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SKANSKA AB "WORLDWIDE" QUARTERLY MAGAZINE SHOWCASES "HIGH TECH YIELDS HIGH RETURNS" ON NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM PROJECT
Skanska USA, Tekla Corporation and Vela Systems Honored for Project Utilizing New RFID/ BIM Technology to Achieve $1 Million Savings and Expedited Work ScheduleBurlington, MA - February 5, 2009 -
Skanska AB "Worldwide" quarterly group magazine no. 4 of 2008 (PDF) has showcased the joint technology implemented on the New Meadowlands Stadium project in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the feature "High tech yields returns." Tekla and Vela Systems united 4D building information modeling (BIM) with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to create a new solution that Skanska projects will deliver $1 million in cost savings.
"When Skanska in the U.S. won one of its largest contracts ever, the project team wanted to find new ways to improve productivity and quality. The answer was new technology and sharing experiences with other Skanska units. And it's paying off - through faster construction, maximized production time and greening various aspects of the job through less waste and improved efficiency and planning.
"Using new technology such as Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) has definitely been crucial for us in managing this project. Without this solution, and Radio Frequency Identification supply chain management we wouldn't have been where we are today," says Albert Zulps, VDC Manager, AIA and LEED® AP at Skanska USA Building.
Currently , the USD 998 million project is clearly ahead of schedule in part due to innovations like real time RFID supply chain management of precast concrete elements. The higher quality control and carefully planned execution, enabled by VDC, has resulted in significantly lower material waste and tight schedule adherence. The extensive use of RFID tags, installed on every precast concrete element that makes up the 82,000 spectator stadium is a success."
"VDC and RFID have definitely contributed a lot to our success. Today it's used in the most advanced projects, tomorrow it will be standard," says Zulps.*
(*Source: Glimbe, Peter, "High tech yields high returns," Skanska AB Worldwide #4 2008, Solna, Sweden, 27-29.)
Created specifically for the project by Vela Systems, a developer of mobile field software for the AECO (architecture, engineering, contractor and owner) industry, and Tekla Corporation, a leading BIM solutions provider for the building and construction industry, the joint software solution brings dramatic new management capabilities to construction. The solution marries Vela's patent-pending field administration software with Tekla's construction management solutions. When enabled with field software and RFID, stakeholders in a construction project can manage critical-path building components and visualize the supply chain through a real-time, 4D simulation in which the fourth dimension is time. The joint Field BIM solution enables the AECO industry to feed into BIM the constantly changing status of the supply chain in the field.
Through the use of patent-pending RFID technology to tag and track materials, Skanska has used the joint Tekla/Vela solution to capture important information about building materials from vendors and merge it in the 3D model in real-time. As a result, the building schedule at the Meadowlands project has been greatly expedited, with Skanska projecting a savings of 10 days accounting for $1 million in costs savings.
Traditionally, BIM tools have primarily focused on design and coordination, not supply chain management. By combining the technology with mobile field software, further enhanced by technologies such as RFID, AECO leaders gain unprecedented supply chain visibility for assessing status, controlling quality and coordinating the scheduling of building materials across a distributed environment, encompassing everything from manufacturing to delivery and installation. The solution also improves future, post-handover operations such as facilities and warranty management.
"Vela Systems has been used to manage safety inspections, deliver construction documents electronically to field personnel, account for the cost of construction quality, ensure punch list items are completed and more," said Tim Curran, Vela Systems' CEO. "By combining our solution with Tekla's BIM software, AECO leaders can now enhance their decision-making with a total grasp on the materials available for construction. Our customers' ideas and needs continue to drive us to innovate and introduce new standards in construction technology."
"Integrating BIM & RFID shows a genuine advancement of project management technologies," said Stacy Scopano, Business Development Manager, Contractor Segment - Tekla Corporation. "Making critical aspects of supply chain management and field coordination centralized -- and now even visual -- represents a very significant step forward for technology-enhanced project control."
The Tekla/Vela solution is now available to the construction industry and is jointly marketed by Vela Systems and Tekla Corporation. For more information on the joint solution, contact Vela Systems at 888.VELA.SYS (888.835.2797) ext. 2 or email info@velasystems.com; or contact Tekla at 1.877.Tekla-OK (877.835.5265) or email info.us@tekla.com.
Now in its 9th year, The Constructech Vision Awards honor companies that have realized the advantages of applying innovative technologies to their everyday businesses as well as the technology enablers that have helped them achieve their goal.
About Worldwide
Worldwide is the group magazine from Skanska AB, and is intended for employees, customers and other Skanska associates. The magazine is published quarterly in English. Subscribe free of charge by sending an application by e-mail: worldwide@strd.se, or by fax: +46-8-449 88 10. Worldwide is printed on environmentally compatible paper bearing the Nordic Swan environmental label. Feel free to copy pages from the magazine or to quote us, but please name the source. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited material.
About Tekla Corporation
Tekla's model-based software products make customers' core processes more effective in building and construction and infrastructure management. Tekla Corporation has area offices and partner organizations worldwide. International operations account for nearly 85% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is one of the longest operating software companies in Finland. For additional information please visit www.tekla.com.
About Vela Systems, Inc.
Vela Systems is The Leader in Field Software for the AECO Industry™.
Vela Systems software streamlines and accelerates all field processes in construction and capital projects. By replacing
their field notebooks with Vela software and Tablet PCs, Vela's customers save 5-10 hours per
week per user, accelerate project delivery by two days per month, capture the true Cost
of Quality® and reduce litigation risk through standardized documentation. Vela's suite of modules
includes field reports, safety inspections, work lists, punch lists, schedule updates and many
other critical field activities. Industry leading architects, engineers, contractors and owners agree
that Vela Systems helps them Work Faster, Collaborate Easier, and Finish Sooner™. To see how
Vela's customers are improving construction delivery from Las Vegas to Dubai, please visit
www.velasystems.com or call 888.VELA.SYS.
© Copyright 2009 Vela Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Vela Systems and the Vela Systems logo are registered trademarks of Vela Systems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of other products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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