The complete findings from our inaugural Giants 300 Technology and Innovation Study will be available soon at BDCnetwork.com/2019TechSurvey. This 12-question survey was emailed to all 486 firms that participated in BD+C’s 2019 Giants 300 Report; 130 firms completed the tech survey, for a participation rate of 26.7%.
The objective of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the state of AEC technology adoption and innovation initiatives at the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms. There are dozens of takeaways from this study, including which tech tools are being used most frequently, and which tools offer the best ROI (see our recap on page 40).
One takeaway that stood out for me was the astonishingly high adoption rate of offsite construction among the general contractors and construction management firms. Of the 35 GCs and CMs that participated in the survey, 25 firms (71.4%) indicated that they use offsite/prefab construction on projects, and, incredibly, nearly half (45.7%, or 16 firms) use offsite construction on “all” or “many” projects.
Of the 10 firms that currently are not implementing offsite construction on projects, three firms are pilot-testing offsite processes and four are considering the approach for future application. That leaves just three firms (8.5%) that indicated they have zero interest in offsite construction—which means we’re looking at an adoption rate of more than 90% among the nation’s largest GCs and CMs.
When asked to pinpoint the single most significant AEC technology innovation their firm has initiated in the past year with positive results, DPR Construction’s National Director of Innovation, Kaushal Diwan, cited the use of multitrade/multiscope prefabrication through its strategic partnership with Phoenix-based prefab provider Digital Building Components: “The ability to take more complex work offsite while other work proceeds, then bring ready-to-install elements to the site is a significant advance in the use of prefabrication. With the existing labor shortage and desire to still have speed-to-market, we think we’re only beginning to see the possibilities.”
Speed, quality, advanced coordination, and schedule gains are commonly cited as benefits of offsite construction. But what about hard-dollar ROI?
“Our current metrics savings show that prefabricating with Digital Building Components offsite saves 10–20% on overall cost,” said Diwan. “It can save time by improving installation efficiency by 20–30%, and it increases quality by reducing rework to less than 1%.”
The caveat, added Diwan, is that these results “are only possible through deep adoption and integration with virtual design and construction and robotics technology, which Digital Building Components uses.”
Related Stories
| Nov 9, 2010
12 incredible objects being made with 3D printers today
BD+C has reported on how 3D printers are attracting the attention of AEC firms. Now you can see how other creative types are utilizing this fascinating printing technology. Among the printed items: King Tut’s remains, designer shoes, and the world’s smallest Rubik’s Cube.
| Nov 9, 2010
U.S. Army steps up requirements for greening building
Cool roofs, solar water heating, and advanced metering are among energy-efficiency elements that will have to be used in new permanent Army buildings in the U.S. and abroad starting in FY 2013. Designs for new construction and major renovations will incorporate sustainable design and development principles contained in ASHRAE 189.1.
| Nov 9, 2010
Designing a library? Don’t focus on books
How do you design a library when print books are no longer its core business? Turn them into massive study halls. That’s what designers did at the University of Amsterdam, where they transformed the existing 27,000-sf library into a study center—without any visible books. About 2,000 students visit the facility daily and encounter workspaces instead of stacks.
| Nov 9, 2010
Turner Construction report: Green buildings still on the agenda
Green buildings continue to be on the agenda for real estate owners, developers, and corporate owner-occupants, according to the Turner 2010 Green Building Market Barometer. Key findings: Almost 90% of respondents said it was extremely or very likely they would incorporate energy-efficiency improvements in their new construction or renovation project, and 60% expected to incorporate improvements to water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and green materials.
| Nov 5, 2010
New Millennium’s Gary Heasley on BIM, LEED, and the nonresidential market
Gary Heasley, president of New Millennium Building Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., and EVP of its parent company, Steel Dynamics, Inc., tells BD+C’s Robert Cassidy about the Steel Joist Manufacturer’s westward expansion, its push to create BIM tools for its products, LEED, and the outlook for the nonresidential construction market.
| Nov 3, 2010
First of three green labs opens at Iowa State University
Designed by ZGF Architects, in association with OPN Architects, the Biorenewable Research Laboratory on the Ames campus of Iowa State University is the first of three projects completed as part of the school’s Biorenewables Complex. The 71,800-sf LEED Gold project is one of three wings that will make up the 210,000-sf complex.
| Nov 3, 2010
Park’s green education center a lesson in sustainability
The new Cantigny Outdoor Education Center, located within the 500-acre Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., earned LEED Silver. Designed by DLA Architects, the 3,100-sf multipurpose center will serve patrons of the park’s golf courses, museums, and display garden, one of the largest such gardens in the Midwest.
| Nov 3, 2010
Public works complex gets eco-friendly addition
The renovation and expansion of the public works operations facility in Wilmette, Ill., including a 5,000-sf addition that houses administrative and engineering offices, locker rooms, and a lunch room/meeting room, is seeking LEED Gold certification.
| Nov 3, 2010
Sailing center sets course for energy efficiency, sustainability
The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new facility on Lake Michigan counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. The facility was designed for the nonprofit instructional sailing organization with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind.
| Nov 3, 2010
Seattle University’s expanded library trying for LEED Gold
Pfeiffer Partners Architects, in collaboration with Mithun Architects, programmed, planned, and designed the $55 million renovation and expansion of Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons at Seattle University. The LEED-Gold-designed facility’s green features include daylighting, sustainable and recycled materials, and a rain garden.
