DECONT – Digital Enablers for Construction Transformation – is a Loughborough University research project looking at ‘Industry 4.0’ technologies. Dr Robby Soetanto from Loughborough University’s school of architecture, building and civil engineering was at FutureBuild last week (I first met him when I was industry examiner for an EngD candidate at the university a few …
Category: Future
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2020/03/digital-enablers-construction-transformation/
Mar 08 2020
CIC roadmap for change omits vital BIM route
The CIC’s new “Roadmap for Change” talks up the prospects of digital construction but gives very sketchy directions to its rosy tomorrow. Too much proptech, not enough BIM, and too little signposting to useful resources. I went to FutureBuild 2020 at London’s ExCEL twice last week, visiting various exhibitors, taking in some presentations on the …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2020/03/cic-roadmap-omits-vital-bim-route/
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2020/01/common-approach-common-data-environments-cdes/
Dec 02 2019
AI in construction: chatbots for marketing and training
Applying artificial intelligence and machine learning in construction might involve using chatbots for lead generation on building trade websites, as well as for training. I have been talking about artificial intelligence and construction sporadically for some time, and a news release about a new UK service for lead generation in the building trade reminded me …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/12/chatbots-construction/
Nov 27 2019
Is contech a subset of proptech (or vice-versa)?
Some writers seem to regard contech as a small subset of proptech, but data created during asset delivery will be a foundation for many future proptech transactions. I recently subscribed to a proptech newsletter from James Dearsley’s online community Unissu, wanting to understand a little more about how the real estate world is developing, using …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/11/contech-subset-proptech/
Sep 03 2019
Deltek: integration key to digital transformation
The digital debate in the UK built environment has been moving beyond its recent obsession with building information modelling (BIM) and looking more widely at digital transformation and business “digitalisation”. Integration of back office, design and project management systems will be critical to the future success of many design firms, says Deltek. Some four years …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/09/deltek-integration-digital-transformation/
Aug 07 2019
Bentley pushes ‘Digital Twin’ into AEC mainstream
Discussion about ‘Digital Twins’ and national digital twins has grown rapidly since 2017, with Bentley Systems leading conversations and supporting UK research. The notion of creating a ‘Digital Twin’ of a built asset – a digital representation of the physical asset that is also connected to the physical asset to exchange real-time data – has …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/08/bentley-pushes-digital-twin-into-aec-mainstream/
Jul 18 2019
Bentley highlights need to digitise construction
Another report, “Unlock the Benefits of Going Digital in Construction” from Bentley Systems, underlines the under-digitised nature of construction – a well-worn theme at industry conferences in recent years. Consultancies such as the McKinsey Global Institute have highlighted how construction digitalisation lags other industry sectors in the US, Europe and Australasia, while, in the UK, …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/07/bentley-highlights-need-digitise-construction/
May 24 2019
Viewpoint launches ViewpointOne strategy
At the Viewpoint UK customer summit in London this week, the Trimble-owned business announced its ViewpointOne platform strategy. Some clarity on the future of the various solutions in the Viewpoint collaboration portfolio emerged at the Royal Institution of British Architects in London this week (22-23 May 2019), where the now-Trimble-owned business unveiled its intentions to …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/05/viewpointone-platform-shift/
May 20 2019
Hacking the Bentley iModel platform
Over 72 hours, teams vied to win a US$2,500 bounty put up by Bentley Systems as one of the prizes in the InfraHack 2019 hackathon. Bentley is positioning itself as a champion of ‘open’ collaboration. Infrahack 2019 kicked off at Fujitsu’s London headquarters last Thursday (16 May 2019), expanding on previous year’s hackathons, which had focused …
Permanent link to this article: https://extranetevolution.com/2019/05/hacking-bentley-imodel-platform/





