In an industry as foundational and transformative as engineering and construction, the advent of digital twin technology represents a seismic shift in how projects are conceived, designed, and executed. At the forefront of this revolution are Microsoft and Nvidia, through their strategic integration of Omniverse with Azure Cloud services, redefining the boundaries of architectural and engineering innovation. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of the engineering and construction sectors, offering unprecedented capabilities in simulation, collaboration, and visualization.
A New Era of Digital Construction with Microsoft and Omniverse
The integration of Nvidia Omniverse into Microsoft’s Azure Cloud platform is a game-changer for the engineering and construction industry. This powerful combination leverages the strengths of both entities—Microsoft’s robust cloud infrastructure and Omniverse’s advanced simulation and visualization capabilities—to provide a unified platform for the creation and management of digital twins.
Digital twins, virtual replicas of physical buildings and infrastructure, enable stakeholders to visualize, simulate, and analyze real-world conditions and performance throughout the construction lifecycle. This technological leap forward facilitates a more integrated, efficient, and sustainable approach to construction projects, from initial design through to operation and maintenance.
Sanjay Gangal, CEO and president of AECCafe, recently interviewed Jason Hallett, CEO of Digital Construction Works (DCW).
Founded in 2019, DCW is a separate services company offering digital automation, integration and digital twinning services and fit-for-purpose solutions. The aim is to simplify digital transformation for the construction industry. DCW solutions span every phase of the project – from planning to construction and operations through to asset management – creating a digital thread that connects technologies and workflows. Because DCW is a completely new separate company, it can be agnostic to technology and process improvement. This way, technology follows the operational process change but doesn’t lead it.
Sanjay: Thank you so much for joining us, Jason. Tell us a little bit about Digital Construction Works?
Jason: DCW was founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Topcon group and Bentley Systems. Our staff is comprised of construction industry subject matter experts and application developers. We’re focused on trying to really integrate the technologies that are out there used on construction projects and make the flow of information more seamless while executing construction.
This is our final week of AECCafe Voice Industry Predictions for 2022, which brings us to some exciting merging with other technologies such as GIS technology in the digital twin arena. Construction has been slow to adopt in past years, but the advent of augmented reality is changing that paradigm. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are part and parcel of the digital twin, so we will hear more from them in 2022. And what about construction project management software? Can it become easier to use, without undue training costs, and render a quicker return on investment? Take a look at what these professionals are predicting for 2022….
Nathan Patton, Product Manager, Trimble spoke with AECCafe Voice about the FieldLink MR, a new mixed reality solution for construction layout that runs on the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2.
Trimble Introduces Mixed Reality for Construction Layout with FieldLink MR
For 2022, it looks like construction trends are improving, with expectations high for increased infrastructure spending. Trimble is looking forward to increased collaboration capabilities, BIM models and digital twins amassing enormous quantities of data to provide a more streamlined construction experience, and what it takes to attract the next generation of workers.
Pete Large, Senior Vice President, Civil Infrastructure Sector at Trimble
And of course, sustainability and environmental concerns for the construction industry are an urgent focus for all aspects of the industry moving forward.
Predictions for the coming year are shaped by history and the current moment, and where we see the future unfolding. Both Adam Klatzin, vice president, Business Development for the iTwin Platform at Bentley Systems and Allison Scott, director of Construction Thought Leadership, Autodesk Construction Solutions, write about what realities have shaped catalysts for current and future development.
Much of 2021’s important news had to do with response to climate change, coupled with the Covid-19 response for businesses. Technologies have been in place for many years to respond, but the time is now, and actually the time is yesterday, to respond to these critical social and environmental issues. Digital twin technology and artificial intelligence are front and center in addressing these challenges. Reducing the world’s carbon footprint is a major priority for most organizations and technologies are being lined up to address this priority.
This year’s online Bentley Year In Infrastructure Conference has a somewhat different format, with the emphasis being on the awards distributed from the get-go, rather than at the end of the event. Replicating the experience of finalists’ presentations and speaking to the finalists in person were part of a tradition at YII. Not to mention an awards dinner that we all used to look forward to in person pre-pandemic, in such exotic locations as Singapore, London or Amsterdam.
CEO Jensen Huang presented the keynote at the recent GTC21 NVIDIA Conference, November 8-11, sharing with the audience the importance of accelerated computing and much more. The announcements were so prolific and not all pertinent to the AEC industry, thus I will share those that would be of most interest to our audience. One of the most profound announcements came at the end of the talk, wherein Huang announced that they are building a digital twin of the earth.
Zac Hays, head of product, preconstruction for Autodesk Construction Solutions, spoke this week with AECCafe Voice about Autodesk’s new BuildingConnected, a building platform to which new building project data can be posted and shared.
Zac Hays, head of product, preconstruction for Autodesk Construction Solutions
