Blog: Digital Construction award winner 2018

26 September 2018

VISUALISE (Skanska)

Type of client: Government

Contract value: £1 million

The Judges say..."This project addresses an industry wide problem of connecting and integrating information from multiple sources. Collaboration with multiple stakeholders has helped to provide engagement and buy-in up and down the supply chain."

Organisations such as Skanska are responsible for building & managing/maintaining multiple infrastructure assets (energy, transport, urban & other systems) for local authorities, transport infrastructure operators, utilities companies and facilities such as hospitals, schools. These physical assets are often widely geographically distributed across a city/region and may be under, on or above ground level. Many assets are currently managed within closed ‘systems’ based around asset type. Whilst data (geo-based, asset type, history, condition monitoring sensors) may be available it is not effectively utilised across these systems.

To support effective, efficient management and future construction of physical infrastructure assets, data from discrete asset systems has been integrated, validated and analysed and combined with Building Information Modelling (BIM) approaches and 3D mapping enabled by Geographical Information Systems (GIS). This approach provides better intelligence and functionality for asset managers, enabling productivity improvements and cost savings in asset management, and improved business offerings and reduced risk of failure to asset owners. A project consortium led by Skanska with SMEs 3DRepo, Unit9, Carto Group, BRE, and asset owners (including Hampshire County Council and Great Ormod Street Hospital) utliised their in-house resources (staff/skills, software/digital solution development capabilities, key infrastructure and supporting data, and industry-wide access) to deliver this solution.

Following the implementation of the VISUALISE solution, it is estimated that the the economic benefits will lead to an estimated 8% saving in the cost of infrastructure asset management. Put into the context of the £280 million, seven year contract awarded to Skansa by Hampshire County Council to maintain over 5,500 miles of highway, VISUALISE will support and drive the local supply chain and maintenance routine with efficiency.

“In this category, we look for examples of how the adoption of collaborative digital processes has dramatically improved the planning, design, fabrication, construction and operation of built facilities or infrastructure” explains Graeme Forbes, CEO, Clearbox; head judge and sponsor of the Digital Construction Award.  “This project addresses an industry-wide problem of connecting and integrating information from multiple sources.  VISUALISE facilitates better intelligence and leads to significant cost savings for infrastructure asset management”.

Skanska will now go onto the final Constructing Excellence National Awards, held on the 16th of November, competing with category winners from other regions around the UK - we wish them and all our other winners in London and the South East the best of luck!

We will be launching the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2019 shortly after the nationals on the 19th of November for works carried out this year! You can register your interest here.