with the right skills

BIM experts should possess both managerial skills and qualities such as good communication, collaboration, leadership, etc. Additionally, they must be technologically inclined as they will need to also have knowledge of software for modeling, scheduling, planning, estimating, etc. Of course, getting skilled BIM experts can be tough. Sometimes the company might not be aware of what they can do and cannot do, due to which the roles are often not well-defined. Sometimes it is difficult to get skilled people for specific BIM software. There’s also the problem that tech talent doesn’t always consider the construction industry as an attractive work option.

Considering the dearth of skilled resources, companies might face a tough time in getting the right people. Hence, they should be prepared to change their existing hiring process to find the right people, define their roles and responsibilities clearly, and ensure that they lead the company’s transition to BIM successfully. They must be able to contribute towards building a culture of BIM and digitization in the company.

  1. Encourage collaboration

There are various stakeholders involved in a single construction project. Traditionally, work involves a lot of back and forth communication between different stakeholders. Manual processes are slow and susceptible to errors. They make it harder to provide oversight of critical problems due to a lack of coordination and communication. That’s where BIM changes things. For instance, BIM makes it possible to identify conflicts and errors in design at an early stage. But the next stage is to ensure there is smooth communication between the stakeholders to resolve those conflicts. To encourage collaboration using BIM, companies must sensitize their employees about the intent and value of such collaborations in the context of the larger benefit of the project.

  1. Initiate change management

Change is never easy. BIM is not just about using the software. Software is only one aspect of it. BIM is more about re-engineering the process to make it more digitally favourable. Construction companies have to assess their existing processes and develop strategies to implement them. They may have to research the gaps in the process, tweak the process to optimize the usage of BIM, and continuously monitor the outcome to see if the implementation is successful. Like every new technology, there will be confusion and fear about the future once BIM is implemented. Hence, the management must be transparent while communicating with the employees about the change, the effect on their existing role, and the overall benefits of using it. The best way to drive up on-site BIM adoption, for instance, is to show a carefully designed evolutionary path that allows everyone to improve their performance.

  1. Change the way to measure the effectiveness

Considering that a company invests a lot of time, money, and resources into BIM implementation, it must measure its outcome frequently to ensure that it is improving delivery processes as expected. Measuring the outcome will also help the company develop a roadmap for future development and sustainability. As BIM works differently, the usual way of measuring effectiveness will not work. It will become important to redefine performance metrics and tracking and monitoring mechanisms.

Typically, construction companies are labour-intensive. However, to stay ahead of the curve, companies know that they have to adopt digitization to become more efficient. BIM could be the first step towards transformation. As BIM experts, we help construction companies to take that first step towards BIM adoption and overcome the barriers listed here.

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