Review of Build Smarter Event

Build Smarter – Cutting-edge innovation for the construction sector. 

The BIMSafe NZ team recently hosted a lunchtime event for the construction industry about the use of digital technology in enhancing capability.

Professor Larry Bellamy started us off with a view of potential digital advances in construction, and how they could benefit the industry.  BIM was found to be both the most effective and most available of the technologies reviewed, and many construction organisations are actively ramping up their BIM capability and use.

Farzam Farzadi, Beca then took us on a one-year journey from a greenfields site to completed build in less than a year using a digital twin.  Both design and construction were occurring concurrently which showcased the ability of a BIM model to allow effective collaboration between members of the design and construction teams. He also demonstrated a virtual site induction which highlighted the visual communication abilities of BIM models.  Anna Galvin then gave us the results of a study into the state of health and safety by design in NZ. The main takeaway is that this process is occurring in the design stage, but this tends to be more about designing safe places and not necessarily safe construction methods which is often left for the contractor to sort out. 

BIMSafe advisory group members Brad Sara, Kevin Hughes and Ian McKenzie then provided an update on the project and the work to date.