This article provides an overview of some of the projects that were presented at ALLPLAN’s recent digital conference by AEC firms all over the world including Ardanuy Ingeniería, Xingtai Transportation Construction Group, Quadrante, and Michael Baker International.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2023/issue_124.html
This article provides an overview of the recent developments in Graphisoft’s product portfolio that are specifically focused on facilitating AEC collaboration, as shared at its recent Building Together digital event. These include Teamwork in Archicad working in conjunction with BIMcloud, demonstrated in the Merdeka 118 project in in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the BIMx mobile app being used for visualization and coordination; new features in the MEP Modeler and the closer integration of DDScad for MEP engineering; and OpenBIM-based interoperability between Archicad and other Nemetschek solutions in megaprojects like Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane, Australia.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2023/issue_123.html
Last month, I attended an online webinar, “Architectural Innovation: The technology helping architects to design for the future,” in which three leading architectural firms headquartered in the UK shared their most recent technology implementations and insights. It is always fascinating to learn about what the top AEC firms are doing from a technology perspective, given how rapidly technology is advancing across all walks of life — see, for example, ChatGPT, and how it has taken off. The firms were BDP, Bryden Wood, and Foster + Partners, and in the span of just an hour, I was able to get a concise snapshot of some their latest technology developments. The event was part of the World Architecture 100 (WA100) Live 2023 event put together by the organization, Building Design.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2023/issue_122.html
This article by Abdelwahab Krim, an MEP Project Manager, highlights the practical benefits of using BIM software for MEP design for achieving a high-quality result in the shortest possible time, using as reference a project he worked on — the “Mawteny Residence,” a multistorey building situated in Oran, Algeria, with over 200 apartments that is currently under construction.
The software that was deployed was the FineMEP Suite comprising FineHVAC, FineSANI and FineGAS, and it was used for the piping and dimensioning of the HVAC, sanitary and gas networks, as well as for the detailed specifications of the related HVAC and plumbing equipment. Because of the combined use and critical synergies of the three applications, the design time was also significantly reduced.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2023/Smart-MEP-Design.html
The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) is the leading international event for smart cities, and it has been held every year in Barcelona since 2011. There was a break for a couple of years because of the pandemic, but the event returned in 2021 for its 10th anniversary. I had the opportunity to tune into the 2022 event, which was held in person in Barcelona in November and was also streamed online.
While creating a smart city involves a lot more than just technology — aspects such as policy, politics, governance, etc. are key — there is no doubt that technology solutions such as AI, IoT, digital twins, data analytics, etc. can go a long way in enabling cities to function more efficiently. There are also many more aspects of a city that need to be “smartened” in addition to its infrastructure such as mobility, energy, utilities, safety, etc. While the SCEWC event was devoted to exploring several aspects of smart cities, there were a few sessions related to technology in infrastructure, the highlights of two of which are captured in this article.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2023/issue_121.html
In my first article on Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure (YII) 2022 event that was published last month, I provided an overview of the main technology updates shared by Bentley Systems. A key feature of this annual event are the customer presentations of infrastructure projects around the world that are deploying Bentley’s solutions in different ways. Collectively, they provide a concise snapshot every year of the strides that are being made world-wide in technology implementation in infrastructure.
This article provides an overview of some of the projects that were presented at the YII 2022 event. These include DPR’s use of SNYCHRO for prefabricated construction scheduling, the 3D city model of the City of Perry by Foth, Kokusai Kogyo’s work in Japan’s 3D city model project called Project PLATEAU, and ACCONIA’s use of digital construction in Melbourne’s level crossing removal project.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2023/BentleyYII2022-Projects.html
Bentley’s annual Year In Infrastructure (YII) conference is a great way to get updated on the latest technology developments of the company as well as the diverse range of projects all over the world that are being implemented with its solutions. Not only is the number of industries in which Bentley’s solutions are used growing, the number of countries in which they are being implemented is increasing as well. This makes the YII event more than just a showcase for one technology vendor — it’s also a good measure of the “pulse” of AEC technology implementation in infrastructure projects worldwide.
The YII event this year was held last month in London, and while I did not attend it in person, I was able to watch all of the event recordings online, including the technology updates from Bentley as well as the individual customer presentations of all the projects nominated for its “Going Digital” awards. AECbytes is covering this event in two parts, with this article capturing the key technology updates that were shared by Bentley, and a separate article on the project presentations that will be published soon.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2022/issue_120.html
A few weeks ago, Graphisoft held a virtual AEC industry summit, which brought together experts from around the world to share their knowledge and best practices on topics including sustainable architecture, digital workflows, immersive visualization, and empowering future architects and engineers. This article provides an overview of some of the sessions presented at the event by AEC firms around the world, including Enzyme in Hong Kong, Farkasvölgyi Architects in Brazil, Mostostal Warszawa in Poland, and TeCe Architects in Turkey, along with Powerhouse Company, Bond Bryan, and Pita. Together, they provided a fascinating window into how some of Graphisoft’s global customers are using BIM and other advanced technologies in their firms.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2022/BuildingTogether-Graphisoft.html
Last week, the engineering simulation company, SimScale, held a one-day event specifically focused on the AEC industry, highlighting the importance of simulation technology in the design of projects ranging from individual buildings to entire cities. It was held to coincide with World Cities Day, which is held on October 31 every year to promote the global effort to create a more sustainable planet.
SimScale is an engineering simulation company that was started in 2013 and develops cloud-based high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis and thermal simulations. It has, until now, been primarily focused on industrial and product design in industries such as aerospace, automotive design, electronics, and consumer products, which is why it has been, until now, relatively unknown in AEC. However, with the growing importance of sustainability in building and infrastructure design, SimScale is expanding the scope of its products and services to the AEC industry, not just with its own line of cloud simulation software but also by jointly developing sustainability tools with leading AEC firms like Thornton Tomasetti and KPF and partnering with technology firms like NVIDIA on its Omniverse offering.
SimScale’s World Cities Day Event provided the opportunity to learn more about these initiatives as well as the larger context of climate resilience from which they have emerged.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2022/issue_119.html
The Open Design Alliance (ODA) – the leading nonprofit organization focused on openness and interoperability in the CAD industry – returned with its annual Summit last week in which it provided an overview of the technology updates it has made since last year’s event. While the work of the ODA is not directly used by design professionals, it is licensed by the ODA’s member companies — the current count of which is over 1,200 – most of whom are commercial CAD and BIM software companies located around the world.
Similar to last year, this year’s Summit also included brief presentations from some of these member companies including Safe Software, 3D Repo, and Graebert, demonstrating how they have implemented ODA technologies in their products. This article captures the highlights of the 2022 ODA Summit that are relevant to the AEC industry.
URL: https://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2022/issue_118.html
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