The Nemetschek Group, one of the leading software providers for the AEC/O and media and entertainment industries, has invested in innovative start ups, to help and solve inefficient processes and low increase in productivity in the construction industry
Investing in highly innovative start ups in addition to its own portfolio is proving to be the right strategy. A customer case study by Imerso AS, a Norwegian deep tech company , whose financing round the Nemetschek Group led at the end of last year, showcases efficiency increases of 400 percent in quality control.
E. Klink, a Danish heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) contractor and part of the Aarsleff Group, is a pioneer in the field of building and maintaining energy-optimized ventilation systems, and is working on a broad range of projects, from hospitals and laboratories to banks and museums.
E. Klink turned to digital design with 3D BIM technology in 2019 to ensure high quality during the project design phase. Amongst other software solutions, they have been using Solibri Office and Solibri Site for BIM quality checking and collaboration since 2017.
However, the quality control of piping systems and air terminals throughout the actual construction phase was still done by spot checks. This covered only a small percentage of the entire project and bore the risk of issues being overlooked.
In September 2021, E. Klink decided to work with Imerso to support the quality control throughout the production phase. In two projects spanning over 110,000m2, Imerso’s platform analyzed laser scans taken by E. Klink’s own employees. The platform then verified that ducts and air terminals are located correctly by comparing them to corresponding BIM models and highlighting possible deviations.
The team, led by construction engineers Patrick Frydenlund and Chris Gordner, can now verify 100 percent of the ducts and air terminals within the same time that it took to verify just 15-20 percent in the past – a productivity increase of over 400 percent.
Besides the productivity gain throughout the production process, E. Klink now avoids unforeseen delays during the production phase. This new method also reduces the risk for warranty claims after the project is finished while having millimeter-precise documentation of its work.
‘Accelerate efficiencies in the construction industry’
Tanja Kufner, head of startup and Venture Investments and part of the board of Imerso stated: “Working with Imerso is a great example of how we help accelerate efficiencies in the construction industry.
“The solutions of Imerso and Solibri are a great fit for customers. They help them to accurately monitor a project’s progress and efficiently improve the results.”
Last December, the Nemetschek Group announced they had led a financing round for Imerso. The company is offering a next-generation platform to automate construction quality monitoring through a combination of advanced artificial intelligence (AI), reality capture, and BIM technologies. The solution enables easy, everyday use of industry grade 3D scanners on site.
By connecting the BIM model directly to the as-built snapshot on site, Imerso delivers an efficient roadmap for accurate, as-built digital twins, with great benefits across the entire building life cycle.
