Civil Engineering September 2022 | Vol 30 No 8

Civil Engineering September 2022 43 “The use of BIM will improve the build process through better coordination and communication of requirements.” REDUCED DELAYS AND INCREASED EFFICIENCY The urgency of this rebuild and the need for heightened speed and accuracy means that delays and red tape need to be kept to a minimum – another advantage of integrating BIM technology into the process. The digitalisation of information to improve efficiency has been adopted in many sectors of the economy, and this is no different when it comes to the built environment. “BIM, alongside electronic information management systems, provides a mechanism to improve how we manage the flow of information and thus improves the decision-making process that needs to occur alongside that,” Allen says. A good example of this is the recent decision by the City of Johannesburg’s Development Planning Department to initiate the Construction Permit Management System (CPMS). This is a digital solution specifically designed to optimise its construction permitting processes. “This digital solution will totally do away with manual paper-based submissions in order enhance the operational efficiency and good governance of development planning”. Although it is not a BIM submission system yet, it is some- thing that has been trialled in some countries. The use of BIM will enhance a professional’s ability to create and submit the necessary digital documentation, improving the information management flow. THE NEED FOR INTEGRATED PLANNING Allen says that the challenges arising from rapid urbanisation mean that integrated planning and building more resilient infra- structure is critical to the future growth of our cities. This also reduces the burden on the fiscus when more resilient infrastruc- ture must be replaced less often. “Densification is an aspect that needs much greater applica- tion. The more we spread our urban areas out from a core, so we increase the need for infrastructure. At the same time, we are increasing the use of virgin naturally vegetated land, which may be more at risk due to the proximity to water or being located on slopes,” says Allen. “The future of our industry is digital, and BIM is the founda- tion upon which all the other technologies are built.” CAREER OPPORTUNITIES For students with a BIM qualification, there are many opportunities arising due to limited skills already in the workforce. “Our students are the future of the industry and therefore BIM provides an opportunity to get into the industry as more companies look to hire individuals with either the technical skills or know how to implement in the office or on site,” he says. The Trident Engineering Institute, a distance education insti- tution headquartered at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, will enable students anywhere in South Africa to study BIM remotely from January 2023.  Thermal Integrity Profiler (TIP ™ ) • Evaluates concrete quality inside and outside the reinforcing cage • Accelerates construction with tests conducted during concrete curing • Reveals necking or inclusions, bulges, variations in concrete cover, shape of shaft and cage alignment To learn more about TIP ™ , visit www.pile.com. TIP-Reporter Software