How Arcadis improved their digital collaboration with Revizto

Safety managers, builders and engineers can share results instantaneously while using Revizto.

Arcadis has enlisted the services of Revizto’s digital engineering platform to increase the efficiency of design and engineering on some of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects. Roads & Infrastructure speaks with Arcadis’ Engineering team to learn more.

Three years ago, design, engineering and consultancy solutions company Arcadis recognised an opportunity to take a leap within the market.

Following the increased use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) throughout the construction sector, Arcadis sought the services of Revizto, an integrated BIM collaboration software platform introduced globally in 2014.

Mitch Medway, Arcadis Regional Digital Lead – Property, Energy and Resources, says adopting Revizto’s software has opened the door to an exciting collaborative environment.

“We are continually looking to improve our efficiency as a company. So, the initial priority for us was making sure we had the correct tools at our disposal,” he says.

“A lot of our clients are tier one contractors. Revizto is used heavily by the people we associate ourselves with. It was important for us that we could speak their language in terms of software.”

Revizto collates BIM and CAD data and makes it immediately accessible for an entire project team in one centralised environment. Using the software, project members can identify and manage issues in 3D and 2D spaces, before construction begins on site. This data is then stored in a cloud base, which can be accessed from any device.

Medway says the use of Revizto has increased the speed and accuracy of collaboration on major infrastructure projects, particularly for works involving joint ventures.

“Traditionally, the industry has suffered due to different parties using different processes for project delivery. It’s been hard to find synergy in how we co-ordinate together. Revizto helps with this,” he says.

“The biggest challenge on a rail or station asset is that these projects are multidisciplinary. It’s key for project information to be centralised and it simplifies the process. When this process is simplified, we seem to have more stakeholder engagement and communication is also easier when dealing with large numbers of stakeholders.”

Revizto also lets users such as safety managers, builders and engineers share results instantaneously, ensuring each party has the full context of an infrastructure project.

“Other programs only allow one person to access a model at any given time. With Revizto we can have everyone in a model simultaneously. This is fundamental for how we operate as a business,” Medway says.

Arcadis has now used the platform on major projects in Melbourne and Sydney, with plans to use Revizto on more upcoming projects.

Revizto allows project members to identify and manage construction issues in 3D and 2D spaces.

Active updates

Revizto is continuing to grow as a platform. The program now supports 19 plugins and supports 11 different formats, including PDF and ReCap.

Features are also being added and updated, such as the platform’s Revizto+ version. Introduced in October 2021, this software version introduced automatic clash detection.

Medway says this feature has been a “game changer” for Arcadis.

“It’s a mechanism that detects if there is a discrepancy between two objects in two different models. Essentially, it’s a risk mitigation feature,” he says.

“This latest version also enables us to coordinate point clouds.. We can now receive a point cloud scan from a surveyor, allowing us to identify clashes without needing to generate a separate model.”

Arcadis worked closely with Revizto to develop an implementation plan. This consisted of a five-week, face-to-face training program for Arcadis staff. Steven Coyle, Arcadis Regional Digital Engineering Lead, says the business is now very comfortable with using Revizto.

“This training was based on one of our projects, so our team could apply that training to a real-life application. Our staff were able to maximise their time with the program straight away,” he says.

“Now we are able to lead the digital co-ordination on projects by having this tool at our disposal.”

Revizto can also be used without extensive training. Users can move between 2D and 3D models, while using more traditional methods.

Peter Harris, Digital Engineering Lead, says the impact of COVID-19 has accelerated the need for Cloud-based collaborative programs.

“It’s a great tool because it’s consistent. It allows us as a team to work pro-actively, rather than relying on the expertise and programs of stakeholders,” Harris says.

“Seeing the visible environment is very useful for complex projects and I believe it has enhanced the skills of our design and engineering team as well.”

Arcadis is upgrading its Revizto licence, allowing more concurrent users to access the program.

“We want to be able to lead the digital engineering efforts on behalf of our clients.”

“Revizto is a foundation for us to increase our digital automation and accumulate more of our own IP, which also differentiates us within the market,” Medway says.

This article was originally published in the June edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.

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