
How to ensure that a construction project is completed on time and on budget?
A successful project is the one finished on schedule and well within the bounds of financial plan. When the client is content with the completed project and the project worker leaves with a desired outcome that is when everybody wins. However, to accomplish this goal is a very difficult task. There are so many uncontrolled factors which could potentially cause the project to lose momentum and get delayed or make errors that could cause monetary repercussions.
So what causes construction projects to fail? Quite a few reasons can be held responsible for failure and delays, however more often than not it comes down to how well the task director or supervisor regulates the task. A lot also rides on how well the project is planned in advance. If all the major errors are identified and risk is properly mitigated then indeed, even the most complicated projects can be performed effectively. So how can the construction companies ensure that? In the current article we state the various ways in which construction companies can recognize and avoid construction errors.
Utilizing Building Information Modeling:
The construction industry today is on a precipice of a digital revolution and at the centre of it lies Building Information Modeling. BIM is a highly collaborative process of creating and managing information of the built asset. It is a holistic process that is based on intelligent modeling and enabled by cloud platform. The BIM model essentially integrates multi-disciplinary data so that there is singular digital representation of an asset through its lifecycle from design and planning to construction and operations.
The BIM model goes a long way in reducing errors. Firstly, its 3D visualization capabilities allows architects, designers and engineers to properly visualize their designs accurately so that they can easily identify any design errors. Additionally, Clash Detection Services provide them with the ability to detect any hard, soft and workflow clash at the pre-construction stage itself. What happens in essence by timely detection of clashes is that it saves considerable time, resources and money that would have been wasted had it been discovered onsite. Along with it also provides various tools for increased collaboration. From Revit Server to BIM 360 all connect teams with data in real time allowing them to make informed decisions.
Ensuring through control over time and cost:
One of the areas that causes the most dissatisfaction between clients is when cost and time are involved. Project delays and increase in cost are the areas of most contention. To start with the extreme competition faced today makes it such for the construction companies that they tend to take projects in less margins and tight deadlines. In this scenario they must have extreme project control at all cost and time. Here too BIM could be an added value. 4D BIM links time or schedule related information to the 3D model. It provides construction teams with information that is useful and precise. With 4D BIM the project manager can constantly keep track of time related information as well as spot any scheduling conflicts. For instance, the date of assembly and installation of components is kept prior to date of delivery. Spot any scheduling conflicts is essential because they can cause a domino effect and delay the whole project completely.
Similarly, 5D BIM provides quantity take-offs and cost estimations. As stated before nothing is more discerning for clients as it is to find that their budget has increased drastically in the end. Right from the onset BIM allows to compare two designs in terms of their cost implications. It also automatically links cost related information to quantities of materials thus any changes in quantities is reflected in terms of the cost. With 5D BIM it is possible to get detailed quantity take-offs, accurate cost estimations and forecasting, faster decision making and it also provides assistance in material procurement. Thus, using both 4D and 5D BIM project managers can stay on top of time and budget!
Digital Integration beyond BIM:
Obviously, BIM is one of the biggest assets that lies with the construction professionals today. However, beyond BIM there are also various modern technological advancements that lie with the construction professionals that help them at different stages of the project lifecycle. For instance, there was always 3D Rendering Services which allowed architects and designers to create photorealistic renders and present them to their investors, government officials, potential target customers etc. It makes it possible for architects and designers to accurately translate their vision and showcase it to the clients in a manner that leaves no scope of misinterpretation. Today, they can go a step beyond. Using virtual reality and augmented reality they can create realistic environments where the clients can immerse themselves in. They cannot just gain a complete understanding of the project but they can also make changes for instance the colour of the walls, the size of windows etc. The aim of all this is that the client knows what they are getting this way there will be complete satisfaction, no confusion and no onsite changes which could potentially delay the project.
At the construction stage then there are today drones and robotics. Both of these make the life of project managers’ onsite quite simple. With drones supervision becomes less challenging. Drones can firstly reach places that might be risky or difficult for project manager to do so. Secondly they can cover large area in quick time. With robotics the construction industry finds an answer to the problem of lack of skilled labour. Robots can carry out repetitive tasks like masonry with ease and with more accuracy. Many construction companies are also looking at prefabrication at various levels. It could be for prefabrication of some MEP or architectural components or even whole houses at a go. Prefabrication has been stated to reduce upto 50% of project cost.
Thus, today the construction professionals can leverage various tools that are at their disposal to ensure that they face minimum obstacles through their project ultimately allowing them to finish the project on time and budget.