22 May 2024

Digital transformation across the RIBA Plan of Work, part 3: stages 4-5

This article is part of an ongoing series about how digital technologies can be used to transform the way firms in the AEC space complete work and collaborate with the wider supply chain.

This article covers stages 4-5 of the RIBA Plan of Work, click here to see our articles on stages 0-1, 2-3, and 6-7.

Stages 4 and 5 of the RIBA Plan of Work - AKA, the bits that you saw when you were young that got you interested in construction in the first place. It's interesting to reflect that, in 2022, these stages of the project are in some ways almost unrecognisable compared to what they were 10 or 15 years ago. The advent of BIM and construction technology have changed the way that firms approach the design information and the actual construction phase of a project, and even the bits that do look familiar are very different in a digital, connected world.

In this article, we're going to explore just how digital technology is having an impact on these stages of the RIBA Plan of Work. We'll also see how the concept of a 'built in cloud' building really starts to come to life by this stage. Hard hats on? Let's get started.

Stage 4 - technical design

We're really getting down to brass tacks at stage 4. The spatially coordinated architectural plan that was produced at stage 3 is now further fleshed out with all the information required to actually construct the building. That includes specific product information (what type of windows you're using, for instance), a timeline of which activities will happen when, and logistical information such as when plant machinery will be needed, how many labourers will be needed and when, and so on.

As we covered in our previous articles, if you're adopting a fully digital approach to a project, you will already have your spatially coordinated building stored in a virtual space that all the different project teams can view and add to. This makes getting the technical design nailed down far easier. For instance, we covered earlier how your BIM plan can be populated using BIM objects from specific manufacturer catalogues. That means that, for example, a HVAC system you've added to the plan will appear at the exact size it will be in real life, making coordination easier, and in the model you can call up a wealth of information on the system direct from the manufacturer. All of this makes the technical design come together much faster with everyone working from a single source of truth so there can be no confusion or mistakes when it comes to ordering materials, or products. BIM plans can even show how the design will unfold over time (what is referred to as 4D BIM), so that site coordination is far easier.

The connected environment you've created also reduces the risk of providing descriptive information to contractors. By giving your contractors access to your BIM plan, they can show you exactly what products they are intending to use to respond to the brief, so any issues are worked out before products are bought and transported to site. A solution like FinOps from Claranet will add even more value by automatically updating the budget with these specified components so you know exactly what things are costing.

We've also previously talked about enabling your BIM plan to be viewed in VR or MR (mixed reality); at this stage being able to view the project in this way (through Microsoft Hololens for instance) will create an incredibly immersive experience that helps designers and contractors work more effectively because they can actually see the building as it will look, and help stakeholders to understand key design choices and sign off on the project (and, of course, be blown away by an immersive VR experience of their building).

We've also discussed the appointment of a Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCOE) for the project see our previous article for a more detailed description of what a CCOE is). The CCOE should be making recommendations at this stage when documenting the building systems information - with their guidance, helping you embrace what we call a 'built in cloud' design. That means that all your building systems run through either a Public Microsoft Azure cloud. Built in cloud designs make it possible to engineer and implement the IT platform for your building systems long before on-site construction begins, speeding up the process or building and testing systems. It also eliminates the need for an on-site data centre; as we've discussed before, that choice gives you more usable space in your building, and massively reduces your carbon footprint and running costs.

Stage 5 - manufacturing and construction

Here we go! Building begins at stage 5, and it's here that so many of the digital innovations you've implemented further down the line really come into their own. Digital tools mean that stage 5 happens faster, with less rework required, more safely, and as efficiently as possible. In particular:

  • The construction, transport and installation of prefabricated components can be scheduled much more tightly due to the BIM plan, increasing efficiency and minimising delays due to scheduling conflicts.
  • Construction teams can be familiarised with the site in VR before arriving, improving site safety and increasing building efficiency as everyone knows where they need to be and what dangers to look out for.
  • Various construction tasks can even be rehearsed ahead of time (such as planning cabling routes using your BIM plan and a VR desktop modelling solution), reducing build time.
  • Because activities like clash detection and spatial coordination have already taken place in a digital environment, there will be far fewer challenges with spatial coordination on site during construction, smoothing the process and reducing the cost of rework.
  • As construction progresses, additional scans can be taken and added to the BIM plan, allowing the team to compare actual building work with the plans using mixed reality through Microsoft Hololens. Any deviations can be spotted far faster, reducing the cost and delays of rework.

Because all the parties on the project are working from a fully digitised and easy-to-share plan, other activities can also take place more efficiently, such as commissioning the building and preparing the building manual.

The story continues...

If you've been following our article series, you will now be familiar with Bill Dings Ltd, our hypothetical-yet-realistic construction company who is on a mission to complete a construction project embracing the very best of digital construction technology. We're pleased to say that after a tense tender process they decided to partner with Claranet to help them deliver that project - so let's see how they get on as they move into stages 4 and 5 of the project plan.

Bill Dings now has a spatially coordinated BIM plan, built on high-speed IT infrastructure, that takes the vast quantities of data gathered about the project and makes it available to anyone who needs it. They also have a Microsoft Azure Data Factory and expert analysts from Claranet helping them get even more value from that data by planning what-if scenarios that have already helped them make the project more environmentally sustainable and profitable for the business. Stage 4 begins - but since they already have a large amount of the data needed to hand, because of the level of detail they have been able to achieve in earlier stages thanks to their digital infrastructure, Bill Dings is able to complete this stage faster.

Paying particularly close attention to the building systems, Bill Dings sets about ensuring that the very best technology is installed into their office building. The CCOE has recommended that Bill Dings fully embraces Microsoft Azure's data centre services, so they can design 'built in cloud' building systems. Claranet's consultancy services support Bill Dings to design and document an Azure Enterprise Landing Zone, Data Centre subscriptions, and diverse, redundant ExpressRoute connections using Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) best practices, to give the building the very best connectivity and ability to easily manage various cloud services in one space.

This design means that engineering of the building systems is well underway before construction begins, enabling all building systems and devices to be implemented, tested, enhanced, and kept compliant far faster than if Bill Dings had to wait for a data centre to be built.

Bill Dings' GreenOps service from Claranet shows that, as a result of these choices, carbon emissions are greatly reduced for the building as the build systems uses 80% less hardware; because the systems run in Microsoft Azure, energy usage is forecasted to be the lowest Bill Dings has ever achieved thanks to Microsoft's green energy statements and measures.

With designs all completed, construction begins. Site staff are briefed and inducted off-site using a VR model of the site before construction starts, so they are familiar with the site before they even get there - as a result there are fewer accidents, and the team can work more efficiently. There are also fewer people on site, because Bill Dings is able to closely coordinate what work happens on each day, and maximise offsite construction for components on the project. Deliveries of materials and components are very tightly scheduled, reducing traffic on site and its emissions while improving safety.

After work each day, a small but rugged HiSight drone from HRobotics scans the site with a mobile LiDAR scanner; the scan is then added to the BIM plan and is compared the next morning with the BIM plan using Microsoft Hololens. The team notices that some cabling has been routed a different way to the plan, and will now clash with a pipe. The error is fixed almost as soon as it's made, saving hours of time compared with if the issue had been found later on in the process.

Meanwhile, the project team pulls information from BIM360 to create the operating manual, often literally pulling information on key components and systems directly from documents linked to the plan. The virtual model itself forms the central asset of the plan, too. And thanks to the Azure Data Factory, and Azure Digital Twin Solutions, Bill Dings can logically test the fire alarm systems and HVAC systems in the BIM plan before the components are installed. As a result, commissioning these systems is much simpler and faster, enabling the building to be completed much quicker - in fact, beating their original estimate by 3 weeks.

It's not over yet...

The RIBA Plan of Work doesn't stop once construction is completed - or even once the building is handed over. In our next article, we'll look at how the technology choices made during construction have a lasting impact on the whole lifecycle of the building - and therefore how making the right choices, and embracing smart technologies, can make a construction project much more environmentally friendly, lower the total cost of ownership, and therefore make the building much more attractive for prospective buyers, tenants, occupiers, and the wider community that use and operate the building.

You're not just handing over a physical building here - you're also handing over the digital twin that you used to construct the building, which we believe is as valuable as the building itself."

To find out how your organisation's IT supports digital construction and the digital built environment, speak to one of our cloud experts