As the engineering and construction industries adopt augmented and mixed reality solutions, both the qualitative and quantative benefits are becoming apparent. Skanska share their experiences of using Trimble SiteVision at Infrastructure Projects Central (IPC) Euston, London.

Euston Station is the sixth busiest rail station in the UK and pre covid it was the departure and arrival point for over 44 million people each year. Plans are currently underway to transform the area into a modern transport hub and to construct the new High Speed 2 (HS2) terminal. These improvements will increase passenger capacity whilst improving journeys through a redeveloped terminus and new high-speed platforms.

IPC Euston is a multi-disciplinary, logistics and building works scheme designated to be carried out by Skanska (under the Network Rail Infrastructure Projects Central framework (IPC)), to enable HS2 construction.The construction project is already underway with the Skanska Engineering Survey team being on site since 2018.

Over the last eighteen months, the engineering survey team has incorporated augmented reality (AR) into their workflow and in particular, the KOREC supplied Trimble SiteVision technology. Having had extensive SiteVision and AR experience on the A14 Road Improvement Scheme, the team has adapted the workflow to suit the indoor environment at IPC Euston.

Underground at IPC Euston – bringing the benefits inside

At IPC Euston, Skanska are using the Trimble SiteVision system to visualise future design, verify as-builts and plan works for feasibility and buildability in applications that are predominantly underground.

Whereas before the GNSS function was used to position new design and to view existing utilities below the ground, at Euston, Skanska Engineering Surveyors Alison Small and Izzy Taylor have found a solution using the Trimble SiteVision indoors where GNSS is unavailable. Instead of automatically placing the 3D model out on site, the manual placement function is used to view 3D models for as-built purposes and viewing future design to check for clashes.

Real-time decision cuts costs by two thirds and reduces work by four months

In particular, Trimble SiteVision was used to visualise a new pipework route in the station’s basement. The ease with which the new route could be visualised ensured a far more efficient approach to decision making between clients, designers and stakeholders, with solutions being reached in real-time. For example, the team had received an initial design with a figure for enabling costs. The Skanska MEP team proposed an alternative route at at one third of these costs that also reduced the programme by four months.

The Skanska Engineering Survey team and the BIM team assisted in presenting the new route to the client and stakeholders using the SiteVision system. A physical site walk was conducted with the AR technology by half of the team whilst the remaining team members joined via Microsoft Teams.

SiteVision provided the evidence required to enable the client and its stakeholders to accept the proposal at the same meeting. This saved two thirds of the costs and reduced the programme by four months.

“Watching it in real time is great. One of the best things I noted was that people involved didn’t comment about the technology they just asked questions straight away about clashes that could be seen.”

– David Edwards, Senior Design Manager

Connect AR allows you to position AR models on your job site with QR markers

Release of Trimble Connect AR for higher accuracy placement of models indoors/underground

Trimble has just released Connect AR, an augmented reality app that gives building construction workers even greater accessibility to 3D models in the field. The app runs on Android and iOS tablets as well as smartphones and integrates with Trimble Connect (cloud-based integration and comms  platform) and the Trimble Mixed-Reality portfolio, including SiteVision.

Skanska is currently trialling a Connect AR license and will find some key benefits. For example, for users of Trimble SiteVision indoors or underground, such as Skanska, it is now easier and faster to position the model in the real world. A network of QR code markers are generated in Trimble Connect which can be placed around the jobsite using either a Trimble Robotic Total Station or a manual method. This increases accuracy for the comparison of as-built construction to the digital design.

Connect AR also allows you to use the LiDAR scanner integrated in Apple devices to measure distances and areas between real and virtual objects which can provide valuable information to supplement issue reports or estimates.

Our thanks to Skanska Engineering Surveyor, Alison Small  for supplying the images and information

Eight points to consider. “Will we continue to use it…oh yes.”

During this year’s GEO Business show, Skanska’s Mark Lawton, A14 IDT’s Survey Manager, shared some thoughts on Trimble SiteVision based on Highways England’s A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme trial.

Chaired by Mark, the show’s Wednesday Highways Seminar was a critical session for all involved in highway infrastructure. As part of this workshop, Mark gave a talk entitled “An A14 update on the recent trial of mixed reality – what have we learnt so far?” With the launch of Trimble SiteVision now imminent, this was especially topical.

At this stage, Mark was just four weeks into a six month trial but his first point was key – if you are to use Trimble SiteVision to its full potential then you need good data. Accuracy was also checked and Mark reports that in focused tests, SiteVision was delivering 50mm accuracy.

Checking accuracy

Key application areas included utility records, design information, future information and 3D models. In particular, Mark mentioned that on the A14, following the capture of hundreds of km of cable, they needed to know exactly where that cable was for a Permit to Dig. Having the information available visually through SiteVision was hugely helpful in determining where they could excavate.

Clearly showing pipe locations

Additionally, he says that SiteVision provides an easy to understand visual explanation to third parties, such as householders, as to why they are digging in a certain place.

Alison Small (Engineering Surveyor, Skanska) walked the route with SiteVision explaining how the design will miss these trees on the A14 C2H project

Mark’s conclusions following four weeks into a six month trial:

• Easy to use
• Adoption and take up has been welcomed
• The workforce have recommend improvements that are realistic, for example, video screen capture.
• Requires good BIM/Data
• Multiple opportunities for customer briefing
• Will aid success in reducing services strikes
• Expect to wait a little longer to establish GNSS lock with Catalyst than with a high end surveying GNSS
• “Will we continue to use it…oh yes.”

Trimble SiteVision fuses cutting-edge augmented reality technology with Trimble Catalyst centimetre-precision GPS (now available on-demand) to bring your 3D designs off the screen and onto your site.

Our thanks to Mark Lawton, Survey Manager for the A14 Integrated Delivery Team (IDT), for his article published in the September/October issue of Geomatics World. Mark is responsible for fitting together all the pieces of the survey puzzle and in this piece explains the team’s approach to the adoption and integration of new technology.

Mark will be speaking on this subject at Trimble’s Dimensions event in Las Vegas in November.