Technologies that are Shaping the Future of the Construction Site

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autodesk info graphic Article and infographic contributed by Autodesk.

Technology is dramatically transforming the construction industry, with professional-grade wearables and new survey methodologies, making construction sites safer and even accessible from remote locations.

Here’s a quick look at three technological breakthroughs that you may see on construction sites in the near future.

1. A smart badge that provides a real time view of the construction site

Workers can use the call button on the B3 Badge to request for help in emergency situations. (Image Credit: Redpoint Smart Badge and Asset Tags)

Workers can use the call button on the B3 Badge to request for help in emergency situations. (Image Credit: Redpoint Smart Badge and Asset Tags)

Imagine sitting a few hundred kilometres away from the construction site and having detailed visibility into workforce activity. Innovations like Redpoint Positioning’s compact and wearable B3 Workforce Safety Badge makes this possible.

This badge is equipped with an Indoor GPS platform that allows contractors to view and record workforce activities from remote locations. As an early Autodesk Forge partner, Redpoint Positioning leverages the Forge Platform’s APIs to monitor and record real time job site activities directly within BIM 360. Contractors can use this real time data to alert workers with a loud alarm if they enter danger zones or areas with electrical hazards.

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The DAQRI smart helmet’s anti-reflective, scratch resistant face shield replaces safety glasses, and workers can use in-built USB ports to power additional equipment like flashlights. (Image Credit: DAQRI Products)

2. Smart helmets that provide in-depth information on construction sites
Hard hats and safety glasses are essential on construction sites, but they aren’t exactly high-tech. DAQRI, an LA based AR company has designed an “Industrial Augmented Reality (AR) Helmet” that features thermal imaging, head tracking, motion sensing, pattern recognition and much more. In contrast to an ordinary hard hat, the DAQRI helmet does much more than just protecting your head. Its in-built cameras and sensors provide workers with detailed real-time information about their surroundings. For instance, when a worker glances at a pressure gauge, the helmet can alert him if it displays a reading outside the expected range. Overheated panels and instruments can also be easily detected by thermal imaging tools and sensors, thus helping prevent accidents on the construction site.

3. Getting a bird’s eye view of projects with drones

Some contractors are already piloting drones to conduct site surveys, but what’s even more exciting is the potential to turn the footage captured by these unmanned aerial vehicles into actionable and relevant intelligence for businesses.

Contractors can use this Dashboard to view real time updates captured by the EVO3, hence getting a glimpse of work that’s ahead, on time or behind schedule. (Image Credit: Skycatch)

Contractors can use this Dashboard to view real time updates captured by the EVO3, hence getting a glimpse of work that’s ahead, on time or behind schedule. (Image Credit: Skycatch)

Skycatch’s EVO3, for example, not only takes off and lands on its own, but also provides workers with a Dashboard interface to overlay aerial footage over construction plans and detect changes in progress, all from the sky and in real-time. Don’t want to invest in buying your own fleet? SkyCatch is also bringing the “sharing economy” ethos to drones with a new service called Workmode that helps companies find and hire unmanned aerial vehicles for mapping jobs, surveying, and other work.

Less Dust, More Data
From drones to sensors and every gadget in between, it’s plain to see why construction sites across the world are focusing on technology. While contractors are unlikely to go hi-tech overnight, the benefits of capturing data and leveraging it for greater planning and worker safety are simply undeniable.

 

SUEZ launches AQUADVANCED(R) Urban Drainage, an innovative waste and storm water solution

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Stormwater is responsible for 50% of the pollution flowing into rivers and beaches in urban areas.

Faced with urban population growth, global warming and changing regulations, optimising the performance of sewer and stormwater networks is a priority for local authorities. Responding to this challenge, SUEZ is launching AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage[1], a digital solution that allows local authorities to monitor in real time their sewer and stormwater networks to mitigate the risk of flooding and to control the quality of discharges into the natural environment.

Optimising The Performance Of Sewer And Stormwater Networks: A Challenge For Local Authorities

Rising urbanisation and the increase of impermeable surfaces in urban areas have reduced the natural infiltration of stormwater into the soil to 15%. The remaining 85% flows on the surface, collecting the residues deposited on roofs and roads (fuel, heavy metals, plastics, etc.). Local authorities are faced with the challenge of collecting these polluted waters in the sewerage networks, and of treating them later into wastewater treatment plants to reduce the risks of severe flooding, human and material damage and pollution of the natural ecosystem. Stormwater is responsible for 50% of the pollution flowing into rivers and beaches in urban areas.

AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage To Better Manage Sewer And Stormwater Systems, Prevent Flooding And Preserve The Quality Of The Receiving Water Bodies

In response to these challenges, SUEZ is launching AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage, a digital solution that helps local authorities to manage their sewer and stormwater systems. The tool allows to choose the solution that best meets their needs, from the monitoring of an environment (rivers, the sea, sewerage networks), to the anticipation of flooding events and pollution of the natural environment, and the predictive and dynamic management of the complete sewerage system.

AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage provides a global, real-time vision of the complete system, based on data from sensors installed both in the network and in the environment (rivers, watercourses, etc.) and on short-term weather forecasts. By centralising and analysing all these data, the software solution can anticipate the hydraulic performance of the network (saturated storage capacities, volumes to be treated, etc.) or of the natural ecosystem (risk of pollution or overflowing watercourses). For certain sewerage systems, the tool can also calculate the best control strategy, and automatically and remotely monitor the system’s facilities (storage reservoirs, pumping stations, etc.).

AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage anticipates the risk of untreated wastewater overflowing into the natural ecosystem, monitors the quality of discharge on a daily basis and helps to protect the environment. Deploying this system can cut the volumes of stormwater that flow into rivers or the sea by up to 45%.

Presented at the Singapore International Water Week (10-14 July), where it is currently being deployed, AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage has been already introduced in eight European cities, including Bordeaux, the Paris conurbation, Marseille and Barcelona.

Leader on the Smart Water market in Europe, SUEZ is complementing its offer to support local authorities in the sustainable management of resources with this management software dedicated to optimise sewer and stormwater networks’ performance. AQUADVANCED® Urban Drainage completes the existing software offer for the drinking water networks, named AQUADVANCED® Water Networks.

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[1] AQUADVANCED® is a registered trademark or a trademark under pending application.

Autodesk and Trimble Sign Agreement to Increase Interoperability

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Autodesk and Trimble will take steps to accelerate interoperability by exchanging (APIs) and developer tools. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

Autodesk and Trimble will take steps to accelerate interoperability by exchanging (APIs) and developer tools. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

Trimble and Autodesk, Inc. have entered into an interoperability agreement aimed at saving customers time and reducing project costs typically associated with workflow inefficiency across different suppliers’ technologies. This will benefit architects, engineers and contractors, and importantly, project owners by enabling more freedom to optimise technology workflows needed to meet the complex requirements of today’s construction projects

Autodesk and Trimble have a shared goal of meeting the evolving needs of the building and infrastructure industries. Reliable, fluent exchange of information among multiple stakeholders and platforms is essential to this end. The Trimble and Autodesk collaboration demonstrates their ongoing commitment to support open industry standards such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie), and can enable current and prospective Autodesk and Trimble customers working on the same projects to work together seamlessly through optimized file compatibility across applications.

Under the terms of agreement, Autodesk and Trimble will take steps to accelerate interoperability by exchanging Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and developer tools to build and market interoperable products. This allows the two companies to improve upon existing data exchanges, as well as open up new workflows between their products.

Tighter product-to-product integration can enable design and construction professionals to share models, project files and other data between select Autodesk and Trimble solutions both in the office and the field, and allow for the reuse of information during design and construction throughout all phases of the project.

“The strength of a company is best measured by its willingness to do what is right for its customers and the industry at large. This interoperability agreement, like others we’ve signed, speaks to Autodesk’s commitment to openness,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk. “This collaboration with Trimble speaks to our shared dedication to making the building process more efficient and productive for all involved.”

“This collaboration demonstrates our mutual commitment to provide design and construction professionals with a seamless experience from both Autodesk and Trimble design-build-operate solutions,” said Bryn Fosburgh, vice president at Trimble. “As a result all stakeholders across the construction lifecycle can optimize their workflow efficiency.”

Tuas Power Aids Businesses in Reducing Energy Expenses With Tuas Power Integrated Energy Management Solution

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Dr. John Keung, Chief Executive Officer, BCA, was the Guest of Honour at the launch.

Dr. John Keung, Chief Executive Officer, BCA, was the Guest of Honour at the launch.

Tuas Power Generation Pte Ltd (Tuas Power), an energy solutions provider in the liberalised Singapore electricity market, recently announced the launch of Tuas Power Integrated Energy Management Solution (IEMS) for buildings and businesses.

The first of its kind launched by an electricity retailer, Tuas Power Supply (a subsidiary of Tuas Power Generation), Tuas Power IEMS provides an integrated suite of solutions tailored for building owners and tenants to better manage their energy consumption. With Tuas Power IEMS, building owners and businesses get an overview of their energy statistics, cost savings, and at the same time ensure that the building remains green and sustainable for the future.

In line with Building and Construction Authority’s 3rd Green Building Masterplan, Tuas Power IEMS will pave the way for businesses to monitor their energy consumption online, allowing for better control over energy usage. Tuas Power IEMS will ensure that both building owners and tenants are accountable for their energy use, which will promote change in consumption habits and increase in energy efficiency. Usage patterns containing real-time data will easily be available and will help both parties understand their usage patterns and identify possible cost savings areas. Many renowned buildings and developers had embarked on this solution as part of ensuring their building remains green and sustainable for the future.

Dr. John Keung, Chief Executive Officer, Building and Construction Authority, was present at the launch as the Guest of Honour, and felt that Tuas Power’s latest initiative is a good step towards helping building owners manage costs and improve energy efficiency.

“The third Green Building Masterplan was developed to engage building tenants and occupants more actively to drive energy consumption behavioural change,” Dr. Keung said. “Tuas Power’s Integrated Energy Management Solution for buildings and businesses facilitates tenants to better understand their energy usage pattern, thereby empowering them to make better decisions and adopt greener practices.”

Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Solution, Building Management Solution and CusCare App

The CusCare app condenses data into simple charts and statistics.

The CusCare app condenses data into simple charts and statistics.

Together with Tuas Power’s consultation expertise, the IEMS will consist of three main areas: Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Solution, Building Management Solution and CusCare App. With the AMR solution, businesses will be able to monitor their energy consumption through real-time, half- hourly data, allowing for better control over electricity usage.

Jointly developed with NEC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Tuas Power’s AMR solution automatically collects energy consumption data from electricity meters, and simultaneously transmits this data for accessing through the TPS AMR Portal. This enables building owners to identify areas to increase energy efficiency, which in turn works to achieve a smaller carbon footprint.

The Building Management Solution in Tuas Power IEMS is a way of ensuring good energy management. With proven track records of handling more than 630 buildings since 2003, Tuas Power has professional and in-house capabilities to handle the management of tenants’ electricity accounts, meters, billing and collection, electricity management duties, on behalf of landlords. The solution helps building owners manage and integrate their tenant’s electricity accounts in an organised and systematic approach.

Rounding up these solutions in a convenient way is the mobile CusCare App – designed to give users a quick overview of their energy spend on a digital platform. Using this app, data is condensed into simple charts and statistics, yielding insightful information about energy consumption patterns, and leaving room for building owners and tenants to make informed business decisions on conserving energy.

“In keeping with the Building and Construction Authority’s vision to establish a future-ready built environment for Singapore, Tuas Power is committed to energy sustainability and continually strives to develop solutions and adopt technologies to aid building owners, along with their respective tenants to manage electricity consumption. Our goal is to help all involved monitor their energy usage, and provide solutions to make sustainable energy a reality,” said Mr. Michael Wong, General Manager, Tuas Power Supply.

Trimble Introduces Three Enhanced Tekla Software Solutions

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The solutions provide enhanced collaboration and workflow efficiency.

The solutions provide enhanced collaboration and workflow efficiency.

Trimble introduced today three new software versions of its Building Information Modeling (BIM) and analysis & design solutions for engineering and construction – Tekla Structures 2016, Tekla Structural Designer 2016 and Tekla Tedds 2016.

The solutions provide enhanced collaboration and workflow efficiency for structural steel and precast concrete designers, detailers and fabricators, concrete contractors, general contractors and structural engineers.

Tekla Structures 2016: New User Interface and Advanced Information Utilisation
Tekla Structures, the most advanced BIM software, makes accurate, constructible modeling of any steel or concrete structure possible. The new software version provides even more efficient modeling, allowing increased productivity by avoiding costly errors more easily in the fabrication and construction phases. The software is available and supported in 17 languages. Korean is also now available with this release.

The new Tekla Structures user interface offers a smooth user experience and shorter learning curve with several features that make modeling easier and accelerate the design process. The customisable menus and easily recognisable icons allow users to save time, improving modeling efficiency, while the consistent colours help them immediately spot what they are looking for in the models.

The new version also introduces more efficient utilisation of model information. Finding possible flaws during the design phase when they are simpler to fix compared to rework on the construction site can bring savings. Creating repetitive fabrication information, such as concrete covers for precast elements, can be automated for increased productivity. With Tekla Structures 2016, collaboration has become easier and more reliable with its advanced functionalities such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file change management.

Modelling made easy with Tekla.

Modelling made easy with Tekla.

When another discipline working on the construction project makes changes, Tekla Structures users can now see what has changed in the IFC reference model. In addition, visualisation and traceability improvements in Tekla Model Sharing leverage collaboration through sophisticated change management. The tool allows team members to work on the same model from any location or time zone to deliver projects faster and with more flexibility. The changes list allows for filtering and searching for specific ones.

“Many of the new features and improvements have been developed to address our customers’ requests. For example, drawing production is faster with functionality improvements and a 2D library that allows users to pick details for their drawings from a collection of ready-made 2D details, such as bolts, instead of drawing them. Reusing customer-specific 2D details saves even more time,” said Risto Räty, general manager of Trimble Buildings Structures Division.

Tekla Structural Designer 2016: Enhanced Collaboration
Tekla Structural Designer 2016 is an engineering tool for analyzing and designing buildings efficiently. The new version features major performance enhancements in both modeling and processing time when analysing and designing structures, and can now easily handle even larger and more demanding models.

The software release expands its seismic design capabilities with additional structural design and detailing checks for concrete structures to U.S. codes, enabling use in higher classified earthquake regions. Designing pad and strip foundations to a range of international codes within the same model environment is now possible.

The new version also allows design of steel and concrete buildings to Indian codes. Tekla Structural Designer 2016 joins open BIM workflows with IFC compatibility, enabling smoother processes and reduces manual work. The users can share and review their designs with other project disciplines even at a very early stage of the Design-Build-Operate (DBO) workflow.

Tekla Structures makes accurate, constructible modeling of any steel or concrete structure possible.

Tekla Structures makes accurate, constructible modeling of any steel or concrete structure possible.

Tekla Tedds 2016: New Options and More Flexibility
The new version of Tekla Tedds – a solution for automating repetitive structural calculations – has been enhanced by providing additional features requested by its users. New options bring more flexibility and choices for the analysis and design of retaining walls, foundations and steel and concrete beams to both the U.S. building codes and Eurocodes.

The comprehensive calculations make work easy and fast, enabling users to avoid human errors when working with load combinations. Document templates that can be matched to company standards including custom layouts and logos save time and improve presentation.

Tekla Structures 2016, Tekla Structural Designer 2016 and Tekla Tedds 2016 are available now. To download, visit:

Tekla Structures:
www.teklastructures.com

Tekla Structural Designer:
http://url.tekla.com/TeklaStructuralDesigner2016DownloadNow

Tekla Tedds:
http://url.tekla.com/TeklaTedds2016DownloadNow

For more Information on Tekla software, visit www.tekla.com

REC invests S$200 million to automate and upgrade technology over the next three years

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Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

As escalating climate change remains the biggest challenge today and the nascent renewable energy sector picks up speed, REC, a global provider of solar energy solutions, has announced a total investment of S$ 250 million in automation, technology upgrade and research and development (R&D) efforts to unleash the full potential of solar as a source of renewable energy.

At its manufacturing facility in Tuas and in the presence of Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), S Iswaran, this morning, REC unveiled plans to invest S$200 million in Singapore that will further increase its productivity and efficiency through automation and technology upgrading.

This will fully convert all 1.3 GW of REC’s solar modules capacity in Singapore to TwinPeak production. These panels yield the highest energy efficiencies as compared to any other multi-crystalline panels that are mass-produced today. Committed to its vision that every person benefits from electricity generated directly from the sun, REC’s move to expand its capacity and technology with sustainable, reliable and high performing products is closely aligned with the Singapore government’s plans to grow the cleantech sector.

The Singapore government has recently announced about S$900 million of R&D budget in Urban Solutions and Sustainability, one of four key technology domains to be funded under the national Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan. This RIE initiative, amounting to S$19 billion, maps out the focus for Singapore’s R&D efforts for the next five years.

Said Steve O’Neil, CEO, REC, “With such a strong commitment to cleantech innovation, Singapore is the ideal location for REC to channel new innovations and push the boundaries for solar solutions. We are very excited to share our roadmap for advancements in solar energy production as we dedicate resources for research and development into our game-changing TwinPeak solar panels.”

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Lauded for its high performance, the high power 120-cell module, Twin Peak, was launched by REC last year. Developed based on Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology and half-cut cells, TwinPeak solar panels convert more sunlight into electricity as compared to standard modules, effectively allowing customers to derive the most energy and value out of their installations.

For commercial, industrial and residential entities in Singapore, this is of extreme importance, given the limited rooftop space. Putting it into context, REC’s recent 2.2MW TwinPeak installation in Singapore is able to generate an additional 157MWh of clean energy annually as compared to standard panels.

The additional clean energy produced by TwinPeak panels can power up to 38 HDB 5-room flats yearly or the equivalent of 1,088 light bulbs. Similarly, it is also able to mitigate an additional 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually – the amount that takes the planting of 3,200 new trees to offset.

REC also announced today, an investment of S$50 million in the development of a novel solar panel with 350 watt power, over the next five years. In partnership with the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore’s flagship solar energy laboratory, this technological breakthrough will generate 1.35 times more energy, at a comparable cost and size to standard multi-crystalline modules.

Said Prof. Armin Aberle, CEO, SERIS, “Collaborations between university institutes and industry are very beneficial for growing the solar sector, especially when it comes to developing and commercialising new technologies. With REC on board to further the green agenda in Singapore and the region, we believe this will stimulate other companies to follow suit and enhance their R&D investments to address the issues of climate change and dwindling resources.”

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

Added O’Neil, “REC constantly strengthens its position as a leader in terms of solar panel reliability, performance and cost. With SERIS’ support, we’re in a good position to ride on market opportunities where growth prospects remain positive.”

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed between REC and SERIS.

“We warmly welcome REC’s S$200 million solar manufacturing expansion, which will further strengthen Singapore’s cleantech industry ecosystem. The investment is testament to the competitiveness of Singapore’s advanced manufacturing sector in terms of engineering talent, automation expertise and supplier base,” said Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). “REC’s S$50 million R&D collaboration with SERIS will accelerate the commercialisation of innovative solar technologies in Singapore,” he added.

APCREC8 Takes Business to the Next Generation

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APCREC8 is organised by Inlever Insights.

APCREC8 is organised by Inlever Insights.

The 8th Asia Pacific Commercial Real Estate Cooperation Forum China (APCREC8) intends to step outside the box by dropping out of the traditional commercial property framework and cross-referencing successful “community economy” models.

Expect dialogue sessions and talks from leading manufacturers, designers and e-commerce operators that aim to shed light on how to attract and retain next-gen customers. Pop-up expert teams will also share ideas and discuss the industry’s concerns.

Over 400 commercial property developers, principals from leading architecture design groups, creative retailer founders, community app and advanced solution providers are expected to attend the event, which takes place at the Shanghai Marriott Hotel, Luwan, China, from May 24 to 25, 2016. The event is organised by Linver Insights.

For more information, click HERE.

 

Bentley’s EADOC capital project management offering set to help Carollo Engineers reduce construction management costs

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Carollo Engineers and Bentley Systems have announced that Carollo has chosen Bentley’s EADOC cloud-based construction management software as its corporate standard for capital project management. Carollo Engineers will standardise on EADOC across its construction services teams, bringing cost savings to all of its projects and eliminating the inefficiencies of managing multiple legacy systems.

 

EADOC helps you manage design and construction documents. Image courtesy of Bentley.

EADOC helps you manage design and construction documents. Image courtesy of Bentley.

As a long-standing user of EADOC, Carollo Engineers has firsthand knowledge of the solution’s ability to help manage risks, track construction documents and communications, and control costs for construction managers at engineering/construction management firms or infrastructure owner organisations.

 

By standardising its construction management process on EADOC, Carollo will further improve the management of its construction teams using an automated workflow and also improve control of project finances, including budget, funding sources, contracts, and change orders. In addition, the ability to effectively and consistently manage its contractual deliverables with a detailed electronic construction record and audit trail will provide Carollo with the accountability it needs to resolve disputes quickly and streamline project and program execution.

EADOC is being supplied to Carollo through a corporate-wide subscription that is available for all projects, users, data storage, and technical support. As a result, Carollo Engineers’ project teams no longer need to procure individual subscriptions for their projects, which will reduce administrative costs and enable the company to standardise its construction services throughout the organisation.

Carollo Engineers Vice President Michael Warriner said, “Bentley’s EADOC gives us a competitive advantage by helping us deliver better projects with less risk and at a lower cost. Our new subscription will streamline EADOC’s availability among our teams and eliminate the administration cost of managing multiple, project-based subscriptions. Standardising our construction project management practice through EADOC will take the benefits we’ve seen on individual projects and extend them across our organisation.”

It's now easier to manage contracts and mitigate project risks. Image courtesy of Bentley.

It’s now easier to manage contracts and mitigate project risks. Image courtesy of Bentley.

Eric Law, Bentley Systems senior director, product management, and EADOC founder, said, “We thank Carollo Engineers, a leader in water engineering, for selecting our EADOC system as its preferred construction management solution. Carollo’s management team recognises the tremendous benefits that EADOC brings to its entire construction services practice, and we welcome the opportunity to help it realise the full potential of that advantage in its delivery of benchmark-setting, high-quality projects.”

For additional information about Bentley’s EADOC, visit www.bentley.com/EADOC

Accelerate the Move to BIM for Infrastructure with Enhanced Autodesk InfraWorks 360

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Autodesk, a leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, recently announced that it is enhancing its Autodesk InfraWorks 360 product by including new Road Design, Drainage Design and Bridge Design Modules at no additional charge or separate subscriptions.

These advanced capabilities were previously found separately in vertical Autodesk application modules. By including these features in the core InfraWorks product, users will no longer need to purchase modules individually.

A rendering of the E16 Highway in Norway created in InfraWorks 360 by Autodesk customer, COWI. Image courtesy of COWI

A rendering of the E16 Highway in Norway created in InfraWorks 360 by Autodesk
customer, COWI. Image courtesy of COWI

InfraWorks 360 is Autodesk’s next generation BIM for Infrastructure offering that enables true parametric modeling in spatial context. It uniquely offers customers the benefits of maintaining a BIM workflow through planning, design, construction and operations of infrastructure assets. Many customers worldwide like Parsons Brinkerhoff, VHB, David, Evans & Associates, Soethe Cursino (Brazil), and others have leveraged the power of InfraWorks 360 to optimise their project delivery process.

AutoCAD Civil 3D users are also now able to attach InfraWorks 360 to their traditional CAD-based workflows and improve their productivity through enhanced BIM workflows. The seamless interoperability between InfraWorks 360 and Civil 3D provides customers an unparalleled opportunity to fuse BIM’s contextual visualisation capabilities with detailed CAD design in their projects.

“We’re constantly working to expand the capabilities of InfraWorks 360 and help customers improve their project workflows. By integrating more functionality into the core InfraWorks 360 product at no additional cost, we are lowering the barriers to adoption for customers and helping them to accelerate their move to BIM for infrastructure,” said Gianluca Lange, Head of Sales for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Autodesk ASEAN.

Existing users InfraWorks 360 simply need to update their version of InfraWorks 360 to gain access to the complete package. New subscribers to InfraWorks 360 will also immediately have access to all the capabilities available within the InfraWorks 360 portfolio.

Beyond including these new Road Design, Drainage Design and Bridge Design Modules at no additional cost: Students, teachers and schools worldwide can take advantage of free* access to InfraWorks and other 3D design tools and curricula via the Autodesk Academic Resource Center

Interested users can access a free* 30-day trial of InfraWorks 360 via Autodesk.com.

Autodesk expands availability of Revit’s collaboration service

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Autodesk recently announced the expanded distribution of A360 Collaboration for Revit, a service that works with Revit software to connect project teams with centralized access to BIM project data in the cloud. Released and available in North America only since December 7, 2014. Collaboration for Revit will be available for commercial global use as of today.

Collaboration for Revit helps project teams conquer the barriers of corporate firewalls and physical location by enabling centralized access to Revit models. Team members in all disciplines from multiple firms or sites worldwide can access and work in models hosted in the cloud. This virtual colocation is an improvement over costly and inefficient workarounds for sharing models such as use of FTP sites, sharing software, or email, and adds up to significant benefits that are amplified for global building project teams.

A360 Collaboration for Revit revolutionizes project collaboration by connecting team members within the Revit models where they work.

A360 Collaboration for Revit revolutionizes project collaboration by connecting team members within the Revit models where they work.

Centralized access to project data contributes to more efficient and easily managed collaboration whether within a firm or for projects involving remote participants. “Collaboration for Revit provides us greater flexibility,” says Leo Gonzales, BIM Manager at Newman Architects. “If they’re on the road, at a job site, or just working from home, our users can access their Revit projects as if they’re sitting in one of our offices.”

A360 Collaboration for Revit opens doors to participate in joint ventures and multi-location projects. “Seamless information sharing between joint ventures and project partners is the future of doing business,” says Gonzales. “And Collaboration for Revit gives us that future… today.” The reduced need for in-person meetings or co-location of teams translates to lower travel expenses and better work-life balance for project team members.

Physical distribution of teams enabled by Collaboration for Revit can relieve the requirement for office space for all project team members. Finally, with location not a limiting factor, project leaders have more options for accessing people with the right skill set for a project, resulting in better allocation of team resources

With the Communicator for Revit chat tool that comes with Collaboration for Revit, project team members can communicate directly with each other in real-time, within the project models. A designer in any location can chat with other team members and attach files, images, or Revit screen captures. Using real-time chat within project models helps designers not only to stay in touch but also to know instantaneously who is working in the model and what they are doing.

Collaboration for Revit is tightly integrated with Autodesk A360, providing Revit design and engineering teams a centralized cloud-based workspace in which to work together more efficiently on projects and make more effective decisions. External team members and project contributors who do not use or have access to Revit software can view, search, and socially interact on models, discuss challenges and successes, and stay current with project activities. This is ideal for building owners or others who want to have visibility to the project status, but don’t need full access.

Timely feedback and input from an extended team speeds communication timelines and can help ensure project understanding and buy-in. A360 Collaboration for Revit revolutionizes project collaboration by connecting team members within the Revit models where they work.