As the industry continues to overcome the aftermath of the pandemic, in addition to today’s supply chain issues, leaders are seeking better efficiencies within the workplace now more than ever before. In a larger effort to keep up with the high demand of commercial real estate projects, implementing virtual design & construction (VDC) within their processes can benefit general contractors and other industry professionals.
The technological resource takes a modernized approach to project management. It utilizes digital resources to create a visual model of a project prior to it being physically constructed, significantly reducing the chance for unnecessary error. Additionally, it provides a more accurate representation of the materials needed for the project, giving those on the job a better idea of the exact cost rather than overordering and wasting materials.
More sustainability: One of the leading issues within the construction industry is the waste of materials. Whether it’s overordering or needing to rework jobs, these are common examples of missed productivity. VDC’s technology can help ensure that sustainable and energy-efficient materials are being integrated from the ground up, significantly reducing the potential risk of having to restart projects or fix any issues that may occur later within the timeline due to oversights during the planning phases.
Better transparency: From the start, VDC offers transparency in projects as it enables leaders to foresee any issues prior to breaking ground while providing an exact overview of what materials and products are needed. This level of transparency can be highly valuable during the various phases of a project’s process, especially throughout the design and construction phases. In the design phase, all parties involved in the project can see, in real-time, the materials and tools that are needed throughout the building schedule.
Collaboration: VDC allows for real-time collaboration to ensure all key players can find and integrate the most cost- and energy-efficient products from start to finish. Cross-collaboration between subcontractors is increased as everyone involved stays updated on all phases of the project. With VDC, everything is modeled and integrated together, therefore allowing all parties to collaborate and communicate together in real-time.
Increased cost efficiency: Because the technology identifies everything needed for a project upfront, VDC helps keep production on schedule, which is one of the top performance objectives managers seek to achieve. Additionally, VDC can provide post-construction benefits by providing building managers with valuable insight and information that helps them run their structure sustainably and at its peak performance. Thanks to VDC’s in-depth and detailed 3D models, building managers receive a vault of knowledge and information that enables them to better maintain it, ensuring that it runs as efficiently as possible and the need for updates or repairs down the road can be pushed out farther into the future.
VDC’s benefits go beyond the initial groundbreaking and has been proven to provide cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions every step of the way. The implementation of VDC will support the efforts from contractors, designers and project managers alike in creating a more sustainable construction industry.
Barry Wurzel is founder and president of Wurzel Builders.
