May 27 2015
Aconex Limited, provider of a leading cloud collaboration platform for the global construction industry, today announced that Richard Crookes Constructions deployed its solutions in the successful delivery of the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Thomas Street project.
Under an enterprise agreement, Richard Crookes has standardized the use of Aconex across all of its commercial, residential and government infrastructure projects.1
The 20,000-square-meter UTS building houses the university's Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Health, as well as a unique library retrieval system for 900,000 books. The A$110-million development also includes a landscaped green space in the middle of the UTS campus. Designed and constructed as a 6-Star Green Star building, it provides a range of purpose-built spaces for collaborative learning and research. The Thomas Street project is a cornerstone of the $1-billion UTS Campus Master Plan.
With three levels below ground and five above, labs for experimentation, modern lecture halls, and a dramatic, wavy building façade, Richard Crookes and its project team had to overcome a number of complex design and construction challenges. The team consisted of more than 660 individuals from over 370 different organizations. During the course of the project, participants generated and revised nearly 20,000 documents and exchanged more than 14,000 items of correspondence.
On-Time Project Delivery
Using Aconex, Richard Crookes closely coordinated all architects, engineers, consultants, subcontractors, and other stakeholders to complete the project on schedule. Aconex gave team members immediate access to project information, correspondence, and both current and prior versions of documents stored securely and permanently in the cloud. Workflows defined by Richard Crookes provided uniform process controls across the project. The firm and its client, UTS, had a complete audit trail of all project communications, decisions and changes to help reduce the risk of delays and disputes.
"UTS has seen the efficiencies we've gained through using Aconex," said Doug Zuzic, information systems manager at Richard Crookes. "We relied on the platform as a secure, central repository for all project documents and communications. Everyone involved in the project found Aconex intuitive and easy to use, and many had used it previously on other projects. Aconex has become the industry standard and our exclusive choice when it comes to project collaboration."
Solutions for the Project Lifecycle
In addition to the core platform, Richard Crookes deployed Aconex collaboration solutions for field inspections and handover, as well as mobile access. Aconex Field made on-site inspections for quality and safety faster and easier through customizable checklists on tablets. Richard Crookes used Aconex Smart Manuals to progressively capture operation and maintenance (O&M) documentation during the design and construction phases of the project to streamline handover to UTS at practical completion. Throughout the project, Aconex Mobile construction apps enabled participants to access, share, review, and update project information in real time from tablets and smartphones.
"Richard Crookes Constructions is one of the largest private, family-owned construction companies in Australia," said Steven Brant, general manager of the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region at Aconex. "Like many other regional contractors, they have standardized on Aconex to help them successfully deliver projects, including the beautiful and unique UTS Thomas Street development. The new building is not only an iconic landmark in Sydney, but also an esteemed center for the study of science and health."
Source: http://www.aconex.com/