Ancient to Modern Construction
Defining Connected Construction
Visualizing Connected Construction
Digital Twins in Construction
Selected book: Ancient to Modern Construction
The surprising similarities between ancient and modern construction
As our team walked around the historic site of Ephesus, one thing became clear: Modern construction is shockingly similar to ancient methods.
It can feel overwhelming, and perhaps even frustrating, to face the challenge of approaching old work in new ways. But good news... across the industry, it's already happening. More and more companies are realizing the essential value of technology in their toolbox.
Change is undeniably difficult. But the opportunities are tremendous. Smart companies are using technology to overcome the complexity of modern construction with ease.
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The design and implementation of the Library of Celsus, built nearly 2,000 years ago:
The Great Library episodes explore the theories behind and application of Connected Construction. But that’s just the surface... Come here to dive deeper into the topics covered in The Great Library - it will expand as episodes develop!
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Selected book: Defining Connected Construction
What exactly is Connected Construction and how does it look in the real world?
Watch this section of episode 1
The complexity of modern designs, building codes, and sustainability objectives leads to a veritable abundance of data. Keeping it all up-to-date and on the same page isn't easy.
Successful business leaders understand that technology has a vital role to play in transforming their companies, giving them the agility and scalability they’ve never had before.
How? Connected data. Connected teams. Connected processes.
The costs of process challenges in construction:
Everyone loves a toy building block set, right?
You enthusiastically pour out the contents of the box and have hundreds of different blocks and components ready to build into your masterpiece.
And unlike real-world construction, the process typically goes quite smoothly. You follow the instructions step by step to create an exact replica of the structure on the front of the box.
If you work in construction, you’re well aware that in the real world it's not that simple.
The site may throw up some unexpected surprises. There might be challenges with the material spec and availability. Additional requirements could need adding mid-project that add complexity. These challenges can take the build team off plan, leading to delays, new clashes and additional cost.
Due to these challenges, we end up with a big gap between expectation and reality:
How we imagine construction goes...
What often happens instead...
Want to Reduce Waste and Inefficiency During Construction? Start with Design.
The ultimate guide to reducing construction’s environmental impacts.
Sources:
See how we can close the gap!
Building Block Infograph
Selected book:
Visualizing Connected Construction
Exploring the challenges of modern construction with building blocks.
Watch this section of episode 1
Top benefits experienced by companies using digital workflows
Take a Closer Look at the Past
Brief History of Construction
See the Future of Construction
The Great Library Docuseries
Find the Tools You'll Need for Tomorrow's Success
Trimble Construction One
The data shows: Embracing technology today is the key to tomorrow's success.
In conjunction with Dodge Construction Network, we surveyed ~1,000 industry professionals, ranging from architects to specialty trades, on how technology changes their businesses.
The findings were clear - technology has a direct impact on productivity, decision-making, and much more.
Look through the images and it's clear that we've been designing and building complex structures for a very long time.
The Library of Celsus, built 2,000 years ago, featured modern amenities such as running water and sewage, climate-controlled spaces to protect books, and optical illusions to influence the apparent size.
It goes to show that modern construction is shockingly similar to ancient construction. Our goal today: build on the knowledge of the past while layering in the possibility of our modern world.
Click on a book to dive in.
Welcome to The Great Library Reference Shelf!
Dodge Data & Analytics, 2022
Watch this section of episode 1
[Technology] It’s a competitive advantage. We’re a mid-size civil engineering contractor in our region, but we compete with larger companies with more resources for many civil projects. Technology is a differentiator for us, allowing our crews to do more work in less time with better quality. Our goal is to deliver the best-finished product and technology helps us do that.
· A connected data environment (CDE)
· A standardized set of connected workflows across all stakeholders, departments, and disciplines of the construction process.
Technology has changed the world... why has construction stayed largely the same?
8 Tech Leaders Define Connected Construction
Learn More from the Experts
Go from Design to Done with Ease
Explore Trimble Construction One
Building a Road to the Future in Romania
Travel to the Jobsite in Romania
As the industry begins to embrace technology, work gets easier.
Connected Construction
Noun
A connected construction experience is one in which all project contributors have access to:
As a result:
· Business silos enjoy better communication and collaboration.
· It's easier to see what is happening and predict outcomes, using real-time data.
· Everyone, from owners to designers to engineers to contractors, realizes more consistent, streamlined, and predictable project execution.
· Budgets are easier to manage, thanks to reduced labor overhead and change orders.
· Waste from rework is significantly reduced, benefiting profit and climate goals.
— Simon de Rose, General Manager, Stringfellow Contracts Ltd, New Zealand
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While used in many industries, in construction digital twins are a replica of a construction project or asset - including entire cities, buildings, bridges, highways, or city blocks.
During construction, the digital twin updates alongside the real project. This is made possible through the integration of various technologies such as 3D laser scanners, drones, sensors, cameras, IoT-related devices, and AI to make it an accurate replica of the real-world object.
If you work in construction, you’ll likely run into the struggle of trying to remember or track down information on exactly how something was built. A blueprint will tell you generally how it was supposed to be built. But changes are inevitable. So if you need to know something specific, such as precisely what part was used somewhere, it can be tricky to figure it out without opening up walls.
With a digital twin, that’s an issue of the past. All you have to do is open the file and you can see an accurate record of the building's real-time status, how it was constructed, working conditions, and the position of physical assets.
Selected book: Digital Twins in Construction
Simple concept + advanced tech = incredible value
Watch this section of episode 1
Okay, so you have a digital copy of a building.
Now the real question… What can you do with it?
Digital Twin 101
Build Your Foundation
BIM Needs Digital Twins
Discover Why They're the Perfect Pair
As-builts in the U.S.
How As-Builts Transform Work
Many times when we look at a project, whether it's in the pre-bid or post-bid, if we had accurate digital as-builts from the previous work that was done in that area, it would help us plan our work, make things more efficient, eliminate conflicts and errors during construction, and really improve efficiency.
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-- Ryan Forrestel, President, Cold Spring Construction
If you’re unfamiliar with digital twins and want to learn more, great news…
It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like - a digital copy of a physical object.
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