BE DIGITAL!

Are we ready for the next Industrial Revolution 4.0?

Hi guys,

As we are all aware, we are now moving into the 21st Century with some kind of dilemma. And as the wave of Industrial Revolution 3.0 steadily takes us into the 4.0 waves, a lot of comfort zone needs to be revisited and massive rethinking of our way of doing things in the digital age is now becomes paramount. I am referring you to cloud computing, Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoTs), Social Mobility, etc.

Therefore establishing our footholds in the 3.0 is indeed crucial!

In the field I am in, i.e. Built Environment, the emerging digital technology is providing an efficient collaborative platform among professionals (like architects, engineers, surveyors, builders, project managers, facility managers, among others) like never before. This digital platform is called Building Information Modelling or BIM.

BIM will increase design and construction efficiency by using  rich 3D digital model that comes with integrated relevant information. This eventually helps to minimise mistakes among drawings that used to occur previously and ultimate reduce discrepancies and reworks on the construction site.

Photos A, B and C below indicate how construction drawing can be complex and wrongly interpreted among construction professional if the information are disjointed.  Staircase in A occurred because the builders only used the sectional drawing for this purpose. Installation of ATM in B could happen when you only see it from the floor plan and not realising that there are variances in height. While spiral staircase in C is the result when 2D drawings and not 3D digital model is used in the design and construction process.

Due to this valuable benefit, BIM and associated digital technologies in the built environment are now become more and more prominent. University of Reading (in the UK and Malaysia) has taken a step ahead, embedding its curricula and syllabi with this cutting edge knowledge so that graduates we nurtured are always BIM ready and relevant to the 21st century industrial needs. This will ensure a conducive digital learning environment (pic. E) for our Built Environment students that will stimulate their creativity and enhance their competencies level.

Writer (pic D) is the Head of School of the Built Environment at University of Reading Malaysia. He studied architecture at the undergraduate level in Universiti Sains Malaysia and later pursued his post-graduate studies in Architectural Engineering at Kyushu University, Japan. His hobby is reading and travelling and would be excited if he can do both during a vacation in a countryside!