The digital construction skills podcast.

In this episode, we are joined by Matt Lacey from Survey Tech to find out all about Ground Penetrating Radar- what it does, what it is used for, and what support and training are available to get the most out of the equipment.

00:00 Introduction to Matt and Survey Tech

03:20 An overview of GPR Technology- what we can do with it and what we use it for

05:00 Putting GPR into the construction context- from utility mapping to reinforcement surveys

08:00 Use case- Bank of England refurb project

10:00 How Augmented Reality can work with GPR

10:56 The difference between GPR and a cover meter

13:00 GPR terminology- line scanning, area scanning, data processing, and image creation

17:40 What surface and ground conditions can GPR be used on

18:47 Key benefits of using GPR Technology

20:00 Making sense of the hyperbola generated on GPR readouts.

23:00 How GPR technology compares with and compliments (but does not replace!) Genny & CAT tool for detecting buried services

25:40 Using GPR with GNSS (Geolocating Technology) and Machine Control

27:50 GPR and digital twins.

30:00 GPR software packages overview and applications. How to get the data readouts into intelligible, useable information.

37:20 The training and skills required to use a GPR effectively.

38:20 How to get the most out of the technology.

40:10 How to get in touch with Matt and Surveytech.

More info about Survey Tech

Surveytech - YouTube

The Ground Penetrating Radar and software Matt refers to on the Podcast is Proceq Screening Eagle. More info at this link

David Shepherd is a true original Digital Construction pioneer and legend. He is also our final podcast guest of 2022!

Dave has been at the forefront of CAD technology since the mid ’90s and has implemented BIM for the likes of Arup, Mott MacDonald, Kier, BAM and MWH. He has been Senior Technical Consulting Manager at Autodesk and is widely recognised as a leading expert on those software products that have transformed the Construction industry.

In his time with HOK Architects, Dave authored the original report on how BIM could be used on the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Project in 2013. In 2019, he then picked the baton up again and has since been the Digital Product Manager and BIM lead for the UK Parliament In House Services and Estates implementing and integrating all sorts of digital tools, technology, and innovations so that everyone from master craftspeople & Tier 1s to parliamentarians can collaborate and contribute in a meaningful way to this landmark scheme. To give you a sense of the size of the Houses of Parliament, you could fit 4.5 Wembley-sized pitches into it and there are

Listen in if you want to hear all about the unique and challenging set of circumstances an iconic project like this brings about and what digitalisation in the context of a huge project looks and feels like, what the benefits are/will be and why the diversity and inclusion of SMEs and specialist contractors across the whole of the UK will play a key role in the project delivery phase.

We also hear about Dave becoming an accredited Microsoft Power App developer and how this has led him to develop a simple set of information management tools that SMEs and asset owners can use to improve productivity, and reduce admin time whilst ensuring the continuity of the Golden Thread of digital information and compliance with the Building Safety Act.

There are some words of wisdom for SMEs looking to digitalise their business and advice on where and when is the best place to start on the digitalisation journey as we look ahead to 2023.

Having such a fantastic guest who summed up in one episode everything we have been promoting for the past 3 years was a fitting finale to our 2022 podcast series. Hope you enjoy!

If you don't have time to listen in full here is a breakdown of what we talked about

01:20 How Dave became involved with the Houses of Parliament project and his own digital journey so far

05:00 The scale, purpose and scope of the Palace of Westminster project.

10:00 The role of digitalisation in the project.

12:00 The range of digital tools being used on the project

16:30 SME and Tier 1 engagement with digital tools and the importance of focusing on incremental gains when adopting new digital tools within a business

24:00 The role that digital tools can play in creating consistent quality outputs

35:00 The benefits/anticipated benefits arising from the implementation of digital tools on the HoP scheme.

43:00 How to address  and overcome any business technological limitations and what digital tools and processes you should focus on first.

47:50 The digitalisation of the "Golden Thread" and the Building Safety Act

55:00 The culture shift and different approaches that are required in construction to leverage the power of digital tools.

1:05:00 Dave's aspirations for 2023.

You can follow Dave on LinkedIn here

Can AI be a major superpower and force for good in Construction Health and Safety?

Yes

And does such a solution exist?

Yes

Who is one of the leading lights driving this revolution?

Simon Wright, CEO of Intuety, a tested, proven, and game-changing AI platform that can transform how we think about, plan manage, administer and lead Health and Safety in construction in the 2020s.

Is the solution affordable and within reach of everyone in the industry

Yes

How does it work and why do clients love this solution so much?

Listen to the podcast and find out!

If you don't have time to listen to the whole podcast here's a breakdown of the main things we talked about:

00:00 Intro, Simon's bio, and how the Intuety solution came about

04:00 What problems Intuety solves, the pain it takes away.

07:00 Key features of the platform

10:30 How the platform works in practical terms

12:00 Why a new predictive analytics feature being added will be significant for platform users.

14:00 The relationship between skills, experience, and competencies of site teams and the platform

17:00 What becomes possible for clients who adopt the solution

19:00 Why the platform does not replace human thinking

20:00 The affordability of the solution

21:20 Onboarding- how long it takes to get set up and who gets access

23:40 What typical challenges organisations face implementing such a technology and how can these challenges be overcome

28:20 Interoperability of Intuety with other software/data

30:00 The potential impact of Construction H&S in the industry with widespread adoption and implementation of such a technology.

32:40 Key considerations for decision-makers considering investing in the technology 

34:00 How to get in touch with Simon and find out more

You can e mail Simon directly 

[email protected]

You can follow Simon on Linkedin

Intuety website

Home - Intuety

Joining us for our latest podcast episode are Chris Matthew, Strategic Manager, and Paul Tuohy, Digital Plant Manager from Flannery Plant. In this podcast, we explore Machine Control and Telematics Technology and why it is a game changer for Flannery and its Clients.

If you don't have time to listen to the whole podcast then you can always scroll to the sections most relevant to you below:

00:00 Introduction, background to Flannery Plant and Chris and Paul's role in the business.

03:50 What we mean by machine control.

05:30 The key differences between 2D machine control and 3D machine control.

07:00 How machine control can help service avoidance, where machine control is most commonly used, and how it is generally implemented in construction.

08:50 What the uptake is for machine control and the current demand for it in the industry.

10:00 Why adopting and integrating machine control technology has been a  real game changer for Flannery and its clients

11:30 Clients- what they are looking for, what they know and the challenges faced by Chris and Paul when clients are not fully aware of the technology capabilities.

13:20 Telematics- what it is and what it does in the context of plant operations.

15:00 What the connection is between machine control and telematics and the key benefits of integrating, adopting, and implementing both.

20:20 What useful telematics information can plant produce for clients and how this helps improve plant efficiency on site.

23:00 The pain that Flannery takes away for their customers and the services Flannery provides to help their clients get the most from the technology.

29:50 How telematics is transforming the way projects and teams can plan, manage and monitor plant operations on site.

37:00 The skills and awareness of the technology that clients and their staff need to get the most from Machine Control and Telematics.

42:29  The barriers and challenges faced when implementing machine control and telematics. How these are being overcome by Flannery.

47:29 The lessons learned by Flannery on their digital journey and advice for SMEs looking to get started with the technology.

Flannery Plant Website

Home | Flannery (flanneryplanthire.com)

Flannery Plant Twitter

Flannery Plant Hire (@FlanneryPlant) / Twitter

Flannery on LinkedIn

Flannery Plant Hire: Overview | LinkedIn

Liam McEvoy is an inspiration. We were absolutely thrilled to have Liam on the podcast to speak about Environmental Social Governance (ESG) with such enthusiasm and passion, and also to tell us why ESG is so important and how the SustainIQ solution can be used to help construction businesses in more ways than you might think!

Liam, along with his co-founder Maria Diffley started SustainIQ in 2017 and now the platform is being used on over 1,000 sites helping construction companies meet their ESG (Environmental Social Governance) obligations as well as saving them time & money, improving project outcomes, and reducing risk.

Here's a summary of what we discussed:

01:00 Liam's background and motivation for co-creating SustainIQ

02:46 What do we mean by ESG and what do construction companies need to know about it?

05:38 The four key pillars of ESG that the platform is built around and how the platform works.

11:32 Why SustainIQ can be a useful tool for construction SMEs and why it is not just for Tier 1 contractors and large organisations.

13:00 The type of problems that SustainIQ can help businesses with and why reliable, accurate, transparent data as well as sustainable procurement has a major role to play in successful ESG management.

16:00 How Heron Brothers used SustainIQ on a £16M Community Centre project in Midlothian, Scotland, and the key benefits that this has brought to their business.

23:36 What we mean by "Greenwashing"

25:40 The onboarding process- how the platform is introduced and implemented with new customers and the support available to ensure a successful transition to adopting the technology.

28:37 What construction SMEs should consider when reflecting on their current ESG performance.

30:30 How to find out more about Sustain IQ and ESG

SustainIQ website

SustainIQ

Follow SustainIQ on twitter

SustainIQ (@SustainIQ) / Twitter

Connect with Liam on LinkedIn

Liam McEvoy | LinkedIn

SustainIQ blog page where you will find loads of really useful articles on ESG and related issues

SustainIQ

In this episode, we speak with Norma Matheson, Financial Director of Matheson Damp Services, a growing small family business specialising in damp and timber treatment.

In the podcast, you will hear how Norma has implemented and streamlined its business processes using the free version of a platform called Asana and how this has transformed the business operations.

Here's a summary of the key discussion points if you don't have time to listen to all the podcast:

00:00 Introduction to Norma, the company and her role within the business.

01:27 The problem the business was looking to solve.

04:00 The process involved with selecting the software

05:20 How the Asana platform is used  and applied within the business.

08:30 The functionality of the "Free" version of Asana and why the business is considering paying for additional features.

11:10 System setup and the skills and resources needed.

12:27 The difference this has made to the business and key benefits realised.

16:40 Team engagement with the tool, feedback from the field and ease of use on site devices.

20:00 Next steps on the digital journey for Norma and the team

21:00 Advice for other businesses looking to streamline their business processes.

Matheson Damp Proof Services Website:

Damp Specialists Glasgow | Damp Treatment | Matheson Damp Services

You can e-mail Norma directly if you would like to find out more:

[email protected]

What is Project Management software and why would construction SMEs want to use it?  

On this podcast, we are joined by Daniel Milligan, Co-founder of Frame Solutions to discuss their innovative software solution, ESTA that optimises team collaboration and project management data to produce real-time project analytics.  

According to Daniel's research, we discard around 90% of construction project information once a contract is completed. So there is a huge area of improvement opportunity to be realised with digital technologies such as the one we discuss in this episode.

The podcast is about 20 minutes long and here is a summary of the key points of the discussion that you can scroll to if you don't have time to listen to it all.  

00:00 Introduction and background information about Frame Solutions  

01:30 The problem that the project management software solves. 

04:00 Who the solution is aimed at and the key features of the ESTA platform. 

07:10 The key benefits derived by businesses that adopt the project management solution. 

10:00 Making the business case for investment 12:00 Onboarding, support and training provided by Frame Solutions to ensure customers get the best out of the software 

15:40 Interoperability & integration with other software platforms 

17:30 The key factor a construction business should consider if they are thinking about investing.  

You can follow Daniel on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-milligan-mrics-5239b51b8/ 

And here's the link to the Frame Solutions Website where you can find out more about the ESTA platform. 

 https://www.frame-solutions.com/

In this podcast, we hear from Jamie Brenton, Managing Director of Brebur Limited. Brebur is a specialist SFS, dry-lining, plastering, and suspended ceiling company based in Yorkshire, that delivers projects throughout the North of England.  

About 3 years ago Brebur invested in a Cost Management Software Solution called Chalkstring and in this podcast, we hear how this has transformed the business and why having estimating, procurement, variations, payment applications, and value engineering integrated and managed on the same platform has been a real game-changer for them.  

This is a recording of a webinar and is the first in the series of events we are running this year in collaboration with the Finishes and Interiors Sector. Asking the questions on this episode is Joe Cillia Technical Director of the Finishes and Interiors Sector. We also hear briefly on the podcast from Sarah Crawford and Barry Chapman Director and Managing Director of Chalkstring and we are very grateful to the FIS, Chalkstring, and Jamie Brenton for giving us permission to republish this webinar as an edited podcast.  

 The episode is about 40 minutes long and in case you don't have time to watch it all you can scroll to the relevant sections below  

00:00 Start 

00:45 Introduction by Jamie and background to the business. 

01:20 What Chalkstring is used for in the business. 

02:00 The motivation for adopting a Cost Management Software Solution 

03:00 Why Brebur chose Chalkstring specifically and what the key outcomes have been. 

05:52 The challenges the business faced before and what changed as a result of implementing the software 

07:50 How Chalkstring has helped simplify the Value Engineering Process 

09:18 How information management and communication has improved overall in the business as a result of implementing Chalkstring 

10:40 How the procurement process has been transformed by implementing the software. 

15:50 How Chalkstring has helped Brebur as a business to manage price increases. 

17:30 How the solution helps manage pricing and variations. 

22:00 A summary of the key benefits realised by the business overall as a result of implementing the software. Including recruitment of new staff. 

24:00 Why business growth was the main catalyst for implementing the software. 

25:30 An overview of what the biggest changes have been for the business as a result of implementing the software.Why this has led to much happier staff! 

30:00 The challenges and experiences of implementing the new software within the business. 

36:00 How operatives on-site use and engage with Chalkstring.  

Links  

Brebur Website https://www.breburltd.co.uk 

Chalkstring Website https://chalkstring.com

Finishes and Interiors Sector Website https://www.thefis.org

A podcast about the benefits of Time & Attendance and Resource Management Software.

In our latest podcast, we caught up with Michelle Pretorious Director of EDMA Systems to talk all about their Time & Attendance and Resource Management Software.

We get asked a lot about time & attendance software so it was great finally to get a deep dive on this subject.

It's about 54 minutes long as there was a lot to talk about. We have broken it down into sections below for you to scroll to if you do not have the time.

00:40 An introduction to Michelle, her work and all about EDMA systems

You can get in touch with Michelle directly

[email protected]

You can follow Michelle on LinkedIn

Michelle Pretorius | LinkedIn

EDMA systems website

Edma Systems UK | | Time, Resource & Job Management Software

In our latest Digital Construction Skills podcast, we speak with a true pioneer in the industry, CDM compliance advocate (and all-around good guy!), Imanuel Steele CEO and Co-founder of PRIN- D Technology.   

PRIN- D is a platform that allows Clients and Duty Holders to manage their CDM and legal obligations under the new and emerging Building Safety Bill regulations capturing what Dame Judith Hackitt describes in her post-Grenfell Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety as the "Golden Thread of Information".  

00:00 CDM, the "Golden Thread" and distributed ledger technology- Imanuel Steele

 00:50 Imanuel brief bio. How PRIN-D came about. CDM regulations and Principal Designer. 

04:45 Brief overview of UK CDM regulations what they do and why they are important. 

06:35 Building Safety Bill, CDM regs and the influence of the Hackitt Report on shaping the platform. 

10:11 New UK Building Safety Bill and duty holders under CDM regulations 

12:00 Extended client responsibilities under new laws.The need to demonstrate client competence. 

13:30 Distributed Ledger Technology in simple terms and why it's a great leap forward. 

17:35 The "Golden Thread" and what it means in the context of the PRIN D platform. 19:15 Real-time digital info accessibility- the keyholders. Possible tool for HSE inspectors. 

21:20 PRIN- D solution. The key problems it solves.

23:00 How PRIN-D works- key features and who it is aimed at. 

25:45 PRIN-D interoperability with CDE platforms such as MS SharePoint and Procore. 

28:40 Eliminating risk of inaccessible emails and large file attachments using the platform. 

31:40 Trends, data, and analytics- why simplicity is key and the opportunity to link supply chain. 

36:38 Key benefits for adopters of solution. Immutable digital records and handover information. 

40:10 Interoperability and parallels with BIM and CDM regs. The platform's ISO19650 template. 

46:30 Onboarding, setting up, operating the platform. The opportunities for further collaboration. 

49:00 Advice for others looking to adopt digital tools and/or emerging technologies. 

54:00 Imanuel- his wider conversations ongoing to transform industry and his future aspirations. 

 You can follow Imanuel or get in touch directly with Imanuel via LinkedIn at this link  https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanuel-steele-8299a915/

If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast- you can find us also on Itunes or Spotify

Feel free to get in touch too! You can email us at [email protected] 

or visit www.digitalconstructionskills.com

#safetyculture #rics #hse #cdmregulations