An on-site in the trailer Project Team meeting looking at a digital BIM 3-D modeled image in Revit of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
by Tanya Cutolo
S/L/A/M Construction Services (SLAM CS), the construction management division of The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM), recently implemented several forms of technology to streamline the construction management process on Chapel Haven, a current design-build project in New Haven, Conn. SLAM was hired to fast-track the planning, design, approvals, and construction of a major expansion to the Chapel Haven campus. Chapel Haven is a residential and educational campus that empowers adults with disabilities to live independent and self-determined lives.
Currently under construction is the Residential Education at Chapel Haven building (REACH), a residential transition program with continuing lifelong support and a project that is being managed with some of the industry’s latest technologies.
SLAM CS has incorporated the use of an onsite TrueLook construction camera to record progress and safety. This camera records to a live website 24×7 and is accessible to the management team for surveillance and documentation. In addition, the owner can utilize the dashboard and time-lapse footage to communicate progress to leadership and the community as well as market to donors and prospective families.
Building information modeling (BIM) technology/Revit has also been utilized during the construction process. The use of this 3D modeling allows real-time coordination between the MEP contractors, the design team, and engineers to efficiently install the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems into the building.
The actual mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the building under construction.
SLAM CS has also recently implemented the use of Bluebeam Studio Revu, a real-time, document-based collaboration platform. This digital document control software is designed for use in the field and allows the construction team to optimize the project’s processes and workflows.
The project team can digitally create, store, and hyperlink PDF documents, make live edits, and collaborate in real-time, onsite or from the office, saving time and reducing paper. Changes at the project site, submittal instructions, RFIs, and submittals can be instantly documented, accessed, and communicated through Microsoft Surface Pros in the field, eliminating the need for redundant back-and-forth hard copies and opportunities for misunderstanding. The use of this software has boosted productivity and communication tremendously.
As a complement to these technologies, SLAM CS is documenting the multiphased construction project through a series of construction videos. Project team members narrate the progress and visual walkthrough of the building in various stages of construction. The videographer has incorporated the use of a digital drone to document the project site from overhead, providing a bird’s-eye view of the progress being made.
Tanya Cutolo
Tanya Cutolo, AIA, LEED AP, is director of business development at S/L/A/M Construction Services.
