Our portfolio for the construction covers the entire plan - design-build-operate life cycle.

Trimble's solutions have made the process of construction quicker, safer and more cost-efficient.

- Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director, India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions

Trimble has been transforming the way the world works by delivering products and services that connect the physical and digital worlds. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics enable customers to improve productivity, quality, safety and sustainability. From purpose built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble software, hardware and services are transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation and logistics. Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director, India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions talks to Construction Times and highlights trends in disruptive tools transforming the AEC industry. Excerpts from the interview…

Could you enlighten us on the disruptive tools or software that is redefining the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC industry)? How is the way we plan, design, manage and construct a project transforming into a more automated and digitalized one?

The construction of a new building or structure can be viewed along a continuum with five key stages: planning, design, engineering, actual construction, and finally, its occupation and periodic maintenance. Once we visualise construction as a continuum, we can see the benefits of digitalization of the entire process.

The construction industry will soon be characterized by connected systems of sensors, intelligent machines, robots, mobile devices, and new software applications—all integrated on a central platform of building information modelling (BIM). As their adoption increases, digital technologies are enabling construction companies to boost productivity, manage complexity, reduce project delays and cost overruns, and enhance safety and quality.

BIM is now capable of serving all stakeholders along the continuum with constructibility at its core. Constructible BIM solutions such as Tekla Structures are able to generate highly accurate and reliable 3D engineering models that are information-rich, which means that contractors can trust these models for converting architectural designs to actual buildings in the real world. By themselves, these virtual as-built models improve onsite productivity, reduce errors and rework and thus help deliver projects on time and within budgets.

Going further, the BIM models can be seamlessly transferred to other cutting-edge tools for a variety of productivity-enhancing applications; including project time and costs monitoring and materials and manpower optimization. When combined with mixed reality tools like Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 or cloud-based collaboration tools like Trimble Connect, BIM is capable of digitalizing all construction workflows and thus delivering unprecedented transparency and seamless collaboration; which goes a long way in enhancing efficiencies and productivity.

All stakeholders involved in the construction process; from architectural firms to steel fabricators to concrete contractors; can realize the benefits of digitalized construction workflows with BIM as the common binding thread. A fully digitalized construction workflow not only prevents any loss of information during the construction process, it also keeps a tight check on project timelines and costs, delivering true value to the AEC industry stakeholders.

What do you think are the major hurdles in the faster adoption of such tools?

The AEC industry has traditionally been slow to embrace change and has resisted digitalization until recently, with the past few years seeing a change process being kick-started in India. The slow process of adoption has been on account of several factors, including a resistance to learning a new way of performing tasks, let's call it a mindset issue, besides the historical preference for paper-based workflows. We must also realize that mobile devices including smartphones and tablets and high-speed mobile data connectivity were also not widely available or affordable until a few years ago; and therefore, construction professionals had no choice but to transfer digital workflows and models to printouts for actual onsite use.

These dynamics have changed completely in recent years and now connected mobile devices are widely in use; which makes end-to-end digital workflows for construction a practical consideration for the first time. Indeed, some of the largest players in the industry are well ahead on their digitalization journeys and are widely using BIM, project management and cloud-based collaboration tools across their projects with the goal of enhanced efficiencies and productivity. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has given the AEC industry a powerful new imperative to embrace end-to-end digital transformation. Reduced labour on site, a different way of working at the construction site with physical distancing in practice and an increased awareness about factory construction methods like precast, will hasten the digital transformation process for the industry.

Brief us on some of such tools and solutions from Trimble's stable for the AEC industry?

Trimble's portfolio of software for the construction industry covers the entire plan-design-build-operate lifecycle. Many leading architects, general contractors and construction management firms use Trimble's SketchUp Pro, the easiest tool to draw in 3D, to gain a jumpstart on a new project. SketchUp Pro is an awesome design 3D tool that allows programming, diagramming, design development, detailing, documentation, RFIs- whatever needs drawing. It is intuitive and simple and allows architects to quickly evolve design ideas and document modelling work in both 3D and 2D format, and is easily integrated into the BIM process.

Tekla Structures is the flagship product of Trimble Solutions India and also the most developed BIM software in the market. It makes possible accurate, detailed, constructible model of any structure, regardless of its size or material.

Tekla Structures is supported by Tekla Structural Designer which gives engineers the power to analyze and design buildings efficiently and profitably. Tekla Tedds, which is a powerful software solution that automates repetitive structural calculations, while Tekla Model Sharing is a truly innovative BIM collaboration tool that can significantly increase the productivity of Tekla Structures users as with it teams can work on the same model at the same time, and even without an internet connection.

Trimble's Vico Office enables constructibility analysis and coordination, quantity take-off, 4D location-based scheduling and production control, and 5D estimating. This class-leading solution is of enormous value to contractors and leading contractors in India are adopting it in their work processes.

All these products are supported by Trimble Connect, a powerful cloud-based collaboration platform that empowers teams involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings to come together under one umbrella. It creates communities of collaboration across and within disciplines, integrating data not only from its own wide varieties of applications and devices, but also non-Trimble apps and devices.

Trimble's portfolio of solutions have made the process of construction quicker, safer and more cost-efficient. Their use enhances productivity and leads to better utilization of materials, assets and workers. This allows all industry stakeholders including architects, engineers, fabricators, MEP contractors, general contractors, construction managers, and building owners and occupiers, achieve transformative results.

There is a growing demand for environmentally sensitive construction, specifically in the building of Smart Cities. How do your solutions help here? Could you also give an example with benefits the end-user segments have been able to get?

The concept of sustainable construction goes far beyond installing energy-efficient mechanical systems or making sure that the owner chooses LED lighting for their new building. It's a philosophy that impacts every aspect of the planning, design and construction phases as well as the ongoing maintenance and operation of the building going forward.

Advancement of technology has been a game changer and is playing a crucial role in the construction of green structures. Latest construction technologies can help in more effective resource utilisation by reducing construction waste and minimising the use of construction materials including water. The adoption of constructible building information modelling (C-BIM), robotics, Augmented or Mixed Reality (AR/MR), the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been proven to make construction much more efficient.

Constructible BIM for example, offers greater transparency and efficiency during the design and the execution phase and greater control during the construction and the operation phase. On the other hand, technologies like Smart lighting and Smart lifts, along with IoT innovations in smart architecture and smart grids are providing opportunities to limit the environmental impact of new structures.

Many leading construction companies are already relying upon Tekla Structures, Trimble' flagship software solution for the construction industry. Tekla Structures enables environment-friendly construction through the creation and management of accurately detailed and highly constructible 3D structural models, regardless of material or structural complexity. It also allows construction companies to test the 3D models of residential and commercial buildings for real-world feasibility before the actual construction even begins; preventing all avoidable delays, rework and material wastage.

Trimble has also enabled the global construction industry to harness technology and innovation to build smarter and sustainable structures. For instance, in Castle Towers, London, Tekla Structures was integral to the creation of a green structure that generates its own power using wind energy. Using the accurate 3D modelling, 20- feet tall wind turbines were installed on top of a building to harness wind energy. It has been designed to complement the shape of the top of the building and to form a complete frame to support the cladding in line with the main building.

Trimble's technology has resulted in improved safety of the construction site by allowing for a more elaborate safety plan to be designed as well as providing training on heavy equipment on real sites with augmented hazards. The outcomes are improved productivity, enhanced production control and a better output.

How using such tools positively impacts the life cycle cost of a project?

The $10 trillion the global engineering and construction industry has consistently lagged behind other industries in using technology for improving productivity and the results are evident. An analysis of labour productivity trends in the US showed that while productivity has more than doubled in non-farm industries in the last 50 years, it actually declined for construction in that period.

As per a 2017 McKinsey report, the annual productivity growth in the E&C industry averaged just 1% over the past two decades, compared with a 3.6% and 2.8% growth rate for the manufacturing sector and the global economy respectively. Another research in the US revealed that for all construction projects, 10% of materials are wasted; 30% of all construction is rework and 40% of jobsite work is unproductive. As a result, 40% of projects are over budget and 90% of projects are late. The scenario is not too different in other countries, and construction firms all over the world continue to suffer from inefficiencies that impact their profits and reputation.

Technology and digitalization of construction processes can help address several of these pain points. Full-scale digitization in non-residential construction alone could lead to annual savings of between $700 Billion and $1.2 Trillion, or about a tenth of the aggregate annual construction spends. In real life cases, we have seen up to a 50% increase in field productivity, a 10% compression of schedules, and 80% reduction in rework, all thanks to digitization.

How do you expect the trends to unfold post Covid 19?

The global construction industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent paper from research firm Fitch Solutions has pegged the global growth forecast for the construction sector in 2020 at 0.9% y-o-y, following what it calls ‘a series of substantial downward revisions to construction markets globally as lockdowns and economic challenges are set to hit project activity'. Notably, Fitch had earlier forecast a 3.5% y-o-y growth for the sector in 2020.

Businesses and governments are still dealing with an unfolding crisis with no end in sight; and are racing to craft and execute appropriate responses, not only to secure safe health outcomes for all, but also to ensure that lifestyles and livelihoods are protected. As per media reports, the Indian Government is actively pushing the ‘plug and play' scheme for fast-tracking the infrastructure investment proposals. In a high-level meeting chaired by the PM it was discussed that a system should be developed to promote more plug and play infrastructure in the existing industrial lands / plots / estates in the country to provide the necessary financial support.

Another boost is the final report on the National Infrastructure Pipeline submitted to the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that talks about the infrastructure investment worth Rs 111 lakh crore between 2020-2025, using both the government and private funding route.

It is also important to note that construction is one of the most labour-intensive industries, and ensuring the appropriate social distancing between a set of on-site workers will necessitate slowing down of work; which would quite likely lead to delays in completion of projects.

The pandemic is here to stay for some more time, and in our view, the infrastructure construction industry needs to aggressively look for ways to retain their pre-lockdown productivity, or perhaps even increase, even while following social distancing norms. We believe that a thorough digitalization of construction industry workflows and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies like constructible BIM, mixed reality, IOT, AI and robotics can be powerful enablers of rapid gains in productivity, so much so as to offset and overcome the inevitable losses on account of social distancing norms.

A recent report by McKinsey noted that already in the three months of lockdown, the industry has leaped forward in terms of five years in their adoption of technology. At Trimble too, we have seen a 40-50% increase in adoption of technology solutions in the last 3-4 months. We are therefore confident that the construction industry will accelerate its digital transformation in the post Covid-19 era by embracing modern construction technology and cloud-based tools, which in turn will help the industry players meet their project deadlines while reducing costs and wastage.

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