Today eye-watering amounts of time and money are still being lost to avoidable disputes around project interfaces. For any given large-scale project, interfaces bring substantial risk. The risk of cost overruns and delays, misalignment of works, and conflict all pose a threat to the smooth runnings of a construction project. It can be said that interface management has emerged from the millions lost from projects misaligned or ‘gone wrong’.

Interface management aligns and oversees contracted teams and their respective work packages in the planning and execution of large-scale projects. It aims to bring together effective contracting, coordination, risk allocation, conflict resolution and decision-making within projects, helping to ensure smooth running with minimal errors and disputes.

Robust interface management processes are key to assuring that contractors align. Learn about the pains of managing interfaces in construction and three things you should consider when dealing with interface management.

Project interfaces are where emergent risks form, however bringing everybody onto the same page is difficult. As a result, interfaces tend to be 

 of delays, disputes and claims during the build phase of any large civil infrastructure project with multiple stakeholders. Whilst asset owners reasonably manage the risk of large projects by contracting different organisations to different roles this also creates a new area of practical risk. The practicality of where one organisation's contract ends and another begins must run seamlessly for a successful project. However, bringing together million-pound equipment and structures is by no means an easy task.

Project interfaces can be anything from the hard interface of where one pipe meets another, to the soft interface of the flow rate through water pipes. Regardless, every detail needs both ownership and consideration for them to align. If interfaces are misaligned or incompatible the repercussions can cost both millions and cause years' worth of delay or rework. Therefore, decisions need to be made right the first time.

Until recently there has been a lack of recorded evidence to support the benefits of interface management systems. In a study, the 

Construction Industry Institute (CII, 2014)

 sampled over 45 mega-projects to explore the effects of interface management systems. They found that the complex and large-scale projects using mature interface management systems suffered only a 4% cost rise on average, while similar projects without mature interface management systems experienced 18% cost growth on average. Ultimately interface management is the cheapest insurance you could ever buy for a project.

3 steps to improving interface management

On multi-million-pound projects, the best way to avoid interface disputes is through the early implementation of interface management, tackled in a multifaceted approach. From day one, having a clear and concise contract that defines the roles and responsibilities of each contractor is the first step. This will help to hold teams accountable.

Meanwhile, the implementation of a straightforward process as to how interfaces should be managed across the different contractors needs to be defined. For example, an interface management plan which outlines how the participants should behave can provide a single source of truth as to how queries should be managed. This might also mean assigning an Interface Manager or having Interface Management Teams liaise on behalf of their contract. Clearly stating how interfaces should be managed will help all teams to communicate with one another. Regular meetings and updates between teams will help to ensure that everyone is working from the same page with defined responsibilities across the project lifecycle.

2. Unlock interface management with people, process and technology

When establishing how interface management is to be handled on a construction project, people, process, and technology are core to resolving queries quickly. The investment in this triad, championed by its people can ultimately save millions on projects.

Many project teams have decided to move away from the traditional, lengthy and complex spreadsheets managed by one person. Instead, resources are being funnelled towards Interface Management Teams and more appropriate technologies. Such software can seamlessly integrate interface control forms, communicate the queries between the requesting party and responding party whist logging the resolution. Teams are utilising Common Data Environment’s (CDEs) to remove the need to manually log interfaces identified and decisions made. It creates a direct channel between the parties involved, resulting in more transparent and rapid resolution and implementation.

As a step on from this, teams are taking their interface management processes to the next level by integrating interface management queries with visualisation technology. Using platforms such as

 Sensat’s Common Visualisation Environment (CVE)

 today project teams are viewing queries in the context of the real-world environment. Using up-to-date digital twins of a project site, users can visualise exactly where the interface issue is in relation to the contractor's progress on-site and the surrounding environment. This eliminates the back and forth trips from office to site for interface assessments, whilst giving an in-depth understanding of a query from anywhere. Using visualisation tools teams are benefitting from a rapid loop between interfaces by accessing the right data in order to make the right decisions and deliver the right outcome.

When assessing investment in interface management one thing is clear: the cost of something going wrong on a project by far exceeds the cost of investment in interface management. Managing Director of Amodal for British Land, Thomas Whitting explains,

“I pay Sensat for cost certainty. And it doesn't matter because the cost of reworks and mistakes would far exceed the initial investment… It’s much better to mitigate those risks by having better information earlier on.”

Using interface management platforms in conjunction with Sensat’s CVE is not only helping to proactively prevent reworks later down the line but also bolstering decision-making.

Directing resources towards the appropriate management of communications, relationships, and deliverables among stakeholders is integral to project success. Only by trying to reduce risk can projects improve certainty and reduce the risk contingency. By making all of this information accessible and easier to comprehend for everyone working on the programme teams can collaborate to make the best decisions using data-driven insights.

Being proactive and taking the step towards investing in interface management will be far less expensive than the cost of reworks.

Sensat’s platform is supporting projects across the asset life cycle. Learn how 

Sensat, British Land and Amodal created a “digital twin” to speed up the planning of the Canada Water Masterplan

Interface management is costing you millions, here's what to do about it

Safety is the most important aspect of any project, particularly when visiting construction sites. However, ensuring that everyone goes home safe requires a considerable amount of reporting and administration. While site safety inductions and risk assessments are completely worthwhile, this time can add up to a significant portion of the design schedule over the course of a project. If there was a more efficient way to gather site information, this time could be saved and redirected to other value-adding activities, such as additional planning.

The current process for most projects is to visit the site numerous times in order to collect information to inform the project design and planning. Prior to every visit, visitors must undertake rigorous safety precautions, such as preparing site risk assessments or method statements and attending inductions. In some instances, additional safety measures are required, such as traffic management or a second person attending site to avoid lone working.

All of these measures are designed to ensure that staff are kept as safe as possible every time they visit site. However, there are also situations where accessing a site isn’t straightforward. There may be limited access, or the site may be impractical to visit due to the distance or amount of time required. In some cases, the safety risks posed – such as confined spaces, for example – may also make it difficult to access the site on a frequent basis.

Irrespective of whether a site can be easily accessed or not, according to the risk reduction hierarchy, we should always strive to remove the risk completely before implementing control measures. In the case of site visits, if staff are able to obtain all the information they require from the safety of the office, then there is a two-fold benefit: improved safety and increased efficiency.

While there will almost always be a need to attend site, reducing the frequency of site visits by making site information available in a usable format makes sense. With 

Sensat's Common Visualisation Environment (CVE)

, achieving this goal is simple. The CVE brings all the project and site data together into one platform that can be quickly interrogated to obtain the desired information. It acts as an up-to-date digital twin of the site, increasing the understanding of any potential constraints and site features.

Using Sensat's CVE platform, it is easy to get data such as site measurements, schedule information, or a visual update on current site progress which teams can explore in great detail. If any information has been forgotten, there is no need to visit the site, saving the time of both the site visit and the preparation of adequate safety documentation.

The CVE can also enable better planning when site visits do have to take place. For example, a platform like Sensat allows markups to be made, which can be used to highlight any risks that have been identified on site. No-go areas can also be marked out, or accesses can be planned before attending site in person.

Efficient site visits mean better planning

Adequate planning is a key aspect of ensuring time and cost certainty for any project. By removing waste activities such as inefficient site visits and the additional administration effort they require, the CVE can help contribute to a better project plan by freeing up valuable time. In addition, it can help develop a comprehensive understanding of the site and its constraints, avoiding unforeseen risks later down the line.

The project planning process is about more than just finding efficient ways to access and manage site information. The more time that can be invested into planning during the early stages of a project, the less chance there will be of mistakes, miscalculations, or unforeseen risks later down the line. As a result, project delivery times and profit margins are protected.

3 ways to improve the construction planning phase

, to learn how to utilise the available data more efficiently for improved project outcomes. Combined with streamlined access to site information, risks can be effectively reduced, safety significantly increased, and design quality considerably enhanced.

Increasing the safety and quality of site visits

The shift to a digital design environment has brought many advantages – increased efficiency, improved visualisation and enhanced quality, just to name a few. By being able to visualise how different design elements interact, clashes that lead to costly delays and wasted materials can be avoided. Yet having all the project data in a digital format is not enough to completely ensure that there are no clashes with the real-world environment or between elements. To achieve this, these multiple data sources need to be integrated and analysed holistically.

With multiple sources of data – such as design models, scheduling information, and site survey data – it is difficult to ensure that all of these puzzle pieces align and complement each other. Identifying and rectifying clashes between site features and the design is not always easy to achieve when working with different files and formats. Data may sit with various teams who use different software which is not always compatible, meaning information is lost or difficult to import into a usable format. Without the ability to access the information as and when required, teams waste time chasing data from other teams.

Additionally, making sure that different parts of the design do not clash during separate phases of the project is challenging at best. On a complex project, trying to understand the construction sequencing and visualising the current progress of each stage and how it interacts with other elements on site is typically not accurate. Until recently, the tools to achieve this with any precision – by combining this data into a usable format – simply have not existed.

Some of these issues have been addressed with the introduction of a Common Data Environment, or CDE. By bringing different data sources together and combining them, design clashes are easier to spot and address. However, CDEs have their limitations. Whilst they are well suited to identifying technical design clashes between various models and ensuring self-serve access to data, there is no practical way of stress-testing proposals within the site environment. Equally, tools for testing the construction sequencing and visualising progress at every stage are also either limited or non-existent.

Eliminating clashes with enhanced visualisation

Sensat's Common Visualisation Environment, or CVE

. The CVE is the evolution of the CDE – it provides a central platform for all the project data together with the ability to combine and view data. It is not just restricted to design information either – many different data sets can be incorporated for advanced analysis. For example, scheduling information can be incorporated so that progress can be visualised at any stage of the project. This way, any potential clashes in the future can be detected early before they are discovered on site.

Being able to view the interaction between the existing environment and the design proposals is another benefit of a CVE. A drone or point cloud survey might yield a decent model of the site itself for comparison during design if it can be imported into a usable format. However, looking beyond the site extents to analyse the impact of the design on the local environment is less easy – often, surveys of these areas are not undertaken. Yet with a CVE, this can be achieved relatively easily so that any potential issues or collisions can be identified and avoided.

Bringing all the project information together into a central platform is the first step in weeding out design clashes. However, to completely eliminate clashes with confidence, all the project data – including scheduling and environment information – has to be integrated into a usable format that can be analysed as a whole. With a CVE, all sources of project information can be aggregated and used to create a comprehensive visualisation of the project that is easy to interrogate for issues. This way, clashes are avoided, design quality is improved, and time and cost overruns are reduced.

Developing an accurate design is just one stage of the planning process. With a robust project plan, other sources of error – and therefore risk – can also be minimised.

, covers the other important areas of creating a comprehensive plan and illustrates how a CVE can help with the entire process.

How to eliminate design clashes

The ability to produce and work from accurate estimates can mean the difference between projects which maximise profitability and those that eat into profit margins. Measurement inaccuracies can often result in rework or even more extreme measures, such as having to completely restart a project. Therefore, during the early stages of a project, precise measurement data is one of the key information sets that can help ensure a robust project plan. Fortunately, technology is available that can help improve measurement accuracy, thereby keeping projects on track.

Every project is defined by the measurements that make up each asset – be that floor area, the diameter of the drainage pipes required, or how much rail track needs to be laid. Any discrepancy in this information therefore has a significant effect on design and construction costs and timeframes. In addition, time is also required to update any designs or documentation, as well as check and re-issue them. This rework is an additional cost, which is further compounded if the error has been discovered after a project or phase has been completed on site.

A less obvious impact is the effect on the decision-making process, as choices are often made based on measurement information. Materials and components may be ruled out for budgetary or availability reasons, or the site access or layout may be more problematic to plan as it appears there is less room than anticipated. Discovering an inaccuracy in the measurements can affect a wide range of activities, requiring many decisions to be reviewed and potentially allowing more discrepancies to creep in.

Although there are many different causes of rework on projects, inaccurate measurements are one of the main contributors. Some may argue that it would be nearly impossible to completely remove all the potential sources of error in a project. However, measurement is one area where this risk can be completely avoided.

The shift to Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D design has helped address this problem – clashes between project elements or collisions with site features are much easier to detect in 3D, for example. And whilst this has increased measurement accuracy to a degree, some key measurements are still difficult to obtain accurately and easily, such as site measurements. Traditionally, these have only been able to be obtained by physically visiting site, which takes time, costs money, and increases safety risks to staff.

Sensat's Common Visualisation Environment ® (CVE)

 can change that. Thanks to big data, all the project information can be integrated into one central location and combined with a digital twin of the site. A drone photogrammetric survey could be carried out for a site and the data uploaded to the CVE. Using advanced data capture and visualisation methods, not only would all the measurements from the survey be incredibly accurate, but a 3D virtual replica of the site could be interrogated from the office. Any required measurements can be quickly extracted from the CVE, with the confidence that they are precise.

For example, if some retrofit works were required to an existing train station, Sensat's CVE would enable the engineers to determine if the proposed new equipment would fit in the desired space. If not, they have all the information they require to either find a new location for the equipment, or to take as many measurements as needed to find alternatives that will fit. On the construction side, the contractor could quickly determine the area available for materials storage or measure the existing site accesses to ensure that the required plant can use them. With a CVE, all of this work could be completed without the need for repeated site visits.

Accurate measurements are the foundation of reliable decision-making. Being able to easily access measurement data helps support data-driven choices throughout the project life cycle. With a CVE, this information can be stored, managed, and retrieved when needed, helping to avoid costly rework, save time, and improve safety.

When it comes to creating a project plan, reliable decision-making is a must-have for developing a robust strategy. However, a CVE can help with all aspects of project planning.

, which covers how to create a comprehensive plan that achieves project objectives and reduces risk.

The importance of precise measurements

A robust project plan is one that avoids or reduces as many risks as possible, as early as possible. The extra time and effort invested to manage risks upfront help reduce time and cost overruns later and ensure site safety. Risk assessments are the best tool for this, and often, more than one is required. However, there are ways to increase site visibility during constraint planning.

A typical issue for many projects in the planning phase is the constant back and forth flow of information between different parties. The data required to plan options and mitigate any risks are often held by different people and teams. Time is then spent sifting through emails, chasing after documents, or searching for the right person to contact. This is further exacerbated by the disconnect between the site and the office.

For example, before a risk assessment can be completed, historic asset information may be required to understand what is currently installed or present on site. It is possible that only the owner has access to this information, which could be held on separate databases managed by different people. In this case, several requests would need to be made before the data is obtained.

Information may also be required about the existing site conditions or ongoing works before the risk assessments can be completed. Getting this information from the site can take up a significant amount of time, either from conducting site visits or making contact with the site team. Added to this is the time lost waiting for replies.

The typical solution to this issue has been to implement a common data environment (CDE). A CDE brings together all the project, site or asset information into one place. This is meant to eliminate the need to chase after information, therefore helping accelerate planning decisions in the early phases.

However, while a CDE has enabled collaboration between different data sources, it hasn’t completely addressed the problem. What results is often a jumble of files that are difficult to make sense of or leverage efficiently, particularly if specialist software is required to gain any insights from the information. Therefore, while the CDE has improved data access and availability, collaboration and data understanding between teams and wider stakeholders hasn’t been equally improved.

Better planning with a Common Visualisation Environment

Making the most of the data available instead requires a 

(CVE). The CVE is a digital replica of the real-world asset, which contains all the project data and is accessed through a collaborative platform. In the CVE, design data can be layered onto the site constraints, providing a better insight for planning decisions while also ensuring complete clarity.

For example, if all historic asset and site information was stored in a CVE, these records would make up a comprehensive risk register of previously identified problems. This could include information such as existing hazards, errors, missing information, environmental data, or other constraints – all displayed as a layer on the CVE so it is clear where they are on the site. This brings the site to the subject matter experts, making it quicker and easier for them to obtain the information they need for risk mitigation.

With all the data they require in one place, engineers, project managers, or other stakeholders can efficiently gain a clearer picture of the current state. No time is lost gathering data on what risks are present and need managing. 

However, the benefits are further reaching – the project plan is also improved. More data-driven decisions about risks can be made in the time available, enabling a comprehensive risk assessment process to be undertaken. The more risk assessments which can be carried out during the early stages, the better the project plan will be, reducing the risk of delays further down the line.

Thorough risk mitigation is one of the key strategies for creating a robust project plan, and a CVE helps support this. Yet this is just one step in the planning process. 

For a complete guide on how to develop a thorough project plan, download our eBook, 

It covers the three key aspects that will help transform your planning process and support better project outcomes.

See project and site constraints sooner during constraint planning

Described as ‘Google Earth on steroids’—a Common Visualisation Environment (CVE)

is an all-in-one platform that brings all construction data in the context of the real world. The evolution from the Common Data Environment (CDE), allows you to improve processes that result in project risks causing delays and costly alternatives.

As the old saying goes ‘a picture paints a thousand words’— and in a nutshell that is what a CVE is: a real-world digital replica enriched with all project data, available in a collaborative platform. Where today access to multiple project data sets is commonplace, bringing it into a digital twin environment is relatively new. Usage of a CVE brings many opportunities to improve processes of the asset lifecycle. This includes: access to up-to-date real-world site views, viewing design data layered onto site constraints and the capability to have meaningful conversations on specific site points

Making project data understandable & accessible

A Common Visualisation Platform puts usability at the forefront. It is a platform designed to be easily accessible and understandable for everyone involved in a project. It removes traditional hurdles of requiring technical skill to either access data sources or to put them into an understandable context. All that is needed is a computer with an internet connection.

Showing (design) data in site constraints

CVE platforms can integrate 2D and 3D site scans in combination with design data, documents, and other information sources. Layering this data into the context of the wider environment enables the detection of potential practical design clashes, earthworks plans and much more. These new insights enhance the quality of both meetings and decision making.

Removing team silos by facilitating collaboration is a central focus of CVE platforms. The platform has various features like dropping markups, notes and comments on site specific locations. While any person can do this for themselves the possibility of tagging team members exists as well. Those team members will receive a notification so that the conversation can begin. With the platform being accessible for all team members, site or colleague visits can be dramatically reduced.

Sensat’s CVE Platform: Data sets including Real Estate design plans and underground utilities overlaid in situ of the real-world environment.

Over the last decade, several players have emerged in the 

. Its use case has been clear: teams and projects need a ‘Single source of Truth’ for all project data. While this brought tremendous opportunity for the construction industry new challenges emerged because of it. For example: how do data sets interact with the real-world environment and how do plans align with what’s happening on-site?

The need for a better relationship between site data, design plans and the real world has prompted the need for a next iteration: the CVE. Why is this evolution happening now? While utilising aerial view data to understand site constraints is around 

, only recently has technology unlocked the capability to do this on a large scale and with incredible detail.

Data explosion: how to make sense of it all?

With the explosion of data (and the tools to manage it), gaining clarity to make decisions with confidence can be difficult. Data is worth nothing if it just sits there, and housing it in different places and systems can lead to largely disjointed processes and practices. What causes these data silos?

Ask yourself, “have I experienced any of the following when trying to access data?”:

Have don’t have the required technical software training

Don’t have access to the data I need as not all team members use the software

If the answer is ‘yes’, there’s an opportunity to optimise your data usage and therefore your decision making.

Today the construction industry relies on several fundamental softwares to store and assess different data sets. Think: site telemetry and surveys, engineering and design files, to programme controls data. As a result, the communication of information is reliant on those who can access, read and relay it.

Offline communication: slow decision making

Large project scales of today make manually digitising a site and extracting key information a time costly process. Still today, blueprints, documents, and updates are documented on paper, manually transferred around or conveyed via phone calls.

On top of that, the following picture might sound familiar: some data streams are only accessible by information gatekeepers. They need to retrieve information from several repositories in order to further pass it on before insights can be derived from it (if the data is then still accurate).

It might not be obvious but a system like this is riddled with information silos. This leads to errors and rework later down the pipeline causing an increasingly smaller profit margin on a project. With high volumes of traditional form filling, paper worksheets and data stuck on hard drives, a more effective approach to updating and communicating site progress is needed

By now it’s clear that team and data silos cause barriers to identify project risk in time causing costly mistakes. Empowering teams, by implementing a healthy data culture is the solution. By that we mean: encouraging teams to put data into the hands of those who need it and use it in all their decision making. It starts by providing teams with a platform that is accessible to all, and puts data into an understandable context. With a CVE access is unlimited and for everyone. And by putting all (technical) data on real world backdrops it enhances data context for everyone to understand.

Secondly, to break down team silos all members should be enabled to communicate effectively about their site and work streams. This is a second focus for a CVE with tools such as, dropping comments on specific site locations, tagging people and adding other files will help you do that.

And the best part: there are no extra technical skills required to make use of a CVE.

Sensat’s platform integrating a highways plan for a new road layout, visualised amongst the real-world environment

Having put all project information into the context of the site and have effective conversations in one platform, unlocks more benefits as well.

Get stakeholders on board with compelling visualisation

By navigating the digital representation of your project, you can surface the right information during stakeholder presentations. This makes it immediately understandable for the audience. How? Provide your audience with a 3D spatial sense by pivoting the screen every which way. You can visualise line of sight assessments or interaction of tree heights with your design plans.

“Whereas before, minor changes to the design could mean several weeks or months of backward and forward communications between architects, engineers and owners across several platforms, tools and systems, insights into the effects of changes can now be visible to all the necessary stakeholders almost instantaneously.”



With tools for analysis like volumetric measurements, distance and height metrics, we allow project contributors to make quicker design, earthwork and site decisions without needing to travel to site constantly. Moreover, you can improve site inductions by providing new site visitors with access to a 3D digital replica of the site enabling the visitor to get a feel for the site, its constraints and points of interest enhancing the safety measures of site inductions.

A CVE also contains a timeline functionality. Imagine scrolling back in time and visualising site changes and project progression on a month by month basis. Whilst the use cases of such a timeline are various, one worth mentioning is that of assurance: how is the project and its individual components progressing over time?

Ultimately, a CVE unlocks the true value of data by connecting individuals with the data needed to make informed decision and spot risks early.

Sensat, British Land and Amodal create a “digital twin” to speed up planning of Canada Water Masterplan

National Grid is keeping workers safe with visualised 3D power station data easily accessible from home

Network Rail and Osborne combine data sets in their real-world environment and take survey-grade measurements without being on site using Sensat.

The complete guide to the Common Visualisation Environment (CVE)

Sensat's Survey Manager, Ben Craigie, reveals what you should consider when looking at the procurement or conduction of topographic surveys using UAV platforms and what, from a traditional terrestrial survey point of view, may need to be appreciated at the commissioning stage.

 event, I spoke alongside my colleague and Sensat co-founder, Harry Atkinson, surrounding the use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and the accuracies achievable when conducting topographic surveys. During the session, I referenced the 

Earth observation and aerial surveys 6th edition global Guidance Note’

where they state the achievable accuracies using UAV data capture at the centimetre level and we explained how we achieve that at Sensat. More information can be found in that publication but any further discussion on the topic of accuracy is beyond the scope of this piece.

The benefits and pitfalls of using UAVs for topographic surveys

The use of drones for capturing survey data is rapidly becoming ubiquitous and when conducted professionally, by surveyors, the benefits of rapidity, volume, safety and sustainability are already well understood. It should be clear however that drones are only one of a number of tools within a surveyors toolbox and therefore will not always be the best tool for the job (or at least every area of a job). UAVs provide the ability to cover large areas in relatively short amounts of time and capture those areas in massive amounts of detail, leading to rich datasets often running to billions of data points. However, this (remote) capture method is by definition non-intrusive and therefore certain elements of the terrain will always be overlooked.

For a Topographic survey, two payloads are commonly flown simultaneously or consecutively over the same area in order to create a detailed data set of the topography. These payloads are an RGB camera (for later photogrammetric processing) and a LiDAR unit for direct measurement of the ground/features (

). The camera captures high definition colour images but the resulting data is limited to that of clearly visible/well-lit surfaces. A tree canopy is an obvious example where the canopy will be captured in great detail but the ground below is not observed, instead often appearing as dark spots at the canopy level. Here the LiDAR steps up, firing a laser directly towards the earth. The canopy may form the majority of the return signals but each gap to the ground will allow the laser to penetrate through and capture the desired level. These payloads, when combined, capture the vast majority of the details you could hope to record within a topographic survey but there remain some areas where still limited or inadequate data will be captured. Ditches are a notable feature that are hard to determine; by nature, they are below the general level of the surrounding earth and often support a hedgerow or other dense vegetation. When considering this point it should be noted that almost no survey ever perfectly captures all details or can suggest that not a single feature has been overlooked. A laser scan of a bridge abutment for example would not reach behind the moss to reveal a hidden land-drain outfall or a ground survey would likely miss a solar panel affixed to a high level, shallow-pitched roof that’s obscured from street level.

The answer then is to target specific areas for additional investigation when and if the level of detail demands it. The surveyor for their part should ensure that any area of the site that may contain further features behind the apparent extent is clearly labelled so a further investigation can be undertaken as necessary. Even terrestrial-based survey teams would not expect to capture every nuance of obscured features but would look to target the most accessible/least vegetated zones to maximise productivity and minimise ecological destruction.

Creating CAD drawings from UAV survey data

Returning to the combination argument, one of our teams recently conducted a survey of a large site area in Somerset. It was understood that some ditches/watercourses were to be modelled and that the aerial survey was unlikely to capture the required level of detail. The solution was to survey the entire area using a UAV as the starting point. Analysis of the data then allowed us to understand which areas (or in some cases individual points) needed further attention. We were then able to target a ground team to secure the few remaining elements and ultimately present our client with a full and dense data set, still far quicker and at less expense than an exclusively terrestrial survey.

Considering the above, It’s important that the level of detail delivered is communicated to and agreed upon with clients at the commissioning stage. Many incumbent engineers or others responsible for the procurement of surveys appreciate all the benefits a survey captured with UAVs will provide, but may not have considered how this affects the deliverables and specifically CAD models.

The creation of CAD drawings from UAV data sets is bound by the detail obtained but there is a further consideration. A traditional terrestrial survey could be described as a 2-stage process where points, line features and associated annotation are recorded on-site with the final CAD drawing creation being a relatively straightforward further organising and cleaning of this data (perhaps with the creation of certain other interpolated items). Whereas, extracting CAD elements from a UAV survey is a different skill set and might be considered more of a three-stage journey. At the first stage, the data is captured before being post-processed to create a 3D point cloud (the 3D output from aerial photogrammetric/LiDAR data). The CAD operator then needs to understand how the data has been obtained and therefore the elements that may be obscured from capture. Further, they will need the ability to model the specified elements from the point cloud in a systemic and considered way. This is more akin to an experienced terrestrial surveyor standing on site and determining what and how to record the topographic features, rather than a CAD operator simply finalising and creating an aesthetically pleasing model.

As a final thought, with all the data that is captured from an aerial survey, it can seem somewhat counterproductive to refine the data into a few thousand elements within a CAD model. Sensat operates and provides users with a unique 

CVE (Common Visualisation EnvironmentⓇ)

 where multiple datasets, including resulting designs, can be overlaid and analysed in their entirety. With this technology and the advances in AI, perhaps in the future, the industry will find a way to move away from CAD models altogether in favour of direct use of the data itself.

Written by Sensat Survey Manager, Ben Craigie.

Learn how Connect Plus and Osborne used UAVs to create a digital twin of the entire M25

The ins and outs of using UAVs for topographic surveys and creating CAD drawings

In previous years, productivity in construction has increased slowly at best. However, the opportunity to boost output and raise quality standards in construction lends itself to the adoption of more innovative technologies and embracing new working practices, including digital adoption and automation. According to 

, 2022 will be the year civil infrastructure is catapulted into a future of automation to improve productivity but also save on costs, and improve the sustainability of projects. For the second part of our 2022 predictions series we deep dive into how automation will help the industry to achieve productivity gains through automation.

, automation presents three primary opportunities in construction that will allow the industry to experience similar efficiencies that other industries have experienced over the past twenty years. This includes the automation of physical tasks (e.g bricklaying); the automation of construction (e.g 3-D printing of components such as facades); as well as the digitisation and automation of design, planning, and management procedures. But what does this mean today and what could this mean for the future?

, autonomy in construction can range from Level 0 (manual) to Level 5 (full automation). Today most of the construction industry lies at Level 0, with projects being inherently manual. Construction workers still carry out physical tasks such as bricklaying, or data collection using traditional methods, which are both time consuming and laborious, which is arguably due to the unpredictability of on-site environments.

Those who are adopting automation technology are experiencing a shift in traditional processes and are already reaping the benefits of improved productivity, safety and sustainability. For example, digital twin technology like Sensat’s is levelling up construction projects from Level 0 to Level 2 (partial automation). For example, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to capture data and then visualise this data using a one integrated common visualisation environment, the next step on from a common data environment (CDE), presents a way for project controllers to view sites, layouts and real-time conditions in one integrated platform. This is removing the barriers of information silos that the industry suffers from, but is also improving on-site efficiency by providing a digital stage where project controllers and general contractors can identify issues before they even step foot on site. This improved coordination between teams is helping to make the right-first-time decisions and prevent reworks later down the line.

Although the term ‘automation’ may conjure the image of robots replacing humans on site, we are still far from this reality. In harnessing automation we will be able to direct human focus to the areas which need our decision making. Increased uptake of automation will also mean that current workforce skills may need to adapt to be more technologically inclined.

One day automation may be what we rely on in order to venture into new environments which are too dangerous to put our workforce into. Looking towards the future, and as AI in construction continues to evolve, automation will reach a level never seen before. Today we are still some time away from Level 5 automation where no human intervention is necessary to deliver and operate civil infrastructure. The possibilities that automation will be able to deliver may seem a bit alien to us now but eventually, construction sites might be controlled using one aggregated mission control system fueled by streams of data from the site. Machine learning and AI will be able to interpret information to assess progress against a plan, to optimise and dispatch autonomous machinery and robotics to perform most of the project activities without human interaction, including risk and safety control.

What we are experiencing today is only the beginning of what automation will deliver. We expect that digitisation and automation uptake is set to accelerate in the coming months and years, and will allow for more profitable projects from productivity gains.

Learn how Sensat can help your teams embrace automation across the asset lifecycle

Embracing automation in construction

‘The Metaverse’ has been bandied around by many companies in recent months to represent a new wave of emerging technologies that digitally represent the real world and will transform the way we interact with each other and the environment around us.

, Sensat CEO, James Dean expects the growing importance of the metaverse as we move beyond what we know is possible today. But what does the metaverse mean for the construction industry?

Towards the end of 2021, the interest in the buzzword ‘Metaverse’ swarmed the technology industry, further elevated by Facebook’s renaming to Meta, to the exploration of what potential the new cyber-physical internet could unlock for different industries. However, although the term ‘The Metaverse’ seems relatively new, the ideas behind the metaverse are something that the tech industry has been toying with for years, just without the name, meaning it is already something many industries, such as construction, are embracing already but without actually knowing.

The metaverse encompasses so many opportunities that it is hard to actually define it, but as an idea rather than just fingers on screens interacting with 2D forms of data, in the metaverse, 3D, 4D, VR and AR will allow people to immerse themselves in data, information and content layered over the physical world with which they can interact. What seems like an abstract idea for some today may very well be the future, perhaps not the very near future for everyone, but the future nonetheless. It’s closer than you think, with the projected global market size for spatial computing by 

However, the metaverse is not just the latest trend to obsess over in tech, but like the internet, it has the potential to change the future of how we interact with the digital and physical world. It is being explored for new business models that enable remote decision-making, collaboration, training and operations, and would allow our actions to be done through the metaverse. In this world, we can go shopping, meet friends or attend a concert, all within a virtual environment.

What does the metaverse mean for construction and Civil Infrastructure?

Where the construction and AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) sectors have previously struggled to come online due to the inherently physical nature, the metaverse already presents an opportunity to overcome the challenges of translating the 3D world onto a flat 2D screen. Using the metaverse, the construction industry will be able to fully embrace the opportunities of a 3D world, so that teams can experience things such as digital rehearsals using VR, form new ideas, or conduct site visits where teams can walk around with others to explore a site in 3D, minimising the hazards of putting boots on the ground and saving on the need to travel to site to make decisions and see changes. Essentially you can be on site with team members without being physically together.

We predict that the metaverse is going to drive one of the biggest changes in digital transformation in 2022 as industries, including the AEC industry begin to fully embrace it. These sectors have caused the most detrimental impact on our planet, however, at Sensat our aim is to use the creation of the metaverse for positive change—creating digital twins to support sustainable development, helping companies plan, build and manage regeneration and infrastructure projects to preserve more of the real world.

Ahead of the curve, Sensat has already started to build the metaverse by creating digital replicas of over 20 cities and sites, including HS2, Heathrow and the M25, as well as the entire milky way. Using Sensat you can utilise a 3D digital twin to fly through the photo-realistic plan of your site with an accuracy of 50mm in order to obtain a real-time view of a site’s progress. And, use in platform commenting to collaborate with teammates and stakeholders, have back and forth conversations, coordinate teams, solve problems and exchange information faster.

You can also interact with the digital replica of your project and take accurate measurements including volumes, heights and cross-sections to reduce time spent on-site, while providing users with access to explore difficult or dangerous to reach areas from safety using any internet-connected device. Powered by site data and information made visually consumable and easily surfable, you can make decisions across the asset lifecycle which will help to not only save time and cost but also reduce material waste.

With the metaverse already existing in gaming and social media, and with the creation of digital replicas of cities and towns, as an industry we have an opportunity to bring together data to drive better and more informed decision making. In turn, we can start to reverse human destruction and drive huge sustainability wins.

And although the full extent of the metaverse is not known today, it has a strong potential to streamline processes and make the construction industry more sustainable in the long run.

who can help you to capture and create a digital twin of your next project.

The Metaverse: technology already influencing civil infrastructure

Construction technology has the power to help us reach net-zero by 2030. Learn how automation is putting us on the path towards transforming the future of construction into a sustainable industry and beyond in the next decade.

The challenge is clear across industries that the time for change to prevent our planet from ecological disaster was yesterday. According to UKGBC, the built environment leads to 

 meaning proportionally we as an industry have the largest jump to make towards 

. However, it is not all doom and gloom for the built environment, we have an opportunity to harness the power of technology as a springboard to leap into the future.

Harnessing the power of construction technology for a sustainable future

As the world wakes up to the need for a more sustainable future, businesses will harness the power of technology to take us to a place beyond sustainability. In particular, automation will be one of the most powerful tools in the industry’s toolbox to construct a more sustainable future, according to Sensat CEO, 

Construction suffers from information silos caused by varied file types, programmes and technical knowledge needed to read them. As a result, these barriers make it difficult for teams to gain a holistic view of sites and projects when making decisions. Poor project data and miscommunication causes 

, leading to a vast amount of material waste every year. However, we are entering a new era of data where technology can improve the unsustainable construction practices of today by the better surfacing of data and collaboration over it.

In the future using automation, construction sites will be supplied with a constant stream of accurate and up to date data, translated into a comprehensive format so that the right first time decisions can be made. Access to data and information will be almost instantaneous, and our ability to make sense of it in new and subtle ways to make decisions will be practically automatic. As we climb the 

 we will rely on the power of AI and machine learning so that algorithms can suggest the most sustainable and cost-effective decisions for a project. As one example, utilising automation will enable accurate material calculations for orders to prevent onsite waste. One study suggested that 

13% of all solid materials delivered to sites, some 10 million tonnes, go unused

, most of which is not recyclable. This is not only a significant cost to projects financially but also a detrimental and unnecessary cost to the environment.

As sustainability moves to the forefront of every business agenda, we will see companies explore tech’s ability to not only operate sustainably but give back to the planet. Automation will unlock the insights into the streams of data we require in order to plan, bid, build and manage projects more sustainably and with improved productivity. Be this reducing unnecessary trips to site, reducing material waste, or making the right decisions between teams through having accessible and up to date information. But this technology is not replacing humans; it is augmenting how we engage with the world. It will improve efficiency and productivity in the industry so that data can be placed in the hands of decision-makers so that sustainability can be achieved, minimising mistakes and waste whilst optimising efficiency.

What Sensat is doing to meet sustainability targets?

At the heart of Sensat is our mission to automate the way civil infrastructure across the asset lifecycle with the aim of reducing costs by 5x, opening access to fundamental infrastructure to billions more people and ending devastating environmental practices. Last year we helped save 84,893 kg of CO2 through using autonomous UAVs compared to traditional methods of data capture, the equivalent to the offset of 3,899 trees per year, and helped some of the largest projects in the UK to use their data to minimise site visits and prevent reworks.

On our journey towards a more sustainable planet, we are conscious that we too have to look inwards which is why we have been doing our own carbon calculations on our journey towards and are working towards our B Corp accreditation. As a 

thank you to everyone who has supported our journey

 so far we donated 400 trees to help offset our footprint as a company in 2021. However, we understand that offsetting is only the best practice retrospectively and that we must be vigilant in our endeavour to reduce emissions going forward.

Read how automation is set to transform the future of construction

Sustainable technology in construction: The power of automation

How do you ensure that the infrastructure assets that you’re responsible for are being maintained and managed effectively?

When it comes to the condition of physical infrastructure, you probably have access to many information sources. Yet, for all the importance of reports and other data you receive, it’s only when you see all this asset information together can you really put it into true context, to get the clarity you need to drive decisions. Nothing beats being able to easily look at up-to-date, clear and detailed images and information of an asset, in one place, without having to request it or go on site.

So how about if all your team and stakeholders were also able to gain access to a highly accurate, photo-realistic 4D digital twin of your asset and sites? And how about if they were available on an accessible, easy-to-use platform, via a standard web browser, with a common visualisation environmentⓇ (CVE), where you can surface information as you need it, zoom in and out to get precise site detail, start a dialogue with colleagues and subject matter experts, and see all your past, present and future information in a timeline?

Suddenly, the need to regularly visit your sites goes away. You can become far more productive—take a quick look and check on the latest details and site changes whenever you like—all from the comfort of your desk. Think of the benefits when you apply that across your whole team. And think of the substantial cost savings and environmental implications when you cut out all those travel requirements.

Mitigating the downsides of site visits is only the start of what you can gain. Now you can connect all your data, projects, people and processes for improved visibility, control and confidence in a digital replica of your asset.

Plan maintenance works far more effectively

Sensat’s cloud-based visualisation and collaboration platform enables you to maintain all your key site information together, making it easier to spot potential problems and faults with your assets earlier, so you can address them before they become major issues.

Using Sensat’s camera feed integration you can view multiple images taken over time, monitor changes and investigate where deterioration started from, and so potentially improve your understanding of why it happened to make maintenance updates that are improved and last longer. Additionally, you can always have a clear view on your asset’s performance so you can manage operations, optimisation and risk management more effectively.

With one platform that digitally represents your asset, you can gain input from a much wider field of stakeholders and make the best possible decisions, based on more complete information and fuller context. Everyone gets the same umbrella view of your asset because anyone can gain access to that single source of accurate information and truth in a visually comprehensive format. You can also digitally rehearse any maintenance to make decisions, before the maintenance takes place in a live environment to control costs and avoid delays—all while staying on top of disputes, protecting staff and safeguarding the public.

You can also change your whole operating model from periodic meetings about maintenance to an ongoing dialogue, where people can respond immediately. The whole team can then collaborate within the platform using live commenting and so come up with more creative solutions to problems. You’ll also become better able to quantify the scale, risks and costs of maintenance and repair tasks.

Having an up-to-date visual record of your asset enables you to see what progress has been made with ongoing projects.

You can collaborate more effectively with your engineers and contractors, giving them much clearer direction in the first place, and enabling them to work smarter and so reduce costs. You can also monitor their productivity more rigorously over time, and inspect the quality of their work—closely yet remotely.

With data of your asset captured regularly using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones), you can start inspecting asset areas regularly from any device anywhere, avoiding the expense and risks associated with sending people into difficult to reach locations. The extent and detail of what you can see will also enable you to dramatically reduce the number of manual site inspections necessary—again, reducing costs and promoting greater health and safety.

And, even where those inspections are still necessary, the platform will enable you to see areas in much clearer positions to understand the site hazards that do exist and how to handle them.

This is especially powerful where damage has been caused by environmental factors—whether bad weather, natural disasters, collision, or other reasons. Being able to understand the extent of damage, without putting boots on the ground—especially in what might be an unstable site—has obvious benefits and means you can fix damage faster.

Reduce your asset management overheads through increased automation, and also amass much greater independently verified information. That will help you demonstrate compliance and, over time, potentially improve your processes to make compliance easier.

Disputes over who owns ‘risk’ and ‘fault’ can also be resolved much more emphatically and with minimum hassle. Using Sensat you’ll be better able to reduce on-site risks, and also have compelling evidence to help you more easily defend negligence claims.

Sensat’s advanced 4D visualisation and collaboration platform gives you everything you need to monitor your asset sites.

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