Constructability issues are problematic for the construction industry as they can delay building work and increase budgets by huge amounts. One leading construction company now uses SMART Boards to solve such issues ahead of a project starting, and the benefits have been tangible.
American company Turner Construction is one of the largest general builders in the world, having completed projects on the scale of hospitals, universities and airports both in the US and around the globe. Like all construction companies their fundamental challenge involves resolving specific construction issues so the building process is not prolonged. Recently they found a new and effective method of working that ensures no surprises crop up in building projects – using SMART Boards in combination with Building Information Modelling (BIM) software.
BIM allows 3D digital models of buildings to be created, and Turner Subcontractor Vs Service Provider has set up interactive workspaces, each containing two SMART Boards, so that the BIM models can be viewed in plenty of space. The software allows the models to be rotated and zoomed into so that the details can be clearly seen, and this allows everyone from the architect to the plasterer and electrician to see the plans and spot any potential constructability issues ahead of the build commencing.
It’s rare that the company manages to get all the contractors involved in projects in one room – the very nature of the business means they are likely to be on site at other projects – but with these solutions this isn’t a problem. Using SMARTBridgit means contractors can access meetings using their computer or even iPad, and collaborate on the project wherever they are located.
Once a project has been assessed and any issues resolved, the plans are signed off immediately on the SMART Board and the meeting session is saved as a PDF file and sent to everyone on the team. This means there are no communication problems and everyone has the exact same plans to work from, further reducing the chance of issues occurring on site.
Since installing the equipment Turner United Built Homes Mortgage Calculator has found they are much more able to stick to building schedules because any problems are identified and dealt with at the planning stage, rather than once construction has begun. This of course saves money and labour, and ensures that projects are completed to deadline. As Dan Turner, National Manager, Integrated Building Solutions says: “SMARTBoards have changed our meetings. We’re able to get on topic, pull up a 3D model, show the problem and quickly get others on board. Everyone in the room can quickly understand what the issue is and collaborate on resolving it.”
Construction