Vinci Building has adopted the Dalux 3D model viewing platform and will deploy it across all its sites.
Marco Bonelli, digital lead of Vinci Building, told BIMplus: “We’re implementing an enterprise level agreement for the Dalux 3D model viewer. Now 95% of our projects feature fully developed 3D models, we need a modern and powerful model viewer to bring those models not only to our staff on site but to those in offices too.
“It marks the process of us transitioning from drawings to full use of 3D models. We believe, via its usability, that Dalux is the only viewer that will allow us to do this. We’re not going to switch off from one to another. We’re going to let our users use both drawings and 3D models, and guide them to use the models. Dalux will enable us to push in this direction over the next five years.”
In 2020, Bonelli launched Vinci’s Digital Driven by Desire initiative. One of its cornerstones is that technology should be easy to use to ensure the best adoption rate and most widespread benefit. This was key to Bonelli selecting Dalux. He said: “We conducted a full review and piloted some other systems. Dalux was the one that got the best user response. For us, one of the key elements is simplicity of usability, and data interoperability. Whatever solution we implement, as part of Digital Driven by Desire, it must be easy to use.”
Model is always up to date
Bonelli highlighted time saving and efficiency gains as the key benefits from using Dalux’s model viewer. “What was happening until now is my team would download the models, federate them, save them on SharePoint or a folder for everyone else in the project to be able to view them: a very complicated process on 35-plus live projects – you can imagine the amount of time required every two weeks,” he explained. “So there’s a good time-saving for my digital team.
“The designer uploads into Dalux, so the federated model is always up to date. Which means the typical site team question of ’is this the most up to date model?’ will disappear.”
He added: “It will bring efficiency to our site teams: they’ll have much more information at their fingertips and won’t have to go back to the site cabin to download drawings.”
Bonelli was aware of Dalux not only through his review of what was available, but also via Vinci’s joint venture with Sir Robert McAlpine, Integrated Health Projects. “Not only did we have the sales pitch from Dalux, but also we saw how the system is really used by our colleagues on the joint venture projects.”
This year, he will review Dalux’s capability to be used as a CDE and field management tool. “Many of our users already ask when viewing the 3D model on site whether they can raise a snag directly on the model instead of going to another app or the drawings. It’s a natural step, so there’ll be a full review.”
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