At Ardmac we use technology to improve processes that add value to customers, drive efficiencies and solve specific problems. We call this approach Building SMART.
BUILDING SMART THE ARDMACWAY
Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
Table of Contents
Introduction
3
1.0
Issues in Construction
4
2.0
Lean
4
3.0
ProductivityTracking - Digitally
4
3.1
Safe Deployment of Labour
4
3.2
Collaboration & Field Management Software
5
4.0
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
8
5.0
Building SMART
10
6.0
Building SMART IntoThe Future
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7.0
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
1.0 Introduction Ardmac is an International Construction Specialist delivering complex high value workspaces and technical environments. Established in 1977 and headquartered in Dublin with offices in Northern Ireland, Cork, Manchester and Brussels.
Our vision is to be the Contractor of Choice for clients and the Workplace of Choice for great people.
We provide a range of construction services including design & build, general contracting and trade contracting to numerous high value sectors including;
• Commercial Offices • Datacentres • Advanced Manufacturing • Lifesciences • Healthcare • Universities • Reference Laboratories
Ardmac has considerable pedigree and an extensive track record in design and construction of
• Cleanrooms • Data Halls • Biosafety BSL2 and BSL3 Laboratories • Commercial and Industrial Fitout & Refurbishment
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
2.0 Issues in Construction Productivity improvements in the construction industry have been historically modest. It is a well-known fact that when compared to other industries, the construction industry does not perform well in terms of innovation, the use of technology and improvements in productivity. In recent years, the use of Lean Construction (LC) principles and Building Information Modelling (BIM) have become more popular. There is significant research demonstrating that organisations that adopt these platforms either independently or in tandem observe significant benefits. Hence, we started our journey to adopt Lean, BIM and other digital technologies in order to streamline workflows and improve productivity. Ardmac leverages technology to support lean construction principles.There is such an abundance of technology today that it can be overwhelming. There are trends such as Pharma 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Automation and the Internet of Things to name but a few that are already reshaping the construction industry and changing the way in which we all do business. At Ardmac, technology is implemented to improve processes that add value to customers, improve efficiencies and solve specific problems. In order to do this, there is a big focus on gaining customer insights, understanding needs, and reframing those into desired outcomes. Once these desired outcomes are validated, solutions are delivered that address these unmet needs. We call this approach Building SMART. 3.0 Lean 3.1 Productivity Tracking - Digitally We were introduced to Lean 2015 and have adopted several lean initiatives across the company since then. We have been particularly successful with the adoption of Last Planner. Last Planner allows the proactive sequencing of works and setting of productivity targets. The targets are set using crew size and labour norms. The targets are tracked daily, and any deviations are monitored.
Ardmac have been tracking field productivity for many years, Building by Numbers is terminology used across the business and is a simple but effective concept. Up until 2020 field productivity was monitored using a bespoke excel tracker. Site Managers would track progress daily. This data was inputted to a master tracker to highlight any trends and create a forecast at completion based on current production rates. This system, while relying on paper-based information and double data entry, worked adequately for many years. Recently the process was digitalised by working in conjunction with some software vendors. Using a function of the fieldmanagement software platform - progress, timesheets and productivity can be monitored using any mobile device. Site teams can now track the progress of crews in real-time in the field. The tool then provides instant feedback to the site team on their daily productivity.This data is also visible to management. Any downward trends can be analysed, and steps taken to resolve any issues. 3.2 Safe Deployment of Labour Managing labour on a project can be a significant challenge using traditional processes. Paper- based timesheets, inductions, logging credentials, maintaining training registers can all take significant administration time, are prone to human error and result in downtime which could have otherwise been used productively. Eliminating individuals arriving on site, either unannounced or without the necessary paperwork is a significant time saving benefit for construction companies. Using time and attendance hardware and a software it is now possible that a New Start on site will receive a link to an online induction for both safety and quality that are site specific in advance of their start date. To complete the induction, all essential credentials are first uploaded by the inductee. The system also logs the expiry date of each credential. The process also includes also includes reading and signing any specific Risk Assessment, Method Statements (RAMS) relative to their role. The person is then issued a QR code that allows them access to site. There is, of course, a need for a site tour and familiarisation meeting with all New Starts upon
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
arrival, but the time is now greatly reduced as all paperwork is completed online. The time can be spent focusing on the crucial safety messages for the project rather than on scanning paper certs, logging details and taking photographs. This process is equally effective for management, direct employees and sub-contractors. The security entrance infrastructure can be scaled depending on the size of the project and can range from turnstile type barriers with biometric or facial scanners to mobile apps for small projects. Implementing these systems alone delivers excellent results, but by linking multiple platforms together through custom built integrations, even further benefits can be achieved. Linking the deployment software to the field management platform has multiple efficiencies as the site daily diary can be updated automatically providing a record of site attendance on any given day. Site management can use the attendance register to assign the hours accrued by each person to the task they undertook on that day through the field productivity feature. This real-time system provides management with crucial immediate records of who is on site, the workers safe deployment to the job site and their productivity. Armed with this knowledge (on any mobile device) managers can devote more time to making decisions and being in the field supporting the project and less time at their laptops inputting data or reviewing spreadsheets that are immediately outdated. Using Last Planner allows work to be planned effectively, removes constraints ahead of time and enables management to focus on productively delivering projects. By monitoring field productivity daily, variances can be tracked. Last Planner provides the facility to categorise these variances and thus identify trends. Understanding field productivity in real-time and identifying trends from Last Planner, is truly Building by Numbers and a SMART way of working.
4.0 Collaboration & Field Management Software The use of largely paper-based information is one of several factors that contribute to the lack of efficiency in the construction industry. The traditional siloed approach restricts collaboration by creating barriers between parties to control information flow to mitigate risk for private parties. At Ardmac we wanted to source a platform to remove these silos and improve the flow of information on our projects. A new collaboration and field management software systemwent live on all projects in February 2019. This provides a central cloud-based platform to share and manage project information, there is also a very strong inspection, quality and safety management aspect to the software which enables the completion of inspections and audits using any mobile device. Project performance data is now captured in real time on all projects which gives clients great insights into potential issues and thus focusing on proactive rather than reactive analysis.
FIGURE 5: INFORMATION FLOW
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
On site is where most of the benefits of this technology implementation are realised. Efficiencies are greatly improved by removing the need for walking to and from the site office for
information by adding the ability to complete Safety and Quality inspections on mobile devices and by tracking the key project metrics such as open RFIs, overdue snags and outstanding submittals.
FIGURE 6: PROJECT HEALTH DASHBOARD
Communication among all project teams has become streamlined. Each of the tools on the platform manage a specific part of the project, all data is controlled via role-based permissions. This ensures data privacy is guaranteed for all collaboration partners. All project drawings are uploaded on the platform, there is then an ability to overlay RFIs, Inspections, Photos and other items and pin to the relevant locations on the drawings. This is an extremely powerful function and is used extensively on all Ardmac projects. Some of the tools and features of the platform are shown in Figure 7 & Figure 8. Processes are also flexible and allow for the collaboration with client’s platforms if required. Streamlined workflows have been developed to utilise the benefits of the software while also sharing information with other systems particularly at handover stage.
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
FIGURE 7:TOOLS & FEATURES
FIGURE 8: RFIS & OBSERVATIONS LINKEDTO DRAWINGS
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
5.0 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Ardmac have been delivering projects through BIM for over 10 years. At first with the creation of 3d models for co-ordination and clash detection purposes. Overtime through experience and extensive training, capability to implement BIM was increased on projects including highly detailed, information rich 3D models up to LOD500. Ardmac have achieved ISO 19650-2 Certification with BRE which demonstrates both commitment to BIM excellence and ability to deliver projects using BIM. It is increasingly common for specialist contractors to be engaged at an early design stage of a project to form part of a multi-disciplinary design team. Cloud-based collaboration is enabling design teams to work together remotely from
different locations. As buildings become more complex, it is crucial to have detailed expertise at an early stage to influence the facility design. This Lean approach reduces waste and possible rework further in the construction process. Ardmac primarily use Autodesk products such as Revit for design, model generation and layout drafting, Navisworks Manage is for co-ordination with other trades and clash detection as shown in Figure 9. Project models are stored on BIM360 for cloud-based co-authoring of model files. We are working on several BIM initiatives across the organization such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA), 4d BIM and BIM viewers for tablets.
FIGURE 9: NAVISWORKS CLASH DETECTIVE
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
FIGURE 10: MOBILE MODELVIEWER
FIGURE 11: SYNCRO USED FOR 4D BIM
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
6.0 Building SMART At Ardmac we define Building SMART as combining the 3 pillars of Last Planner (LPS), our Collaboration & Field Management Platform and BIM. By implementing these tools and processes on all projects, there is a strong foundation for success. Clients are involved in the process and can see project performance in real-time. Information flows from one department to another both internally and across company.
Technology is only leveraged to solve specific problems which allows for the understanding of what works well and what does not. Ardmac are acutely aware that technology has the power to drastically change the face of the construction industry. With Building SMART we are committed to staying ahead of the curve.
FIGURE 13: PILLARS OF BUILDING SMART
Lean Construction Techniques
BIM
Field Management Software
Benefits of
?
• S afer projects • M ore value added • A ssets managed digitally reducing maintenance costs
• R educed defects (higher quality) • T ime & Commercial certainty
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
7.0 Building SMART Into The Future
To summarise, we apply Lean Construction Principles and Technology to everything we do at Ardmac. By focusing on problems to be solved, we can apply technology in a specific and focused manner. The problems can come from a variety of sources such as customer insights, feedback from our site teams or market research. We analyse these in a structured innovation process that allows us to understand the next steps. We have a dedicated digital construction team to continue the trialling of technology with the goal of digitising all processes in the company. We aim to deliver a paperless jobsite by 2022. Our employees now link continuous improvement to Building SMART. Lean Construction, BIM, and Field Software are at the heart of everything we do at Ardmac. We have found that linking all the three pillars enhances the results by bringing clarity to our teams. Groups and people across disciplines work in tandem rather than in conflict as we work towards common goals. This allows people at all levels of the organization to make decisions that help us become more efficient through linking their efforts to Building SMART. The use of digital tools has also been a massive benefit for us during the current pandemic and has allowed large portions of our support teams
to continue to be productive while not being physically present on our sites.
This has a positive effect on our supply chain also. We collaborate with supply chain partners in the same manner using the same systems, they also have access to clear, current information, filtered to their specific scope of works. This greatly reduces frustration sourcing information or the impact of additional costs due to rework. We believe that our supply chain is a crucial part of what we do and as such we are happy support them in this manner. Finally, we are very much client focused and maximise value for our customers. All these initiatives are implemented with the customer in mind. Customers can see Realtime project information on any mobile device, approvals processes can be managed easily including RFIs, Submittals & Punches. These digital processes not only improve efficiencies for Ardmac but also for our clients. They enable us to be more competitive at tender stage while allowing us to deliver projects faster without compromising Safety or Quality. Building SMART allows us to consistently deliver excellence across multiple sectors and geographic regions.
Fergus Nugent isTechnical Manager at Ardmac. His experience includes Project Management and Architectural Lead on major projects. Fergus has a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree fromWaterford Institute ofTechnology, is a member of the Chartered Institute of ArchitecturalTechnologists and has recently completed a Masters Degree in Construction Project Management.
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Building SMART –The ArdmacWay
Ardmac Dublin Swords Business Campus Swords,
Ardmac Brussels Avenue Vésale 22D 1300Wavre T : +32 (0) 10 229705
Ardmac Manchester 4 Scholar Green Road
Ardmac Craigavon 15 Annesborough Ind Est Craigavon BT67 9JD T : +44 (0) 2838 347093
Cobra Court, Trafford Park
Co. Dublin K67 D8H0 T: +353 (0) 1 894 8800
info@ardmac.com
Manchester M32 0TR T : +44 (0) 161 8668086
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