"BIM is collaboration and for that you need expert partners."
Automation, robotisation and therefore digital design are an absolute necessity in the construction industry. This is the firm belief of Hilti, a global supplier of tools, products, software and other services to construction companies and installers. The company, together with Cadac as a partner, has been making progress with Building Information Modelling for five years. At the Dutch head office in Berkel en Rodenrijs, a pilot with Autodesk BIM 360 is now running, which will be rolled out across Europe if successful. "BIM is collaboration and for that you need expert partners."
With more than 30,000 employees and an annual turnover (2018) of 5.6 billion euros in 128 countries, family-owned Hilti is a major player in the construction industry. Growth figures have been written in double digits for years and it is expected to remain so.
Task
"You don't have to be a maths whizz for that," says Hayo Meijs, who is responsible for the Building Information Modelling process and everything that comes with it at Hilti Nederland. "The world population is growing to ten billion people. They all want to live and move around. That means a huge task with new construction and infrastructure. Homes, hospitals, office buildings, roads, railways, bridges, sewers, water pipes, and so on. Hilti provides tools, services and certain essential products for these sectors. It makes sense that the focus is on growth. But I would like to add right away that the construction industry must digitise like lightning. Labor productivity must increase. Working harder is not a solution, that's old school. And there are simply no more construction workers."
The only solution is to drastically increase labour productivity. Just like in the manufacturing industry, Jeroen Janssen, the permanent point of contact for Hilti on behalf of Cadac, also knows. "In construction, labour productivity has increased by perhaps two or three percent in the last ten years. Compare that to the manufacturing industry, which has become more than 25 percent more productive. Who does much more with fewer people. Thanks to digitisation, automation and robotisation. We are going to make that transition in construction as well."
The realisation that digitisation is inevitable is there by now. Not only because of the pressure of the construction task, but also to bring down the failure costs.
Hayo Meijs
BIM Program Manager - HILTI
Billions
Definitely, Hayo Meijs adds. "Every self-respecting company in the construction sector is working on it. Hilti supplies thousands of contractors and other suppliers in the construction industry and it is always about BIM. The realisation that digitisation is inevitable is there by now. Not only because of the pressure of the construction task, but also to bring down the failure costs.
Billions of euros are lost due to poor planning and coordination. The idea is still that any bottlenecks 'will be solved on the construction site'. This causes delays in repair work that drive up costs . Both through extra materials and extra manpower. I am convinced that we are on the eve of a tipping point, of a digital revolution in the construction sector. We have to."
Legolization
The key is digital design. In that context, Hayo Meijs points to China, where a skyscraper will be built within a month and a half. "It's a matter of stacking blocks," he says. "We call this the Legolization of Construction, a term introduced by Delft professor De Ridder.
Of course, in China, all those buildings look alike. Do we want that? Maybe not, but modular construction is the basis. The design is worked out down to the smallest detail. Elements are prefabricated. The holes, slots, anchors and recesses for doors and windows are immediately in the right place. The logistics surrounding the supply of materials, tools and manpower are perfectly arranged. That will be the new way of building."
Cadac Modules
Yet that does not have to lead to uniformity, Jeroen Janssen believes. "Just like with Lego bricks, you can vary endlessly. Give ten children a box of blocks and the assignment to build a house and you get ten different houses. Perhaps you can be more creative with digital design than with the current method.
Our Cadac Modules Configure solution has recently become available, allowing Hilti's sales people to configure a bracket assembly very easily and quickly. For support, for example, of pipes in a building. With a few clicks, the prefab drawings are ready for the partner who prefabricates the brackets so that they can be assembled directly on the construction site. Very efficient."
Cadac has made the transition from a software supplier to a digital enabler.
The basis for Building Information Modelling is the organisation and sharing of data. "We started doing that about five years ago with Cadac as a partner," Hayo Meijs continues. "Of course as a supplier of the Autodesk software, but mainly because Cadac provides knowledge and training, thinks along and advises. BIM is a process in which you need partners. Specialists who also endorse the need for change and dare to invest in digitisation. Cadac has made the transition from a software supplier to a digital enabler.
Lawsuit
We are already using them and can convince more and more parties to get involved. Clients, engineering firms, architects and contractors. Within our own company, this has made us a forerunner. We are now setting up a BIM Competence Center in Berkel en Rodenrijs in which we are taking the next step. With Autodesk's BIM 360 solution , our sales people and modellers are now making the real step towards digital design and construction.
Does it happen by itself? No, in fact you are setting up a new primary process. This also requires flexibility from our own ICT people. They also have to switch, rethink. Then a good partner is essential. Cadac provides good training, supports, motivates and is always available if something goes wrong."
Anchors
Hayo Meijs has plenty of examples. "For example, we supply the anchors and bracket systems with which pipes, cables and pipes are secured. That sounds simple, but it is essential to determine the exact location and specifications in the digital design.
We then supply the right materials with the necessary tools. At the right time. Another party can already pre-drill the holes so that time is saved on the construction site. This allows you to work out every part of a building digitally in detail.
Order in chaos
Certainly, not every party is ready yet. But it goes fast. We have had good experiences with the new construction for a data centre in Eemshaven and the headquarters of the European Patent Office in Rijswijk. Now we are working in Germany on a building for BASF in which dozens of partners are joining.
They all share their data in Autodesk's BIM 360 . Everyone works with the most up-to-date data in the cloud, there are no more different versions circulating. Sending heavy files via WeTransfer is a thing of the past, as is the fragmented storage of documents. The system can handle all types of documents. Order is created in the chaos. The margin of error decreases, the construction speed increases. The start is there."
BIM-centre
The BIM Competence Center will serve as a knowledge centre for the entire Hilti group. "First of all for Europe and perhaps worldwide," Hayo Meijs hopes. "We also want to grow further in Asia and Eastern Europe. Developments are moving fast there, but we certainly have expertise that is needed."
Jeroen Janssen can only support Hayo Meijs' enthusiastic argument. "For us, Hilti is obviously a valuable relationship and now a figurehead of our campaign to further roll out BIMs. Just like in the manufacturing industry, Cadac also wants to play the role of digital enabler in construction."