Mastering Construction Management: Stay Spotless and Optimize Resources
Introducing Sitewalk, an innovative solution that revolutionizes the way you monitor and manage construction projects, all from the comfort of your office. BE LIVE, a frontrunner in integrated construction project consultancies, was among the pioneers to utilize this service, notably at the recently completed “Esco Lifesciences” factory.
Sitewalk’s core function is to periodically capture the progress of construction using a 360° camera. This allows all participants in the construction process to virtually observe every detail of the construction, making it effortless to verify adherence to the project plan and swiftly address any potential issues.
The Sitewalk platform simplifies communication, eliminating the “broken telephone” effect and confusing email threads. While its convenience for the client, serving as a virtual window into the construction site, is evident, the true value of Sitewalk lies in its ability to provide real-time insights into on-site activities and foster collaboration among various construction stakeholders.
Liudas Galdikas, BIM/VDC coordinator at BE LIVE, explains that Sitewalk operates by periodically filming the construction site with 360° cameras. The video data is then uploaded to the cloud, processed, merged, and spatially coordinated. Within a few hours of site visitation, authorized individuals can virtually navigate the construction site via a browser, leave comments, or pose questions.
Whether on a computer, tablet, or phone, you can view every detail of the building, such as the rising partitions, the running lines, and the installed junctions. A simple mouse click allows you to compare the view with the 3D BIM model, communicate in real time with team members, and if necessary, rewind the virtual time wheel to trace the sequence of work.
Sitewalk enhances the efficiency of all involved in the construction process, including the general designer, architects, general and other contractors, the BIM coordinator, and the sustainability certification manager, such as BREEAM or LEED.
“The increasingly popular smart EPCM (Engineering Procurement Construction and Management) model is unthinkable without Sitewalk. EPCM is the choice for clients building more complex structures who naturally have high demands for efficiency and sustainability. Sitewalk helps them meet these demands,” says Šarūnas Survila, Head of Development Manager at BE LIVE.
Sitewalk, a generic term for the service, can be implemented using a combination of technical tools and several popular applications, including Dalux, used by BE LIVE. “Scanning a building is not a simple walk of a few hours. Capturing a quality image requires some skills and special technical equipment. You need to take corners slowly, not look sideways, act naturally, and look at your surroundings simply. This advice, by the way, applies to life in general”, says Galdikas.
While the primary value of Sitewalk lies in the efficiency of construction management and the hours saved, it also contributes to achieving good results in other areas, such as becoming a climate-neutral company. It is important to calculate the fuel saved for travel and the CO₂ not emitted. Since many construction projects are international, this also saves air travel time and climate impact.
For instance, if two BE LIVE team members save a weekly car journey from Vilnius to a factory under construction in Alytus and back thanks to Sitewalk, we can see a tangible result within six months of construction. Sitewalk saves 5,720 kilometers and 80 staff hours over 26 weeks. We could also be pleased that we have not emitted half a tonne of CO₂ into the air.
“Consider that the cost of the Sitewalk service can pay for itself by avoiding one serious construction mistake. Let’s consider that we save a significant proportion of the travel of employees of not one but many companies. We can imagine the potential scale and dimension of Sitewalk’s savings. Although important, I am not counting the time saved in explaining who is to blame for this or that deviation from the project. Also, the question of whether it will be necessary to drive to the site in a snowstorm and climb on the roof of a multi-story building is no longer relevant because yesterday a colleague already visited the site and created Sitewalk,” concludes Šarūnas Survival, Head of Development at BE LIVE.