Calling all field teams: in case you missed it, Autodesk University is fast approaching, and we’d love to see you there! AU 2023 is taking place in Las Vegas between November 13-15.
While we can’t guarantee that “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” we can tell you that AU 2023 brings a host of enlightening sessions, a vibrant expo floor, and unparalleled networking experiences.
Field teams and managers constantly deal with multiple moving parts. From workforce and resource management to safety and compliance, we know you work extremely hard to keep all project components aligned.
Beyond that, field teams must collaborate closely with folks in the office to ensure the seamless flow of information. This is crucial, given that 48% of all rework on US construction job sites stem from poor project data and miscommunication. By staying in sync with office teams, those in the field can minimize errors and ensure projects stay on track.
If you’re looking to increase field productivity and collaboration, AU 2023 has got you covered. The event offers various sessions that shed light on how to effectively manage people, data, and processes in the field and beyond.
And if you’re part of a high-performing field team, here are sessions you don’t want to miss.
Van Wijnen, a prominent construction company in the Netherlands, recognized the need for change to future-proof their business due to the current housing shortage, limited resources, and rising construction costs. To address this, they implemented a CTO strategy and developed a modular housing platform, with a fully digitalized sales process and customer journey. The manufacturing process is file-to-factory based, using a new and highly automated factory, reducing the sales process lead time by 50% and enabling the construction of a house or apartment in just one day. This 100-year-old company's ETO to CTO transition showcases how CTO can strengthen and future-proof a business, with real-life examples of their implementation of CPQ, PDM, Design Automation, Integration platform, Autodesk Inventor, PLM, and changes to processes and ways of working.
3D printing has become increasingly popular on construction sites, allowing firms to facilitate the construction process and decrease carbon footprint. It’s a challenging exercise, due to the size of elements and the fact that they can’t be reinforced, nor can the finishes be easily achieved. In order to democratize 3D printing, the decision was made to tackle the problem differently. The creation of 3D-parametric-printed formworks, urban furniture, or complex beam nodes/intersection is automated. This enables the reduction of production time and costs, as these elements can be produced in an infinite quantity and easily mounted on site. It also enables carbon footprint reduction by getting rid of wooden formworks and trucks for concrete pouring, and reducing the waste and time involved in creating those elements. The use of parametric elements to create these objects allows a full customization and replication. A deployment kit has been created for their subcontractors.
Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) principles play an integral part in the development of prefabrication and modular building construction projects. In this class, we’ll discuss specific lessons learned in applying DfMA to building construction for designers, construction managers, and trade partners. Using examples from recent projects, we’ll explore the processes and tools used to make DfMA successful. We’ll highlight the best practices and strategies for implementing DfMA to projects all along the spectrum of prefabrication, from single trade assemblies to full structural volumetric modules, and how we’re pushing the boundaries in utilizing Revit, Navisworks, and Autodesk Construction Cloud in the design of industrialized construction projects. By the end of the presentation, you will have a deeper understanding of the DfMA rules and rails for building construction and how to apply them to your own projects.
The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry generates a significant amount of data that helps in making informed data-based decisions and speeding up projects delivery. However, information derived from the data is only as good as its quality and may pose high risk to all stakeholders if not validated diligently. In this class, we will explore different methods of data validation, including 1) a reactive approach based on stakeholder feedback and observed poor performance signs, 2) a proactive approach involving the use of various data export and visualization methods to access data quality, and 3) innovative automated real-time validation techniques using custom tools and event-driven programming to ensure data consistency and prevent invalid entries. In this session, you’ll learn about quality management and how to maximize the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform, other Autodesk products, and custom solutions developed using available APIs to validate data, ensure compliance with standards, and mitigate risks.
The productivity of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) is going down. Other industries' productivity arrows are pointed up, but ours is not. After 25 years of building information modeling (BIM), one would think it would be different. But it's not. There are probably thousands of reasons for that, and we would never imagine knowing a fraction of them. But we think one of the reasons, however small it is, has to do with how we work with Information today. Other industries are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) at scale. The AEC industry cannot. This inspiring talk will explore why not, will look at what we can do about it, and will provide a few examples that show we are on the right path.
Construction has a labor problem, a skills gap, an image issue, and diversity issues. The adoption of technology in construction presents new opportunities to reinvent our image, and our presence, into one that is much less caveman-esque: One that embraces diversity and technology and values its people. This tech adoption also presents us with new challenges as we navigate how to do this without alienating our current workforce who holds much of the knowledge about how we build. The industry cannot afford to push past the existing workforce, nor can it afford to give in and let the industry operate at status quo. Construction needs to adopt new paradigms that encourage the buy-in and support of the current workforce while attracting new talent from labor pools that are traditionally not attracted to the industry, including women and young workers who are just entering the workforce. There are issues in the industry that need to be explored and addressed in order to achieve these goals.
Over the last 20 years, building information modeling (BIM) has changed how our industry operates and interacts through all phases of design and construction. While our industry has taken steps forward by implementing BIM, there are still many inefficient processes and still many steps to take to continue to evolve how our industry works together and uses technology. The design industry has vastly changed through use of software like Revit. While creating efficiencies, it has also created gaps. Drawing notes such as "field verify,” "GC to verify,” and "See XYZ Drawing" still limit the coordination of documents from the design process. Contractors’ use of BIM has also continued to evolve and expectations have changed. The challenge of "design intent" versus "means and methods,” which existed long before 3D modeling software, is more relevant in the world of BIM. Do contracts help or hurt us? How can we as an industry change this?
This session will be a presentation of structural cast-in-place concrete modeling with Revit software. It will include a short description of how design documentation is taken and built into a “constructable” concrete model in Revit, as well as showing the steps taken to make the model "field friendly." You will see how the model is transported into a field layout tool from Leica Geosystems to be used as a 3D layout tool, minimizing the need for annotated line drawings and PDFs. Come and see Baker Concrete Construction, Inc. (BCCI) and Leica Geosystems present how two industry partners go about providing BIM-to-field integration of concrete construction.
Join us for an engaging panel discussion with real-world applications at the intersection of robotics and extended reality (XR) in the AEC industry. Learn how companies like DPR Construction harness these technologies to safeguard the well-being of their craft teams, deliver quality work, and exceed customer expectations. We’ll discuss how robots are transforming construction work with precise installation lines, and explore how XR is revolutionizing the way owners experience their projects and data, gaining their buy-in before work begins. Get valuable insights from industry experts as they share the work they’re doing today, while shedding light on the future of these transformative technologies.
In this class, we’ll show you how your team can use Autodesk Assemble to track project installations accurately and efficiently, enabling greater productivity and transparency. Typically, a team might track installations by highlighting a drawing in Bluebeam, entering numbers into a spreadsheet every day in the project office, or even using colored pencils on a hard-copy drawing. They’d use that information to gauge their progress, identify issues early, and report to clients. But the more complicated the building, the more difficult it becomes to correlate real-world structures to a 2D medium. Using the Assemble Systems iPad app, we can track site installation of critical path work. After the data is collected from site, we can display this information in a graphical dashboard from Power BI and incorporate interactive 3D visuals and/or 2D plan views to interact with the data. See how these powerful dashboards help users track and manage trade progress and production.
Digestible, cloud-based models are a must-have to run successful, large-scale industrial projects. Join us as we look behind the scenes at two real-life industrial projects by Miron Construction. We'll discuss what worked and what didn't and show how we tackled a $150 million industrial facility by breaking it down into manageable chunks using BIM 360 software. We'll then explore how Autodesk Construction Cloud, Navisworks, Revit, and other powerful tools became crucial to navigating our current $300 million industrial project.
In this class, we’ll delve into the pivotal role that the United Kingdom's Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) plays in shaping the future of construction safety, both domestically and globally. We'll explore how digital workflows can enhance on-site fire safety measures and health protocols, providing a comprehensive golden thread for the construction industry. Drawing on case studies and practical examples, we'll illustrate the transformative potential of digitizing safety processes, which not only aligns with legislation but also sets a new standard for industry best practices. Moreover, we'll discuss the critical task of developing the construction workforce of the future. We’ll also illuminate the strategies for equipping teams with the skills necessary to navigate the digital landscape and uphold safety regulations. This class will serve as a road map, guiding you on how to maximize technology and progressive workforce development to drive a safer construction industry in line with the BSA principles.
Our panel discussion will be on the design-build process and how geographic information system (GIS) solutions improve project delivery. We’ll also cover various aspects of construction, including construction monitoring, risk analysis, operations and maintenance planning, and site analysis. The panelists will share insights and project examples on how GIS technology has been used to monitor and track construction progress in real time, identifying potential risks and hazards associated with the construction process, and developing effective plans tailored to the project’s specific needs. GIS technology can provide a comprehensive view of the site, including its topography, land use, and infrastructure, enabling the project team to make informed decisions throughout the design-build process. The discussion aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the design and design-build process and how GIS can be combined with building information modeling (BIM) and together maximized to improve project delivery.
There are many ways to create issues in Autodesk Construction Cloud. Learn about the places you can create an issue and how far that information can be carried! In this session, we’ll explore use of issues in design coordination, model coordination, construction safety, quality, and commissioning.
Four years ago, a major fire broke out in Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. The French government has given the rebuild five years. To meet the key outcomes around schedule, health, and safety, the project has coordinated the daily presence of various types of workers specialized in restoration activities (archaeologists, carpenters, stone cutters, and so on). This class will focus on how Setec Opency (specializing in construction management) has digitized the execution planning process using 4D building information modeling (BIM) and digital technology, integrating the work sequencing and the opportunity of planning optimization, while minimizing the risk of accidents. Setec Opency will show how it has taken into account multiple constraints: tight deadlines, the configuration of a historical building (large volume, 4,800 square meters, great height), 120 subcontractors, and 400 workers over nine construction phases costing hundreds of millions of euros. See how bringing 4D to the field with VR/XR will help the renaissance of an 800-year-old legacy.
Project stakeholders need to understand the state of their projects in a simple and easy-to-consume format. Autodesk Construction Cloud users can maximize the power of Construction IQ software to produce predictive insights and display the project analytics in a powerful but easy-to-understand dashboard with live links to the information. Construction IQ, with the help of machine learning, allows the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) teams to prioritize issues, and streamline and expedite decision making, thus improving the project delivery outcomes for all stakeholders. This presentation will showcase GHD’s use of machine learning within Construction IQ to surface the data on safety and quality, enabling the resolution of issues before they become critical on site. Through this session, you’ll better understand how to implement Construction IQ on your project today, gaining insights into projects that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
There are many ways to create issues in Autodesk Construction Cloud. Learn about the places you can create an issue and how far that information can be carried! In this session, we’ll explore use of issues in design coordination, model coordination, construction safety, quality, and commissioning.
This session will be a presentation of structural cast-in-place concrete modeling with Revit software. It will include a short description of how design documentation is taken and built into a “constructable” concrete model in Revit, as well as showing the steps taken to make the model "field friendly." You will see how the model is transported into a field layout tool from Leica Geosystems to be used as a 3D layout tool, minimizing the need for annotated line drawings and PDFs. Come and see Baker Concrete Construction, Inc. (BCCI) and Leica Geosystems present how two industry partners go about providing BIM-to-field integration of concrete construction.
Workplans are at the center of every construction project, and are key to understanding how value is going to be delivered to the customer. Yet, they tend to exist in isolation, disconnected from the rest of project information and the master schedules from which they are derived. One of the biggest causes of productivity loss is the poor communication of the tasks scheduled to complete the job right the first time. What if you could create a truly connected experience between master schedule milestones and workplans to deliver the most efficient sequence of work? What if you could make the workplan a guide that filters the work that has to be done next for project delivery for efficient project execution? BAM will share how its digital approach to work planning delivers value to project stakeholders. The Autodesk product team collaborating with BAM will showcase the digitized, collaborative, and connected schedule experience within Autodesk Build.
Autodesk Construction Cloud connects workflows, teams, and data at every stage of construction to reduce risk, maximize efficiency, and increase profits. This class will focus on the as-is (actual) construction information captured on site with the Autodesk Construction Cloud mobile app and the data flow into the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform. Learn how to capture what’s happening on site, and ensure the entire team maintains quality and safety standards from any device, anywhere.
This presentation will detail how Clayco has used the "Punch as You Build" process to streamline the usage of checklists and issues for quality-control tracking within the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform (BIM 360 and Autodesk Build). We’ll not only cover how we’ve standardized issue types and subtypes across the enterprise (from early design to construction and even warranty), but also how we employ standard checklist and issue workflows across our 100+ concurrent projects. Furthermore, our presentation will demonstrate the benefits of standardization in developing and identifying enterprise-level, high-risk quality trends and solutions. We’ll highlight the functionality and value of this process through the success one of our Clayco project teams had from implementing a culture of quality with the "Punch as You Build" process.
The sessions highlighted in this article are just the tip of the iceberg! There’s so much more to see and do at Autodesk University. In addition to these sessions, AU gives you unparalleled opportunities to connect with thought leaders, product experts, and innovators.
Don’t miss your chance to attend. Register for AU 2023, and we’ll see you there!
