Category: Features
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How BIM is Revolutionizing Building Control in Finland
BIM is becoming mainstream in building design, but building control is still predominantly based on paper documents and 2D drawings. A Finnish KIRA-digi experimentation project has demonstrated how BIM can speed up and improve the building permit process considerably. Three Finnish cities–Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, and Vantaa–are in the vanguard of model-based building control. Together with Evolta,…
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Sweco Boosts Construction Productivity and Quality with AI
Artificial intelligence is a much-hyped technology, but there are only a handful of real-life implementations in construction. Sweco is one of the first in the world to showcase the use of machine learning in structural design. Farinha Ricardo Farinha, BIM Application Development Manager at Sweco, mentions three challenges of the conservative construction industry: “The productivity…
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Echargie: How to Make Use of Existing Infrastructure for E-Mobility
All major car manufacturers are committed to making hybrids and 100 % electric vehicles (EVs). Consequently, a growing number of drivers will need sockets to charge their vehicles. Echargie solves this problem by turning any power socket into a smart charging station. “Last year, I hosted a group of German automotive manufacturers in Finland. We…
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How BIM Becomes Business as Usual – An Interview with Marzia Bolpagni
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marzia Bolpagni, an advocate for BIM in business and education. She’s the Strategic BIM Advisor at Mace in London and works actively in the standardization of BIM practices. Marzia became interested in BIM during her studies at the University of Brescia in northern Italy: “I was very lucky to…
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Is BIM Taking Off in Russia? An Interview with Marina Korol of Concurator
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marina Korol, CEO at Concurator and Vice Chair of buildingSMART Russia. We discuss the state of BIM in Russia. What is your background and how did you get interested in construction and especially BIM? My primary background is computer science. But my main domain was always AEC industry where…
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Symbiotic Buildings by Tieto – AEC Business
It took a software developer to tell property owners that their thinking is flawed. Nerd, IoT sensor, Leader, Superhero – these are the terms that Tomi Teikko uses to describe himself in his LinkedIn profile. Admittedly, Tomi does not feel like a typical software developer when he talks enthusiastically about his discovery. “Every real estate…
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Monitoring Building Moisture with RFID – An Interview with Jarmo Tuppurainen
Water in the wrong places in a building is a problem that can lead to health issues and expensive repairs. I interviewed Jarmo Tuppurainen about an experimental project that tests how cheap, passive RFID sensors can help with moisture monitoring. I met Jarmo, the Technology Manager at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, at the…
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Virtual Construction Monitoring with NavVis
Construction management can take place on-site or remotely—sometimes even on another continent. NavVis has developed a 3D scanning and imaging solution that benefits clients and builders wherever they are. I first met NavVis at the AEC Hackathon in Munich last year. The company demonstrated how they could use a mobile scanning device for the 3D…
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The Most Innovative Company Will Win
Granlund shows how an established company can be an innovator, year after year. The construction industry in Finland has been thriving over the last couple of years. “Business is going so well now that there’s a danger of complacency,” says Pekka Metsi, CEO of Granlund. “I see too little organized innovation taking place within the…
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Lessons Learned from Implementing Infrastructure BIM in Helsinki
Finland’s capital is currently experiencing a construction boom. Old industrial citadels are turning into residential areas with new commercial centers. Consequently, Helsinki needs to build new infrastructure. To improve the efficiency and quality of infrastructure construction, the city has started using BIM, and is now learning how to get the most value from it. Ville…