CONSTRUCTION FIRM PUSHES THE INNOVATION ENVELOPE WITH RUGGED TABLETS

Transcription

1 CONSTRUCTION FIRM PUSHES THE INNOVATION ENVELOPE WITH RUGGED TABLETS Company Industry Location Website Construction Michigan, USA BACKGROUND Building Information Modeling Leader It seemed like a waste not to capitalize on the building information model, already created by our contractors for coordination, by utilizing field-ready solutions such as tablet PCs, field software and a comprehensive BIM management tool to leverage data and increase intelligence. This BIM-driven process streamlines commissioning and closeout while creating a model with real value for the owner. Founded in 1924, Company is a 90 year old company providing construction management, design-build, program management, general contracting, technology, and rigging services throughout North America. The ISO quality certified company has LEED Accredited Professionals on staff and is an industry Building Information Modeling (BIM) leader. Niche market specialties include healthcare, sports and special events, education, federal, industrial and energy facilities. has a staff of 1,300 in 11 offices and is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Annual firm revenues exceed $1 billion. Maryland General Hospital (MGH) serves about 100,000 patients a year in its 245-bed facility. First constructed in 1881, the hospital has more than 500 physicians and 1,400 employees providing a wide spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services. In recent years, the hospital has experienced substantial growth in admissions, births, emergency room visits and outpatient visits. In response, the hospital initiated the Central Care Expansion project, a 92,500 square foot expansion, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, with as the construction manager. The new five-story building attached to the existing hospital includes xploretech.com 1

2 15,534 square feet of renovated space and 77,000 square feet of new space. It features eight new operating rooms, including one dedicated to ophthalmology; two dedicated endoscopy suites; one dedicated cystoscopy suite; a pre-surgical unit with 14 private patient rooms and two inpatient holding bays; and a post-anesthesia care unit with 20 recovery bays and two isolation rooms. A new intensive-care unit of 18 rooms with ceilingmounted equipment gives doctors and nurses better access to patients. CHALLENGE Drive Innovation and Extend Existing BIM Model with Field-Ready Solutions As part of an innovative effort by the Central Care Expansion construction management team to drive the benefits of building information modeling (BIM) and field-based tools beyond design and construction, MGH operations and maintenance staff are now implementing a comprehensive digital documentation, maintenance and preventive care system that is changing the way they work. Michael A. Plank, senior director for Support Services at MGH, says, Patient care and safety is a top priority for all healthcare facilities. It s up to our facility managers to keep key building features such as fire suppression systems, fire warning, air handling and air exchange systems operating at top performance because these systems are vital to patient safety. Now we can better manage those systems with the tap of a pen on a tablet PC. BENEFITS Improved Tracking & Time Savings Tasks such as the commissioning process that took days to manage, now takes hours. Improved Operational Efficiency & Timeliness Important information is available real time in the office and in the field. Higher Energy Savings & Reduced Costs A technology-driven solution now manages the mechanical systems to peak performance. The same tasks that used to take us days to manage and track, now take just hours. As the Central Care Expansion project neared completion, s Corinne Ambler focused her attention on managing the complex commissioning process and ensuring that the MGH Central Care Expansion systems would be functioning as designed at project completion. The new renovation/addition includes a vast array of indoor air handling units, a chiller plant upgrade with two new 650- ton electric centrifugal chillers and 650-ton cooling towers, temperature and humidity systems as well as the necessary xploretech.com 2

3 duct work, air handlers, dampers and fans. The expansion also called for a new 2000 KVA normal power substation, a new 500 KW emergency generator and paralleling switchgear, as well as three new automatic transfer switches. All new systems must be coordinated with the existing mechanical and electrical systems. Ambler s job was to gather all the closeout documentation and maintenance information about the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems to pass along to MGH. MGH s Plank says, Everything is paper-driven. Our current asset management practices do not optimize equipment lifecycles, minimize operating costs and efficiently use staff time. Not all equipment requiring maintenance has been inventoried, and therefore maintenance staff is forced to make repairs, which reduces the amount of time available for preventative maintenance, creating a reactive environment with increased costs. Ambler recalls, It seemed like a waste not to capitalize on the building information model, already created by our contractors for coordination, by utilizing field-ready solutions such as tablet PCs, field software and a comprehensive BIM management tool to leverage data and increase intelligence. This BIM-driven process streamlines commissioning and closeout while creating a model with real value for the owner. started with the intelligent model of the new mechanical systems originally created by the mechanical contractors as part of the fabrication and construction process. Using that model as a starting point, we added data intelligence on a daily basis as we completed all of the things we would normally do to commission and handover a healthcare project, says Ambler. The models of each MEP system (sanitary, medical gas, HVAC, etc.) that were created by the mechanical contractor to enable prefabrication were compiled in Tekla Structures for Construction Management. The 3D model showed mechanical system locations, basic geometry and equipment ID s providing the construction team valuable insight into space and movement limitations. The value of the MEP systems models is in the connected data and documents, says Ambler. Keep in mind that MEP systems coordination is difficult to do on a new healthcare building. This is a long-existing city hospital that requires the new MEP systems to tie into all existing systems. A lot of site surveys need to be completed to locate tie-in points and valves for the existing systems. Her vision to digitize commissioning documents went well beyond delivering electronic product cut sheets and owner s manuals. The goal was to create an electronic centralized database that compiled field-generated data gathered during construction with electronic closeout files. Then, using the building information model, associate all information and documents with the relevant MEP systems component to maximize intelligence and utilization of data throughout commissioning and into facilities maintenance procedures. Ambler adds, I wanted the ability to manage the MEP systems commissioning process in the field with the ability to access information that I didn t necessarily know I would need when I stepped out of the trailer. To accomplish her goal, Ambler utilized a specialized construction software from Vela Systems, barcoding and the F5 Rugged Tablet PC from Xplore Technologies. Poundland, Kilburn, London, United Kingdom xploretech.com 3

4 SOLUTION Rugged, Highly Mobile Tablet with Specialized Construction Software brought on a specialized construction software that automates the execution and oversight of field activities on construction and capital projects for contractors, architects, engineers and owners. Instead of carrying a field notebook and paper plans or specifications, the commissioning team uses the software on Xplore Tablet PCs to electronically access documents and complete quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC) inspections, work-lists, punch-lists, field reports, update the BIM and carry out many other critical field activities. The first step was to export the equipment lists from the building information model into the software, define barcodes for each unit and then tag the units with the unique barcode designations. Within the software, the project team stored maintenance, warranty and inspection notes for every tagged unit, captured key information on each piece of equipment (e.g. warranty data, serial numbers) and created the links between documents and specific systems and equipment. The F5 Tablet PC then links the field-generated information and the BIM data stored on a laptop at the jobsite trailer. With the tablet PC, field teams can move from unit to unit throughout the facility. For instance, during the commissioning of an air handling unit, the commissioning agent or a member of the staff would scan the barcode using the tablet PC s integrated scanner. The software then automatically displays all documentation (e.g. manuals, product cut sheets, submittals) relevant to that piece of equipment. s field superintendent can update key information such as installed data and add notes by simply writing on the tablet PC or selecting options from an on-screen template. The built-in camera is used to document any questions or concerns. Updates are automatically incorporated into the Software and then automatically updated in the Tekla BIM model. Ambler says, We don t need paper plans, journals or clipboards everything is on the tablet PC. The information recorded on the tablet PC is synchronized to the server which is synchronized to the Tekla Structures MEP models. RESULTS Improved Tracking and Operational Efficiency Plus Energy Savings The building information model becomes a digital dashboard, documenting every step, giving operators a very fast, accurate picture of the exact status of the commissioning process. When the mechanical contractor completes a Functional Performance Test for a pump, the pump s BIM object turns green in the Tekla model. When the owner accepts the same pump, the BIM object turns red. The same tasks that used to take us days to manage and track, now take just hours, she adds. The model is a powerful way to navigate the structure while facilitating field-specific workflow tasks that are an integral part of commissioning, which includes worklists, punch-lists and QA/QC. Once the commissioning process was complete, handed the F5 Tablet PCs to MGH facilities management staff for use in facilities management and operations activities. Using the tablet PCs, the MGH team will continue to access the database created using Tekla Structures for Construction Management software for maintenance and preventative care activities. xploretech.com 4

5 The facilities management team relies on the tablet PCs, from the wireless connection to the barcode reader, to manage mechanical systems with speed, accuracy and efficiency. One of MGH s goals with the new construction is to achieve energy savings and improve operational efficiency across the new and old building infrastructure. With the Central Care Expansion, MGH will cover about 1 million square feet. It is up to the MGH Support Services team to keep mechanical systems operating at peak performance. MGH s Plank says, At the end of the day, having a technology-driven solution to manage our system and its preventative maintenance systems is critical. The more we do that, the better we look to the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The auditors from JCAHO continually check to make sure we re on top of all this. These tablet PCs will forever change our workflow for the better. The facilities staff really likes the idea that everything is bar-coded so information is readily available on the tablet. They like the camera and especially the ability to write directly on the tablet and have that information recorded on the appropriate forms and submitted automatically. It s very exciting. We can no longer afford to work without this system. xploretech.com 5