UK building
professionals should take a leaf out of motor racing’s book in order to advance
their use of digital technology, an industry roundtable has commented.
The Westminster
Sustainable Business Forum (WSBF) event, sponsored by the British Board
of Agrément, met recently to discuss ‘Construction’s Digital Future’,
concluding that the industry ‘lagged behind’ others with similar levels of
complexity in the uptake of digital technology.
“For example, the
motor racing and aerospace sectors have widely embraced digital models
and virtual testing because the costs, safety implications and
reputational impact mean that they have to. The construction industry
should look to these sectors as a guide,” suggested roundtable attendees.
“There is little doubt
that digitalization holds the key to helping solve many challenges for
the construction industry,” said Wendy Ajuwon, BBA Head of Marketing. “We
are really keen to facilitate debate and push this agenda, not least
because developing this technology for our industry can help deliver the
Hackitt Report’s all-important ‘golden thread’ of quality building
information.”
Speaking at the WSBF
event, Andrew de Silva, a director at Andrew Miller Architects said
although there were many reasons for the limited uptake of digital
technology, it was primarily due to complexity; projects operated on a
variety of scales and required a range of skills and abilities
across sectors. The situation was further hampered by industry
fragmentation and competing priorities from different stakeholders with
different procurement routes.
“It’s important that
the right data is given to the right people at the right time and that’s a key
element of the process,” said Mr de Silva, who believes Building
Information Modeling should be at the core of businesses and not just an
‘added service’.
The roundtable,
chaired by Housing, Communities and Local Government committee member
Teresa Pearce MP, discussed how embracing digital technology delivers
secondary benefits including more efficient use of materials, better
labour organisation, improved health and safety, waste reduction and safer
working environments. It also allows building designers to ensure the Hackitt
Report’s ‘golden thread’ of information is delivered.
The use of BIM –
described as having a ‘multitude’ of indirect benefits for consumers –
was discussed and how the government’s mandate for adoption of BIM Level 2
on public sector projects had accelerated the use of digital tools.
Consideration should now turn to making BIM Level 2 mandatory at tender
stage on residential projects utilising off-site construction techniques, which
lend themselves well to digital workflows.
Barriers to
implementing BIM and other digital technologies include conflict between
project delivery teams (cost and timescale focused) and asset management
teams (quality and longevity focused) and the reluctance of some building
product manufacturers to recreate BIM information because it may
compromise their Intellectual Property.
“Everyone has a
responsibility to embrace digital technology as the more stakeholders that
adopt it, the greater benefit it will have. Once we have a network off
fully digitised built assets, then communities can start to reap the wider
societal benefits,” the roundtable concluded.
