Digital Construction Week 2017 - Day One

Those of you that follow my blog know I like doing a review of the day whenever I am at a conference. So here goes the review of day one at Digital Construction Week 2017...

...I noted down an enormous amount of content - so in an attempt to keep it reasonably brief, mainly photos and bullet points below.

1. Mark Bew, Digital Built Britain
Mark reflected back on the Level 2 journey and looked forward to the Digital Built Britain programme. The Digital Built Britain slide deck now has some new impressive graphics - some of these are shown below...

Where can savings/improved outcomes be made?

Mark took time to reflect on how the British standards around BIM are now being promoted and adopted around the world.The ISO 19650 initiative, the EU client guide and the MoUs with government's around the world are all evidence that the UK is supporting others through leadership and also making it easier for UK companies to operate internationally.

How BIM Level-2 standards are now moving world-wide

...and finally, another slide demonstrating how things can get better - and going digital can only help.

Where the problems/opportunities are

2. Terry Stocks, Digital Built Britain
Terry followed Mark and concentrated on the message of how we must all get behind BIM Level 2 and make it business as ususal.

There must be a big focus around supporting clients on how to procure well-structured data in addition to the physical asset itself.

Terry promoted the MofJ documentation that is now publically available:
- MofJ guide documents for employers

The Productivity Opportunity

The final call to action was for clients to read the Govermnet 'What you need to know' guide:

- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/creating-a-digital-built-britain-what-you-need-to-know

3. Autodesk
Mike Haley, Head of Machine Intelligence at Autodesk showed off some of the latest emerging technologies.

Data is the new oil. The five biggest companies in the world are now digital data companies.

A couple of links to follow below:

• Machine learning to design the optimum office layout
• Printing a physical bridge

There was also a look at how Google Maps has used millions of humans around the world to read signs (letters and numbers) for them, so the machine could be trained to instantly recognise letters and numbers better than humans.

And this on a day when a new Google computer has beaten a human 100-0 at AlphaGo after only three days of training by itself.

4. Smart Cities
Smart Cities were a big theme of the conference.

Gavin Summerson from BSI presented all of the new standards around Smart Cities.

The BSI Smart Cities standards

NBS Paul Swaddle also looked at Smart Cities and focused on the data security considerations and the guidance that can help project teams be security conscious.

NBS Paul Swaddle talks smart cities and data security considerations

5. Soluis and Spurs
Soluis have done a number of promotional videos for NBS over the years.

But their case study on what they have produced for Tottenham Hotspur in terms of helping stakeholders understand the designs and vision for their new stadium is absolutely stunning.

Soluis and Spurs new stadium

The video below shows off the work...

6. Google and Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty showed off how they have invested and gambled in innovative technology to solve internal challenges.

They called in the Google Flux team to do a three day hackathon around four key challenges they had never managed to solve. They were that impressed that all four projects were commissioned and these stories were showcased.

Balfour Beatty get challenged to a game of pool at Google's offices

...and three months later they have an app telling them where all of their vehicles are

- • https://digitalconstructionnews.com/2017/10/12/industry-insight-flux-google-cloud/

7. HP goes to Mars
HP presented two pretty cool competitions with some amazing results.

The first was around modelling the Bank of England building from the original 17th century drawings:
- http://www.projectsoane.com

The second was around modelling a city on Mars:
- https://launchforth.io/hpmars/

Both well worth a look at!

Nevermind Level 2 BIM, let's design a new city for 1 million people... on Mars

8. Bryden Wood
I've always been impressed by the work from Bryden Wood.

In the final presentation of the day I attended they showcased how they help clients with Design for Manufacturing and Assembly through consultancy and BIM object creation.

Where the 49% of waste goes (click for bigger)

A BIM library tailor made for a client

Two free downloads accompany this work that I may blog about in the coming weeks...

• Data drive infrastructure
• Delivery platforms for Government Assets

If you are a classification-fan then the series of pages on Uniclass 2015 in the second of these downloads is fantastic. Showing how each table can be used to classify items of different scale using the appropriate table (from complex, to activity, to space etc... down to products). And then showing how assets can be analysed and grouped by classification - fantastic stuff!

Best Uniclass 2015 case study ever

Finally, a couple of videos I recorded from the exhibition stands.

Me getting stuffed off a robot at Jenga :)

Me finalising the colour options on my NBS company car

...and a big shout out to Invest In Ireland for hosting the reception at the Irish Embassy the night before. Great hospitality!

A welcome from the Ambassador and then a Minister!

Sadly, no Ferrero Rocher :( - but the disappointment more than made up for in liquid alternatives