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MillTechnology

PROJECT: One London Wall, a a highly complex 19,000 m2 prestige building.

PROBLEM: MillTechnology worked with contractors on the project who would each be carrying out their part of the building services coordination individually.

SOLUTION: MillTechnology provided a complete fully coordinated, virtually clash-free model in JetStream, from data supplied by all parties.

RESULTS: Having a unified model of the project resulted in fewer errors, fewer clashes, and better communication with the client and the building services contractors.

On Time and Error Free Thanks To JetStream

In the construction industry, someone, somewhere, sometime must face the consequences of errors. For example, the cost of services clashes discovered on site during installation must be borne by the eventual customer, the construction company and its services sub-contractors, or even the designers themselves. The mere thought of the endless arguments, variation and settlement meetings, and in extreme cases litigation, that errors could trigger, is enough to focus the collective mind on 'getting it right, first time'. Far better, though, to adopt processes and technologies that are inherently error-free. That is why MillTechnology has adopted JetStream.

MillTechnology Limited is a 35-strong, London-based, building services coordination company. The company's innovative and possibly unique approach has ensured its success. MillTechnology works with the building services contractors that provide the HVAC ductwork, pipework, fire systems and electrical installations, to provide clients with a single, fully coordinated, 3D building model for the complete project. MillTechnology uses Autodesk Architectural Desktop and CAD-Duct to create and update a 3D building model from the clients' 2D building drawings. This is used as the framework for the team to coordinate all the building services. The company is using this technique on a number of BAA projects at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports and is providing building services coordination for developments at One London Wall and Ascot Racecourse.

JetStream: Visual and Instant

Our business is coordination and we have done this in 3D from the beginning. If you were coordinating in 2D, there would be a constant checking and rechecking of all the services against each other to ensure they all fit, both with the building structure and with each other. It would be virtually impossible to get it right first time this way. However, with JetStream, things are visual and instant. You open up the 3D model and you can see immediately if there is anything wrong. This means that if there is a clash on site, it is because someone has not installed something correctly or not read the drawing properly. With JetStream, we are 95% to 97% clash-free.

Chris Milford.

Better Way of Doing Things

The company discovered JetStream when carrying out work on the Body Zone of the Millennium Dome. Chris Milford recalls, "When I saw the client's architects and the exhibit designers using it for real-time flythroughs, I saw the potential immediately. Now we have NavisWorks on all our CAD seats." He adds, "Using NavisWorks, our engineers can work through the routes, engineering them, looking for better ways of doing things, not just looking for clashes."

Decision Justified

Was it difficult to justify the acquisition of NavisWorks? Chris says, "Not at all. If I need something that will make the client more satisfied and business more successful, I buy it. I have always stayed ahead through technology." He continues, "Now when an engineer comes in the office and I give him his CAD seat, the first thing he asks is, has it got NavisWorks? To be honest, you can't work without it." He adds, "I am saving the client money and I am saving the contractors money and time. Now, if someone claims to have a clash on site, I will know he is wrong. I can even go to site with NavisWorks print and prove it. " The company also uses NavisWorks to produce regular project reports for clients. Chris explains, "We create a snapshot of where we are, export say 20 or 30 jpegs, print them off and issue them as a project report. It works really well. The architects and the consulting engineers get an instant update."

Vision For The Future

Chris Milford has a vision for the future, a future based on NavisWorks. He says :-

Within two years, we shall be able to hand over to the client a complete Virtual Building, comprising as-installed services and structure, with a complete inventory of all mechanical, electrical and public health services. This would be integrated with the BMS (building management system) to provide the maintenance engineer with real time walkthroughs and scenarios to identify faulty and malfunctioning equipment. One London Wall illustrates the first phase of this vision, as we shall be able to provide the client with the Virtual Reality aspect of the project - but not the integration with the BMS system.

One London Wall was designed by Foster and Partners for Hammerson and Kajima. It is a highly complex 19,000 m2 prestige building with some very difficult design constraints. For example, it is adjacent to the west wall of the Roman Fort, part of London Wall and has been built over the Plaisterer's Hall, which has had to be retained. Conventionally, each contractor would carry out the building services coordination individually. However, MillTechnology will provide a complete fully coordinated, virtually clash-free model in NavisWorks, developed by a single team, from data supplied by all parties. This will result in fewer errors, fewer clashes, and better communication with the client and the building services contractors. MillTechnology is also heavily involved in the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse. Each week, the client's project manager is sent the latest NavisWorks files. Using his own copy of NavisWorks, he can navigate the model, zoom in and create walkthroughs. That way he can request any changes that may be needed. According to Chris, "We are now getting feedback from sources we never had before; actual practical feedback from the people on the spot. The project manager can request something and know it is possible because he has seen it."

An Integral Part

According to Chris, "NavisWorks plays a huge part in our business. It has made our lives so much easier. We are now comfortable coordinating, whereas previously it was a mission. All our presentations are done in NavisWorks. Every day I get calls from clients wanting to use it. Years ago, I always expected something to go wrong. Now with NavisWorks we can see it is NOT going wrong. That's why NavisWorks should be an integral part of any 3D system."

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