• Tag: bluebeam

    Bluebeam Compare Documents vs. Overlay Pages

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by FRANK KALMAN on the Bluebeam Blog.

    Discover how Compare Documents and Overlay Pages by Bluebeam transforms managing documents with precision and visual clarity.

    In the world of digital document management in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, precision and efficiency are paramount. Professionals across the industry rely on tools that streamline their workflows and enhance collaboration.

    Bluebeam offers two powerful features—Compare Documents and Overlay Pages—each designed to serve specific purposes. In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of these tools to help users make informed decisions on which to use, and when.

    Compare Documents: A Closer Look

    Bluebeam’s Compare Documents feature is a robust tool designed to highlight the differences between two versions of a document. This can be especially invaluable in scenarios where document revisions are frequent.

    When a user initiates the Compare Documents function, Bluebeam Revu meticulously analyzes the content of the selected documents and generates a comprehensive report highlighting any discrepancies. This includes additions, deletions and modifications made between the two versions. The software employs a color-coded system, making it easy for users to identify changes at a glance. Typically, additions are highlighted in green, deletions in red and modifications in blue; for Compare Documents, cloud markups are added around the differences.

    The utility of Compare Documents extends beyond textual content. It can also identify changes in graphical elements, providing a holistic overview of alterations in the document. This feature not only accelerates the review process but also minimizes the risk of oversight.

    Overlay Pages: Unveiling the Integration

    Overlay Pages is another powerful feature within Bluebeam’s arsenal, designed to facilitate precise document comparisons and analysis. Unlike Compare Documents, Overlay Pages allows users to superimpose two versions of a document on top of each other, providing a visual representation of their differences.

    This feature is particularly beneficial when dealing with architectural plans or any document where graphical elements are of utmost importance. By overlaying the pages, users can visually assess discrepancies in the placement of elements, ensuring that the design conforms to specifications. This method of visual inspection can be more intuitive for certain types of documents, providing a complementary approach to the text-centric Compare Documents feature.

    Integration for Comprehensive Analysis

    While Compare Documents and Overlay Pages serve distinct purposes, their integration can offer a comprehensive solution for users seeking an exhaustive analysis of document revisions.

    By first employing Compare Documents to identify textual changes, users can then turn to Overlay Pages to visually inspect the graphical alterations. This combined approach ensures a thorough examination of both textual and visual elements, leaving no room for oversight. The seamless integration of these features in Bluebeam empowers users to achieve meticulous precision in their document review processes.

    Auto Align Makes Compare Documents and Overlay Pages Even Better

    Released in April 2024, Revu 21.1 gives Compare Documents and Overlay Pages an overhaul. Not only has the user interface been greatly improved for easier navigation and previews of the results, but Bluebeam has also added AI. Auto Align is an AI-enabled capability allowing for documents and pages to align automatically.

    Auto Align reduces the tedious, error-prone steps of manually aligning three points on each drawing revision, so users can understand the differences between them faster. Bluebeam customers currently use the Overlay and Compare features more than 5 million times a year. With the Auto Align option, users can now understand the differences in their documents and pages up to 80% faster.

    6 Bluebeam Features Perfect for Steel Professionals

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by FRANK KALMAN on the Bluebeam Blog.

    Bluebeam has many capabilities that are ideal for the steel industry to get bids done faster and more efficiently.

    Steel is an essential building material. The people who work to procure and supply steel for construction projects spend a lot of time in the pre-construction phase tabulating the amount of the material the project will require based off plan documents, along with the estimated cost.

    Historically, steel professionals were left to do this work the old-fashioned way—off paper plans, with highlighters, pen and a host of other analog tools to calculate a project’s needed supply and estimated costs. Thanks to the advent of digital tools, that is no longer the case.

    Tools like Bluebeam now allow steel professionals the opportunity to reduce the time it takes to complete project bids with analog workflows from weeks down to a matter of days, giving them a tremendous competitive advantage.

    “The biggest advantage of using Bluebeam for steel is in the pre-construction phase of a project,” said Charles Todd, a Bluebeam industry consultant who previously spent several years working in steel fabrication. “Doing it the old, paper-based way is like doing twice the work.”

    Here are six features in Bluebeam that make it essential for the steel industry: 

    Markup List

    The Markup List adopts a table format, where each row corresponds to a markup added to an active PDF, and each column displays specific information about the markup.

    Selecting a row prompts the PDF view in the workspace to jump to the associated markup location, facilitating navigation through markups using the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys.

    For steel professionals, this tool is paramount for organizing markups for quick and easy reference, especially for pre-construction estimations that go a long way toward winning bids. The list can also be exported in various document types, allowing for quick record-keeping and information sharing among colleagues.

    Measure

    The Measure tool facilitates the creation of measurements in various modes. These measurements can either persist as markups, helping in processing and summarization through the Markup List, particularly valuable for estimation and takeoffs. Alternatively, they can be temporary, providing a swift means to measure without generating a visual record on the PDF.

    Measuring and creating cost estimates for steel beams are critical in the pre-construction estimation process. Not only can steel professionals find massive time savings in using the measurement tool, but customization capability also allows users to associate accurate weights for steel quantities. This can help steel workers calculate accurate materials costs with the click of a button.

    Count

    The Count tool generates a markup with every mouse click, linking a cumulative count with each placed markup. It resembles Sequences in the Tool Chest, differing in that it introduces a preconfigured (typically less conspicuous) or personalized symbol onto the PDF. Moreover, the Count tool maintains an ongoing tally, either per page or Space, for each item counted. In contrast, Sequences count on the PDF without maintaining a continuous tally, treating each markup independently and refraining from grouping them in the Markup List.

    For drawings that need to identify and count the specific number of steel beams, for instance, this tool can be incredibly helpful. Simply clicking each beam or other building element in a digital plan document allows the tool to automatically tally a total number.

    Tool Sets

    Tool Sets in Bluebeam can be generated and exchanged seamlessly among various users. These sets are versatile, allowing for local saving, network sharing or exportation to other users. Sharing Tool Sets proves invaluable for establishing consistent markups tailored to diverse projects, job roles, clients and beyond. Effectively managing these Tool Sets is a crucial aspect of maximizing the utility of Bluebeam.

    Steel fabricators can establish Custom Tool Sets specific for their needs during the pre-construction estimation process, allowing for a cleaner and more efficient workflow for creating job-winning bids faster.

    Profiles

    Profiles offer a convenient method to save preferred toolbars, menus and display settings, ensuring that the most essential tools are easily accessible every time Bluebeam opens.

    What’s more, as with Tool Sets, Profiles can be customized for steel workers’ specific needs. Doing so allows workers maximum levels of efficiency for all specific steel-industry uses of the software, such that workers don’t have to toggle between unfamiliar or unnecessary tools to get the job done.

    Integration with External Digital Tools

    Finally, many of these tools in Bluebeam can be integrated with other essential steel industry digital tools. For example, exporting the Markup List to a Microsoft Excel file is one way to then upload that information into another piece of complementary software. Such seamless integration allows steel workers to complete complex estimation tasks in a fraction of the time that it would take with old, analog processes. What’s more, calculations are more likely to be accurate, leading to fewer errors or costly and time-consuming rework.

    Bluebeam is an essential tool for anyone in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, but it is especially useful for those working in steel.

    Can Climate Proofing Structures Help Reverse Climate Change?

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by HAMISH CHAMP on the Bluebeam Blog.

    With the built environment such a prominent source of carbon emissions, it is vital that the industry recognizes the urgent need to ‘climate proof’ homes and other built assets and infrastructure.

    Everyone is aware of the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change. Climate change has been exacerbated by human activity, particularly since industrial activity increased dramatically in the 1800s. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas generates greenhouse gas emissions, effectively trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures around the world.

    Responding to the looming crisis, international governments have pledged to lower carbon emissions to reduce global warming. Only last month negotiators from dozens of countries agreed to shift away from fossil fuels at the COP 28 climate summit.

    Yet as the United Nations (UN) points out, rising temperatures are just the start.

    “The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity,” it says.

    Eliminate carbon emissions from buildings

    The built environment is stepping up and playing its part in reducing carbon emissions. Since construction activity and building occupation accounts for around 39% of global carbon emissions, the pressure is on designers, developers, building owners and operators, and occupiers to make buildings greener.

    There is much work to do. A report called “UK Housing: Fit for the Future?,” published in 2019 by the UK government’s advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC), argued that the UK’s legally binding climate change targets would not be met “without the near-complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from UK buildings.”

    The CCC’s report noted that efforts to reduce emissions from the UK’s 28 million or so homes had stalled, while domestic energy use—which accounted for 14% of total UK emissions—had increased. Worryingly, efforts to adapt the UK’s housing stock to the impacts of the changing climate—known as climate proofing—were “lagging far behind what is needed to keep us safe and comfortable, even as … climate change risks grow.”

    So how can the UK’s building stock, and particularly homes, be climate proofed?

    There are two approaches: First, when building new, do so to exacting standards that lower their environmental impact; second, retrofit existing buildings with materials and technologies to the same end.

    Build in weather resistance

    The UN’s Environment Programme (UNEP) says it is possible to build in resistance to heatwaves, extreme cold, cyclones and strong winds, coastal flooding and drought with a variety of construction strategies.

    “Structural designs can help reduce heat inside buildings,” the UNEP says. “In Vietnam, traditional housing designs such as the optimum orientation of buildings, high-rise rooms and large openings improve ventilation.”

    “Walls of concrete, stone or other heavy material that capture solar heat are used in China, Chile and Egypt. Green roofs and reflective surfaces can also reduce temperatures in and around buildings.”

    The UNEP says that adapting to cold and temperate climates “requires capturing heat and minimizing heat loss. Insulations in roofs, walls, ceilings and double-glazed windows help to minimize heat loss and lead to more energy-efficient buildings.”

    To resist the effects of strong winds, homes could be built in circular shapes, while strong connections between foundations and the roof are critical to building wind-resilient houses.

    Homes built in areas at risk of flooding could be positioned on pillars to allow floodwater to flow underneath, the UNEP suggests, while those in drought-affected regions could feature rainwater harvesting and recharge systems that capture water on the roofs of buildings.

    Passivhaus technology

    Companies have been working on climate-proof building concepts for years. Perhaps the most familiar example is the Passivhaus program. Developed in Germany in the late 1990s, key features of a Passivhaus are lots of insulation and airtightness, minimal thermal bridging, optimization of passive solar gain, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and a simple, compact shape.

    According to the International Passive House Association, which promotes the Passivhouse Standard, along with “a greater public understanding of highly energy-efficient buildings,” such homes need just 10% of the energy used by typical Central European buildings.

    A disadvantage, at least in the short term, is that a Passivhaus costs around 8% more upfront to build, says the IPHA. But a house built this way eventually uses much less energy than a conventional new home, meaning over time this kind of outlay will be recouped; plus, there’s the improved comfort and structural performance to consider.

    We understand the sort of elements that should go into a newly built home. Let’s assume that new UK homes are being consistently built to high climate change-resistant standards and housebuilders lay claim to buyers making significant energy savings when acquiring “new.” The next question is what to do about existing homes?

    Given the age of most of the UK’s existing housing stock, this is an issue that needs tackling. More than half of the country’s homes were built before 1965, more than a third before 1945 and 20% prior to 1919. Just 7% has been delivered since 2000.

    Retrofitting homes—the costly solution

    Retrofitting has been put forward as the best solution. But given the number of households in the UK, around 28 million, the scale of the task is positively Herculean. The cost is not insignificant either.

    According to a study by the University of Nottingham, the cost of “deep retrofit”—effectively retrofitting a home to the highest levels of energy efficiency—is expected to average around £69,000, or $86,850, more than twice the government estimate for such work. So carrying out such retrofits on every older home in the country will come with a high cost.

    In addition, there is the time it will take to retrofit so many homes. But not doing anything isn’t an option, which the industry recognizes.

    Infrastructure is another area where climate proofing is vital so services can continue to function in the event of things like catastrophic flooding.

    According to the OECD, “ensuring that infrastructure is climate resilient will help to reduce direct losses and reduce the indirect costs of disruption,” which can result from the same factors that threaten the viability of so many homes across the country.

    Construction-Themed Amusement Park Aims to Inspire Kids to Join the Industry

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by HILARY DANINHIRSCH on the Bluebeam Blog.

    Diggerland in New Jersey hopes to expose kids to the thrills of working in the construction industry.

    Making construction appealing to the next generation is critical to helping the industry overcome a significant worker shortage. It’s also the central idea behind Diggerland, USA, the nation’s first full-fledged construction-themed amusement park and waterpark in West Berlin, New Jersey.

    Diggerland features real-life construction equipment that has been made safe for children and adults to operate and explore. The rides are designed specifically for the park, with safety features that make it appropriate for young children.

    Diggerland’s CEO, Yan Girlya, and his brother, Ilya Girlya, worked in the construction industry for 30 years, learning the ropes from their parents, who owned a construction business that focused on public works and schools. After graduating from Drexel University, Yan worked for the company as a superintendent, progressing to project manager and, eventually, general manager. Because of the state of the economy and other factors, the brothers decided to close down the construction company and focus on entertainment.

    “In the early 2000s, when we joined the union, we started our own civil division in the company, and we bought heavy equipment. As the downturn of the economy happened, we saw less and less work on our end,” Yan said. Believing that they couldn’t compete against larger equipment rental companies, they started exploring where else they could put this machinery to use.

    Inspiration from abroad

    The brothers came across several Diggerland theme parks in the United Kingdom. They thought if it worked across the pond, it should be an easy transition to bring it to America.

    “We reached out to that owner, and it took us literally two years for him to convince us to work with him to bring it to the United States,” Yan said. Even though the economy wasn’t great at the time, “we decided to take a chance because that is what we do as entrepreneurs: we plow ahead.”

    Though there have been several other construction-themed amusement parks since Diggerland USA opened in 2014, at the time there was nothing like it in America.

    The brothers saw New Jersey—their home state—as a natural fit for the park so they could work on the business hands on. They already owned an indoor water park in West Berlin, so when an adjacent parcel of land became available, they bought it.

    The brothers originally used the construction equipment from their former construction business to create Diggerland XL. “Diggerland XL was a one-one-one experience using large excavators, dozers and wheel loaders for an adult experience. This program ended in 2022 to make room for an expansion,” Yan said. That year, they doubled the size of the water attractions and added more amusement rides. To date, the park contains more than 40 attractions.

    All of the features in Diggerland include brand-new, special-ordered equipment. The goal was to replicate the same functions with all of the attractions. All of the machines have hydraulic and/or electronic limiters that provide for safe operation. In certain equipment, if one system fails, there is a second system that automatically takes over.

    One of the newest attractions is the Lumberjack Claw, a hydraulically driven log loader machine that, in the real world, handles timber before it goes to the mill. Children can operate the rig with a joystick to simulate how this machine functions on an actual construction site. “We modified this ride where anyone can use it,” Yan said. “We worked with our local mechanical engineers to make it safe and did testing. They ran calculations and made a foundation for the unit. Months later, it was set in place, and we worked with a hydraulic manufacturer to make a custom-made hydraulic pack unit.”

    In addition to the well-received Lumberjack Claw, one of the most popular attractions is the Spin Dizzy, a 48,000-pound excavator with a custom-made bucket that seats eight people. “When the customer enters the gondola, each one puts on a seat belt as well as a lap bar. Once everyone is secure in their seats, the ride operator raises the boom and arm of the excavator and rotates the machine five times in one direction and then five times in the opposite direction. Hence the name Spin Dizzy,” Yan said.

    Other rides include Crazy Cranes, enabling children to use a tower crane from the ground level, with the ability to move objects with joystick controls, as well as the Mini Dig, allowing children to use the arm of a JCB 8018 mini-excavator with a hook to pick up shapes and drop them into matching holes.

    Inspiring kids

    Even the water park, The Water Main, is construction themed. It includes two pools, Bulldozer Bay and Jackhammer Bay, with water spraying through jackhammers; a zero-depth entrance wave pool, Claw Hammer Cove; and a three-story body slide, The Pipeline, with closed and open flumes. An obstacle course pool, Carpool Lane, has construction lily pads, a mesh crossing rope and overhanging water cranes.

    One of the biggest challenges the brothers faced when recreating Diggerland from the original UK version were differences in rules and safety regulations between countries. “What was done in the UK and is done in the US is day and night,” Yan said.

    It was also difficult adhering to state regulations. For each ride, they hired third party crash engineers to ensure the equipment is safe. “Our machines are limited to four ,five miles an hour, so the engineers come out and take our vehicle to verify the impact on the human body,” Yan said. This data is then submitted to the state of New Jersey, which will grant permits once approved.

    By pairing amusement with construction, one of the underlying goals of this park was to introduce construction equipment to children in a fun way that might inspire them or plant a seed for a future career. Despite the male-dominated construction industry, Yan said about 40% of park attendees are girls. In addition to introducing children to construction equipment—and, by extension, the construction industry—it teaches and enhances hand-and-eye coordination. Yan said, “Driving the machines is thrilling while providing a sense of direction and full control. It gives younger kids a hands-on experience and a boost of confidence that they, too, can do it just like the people who operate the equipment for a living.”

    Building Climate Resilience into Construction

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by DIANA KIGHTLINGER on the Bluebeam Blog.

    By combining future-focused climate data with the latest building science, the industry can adapt the built environment for a planet of extremes.

    In July 2023, millions in Phoenix baked for 31 days straight as thermometers remained above 110°F. Two months of rain in 48 hours flooded Vermont. And many North Americans periodically breathed air that ranged from orange to red to purple on the Air Quality Index due to early season wildfires in Canada.

    Welcome to the world of extreme weather. With it comes accelerating damage and destruction of buildings and infrastructure that weren’t designed and constructed for the current reality. Climate-related natural disasters worldwide caused $210 billion in damage in 2020, about a third more than the year before, according to Reuters. Moving forward, the construction industry plays a crucial role in ensuring resilience in the built environment to curtail costs, save lives and protect development and communities.

    One country that got a jump start on adapting to climate change in the building sector was Canada. The National Research Council (NRC) launched the five-year Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure (CRBCPI) initiative in 2016. That venture and its follow-on, the $35 million Climate Resilient Built Environment (CRBE) initiative, promote resilience through collaboration across the construction sector. The outcome is guidance and practical tools to help the Canadian construction industry meet climate challenges.

    Building for the future climate

    “In 2016, it was a new mindset to think about climate change adaptation and the built environment,” said Marianne Armstrong, initiative leader – CRBE, NRC Canada. “The NRC selected five sectors with knowledge gaps related to resilience: buildings, bridges, roads, water and wastewater, and urban transit. We prepared a review of each area looking at the standards or guidance being used and how we could improve that for climate change.”

    Too often, building codes rely on historical climate information—but it’s essential to translate future-focused climate science into actionable data. A foundational success of CRBCPI was understanding how Canada’s climate is changing. “We locked climate scientists and engineers in one room so they could start speaking the same language and come up with the data needed to inform how we design buildings and bridges,” Armstrong said. “That information is now making its way into the national codes.”

    Mitigating the impacts of changing climate

    The NRC is also addressing weather extremes, from flooding and hailstorms to fierce winds and arctic cold. By sharing solutions now, the construction industry can design, engineer and build in a more resilient way and prepare for these events.

    For example, a series of workshops across the country during CRBCPI brought together practitioners in the electrical space. The group shared best practices for managing issues from permafrost melt to icing on lines to drought. The workshops resulted in proposed changes to the Canadian Electrical Code, many of which have been implemented.

    Another program delved into coastal resilience, beginning with risk assessments along the Arctic, Great Lakes and eastern and western Canadian coastlines. Consideration of possible mitigation measures followed.

    “One interesting line of work is using nature-based solutions to prevent coastal erosion,” Armstrong explained. “We’re now embarking on more pilot studies.” According to the Vancouver Sun, an NRC design to prevent erosion in Mud Bay took shape as the first living dike, constructed of sediment and natural barriers including oyster shells and salt marsh vegetation.

    Collaborating on guidance for wildfire resilience

    Canada has no shortage of hazards to address, but wildfire resilience is critical. The team brought guidance from other countries, including the United States, Australia and Italy, into a Canadian context to address pivotal issues.

    “We worked with experts across Canada—firefighters, forestry scientists and builders—to develop the first national guideline,” Armstrong said. “The Wildland Urban Interface Design Guide looks at how we can better design buildings to prevent wildfire spread. The guide also looks at community design and measures we can introduce at that level.”

    The Government of Canada has used the Design Guide as a basis for rebuilding the village of Lytton, British Columbia, which was destroyed by fire in 2021. The $5 million Lytton Homeowner Resilient Rebuild Program provides grants for the design and construction of fire-resilient and net zero homes that will hopefully withstand another blaze.

    Prioritizing areas critical to address

    Which climate challenges to focus on first remains a daunting question for the NRC. For instance, the finance and insurance industries are intent on reducing damages and the cost and risk of extreme events. That’s led to metrics like the Building Resilient Index, developed by the World Bank, to measure a structure’s exposure to natural hazards and to factor in upgrades that would mitigate these risks.

    But other areas, like the health effects of extreme events, also deserve attention. As an example, a large heat dome in British Columbia in 2021 killed more than 500 people, according to Human Rights Watch. Senior citizens and people with disabilities are at particular risk of heat-related illness and death, and social isolation and poverty make their odds worse. NRC is developing solutions to protect these vulnerable populations and prevent future tragedies.

    Sharing best practices and processes worldwide

    The information, knowledge, resources and best practices for resilience change from one locality to the next. But the Global Building Resilience Guidelines presented at the 27th UN Conference of the Parties (COP27) provide a framework that organizations worldwide can use. Led by the International Code Council, the joint Global Resiliency Dialogue advances codes—including building, fire, energy, electrical and plumbing—that draw on the best construction and climate science to increase resilience of structures and communities. Jurisdictions everywhere can implement the guidelines as they adapt building codes and standards for new climate data. “The most important takeaway is to all work together with the best information available, share the best practices and help everyone to adapt,” Armstrong said.

    Bluebeam Revu: 21.0.50 New Features

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    Update your Bluebeam Revu 21 software to the latest version and experience these new features. Click here for product documentation.

    Markup Labels

    Do you need to add information from the Markup List? Just type << in the label box.

    Multiply

    Do you need to make copies of markups or measurements?

    Studio Sessions

    Do you invite collaborators to Studio Sessions who do not own a subscription to Revu? They now have access to more markup tools.

    • Stamps
    • Snapshots
    • Highlights
    • Cloud+

     

    For any questions reach out to your sales rep or contact us at info@solidcad.ca

    Turner Construction Produces a Bold Initial Measurement of Embodied Carbon

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by Diana Kightlinger on the Bluebeam Blog.

    Carbon tied up in building materials makes up the largest source of construction emissions—but difficulties quantifying it make reducing the industry’s carbon footprint tough

    The 39% of total global energy-related carbon emissions due to buildings has been widely reported. Less known, however, is that an eye-opening 11%—more than a quarter of that total—are scope 3 emissions. These indirect emissions come mainly from the extraction, manufacture, delivery, installation and end-of-life disposal of materials, according to the International Code Council.

    “Scope 3 emissions are hard to measure and even harder to manage,” said Sara Neff, head of sustainability for Lendlease Americas, during an interview with the Built Blog. “But we know that more than 90% of our emissions are scope 3.”

    Lendlease is not alone. But before reducing scope 3 emissions, construction firms must measure them. In its “Baseline Embodied Carbon 2022 Report,” Turner Construction, a top U.S. green builder and contractor, made a solid effort to do just that. The study quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a sample of the footprints and materials for the firm’s projects.

    To learn more, Built spoke with Rowan Parris, embodied carbon program manager at Turner Construction.

    Built: What prompted Turner to conduct the study and report on your embodied carbon baseline?

    Parris: We saw a unique opportunity to contribute meaningful data on embodied carbon to the industry at large, and to use that data ourselves to set impactful and realistic reduction targets for our projects and operations. We use the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) Tool because of its robust database of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and ability to filter average results based on project and material characteristics, like location or strength class.

    Built: Does Turner consider embodied carbon the greatest challenge to reducing your own carbon footprint—and that of the rest of the construction industry?

    Parris: Embodied carbon is likely to be the largest single piece of our scope 3 reporting categories. Turner has already taken steps to reduce our scope 3 emissions through a range of efforts, including reducing business travel and offering employees a flexible work policy that enables people to work remotely. These policies reduce our overallscope 3 emissions, but they also increase the relative impact of embodied carbon.

    The 2022 Baseline Report homed in on “upfront” embodied carbon associated with upstream material manufacturing. But embodied carbon also includes emissions associated with transportation, the construction process itself and deconstruction and demolition impacts.

    Turner’s jobsite metering program is the most robust in the industry, with more than 150 projects tracking fuel, electricity and water consumption. Through this program, we have gained key insights into GHG-intensive activities on our construction projects. We have begun to address these sources through collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), rental partners, trade partners and clients.

    We have been tracking construction and demolition waste for more than a decade and have committed to increasing our landfill diversion percentages on a 10-year path to zero construction waste. We routinely recycle, use manufacturer take-back and recovery programs, separate our waste streams and train our trade partners in methods to optimize landfill diversion.

    Built: What analysis did you do of additional materials used in construction—such as aluminum, glass, insulation and wood?

    Parris: We focused our first benchmark report on the materials with the highest emissions and best available data. We are also tracking other materials on projects with client- and legislative-driven reduction targets. The materials of focus vary depending on the specific goals of the project and range from concrete and steel to all materials needed to achieve LEED pilot credit for Procurement of Low Carbon Construction Materials.

    Built: You evaluated many characteristics, from gross floor area and project revenue to geography and seismic category, to find the main drivers of embodied carbon in your projects. Was only one statistically significant?

    Parris: A key predictor is a profoundly helpful tool to make high-impact decisions early in a project’s development. The only statistically significant relationship was embodied carbon intensity per floor area. Perhaps with more projects and broader material scope, we’ll see different statistical trends in future reports.

    Built: What’s new for the 2023 Baseline Report?

    Parris: First, in alignment with Turner’s public environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, we expanded the materials to include concrete, steel, asphalt, glass and wood. This enables us to see a more complete picture of the buildings included in the study based on the data available in the industry. Embodied carbon data is evolving quickly as manufacturers ramp up EPD publication to meet rising demand. We plan to continuously evaluate additional material categories based on a balance between impact and data availability.

    Second, we lowered the revenue threshold this year to ensure we have projects represented from a wider range of geographies and project types.

    Finally, all projects will collect product-specific EPDs where available in lieu of the industry average values we used in the 2022 baseline.

    Built: Although I realize you can’t improve what you don’t measure, the next question has to be how to reduce embodied carbon. Thoughts?

    Parris: There’s no getting around the urgency. Turner is collaborating with clients, designers and suppliers to encourage low-carbon products and has actively managed embodied carbon on over 75 projects in addition to our benchmarking efforts.

    Built: Is Turner’s ultimate goal to reach absolute zero on carbon emissions, including embodied carbon? Any projections on when?

    Parris: Turner has committed to net zero scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (including embodied carbon) by 2040, with interim targets for net zero scope 1 and 2 by 2030. The work we’re doing to engage our supply chain is integral to making absolute zero a realistic ultimate goal.

    Is a Fossil-Free Jobsite Possible?

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by MATT WHEELIS on the Bluebeam Blog.

    A zero-emission jobsite, with no fossil fuel consumption, means the construction industry has to create a zero-emission construction fleet. It is not as big a stretch as it initially sounds

    For Thanksgiving this past year, my mother hosted our family, which meant we would be traveling to my hometown in the middle of Texas. The rental company presented me with an electric vehicle option in Austin, and I decided this would be great. But after driving a bit (OK, more than a bit) over the limit and in cold weather, that 280-mile range was almost exhausted at 142 miles. And there is no EV infrastructure in my hometown. Not one public charger. So I plugged it in, and 36 hours later had enough juice to make the trek back to Austin. Naturally, I started thinking about this in the context of the construction industry, and it led me to wonder what better eco-friendly methods there are to manage all-day usage. I was especially curious about hydrogen.

    Imagine a fossil-free jobsite—one where we are not consuming petrochemical-based fossil fuels and with zero on-site emissions. Disregarding vehicular energy requirements, which may still require fossil fuels for generation depending upon the location, for this conversation lets focus on emissions at the site.

    Is “zero emission” a realistically attainable goal? In fact, it is not only possible, but available today—for those willing to make the investment and test new processes on their next construction site.

    A zero-emission jobsite, with no fossil fuel consumption, means we have to create a zero-emission construction fleet. It is not as big a stretch as it first sounds. There are already options for those willing to make the leap—electric battery or hydrogen-powered equipment.

    Battery-powered machinery is a great option, with potential range capabilities per charge or fueling equal to or greater than gasoline or diesel. The downside: these technologies require 2-8 hours to recharge assuming a high-voltage source, which leads to inefficiencies and project downtime. Hydrogen, on the other hand, has the same range as battery-powered machinery without the downtime associated with refueling.

    The long-term savings achievable with these technologies can easily offset the upfront costs of switching from gasoline or diesel machinery, while contributing to the fossil fuel- free worksite.

    It is also possible to convert existing gasoline or diesel equipment models to hydrogen with minimal machine redesign. This can be achieved by converting to a hydrogen combustion engine, which operates similarly to traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), with cylinders pumping compressed hydrogen gas rather than gas or diesel. Just like an ICE, a spark ignites the hydrogen gas, creating power to drive the machinery. This can often be a more affordable and simpler option to reduce fossil fuel consumption on the jobsite.

    However, a challenge with burning hydrogen in internal combustion engines is the possibility of pollutant emissions such as NOx and particulate matter (PM) being produced. These are harmful to human health—in fact, GeoHealth finds that eliminating pollutant emissions from energy-related activities, including construction, could prevent more than 50,000 deaths a year in the US. Because of this there is increasingly stringent legislation against them. One way of reducing the levels of NOx produced involves increasing the amount of air in the combustion chamber, but this reduces efficiencies. Another way is to favor an engine that takes the “flame” out of the combustion reaction altogether. As the harmful pollutants in question are formed around a flame, this approach is extremely effective at eliminating them.

    Hydrogen fuel cells use a catalyst to generate electricity through a chemical reaction. With this method, hydrogen is held in a fuel cell on the machinery itself and is powered through a negative electrode terminal—hydrogen is funneled between an electrolyte and another positive electrode terminal. This creates a chemical reaction that results in a continuous flow of electricity to the batteries. Naturally, this seems like the best option because of the continuous creation of energy, but it is more complicated and expensive to implement.

    Other solutions use a flameless combustion reaction to generate electricity from fuels. This technology can be fuel-agnostic, using flameless combustion technology, which uses high temperature exhaust heat recovery to unlock pollutant-free power from any fuel at the flick of a switch. With hydrogen being just one option for fossil-free fuel, this approach enables contractors to leverage whichever renewable fuel is most cost-effective and abundant at any one time.

    It’s important to protect profit margins from dramatic fluctuations by enabling balance between sustainability and cost throughout the energy transition on a project-by-project, day-by-day basis. This means sites can deploy fuel-agnostic generators at scale today and see immediate carbon and pollution reduction benefits—much to the benefit of site teams, the environment and the local community, offering an alternative and lower-risk entry point for transitioning to fossil fuel-free jobsite.

    So what are other downsides of using hydrogen as an energy source? The biggest is safety. Hydrogen has a small molecular size, so if it leaks through solids and mixes with air, it can be explosive, similar to gasoline or diesel. It is also not naturally occurring, so it has to be extracted from fossil fuels, compressed and then used to create a chemical reaction, converting energy into electricity to power electric motors on the construction machinery.

    Reimagining Home with Regenerative AI Tools

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by Diana Kightlinger on the Bluebeam Blog.

    To create a more desirable future, how should homes, neighborhoods and cities evolve? The SPACE10 Research and Design Lab launched a global competition to find out

    Droughts and floods, scarce resources and migration are all buffeting people worldwide. To make shelter more desirable requires rethinking what home sweet home looks like—and not just in terms of appearance or function. Rather, designing and building must move beyond sustainability to become regenerative and improve communities and ecosystems.

    That’s embodied in the mission for SPACE10—”to create a better everyday life for people and the planet.” The organization launched the Regenerative Futures competition to restore and enhance the well-being of humans and the natural environment. But to enhance imagination and creativity and conjure up new visions, the competition required entrants to use generative AI.

    “The results truly show the potential of emerging AI tools to allow for new, diverse and hopeful visions of the future, in a time that requires us to imagine new ways of living,” said Ryan Sherman, creative director, SPACE10. “From the United States, China and Mexico to Lebanon, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates, we received over 250 entries from over 40 different countries.”

    A panel of 10 globally recognized architects, designers, AI artists, journalists and creatives selected winners. Experience designer Kedar Deshpande of Denver took the overall prize for his entry in the category, “Designing for the Future in Harsh Environments.”

    The energy-positive, modular, breathable structure manages air and water filtration. The passive solar design maximizes natural light and heat while minimizing harsh effects.

    A hostile environment inspires resilience

    Deshpande’s design is a resilient home concept. The dwelling is imagined in Rajasthan, India, a semi-arid landscape that experiences sandstorms and floods, with temperatures ranging from 28ºF to 122ºF.

    “India is a country of drastically varying environments, climates and available building materials,” Deshpande said. “Growing up, I was able to visit the country multiple times and see these unique places. One such location was the massive Thar Desert—the most widely-populated desert in the world and home to more than 16 million people.”

    Worldwide, 1 billion people live in similar desert landscapes. Relentless water scarcity and extreme temperatures heavily impact daily life. Many residents adopt a nomadic lifestyle. “This instability contributes to a lower standard of living, which I believe can be helped with forward-thinking regenerative design principles,” Deshpande said.

    Textual and visual generative AI define the process

    Entries in the Regenerative Futures competition harnessed a range of AI tools and techniques. “While the majority used a combination of ChatGPT/GPT-4 and Midjourney, we saw a mix of Stable Diffusion, DreamBooth, Runway, and custom models trained on unique datasets,” Sherman said.

    The much-touted ChatGPT generative AI tool was the springboard for Deshpande. “ChatGPT proved valuable in researching regenerative home design within the ecosystem I was designing for, providing insights into the future of using natural materials, bio-adaptive architecture and disaster-resistant design,” he said. “These were used as seeds to envision structures within Midjourney.”

    The visual generative AI tool Midjourney works by analyzing a variety of sources—which can include information on building performance, energy usage and the environment—to identify patterns and trends. Starting with an existing structure design, Deshpande layered ideas into prompts to build and generate hundreds of possible solutions.

    The program can also help designers identify ways to improve structures and make informed decisions about design, materials and construction methods. Here, the goal was a building that was more energy-efficient, regenerative and cost-effective over the long term.

    Earth-based construction makes the most of energy, light and water

    Deshpande’s design embedded the home in the earth to insulate it naturally. Locally sourced natural materials like sand and clay ensured sustainable and eco-friendly building practices. 3D-printed structures combined with natural fibers created bio-composites for living insulation and modular construction. And for the utmost in resilience and durability, self-healing materials like advanced polymers and bio-concrete let the home repair itself.

    Locally created self-healing materials respond to wear and tear or natural disasters. The house’s modular slabs provide structures to capture air and water for purification.

    The dwelling is off-grid and energy-independent thanks to solar capture, hydrogen-generating gardens and piezoelectric devices integrated into structural components. The design also includes compact and visually appealing hybrid wind energy systems, modular energy storage systems and energy-sharing community networks.

    The interior is oriented for sun exposure and allows naturally regulated air to flow. Retaining walls outside preserve gardens and windows from harsh weather effects.

    Design envisions a future based in harmony

    Javier Torner, programme officer, UN Habitat Planning, Finance and Economy Section, summed up the judging panel’s impression of Deshpande’s work: “The proposal creates harmony between design and environment, incorporating the semi-arid characteristics to build an integrated architecture that protects against extreme temperatures and preserves ecosystems.”

    And resilience to climate extremes goes beyond a single dwelling. By using resources in an efficient and collaborative manner, homes can extend resilience to the community. As an example, creating local networks that pull data from smart monitoring devices in each residence can help entire communities respond and adapt to environmental changes.

    In addition to respecting the surrounding land and ecology, Deshpande also wanted the home to reflect its cultural and historical context. That means building in collaboration with local people to incorporate traditional knowledge, materials and building techniques.

    “Designing for the Future in Harsh Environments exemplifies the potential of human-AI collaboration to envision a resilient, imaginative and accessible way of living that is regenerative by design,” Sherman said.

    And with climate extremes making the planet increasingly inhospitable, it’s gratifying to know that the built environment can not only be resilient but also help replenish and restore the world around us.

    How Drone Technology Is Construction’s Eye in the Sky

    Posted on by David Medeiros

    This story was originally published by HAMISH CHAMP on the Bluebeam Blog.

    Drones – also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs – vary in size and operability. Some are single-rotor machines, akin to a helicopter, but most are multi-rotor affairs, combining more than two rotors with fixed-pitch spinning blades, which generate lift. Multi-rotor drones often feature three, four, six or eight rotors; the greater the number of rotors, the heavier the load that can be carried. As well as cameras, some drones are able to carry payloads of up to 12kg (26lb).

    How can drones be used in construction?

    Robotics, advanced technologies and modern methods of construction are all becoming increasingly important to a construction industry that needs to improve its productivity and data collection while also staying on top of its health and safety record. Yet some of these new technologies have not been embraced as much as many would like.

    However, in recent years, the advent of drones in construction has been nothing short of a game-changer for the industry.

    From monitoring the ongoing progress of a project to undertaking health and safety checks, drone-mounted cameras and data collection technology offer on-site contractors and office-based teams a previously unthinkable opportunity to see the state of play of a development.

    Advantages and disadvantages of drones in construction

    Improving safety, time and cost efficiency: The ability of a drone to access hard-to-reach places is a particular benefit to project teams, avoiding the need to use potentially dangerous ladders or complex scaffolding systems. It also removes the necessity of a person squeezing into narrow spaces to see the progress of work.

    Additionally, in the hands of a skilled operator, a drone can map out a plot of land to determine its suitability for a particular project, locate and measure materials, identify hazards and ensure a site is secure from unwanted intrusion.

    This is useful when assessing not only projects under construction but also existing buildings and infrastructure. For example, contracting giant Balfour Beatty worked with West Sussex County Council a few years ago, trialing the use of drones in a series of bridge inspections across the region.

    According to Balfour Beatty, inspection work normally requires a degree of traffic management to allow inspectors to carry out works at height and over water safely. This inevitably creates disruption to the public and road users.

    Steve Phillips, contract director for Balfour Beatty Living Places, said, “Using drones in our highways’ inspection work allows us to safely assess the work required, while dramatically reducing any potential hazards faced by our workforce who would traditionally carry out work such as bridge inspections at height.

    “It’s a great example of how modern technology can be successfully used by industry.”

    The use of drones also offered a financial boost; Balfour Beatty said the trials had saved around £8,000 ($10,170) compared with the cost of traditional inspections of such infrastructure.

    While this does not sound like a particularly large sum, it offers some insight into the potential cost savings that could be made if the technology were to be rolled across a series of similar inspections on a wider scale.

    Ongoing challenges and limitations

    The advantages of using drones in construction are clear. Savings can be made, both in time and money. Site safety can be monitored and improved. Data collection can be better, as can an overview – literally – of the work being carried out. But there are downsides.

    As with many potentially hazardous activities, complex paperwork is required to cover the legal and liability sides of things when operating a drone.

    Like all those who fly drones weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) in the UK, Balfour Beatty’s drone pilots are licensed by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Drone pilots need to pass a theory test and gain flying identification, while companies operating drones also need to register with the CAA.

    The European Union demands similar compliance for operating UAVs across its territories.

    In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the use of drones and spells out a series of limitations, including flying a drone at a maximum altitude of 400 feet.

    There is also an FAA requirement to “maintain a visual line of sight with the drone at all times. Violating these rules can result in significant fines or even criminal charges,” according to a paper published by a research team hailing from the Department of Civil Engineering at Kyungpook National University and the Daegu Urban Development Corporation, both in South Korea.

    There are other potential pitfalls. The performance of a drone is dependent on the weather. Unless fitted with stabilizing technology, many don’t fly well – and therefore are unable to transmit data appropriately – in windy conditions, while the size of a drone’s power unit necessarily limits how long it can be in the air.

    And as with any technology involved in the collection and transmission of data, there is the potential for a data breach through hacking activity or equipment failure.

    A bright future for drone use in the construction industry

    But while these challenges are a constant presence, the future for drones in construction looks positive.

    The Korean research team mentioned above suggests the development of drones will encompass the development of more advanced sensors and imaging technologies.

    “This could include sensors that can detect temperature changes or identify different types of materials more accurately, as well as imaging technologies that can provide more detailed and accurate images of construction sites,” it says.

    The researchers add that the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence offers potential for future research in this area, not least through analysis of collected data where “patterns and trends that might be difficult for human inspectors to detect.”

    This is undoubtedly encouraging. For an industry struggling with productivity, where a large project often takes 20% longer to complete than its original schedule had suggested and budgets similarly tend to inflate, the potential gains to be had from increased use of drones in construction will surely prove too good to pass up.