Construction firms hit by the economic downturn can cut their operation costs and reduce waste just by installing the right technology, according to a senior executive at Tekla, the world's leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions firm. Tahir Sharif, managing director of Tekla Middle East made his comments on Wednesday on the back of a new partnership deal with UAE-based IT solutions provider ACRID International. ACRID International is part of the Abu Dhabi-based project management and consulting firm known as CAP Group - with the help of Tekla's BIM solution, CAP PMC the project management arm of CAP Group can now leverage the benefits of BIM on all construction projects managed by the conglomerate. “We believe that the government, and its projects, is a key factor in setting an example to other players in the market, especially in a climate where the waste in construction can't be afforded,” Sharif said. “BIM can effectively cut costs and manage waste that otherwise could jeopardize the existence of a project, even without potential time delays and budget overruns,” he added. ACRID plans to introduce BIM technology to a raft of government development projects including; infrastructure, housing, school and hospital builds, which are part of the 2030 plan. Endorsing the new partnership, Mian Mohammad Aslam, director of ACRID and managing director of CAP PMC, commented that only Tekla's cutting edge technology can facilitate the complete lifecycle management of any project. “The local industry is experiencing a historical development and growth rate despite the partial downfall due to the global meltdown,” he added. “Abu Dhabi continues to launch major construction projects, encouraging the use of advanced technologies, such as BIM, which ensure timely completion and immense saving through their solutions, moreover it provide very minute details of structure which no other system provides as on this date” Aslam added. Tekla's BIM technology includes packages on project control system (PCS) management, cost management, value engineering, risk management, construction supervision, and project audits and reviews. Design and build projects can be done more efficiently with effective control. __
