5 Ground-Breaking Applications To Help Improve Our Infrastructure
The infrastructure of any building is, of course, its most important part. Without it, building design simply can’t – well – build up at all. That’s why movements in infrastructure design and build are evolving before our very eyes – as the demand for greater accuracy and incredible efficiency continue to grow and grow.
Construction trends will come and go, but over the past few years, we have seen some major developments that are likely to change the way we design and build for good. In this quick guide, we’re going to run through five of them with you.
3D Printing
3D printing is very exciting. The potential is absolutely limitless across all kinds of industries and spheres, but for the construction industry, infrastructure can stand to benefit in some pretty amazing ways.
Construction and building design experts who may previously have needed to wait for new parts and pieces to deliver for weeks at a time can now print directly at source. 3D printing effectively removes much of the strain and hassle that businesses and experts face during manufacturing, too.
BIM
With the help of 3D laser scanning technology, BIM – or Building Information Modelling – is helping to break down the way we collaborate on construction projects.
Through careful site scanning and measurement capture, BIM models provide intensive knowledge and data on even the largest or most complex of sites. Ultimately, while as-built 2D drawings are still useful for many things, 3D BIM Models offer that extensive factor of tracking, optimised performance and create a whole new level of planning and tracking.
BIMs are simple to collaborate on in real-time. There is no need for architects and construction designers to spend weeks hanging around for answers and insights. It’s cutting down construction time for good.
GIS Technology
A GIS, or Geographical Information System, helps us to understand the wider geographical area of any given project. There may be occasions where, when laying and planning infrastructure, the wider environment needs to be taken into account.
GIS technology, working in tandem with 3D laser scanning technology and BIMs, is removing the need for intensive, time-consuming on-site surveys. All the information a building design team needs regarding a geographic location will be easy to access in any given file or visualisation.
Connected Cloud Tools
The cloud is inarguably one of the biggest and best innovations in recent computing history. By moving data storage and server technology off-site (i.e., into the cloud), different teams of building and design experts can now freely communicate and collaborate without having to re-invent the wheel.
For measured building survey teams, for example, it is easy to scan up measurements for access off-site at any time. This is easy to achieve from a simple, quick scan at-site before downloading for remote work later on.
Integrating construction trends and infrastructure work in this way helps to cut down costs, time lost, and labour demanded.
Immersive Reality
Finally, immersive reality – whether Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality – is helping us to see our finished projects in clearer light than ever before. The infrastructure construction landscape is changing massively thanks to our ability to now create immersive flythroughs – even at the very start of a project.
AR, for example, is fantastic for designers, planners and clients alike. By projecting planned objects and infrastructure change directly onto a ‘blank canvas’ – with a little help from the best 3D laser scanning technology – we have a clearer idea of what a finished project is likely to transpire as. This saves an enormous amount of time in terms of planning, and it removes a lot of risk.
Infrastructure changes are always likely to come and go. After all, the building industry is always changing alongside the evolution of technology. It’s a great idea to keep on top of the latest infrastructure innovations wherever possible.
In the meantime, if you need help with a measured survey or BIM series, make sure to contact us at Leicester Measured Survey – we’re here to help!