Ensjø Torg in Oslo, Norway
The Ensjø Torg project consists of eight construction stages and 630 apartments. It's fully possible to digitize demanding construction projects.
– Kristian Bakkejord is Design manager at Skanska, and is responsible for all engineering and progress in the project. The project is developed according to VDC methodology with BIM as a central element, together with involving planning and a meeting methodology we call ICE. The focus is as much on work processes as tools, it's about technology and collaboration between people.
The point is to reduce misunderstandings between project participants and to do it right the first time by clearly communicating needs, challenges and solutions with visual tools such as patch plans and BIM.
Uses StreamBIM
At Ensjø Torg, Skanska uses StreamBIM in all phases of the project. It is a BIM platform that is supported by all handheld devices, and which ensures that the latest revision of drawings and models is always available to the production team, as well as allowing for communication and quick clarifications. Since this is a cloud solution, it means that everyone always sees the same thing, regardless of whether they are on the construction site, in the barracks or in the planning office. Skanska uses it for all it's worth.
- We have used BIM in planning for a long time, also as a central part of our planning meetings. The advantage we see with StreamBIM is being able to handle tasks afterwards, especially where we can use workflows and "issues" to follow up the goals, and keep better control of what has been done, says Bakkejord.
- At Skanska, all workers have been given smartphones, says Bakkejord and adds that they hardly use paper drawings anymore.
- Always having the latest updated work- documents available minimizes the risk of errors. That is the most important reason for using a digital substrate, notes Bakkejord
Fewer construction errors
Because construction errors cost money. In conventional projects, construction defects can amount to as much as 5 to 12.5 percent of the project cost. We have not yet seen the long-term effect of digital construction sites, but there is a good reason to believe that open BIM projects such as Ensjø Torg will be characterized by fewer and less serious construction errors. With the Ensjø Torg project, Skanska shows that the digitization of the construction industry is not just something that is talked about. It is done, and it works.