Zutec and HS2: building the future of UK transportation

The cutting-edge construction software provider is currently delivering digital solutions for the southern section of the railway led by Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS)

• SCS has developed a revolutionary digital strategy and ‘Digital Blueprint’ for BIM, selecting Zutec as its construction software supplier

• SCS is implementing a fully integrated end-to-end process, from design to construction to operation, connecting the engineering data and quality documentation with real-time reporting to benefit the entire project

SCS, a joint venture between Skanska, Costain and STRABAG, is delivering the southern section of the £106bn HS2 project. This project is one of the most complex and challenging railway initiatives the United Kingdom has ever undertaken, and is tasked with saving the government £500million in digital efficiencies, proving HS2 Ltd’s commitment to applying global best practice in design and construction.

In order to meet the government’s targets, SCS devised a bold digital strategy, connecting data models with information flow, removing paper from construction sites, and improving accuracy and quality through direct digital connections. To help it achieve this, the team has implemented leading construction management software, Zutec.

A digital journey

SCS began developing a ‘Digital Blueprint’ for BIM on large infrastructure projects from tender stage, supporting HS2’s aim to ‘go beyond the government’s mandate to transform the way the industry has traditionally designed, constructed and managed infrastructure projects.’

In the first phase of its digital information flow project, all inspection and test plans (ITPs), permitting, site communication, red lining, as-builts and management of temporary works are set to be integrated effectively with the data model, and will digitise approximately five million quality check sheets.

As part of accelerating the transition to cloud technology, Zutec drove implementation at speed, adapting to provide training and support remotely thereby ensuring site teams felt comfortable and secure in using the tool. The benefit was proven when the design team could review and confidently sign off piling records without going to site.

Further, the project offers health and safety, time, cost, data security, environmental and quality benefits by enabling data in forms to be pre-populated from the model (one source of the truth), forms to be filled out and reviewed digitally, full audit trails, and a reduction of digital platforms staff have to use, as well as response times, by up to 80%.

Collaboration and innovation

Crucially, Zutec enhances performance and efficiencies through streamlining site inspections with automated workflows, notifications and PIN-secured signatures in a common data environment (CDE). It has also allowed SCS to package the final handover documentation almost instantly and provides an ideal environment for all involved to input more accurate records into the digital twin, which can then be passed over to the client to maintain the railway.

In addition, Zutec supports supply chain integration by giving suppliers, who have been integral in shaping the final solution, access to the BIM data lake (database of all engineering data) through pre-populated forms.

Peter Ruff, Head of BIM for SCS HS2, says, “During this project, Zutec has demonstrated the true value of digital twins in asset management. The software also proved to be a lifeline during the pandemic, as it allowed us to adopt cloud technology quickly and efficiently, and still hit all of our key milestones. We were even able to adapt quickly to provide training and support remotely, thereby ensuring site teams felt comfortable and secure in using the product.”

To date, the system has been rolled out to 550 staff and 48 subcontractors, growing to 1500+ users and 80 companies in 2022. From the on-site time and cost savings of reducing the Inspection and Test Plan sign-off process from 21 days to four—a 90% reduction in time spent completing forms—to the improved visibility of quality issue trends through real-time reporting, Zutec is already ensuring success, right-first-time and customer satisfaction.

A platform of the future

Zutec is continuously evolving to meet the needs of its users. Tom Boland, Global Head of Digitalisation, says, “The use of Zutec on HS2 shows how digital tools can transform construction projects of every size. This is truly a key moment in history and a perfect example of what the future of the industry holds if it continues to take the plunge into digitisation and embraces the power of technology.”

This level of connection between the model and the quality documentation with real-time reporting is unique in the construction industry, and has the potential to drive the whole sector toward true construction excellence. Not only is Zutec inspiring a digital ‘evolution’, it’s establishing a digital evolution for years to come.

Zutec and HS2: building the future of UK transportation

The cutting-edge construction software provider is currently delivering digital solutions for the southern section of the railway led by Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS)

• SCS has developed a revolutionary digital strategy and ‘Digital Blueprint’ for BIM, selecting Zutec as its construction software supplier

• SCS is implementing a fully integrated end-to-end process, from design to construction to operation, connecting the engineering data and quality documentation with real-time reporting to benefit the entire project

Westfield Design & Construction initially procured Zutec to manage the handover and completion process for the first phase of the shopping centre in 2007. The Australian shopping centre operator Westfield Corporation was later acquired by European Unibail-Rodamco SE in 2018. The merger formed URW, the commercial real estate company with the largest development pipeline in the industry.

Following the opening of the retail mecca, the Westfield facilities management team found the Zutec platform to be a powerful tool for managing operations. They continued to use it post-handover to access interactive, digital O&M manuals, upload retail fit-out information and update both capital and minor works, maintaining a single source of truth for the whole facility.

Completed a decade later, a £600m retail extension constituted Phase 2, along with the URW UK head office building and Newall Court. As it was nearing completion in 2017, Zutec was once again enlisted for the handover and BIM data managementt and integration.

Early engagement between Westfield’s management team and Zutec was crucial to the success of Phase 2. To implement the software for this phase, which included the addition of 740,000 sq ft of retail space, Zutec held workshops with key management personnel.

The intervening time also saw the evolution of Zutec from an interactive folder structure for the capturing of handover data, to a fully-fledged 3D BIM model management and visualisation solution, and a repository for all BIM attributes linked to asset registers, manuals and documents.

The multitude of benefits Zutec provides helped ensure Westfield London was successfully completed on time. The platform, used for the capturing and management of all project data throughout the lifecycle, allowed operations at Westfield to have quick access to information, enhanced knowledge of built assets, a reduction in existing condition surveys and a faster reaction time in emergencies.

Zutec continues to be used as the single source of truth where any changes and modifications are recorded during the use and maintenance of the building.

Commenting on the partnership, Zutec’s Global Head of Digitalisation, Tom Boland, said: “This project has been one of our greatest achievements, and we are proud to have been involved from the very beginning. It’s thanks to the hard work and dedication on both sides that Westfield was able to open its doors on time and achieve the level of success that it has experienced to this day. We hope to continue this more than 10-year-long partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and collaborate on equally ground-breaking projects in the coming years.”

London – United Kingdom

Wembley Stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the England national football team, and the FA Cup Final. The stadium is crowned by the 134-metre-high Wembley Arch which serves as a landmark across London. At its peak, there were more than 3,500 construction workers on site and 4,000 separate piles form the foundations of the new stadium. A project of this size was always going to need an advanced PDMS system and that is why Brookfield Multiplex implemented Zutec.

The new Wembley Stadium opened to the public back in March 2007 with  a bowl design and a capacity of 90,000.

The stadium, with a retractable roof and a 135m high arch designed by Sir Norman Foster and visible throughout London; stands as an association football venue in Wembley Park in London. The sliding roof sits 52 metres above the pitch. Even though the roof does not completely close, it does cover every seat which makes Wembley the largest fully covered stadium in the world. The stadium’s signature feature is a circular section lattice arch of 7 m internal diameter with a 315 m span, erected some 22° off true, and rising to 133 m. It supports all the weight of the north roof and 60% of the weight of the retractable roof on the southern side. The arch is the world’s longest unsupported roof structure.

Zutec was used to deploy a document approval system during the construction of Wembley Stadium. This allowed sub contractors to upload documents to the various package folders in the O&M, and the document controls on the client side were able to review and respond with comments. The O&M structure was fairly straight forward being split into 8 sections as follows:

1. How to Use the Manual
2. Contractual and Legal Records
3. System Description
4. Plant and Equipment Schedule
5. Operational Requirements
6. Maintenance
7. Record Drawings
8. Manufacturers Literature

At the end of the project there was a total of 34 O&Ms which covered all Fabric and Services components of the build. Additional to the O&Ms was a Health & Safety file which contained key design documents and use of hazardous materials and safety procedures.

Just before handover Zutec was asked to provide a maintenance file for all key plant equipment. This file included PPM schedules for key assets, along with Energy Callout Registers and Emergency Contacts. All of this data is still available today for the client, years after construction.

London Bridge Quarter

The Shard is a living, dynamic building, full of energy, situated in Southwark, London. As part of the overall London Bridge Quarter (LBQ) development, The Shard is now the tallest building in Western Europe. It cost more than £500 million to develop; creating records for budget, height and scale.

With 82 stories ranging in use from 5 star hotels, penthouses, offices and restaurants, the building was opened in 2012 by the Lord Mayor of London and now attracts thousands of visitors every week to the special viewing station on the 68th floor.

Zutec was brought in by the client, The Sellar Group, to manage the snagging and commission process, using the Zutec Snagging & Defect Management tool. Working with tablets in the field, the team were able to identify, monitor and sign off snags and ensure a smooth handover of the building in 2013. Following the successful handover of The Shard, Zutec was then engaged on The News Building.

Now in operation Zutec is continuously used as the source of truth of these developments, with tenancy and refurbishment works continuously updated and uploaded on to the system.

London Bridge Quarter

The Shard is a living, dynamic building, full of energy, situated in Southwark, London. As part of the overall London Bridge Quarter (LBQ) development, The Shard is now the tallest building in Western Europe. It cost more than £500 million to develop; creating records for budget, height and scale.

Handover

London Wall Place is a 500,000 sq ft development that will provide two landmark commercial buildings and an acre of landscaped public realm. The site extends for over 2 acres and is located on London Wall between Moorgate and the Barbican.

The new open space creates a unique destination for the area through a series of new gardens set amongst the historic landmarks. The reinstatement of the City of London high-walks through the development is just one of the iconic features of this expansive regeneration. Manufactured from weathered steel and providing pedestrian access through the site above street level, this complements the existing remains of both the Roman City Wall and St Alphage Church, which will be seamlessly incorporated into the public realm landscape.

1. London Wall Place is a circa 300,000 sq ft building arranged over 12 storeys. The innovative design provides floor plates of circa 9,000 sq to 42,000 sq ft and includes over 35,000 sq ft of roof terraces for exclusive tenant use.

2. London Wall Place is a 16 storey tower providing floors of circa 12,000 sq ft and completed to Cat ‘A’. The building will include vertical glazing strips and a spectacular triple height space at the top of the building.

Zutec’s Façade Progress Tracker was used to track the status of every facade element from manufacture to installation and final inspection. This was achieved using the Zutec Resolution tool and utilising the barcode scanning capabilities.

The Snagging & Defect Management tool was used as the Quality Assurance collaboration platform for the project. Multiplex used this to capture all tasks such as snags, defects and observations and raise them against the responsible subcontractors. Multiplex and all subcontractors used this tool to collaborate and resolve all issues captured onsite.

The Zutec Quality Assurance/Quality Control Inspections tool was used to digitise processes that were previously captured using paper, this enabled the workforce to use a more secure and efficient process to capture data. Various Quality and Compliance related checklists were created and inspections were carried out onsite using the Zutec Resolution app.

As with any multi million pound development, project handover is a key component in completion and the Zutec Digital Operations & Maintenance Manuals capturing platform was used as a collaboration tool for all subcontractors to upload all of the required handover information which is essential for a smooth handover and successful running of the building post-handover. All information uploaded was brought through a workflow and validated by the various certifiers. The Zutec Digital Operations & Maintenance Manuals tool provided real time reports on the handover documentation progress which enabled Multiplex to effectively track and capture all the required documentation in time for handover.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise of the King’s Health Partners, an academic health science centre.

Zutec was taken on board by the client the NHS Trust to update and capture all the information for the Firewall Penetrations within the hospital.

Zutec created a specialised form which standardised all the elements of fire protection that needed inspecting on the project. Creating one form for every room in the building to be surveyed.

Not only did this allow the client to track the inspection progress, there was also scope for the Guys & St Thomas’ Quantity Surveyor to work out the cost of different repairs or replacements that were picked up in the inspection process.

Hamad International Airport (formally New Doha International Airport) is the world’s newest aviation hub, a world class facility that is set to exceed expectations and redefine the passenger and transit experience. Hamad is the new home of Qatar Airways with a current annual capacity of over 30 million passengers, making it the second largest Airport in the MER (Middle East Region), second only to Dubai which is now the busiest airport in the world. Situated on reclaimed land, the passenger terminal complex 702,000 sq metres in size, has been voted the Best Airport in the Middle East in 2014 by Skytrax.

Zutec were appointed to this prestigious project working alongside the Principle Contractor. The Principal contractor was a Joint Venture (JV) arrangement between Taisei Corporation from Japan and TAV from Turkey. Construction of the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) lasted from 2011 to 2014.

The Zutec Commissioning team led the documentation production and controls for all MEP Commissioning test-packs and method statements including life safety system testing and all special system integration testing. Zutec test teams also provided supervisory and management on site to support field validation and witnessing.

Zutec also provided more specialist team members to the JV including the Training manager and the Systems Integration Manager who had responsibility for the Airport Special Systems, the Building Management System (BMS) Integration and Firewall Penetrations including management of the local AHJ/Civil Defence inspections and testing.

The BMS integration included testing and development of hardware and software interfaces between the Airport Operational Database (AODB) platform and the Aircraft Docking System, Passenger Loading Bridges, Aircraft Ground Lighting Systems, Lighting Management System, Power Management and Control System and Vertical/Horizontal Transportation System.

Zutec and HS2: building the future of UK transportation

The cutting-edge construction software provider is currently delivering digital solutions for the southern section of the railway led by Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS)

• SCS has developed a revolutionary digital strategy and ‘Digital Blueprint’ for BIM, selecting Zutec as its construction software supplier

• SCS is implementing a fully integrated end-to-end process, from design to construction to operation, connecting the engineering data and quality documentation with real-time reporting to benefit the entire project

This is a flagship project in the region offering a range of tertiary/quaternary medical services that will bring the highest international standards of healthcare to Abu Dhabi and its surrounding countries.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Hospital (CCAD) is a world renowned healthcare destination offering Abu Dhabi and the region the latest in cutting edge medical technology and facilities. The hospital is located on Al Sowwah Island adjacent to Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi.

CCAD has set a new benchmark in medical facilities around the world with its ‘7 Star’ service and quality.

Zutec was brought on to this project to manage the commissioning and Digital Operations & Maintenance Manuals of this 360 (expandable to 490) bed facility. Throughout the project there were over 40 engineers with tablets recording the final commissioning and project handover stages of all the rooms across the 4 million square foot building.

Zutec and HS2: building the future of UK transportation

The cutting-edge construction software provider is currently delivering digital solutions for the southern section of the railway led by Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS)

• SCS has developed a revolutionary digital strategy and ‘Digital Blueprint’ for BIM, selecting Zutec as its construction software supplier

• SCS is implementing a fully integrated end-to-end process, from design to construction to operation, connecting the engineering data and quality documentation with real-time reporting to benefit the entire project

The Zutec Solution provided for this project consisted of Complete Hand-Over Online (including Health and Safety Files / Asset Register / Sub-Contractors Documentation / As-Built Drawings / Commissioning Data).