BIM has become an important source of information for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) stakeholders. Analogous to objects and classes within object orientated programming (OOP) – BIM is considered as a single source of truth to the project designers and contractors involved in the project from the early stages to construction to finally building handover. In particular, during the management of a construction project. It is now quickly becoming the centralised repository for all necessary information needed for construction activities, progress monitoring, installation, project documentation and cost estimation.
As part of the Seismprecast Project, Exergy is developing a web platform and a mobile application to help construction contractors and SME’s with the installation and work package design management with BIM.
As smaller SME’s in the construction supply chain lack affordable mobile BIM tools to access and monitor their own installation progress on site. It is also important to obtain access to such site activities and progress information such as photographs, installation progress data, and asset tagging capabilities. If SME’s from the construction supply chain can affordably communicate site activities and installation progress via a user-friendly BIM tool on site, then more accurate progress can be captured by the main contractor. Main contractors are more frequently investing in existing cloud-based BIM tools provided by leading software vendors.
We hope to develop something to cater to the smaller sub-contractors installing products on site who may lack the access to expensive devices currently deployed such as iPads (required by major software vendors with cloud-based tools). SME’s need tools that can readily help capture their progress and feed such information between the manufacturer and the main contractor. Stacker, therefore, is designed to be compatible to share information back to major software vendor tools and to operate on mobile devices using Android to capture the progress from manufacturing through to installation at the pre-construction and construction stages.
The Stacker mobile app will be capable of:
- Capturing on-site progress via photos and videos
- Collecting and storing site inspection observations in model and site photos or videos.
- Visualising the model data in a user-friendly and intuitive manner for subcontractors
- Collecting and storing information from key suppliers and project team members (PMT)
- Visualising supplier models in AR and VR using mobile phones and tablets
- Tracking work package progress on site
- Visualising the federated BIM model in a user-friendly and intuitive manner
- Merging individual models into a single federated model
- Collecting and storing work package tasks and deliverables information
- Collecting and storing pre-construction and construction stage models and project documentation
- Collecting and storing information from key suppliers and project team members (PMT)
- Storing site inspection observations in model and site photos or videos.
It is anticipated that the deployment of the Stacker system will provide the following business benefits for the construction supply chain SME’s:
- Increase timely communication between main contractor and manufacturer and sub-contractors (tier 2 &3 contractors).
- Improve quality and speed of site installation activities (by better informing the main contractors of installation activities)
- Maintain correct and current information about suppliers and their key activities & personnel, facilitating rapid communication with suppliers.
- Expedite site inspections and progress monitoring
Our BIM Coordinator, Erika Parn has recently (date) appeared on the CoinPM Talks podcast to discuss the future of BIM and the impact of digital tools on the construction industry
Interested in Stacker? Contact us to participate or learn more.