Digital Life / Digital Construction
1 October 2019
We all have a digital life today; IT is in everything we use. There has been a physical change to the way we operate with things like EPOS, emails, online shopping, music, cameras, games, mobile phones, tablets, laptops - to mention a few - are all integral to the way we function.
We all have a digital life today; IT is in everything we use. There has been a physical change to the way we operate with things like EPOS, emails, online shopping, music, cameras, games, mobile phones, tablets, laptops – to mention a few – are all integral to the way we function. Even now 'big data' says what our buying habits are and what trends are happening, it's all scary stuff isn't it? However, there are many positives to the digital world and one of these is digital BIM.
BIM itself is a methodology, a way of designing, and now we have applications that allow us to follow BIM and produce 4D models of our buildings long before the first spade hits the ground. This cutting-edge technology allows us to design out hazards and flaws in the actual design of the building. This saves time, effort, money, and more importantly, lives. This technology provides us four dimensional views about the building allowing us to build better. BIM supports a live environment and allows building monitoring / performance, and a spatially coordinated design. This then leads to SMART buildings, intelligent buildings that send 'real time' information about the completed building. For example, emissions, gas, electric and so on.
There is now even software that takes the BIM model to support fully coordinated building design. A BIM model is used to provide specifications that go to manufacture for 'off site' construction. These components then arrive on site, on time to support better, more timely construction. Digital construction is happening now and includes design efficiency by supporting the planning process.
This is all exciting stuff! We may not always like that we now live in a 'digital world' but we are now well placed to utilise technology and potentially save lives by eliminating risk and ensuring much of the construction work is done before hitting site. Additionally, reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects by using digital technology