FEATURES
Virtual reality allows one to ‘walk through’ scenes of an actual project.
“
Self-healing
concrete, air-cleaning
materials, transparent
wood and graphene
are just some of the
innovative products
that are rapidly
moving from being
labelled alternative
building materials to
more mainstream. ”
– Larry Feinberg,
Association of South African
Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS)
executive director.
www.saroofing.co.za
factored into the sustainability and growth
strategies of firms and professionals in the
South African built environment.
“All traditional methodologies must be
reviewed with a focus on the relevancy to the
future of designing, constructing and
maintaining infrastructure and buildings.
Those that can adapt without being forced to
do so will have a distinct advantage over
those that wait until proof of concept,” warns
Feinberg.
Changes to existing methodologies don’t
need to be at the extreme edge of
technological innovation, believes Feinberg.
Even experimenting in small ways with
readily available processes – like Building
Information modelling (BIM) – can give
construction professionals an edge, he says.
“By rethinking and redefining their
traditional roles, professionals in the built
environment can help create a secure future
for themselves. This security will be built less
on the work they’ve already done, and more
on how relevant they can remain to their
clients’ needs.”
Let’s get digital
Integrated infrastructure delivery firm AECOM
is pioneering digital project delivery by
adding various immersive technologies like
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality
(AR) to its portfolio of existing 3D models
produced by a BIM process. This allows both
the design teams and clients to ‘walk
through’ VR scenes of an actual project,
whether an industrial process plant such as a
brewery or an automotive assembly plant, as
well as commercial projects, says Craig Howie,
AECOM BIM manager: buildings and places.
“At the moment there is a lot of uncertainty
in the industry when people talk about
technology, and even within companies
themselves. Our aim is to show people it is
not really all that complicated. We are all very
excited about what technology is allowing us
to achieve on our projects,” Howie adds.
The VR system adopted by AECOM uses
industry-standard software. “We have been
purposeful in the selection of our technology
base, as we need to be able to work with different
consultants seamlessly,” Howie stresses.
CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
JAN - FEB 2019
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