At PointFuse we’re passionate about the potential of technology (particularly our technology!) to help solve the challenges of the modern construction industry. We’ve been working tirelessly with our clients and industry partners to create an ecosystem where data about the built environment can be easily and instantly viewed by anyone who needs it, and be used to make construction more efficient, safer, environmentally friendly, and profitable for contractors. That’s why we’re delighted to be asked to contribute to How to prepare for the Building Safety Bill, a new whitepaper from Autodesk which collects insights from industry experts to help building owners, construction firms, and other businesses embrace the changes that will be needed to respond to the Building Safety Bill to construct safer buildings.
A blueprint for owners, contractors, local authorities and more
The paper looks in detail at the requirements of the new bill, which has now been passed into law, and breaks down what the key elements mean for the different parties in construction projects. Alongside contributions from experts at MACE, the Building Engineering Services Association, and Cast Consulting, our CEO Steve Salmon contributed to the paper to explain how reality capture is an essential tool for one of the most critical requirements of the bill: creating and maintaining the golden thread of information about a building, allowing any relevant party to understand a building and to keep it, and its occupants, safe.
For owners to achieve this thread, reality capture is the only realistic solution. Creating scans showing the as-built conditions for their building, rather than relying on plans made before construction, is the only way to ensure that a record about a building is accurate enough to pass muster under the new regulations. Indeed, for older buildings that are affected by the new legislation reality capture may be the only way to gain any information at all, as plans may be non-existent, or so hopelessly out of date after years of modifications to the building that they aren’t an accurate reflection of the building at all.
A chance to start building better
“The changes that the paper talks about are daunting,” says Steve,
“but our goal in putting the paper together is to show the industry that there is a way forward – and in fact, if you are prepared to invest in the right technologies and skills instead of trying to do things the way they’ve always been done, it can be surprisingly easy to remain compliant.”
In fact, as the paper shows, by adapting to meet the needs of the Building Safety Bill, it’s likely that parties up and down the construction process will see benefits from implementing the bill.
“Understanding exactly what your buildings look like and even what they contain can help you lower your insurance premiums, by ensuring you’re not paying to insure more space than you actually own,”
Steve explains. “On top of that, it’s easier to plan activities such as office refurbishments, to ensure your workspace allows for social distancing, or to start building a sophisticated digital twin of your building that helps reduce maintenance and operating costs and the carbon footprint of your building.”
Crucially, reality capture enables owners to demonstrate that their buildings comply with the new regulations – even as construction is underway. “As long as firms take steps to manage the size and structure of the point cloud data they capture, it’s possible to use point cloud data to demonstrate that your construction matches your designs, and is therefore compliant with the new regulations. Firms will also quickly identify any discrepancies between their as-built and their design, helping to keep down costly rework. This makes the construction phase for a building more efficient, greener, and ultimately more profitable.”
Read the paper
Visit Autodesk’s website to download the white paper. We hope you enjoy reading it. If the paper raises any questions about reality capture for your buildings, you can get in touch with us to discuss your challenges and we would happily advise how reality capture can help you meet them.
