Customer case elk® - renovation project supported by real estate data
"We should not see AI as a threat, but embrace it as a tool."
each®
Client
"We should not see AI as a threat, but embrace it as a tool."
The situation and occasion
each® participated in a tender for the renovation project of 79 homes owned by Stadlander housing corporation on Hekelstraat, Schrankstraat and Zwingellaan in 's-Gravendeel (shaded green).
Wim Nieuwkerk of elk® saw opportunities for a collaboration with supRmen and BIMpartners for this project. The goal was to make the collection of all data needed to properly perform maintenance and renovation more efficient and complete using a combination of indoor and outdoor scanning technology.
Customer issue
each®, BIM Partners and supRmen worked together to propose a solution to Stadlander. The key questions presented to supRmen for this purpose were as follows:
"What are the options and costs for:
Wim's idea paid off and elk® won the tender. The ongoing project aims to sustainably transform the homes for 25 years of worry-free use, including renovations to roofs, window frames and insulation, among other things.
Our solution
Our solution consisted of three phases:
1. Gathering data
We started by informing all residents and neighbors within a 50-meter radius of the building through a comprehensive letter.
We then took about 1,200 photos of the complex. These photos were taken from the air by a drone as well as from street level with high resolution cameras. In this way the undersides of e.g. roof overhangs and gutters were captured from all angles with razor-sharp accuracy. The collection took only half a day. The images were taken with a measuring accuracy of 5 mm to enable accurate measurements - necessary for ordering new window frames, for example. In addition, the high resolution of the images (100MP) ensures that the condition can be determined.
In order not to invade privacy, individuals and license plates are automatically bulldozed by our algortime. This can be compared to Google Streetview.
2. Visualize
All photos taken by the drone and at the street level were stitched together into a complete online photorealistic 3D model in our cloud-based platform, in which all details were visible in 2D and 3D.
We collected all appointments, execution activities, documents and other information in a central place in our customer portal. This made all information centrally visible in one place and everyone was always up-to-date on the progress of the project.
3. Quantify
In this phase, all necessary data was extracted from the 3D model and converted to directly applicable information for each®, Stadlander and other stakeholders . The starting point was to determine quantities and dimensions. For this assignment, the choice was made to have BIMpartners determine the quantities and dimensions in their BIM models. Nevertheless, all salient damages were annotated in the 3D model so that elk® could act on them.
Results
During an interim evaluation with Wim, it turns out that the 3D model adds value at several points in the process. Here is a small sample of where
Calculation and preparation
elk® used the 3D model for planning and calculation, where accurate dimensions could be extracted from the model in no time. At the start of the project, the 3D model was used during the kick-off with all partners and subcontractors to visually include everyone in the project. This approach not only saved time, but also ensured seamless integration of the digital model into the practical implementation.
Implementation
The 3D model is also used during execution, serving as a tool during weekly progress meetings, among other things. The BIM and 3D model is consulted both for the technical definition of work and for solving practical issues, such as moving the central heating boiler and installing blinds.
Based on the images, it is also possible to identify where incidental facade repair needs to take place and where, based on visible staining, cavity wall insulation might have subsided. This has led to considerable efficiency gains. Wim reports that they "just saved a work week in travel time" because employees didn't have to drive to the site for every little thing.
Advantages for subcontractors
In addition to the benefits for each®, other stakeholders were appreciative of this new way of working. Positive feedback was received from subcontractors, including the frame specialist, the roofer and the facade specialist. For example, the frame specialist was able to order the frames based on the BIM models created from the scans.
The future
Based on the benefits that this method has offered, Wim - and thus elk® as a company - certainly plan to use 3D models and our software again on future projects. Initially to relieve calculators, but according to Wim there are also many opportunities to apply this technique organization-wide.
In addition, Wim is positive about the applications of AI in his field. He states that there are colleagues who remain positively critical, but it is a tool that can offer them much now and in the future.
"We should not see it as a threat, but we should embrace it as a tool."
- Wim Nieuwkerk - Plan Developer elk® group-.
Wim sees more potential for closer integration of AI, particularly in the ability to take condition measurements and monitor construction processes. For example, Wim argues that there is tremendous value in taking additional images during and after construction. Those images can be juxtaposed with the full 3D model. Potentially, an additional scan upon completion could be among the possibilities. The resulting model then acts as a baseline measurement for the end customer. A great idea that we will certainly explore together!
The other results for each® were:
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