A lack of seamless communication, unexpected hurdles and poor visibility are some of the bugbears project managers and engineers experience in the construction industry.
Software programs that give a bird’s eye view of complex design elements, reduce administrative burden and highlight areas of concern early can impact the project’s successful delivery.
Bluebeam’s software solution tackles these project pain points by streamlining workflows, encouraging collaboration and making the PDF-based platform accessible to multiple project partners.
At SEE Civil, a Queensland-based construction and engineering firm, Bluebeam has had a powerful impact on its project management. The company is part of the broader SEE Group, a civil contractor that has been delivering projects for over 35 years. SEE Group also encompasses SEE Fleet and SEE Mining, with its headquarters located in Queensland.
It uses Bluebeam for the company’s constructability assessments, project management and productivity tracking. This reflects SEE Civil’s commitment to integrating advanced technologies like Bluebeam into their operations. The software management system is used to support the delivery of construction and engineering services for major infrastructure and urban development projects across road, mining, rail and aviation sectors.
Tim Smith, a project manager at SEE Civil, said the software has bridged a gap between designers, engineers and project managers.
“There can be a disconnect between what designers give us as far as CAD drawings,” he said. “Most people in my position don’t have access to CAD. Bluebeam bridges that gap.”
Engineers can consolidate information from multiple sources into their workflows, including geological maps and “Dial Before You Dig” documentation to outline underground networks at the planned project site. The software’s PDF format has also created greater opportunities for collaboration.
“Virtually everyone has access to a PDF viewer, which makes it an incredibly powerful tool for sharing and integrating various types of visual data,” Smith said.
Bluebeam has tailored its software to the architecture, engineering and construction industries, iterating the product over the past 20 years in response to industry feedback. Its tools and features are designed for markup, collaboration, version control and estimation.
Bluebeam unlocked efficiencies in the Halcyon Serrata residential project
The software gave SEE Civil greater visibility of multiple design elements of its Halcyon Serrata project currently under construction. It covers 250 residential lots across 130,000 m² in Moreton Bay. The scope covers extensive civil works, from bulk earthworks to services installation, and pavement construction. This includes stormwater management, potable water supply and sewer systems.
“Managing multiple design amendments was previously one of our biggest challenges,” Smith said. “Bluebeam provides immediate visibility of design changes.”
When last minute changes happen, such as a pipe relocation, the software’s sketch-to-scale functionality instantly pinpoints any misalignments and quickly assesses broader project impacts.
One of Bluebeam’s useful features is its layering capability that allows engineers to use different visualisations to highlight areas of a concern. This can help with areas such as road alignment or the relocation of underground services.
“You can basically overlay multiple plans on top of each other, which is not a function that most programs have,” Smith said. “An example might be design drawings that you believe are missing an existing service. You get that information from the service provider and import that information and overlay to see where it sits to give you a better idea of how it fits together.”
This function is useful for identifying potential service clashes. If a designer misses a service such as an existing sewer line, overlaying it against the design will reveal whether there is a need for further design modification.
“With Bluebeam, we can focus directly on the revisions made,” Smith said. “If the designer is working in the software and collaborating, it can be clearer quicker to update the revisions than traditional methods.”
The software’s automation capabilities have also reduced the time required for quantity take-offs, a detailed measurement of materials and labor needed to complete a construction project.
Construction contractors could spend several days on a task that is now automated and instantaneous. As long as the engineer has traced a length accurately, the risk of quantity errors is significantly reduced as the software automatically calculates quantities.
Smith estimated the collaboration and real-time update functions save many days of back-and-forth revision work with the designer.
Reducing the administrative burden and supporting career growth
Detailing decision rationales after the fact can swamp engineers in a mire of unnecessary paperwork. Bluebeam automates routine tasks to enable more focus on strategic work.
As users draw lines within the software, it simultaneously measures length, calculates costs (when appropriate pipe attributes are set) and generates comprehensive bills of quantities. This reduces the potential for human error.
The software conveys concepts before investing time in modelling or CAD creation, facilitating collaboration between designers and engineers who might be using different software tools.
The impact of administrative overload extends beyond immediate project timelines and can chew up valuable time for professional development, leaving junior engineers unstimulated and unable to progress their careers. The productivity gains from Bluebeam free up time for graduates to broaden their experience in areas beyond administration.
“There is definitely less of a paper trail,” Smith said.
The user-friendly interface enables team members to understand 75 per cent of its functions with minimal training compared to other more complex programs.
However, the team is still learning about new functions and capability to support their projects.
Learn more about SEE Group’s Urban division, and see how Bluebeam can boost your project efficiency.