GPS World

Tag: construction management

  • Construction company Render Networks integrates Trimble GNSS for real-time location data

    Construction company Render Networks integrates Trimble GNSS for real-time location data

    Render Networks, a specialist in digital network construction management, is integrating with Trimble Mobile Manager, bringing Trimble’s high-precision GNSS capabilities to broadband and utility network deployments.

    The integration enables centimeter-level accuracy at the point of construction, minimizing delays and ensuring that as-built records are complete and verifiable from day one.

    The integration enables Render users to consume high-precision positions from Trimble receivers, including the Trimble DA2 with Trimble Catalyst and the Trimble R2, directly within Render Networks’ mobile app. This means Render Networks’ customers can deliver fast, accurate and verifiable as-builts as part of their normal workflows, eliminating the need for site revisits, reducing rework, and streamlining project acceptance.

    “Our customers are building critical infrastructure at massive scale, and high-accuracy data is non-negotiable,” said Rob Laudati, chief product and partner officer, at Render Networks. “With this new integration, we’re giving crews the ability to capture as-builts with location accuracy in real time, accelerating closeout and ensuring data quality that supports compliance, operations, and asset management for decades to come.”

    Render Networks will showcase the new Trimble integration at the SCTE TechExpo, Booth #882, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C.

  • Trimble announces new construction management solution

    Trimble announces new construction management solution

    Logo: TrimbleTrimble has announced Project MEP, a construction management solution that provides visibility into mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) workflows including estimating, change management, project management, detailing and fabrication. Project MEP allows for greater efficiency, collaboration and visibility across projects in the electrical, mechanical, HVAC and plumbing contractors fields.

    Project MEP manages drawings, documents, budgets and field productivity while extending construction management workflows with a suite of capabilities including estimating, submittal management and fabrication collaboration. The solution also provides project managers with the tools to identify issues faster, reduce rework and deliver more profitable projects. Project MEP is available as part of Trimble’s cloud-based construction management platform, Trimble Construction One.

    “MEP project managers are closely involved with every detail of a project from bid to closeout, but in today’s construction environment the data they need isn’t always readily available,” said Lawrence Smith, vice president of Trimble Construction Management Solutions. “With Project MEP, Trimble is breaking down information silos … while also providing the tools project managers need to run a job more efficiently. Now MEP contractors have a construction management solution that gives them the big picture of project health and the ability to track details such as the status of a spool.”

    Project MEP addresses MEP workflows including bid turnover, model collaboration, submittal management, design to fabrication, model-based estimating and field-to-office.

  • Bentley Systems acquires voice-based field automation provider

    Logo: Bentley Systems

    Bentley Systems has acquired NoteVault, a voice-based field automation provider for construction management. This acquisition expands Bentley’s Synchro digital construction environment with mobile field applications to track and manage labor, materials and equipment.

    According to Bentley Systems, these comprehensive offerings further extend the value of digital twins across construction management, enabling projects to combine immersive 4D models of the construction progress with detailed up-to-date reports on resource expenditures.

    NoteVault’s SaaS solution is deployed via mobile devices, offering natural language automated speech-to-text, augmented with automated machine learning, and human transcription to ensure accuracy. Because NoteVault has been engineered specifically for construction site mobile field reporting, it recognizes construction-specific language for accurate transcription, and enables automated translation so non-native English speakers can submit daily reports more easily using their native language.

    With NoteVault on their mobile devices, construction professionals can help synchronize status reporting effortlessly while saving time and money, reducing the risk of contractual disputes, Bentley Systems added.

    “Digital twins continue to transform the way projects are delivered and operated,” said Dustin Parkman, vice president, project delivery, Bentley Systems. “Inherent in every digital twin is a stream of continuously updated data, and for construction, automating the semantic interpretation of field reports can now be one of the richest sources of live project information. With the addition of NoteVault’s market-leading resource tracking capabilities, the Synchro 4D construction environment delivers the most comprehensive construction digital twin solution available. We are excited to continue advancing the scope of construction digital twins.”

  • Trimble acquires e-Builder to expand construction management solutions

    Trimble has acquired privately-held e-Builder, a software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based construction program management solution for capital program owners and program management firms.

    e-Builder extends Trimble’s ability to accelerate industry transformation by providing an integrated project delivery solution for owners, program managers and contractors across the design, construct and operate lifecycle, the company said.

    e-Builder manages more than $300 billion of construction project value and over 200,000 projects from some of the most influential owners in North America. Owners benefit from the e-Builder solution through improved transparency and accountability while contractors benefit from faster payments, increased productivity and improved competitive advantage.

    The e-Builder solution is uniquely designed to measure and manage every step of the capital project delivery process including planning, design, procurement, construction and operations.

    Trimble’s wide range of construction hardware and software solutions significantly improve project cost, schedule and effectiveness — beneficially impacting owners, architects, engineers and contractors. The Trimble presence in construction has two points of focus, one on civil engineering projects and the other on the construction of buildings and structures. Both will benefit from the e-Builder acquisition.

    Trimble solutions leverage constructible building information model (BIM) workflows to integrate processes, improve information fidelity, reduce rework, establish transparency and deliver higher productivity. By using Trimble technologies, contractors and owners are realizing substantial reductions in total project cost.

    The combination of Trimble and e-Builder accelerates value creation for both owners and contractors by combining e-Builder’s best practice solutions for owners with Trimble’s construction lifecycle solutions, access to contractors and global reach.

    The combined solution portfolio will accelerate the integration of field operations with enterprise needs, enabling additional productivity gains. The tangible benefits include more consistent on-time and within-budget project delivery that is enabled by improved visibility, clear accountability for outcomes and the ability to convert large volumes of disparate data into actionable workflows and measurable outcomes.

    “e-Builder has always recognized that owners play a key role in the construction lifecycle and that their influence will be key to the adoption of transformative construction technology,” said Steven Berglund, president and CEO of Trimble. “Trimble will extend its reach into the owner community by leveraging e-Builder’s presence. In turn, we intend to aggressively bring e-Builder solutions to civil and building contractors and the international market. We see a significant opportunity in leveraging data and intelligence gained through design-construct workflows across the full infrastructure lifecycle. e-Builder’s solutions and, more importantly, its organization provide a strong platform for significant growth.”

    “e-Builder’s mission is to improve project execution to make construction faster, less expensive and more reliable,” said Ron Antevy, president and CEO of e-Builder. “The addition of our solutions to Trimble’s broad portfolio extends our collective ability to best support owners and contractors with project delivery and management. e-Builder current and future customers will benefit from Trimble’s construction management expertise, culture of innovation and global reach to take e-Builder solutions to the next level.”

    The e-Builder business will be reported as part of the Buildings and Infrastructure Segment.

    Financial Terms

    The all cash purchase price of $500 million will be financed through a new $300 million credit facility and cash. The new facility has terms and conditions similar to the existing revolver with a 364 day term.

    e-Builder’s reported trailing twelve month revenue is approximately $53 million. In recent years, e-Builder’s revenue growth rate has exceeded 20 percent annually, with greater than 65 percent subscription revenue as a percentage of total revenue. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to Trimble’s first quarter non-GAAP net income per share by $0.01 per share and dilutive to full year 2018 non-GAAP net income per share by $0.02 to $0.03 per share, due to the impact of fair value accounting of e-Builder’s deferred revenue and interest expense. Trimble expects the acquisition to be accretive to 2019 non-GAAP net income per share.

    An overview of e-Builder and the strategic rationale for the acquisition is available on Trimble’s Investor Relations website. For a more detailed description of the acquisition and credit agreements see Trimble’s Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Feb. 2, 2018.

    About e-Builder

    Founded in 1995, e-Builder is a provider of integrated, cloud-based construction program management software for top facility owners and the companies that act on their behalf.

    The company’s flagship product, e-Builder Enterprise, improves capital project execution, resulting in increased productivity and quality, reduced cost and faster project delivery.

    Since 1995, e-Builder’s technology leadership and construction industry focus have helped thousands of global companies, government agencies, and health care and educational institutions manage billions of dollars in capital programs with solutions to improve the plan, build and operate lifecycle.

    The company is based in Plantation, Florida.

  • Hexagon launches SMART Build for construction management

    Hexagon-SMART-Build

    Hexagon AB has launched HxGN SMART Build, an enterprise construction management software solution designed to alleviate cost overruns and delays.

    SMART Build facilitates the convergence of construction planning and execution through real-time clarity, accountability and management of the project lifecycle. This empowers construction executives with top-down visibility of progress and deviations and field crews with automation and real-time access to the relevant and up-to-date information they need every day on the job site, Hexagon said.

    “General contractors face an almost impossible challenge with the number of variables they deal with every day,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “SMART Build will deliver cost savings, improved workflows, increased productivity and countless other benefits to an industry seeking a better way to deliver projects on time and on budget. Hexagon has long been a leader in information technology software solutions for large scale construction in the process, power and marine industries and HxGN SMART Build is our next-generation offering, providing the AEC/BIM industries with a fully integrated solution that did not previously exist.”

    Leveraging industry leading technologies from Hexagon’s Process, Power & Marine and Geosystems businesses, SMART Build is a fully integrated construction solution that brings all relevant project information together on a single platform — from design down to the smallest tasks — in a secure, cloud-based environment.

    Participants at all levels can access data and information any time, from anywhere — from 2D drawings and 3D models, to work packages, detailed instructions, point clouds, and as-built measurements, to project progress and deviations from plan. This real-time visibility and transparency clarifies, connects and simplifies the construction management process, the company said.