The rise of digital construction
Gabriella Vroom, Pix4D
GOVERNMENTS globally are increasingly incorporating digital processes – such as BIM – into their building regulations.
But why do policymakers find digitising construction so valuable and what exactly is BIM?
What is BIM?
BIM, or building information modelling, is a digital, collaborative approach that enables architects, engineers, surveyors, and construction professionals to work together within a single 3D model that includes layers of information, ranging from architectural plans to utility layouts.
According to The Government Construction Strategy published in 2011 in the UK, four defined levels of BIM can be used to represent the level of digitisation and collaboration on a project1:
- Level 0: Effectively no collaboration between teams, drawings are 2D CAD and the project is not digitised.
- Level 1: A mixture of 2D and 3D with limited collaboration between stakeholders.
- Level 2: Collaborative working between stakeholders, using 3D CAD models.
- Level 3: Projects are fully collaborative. A single, shared 3D project is stored on a cloud server and used by all involved, resulting in a fully digitised lifecycle of the asset.
Digitisation is also more sustainable – it allows stakeholders to assess environmental impacts and use resources more efficiently.
A 3D digital model helps engineers and architects verify the dimensions of structures at construction sites.
Why is BIM and the move towards digitising construction important?
Digitising construction fosters collaboration by providing all stakeholders with a centralised platform for storing and accessing project data, making project work more efficient. A 3D model provides digital documentation that facilitates easy access, storage and retrieval of crucial project information. Digital tools help save time and money as possible errors can be spotted in advance. Digitisation is also more sustainable – it allows stakeholders to assess environmental impacts and use resources more efficiently.
Documenting a project’s lifecycle with a digital process – like BIM – provides a record of the entire procedure, from preconstruction through to facilities management. This supports smooth handovers, continued management and possible future renovations. As these processes are progressively introduced, each country has a different implementation to enhance efficiency in their respective building industries. Digitisation is also more sustainable – it allows stakeholders to assess environmental impacts and use resources more efficiently.
BIM model of subsurface utilities.
Global adoption trends
The UK, an early adopter since the 1980s, has made BIM Level 2 mandatory for government projects. This approach has significantly improved project efficiency and savings (with an estimated national savings of £400m a year, according to a report by PwC). While the USA was one of the early leaders in the development and implementation of BIM, the full uptake in the industry has been more challenging – a unified standard is missing.
In Germany, BIM is compulsory for government buildings and infrastructure, while France mandated that all critical underground infrastructure of urban areas be mapped in 3D by 2019 and BIM to be implemented in construction by 2022. Denmark is one of the world’s leaders in BIM implementation, with BIM management being mandatory since 2011.
Denmark is one of the world’s leaders in BIM implementation, with BIM management being mandatory since 2011.
Beyond Europe, countries like Australia, Russia, Singapore and China have incorporated BIM into their construction practices, signalling a global shift toward digital construction.
The role of mobile scanning in digital processes like BIM
The adoption of smartphones is widespread. According to the 2023 Mobile Economy report, 76% of the global population had smartphone connections in 2022 and this is expected to rise to 92% by 20302. The fact that most of the world’s population possesses a smartphone underscores the value of mobile scanning technologies for AEC, especially in the face of the global integration of BIM-like processes.
However, mobile scanning offers an easy solution. With the advent of technology like LiDAR, photogrammetry and RTK positioning, users can achieve precise and accurate results using just a smartphone.
Traditional adoption of BIM methodologies have often encountered barriers related to expertise and accessibility. However, mobile scanning offers an easy solution. With the advent of technology like lidar, photogrammetry and RTK positioning, users can achieve precise and accurate results using just a smartphone. These results can be imported to cloud or desktop software, where stakeholders can work collaboratively on a 3D model.
These tools are intuitive and require minimal training, making them accessible to a wide range of professionals in the construction industry. Some smartphone tools on the market go beyond basic scanning and offer advanced features, such as augmented reality (AR) – allowing users to interact with scanned sites in real-time.
Denmark is one of the world’s leaders in BIM implementation, with BIM management being mandatory since 2011. However, mobile scanning offers an easy solution. With the advent of technology like LiDAR, photogrammetry and RTK positioning, users can achieve precise and accurate results using just a smartphone.
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3D digital model of a trench showing subsurface utilities.
Machine intelligence: A paradigm shift for construction
Contrary to common fears, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and AR are not things to be afraid of, but tools that add speed, accuracy and value to user tasks. With algorithms that surpass human capabilities, AI can be used to vastly improve professional workflows. By leveraging automation, algorithms empower users to achieve greater productivity and efficiency in daily work.
Algorithms are important because they automate repetitive, manual tasks. What is more, they often do these tasks faster and more accurately than a human. AR is a technology that overlays digital information, such as 3D models, onto the real world. This is typically viewed through a device like a smartphone. AR adds digital elements to a physical environment in real-time. The addition of AR functionality to digital construction allows for project visualisation on-site.
Smartphone scanning with AR technology signals a significant shift for the construction industry. The learning curve for scanning with a digital app is often low, and these technologies can be deployed with ease. This provides surveyors and construction professionals with more time at the office, while on-site personnel can be trusted with the scanning. Scans are sent directly to the office, saving time and effort and replacing heavy, hard-to-learn, and expensive tools like laser scanners.
AI can be used to vastly improve professional workflows. By leveraging automation, algorithms empower users to achieve greater productivity and efficiency in daily work.
Mobile solutions for digital construction
Amid the rise of digital construction, mobile scanning offers an optimal and accessible solution for professionals and companies seeking to keep up with the trend and digitise their workflows. The advanced capabilities of some of these tools mark a significant shift for the industry. For instance, with Pix4D’s smartphone tool PIX4Dcatch, AEC professionals can overlay design plans (DXF, IFC and SHP) onto a construction site for rapid approval during design, construction, and post-construction inspections, streamlining the construction process.
AR abilities, such as the comparison of georeferenced 3D models in real-time with a construction site, allow professionals to identify problems in advance, aiding project management. Annotations and field notes can be sent instantly from the office to the site where they can be viewed in context.
For trench utility management, scans and 3D models of subsurface utilities can be visualised with AR even after closure, facilitating trench documentation and reducing maintenance costs.
For trench utility management, scans and 3D models of subsurface utilities can be visualised with AR even after closure, facilitating trench documentation and reducing maintenance costs. Surveygrade accuracy is achieved by combining photogrammetry, lidar and RTK positioning (for PIX4Dcatch).
In a recent annual construction manager BIM survey, AEC professionals named smartphones and tablets as the technology that provides the most value on-site. Mobile scanning apps such as PIX4Dcatch are accessible and effective tools for digitising the construction process, offering a simple solution to the construction industry and aligning with the global adoption of digital processes like BIM. By utilising innovative technology, these tools not only streamline construction but also pave the way for further advancements in the field.
Gabriella Vroom, Pix4D
1 See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-construction-strategy