User:Stanimir

Increasing efficiency and reducing time for a Construction Project by using digital tools

 

Introduction

To be a Project Manager has never been an easy job. The construction industry has evolved much, and the complexity of projects has increased accordingly. In the past, building shapes were not that ambitious, and the more extravagant, which are now considered architectural landmarks, took ages to build. Just to mention some examples: the Norte Dame took over 200 years to build; Cologne Cathedral with around 600 years; the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, which started construction in 1882, and is still not finished. There are many factors influencing the long construction time, such as political instability, lack of financial and physical resources, wars, and many more, but a major reason the construction process was delayed that much was the lack of coordination and communication. Any change of design meant that all the drawings, calculations and models had to be remake, and that took time. Fortunately, nowadays that is not an issue.

Abstract

Capitalism has put a lot of pressure on time and resources, which results in the need for optimizing processes; information technologies; data extraction; coordination and communication across disciplines, contractors, and stakeholders. Smaller construction projects are easier to manage, as the workload is not that huge, and one can probably do well with more simple tools for design, planning and management, but when it comes to big- and mega-projects, or very complex ones with special requirements, the lack of proper methods and tools will cost the project dearly, both in time and money. This article will show the relevance and need for digital tools for design, planning and management a Project Manager should have in the 21st century. It will analyse two specific digital tools for managing Construction projects, list the types of features needed to execute a big and complex projects and will analyse some examples. Furthermore it will consider the advantages and disadvantages in using those types of software and will discuss what could be improved in the future.

Terminology

The following definitions from the Danish Standards will be used in this article:

Scope - authorized work to accomplish work agreed objectives.

Project - projects are temporary and focus on retaining or adding value or capability, for a sponsoring organization, stakeholder or customer. Operations are performed through ongoing activities and can be focused on sustaining the organization, such as through the delivery of repeatable products and services.

Furthermore, the projects that will be mentioned are construction projects and have a budget of over 10 M DKK.

Stakeholder - person, group or organization that has interest in, or can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by, any aspect of a project, programme or portfolio.

Typical stakeholders in a construction project are: investors, contractors and subcontractors, users and (in some cases) the municipality.

Work package - group of activities that have defined scope, deliverable, timescale and cost.

Control - comparison of actual performance with planned performance, analyzing variances and taking appropriate corrective and preventive action as needed.

Issue - event that arises during a project requiring resolution for the project to proceed.

Benefit - created advantage, value or other positive effect.

Life-cycle - defines set of phases from the start to the end of a project.

Other terms and definition used in the article:

PM - Project Manager

BIM - Building Information Modeling

Model - a 3D representation of the building project in a digital format.

Synchronize - person, or a team, updating the information on their local model with the central model

Digital tool - a code, a software, or a program, which is used to perform certain tasks.

The role of a Project Manager

A Project Manager's role can vary with different projects. Tender preparation, coordinating task between the different disciplines, estimating time and cost, and monitoring the work on site are some of the typical tasks a Project Manager has. To keep track on the project, be informed about changes and act fast when needed, a PM must make use of the best software available, because the “conventional” e-mails and paper drawings are not enough to communicate fast and effectively. In the following chapters, this article will look into the features of two software and the benefits for a PM of using them.

Construction Phases

Technology has not invented a software, that covers all life-cycle stages of a construction project yet. Until then, there are different software on the market, specialized in one, or few areas of work, which can have multiple applications throughout the project.

Scope

It can be argued that a project starts with defining the scope, and in some cases the PM's role starts as well. It is normally included in the Project description, and is used as basis for tendering. Dalux Box can be used to store the relevant documentation. The benefit of using a common platform, is that all the relevant information can be accessed by the stakeholders who need it quickly, and misunderstandings can be avoided.

Design

After the project scope is defined and the key stakeholders are identified, the design phase can start.

Using a digital tool to design building projects, compared to drawing in hand, is clearly superior and most of the modern world does it. It reduces time and is more accurate. Many software companies have developed specialized programs which further increase the efficiency of drawing. They can be used together with other software to reduce the overall time and cost for a project.

BIM concept

Nowadays, the Building Information Modeling (BIM) is playing a key role in the construction industry. As the name implies, the building project is represented by an object based 3D (some software even claim to have a 4D) model, which contains metadata. Autodesk, which is one of the leading companies in the field, describe its as the following: "Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the holistic process of creating and managing information for a built asset. Based on an intelligent model and enabled by a cloud platform, BIM integrates structured, multi-disciplinary data to produce a digital representation of an asset across its life-cycle, from planning and design to construction and operations."[1]

In other words – a BIM model is a digital representation of the project, with object-based elements, containing metadata, which later can be extracted and used with other software. A BIM model serves as the groundwork for the project, as most of the relevant information can be accessed instantly from it, by using work-sharing. Depending on project needs, and goals set, the settings can be made so different disciplines can work simultaneously on the model, without interfering in each other’s work.

One of the most used and popular software for BIM models today is Autodesk Revit. Because of its popularity, the majority of other software have made a plugin, or at least made their software compatible with it, in order to access the huge market.

ICT Contract

The basis of communication regarding project information must be agreed upon with an ICT Agreement [2]. It lists the types of file formats, classifications, names, specifications and other relevant information to be used in the project. This improves the coordination and efficiency of work. It is beneficial for the Project Manager to have an understanding of this contract, as it determines the course of the project.

AutoDesk Revit

Choosing a software is very much individual, and some software are better at performing in certain task, while they are worse at others, therefor there is no “right” or “wrong” ones. With that in mind, there are some that have more features and are more user-friendly than others. Within the top 10 of many charts online, rating the best BIM software 2023, you will most likely find Revit, AutoCad, ARCHICAD, Rhino and SketchUp. For simplicity, only Revit AutoDesk will be examined in this article. It is a 3D geometry based BIM software with build in libraries of objects. Examples can be wall, roof, floor, window, etc. All objects are grouped into families and types, and contain information relevant to them. This information is called metadata.

The reason for the software's success, is that it is sufficient to design a model with high level of details (if needed), and contains metadata, which can be used to improve the design, or serve as the basis for further estimates and calculations.

Designing the model

In big projects, every contractor/subcontractor will have their own BIM model with shared coordinates to work on. Typically, a BIM Coordinator will be responsible for delegating access and rights to different users according to their role. As Revit supports work-sharing, it allows all the disciplines to see the changes in the model made after synchronizing and adjust their design if needed.

Clash test

Once the design is in progress, a good practice would be to supervise it throughout all the stages, so no big surprises come in the end. To monitor, a PM must perform “clash tests” on the models. That consists of merging the different models together and checking where the geometry overlaps. Those overlapping are called clashes, or issues. The amount of clashes tends to be proportional with the size of the project, as the bigger projects contain more objects and the geometry becomes more complex. Once those clashes are identified, they can be assigned as tasks to different disciplines. Comments can be written, specifying the action needed. The less clashes the model has, the more accurate the information is, and more precise estimations can be made.

Simulations

One use of the metadata is to be used for simulations. There are many types of software specialized in different types of simulations, but some that are without a doubt useful are for example: load-bearing simulations; energy simulations; daylight simulations. They take the metadata as input and use build-in formulas to produce in few hours results, that took days not so long ago. The time for calculation time is reduced significantly, and the design can be optimized.

Planning

Cost estimation

There are many ways to estimate the budget of a project, and most firms have their own way of dealing with it. Estimations are based on current prices found in catalogues, previous orders, special agreements, etc. Some use spreadsheets, others software, and the accuracy can vary. Unexpected cost and contingencies must be taken into consideration always. Another use of the metadata can be utilized here, by extracting the quantities for those spreadsheets, instead of typing them manually one by one. This can be a great advantage for bigger projects. There is even software, which takes a couple of hours to estimate the total construction cost, including labour, materials, and leasing of equipment, based on the quantity of the objects. It’s called Sigma Cost Estimate. In that way, decisions regarding for example material choice can be taken at a much early stage. Moreover, it estimates the time it will take to complete building a given object.

Execution

After the design is decided upon, construction can begin. Time is an important factor in most projects, so efficiency in coordinating the work is valued highly. The bigger the project, the more roles, contractors and activities on site. Poor information flow can cause a of chain reactions that can lead to huge delays.

Dalux

Having a BIM model is essential, but in order to manage the project, one has to supplement it with other software. Dalux is a software company specialized in exactly that, and it has created different features to support the project trough it's life-cycle stages.

The principle the software operates on, is that every user is registered with contact information and set in a group. A group can consist of one, or more users, and one user can be a part of one or more groups. The groups are given permissions, which determine the access of information the have, the work flows and tasks that can be assigned to them. All the tasks performed are kept and can be used later for documentation. The benefits of that is that it creates an easy and accessible common platform for all the stakeholders, without overwhelming them with irrelevant information.

The idea of the project is manifested trough the BIM software, where the different disciplines coordinate with each other to create a meaningful model. Once all the models are linked, they can be exported directly into Dalux. The Revit model must be updated frequently, as there is not a live link between Revit and Dalux.

BIM viewer

Before accessing the quality of the design, or work done, a PM has to be able to navigate into the model. Dalux has a clear advantage here, as it uses low resolution rendering, which reduces the lag time when working with the model, and in big projects, with many details, even a simple zoom in/out can cause lag on a regular machine. The BIM viewer is a free feature, which makes it accessible for workers on site. It allows them to explore the model in 2D or 3D. The benefit of having an updated model at your disposal (as long as one has a smart device) is that all the information is accurate and accessible. There is also a hyperlink, which allows one to switch to another drawing directly by clicking the link. Furthermore, there is an option to compare version of the same drawing.

Box

Dalux Box is a feature of the software, that provides a platform for storage of information in all forms and formats. It also indicates the dates of uploads, by whom it is uploaded and the version of the document. That can be very relevant for drawings, as the latest version will naturally contain the recent changes (which are automatically highlighted in the PDF) made to the project. Irrelevant and/or confidential information is restricted to the individual work packages. For example, a carpenter would not have access to the contract made by the client and the PM. Documents, requirements, issues, recommendations, specifications, drawings and other information can be uploaded, and later on used for issuing a Facility Management manuals and strategies.

Field

This feature's function is to coordinate work on site by the different contractors. Tasks, related to a certain activity (for example to drill a hole, or to build a wall), are delegated to the different groups. Information required to perform it is extracted from the model, and is used by the group to perform it.

Reality capture

This feature records videos and takes 360 degrees photos of the construction site. In that way, the progress is monitored daily. It can also be used as documentation if a contractor is behind schedule and that causes delays. All data is preserved and is available at all time.

Facility Management

This feature creates the manuals for maintenance of the project. Instead of having rooms filled with papers, specifications, schedules and inspections, all the information is accessed digital. Browsing trough it takes a couple of seconds, where looking for a particular paper can take a lot of time, if the documentation is not sorted properly. Calendars with tasks and alerts notify when, where, on which object and by whom an action is required. The input can be typed in the software manually, taken from spreadsheets, or taken directly from Dalux Box, which is most beneficial.

Examples

PPV

Novo Nordisk has invested 18 Billion DKK in their newest building project Purification Plant V (PPV) in Kalundborg, Denmark. Around 3000 people are employed to work on the project, and it is expected to be finalized in 2027 and will be the biggest Purification Plant in the world. NNE is the main contractor and is responsible for the coordination of design, construction and quality control of the project [3].

Because of the scale and complexity of the project, it is divided into different phases, disciplines, packages and work flows. To reduce total time, some small details, which will not affect the critical path of the project, are still in a design phase, while construction phase in other location of the site is ongoing. Any delays will cost significantly, so efficiency and time reduction are valued highly. The PM coordinates the work with his team of construction managers, each responsible for a different aspect of the project. Both Dalux and Revit are used in the project, for management of the design and construction phases, and monitoring the work.

NHN

Nyt Hospital Nordsjælland (NHN) is a super hospital building project with a budget of 1.2 B DKK with the Municipality as the investor and COWI A/S as the main contractor [4]. The design is done in Revit and Dalux is used to manage the construction activities on site.

Copenhagen Airport

The Copenhagen Airport spans on an area of around 11800 square meters and is operational all year round, 24 hours a day. Facility management can be challenging, especially when the flow of people is constant, so there is no time for proper exception. The airport uses Dalux to manage maintenance and supervision.

Improvements

In the future, an all-in-one software that covers all life-cycle stages, can be expected as technologies evolves. There will be no need for plugins, only a powerful machine, that can compute all the information for a project. If such a software is developed, it will minimize the time for design and optimize performance of the project within the limits of scope and goals. Mistakes and misunderstandings will decrease to a minimum.

Summery

No to projects are identical, and the roles people have in them varies as well. A building PM's activities and responsibilities can differ, but his/hers role are mostly the same - to coordinate the work, manage resources, time and cost, which increase proportionally to the project. There are digital tools, designed to improve certain work activities. This alone reduces time and improves design and performance of the project, and if combined with other software, it can reduce time for the project even more, improve information flow and increase the quality of work. Big and complex projects require efficient tools to be managed with. A PM should keep such in his/hers arsenal.