Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) technology is changing the landscape of electrical construction. The VDC process not only provides key project stakeholders with information about the building, helping to create a safer job site and protect project timelines, but it can also uncover clashes and provide opportunities for prefabrication.
Read on to learn more about how Lemberg utilizes VDC technology and other estimating technology to help inform prefabrication and improve overall construction processes!
VDC, BIM, and 3D Virtual Models
Lemberg’s VDC team uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to create three-dimensional virtual models of projects, including “intelligent” 3D virtual models of electrical components and assemblies. These are “real world” images of an assembly, or a prefabricated set of components, as they would be in the field. These are used for clash detection and to produce the drawings needed to support the prefabrication team. The team then makes the necessary changes if the assemblies conflict with other elements in the model.
Creation of Fabrication Drawings
Once the VDC team has satisfied all conflicts, fabrication drawings, known in the industry as “spool” drawings, are created from the model. The spool drawing contains a variety of information needed to create the assembly in Lemberg’s in-house prefabrication shop. Spool drawings can include plan and section views, dimensions and elevations, and a 3D view of the assembly.
The assembly model contains data that can be included on the spool drawings, such as conduit length, number of couplings, unistrut length, rod length, etc. This is used to schedule out the delivery of materials, streamlining the ordering for just-in-time delivery.
The 3D virtual model also provides the actual layout of the assembly, which is shared with field crews for precise installation of the prefabricated assembly, taking the guesswork out of placing the assembly and making installation quicker and safer.
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VDC Technology Supporting Prefabrication: Revit, EVOLVE, Autodesk Navisworks, and Trimble Robotic Total Station
Revit and EVOLVE
Various technologies support prefabrication, but the most crucial are estimating software and plugins. Lemberg employs multiple software solutions to boost efficiency and deliver quality results. Among these are Revit, the industry-leading software for creating prefabrication drawings, and EVOLVE, a software plugin that coordinates electrical components.
EVOLVE provides real-time visibility into project tasks for all involved parties. This allows Lemberg's VDC and prefab teams to prioritize their work and complete tasks on time. The software contains many electrical industry standards, components, and automation, which enable Lemberg's VDC team to model components and assemblies more quickly and with fewer errors.
What's more, EVOLVE's robust spool drawing creation features help build and organize spool drawings for a project. The software automates the creation of sheets, schedules, and views, which allows Lemberg's VDC team to collaborate more effectively with the prefabrication shop and the field electricians. The module provides all parties with real-time visibility into project tasks, and both the VDC and prefab teams can prioritize their work and deliver results on time.
Autodesk Navisworks
Identifying clashes virtually is more cost-effective than making changes in the prefabrication shop or the field. Lemberg's VDC team uses Navisworks, a software tool from Autodesk, to take the prefab assembly model and "clash" it against other trades, including the building and structure. The team can run clashes on the whole assembly or one component at a time, even checking to make sure the assembly doesn't clash against itself.
Our team then uses the Autodesk Construction Cloud, a cloud-based storage space, to share drawings and files with the overall project team. This allows all parties to collaborate in real time and reduces the potential for conflicts that can delay project timelines.
Trimble Robotic Total Station
Lemberg’s VDC team also employs the Trimble Robotic Total Station’s layout plugin to support prefabrication and installation. This allows a quick and efficient way of setting layout points to accurately place assemblies in the field. The Trimble Robotic Total Station provides precise layout instructions with pinpointed assembly locations, making installation quicker and safer.
From design and project management to building maintenance, technology has become a key player in the electrical construction industry. Click here to learn more!
Workflows with VDC and Prefabrication
The VDC workflow to support prefabrication follows a straightforward process and includes the following steps:
- Identify areas that can benefit from being prefabricated.
- Create the model using EVOLVE and produce the spool drawings.
- Spool drawings are then reviewed by all parties involved (PM, Prefab Foreman, and Field Foreman) for any constructability or field conditions that need to be captured.
- The VDC team makes all necessary changes, runs the assembly model through clash detection if applicable, and resubmits the spool drawings for approval by all parties.
- The Prefabrication Foreman uses the spool drawings to order materials and components and creates the assemblies.
- Assemblies are then shipped to the site, just-in-time, for installation with layout from the VDC team.
Integrating VDC with Prefabrication: A Lemberg Case Study
Lemberg implemented VDC with prefabrication while constructing a three-story private elementary school. The project presented several design challenges, including significant elevation changes, restricted access to electrical rooms, and varying designs across different floors.
By utilizing intelligent 3D models and collaborating with the project foreman, Lemberg's VDC team produced fabrication drawings for various underground conduit assemblies, including all necessary couplings and racking pieces for installation. These spool drawings were then sent to the prefabrication department to be built and transported to the job site.
Creating these assemblies ahead of time greatly reduced the on-site work required to install some of the more complex conduit sections. Any necessary adjustments could be made by simply loosening a few screws and changing the angle to match the straight sections already in place. This approach enhanced consistency and safety while reducing hazards and congestion on the job site and eliminating weather-related delays, resulting in successful project delivery within the expected timeline.
Learn more about Lemberg's prefabrication services here!
Prefabrication Beyond Components
Sometimes more than just components are made offsite. As estimating technology in electrical construction improves processes, we see more and more commercial contractors building out complete rooms in remote locations and transporting these modules to the job site for installation.
While this is a great benefit, as it creates a leaner, less congested job site and a tighter project timeline, Lemberg’s VDC team is even more critical on these projects to make sure everything fits together both in the module and when those modules get onsite.
Lemberg VDC and Prefabrication Services
At Lemberg, we are committed to continuous improvement of our pre-construction and electrical construction processes. Our progression to bring all four phases of a typical construction project to our experienced in-house team will benefit our customers today and well into the future.
We are proud to have a team of experts dedicated solely to our VDC and prefabrication services which incorporate the right technology to enhance prefabrication construction capabilities and execute a more detailed and involved project timeline.
Lemberg is a full-service electrical, design-build, and prefab electrical construction contractor serving Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin for nearly 100 years, bringing you the best in design-build, prefabrication, and VDC technology this industry offers.
Please Contact Us today or Request A Quote to learn more about how we can help you with your next construction project.
