Digital Construction

BIM in brief 03.09.24: McLaren deploys Musk’s tech on sites

Image of the Starlink satellites above earth to illustrate BIM in brief - McLaren using Starlink tech — A batch of 60 Starlink test satellites stacked atop a Falcon 9 rocket, close to being put in orbit (Image: Wikimedia)

A round-up of BIM and digital construction stories you might have missed in the past month, including McLaren Construction’s adoption of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite connectivity.

McLaren deploys Musk’s Starlink tech on sites

McLaren Construction has deployed Starlink satellite connectivity on its construction sites across the UK. The contractor has been working with connectivity specialist Clarus Networks Group to ensure reliable connectivity on site, including remote and greenfield locations, from day one.

Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, a private spaceflight company led by Elon Musk. It uses a network of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide users with global high-speed, low-latency internet access.

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It presents an alternative to established internet services such as 5G and optical fibre.

McLaren said the integration with Starlink is enhancing onsite health and safety through the use of AI-assisted technologies, improved efficiency in producing and sharing CAD models from the site, and better communications between the site, management and clients.

Digital can revolutionise the demolition sector

Work is underway to advance the demolition sector with digital technology. An Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership, involving Colemans and Dr Steven Park of Aston University, envisions the development of a transformative ‘digital demolition’ platform. This would incorporate 3D scanning, AI and remote-control equipment, enabling demolition to be preprogrammed, predictable, data-driven and simulated in a virtual environment – eliminating workers’ exposure to dangerous environments.

Using F1 tech to drive building design forward

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling used in motorsport could transform designs of buildings and cities, according to Mott MacDonald’s Ruth Shilston, writing for Construction Management.

CFD modelling provides a virtual testing ground for various design scenarios, allowing engineers to optimise building designs before construction begins. This iterative process helps identify potential issues and refine designs to achieve optimal performance. By reducing the need for physical prototypes and experiments, CFD modelling saves time and resources, leading to more efficient project timelines.

Digital Oscar hospital completes

Balfour Beatty’s Midland Metropolitan University Hospital has been given the green light to open on 6 October. The contractor took over the project in 2019 after Carillion’s collapse the previous year, and which was already behind schedule.

The hospital won Digital Construction Project of the Year at the Digital Construction Awards this summer.

The nine-floor facility has a gross internal floor area of 85,924 sq m and can hold around 700 beds. Once open, it will serve more than half a million people with facilities for acute and emergency care (the largest acute hospital in the region) as well as paediatric, maternity and inpatient adult care.