Hybrid project management in cleanroom investment

Client: Automotive supplier

Size: 1200 m2

Location: Veszprém

Completion: 2022

Services: BIM services, Project management, Scan to BIM

Sectors: Industrial building

We were involved in the ongoing 1200 sqm site development of an automotive products manufacturing and assembly company in Veszprém, providing technical supervision and project management. We were tasked with supporting and improving the efficiency of construction using advanced construction management tools.

The project

The aim of the investment was to create an ISO 7 cleanroom area in an existing part of the building, with associated mechanical and lounge areas. The main challenge was that the contractor had to fit a reinforced concrete frame structure with a walkable suspended ceiling suspended on a steel frame, with all the mechanical engineering required for the cleanroom.

We joined the project after the contractor tender. We were tasked with coordinating the construction and keeping to the tight construction schedule while dealing with the supplier difficulties that had formed in the current economic climate.

During the construction coordination, we worked on the basis of 2D drawings, BIM data provision was not part of the task. The plans were made on a traditional design method, so we offered our client a hybrid solution to ensure efficient and traceable project delivery.

Modeling

The construction plans were available in dwg and pdf format, which does not allow for spatial coordination, or only to a limited extent, and clashes and design errors are difficult to read. At one point, it was necessary to build a 3D model from existing plans using the Plan-to-BIM method.

On the basement level is the complex and densely fitted mechanical space above, supplying ISO7 clean room. Here it was particularly important for the contractor to be able to work from a clear plan that could be viewed from many different angles and to use AR technology to make the plans easier to check and interpret spatially on the DALUX interface.

In this situation, it was important for both the contractor and our own project management to be able to work on an information model basis. On the one hand, the tight schedule did not allow for the correction of defects on site, and on the other hand, the hourly rate for qualified welding work required of the contractor would have resulted in a very high-cost overrun. The dwg format also did not reveal any possible design errors, so no preventive action could have been taken.

Therefore we created a 3D model of the machine room on the basement level from 2D plans (Plan to BIM), by which the on-site fit and constructability of the steel structure were validated.

This was shared with the contractor, who then worked on a clear, manageable, and informative plan for the design of the heating and cooling system, which can also be used as a basis for future implementation plans.

Laser scan

During the cleanroom project, before the covered structures were closed, we scanned the area (Scan to BIM) using a LEICA RTC360 laser scanner to create a color point cloud, digitally recording the existing condition.

We had two main goals:

On the one hand, the accuracy of the steel structure of the suspended ceiling support of the production area was investigated using a 3D scanner and point cloud comparison. This would have taken the contractor days with conventional equipment and would not necessarily have produced the correct result. We used these tools to complete the task with a 2-day lead time, with an accuracy of +/-2cm. The steel structure was fitted within the specified tolerances, so construction could continue.

On the other hand, we have localized the main mechanical equipment before the elements whose position will need to be known later have been covered, so that the investor will have an accurate knowledge of the position of the equipment for future improvements.

Virtual tour

Using OpenSpace, we used a 360° camera to visit the site on a weekly basis during construction.

We used the tool to document progress by taking photos and sharing the finished material with the project participants and the client, who could easily take a virtual tour of the construction site, even with a smartphone.

With this technology, we have introduced another tool for rapid, real-time, remote change management based on visual information.

Technology

We used Leica RTC360 and Leica BLK2GO laser scanners for the survey, Revit for the modeling, and Cloudcompare software for the comparison of the design and existing conditions. Our virtual tour was carried out using an INSTA 360 camera and the OpenSpace platform.

Lessons

Every assignment is unique and therefore requires unique solutions. In this case, we joined an ongoing project based on a classical construction plan with hi-tech tools applied along a BIM project management workflow, solving some isolated problems but leaving many possibilities open.

We have modeled the engine room to help our work, but the rest of the building is still in dwg. Thus, there is no complete as-built model, i.e. if the client wants to integrate the building into a modern FM system, he will need a BIM-based building model, which will be an extra cost for him as part of a separate order. Thanks to the digital surveys carried out during the construction phase, the post-digitization of the building is partially validated, but additional surveys will be necessary.

After point cloud scanning, the
position of some of the covered structures
is precisely known

Our solution has made communication and change management an order of magnitude more transparent than the traditional approach. However, if we could have managed the entire project management process in Dalux, the Common Data Environment (CDE) would have made workflow and project communication even easier.

The project was completed on time and successfully, but it is important that the lessons learned from the project are taken into account for future developments.