Digital Construction Works (DCW), a new digital automation, integration, and digital twinning services and fit-for-purpose solutions company formed by Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Group, will help revolutionise the construction industry by simplifying digital transformation. DCW solutions span every phase of the project – from planning to construction and operations through to asset management – creating a digital thread that connects technologies and workflows.
Contributing 13 per cent of global GDP and an estimated $12.9 trillion market by 2022, construction is the largest industry in the world and is positioned to benefit from significant value through productivity improvements. The World Economic Forum estimates within 10 years, full-scale digitisation could lead to savings between $700 billion to 1.2 trillion (13 per cent to 21 per cent) in design, engineering, and construction efforts. Construction organisations need capabilities to analyse historical data, forecast what might happen in the future to avoid operational issues before they occur, reduce waste and downtime, improve safety, and reduce risk and liability. Logistics and on-site materials can be managed using digital tools to reduce waste and optimise for just-in-time delivery, increasing productivity on the construction site.
DCW’s end-to-end services automate and optimise construction operations through the digital transformation of the asset lowering full-lifecycle asset costs. Through digital twins, you can visualise the asset, check status, perform analysis, and generate insights to predict and optimise asset performance. Fast and continuous site surveying using modern technology shortens the digital twinning cycles between the physical and digital twin, achieved in combination with automated analytics. This process is applicable for linear infrastructure, but also vertical construction or the extensive off-site modular construction.
“We see the benefits of working with organisations such as DCW, whose position in the market as the only end-to-end construction solutions service provider brings us confidence in how our core business targets will be kept a priority throughout the entire project,” said Harry Parnell, Head of Digital Project Delivery for Balfour Beatty. “Their ability to be agnostic to technology is also important. We know that a combination of technology and process improvement will provide us with the best digital solution and make sure that technology follows the operational process change efforts, but never leads it. The use of technology in silos throughout our organisation will never bring real operational, or industry change, but the use of technology with digital twin workflows and key operations processes in a focused and strategic effort will enable Balfour Beatty to reduce the gap between the office and the site continually."
“Balfour Beatty's vision of 25 per cent less on-site work on projects by 2025 can only be achieved through the successful implementation of digital twin workflows and key operational processes and the use of technology. Implementing full digital construction solutions into our business, such as those provided by DCW, will enable us to achieve our project outcomes and business goals, including ‘Zero Waste’ and ensuring that Balfour Beatty projects can continually improve by learning from our successes”, said Parnell.
Owners don't need to do it on their own. DCW can do it for them. DCW will help them to automate and connect disparate tools, including fit-for-purpose software and cloud services from Bentley and Topcon or, if needed, by other third parties. DCW can provide next best practices and enable project teams to gain visibility and insights through data and analytics to improve construction planning, execution, reduce project costs, increase safety and reduce liability, and improve capital project delivery.
Through its partnering and community, DCW has a global network of service providers who engage in projects with our customers to deliver digital transformation outcomes. The network includes technology partners such as Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Group and other third-party technology providers. Educational resource providers, including schools, unions, and trades, will be partnered-with to help fill the construction skills gap.
The Labs at DCW drive increased transparency and efficiency in construction operations. The Labs turn big ideas into solutions and serves as the construction industries R&D engine, where we prove repeatable workflows and technology integrations affecting interoperability, reporting, analytics, and digital twin delivery. DCW’ Labs use analytical solutions to extract meaning from enormous volumes of data to help organisations improve their data-driven decision-making. Such solutions help support the integration of project data across disciplines and teams, at every step of the construction process, for better collaboration to identify conflicts and risks. It helps to transform the industry from its legacy document-centric paradigm to a complete digital space-time operating system. Project teams receive verification in near real-time for on-time, predictable, and on-budget project delivery.
Ted Lamboo, CEO, DCW, said: “The construction industry sees that digitising their workflows will increase efficiency and avoid risk and overruns. Leveraging Digital Twins will accelerate this process, and DCW can support the marketplace to make this transition. Our broad spread of digital solutions and services will support our users in this process.”
“We believe that open collaboration and a commitment to improving the industry are the primary requirements for step-function advancement in digital construction, said Jason Hallett, COO, DCW. No single tool company can, or should, own the entire construction process as that journey only leads to a lack of innovation. DCW is starting with the backing of two large product companies, and we will welcome technology partnerships and service providers that can contribute to delivering a complete portfolio of digital solutions that are capable of moving the industry toward a more efficient and automated future.”
DCW brings together both a combination of Bentley and Topcon colleagues, including domain experts from the construction industry.
(Picture Caption: Harry Parnell, Head of Digital Project Delivery for Balfour Beatty)
