Cloud-based construction management software is one of the new buzzwords being used in the construction industry. Construction technology is taking over job sites everywhere, and for good reason. It’s improving safety, efficiency and productivity both on-site and in the office.
That’s because, through a digital twin, it gives you the ability to visualize any job site from any angle, at any time. You can also track the progress of any construction project in real-time.
Not only that, but it gives everyone, from your construction workers to the company owner, access to the right information. Project management in construction has never been so transparent.
You can do things like:
- Visualize your job site with a 3D map of your project
- View the site from every angle
- Upload design data to view it against the current terrain
- Perform accurate measurements to understand job site progress
- Quickly share job site information with key stakeholders
It’s a dashboard of information you can use to make better decisions. And one construction management software option that can provide you all of this information is Smart Construction Dashboard.
Smart Construction Dashboard Promotes Cohesion
The construction process at a building site can be categorized into five major tasks:
- Surveying
- Designing
- Planning
- Constructing
- Inspecting
You are no doubt familiar with managing the construction site. Your work site typically involves a team of people led by a general contractor. Subcontractors, such as surveyors, engineers, machine operators, laborers and inspectors round out the team. And each has his/her own plans and ways of operating.
Smart Construction Dashboard becomes the hub that contains this ecosystem and allows everyone from the foreman to the business owner to interact.
3D Job Site Visualization For Better Decision-Making
The interaction begins with the 3D digital twin of the job site. This visual replica is constantly updated, giving everyone involved with the project a chance to check on progress and look for potential problems.
All the information collected from drone flights, designs and as-built data from intelligent machines is kept in a cloud-based portal. This gives all team members the ability to access, view and analyze 3D job site data.
As-built data shows progress between drone flights and other critical information.
Earthbrain is a company that helps to manage projects with its Smart Construction technology. Chris Faulhaber, Director of Digital Transformation at Earthbrain, says the 3D images also uphold job site safety standards.
“You can use the 3D view of your job site to look for any unsafe conditions,” Faulhaber said. “By being able to quickly toggle around the job site, you can really just get an understanding of what you have and prevent accidents from happening,” he said.
Imaging can help determine things like the safest places for stockpiles or unsafe areas for machinery. It can tell operators and project managers where the ground may be unlevel.
By getting a 3D digital twin of your site, you can find areas of concern. “The best part is the 3D visual,” Earthbrain Product Manager Talha Khalid said. “That is really the biggest help for earthwork contractors to go deep and get into more details.”
Accurate Cut/Fill Measurements
Another benefit 3D imaging provides is the opportunity to compare surfaces. It gives everyone on the team a better understanding of the progress that is being made at the site and the remaining earthwork volumes—particularly cut and fill.
“Let's say, what they're really interested in every day is the cut and fill,” Khalid said. “By comparing the region you're working on with the final design, you’re able to determine how much dirt you need to shift.”
Khalid says calculating cut and fill measurements, and other aspects of a project. has never been easier, thanks to the interactive 3D images Smart Construction management software produces. It allows you to easily generate industry-standard cut and fill color mappings and the capability to visualize material movements and create standardized reports.
“If they have one person who is giving time to the Smart Construction Dashboard, they can generate reports to give to the owners or anyone else on the team,” Khalid said.
You can easily quantify volumetric production measurements for the whole site or defined areas of interest. For example, you can compare the initial design with what the site currently looks like. Or look into the future and match the 3D image with the finished design to see if the project is on track. The possibilities truly are endless.
Accurate Material Readings
Having real-time data and 3D images will also allow you to keep track of supplies. GPS and drone data provide accurate readings of not only the location of the stockpiles on site but also how much is left.
Construction technology can provide many types of measurements on a job site. Bluetooth technology and geofencing can provide everything from stockpile capacity to sewage pipe length with extraordinary accuracy. It can also help with cutting and filling.
All of this Smart Construction technology helps keep down job costs because you’re getting real-time information from all of your construction sites.
“If you have a good understanding of what is happening in the field, you can plan the next day’s events around that information,” John Whitmire, Strategy Director at Earthbrain said. “Drones and construction technology provide accurate readings on stockpiles, and take the guesswork out of managing the materials schedule.”
The Future of Construction Project Management
Cloud-based construction management software is designed to be used throughout the entire construction process. From pre-bid to project end, Smart Construction technology helps contractors and foremen better manage job sites.
“We can have a simulation that was generated for the owners to see how long it would take,” Peter Park, Optimization Consultant for Earthbrain said. “They can draw their haul routes, and they can also draw out their piping crews' work, and they can do all those design files and implement them and visualize how it's going to be done before it's done,” Park added.
It helps control costs, stay on schedule, manage the site from afar and share progress with stakeholders.
Having a single platform where all the information from the field can come together and become a data-driven decision-making tool is the biggest strength that it provides. If it’s the future of construction site management, the future is already here.
Start analyzing and controlling your job sites to improve efficiency and productivity. Explore Smart Construction software solutions if you’re interested in learning how job site digitization can help you create highly collaborative, sustainable and safer environments.
Start Using 3D Design Data for Better Decision-Making
Learn more about Smart Construction Dashboard.
