BIM takes on the Environment

According to the Office for National Statistics, there are 109,410 companies registered and operating in the combined Building Construction and Civil Engineering sectors in the UK as of 2010.  Of this total, 6,490 are located in Scotland.

There are a large number of companies over and above these totals, registered as operating in specialist construction activities.

The UK building and construction industries use and consume the most energy of all sectors as well as producing the most CO₂ emissions.  In addition to this, these industries create the most waste.

 

DEFRA studies report that the amount of waste generated by the construction industry and ending up in landfill has seen a rise from an estimated 70 million tonnes in 2000 to approximately 100 million tonnes in 2004 – compared to around 28 million tones resulting from general domestic waste collections.

Separate from general material wastage, a vast amount of energy is used in the life of many construction projects.  This can be in manufacturing of synthetic materials, processing or extraction of raw materials, transportation and site execution.  Plant-heavy projects will require a considerable amount of energy in the form of fuel for machinery and equipment.  Each of these elements has a direct environmental impact, as natural resources are consumed and pollution is generated.

As is often the case, it is likely that it is a smaller number of companies that are responsible for generating a larger proportion of the waste – many of the companies registered in the construction and engineering sectors will not be directly involved in the actual build processes.

Government studies suggest that in 2008, the total environmental cost of land fill waste was £211 million, and that steps to manage resources more efficiently could result in annual savings of £6.4 billion to the UK economy.

BIM and better use of IPD promotes more efficient working, minimises waste and enables better time management through improved planning and delivery of projects.

Projects that make better use of materials and reduce the amount of errors & rework, generate less waste.

 

 Projects that complete in better timescales or more efficiently require fewer resources to run (fuel use for plant, running costs of offices, etc).

Overall, this reduces the effective "carbon footprint" of each project, and reduces the burden on limited landfill facilities.

As BIM becomes more widely adopted and embedded, certain types of business will immediately realise certain benefits that can be achieved for specific tasks – such as design, clash detection and project planning.  One of the challenges will be to raise awareness of further potential to other members in the project chain.

BIM goes much beyond design and planning, and can be carried through to delivery – being utilized by the contractors on site.  Site activities can be better planned and deliveries programmed more efficiently.  Works can be set out by using the information contained in the building model originally generated, allowing the contractor to work from the checked and verified plans, containing all the latest required information updated by each project stakeholder involved.

Errors can be minimized, resulting in fewer delays, less re-work and therefore less waste and material usage.  Projects can be delivered within improved timescales, avoiding the costs of maintaining the project.  More efficient use of materials and less waste going off site represent economic and environmental benefits achievable.

Unlike design or project management type companies, construction contractors might require more “convincing” of the benefits of BIM who might me initially more put off by the apparent “cost” to adopt (despite previous data reported – see earlier blog entry “My thoughts on BIM”).

One idea that might merit some discussion could be the introduction of a “BIM investment grant”.  This could be a sum of money (e.g. £5,000) made available from government budget (I know!), per qualifying company towards investment in "BIM-approved technology".  This investment could be software, hardware or training.  The grant could be redeemed against an approved list of BIM suppliers that could include the likes of Autodesk Revit, Tekla Structures, Trimble LM80, etc.

This could be enough of an incentive for mainstream contractors to justify new investment and trigger a new thought process.  The initial investment would provide the trigger and means for development of better work processes aimed towards the BIM concept in general.

Going back to the opening statistics, from the total 109,410 registered companies, say 75% of these are engaged in “actual construction” of some form and 50% of these qualify for the grant.  This would mean a potential grant pool requirement of around £205 million – possibly spread over 3 or 4 years.  Assuming this level of uptake over 4 years, the annual cost could be £51,250,000.  The equivalent amount of landfill waste from construction would only need to reduce by 25% in order to meet or offset this investment based on the estimated costs associated and outlined above.

More importantly, a crucial environmental issue will be tackled at the same time.  Improved project delivery would also allow the UK construction industry to raise its reputation for producing higher quality projects in better timescales with fewer issues.

Head in “The Cloud”

At the risk of developing a bit of a theme in these blog posts, 2011 is starting with some thoughts that continue from previous entries focussed on advancing technologies influence on the delivery of construction projects.

There is still a degree of pessimism surrounding the short-term future of construction in Scotland, so it is the elusive “silver lining” that is being sought in these thoughts for developing methodologies.

As stated previously, the emergence and uptake of BIM (Building Information Modelling) is an inevitable result of the need to improve processes and refine practices.  This is the technology with major potential to revolutionise the way that construction projects are managed and delivered.  The BIM methodology is focussed on the system of IPD (Integrated Project Delivery). 

 

This fits nicely with the ideals of McCafferty Consultancy Ltd.  Visitors to our website may notice the tag line that states simply “information…consultation…e-services”.  This is expanded in the statement found on the welcome page:

“…excellence can be achieved through innovation and progressive thinking - and while it is often said that knowledge is power, I believe that shared knowledge can be even greater.”

IPD is not a new idea, but the way in which technology and communications capability has developed in recent years has made the reality of true integration more accessible and achievable.

Greater collaboration and sharing of information is possible today, with the opportunity for stakeholders and various parties concerned with different stages of a construction project to join forces and develop and discuss seamlessly and comprehensively.

Projects that are BIM-based can readily benefit from this type of collaboration, allowing the entire building team to work together on a “master plan” in real time.

“Cloud computing” is one of the topics that is currently en-vogue, which is encouraging from a BIM focussed perspective.  The concept of processing data and ideas in a dynamic, non-location specific manner fits in nicely with the potential that can be achieved through BIM and IPD.

By developing a system where a master plan is centralised, a hybrid-cloud model could be established that allows architects, contractors, clients, engineers, fabricators, specialists, etc. to develop their own “areas” according to their specific needs.  At the same time, they have the ability to fully collaborate in real time by coordinating with the central plan.

This model would allow for greater competition between a larger number of specialists, without risking the integrity of the overall project; therefore improving the possibilities for improved financial performance.  Complex ideas could be developed in parallel with each other rapidly and inexpensively, allowing parties to react to, amend or approve issues efficiently and effectively.

What does 2011 hold for the construction industry?

There can be no denying that 2010 has been an extremely challenging year for everyone, but the construction industry in general seems to have been severely impacted by the global economic difficulties.

We have all been affected in one way or another by the toughest downturn many of us can remember.  However, such times can often lead to a re-emergence of stronger companies that find themselves better placed to grow and develop in changed marketplaces.

There is a renowned level of lethargy in the construction industry in general when it comes to changing practices and adopting new procedural methodology, but 2011 could be the year that sees a radical overhaul in the way that construction projects are driven, managed and delivered through the emergence and uptake of BIM (Building Information Modelling).

It is widely acknowledged that there is a vast, but under-achieved potential for the transformation of the industry through the realisation of ICT technological developments.  This is not the first time that I have spoken about the future of construction and its potential for being overhauled by BIM, but it is a point worth mentioning again.

Early use of CAD

3D CAD / BIM

This is the technology that may have the greatest impact on construction since the introduction of computer aided drawing in the 1980’s – CAD being one of the greatest advances construction has ever known.  BIM represents more than a procedural development; instead it is more of a new approach.  Conceptual realisation, procurement, design, manufacture, coordination, programming, delivery and maintenance can all be transformed and pulled together by the BIM ideology.

One important point to highlight, BIM is not a quick fix or a panacea for the industry.  To realise what can be gained by BIM, we require a wide scale and sweeping overhaul of mind-sets and the increase of openness to accept such a new way of working across all levels of construction.  BIM is heavily dependent on IT infrastructure and systems, and depends on and promotes collaboration.  In the UK, it might be said that these are not some of the best qualities that can be observed in construction at present.

Earlier this year, the government’s chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell, publicly identified BIM as a key part of the future procurement process for public buildings.  A report based on a current trial of BIM in government projects is expected next spring.  This is expected to “mark the beginning of a commitment to a timed programme of transformation”.

BIM could be a key component to the success of projects being developed and progressed by the schools capital review team under the schemes replacing BSF.  This follows trends observed in other countries that have already accepted BIM as a new standard, that have seen positive results in delivery and financing.

This month also saw Paul Morrell call on the government to mandate BIM use on all public schemes valued at £50m or more.  Some key points and recommendations are included in the Innovation and Growth Team reporton Low Carbon Construction (view here), including:

• Recommendation 3.11: That the industry should work, through a collaborative forum, to identify when the use of BIM is appropriate (in terms of the type or scale of project), what the barriers to its more widespread take-up are, and how those barriers might be surpassed, leading to an outline protocol for future ways of working.

•  Recommendation 6.14: That government should mandate the use of BIM for central government projects with a value greater than £50m.

So, where does this take us in 2011?

Only so much can be achieved by businesses looking to streamline and economise on practical and physical improvements.  Cutting expenditure and resources can only go so far before the business becomes inoperable.  This leaves the methodology and way that projects are approached and managed as a target for review.  By improving the way tasks are controlled and developed through the uptake of new ideas and technologies, further efficiencies may be able to be realised over and above those gained by physical change.

Glasgow Southern General Hospital

Other countries already mandate the use of BIM for large government schemes, with many contractors realising its benefits for more routine projects.  Here in Scotland, we have this week heard news of the final approval for some exciting major projects, including the Forth Road Bridge, A8 upgrading and the new Southern General Hospital project (pictured).  Plans are also set for the upgrading of Glasgow Queen St Rail station.

With the potential to transform the construction industry as we know it through technology, develop our methodology to aspire to a new level of excellence and undertake a wave of exciting major projects, 2011 could represent a re-birth and renewal of construction in the UK.

When they were up, they were up…

The current situation and state of the UK construction industry seems to be quite difficult to accurately define at present.  For some time now, we have faced the worst economic conditions for a generation.  Further pressure to produce savings and fit into the latest austerity measures as defined by both government and private organisations have increased operational difficulties for the majority of operators.

The initial impact of the recent comprehensive spending review appeared as somewhat of a double-edged sword.  We were told that a number of (transport) projects would be protected and were to proceed as planned.  £10bn would still go to funding road networks and transport schemes… however, local level capital spending was to be cut by a further 30% over four years.

In social housing, the plans to improve and regenerate would be accelerated with the allocation of some £2bn towards the decent homes initiative.  At the same time, the funding for social housing build was to be slashed.

The prison service would benefit from £1.3bn of spending to maintain and refurbish existing prisons, but would see the new prison building plans shelved.

Schools would have £15.8bn spend to improve up to 600 existing schools.  Of course, the BSF programme was already scrapped to reduce overall capital spending by 60%.

Clear as mud?

The following week, we would have been pleased to learn that the construction industry has infact “had an extraordinary year” (BBC Business news, 26/10/10).  Due to the fact that the construction industry had been one of the biggest losers as a result of the recession, the only way was up, and this had apparently seen the industry experience strong growth of 11%, with 9.5% growth being achieved in Q3 alone!  So great was the strength of the industry, that it had the effect of boosting overall GDP figures… didn’t it?

If these numbers were correct, we could expect to have similar levels of construction activity as we experienced in around 2007, where firms could barely cover the amount of build required.  Clearly this is not the case today.

The latest predictions form economic experts, Hewes & Associates, suggest that construction could be set to see a significant fall in output over the next two years (http://hewes-associates.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=5&Itemid=21).  The value of output expected by 2012 could be around 22% lower than that of 2008, with private housing levels remaining roughly half of the levels achieved in 2007 at the sector’s peak.

So where are we now and where are we going?  Could it be anybody’s guess?  It seems that there is an expectation for the slack in construction investment to be taken up by private bodies, while the government focuses on maximising spending reductions and budget cuts.

Supermarket spending has been impressive with considerable investment in upgrading existing stock as well as financing new builds.  Private housing also seems set for growth, providing individuals can both secure financing and commit to the expenditure.  Which takes us nicely back to the banks…