In the past few months we have delivered a series of webinars focusing on digital transformation with supporting insight and guidance into BIM in the built environment. These webinars were designed to impart our knowledge of standards, processes and protocols to help audiences successfully deliver their BIM-led projects.
At Digital Node, we offer consultancy that allows you to own your future. Our world is digitally transforming and change is occurring at an unprecedented pace. We’re here to support industry and clients on adopting, understanding and implementing transformational change.
We took three core themes for our webinars: ISO 19650, the Digital Twin and the Golden Thread. Starting with the ISO 10650, Digital Node Director, Rebecca De Cicco, gave an overview of the principles of ISO 19650 and the clauses that surround different processes which would need to occur across a BIM-led project. Rebecca also referenced each clause and discussed the responsibilities of the Appointing Party, as well as the Lead Appointed Party and the Delivery Team, when working toward this standard.
The aim was to give our audience greater understanding of the key documents which are needed to meet the ISO 19650 requirements and how to share these prior to appointing the project team.
The next webinar in the series looked at interpreting the Digital Twin – a digital representation of a physical object or system – and how it is being applied to construction and infrastructure projects across the globe.
Rebecca looked at the methodologies surrounding its creation, strategy around the National Digital Twin (NDT) for the UK, and how this can apply to the processes and requirements of ISO 19650.
A Digital Twin is a virtual model of a process, product or service; this pairing of the virtual and physical worlds allows analysis of data to prevent problems occurring in a physical built asset. A Digital Twin is, in short, how we create physical things into a virtual reality. And for use in BIM, we use data to visualise our project models.
Finally, Rebecca presented on the Golden Thread and how it relates to the implementation of BIM.
Rebecca explained that the Golden Thread is a digital record, capturing the digital picture of an asset and its core data for operational phase. It should detail how a building was designed, built and maintained, with all project and asset data being held digitally. The Golden Thread acts as a live repository, linking all data about how a building is managed and operated. This record will capture the digital engagement of people, recording their decisions, thus giving a clear accountability trail to avoid risk and ultimately to save lives.
Rebecca went on to discuss the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, and how the Golden Thread emerged as a recommendation from the Hackitt report, which was commissioned as a result of the fire on the Grenfell Tower: Building a Safer Future.
The report told us that the Golden Thread is bringing about a culture change to ensure our assets are built safely for now and into the future. The report highlights the failings in the construction industry and stressed that there needs to be a greater push on safety.
Rebecca looked further into what the report told us, with a focus on Chapter 8, “Creating a golden thread of information”. Essentially, the Golden Thread is a digital record from design to build, through to operation of the asset and should be aligned to ISO 19650.
This report marked a sea change in how we think about the building process, has made us more responsible and accountable, and is a beacon for building a safer future for our industry.
This short webinar series looked at some of the most important areas influencing our industry today and why we need to work collaboratively with all actors across a project team to work smarter and safe –not just at build stage, but for the entire asset lifecycle.
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