UK Construction Market Report 3Q 2024
Introducing Twin
Introducing Twin:
Digital twins deliver faster, smarter and greener solutions. With advancements in scanning technology, such as the NavVis VLX, these solutions can be deployed more cost-effectively and at scale. Collaboration among experienced professionals, particularly skilled geomatics experts like our in-house team, is essential for delivering high-quality digital twins.
Gleeds’ Twin offers clients an accurate digital replica of their assets — both for existing buildings and for new builds — enabling smarter workflows, reducing physical site visits, lowering costs and minimising carbon footprints.
Clients access their digital twin via a web-based portal with enhanced features, including:
- Inspection, planning and measurement: Precise evaluations using photogrammetry
- Remote access: Team accessibility from anywhere
- Mobile integration: Our app allows for notes and sharing of precise locations linked to the digital twin via augmented reality technology.
In addition to direct client benefits, Gleeds offers follow-on services using the same data and platform, such as:
- Energy performance simulation: Modelling and optimisation.
- Space utilisation assessments: Enhanced space use, can be developed with IoT sensors
- Asset tagging: Efficient asset management
- Point cloud data utilisation: Reinstatement cost assessments and survey pre-population.
In the UK, our reality capture team can scan sites with the NavVis VLX and provide web access to a client’s digital twin within 24 hours. We also support global operations by ensuring data is correctly formatted, checked remotely and processed on the Gleeds' Ivion Account for seamless access.
Benefits of Twin
Enhanced efficiency and reduced carbon footprint
Traditionally, asset owners engage multiple consultants to perform various services throughout an asset's lifecycle, such as condition surveys, measured plans, asset tagging and more. This often results in each consultant collecting their own data, which can lead to duplicated efforts and inconsistencies due to differing measurement techniques. Digital twins provide a solution by creating a precise, virtual replica of assets, enhancing operational efficiency and data accuracy.
Seven out of 10 of our survey respondents say that a digital twin would lead to reductions in time and travel when providing professional services. Additionally, digital twins offer substantial environmental benefits by decreasing the need for physical site visits. For non-domestic properties sized between 2,000 and 5,000 sqm, this can translate into a reduction of approximately 540kg of carbon dioxide per asset annually.
Improved energy performance
Gleeds partners with Optimise AI to combine digital twins with building data sets (e.g., meter readings, BMS, utility bills) and generative AI to provide a live energy performance simulation tool. This tool offers insights into:
- Energy consumption
- Carbon emissions
- Energy costs
- Improvement plans and scenarios
- Room-by-room energy performance using point cloud data and photogrammetry.
A recent project involved scanning the entire De Montfort University Campus to pre-populate maintenance surveys and provide a digital twin. By integrating this data with utility usage, the university received a live energy performance simulation model that proposed energy and cost-reduction scenarios down to individual rooms.
Two-thirds of our survey respondents agree that conveying advice to clients using reality capture outputs is easier than traditional methods.
Opportunity to integrate with Internet of Things (IoT)
Understanding building performance is crucial for optimising space, saving energy and enhancing productivity. Gleeds collaborates with Smart Viz to offer a cost-effective digital twin and IoT sensor service. These compact sensors are easily installed and connected to a dedicated router, providing real-time data on occupancy, temperature and carbon dioxide levels.
This technology supports estate rationalisation and optimisation across regional and national portfolios. It could become standard practice in new construction, complementing snagging lists and inspections by providing objective performance data compared to design criteria.
Efficient construction monitoring
Utilising reality capture technology throughout construction offers clients an accurate record of the building process, crucial for resolving disputes or future reference. Clients can visualise their assets remotely, reducing the need for site visits.
Gleeds Twin employs geomatics professionals using the NavVis VLX to provide superior accuracy over traditional 360 cameras, achieving precision within 5mm. This technology delivers an as-built digital replica, complete with progress scans and all relevant O&M information, offering a comprehensive reference for clients. Nearly 80% of our survey respondents believe that full scans offer a superior data set over and above traditional asset information on record.
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