The June 2019 projected convergence of Autodesk’s construction-oriented solutions was crystallised in late 2019 with the launch of the Autodesk Construction Cloud.
At the London Build trade show in November 2019, Autodesk followed up its Connect & Construct Summit announcement in Las Vegas, promoting its Autodesk Construction Cloud to a UK audience.
Five months earlier, at the London edition of Connect & Construct in June 2019, Autodesk had signalled the convergence of Plangrid and BIM 360 technologies, merging its acquisition of Plangrid (November 2018 post) with the more established BIM 360, while also talking about two other acquisitions: Assemble (July 2018 news release) and the US- centric BuildingConnected (January 2019 post) – set to be launched in EMEA in 2020.
Autodesk Construction Cloud brings these four solutions together alongside the group’s design authoring tools, connecting headquarters, office and field teams to increase collaboration and productivity. Over 50 new product enhancements, as well as deeper integrations between each product, allow data to flow across all stages of construction. New artificial intelligence (AI) functionality helps construction teams identify and mitigate design risks before problems occur – reducing delays, rework and costs.
Jim Lynch, vice president and general manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions, says:
“Despite the tremendous challenges construction companies face to connect huge volumes of data and people, no one has delivered on the promise of unified construction from design to operations – until now. With Autodesk Construction Cloud, we’re introducing a new era of connected construction and offering unrivalled integration between headquarters, office and field teams. We’ve never been more dedicated nor clearer in our mission to empower designers, contractors and owners to meet the world’s rapidly expanding construction needs, while helping to make building more predictable, safe and sustainable.”
Construction Cloud enhancements
Launching Autodesk Construction Cloud, the company unveiled more than 50 new product enhancements spanning the building lifecycle from design to operations. Highlights include:
- Expanding support within Assemble for the latest version of Autodesk design tools AutoCAD, Revit and Navisworks.
- Empowering subcontractors to immediately quantify 2D views in BuildingConnected Bid Board Pro.
- Enabling greater collaboration, field teams can now take videos directly within the PlanGrid app. Along with improved photo management, teams are able to provide richer commentary from the jobsite.
- Enhancing all BIM 360 modules, along with deeper feature integrations – such as between Construction IQ and BIM 360’s design review capabilities, called Design Risk Management, which helps reduce the likelihood of RFIs and change orders originating from design issues.
To help construction teams reduce miscommunication, errors and rework, Autodesk has rolled out 18 different integrations, allowing data to flow between all its construction products (between Revit and PlanGrid, BIM 360 Design and Civil 3D, BuildingConnected and PlanGrid and BIM 360 and Assemble, to name a few). Built with BIM 360’s common data environment (CDE), Autodesk Construction Cloud ensures the whole team is collaborating on an integrated record set, and supporting customers in meeting ISO 19650.
With nearly one million (mainly north American) subcontractors using BuildingConnected, Autodesk says its Cloud encompasses the industry’s largest ecosystem of owners, designers, builders and trades, including nearly one million subcontractors who use BuildingConnected.
AI-powered analytics
Autodesk Construction Cloud encompasses powerful AI to help construction teams identify and mitigate risks before problems occur – helping to reduce delays, rework and cost. Autodesk cites technologies such as TradeTapp, which arms general contractors with subcontractor risk analysis during the planning phase, and Construction IQ, which uses algorithms to prioritise the highest risk projects, subcontractors and issues that need attention during the build phase, gives teams the insight and confidence to make informed decisions and build right the first time.
A case study on BAM Ireland’s use of Autodesk Construct IQ was shared in London in June 2019, and was discussed again at a Constructing Excellence event in London in September 2019 (read the final section of 15 October EE post, BIM is not big data). Michael Murphy says:
“Autodesk’s end-to-end system for the entire building lifecycle – from design to long-term maintenance – is giving us a competitive advantage. Using the advanced technology and predictive insights of Autodesk Construction Cloud, we achieved a 20% gain in quality and safety on a high-profile project. Autodesk Construction Cloud is bringing us one step closer to a unified solution with all our data in the same platform, so that information is no longer in a silo or lost. We’re strongly aligned with Autodesk in pursuit of better construction across the globe.”
