Panelists Ian Brown (Fabrical), Trevor Owen (Hi-Tech Electric), Tyler Sandlass (Broadmoor), and Eddie Rivers (Roy Anderson Corp) discuss their usage of job site technology.
By Ed Avis
The educational highlight of the APDSP convention in New Orleans two weeks ago was Job Site University, a day-long introduction to the technology found on job sites and how repro firms can profit from them.
Here are highlights from each of the presenters.
Myles Martin
Martin, an architect at Rozas Ward Architects in New Orleans, provided a laundry list of technologies that he uses on the job.
“We’re in a rising tide environment,” he said. “As more people learn about AEC technology, the more the whole industry grows.”
Here is some technology Martin regularly uses:
Tablets: “A site supervisor I know had never used an iPad on the job, but I showed him two or three times when the paper documents he was using were out of date,” Martin says. “That changed his mind and how he uses it every day.”
Job box: Job boxes, usually made by KNAACK, are common on job sites. But the ones Martin talked about contain screens, computers, and other technology, and their protected against the weather. “Now you need them on every job site,” he says. “They become the command center.”
Time-lapse camera: Martin showed a time-lapse image of job site that had been photographed by a mounted camera. The video showed the progress on the site, and where every person and piece of equipment was located. “It gives instant communication with the owners,” he said, “and it shows what’s happening on the jobsite.”
Drones: Drones that fly a set path over a job are ideal for capturing views that otherwise can’t be seen, Martin explained.
Rovers: “This applies the concept of air drones to the ground,” Martin said. The rovers, which look like sturdy toy trucks with cameras mounted on them, take 360-degree photos as they roam around buildings. They can even climb stairs, and are often deployed at night when people aren’t present.
360-degree camera: Martin takes 360-degree photos regularly to show how a space evolves over time.
Smartvid.io: This software system stores and analyzes all of the photos from a jobsite. Artificial intelligence identifies what’s going on in a given photo, making it easy to search among them. For example, a builder could say, “Show me all the photos with cracks,” and the system would bring up a list of such photos.
Digital Plan Table: These make looking at plans easier. Some builders give them to the owners after construction so they can continue accessing drawings easily.
Click here to read a Q&A with Myles Martin.
Panel Discussion
After Martin’s keynote speech, a panel of four New Orleans-area building professionals who use a lot of technology discussed how they apply that technology.
Trevor Owen, BIM manager of Hi-Tech Electric, said he regularly uses BIM and recently had stakeholders in a VA hospital walk through it virtually with a virtual reality headset. “You need to use the right tools in the field to get the job done,” he said. “It’s the same with technology.”
Tyler Sandlass, a design project manager at Broadmoor, a construction company in Metarie, Louisiana, explained that he uses laser scanning regularly. For example, he used the technology to scan underground utilities to determine where to drill piles for a new building at Tulane University.
Eddie Rivers, the BIM/VDC manager at Roy Anderson Corp., a construction company in Gulfport, Mississippi, said he uses BIM for many applications, among them to show owners much money they’ll save, or spend, when changes are made. “Sometimes we bid on jobs in New York, and they’ll say, ‘What’s a contractor from Mississippi doing in New York?’ Then we blow their socks off with our technology,” Rivers said. “We knew when we walk into a bid with a BIM model, we have a leg up.”
Ian Brown, an estimator and project manager for Fabricari, a custom metal fabricator in Kenner, Louisiana, said he builds a 3D model of many projects before fabricating them in metal. This allows him to make sure it will work on the job site before committing to metal.
The panel was asked how reprographics firms can break into job site technology.
“Reprographics firms have to realize that they are not purveyors of paper and ink – what they sell is information,” Rivers said. “What the reprographics firm can do is help us manage the information and get it out to our people at the right time. What’s important now is having access to the information, not just having the information.”
Sandlass suggested that 360-degree photography and the resulting data-rich point cloud is an opportunity for reprographics firms, as is providing drone services.
“The safety aspect is also important,” Sandlass said, mentioning vests, helmets, and other such items.
“We know that there will be a lot of new service providers offering this stuff,” said Ron Perkins, president of Job Site Tech Group. “They could take your business.”
Click here to read a Q&A with Ron Perkins
Drones
Sandlass stayed after the panel discussion to specifically discuss drones on job sites. He explained that drones are especially valuable for inspections, because the drone can reach into high areas that would be hazardous to a human inspector.
“Plus you save the money of doing a physical inspection in person,” he said.
Regulations are affecting drones, especially in areas around airports. Knowledgable operators can request waivers from these regulations so that they can inspect job sites, Sandlass said.
He added that drones can be programmed to fly set paths over job sites, so that the operator doesn’t have to stand there and “fly” the drone himself. Once the drone is finished, it lands and the data from its cameras can be downloaded.
“The value is not the drone itself, it’s processing the data that comes from it,” Sandlass said. With the right software, that data can be processed to provide a lot useful information, Sandlass said, such as the volume of material removed from a pile and the percentage progress completed on a project.
Perkins noted that Yuneec, a company that specializes in high-quality drones, is currently looking for resellers.
Virtual Reality
Judah Jackson, a BIM VR applications specialist for VIMaec, discussed the value of virtual reality (VR) on job sites.
“If you put VR into your clients’ hands, they will come up with all sorts of needs for it,” he said. “VR will eventually be not just a ‘nice-to-have,’ but rather a necessity.”
Jackson explained that VR is commonly used to allow owners to see how buildings will come together, and help them make sure the design will suit their needs. A variation of VR is augmented reality, which overlays projected changes on top of existing spaces. For example, augmented reality can be used to make sure that new ductwork planned in a renovation will properly fit the existing space.
Jackson said that one potential VR service that a reprographics firm could offer is the conversion of Revit files to VR files.
“You can convert a Revit file in 20 minutes to a VR file,” he said, adding that freelance virtual reality artists can help with that work for $20 per hour.
Click here to read a Q&A about virtual reality.
3D Scanning
Michael Raphael, founder of Direct Dimensions, gave an inspirational presentation on 3D scanning. He began by explaining how his company helps Hollywood create special effects by providing high-quality 3D scans of environments that can then be manipulated virtually. For example, his company created a giant 3D scan of Times Square in New York so that Spiderman can virtually swing through the neighborhood in the latest Spidey movie.
Then Raphael brought the discussion home by discussing AEC applications. He noted that 3D scanning can help with structural analysis, historic preservations and renovations, creating as-builts and permanent digital records, and much more.
He explained that 3D scanning is an ideal service for reprographics firms to provide, since they already have the close relationships with architects and builders who need those scans. He explained that the repro firms don’t need to handle the scanning and data analysis themselves – if they establish the relationship and make the sale, Direct Dimension can do the work.
Raphael explained that his company can provide as much or as little support as a repro firm needs, from advice to complete project management.
“You don’t need to be an expert,” he said. “The first step is just knowing the language.”
Click here to read a Q&A with Michael Raphael
Job Site Technology is Ours
Keith Cox, national accounts manager for Synnex and co-organizer of Job Site University, concluded the event by explaining that his company stands ready to help any APDSP member interested in diving into job site technology. Synnex can provide the technology and guidance on applying it.
“Job site technology belongs to you,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SLIDE DECK FROM COX'S PRESENTATION - IT IS LOADED WITH INFORMATION