Digital construction

Outstrays to Skeffling Managed Realignment scheme involves the creation of new intertidal habitats at the Humber Estuary. The specification demands a natural look with no straight lines permitted, requiring a multitude of complex shapes to be designed at differing depths.

This traditionally highly engineer-led work was delivered with Intelligent Machine Control which allowed the plant to work directly from a 3D model. Our plant operative visualises the design via onboard screens then operates the machine exactly to the design. Machine control features, such as auto-stop control, auto grade assist, auto tilt control, minimum distance control and bucket angle hold, help to improve accuracy - meaning the operator can safely rely on the system without digging too deep or damaging the surface.

At a Water Treatment Works in the North East, we embedded digital construction tools and workflows to increase efficiency. The Leica iCON tablet allowed engineers to set out directly from the 3D model. They viewed the 3D design model directly from the cloud, selecting which points they want to mark out; viewed information about each element of the model; made calculations; and supported ground workers with design visualisation – all in the field. This gave the engineers complete autonomy and removed the need for 2D drawings.

At Esholt Wastewater Treatment Works, handheld laser scanners enabled our design team to collect point cloud data of an asset during a regular site walk around. This point cloud gave them accurate positional data of an asset of which they previously had little information on. The data facilitated a collaborative review session in virtual reality (VR) and enabled the team to make right first time design decisions prior to mobilising to site.