Before breaking ground on a construction project there are many months, and possibly years, of planning and conceptualization of the final vision for completion. Models have been designed and planned carefully by the owners, architecture, and engineering teams, and the time has now come to execute these designs out in the field. Traditionally, this process involved manual or paper-based workflows, with on-site conditions translated onto large drawing sets. Communication of changes needed constant updating of documents back and forth between all the teams responsible for the execution of the project. The cost of this paper-based workflow, in dollars and in time is immense, and ultimately affects the outcome of the project overall. There is a risk of the on-site teams completing tasks with inaccurate information on the planned design or model which could result in re-work and lost revenue. Conversely, the construction teams may experience things in the field that were not taken into consideration on the model, and this too needs to be communicated. The face of the construction industry is changing with innovations in technology, and Bluebeam Revu is one such technology that can assist with the painstaking daily workflows. Bluebeam Revu has many features that can assist your firm in digitizing the construction site to save time and money, and help you win more work.
Digital Markups and Drawing Sets
The power of Bluebeam Revu’s digital markups feature allows for accountability and transparency on all aspects of a project. Any document can turn into a rich source of information for various teams, changes can be made and communicated instantly, and coordination occurs more quickly with those working in the field. Any markup that is made on a single PDF or drawing set is marked in an easy-to-export list that details who made the change and when–so that each member of the project is accountable to stakeholders throughout the project. With so many individuals coming together on a construction project, it is important to keep track of what decisions were made and when to analyze and improve for the future. Over time, workflows become more efficient. Additionally, large drawing sets can be compiled and packaged to easily send back and forth between the teams on the field, and those off-site. With Bluebeam Revu for iPad, this collaboration goes to the next level and allows for markups to be viewed and made from anywhere.
360° Photos
Photos of course provide accurate insight into how things are going on a construction site. New to Revu 2017, 360° photos can be taken and applied directly into a PDF to show a comprehensive view of on-site conditions at the exact location on a drawing or plan. This gives great visibility to teams working off-site, and helps identify potential issues or conflicts that may not be effectively communicated in a static photo. The 360° view provides context to the area in question, and allows for further collaboration and communication directly from the construction site. Here is a list of supported cameras for 360° photos within Bluebeam.
Bluebeam Studio
Collaboration is deepened further with Studio, Bluebeam’s collaboration platform that’s included with every seat of Revu. It provides team members with access to project-related documents in the cloud. Take advantage of the larger storage capability while also providing secure access to documents. There are two ways to collaborate:
- Studio Projects – You can use Studio as a light-weight document management solution where individuals can log in to check-out documents, mark them up, and submit changes back to the team. Version control features help you track changes over time, and all actions related to the Studio Project are recorded for accountability.
- Studio Sessions – Additionally, you can collaborate in real-time during a Studio Session, where project members can discuss, mark up documents, and make changes directly from the office or construction site.
The best part is, outside teams can get in on the action even if they don’t have a full license of Bluebeam Revu. The free Bluebeam Vu PDF viewer application allows access to the documents and related project data and can be installed on an iPad.
Learn more about Bluebeam and how initial.aec can assist your firm in implementing the features listed here and much more. You can also download a free 30-day trial. Take your on-site construction teams to the next level, eliminating paper-based workflows, and creating greater efficiency.
