NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York City Department of Buildings recently unveiled a safety initiative that encourages contractors working on large projects to submit 3D/BIM site safety plans. The initiative makes the City's Building Department one of the first to accept and review safety plans in this manner.
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Turner Construction Company is the first company to have their three-dimensional, Building Information Model-based plans approved by the New York City Department of Buildings. "This is another example of how Turner is using BIM tools for the benefit of our clients," said Pat Di Filippo, Executive Vice President for Turner Construction Company.
"The use of 3D site safety plans is a revolutionary step toward improving construction safety," said Robert LiMandri, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings.
Turner created the plans – which show the locations of site fencing, perimeter protection, cranes, hoists and other equipment and materials – using detailed Building Information Modeling tools, and submitted them to the Department of Buildings electronically in both 3D and 2D formats. Digital submission follow-up required fewer office visits and expedited the approval process as the 3D images enhanced communication between field inspectors, office supervisors and Turner. Most importantly, the virtual models and walkthroughs helped identify potential safety risks earlier in the review process, before the start of construction. The approved 2D documents and 3D models were stored in a secure online site from which Building Inspectors could access them in the field on mobile computing devices.
The first projects that benefited from this process were the Energy Building at NYU Langone Medical Center, which will satisfy the energy demands of the University's growing medical campus, and a new building for NYU's College of Nursing that will also provide expanded facilities for the College of Dentistry, and create space for a new multi-school bioengineering program.
"The digital submission of 3D, BIM-based site safety plans reduced the approval times from weeks to days so that we could mobilize on-site that much faster. The New York City Department of Buildings is showing real leadership in using cutting-edge technologies to make the building process safer," said Di Filippo.
About Turner Construction Company
Turner is the leading general builder in the U.S., ranking first or second in the major segments of the building construction field. Turner annually completes $8 billion of construction. Founded in 1902, the firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, a publicly traded company and one of the world's leading international construction service providers. For more information, visit www.turnerconstruction.com.
About HOCHTIEF
HOCHTIEF is one of the leading international providers of construction-related services. With more than 70,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 20.16 billion in FY 2010, the company is represented in all the world's major markets. The Group's service offering in the fields of development, construction, services, concessions and operation covers the entire life cycle of infrastructure projects, real estate and facilities. In the USA, the biggest construction market in the world, HOCHTIEF is the No. 1 general builder via its subsidiary Turner and, with Group company Flatiron, ranks among the most important players in the field of transportation infrastructure construction. With its subsidiary Leighton (HOCHTIEF share around 53 percent), the Group is market leader in Australia. Because of its engagement for sustainability, HOCHTIEF has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2006. Further information is available at www.hochtief.com/press.
SOURCE Turner Construction Company
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