In civil engineering, practices have evolved to incorporate nonstandard materials, address concerns about sustainability and environmental impact, and make full use of new and existing technologies. A commitment to everyday innovation helps engineers reach ambitious goals.
Civil-engineering thought leaders share commonalities in their innovation processes—across varied organizations, projects, and approaches. BIM Advisor Cristian Otter leads a six-person team devoted to innovation at Geonius, an interdisciplinary engineering firm based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He cites the advanced use of models as a recent addition that is making a difference at his company.
Ishka Voiculescu—a BIM/CAD manager in the Public Works Department of the City of Austin, Texas—has introduced new tools such as drones to capture images and better convey civic projects to nontechnical stakeholders.
And Matt Wunch, a BIM manager at BVH Integrated Services (a New England–based consulting engineering firm), recently added 360-degree panoramic renderings to the company’s toolbox. “I call it a ‘poor man’s virtual reality,’ as it’s based on a single position, but it’s made a big difference for us,” he says. “The ability for an owner or client to see something in 3D eliminates a lot of, ‘What is that?’ questions and puts the focus on the things that really matter.”
So how do these engineers make innovation a regular—even expected—part of their work…