The Technologies Changing Construction

LOS ANGELES—Technology is penetrating the construction industry in a big way, helping to remove inefficiencies and streamline the building process, according to CW Driver project manager Matthew Wilt, who recently led the construction of a LEED-targeted science building at Loyola Marymount. Wilt names Revit, Box.com and PlanGrid as the staple technology tools that are shaping the industry.

“Technology is helping us coordinate the work; it is helping us communicate the work to other parties that are participating in the project; and it is helping us verify that the work is installed correctly,” Wilt tells GlobeSt.com.

Revit is a 3D modeling platform that allows the team to coordinate with the architect, engineer and subcontractors. It does everything from fuel collaboration and coordination to scheduling work. “This allows us to take CAD files from an architect or an engineer early on in the process, and through that coordination effort, we get as many people involved in the project as possible,” Wilt explains. “It ties into this design-build or design-assist effort that the industry is starting to see more. This allows us to work closely with the architect and engineers, and it helps us to have the dollars and schedule in the back of our mind. With this process, you don't have any inefficiency.” With Revit, contractors can start the project earlier and before the fieldwork begins.  

To move these very large files and make them accessible to his team, Wilt relies on Box.com, which is a cloud-based file transfer site that can distribute mass files or be accessed from an iPad on the work site. To increase efficiency further, the program allows contractors to print barcodes and post them at the construction site. When workers scan the barcode, they can access all of the documents in the cloud. Wilt says that this is an incredible feature that saves tremendous time and effort during the building process.

Once the project begins to come together, Wilt relies on a program called PlanGrid for quality control. The program, which allows you to view drawings onsite, helps the team ensure that the installation is correct. “With this program, we can walk into a room and make annotations directly into the system with comments and link it directly to a subcontractor,” says Wilt. “At the end of the day, subcontractors can view all of the notes and make corrections to the site as necessary.”