Recent news of artificial intelligence (AI) advances have us all wondering how our professions will change. Committed to driving future-ready innovation, WSP Digital Solutions engaged with Autodesk Research to explore the potential of AI-assisted automated structural design after seeing a prototype at Autodesk University 2019. In this class, you'll see how we worked together to understand the technology's promise and how to use it effectively. We'll describe the possible benefits we identified, from more-meaningful, agile engagements with architects in early design phases through assistive technology that automates away tedious tasks and helps explore more options ("rapid optioneering"), to surfacing sustainability trade-offs when most impactful decisions can be made. We'll also address the fears around this digital transformation. Finally, we will share how our unique collaboration came to be, and how you too can engage with Autodesk to prepare for and shape the future of work and the world of tomorrow.

This case study class will focus on a Haskell-designed custom Revit tool that optimizes steel design workflows. You'll learn how the tool simplifies selection by checking whether suitable members are available in stock. We'll discuss the development process and implementation of the add-in, and we'll explore its benefits, including reduced material costs and improved project timelines. We'll present real-world case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool. The class is ideal for architects, engineers, construction managers, and building information modeling (BIM) specialists involved in steel design workflows.

In this joint presentation, Autodesk and SOFiSTiK will showcase the usage of the Revit API in an industrial application. SOFiSTiK, a development partner of Autodesk, builds its structural analysis application upon Revit software, providing a workflow that's fully integrated in building information modeling (BIM), from modeling to design and detailing. Structural engineers can analyze buildings in Revit, allowing them to be in constant connection with the intelligent model. The application uses the rich Revit API to extend and customize Revit functionality. We'll present different use cases, such as generating and modifying the analytical model or displaying analysis results. The direct connection with the intelligent model enables access to new insights, allowing informed decisions and more-efficient checking of the downstream detailing processes. Additional insights in how development teams of Autodesk and SOFiSTiK work together will complete this presentation.

In this session, members of the product team will present an overview of how the new electrical analytical workflow provides an on-ramp to electrical design based in building information modeling (BIM). Capturing engineering requirements using minimal model creation overhead provides capabilities historically disconnected and spread across multiple applications. We'll discuss what's next for these workflows, and explain our vision for connecting to downstream design. We'll also share some insights into how this functionality ties to the Advanced Electrical Design for Revit offering from Schneider Electric.

Building and infrastructure design and engineering fees have continued to constrict even as projects become more complex with stricter delivery requirements. Several design and engineering firms are in the process of remaking parts of their company to create a new way to deliver projects: Design Value-as-a-service. This panel of (4) executives from ENR Top 15 design firms will discuss how they are leveraging standard/repeatable workflows, big data, and human and artificial intelligence through process automations to create a new delivery paradigm that will revolutionize the engineering and design industry. A lot of discovery work is being done on internal processes, data authoring, data processing, automation, and market analysis to determine how this may drive high quality project throughput at scale. Come see the future of the industry as it begins.

In this session, we'll cover importing Revit systems, zones, and spaces from Revit System Analysis into HVAC Solution Pro software and creating intelligent HVAC system schematics. HVAC loads can also be imported from industry-leading load providers. This data is used to automatically build systems, calculate projects, and select HVAC equipment from equipment manufacturers. "What if" scenarios can be modeled using various equipment parameters and weather data. Various coordination files can be automatically created, including equipment schedule, schematic, electrical schedule, detailed report, and many more. With our Revit add-in, the schematics and schedules can easily be placed in a Revit drafting view. We use the Revit API to create custom schedules. A variety of systems can be created, including air, hydronic, steam, plumbing, refrigerant, VRF, and fuel gas and controls. See how what used to take days and weeks now takes minutes and hours.

The steady ascent of powerful building information modeling (BIM) environments has made 3D modeling the unrivaled industry standard for building design professionals. But how do you critically evaluate whether your structural engineering team is keeping pace with industry standards? In today's rapidly evolving landscape, BIM usage for structural engineering production intersects with analysis and design, interdisciplinary coordination, documentation, construction administration, and beyond. Awareness of both current mainstream practices and emergent technologies is critically important for structural teams to remain competitive and vibrant. This class will take you inside the daily BIM workflows of an industry-leading structural engineering firm. In this session, we'll cover practical use of Revit software for structural projects, we'll explore use of innovative structural design tools that integrate with the Autodesk BIM ecosystem, and we'll examine actual case studies of successful projects using these approaches.

Fornebu Metro Line is an ongoing metro line project in Oslo, Norway, connecting Fornebu with the existing Oslo City metro line through 8 km of tunnel and 200,000+ cubic meters of concrete split into six different metro stations and a service area. The majority of the concrete elements are cast in place. The elements vary from standard 200 mm inner walls reinforced in both directions on both sides to slabs and walls modeled in Revit that are 2.3 meters in thickness with several layers of reinforcement. Construction on the tunnels is ongoing. The stations are currently in the tender process with construction planned to begin in 2024/2025. As Norwegian governmental agencies want to stimulate innovation in the industries they interact with, Fornebu Metro Line has ambitions to produce project deliverables on a zero-drawing platform using Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and DWGs™. The main building information modeling (BIM) viewers are Navisworks software and Solibri. BIM 360 software is being used for coordination and review.

This session is a follow-up to 2022's "Hard Questions Only! Multidiscipline Panel on BIM and Digital Transformation." With this expert panel representing technology leaders from across architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO), we will delve further into the hard questions of digital transformation. It's easy to assume that everyone is "doing building information modeling (BIM),” but this panel wants to dig deeper and talk about the challenges that remain as our industry goes through a digital transformation. We'll go beyond the easy wins and discuss what BIM adoption really looks like and how hard it is to drive change. How is the escalation in tools changing our production process, and what does it mean for how we manage our projects and firms? What does the shift to data-driven work mean for an industry based around design studios and professionally licensed staff? Importantly, this panel will represent diverse views to understand how the responses and need for change vary across disciplines.

Extended reality (XR) is gaining traction in the enterprise sector for finding new ways to solve old problems through improved workflows that capitalize on spatial understanding. However, deploying XR hardware in large organizations can be complex and challenging. This session will provide you with a comprehensive overview of best practices for deploying XR hardware in enterprise companies. We'll begin by discussing XR hardware and its applications in the enterprise sector, including the various VR headsets available today and key considerations for selecting the right hardware for your company. From there, we'll move on to deployment and installation, covering best practices for addressing common security and IT concerns, mobile device management, and managing hardware logistics and testing. To conclude, we'll address common adoption challenges and the importance of employee training and support, arming you with the knowledge to bring XR to your company.

At AECOM we're embracing automation, and we're doing so at SCALE! This session will dive deep into the detail of how we set up our global "Automation Factory,” an internal program that will create dozens of automation tools to be used across the whole of our global business. This will include how to identify what opportunities to pursue versus which to pass on, how to create tools that are usable by the masses instead of the few, and what tools, technologies, and partners you need to help make these efforts a success. If you're creating tools, leading digital transformation efforts, or if you just want to know more about how to automate successfully at scale, this class is for you.

Discover how implementing building information modeling (BIM) innovative concepts in design and build projects can greatly improve project efficiency and accuracy. By using the latest construction technologies such as mixed reality, LiDAR scans, and parametric design, construction teams can better visualize and plan projects, reducing errors in the construction phase. This class will showcase practical examples through projects delivered by LEVIATAN and UBITECH, major engineering offices in Romania that use Autodesk and GRAITEC software. Additionally, the use of these technologies can increase safety on construction sites and reduce the amount of time required to complete projects. Ultimately, these benefits lead to improved quality, reduced costs, and better outcomes for both construction teams and clients.

In this industry talk, we explore the intersection of digital evolution and the imperative of decarbonization in the AEC sector. Join Shivani Soni, Global Head of Impact & Innovation at Symetri; Jan Tore Bugge, Global Naviate Product Manager at Symetri; and Ron Locklin, Global Lead of Sustainability Platform at Autodesk. Symetri, a global Autodesk partner, plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable growth in AEC, with a strong footprint in America and Europe, prompting an exploration journey. Throughout this talk, we offer a comprehensive perspective on our sustainability approach, where innovation and action converge. Uncover the transformative potential of collaboration and gain insights into the strategic integration of cutting-edge technology via our ecosystem. Our mission is to illustrate how these elements collectively reshape our industry. This discussion delves into how innovation, proactive measures, and collaboration steer our industry towards lasting change. Join us on this transformative journey.

Do you want to learn how BuroHappold is adapting to a digital transformation? We're using new virtual reality (VR) technologies to provide an additional layer of immersive reviews to a project to help increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and deliver value for our clients and our company. This class will explain our VR problems and how we resolved them through investment in new hardware and software—with a spotlight on Iris VR. The session will show you how we developed and implemented a simple VR strategy that allows us to integrate VR into our daily building information modeling (BIM) workflow. We'll cover the challenges we faced, lessons learned, and outcomes achieved.

As more and more structural engineers connect to and embrace BIM workflows, analytical collaboration in BIM has been an important category of the industry demands which translates to users' requirements around desired analytical modeling productivity and model coordination practices. In this hands-on lab class, you will learn how to make the most of the structural analytical modeling tools available in Revit 2024 software. You will gain valuable insights into various structural analytical modeling techniques, including tips and tricks for modeling automation, as well as how to effectively apply structural loads to your analytical model. Additionally, you will practice bidirectional workflows between Revit and analysis software, with particular focus on tips and best practices for collaboration with Robot Structural Analysis Professional.

What are the challenges and the realities of design for sustainability in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry? Is the core question measuring and reducing carbon footprint, or is there more? What can be done right now, and what is a stretch today? Are partners and customers driving change, or are government regulations driving change? Ron Locklin of Autodesk will moderate this panel, which will include Symetri, one of Autodesk's largest global partners, as well as several customers that are leaders in this space

Traditional estimation methods for new build and renovation projects involve hours manually measuring the physical space. If you're lucky, the 2D drawing or a 3D "model fairy” has blessed you with somewhat accurate drawings at best. But, in most situations, we don't hold our breath. Brandt recognized they could divert time spent on multiple site visits to other critical project needs by bringing reality capture to their estimation process. With one Matterport scan, Brandt built a great foundation of project information using the digital twin to collect, document, and record spaces for quick reference to create long-term value for their clients. Learn how Brandt built remote estimation into their projects, saving time and money by reallocating resources to more critical tasks, all while minimizing disruption within their estimating team. The result for Brandt was the same. Accurate and reliable estimates, but in less time without the overhead costs involving multiple site visits.

Climate change is an energy challenge, and the energy world is at a crossroads. We must reconsider how we consume and produce energy and drive the energy transition. Electricity 4.0, a term coined to represent the convergence of electric and digital at scale, can empower the electricity system to become greener and more intelligent putting a zero-waste, zero-emissions, and zero-carbon future within our grasp. It's about accelerating new energy sources to unlock a flexible, reliable bidirectional grid infrastructure, and efficiency measures to avoid energy waste. It's about learning how we consume electricity, optimizing how we deliver it, and managing our sources to have a mix of energy generation that is clean, efficient yet reliable and resilient.

Sanergy is a social enterprise based in Nairobi, Kenya, that safely collects and treats 12,000 tons of waste, converting it into valuable products: insect-based proteins derived from black soldier flies for animal feed, organic fertilizer, and biomass fuel briquettes. This model provides a closed-loop, zero-waste solution that ensures waste is transformed into high-quality sustainable products. We are in the process of scaling up our production of insect-based animal protein to convert roughly 70,000 tons per year of organic waste into 3,600 tons of animal feed through the construction of a new advanced facility. Sanergy is a devoted Autodesk user, and this massive construction project provided an opportunity to capitalize on the power of BIM 360 software. In this session, we will review the training given by third-party providers via the Autodesk Foundation, the challenges faced when rolling out a new technology-based way of working in construction within the context of an African country, and the benefits achieved.

University College London at Here East, a new manufacturing center in east London opened in 2018, hosts a new master’s degree in design for manufacture uniquely within a school of architecture. Equipped with industrial robots, computer numerical control (CNC) milling and turning machines for fabrication and structural frames, large-scale metrology, and climate chambers for testing, UCL at Here East strives to cultivate an environment with students at the interface between a design studio and the point of industrial production. How might the well-established methods for manufacturing in automotive and aerospace be used in construction? This session will present an educator’s approach of “model-make-measure,” showing how the course connects students with the properties of materials used to construct buildings and the fabrication processes these materials undergo existing as nominal digital design intent. Examples will show how this approach has suggested novel design outcomes and ways of working, offering skills transferrable to the construction industry.