Installing Massive Equipment Means There’s No Second Chances But There’s No Need to Panic!
Let’s Start with the Basics
So you’ve got huge equipment or structural pieces to install at a project site, whether it’s steel beams or other metalworks. Usually, a great deal of precision is required to get it right the first time because there just isn’t a second chance. Say you have a 900kg steel beam that needs to be mapped onto the existing structure at a site. It simply can’t be put in wrong the first time.
This type of workflow is so common, but it also creates so much extra time and backlog.
The outdated process consists of measuring, measuring, and more measuring, compiling the data to hand off to those who need it (whether draftsmen, engineers, etc,) and going back and forth for some time until the designed piece of equipment matches the predictions.
But this can induce a multitude of connected problems, including more site visits and more time spent travelling and measuring, potentially miscommunicated feedback, and disorientation, especially if a process that includes laser scanning data still relies on cumbersome hard drives that need to be shipped to the next team.
What Does the New and Improved Process Look Like?
It is best to describe what a new and improved process looks like by giving you an example of a company that has transitioned their workflow and is producing a better service to clients overall and increased ROI results.
“Our goal is to solve problems before they occur,” says Clint Stevens, BIM Coordinator at Evolution Digital Construction, part of the Evolution Industries Group. Evo DC is the Construction Tech support for Studio Steel which is primarily a metal fabrication business specializing in structural steel and customized metal works.
Evolution Industries Group is born out of a necessity to control the supply chain on their projects from engagement in early design through to hand over and covers abrasive blasting & protective coatings and crane, scissor lift & equipment hire internal processing and our professional in-house team of installers. “Cintoo has helped us detect problems before they occur and by creating visual reports, we can communicate to others with clarity and all the context needed to make decisions,” says Clint.
Highly Complex Environments Need a Better Process
In a recent ask, Clint’s team was responsible for installing 50+ 900kg beams at a site. Some particular beams were required to be installed through an electrical grid in the basement of an active amenities block. “There were no second chances,” Clint says. “Our client had commitments to keep the amenities active during operation hours and we had an 8hr fixed shut down window to operate in including the demolition by others to provide the access paths for this install.”
This represents a challenge not only in the complexity of the environment, but in the need to spot and mediate risks before they even occur.
There’s No Need to Panic If You Have the Right Workflow in Place
Clint’s team has realized the power in new technologies that produce a single visual source of truth, which ultimately offers a better service to their client.
In their workflows, Clint’s team utilizes Cintoo, a Saas-based reality capture and digital twin platform, to upload point cloud data, detect clashes, perform accurate measurements, overlay CAD models onto the as-built conditions, and allow access so any member involved can have the exact same view.
Studio Steel, under Evolution Digital Construction, routinely achieves better results for their clients by detecting clashes early and planning the right installation procedures to get the job done quickly and without error. The increased awareness of a site environment means that safety is also increased and prioritized. “We need to know where the steel’s going and how so we can open up Cintoo on a video conference to view the whole site and have walkthroughs with others. We become more prepared, even for things like moving in a crane to do a truck unload. We know where that’s going to happen and how when access is limited,” Clint says.
Conclusion
In these ways, Clint’s team solves problems before they occur and provides the most accurate installations possible for their clients. The evolving technological landscape means that teams at EDV can better predict and plan around the site conditions, ensure safety, and deliver accurate installations to their client in a faster time and with no recurrent issues.
These aspects represent a fundamental divide in the industry today. Companies that don’t harness the power of digital technologies, like an all-in-one centralized repository for viewing and sharing information, risk being left behind for key project endeavors.
