【3D Panoramas Application】Matterport in Construction: Use Cases, Advantages, and Challenges!
Using digital twin technology, a digital representation of the physical world is created. This forms a key differentiating factor in fields such as architectural design, civil infrastructure, and construction. After pandemic lockdowns, contractors faced an increasing demand for facilities with complex designs and also needed to adapt to hybrid workforce transformation requirements. Digital twins provide support throughout the planning, budgeting, design, and construction phases.
The construction industry is a complex sector involving various stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, owners, and government agencies. Digital twins enable all teams to jointly manage and share data, breaking down silos and bridging communication gaps between different departments and industries. In fact, a Forrester Research report indicates that 55% of software technology decision-makers globally are already using digital identities, applying them across all aspects from design to maintenance.
What are Digital Twins in Construction?
Digital twins are used in construction projects to create replicas of real-world spaces. The resulting 3D models allow construction teams to virtually interact during the design and planning stages.
Digital twins enable teams to gain immersive access to critical building intelligence, achieving benefits in several key projects.
．Relevant parties can collaborate faster and more easily
．Improve productivity
．More efficient workflows between contractors
．Reduce issues and RFIs (Requests for Information)
By incorporating digital twins into BIM (Building Information Modeling) processes, contractors and construction engineering companies can address many of the industry's most challenging issues, including low productivity, profitability, and performance, as well as high error and accident rates. Furthermore, using digital twins can help companies reduce virtual design and construction costs and win more bids.
How Do Digital Twins Work?
Digital twins are created using a range of technologies, including 3D laser scanners, sensors, cameras, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Creating a digital twin involves three main stages:
Capture: First, digital twins can be captured with digital cameras, including smartphones. Using a smartphone with the Matterport app is an easy and affordable way to get started.
Or you can use a compatible 360-degree camera to generate a digital twin. For projects requiring precise accuracy, Matterport Pro series panoramic scanners offer advanced scanning capabilities for indoor and outdoor spaces.
Edit, document, and tag built assets: Use editing tools like blur and Trim to adjust your digital twin model for clarity and security. This makes visualizing physical spaces easy and accurate, with measurements and customizable areas. MatterTags and annotations can be placed on the model to enhance data related to specific assets, which is valuable when handed over to the owner. For example, MSDS, warranties, and installation PDFs can be uploaded and attached to notes in the cloud or other mechanical systems.
Share and collaborate: You can share digital twin models with remote teams and offices, reducing the need for on-site visits and travel expenses, allowing the construction engineering field to practice business more environmentally friendly. This enables remote teams to collaborate and coordinate more efficiently through accessible technology.
7 Benefits of Using Digital Twins in Construction
Digital twins offer a high degree of interactivity and automation, with the potential to revolutionize every aspect of the construction business. This article will introduce the main advantages of digital twins in the construction industry.
1. Improve resource management
Digital twins can improve procurement processes and alleviate supply chain stagnation, promoting bridging the gap between current and future expected outcomes, and helping construction companies better allocate resources and material assets.
2. Easier communication with stakeholders
With Matterport software, project managers can export point clouds, OBJ files, high-resolution floor plans, and reflected ceiling plans to 3ds Max, ReCap, Revit, and many other software programs. All relevant parties can stay updated on the latest progress of each construction process and be alerted to any urgent issues.
3. Smarter decision-making and planning
A digital twin is a proactive planning tool that allows clients or owners to provide feedback before the jackhammer starts or templates are installed. Engineers can conduct a broader evaluation of items like pipe locations and utility layouts. Architects can anticipate building aesthetics, such as paint colors or lighting layouts. Digital twins can improve design risk assessment and condition surveys, with immersive visuals for a more efficient understanding of on-site conditions and issues, effective collaboration, and moving beyond traditional PDF reports and photos.
4. Automated progress monitoring
Progress documentation is crucial for any new construction project, and digital twins provide managers with a way to remotely monitor projects.
5. More accurate assumptions and predictions
Eliminating the need for field visits while still providing a comprehensive overview of the building environment, managers can obtain faster and more accurate contractor estimates. Virtual work checklists can also be created by annotating 3D models with notes, links, photos, and videos.
6. Easier safety monitoring
Remote inspections allow project managers to better oversee each safety procedure. Additionally, digital twins can perform accurate virtual measurements in difficult or hazardous environments, eliminating the need for workers to risk unexpected accidents on site.
7. Provide owners with strong handover deliverables
Contractors use Matterport to collect existing conditions throughout project progress, reinforcing models with embedded data related to MEP systems, and providing owners with a digital handover package that enables them to manage the building project from day one.
Challenges in Creating Digital Twins for the Construction Industry
To effectively deploy digital twins, some construction companies may face long-standing obstacles. This article will highlight points that need attention.
．Lack of contractual agreements
Understanding the details of contract signing is fundamental common sense in any construction project. However, the integration of new technologies, such as digital twin technology, significantly alters this process. By documenting the project scope and client key drivers, digital twins can ensure that the content of construction contracts is mutually agreed upon and understood.
．Lack of data support
Many construction companies have encountered challenges in effectively utilizing data, struggling with a lack of insight and adopting different data management systems between IT and OT, leading to headaches due to an inability to access data in real-time or within deadlines. One of the advantages of Matterport is its ease of integration with other data.
．BIM transformation
Even now, many construction companies use 2D design techniques for critical construction projects. Utilizing BIM models linked to virtual design and construction processes requires more sophisticated 3D modeling techniques and integration of internal company processes.
．Lack of structure or SOPs
Some construction projects lack data exchange and problem-solving processes, making the introduction of digital twins another obstacle to overcome. By creating a single source of truth, digital twins can ensure that everyone, from contractors to inspection agencies and even clients, is on the same page throughout the project lifecycle.
．Financial constraints
Due to the need to balance budget demands, construction companies may initially be reluctant to invest in digital transformation. However, by reducing rework, improving effective collaboration, and cutting travel expenses, significant savings can be achieved. This sufficiently justifies the investment.
Case Studies of Digital Twins in Construction
Many renowned architecture and construction firms have fundamentally changed their approach using digital twins. Here are stories from leading companies on how they benefited from digital twins and improved existing workflows.
Corgan Achieves ROI on Construction Investment with Matterport 3D Digital Twin at LAX When leading architecture and design firm Corgan began a $160 million construction project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), managers applied digital twin technology to their construction workflow to optimize performance and productivity.
Digital twins are created using a range of technologies, including 3D laser scanners, sensors, cameras, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Creating a digital twin involves three main stages:
Capture: First, digital twins can be captured with digital cameras, including smartphones. Using a smartphone with the Matterport app is an easy and affordable way to get started.
Or you can use a compatible 360-degree camera to generate a digital twin. For projects requiring precise accuracy, Matterport Pro series panoramic scanners offer advanced scanning capabilities for indoor and outdoor spaces.
Edit, document, and tag built assets: Use editing tools like blur and Trim to adjust your digital twin model for clarity and security. This makes visualizing physical spaces easy and accurate, with measurements and customizable areas. MatterTags and annotations can be placed on the model to enhance data related to specific assets, which is valuable when handed over to the owner. For example, MSDS, warranties, and installation PDFs can be uploaded and attached to notes in the cloud or other mechanical systems.
Share and collaborate: You can share digital twin models with remote teams and offices, reducing the need for on-site visits and travel expenses, allowing the construction engineering field to practice business more environmentally friendly. This enables remote teams to collaborate and coordinate more efficiently through accessible technology.
7 Benefits of Using Digital Twins in Construction
Digital twins offer a high degree of interactivity and automation, with the potential to revolutionize every aspect of the construction business. This article will introduce the main advantages of digital twins in the construction industry.
1. Improve resource management
Digital twins can improve procurement processes and alleviate supply chain stagnation, promoting bridging the gap between current and future expected outcomes, and helping construction companies better allocate resources and material assets.
2. Easier communication with stakeholders
With Matterport software, project managers can export point clouds, OBJ files, high-resolution floor plans, and reflected ceiling plans to 3ds Max, ReCap, Revit, and many other software programs. All relevant parties can stay updated on the latest progress of each construction process and be alerted to any urgent issues.
3. Smarter decision-making and planning
A digital twin is a proactive planning tool that allows clients or owners to provide feedback before the jackhammer starts or templates are installed. Engineers can conduct a broader evaluation of items like pipe locations and utility layouts. Architects can anticipate building aesthetics, such as paint colors or lighting layouts. Digital twins can improve design risk assessment and condition surveys, with immersive visuals for a more efficient understanding of on-site conditions and issues, effective collaboration, and moving beyond traditional PDF reports and photos.
4. Automated progress monitoring
Progress documentation is crucial for any new construction project, and digital twins provide managers with a way to remotely monitor projects.
5. More accurate assumptions and predictions
Eliminating the need for field visits while still providing a comprehensive overview of the building environment, managers can obtain faster and more accurate contractor estimates. Virtual work checklists can also be created by annotating 3D models with notes, links, photos, and videos.
6. Easier safety monitoring
Remote inspections allow project managers to better oversee each safety procedure. Additionally, digital twins can perform accurate virtual measurements in difficult or hazardous environments, eliminating the need for workers to risk unexpected accidents on site.
7. Provide owners with strong handover deliverables
Contractors use Matterport to collect existing conditions throughout project progress, reinforcing models with embedded data related to MEP systems, and providing owners with a digital handover package that enables them to manage the building project from day one.
Challenges in Creating Digital Twins for the Construction Industry
To effectively deploy digital twins, some construction companies may face long-standing obstacles. This article will highlight points that need attention.
．Lack of contractual agreements
Understanding the details of contract signing is fundamental common sense in any construction project. However, the integration of new technologies, such as digital twin technology, significantly alters this process. By documenting the project scope and client key drivers, digital twins can ensure that the content of construction contracts is mutually agreed upon and understood.
．Lack of data support
Many construction companies have encountered challenges in effectively utilizing data, struggling with a lack of insight and adopting different data management systems between IT and OT, leading to headaches due to an inability to access data in real-time or within deadlines. One of the advantages of Matterport is its ease of integration with other data.
．BIM transformation
Even now, many construction companies use 2D design techniques for critical construction projects. Utilizing BIM models linked to virtual design and construction processes requires more sophisticated 3D modeling techniques and integration of internal company processes.
．Lack of structure or SOPs
Some construction projects lack data exchange and problem-solving processes, making the introduction of digital twins another obstacle to overcome. By creating a single source of truth, digital twins can ensure that everyone, from contractors to inspection agencies and even clients, is on the same page throughout the project lifecycle.
．Financial constraints
Due to the need to balance budget demands, construction companies may initially be reluctant to invest in digital transformation. However, by reducing rework, improving effective collaboration, and cutting travel expenses, significant savings can be achieved. This sufficiently justifies the investment.
Case Studies of Digital Twins in Construction
Many renowned architecture and construction firms have fundamentally changed their approach using digital twins. Here are stories from leading companies on how they benefited from digital twins and improved existing workflows.
Corgan Achieves ROI on Construction Investment with Matterport 3D Digital Twin at LAX When leading architecture and design firm Corgan began a $160 million construction project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), managers applied digital twin technology to their construction workflow to optimize performance and productivity.
Takenaka Uses Matterport Digital Twin for Remote Inspection and Effective Collaboration
In 2017, Takenaka Corporation became one of the first Japanese companies to adopt Matterport digital twins in the construction industry. By capturing digital twins of buildings and Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems throughout the construction lifecycle, the construction team could collaborate more effectively at each construction stage.
Initially, Takenaka used traditional 3D laser scanners to digitally capture spaces. However, this required a significant amount of time to process the scanned data. It also required engineers to conduct on-site surveys and use these expensive scanners. With Matterport's digital twin technology, Takenaka was able to streamline project management in several ways:
．Reduced the time to produce 360-degree photos by 90%
．Eliminated the need for expensive laser scanners, saving thousands of dollars per scan
．Reduced travel and labor costs through remote measurement and inspection
Swinerton Uses Matterport Digital Twin to Drive Projects Forward
During the COVID-19 lockdown, San Francisco-based construction firm Swinerton needed to maintain transparency and keep clients informed at all times, even as social distancing restricted on-site visits to physical assets and construction sites.
Using the Matterport Pro2 3D Camera, Swinerton performed a highly detailed 3D scan of a 20,000 square foot space in a few hours. The resulting scans could be distributed to clients, architects, engineers, and subcontractor consultants, who could navigate the virtual space and make change recommendations in real-time. The use of digital twins allowed Swinerton to keep projects on track in several ways:
．Reduced client travel time by 100%
．Reduced MEP and architect travel time by 50%
．Removed four weeks of potential project delays
．Saved clients thousands of dollars by preventing costly errors and rework
4 Tips for Applying Digital Twins to Your Next Project
Want to get the most out of digital twins in the construction industry? Here are some tips to get started:
1. Familiarize yourself with regulations
Before using digital twins on a construction site, companies need to comply with local laws and regulations. However, digital twins can help contractors accelerate the approval and permitting process and plan future blueprints faster.
2. New employee training program
Historically, the construction industry has been slow to adopt new technologies. Companies need to introduce new training programs to equip employees with the knowledge needed to utilize digital twin technology. For employees responsible for protecting confidential information, special cybersecurity courses may also be necessary.
3. Build a digital twin architecture roadmap
Developing a strategic blueprint that outlines how digital twins will achieve project goals is a good way to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page. These architecture roadmaps can serve as reference points throughout the project life cycle, helping teams align tasks and objectives.
4. Integrate relevant technologies
Matterport digital twins seamlessly integrate with existing programs such as SketchUp, Revit, AutoCAD, and other commonly used design software BIM. Project managers can export their point clouds and easily share them in Revit or other BIM tools, where they can generate OBJ files and point clouds for as-built drawings and construction documents.
MATTERPORT Helps You Lay a Solid Foundation for Your Construction Project
Matterport's 3D data platform is a powerful and effective way to document and collaborate on the construction process of a building or property. Using a compatible camera, you can create digital models of small or large spaces with a level of detail close to the actual site. These models are presented as navigable, photo-realistic visuals, a technology called Cortex AI, a proprietary computer vision rendering and artificial intelligence technology.
The Matterport digital twin platform also allows you to easily export other file formats to third-party software, saving you a lot of working time.
．With Matterport, you can:
．Quickly and effectively document and communicate key milestones
．Reduce travel time by sharing models and annotations
．Perform remote quality inspections, off-site measurements, and reduce the need for on-site visits by capturing all data the first time.
Today, construction companies abroad are using digital twins to reduce their on-site work, enhance safety and monitoring procedures, and accelerate workflows, increase automation, improve asset management, and provide relevant parties with the information needed to support file project creation and effective collaboration.
Do you have a space you want to scan? Contact us now! Convert your store, building, school, or hotel into a virtual reality space with cloud-based editing and customization, offering diverse features for you to choose from and easily connecting to the world. 3DMart offers more than just 3D printing; contact us to learn more about Matterport 3D cameras' applications and detailed equipment information.
．Reduced the time to produce 360-degree photos by 90%
．Eliminated the need for expensive laser scanners, saving thousands of dollars per scan
．Reduced travel and labor costs through remote measurement and inspection
Swinerton Uses Matterport Digital Twin to Drive Projects Forward
During the COVID-19 lockdown, San Francisco-based construction firm Swinerton needed to maintain transparency and keep clients informed at all times, even as social distancing restricted on-site visits to physical assets and construction sites.
Using the Matterport Pro2 3D Camera, Swinerton performed a highly detailed 3D scan of a 20,000 square foot space in a few hours. The resulting scans could be distributed to clients, architects, engineers, and subcontractor consultants, who could navigate the virtual space and make change recommendations in real-time. The use of digital twins allowed Swinerton to keep projects on track in several ways:
．Reduced client travel time by 100%
．Reduced MEP and architect travel time by 50%
．Removed four weeks of potential project delays
．Saved clients thousands of dollars by preventing costly errors and rework
4 Tips for Applying Digital Twins to Your Next Project
Want to get the most out of digital twins in the construction industry? Here are some tips to get started:
1. Familiarize yourself with regulations
Before using digital twins on a construction site, companies need to comply with local laws and regulations. However, digital twins can help contractors accelerate the approval and permitting process and plan future blueprints faster.
2. New employee training program
Historically, the construction industry has been slow to adopt new technologies. Companies need to introduce new training programs to equip employees with the knowledge needed to utilize digital twin technology. For employees responsible for protecting confidential information, special cybersecurity courses may also be necessary.
3. Build a digital twin architecture roadmap
Developing a strategic blueprint that outlines how digital twins will achieve project goals is a good way to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page. These architecture roadmaps can serve as reference points throughout the project life cycle, helping teams align tasks and objectives.
4. Integrate relevant technologies
Matterport digital twins seamlessly integrate with existing programs such as SketchUp, Revit, AutoCAD, and other commonly used design software BIM. Project managers can export their point clouds and easily share them in Revit or other BIM tools, where they can generate OBJ files and point clouds for as-built drawings and construction documents.
MATTERPORT Helps You Lay a Solid Foundation for Your Construction Project
Matterport's 3D data platform is a powerful and effective way to document and collaborate on the construction process of a building or property. Using a compatible camera, you can create digital models of small or large spaces with a level of detail close to the actual site. These models are presented as navigable, photo-realistic visuals, a technology called Cortex AI, a proprietary computer vision rendering and artificial intelligence technology.
The Matterport digital twin platform also allows you to easily export other file formats to third-party software, saving you a lot of working time.
．With Matterport, you can:
．Quickly and effectively document and communicate key milestones
．Reduce travel time by sharing models and annotations
．Perform remote quality inspections, off-site measurements, and reduce the need for on-site visits by capturing all data the first time.
Today, construction companies abroad are using digital twins to reduce their on-site work, enhance safety and monitoring procedures, and accelerate workflows, increase automation, improve asset management, and provide relevant parties with the information needed to support file project creation and effective collaboration.
Do you have a space you want to scan? Contact us now! Convert your store, building, school, or hotel into a virtual reality space with cloud-based editing and customization, offering diverse features for you to choose from and easily connecting to the world. 3DMart offers more than just 3D printing; contact us to learn more about Matterport 3D cameras' applications and detailed equipment information.
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