Professional Knowhow Converges Technology Leads the New Era of Construction Industry

Urban development is advancing at an incredible pace. The pursuit of harmony between new buildings and the environment has made exterior design more important than ever. As a new landmark commercial project in Kwun Tong, the development project located at 240 How Ming Street (KTIL240) boasts a façade (Curtain Wall) area of more than 400,000 square feet, which is grand and spectacular.

Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Ir Albert CHENG, Executive Director, together with Council Members Ir Simon LIU and Ir Edwin TONG visited the project site to inspect how the contractor, Entasis Limited, uses Building Information Modelling (BIM) to help overcome the challenges of façade construction. They also learned about how the team monitors, manages, improves project efficiency, and ensures site safety through its self-developed digital systems and professional knowledge.

Overcoming Challenges with BIM

To match the curved design of the project's exterior, the façade elements had to be met the "Double Curve" design requirements during production. Under the conventional production processes, the failure rate of elements production can reach up to 50%, resulting in waste and low production efficiency.

"Therefore, we used 3D scanning to input the curvature parameters of the glass products into the BIM model for comparison. Any errors can be detected and adjusted immediately," said Mr. Elvis CHAN, Entasis Senior Project Coordinator. "Moreover, before processing the insulating glass unit (IGU), we have already removed the elements that do not meet the standards through the above method, reducing the loss rate from 50% to about 10%," added Mr. Lewis LUNG, Entasis Senior Project Manager. Using BIM and 3D scanning ensures accuracy in construction, improves product quality, reduces resource wastage, and increases energy efficiency.

Real-Time Tracking with Self-Developed Systems

The delivery of components involves multiple steps, such as production, transportation, and installation. Achieving information synchronization is key to smooth project management. The team uses its self-developed digital supply chain monitoring system, STAMP, and the "Integrated Digital Project Delivery" (IDPD) to achieve a one-stop monitoring solution. From factory production and warehouse transportation to on-site installation, everything can be tracked and monitored in real-time. Through the real-time data of the digital supply chain, the construction progress can be quickly retrieved anytime, anywhere and by anyone.

Automated System for Higher Efficiency and Precision

Beginning with the creation of the typical unitized panel in a BIM model, the team uses their own developed Entasis Automation System (EAS) to automate the production of various engineering drawings. The 2D elements drawings and lists in the system will also be synchronized with the changes in BIM data, which helps to achieve accurate procurement and reduce waste. Utilizing the system’s ability to directly generate fabrication drawings and CNC codes not only saves time but also reduces errors caused by relying on manual labor for repetitive work. This is beneficial for the reasonable allocation of human resources, ensuring better and more reliable project quality.

Flexible Design to Improve Efficiency and Ensure Safety

The façade construction of this project involves a large number of complex and irregular designs. The team uses BIM and parametric design to customize C-shaped suspension brackets, which ensures that the center of gravity (CG point) remains vertical when lifting heavy objects and skillfully avoids crashing into the waterproof hardware protruding from the building. Coupled with an adjustable lifting hole frame, different-sized elements can be flexibly lifted without changing the suspension bracket design, which is innovative and practical.

To enhance "Design for Safety" (DfS), the team has specially designed and embedded tie frame brackets for plinth installation to fix the position of each metal rod (C-rod) weighing over 60kg. This reduces the inertial error after injecting concrete and eliminates the safety risk caused by relying on on-site personnel to make corrections, making the process more convenient and labor-saving. Meanwhile, in pursuit of perfection on ideal leveling, four adjustable C-rods are reserved on the Tie Frame to retain adjustment flexibility in standardized processes, striving for perfection and enhancing efficiency and speed.

Ir Thomas HO praised the team's integration of BIM and their professional expertise, which is worth learning from the industry. As a pioneer of the industry, CIC encourages the industry to make use of technology to support industry development, strengthen safety awareness at site, enhancing production efficiency, and exercise professionalism to rise to the challenge.