Collaboration in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) industry is common. The Architect will design a building focusing on its proposed purpose and function, and consider its look and feel, the Structural Engineer will devise the structure underneath that keeps it all together, and the Construction industry do the building.
With such a close relationship between the different stages of planning and construction, clear communication can be the difference between success and failure.
Here are a few ways the industry uses technology to save time and money.
Staying ahead of the curve
Yesterday there was pen and paper, today there’s so much more. These innovations are here to stay and provide endless benefits.
With the help of CAD and 3D design tools, the Architect can design directly into a 3D model and create realistically rendered views from any angle in moments, easily selling design choices to clients.
AI is also starting to make an appearance in the constructions industry, giving architects and engineers access to unfathomable quantities of analytic data that can be used to quickly create a plan for the design project and save huge amounts of research.
Communicating with clients
Often the client has a vague idea in their mind of what a structure will look like, but they certainly know how it will be used. VR can be used to allow clients to walk around their building before a brick has been laid, so that decisions about natural lighting, interruptions to surrounding views and other concerns can be made based on accurate information.
Start-to-finish collaboration
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is the glue that brings all of these pieces together. As the design unfolds, collaboration tools can be used to ensure that the Architect and Engineer can present their designs to the Builder in a way that is clear and precise, nothing is left to chance. Any proposed changes can be made to the model which would replicate across the entire project team in moments. The Builder can proceed knowing that the likelihood of delays due to design complications is at a minimum, and that trial-and-error has been removed from the equation.
Cloud Storage technologies ensure that the data is available only to those that need it, and remains safe and secure, to ensure that projects are delivered quickly and effectively, and removing data loss as a potential stumbling block in the process.
The future is now
As Cloud-based IT systems start to take the place of traditional methods of information sharing, there are few industries that benefit from the use of these smart tools quite like the complex marriages that make up the construction industry. A building project that used to take scores of people years to complete can now be done in a few short months by a handful of people, making larger and more complex projects possible in ever-decreasing time-frames, saving massive costs and both staff and time, and ensuring absolute accuracy and security.
