The future of construction is ‘Connected’

Information asymmetry has been the bane of delayed or over-budget construction projects throughout the history of modern construction. The reasons behind the problem are easily understood - all major construction projects employ a complex network of interdependent teams, who are all executing multiple processes at the same time. Naturally, there will be gaps in flow of accurate and real-time information, which would inevitably lead to mistakes or errors being made on site, requiring rework or sometimes even demolition and reconstruction. What has been missing thus far is a convenient and fool-proof way to address this information irregularity. This is finally changing, as an attempt has been made to integrate and ‘connect’ all stakeholders, teams and individuals to a centralized software, by taking full advantage of widespread availability of high-speed mobile internet and affordable smartphones and tablets. This revolutionary approach to planning and execution of a project is called ‘Connected construction’.    The point of connection Trimble’s Connected construction essentially takes digitalization of construction to the next level. This digitalization is no longer limited to individual processes, but more importantly, it connects and integrates them into a seamless whole. To understand it better, consider the following scenario: the structural engineering team makes some adjustments to the 3D BIM model of the project, and this change immediately and automatically percolates down to the fabricator, who can now update the machine to reflect the changed requirements, or to the onsite supervisor’s mobile device, who now knows the adjustments needed for work onsite.   It can therefore be deemed that the ‘Connected construction’ approach tends to do away with the all-too-prevalent silos in the construction industry, as it integrates and unifies people and processes involved in a project across all of its stages by using the latest and most innovative hardware, software, and services. Ultimately, it helps build a single, absolute source of accurate and real-time information for everyone, enabling data transparency and shareability. Further it eliminates the data duplication and rework, reduces chances of any miscommunication and heightens the efficiency across the construction workflow.  The ‘Connected construction’ is easily brought to life with the help of cutting-edge and modern construction technology solutions like Tekla Structures 2021. This flagship BIM software from Trimble has over the years been updated to provide all the benefits of connected construction - efficient design and engineering workflows and increased productivity through better collaboration amongst project teams.  When architects and designers build a 3D BIM model using Tekla Structures, the model can be easily passed on to, and used by, contractors and other project managers. COWI, a global design consultant company, bears testimony to this advantage. “Time is the essence of construction and to know whether the proposed solution is constructible in advance is the key. This becomes even more important when we have areas like pierheads and diaphragms where along with congested reinforcement we have prestressing tendons as well. The 3D model developed in TEKLA has helped us and our clients in this area to clearly identify and resolve soft and hard clashes. With Connected Construction, there is no doubt that there will be even more clarity in every phase of the project, leading to its timely completion and proper documentation,” says Anoop Singh Jangi, Head of Bridges, COWI India. Tekla Structures 2021 also offers interoperability and integration with Trimble Connect and Tekla Model Sharing. This leads to better real-time communications and collaboration among project teams, which ultimately translates into increased efficiencies and productivity. Eversendai Construction Private Limited, which used Tekla Structures for the marque Statue of Unity project was able to complete the statue a full two months in advance with the help of Trimble’s software. Saravanan Kaliappan, Senior Vice President, Eversendai Construction Private Limited, stated that, “Tekla software made the construction procedure clash-free and reduced project time and cost, as communication amongst all project stakeholders became seamless. Even before the practical construction of this mammoth structure began, we were able to solve all issues, much in advance, with the constructible 3D BIM model which enabled us to clearly understand the structure and accurately evaluate the project parameters like estimation, scheduling, fabrication and erection methodology, etc.”   Breaking the silos For real estate or infrastructure developers, timely and on-budget completion of a project depends overwhelmingly on how well a wide assortment of teams involved in the project - architects, structural or civil engineers, contractors, fabricators, interior designers and HVAC professionals - are able to work together. In practice, a majority of these teams work in silos - deeply disconnected with one another until the handover is needed, or a problem has arisen onsite. In other words, there is little to no coordination between any two teams involved. Also, most of documentation and its subsequent communication is done manually or on paper, which frequently leads to missed messages or misunderstandings. ”From our experience, we have seen that when data sharing between field and office is done manually, it not only results in poor communication but also creates bottlenecks that hamper project efficiency and productivity,” says Paul Wallett, Regional Director, Middle East and India,  Trimble Solutions. “The absence of standardized tools for data sharing is a major cause of miscommunication and rework in construction projects.” Data visibility is another big problem for both the project owners as well as the teams involved, where one team does not have access to another team’s data. What’s worse, almost nobody has access to complete project status data. This situation often leads to data duplication as multiple teams might need the same set of data.  Also, the presence of erroneous or outdated data with one team - say the contractor or fabricator - when the structural engineering team has already made some changes to it, can prove detrimental to the project's progress. Adds Paul Wallett, “These challenges can be firmly tackled with the correct approach of connected construction, which ensures better data visibility, leading to greater accuracy and efficiency for all project stakeholders”.   Better use of technology That technology is a game changer for the construction industry is common knowledge now. However, it is important to underline the fact that using technology in the right way is key to get maximum advantage from it. Connected construction is one such smart application of technology, with the power to transform the conventional project management practices by bringing everyone closer and on the same page. Paul Wallett concludes, “Connected construction would transform the traditional construction project management practices. By closely weaving technology into every process of construction, we will see sustainable, safe and efficient construction in the future.” For Indian construction players, those benefits are hard to ignore going forward.