So which stories in our coverage of BIM and digital technology in construction pulled in most readers in 2015? Gratifyingly for the BIM+ team, the articles that resonated covered a wide range – in theme and geography.
1. France and Germany move forward on BIM adoption.
The story at the top of the list shows that BIM + readers are international in their outlook – but perhaps also aware that the UK’s BIM advantage might only prove to be temporary.
2. Construction’s first ‘smart helmet’ to be hatched from Google glass pilot
In second place, from last January, the story that marked the arrival of the Daqri smart helmet on our website, and the industry’s radar.
3. BIM certification is a recipe for confusion
Terry Gough’s opinion piece questioning what benefits BIM certification could bring to the industry certainly struck a chord with the readers.
4. Study notes: choosing a postgraduate BIM course
In fourth place, the popularity of our-round up of post-graduate BIM courses offered by universities in the UK and Ireland certainly shows that readers are keen to upskill for the BIM era.
5. One Blackfriars: Grasshopper springs into action
The highest-ranked BIM case study was in fifth place, perhaps because it had wide appeal – to architects, contractors and those interested in BIM design tools.
6. Francis Crick Institute: Delicate operations relied on BIM
Another case study was in sixth place, this time the appeal was the combination of one of the largest projects in the country, London’s £450m Francis Crick Institute and the BIM philosophy of Laing O’Rourke.
7. Soluis and Crossrail test smart helmets on site
January saw the first mention of the Daqri smart helmet, and December saw it deployed on its first live site trials, at Crossrail.
8. Skanska’s ‘digital tag and track’ project to be operational by 2017
In eighth place, a story that attracted plenty of comments, and a project that seemed futuristic to some, but a bit of throwback to others.
9. Student residences: Kier campus project delivers 6D BIM
Another case study in ninth place, and a BIM project that subsequently won several awards — Kier and LSI Architects’ Crome Court for the University of East Anglia.
10. Construction drones to automate groundworks on Japan’s Olympic sites
And completing the list, a preview of how construction sites could look in the future — with overhead drones monitoring the progress of automated diggers and excavators.
