2016 marks quite a different year for RTC Australasia.
For a while now we’ve been wrestling with how we need to change to better serve those in our community and those who aren’t but could be.
We’ve been observing industry trends and needs and have made changes to how we run our events in order to adapt. This year, we welcome the ARCHICAD user community who will be joining us on site this year (via ARCHICON), and this is but one manifestation of this change. As was highlighted in several local BIM group meetings recently, to date our typical demographic hasn’t had a great deal of representation from those in the construction community.
We’ve mostly comprised enthusiastic early adopters from the architecture and engineering communities, most of us as Revit users, hell bent on finding the best way to do things we need to do. In some cases, this has meant that despite our enthusiasm, we’ve ignored those who aren’t yet there with us. Rather than waiting for them to join us at the table, we feel it’s time to invite them. It’s time to actively include the other project team members.
This year, we’ve put together a program with more material that is construction focused, and in addition, added two new one-day streams – one for Construction Planning ; the other for Estimating . We want to provide a ‘soft entry’ for those who haven’t been to RTC before. On both counts, this includes providing conference sessions of genuine relevance and interest to them, and also hearing more from them about their needs and how we as a community can help them.
We’re no longer the Revit Technology Conference. We’re just ‘RTC’, and you should expect to see further changes in the events to come. We’re still focused very much on best-of-breed tools and workflows; still committed to sharing ‘unvarnished truths’ and we’re still a ‘for users, by users’ event. We’re just looking to be more impactful on the industry as a whole - not just architects and engineers.
How designs are implemented on site requires a great deal of preparation from construction planners. The end goal of designers isn’t production of drawings, or a model. It’s how we provide information to downstream parties to enable them to effectively play their part in delivering the project. Earlier engagement of the contractor allows for better decision making with respect to constructability, but what do they really need from designers? How can designers deliver maximum value to contractors, without exceeding their legal and professional duty of care? What can be done without margin erosion?
‘4D’ is the jargon most commonly attributed to BIM-based construction planning, so we'll explore this in detail and assess some of the tools and practices that can help planners to make more informed decisions and validate their assumptions. It’s not just about pretty pictures or animations – it’s about providing genuine benefit to the project and achieving things not possible without receiving and leveraging the right information.
In the evening, there will be a dinner off-site at Hope Estate Winery. Come along and join the rest of the RTC fraternity and exchange views on all things – work related or not. There are other construction-related sessions on the Saturday, so stay the night and attend further sessions then, or get a round of golf in.
This stream is for quantity surveyors and estimators – those charged with preparing cost plans and managing project finances. For a while the QSs have been the poor cousin at the end of the table, eating whatever was dished up. But that ignores how impactful their contribution can be to the project if we gave them time to share with us in a two-way dialog. Alignment of how designers develop their models with the needs of others – even at the most basic level – can make a significant difference to how much they can achieve using those models. So we want to help identify what that requires, and explore how we might together achieve that. We want to establish practical clarity behind what we really mean when we talk about 5D BIM, and discuss what more there is to it than we traditionally acknowledge.
Of course, designers and others who wish to participate in any of the sessions in this stream are more than welcome.
Now yes, this is on a Saturday. But this is a good thing! You won’t have the demands of the office competing with your attention. Any approvals to come should be straightforward. It’s a relaxed and friendly atmosphere you’ll be in. There’s a golf course on site, and wine to be had, so why not stay the night and enjoy the Hunter Valley on the Sunday. There’re drinks and a gala dinner to close out the 3-day RTC event – you’re welcome to continue your dialog and meet new people from your industry.
For those wondering what construction-related sessions we have, we’ve identified some of these below - to make it easier for you to know which sessions to register for. You might be...
If we’re going to succeed in helping the design fraternity, we have to help the others who work with them also. As a community, we need to be more inclusive. We invite quantity surveyors and estimators, construction planners, construction managers to join us for these inaugural streams. There’re plenty of conference sessions on offer beyond these dedicated streams. Come join our community and let’s figure out how to work smarter, together.