How Reality Capture is Safeguarding BAM’s Legacy and Shaping the Future of Construction
How Reality Capture is Safeguarding BAM’s Legacy and Shaping the Future of Construction
In the fast-paced world of construction, protecting our people, our business, and our reputation is at the heart of everything we do. Whether we’re on a major infrastructure project or a heritage restoration, ensuring the highest standards of quality and compliance is non-negotiable.
A powerful, and often overlooked, tool in safeguarding our reputation is the use of legacy data — information that tracks everything from installation quality and project progress to compliance with safety regulations and product specifications. This data not only protects us from potential claims but also ensures we can quickly identify latent defects, locate products in the event of recalls, and even address issues that may arise years after project handover.
With increasing regulatory scrutiny, particularly related to the Building Safety Act 2022, there’s an growing demand from our clients for a complete audit trail, known as the digital golden thread. This consistent stream of data offers an accurate, comprehensive record of a project’s design, construction, and safety features, ensuring full compliance with current and future regulations. Enter Reality Capture — the technology that’s transforming how we document and manage every stage of construction.
The Power of Reality Capture: Seeing the Full Picture
Reality capture combines the science of photogrammetry — the art of gathering precise data through photography — with cutting-edge technology to create a detailed, visual record of a project. Unlike traditional methods, reality capture gives us a complete view of a site, capturing everything from site conditions and construction progress to safety compliance. And with the ability to access this data years later, we can revisit a project from any angle, even long after it’s been handed over.
BAM UK&I has partnered with Spere XG (formerly known as Holobuilder) to leverage this technology. Through a simple, web-based platform, we can store and view 360-degree images captured via handheld cameras or drones. Spere XG isn’t just about taking photos; it’s a powerful tool that allows us to measure, annotate, and generate reports, all from the comfort of a desk.
The results are clear to see - time and cost savings, improved safety, and better collaboration across teams.
A Smarter Way to Work Across Every Sector
Spere XG isn’t just changing how we capture data — it’s transforming how we work across a range of sectors. Here’s how reality capture is adding value to some of our key projects:
- Heritage Projects: On the restoration of the Blackburn College Victoria Building, the team used drones to capture detailed images of the building’s façade. This eliminated the need for expensive scaffolding and dramatically reduced health and safety risks for workers. The technology also revealed features that weren’t included in original drawings, allowing for a more thorough survey and reducing costly errors during the project.
- Rail Projects: For the Glasgow to Barrhead Enhancements, Spere XG helped the team document construction progress with incredible accuracy. The technology allowed for improved collaboration between the client and design teams, and it significantly reduced the need for on-site visits, improving both efficiency and safety. Similarly, on the TRUWest project — a 42-mile rail upgrade — reality capture helped document vast stretches of work, enabling quicker decision-making and reducing post-construction complaints. The project’s return on investment for Spere XG was 15:1 in the first year alone.
- Commercial Developments: At Boland’s Quay in Dublin, a mixed-use development, the technology was initially used to track project progress. As the team grew more familiar with its capabilities, they expanded its use to support everything from design development to client handovers. The ability to provide virtual tours and 360-degree markups helped speed up the design process and cut costs. In fact, capturing data via drones was six times faster than traditional surveying methods.
Earthworks and Supply Chain Coordination: Reality capture is also improving how we manage logistics and material sourcing. On a recent earthwork project, drones captured quantities for haul roads, giving the team a more accurate scope of work and allowing for better communication with the supply chain.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Construction with Reality Capture
Reality capture technology has become an essential tool in the construction industry and BAM UK&I is committed to using it to drive innovation, enhance collaboration, and reduce risks.
By documenting every stage of a project, from design to completion, we ensure greater accuracy, better compliance, and a lasting legacy that we can all be proud of.
As the appetite for digital tools grows, reality capture will continue to be at the forefront of how we build, manage, and maintain assets. It’s no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity.
