Tackling challenging layouts

Author:Tamara Stakic

Theconstruction industry is embracing digital robotic total stationsfor the layout of building elements and internal fit out due to proven财务和时间福利– replacing the laborious tape measure and stringline approach.

Traditionally, the layout of building services on site involved working based on the provided paper drawings. These drawings were used in combination with tape measures, levels and grids to identify location points for elements, such as penetrations, pipework and cable trays. This is all changing now.

Digitising building construction layout

Based in Melbourne, Australia,V Constructionsspecialises in both high residential and commercial construction. Many of their recent projects feature complex designs with curved walls and buildings with prefabricated materials and non-orthogonal spaces. Seeking to improve efficiency, ensure accuracy and provide quality control, V Constructions purchased theLeica iCON robotic total stationafter being appointed as main contractors for the Holme apartments development; a14层混合用途开发包括连续弯曲的平板，釉面窗帘墙和阳台的组成。

V结构,很长-term customer ofC.R.肯尼迪，Leica Geosystems在澳大利亚的分销商了解，需要采用数字工作流程以与复杂形状合作，并比传统方法更快地进行项目。在发现该项目赢得该项目之后，该公司几乎没有时间切换到数字工作流程。

“We needed a solution that was easy to adopt, user-friendly and required minimal onboarding time,”said Douglas Thirkell, senior surveyor at V Constructions.Switching to a digital workflow and adopting the instrument was easythanks to C.R. Kennedy who provided technical support on site as the team implemented the iCON robotic total station from day one of the project.“The product was easy to pick up and use straight away by the team,”said Thirkell.

Designed by award-winning John Wardle Architects (JWA), the sculptured design includes 154 apartments, commercial and retail spaces above ground, and a160-car parkwithin three basement levels. The building façade is a standout feature of the development with the original 1920s Art Deco façade being retained on the lower floor frontages and alongside a new suspended brickwork façade.

With the help of the iCON robotic total station, V Constructions is提供建筑结构，钢筋，混凝土布局和成品水平的准确定位. The complex nature of the building design would have made it near impossible for the V Constructions team to layout using traditional methods.

Making the switch to a digital workflow

V Constructions traditionally used Leica Geosystems total stations (Leica TCR407 and Leica Builder) for previous building construction projects. The complexity of the Holme apartments project made it necessary for the team toinvest in a layout instrument in order to be more efficient on the site.

Due to the complex nature of the building, each apartment is unique – there are42个不同尺寸的湿区域一个d not many repetitions of the apartments on each floor. This sophisticated structure involved a greater amount of work for V Constructions surveyors Thirkell and Brian McLoughlin as they had to layout each individual piece. TheiCON robotic total station allowed the team to layout metal sections and fabricated concrete curves with simplicity and efficiency.

“What was key for us when evaluating the technology investment is that the instrument had to be robotic and a one-person operation,”said Thirkell.

通过有效而准确地应对复杂的布局挑战

The team at V Constructions set up multiple survey control points on site for instrument orientation purposes at any location around the curved structure. This technique meant they did not need to use grids for orientation when completing layout tasks.

Byadopting a digital workflow, V Constructions was able to ensurethe setup of the instrument was completed quickly and accurately一个dall plan data was immediately available on the controller. This ensuredquick and accurate layout processeswere followed and there was no need to worry about some of the variables and the inaccuracies that come with using traditional methods involving stringlines, tape measures and spirt levels.

Every small mistake can lead to potentially serious consequences. Being a few degrees out on an angle can cause pre-fabricated systems not to fit when the time comes to install them. Similarly, incorrect layout can result in clashes with other building elements or services, thereby disrupting the construction schedule, generating unnecessary works and wasting materials, time and money.

在Holme站点上，建筑物的窗户包含曲线，而Glaziers则依赖于放置霍布斯以放置窗户的精度 - 炉灶已预制并固定在表单工作中。V构造团队没有错误的空间only a digital method could provide the team the confidence in accuracy needed- 网站上没有磁带尺寸或弦线。

“ [布局]的传统方法是费力且耗时的，任何延误都会影响其他团队的工作。Adopting digitisation and the Leica iCON robotic total station is really the way of future for us,”said Thirkell.

Speeding up as-built plans

One of the key stages of the project that had tremendous efficiency gains was the as-built plans.

Thirkell and McLoughlin were required to complete an as-built survey for every slab. Traditionally, they would set up a laser level and take a reading, manually creating a plan of the completed slab in the office. With the iCON robotic total station,该团队可以记录数据，并在一个小时内将其上传到CAD中，并将其清理并用于准备拟建计划.

Quantifying the productivity improvements,采用图标机器人总站已节省了v构造每天一个人. These are the considerable节省的时间可能最终减少所需的操作员数on the project and reduce labour costs.

扩大生产力的提高

V Constructions realised the productivity gained by implementing a digital workflow during the Holme project and invested in its second iCON robotic total station for a new project – a chancellery building at Monash University. Located at the Clayton campus, the10,000平方米的建筑will comprise of a single basement level for car parking, ground level public spaces, two levels of office space and a third level to house the University executive. The building includes a feature steel sunshade screen that wraps all elevations of the thermally-enhanced façade.