Delivering Middle East construction faster, smarter and better

With construction output set to grow significantly across the region, digital construction expert Prakash Senghani explores how using digital tools and processes can lead to quicker and more cost-efficient project delivery.

The Middle East and North African construction market is expected to be worth US$336 billion by 2020, up 43 percent from 2016, according to BMI Research. Meanwhile, Deloitte’s GCC Powers of Construction 2017 suggests more than US$2 trillion worth of projects are currently planned in Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, with construction accounting for more than half the value of the pipeline.

The predictions are good news for the region, but the Middle East (ME) construction industry’s chronic lack of productivity growth means smarter, faster and better construction methods are needed now more than ever. While almost every major player in the ME market is embarking on digital transformation initiatives, and government and private developers are demanding more digitally-based solutions, such as through Dubai Municipality’s BIM Mandate and the Ministry of Housing in Saudi Arabia’s Building Technology Stimulus Programme, digital tools and processes need to be used more widely to deliver the pipeline of projects on time and to cost. Here are three ways we’re using digital technology to deliver projects faster, smarter and better:

Faster: cloud and mobile technologies

Cloud-based software allows project teams to store project data, from structural designs to real-time project inspection notes, in a single ‘cloud’ database over the internet. Teams can instantly share, access and review the information from almost anywhere using mobile devices, speeding up traditional paper-based and often administrative-intensive procedures that once required engineers to return to the office to complete. Our use of cloud and mobile technologies across projects is leading to overall time savings of 30 – 60 percent on individual projects and cutting construction inspection paperwork resubmissions by around 50 percent, leading to cost efficiencies and certainty of project delivery.

Using the AECOM-developed Reality Capture tool, comprising a mobile phone, 360-degree camera and Cloud app, we’re able to take 360-degree images of projects that are automatically uploaded and stored on a secure cloud server quickly and easily, visually documenting construction-site progress throughout a project’s lifecycle. The tool allows us to document site progress faster, with stakeholders able to assess the information at any time and from anywhere. The images can be easily retrieved as the app logs their location and capture times; this is in stark contrast to traditional photograph repositories, which either rely on extensive tagging or renaming. The 360-degree images provide a more ubiquitous view of projects, which would traditionally involve taking dozens of photographs at multiple locations.

Smarter: robotics and 3D printing

The construction industry has been using 3D printing, a subset of robotics, for some time to create scaled-down prototypes to validate and demonstrate design intent, with 3D-printed structure examples including the Office of the Future in Dubai and a multi-story apartment building in Suzhou, China. Taking 3D printing to the next level, it is now possible to print at one-to-one scale using both traditional construction materials, such as concrete, and non-traditional materials, such as graphene-infused polymers. We’re currently working on a project where we’re using computational (generative) design to create concepts for a new pavilion that will be 3D printed in concrete.

3D printing lets us take advantage of mass production techniques, while allowing for customisation, without increasing unit costs, strengthening the quality of works by creating a physical replica of a digital asset, and improving safety by reducing the time operatives spend on site.

However, widespread 3D printing across the industry is being hampered by a lack of codes and standards for adopting the technology, making local authority approvals more difficult to gain.  Mandates such as the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy look set to change this by encouraging the development of local codes and standards. We have a number of agreements in place with leaders in the 3D printing space, including Winsun of China and Scaled of the UK. Both companies are experienced in delivering 3D-printed products using a variety of materials, from traditional cementitious composites to more exotic carbon fiber reinforced polymers, with our teams working together to host a design boot camp on how we can utilize the technology in innovative ways.

Better: digital engineering

Digital engineering techniques and processes, such as BIM and virtual reality (VR) replace repetitive manual tasks and use the power of machines and digital visualisation to deliver more reliable and accurate design and construction outcomes, eliminating errors that can otherwise lead to project delays and cost overruns. While BIM is more commonly known for its use during planning and construction, information on the operation and lifecycle of key building components can be added to BIM models, creating a complete picture of a building’s entire lifespan, improving both construction and operational effectiveness. Through a single integrated building data model, building operators can also extract, add and access vital information such as maintenance manuals, leading to more efficient operational management. We’ve been using BIM for many years at AECOM, most recently on major ME projects from design through to handover and operation, enhancing our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the software and the supply chain, giving us the unique perspective to develop facilities-management best practice guidance through lessons learned at each project stage.

Meanwhile, we’re using VR to enhance the design review process by allowing project teams and stakeholders to ‘walk’ through and experience spaces and structures before they’re built. It also allows us to identify potential problems before construction and engage communities and investors earlier in projects. Figures suggest that using VR and virtual walkthroughs to identify operational and maintenance issues before installation can save huge amounts of time over the life of an asset; for example, changing the orientation of a heat exchanger so that it can be accessed and maintained without the need to set up access platforms might save just one hour a week. But over 50 years of operation, this equates to 2,600 days, identifying and resolving just a handful of these types of issues can lead to millions of dollars of savings over a building’s operational life.

Going digital: completing WIRs 30 percent faster

We’re using an off-the-shelf cloud platform and tablets to digitise traditionally paper-based work inspection request (WIR) process on the AECOM-designed Clemenceau Medical Centre Dubai Healthcare City project, Dubai, where we are also construction supervisor. The switch to digital eliminated printing, scanning and manually tracking and logging the status of WIRs, allowing us to complete and submit them to the local authority 30 percent faster than traditional paper-based methods. Having instant access to the inspection reports in this way means the contractors can address any issues sooner and give the team greater oversight of works being completed, leading to more efficient and higher quality project delivery.