Forty4 Projects is a Brisbane-based company that specializes in construction project management within Australia. We sat with Hugh Cassidy, the Founder and Senior Project Manager of Forty4, to gather valuable insights about how Forty4 is differentiating their services with the adoption of practical and powerful digital technologies, the impact these have had on project delivery, and how cmBuilder has assisted them in this digital journey to bring more value to their clients and all project stakeholders involved (government, architects, etc.). Hugh is a Construction industry veteran in Australia, having worked in increasingly senior roles on major projects at industry leading construction companies such as Lendlease and Multiplex.

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“A big reason why cmBuilder stood out to me was because it not only presents really well and has abundant features, but one also doesn’t need to be a huge tech-god to pick it up and run it.”

-Hugh Cassidy - Founder and Senior Project Manager at Forty4 Projects

Hugh shed light on how the integration of digital technology does not only assist the logistical elements of project delivery, like managing documents and storing vital project data, but also acts as a “communication piece” while working alongside multiple stakeholders with different levels of technological expertise. He mentioned how integrating digital technologies like BIM, 4D and virtual reality have helped “digitize the undigitized” stakeholders and include the stakeholders that are creating the project itself, like the subcontractors, by incorporating different construction methodologies into digital designs and building in real-time. He shared his passion towards not only digitally involving individuals from the design consultancy world but also connecting the digital thread to the contractors and subcontractors that make it happen on site in the physical world. However, when it comes to incorporating technology throughout the chain of command, ease of integration and adaptation is paramount to get full buy-in. That’s where cmBuilder provides tangible value.

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Hugh further reflected on a recent refurbishment project within the city that included various constraints with the external environment in the form of road closures and individual impacts on approximately 250 residences, which were difficult to interpret through 2D sketches. However, leveraging cmBuilder as a visual project simulation and delivery tool enabled Forty4 to import existing, to-scale 3D building models into cmBuilder with all the site logistics constraints in context, add the exact equipment models from the cmBuilder catalog that would be used for the scope of work, and to ultimately display in 4D the sequence of the build with elements like the crane setup, loading areas, the location of the road closures, safety considerations for onsite work, and more. They could even import a 3D scan mesh file into cmBuilder to further enhance the visualization of existing conditions and better plan the work.

“It’s something you can use as a selling point - while one can bring the technical skills, being able to display it in a really useful and meaningful way is extremely valuable.”

-Hugh Cassidy

Hugh focused on the usage of various features of cmBuilder such as being able to zoom in on the 3D/4D site logistics model right from the web-browser and have a look around and simply identify, “that yes, that does work, that is efficient and, we don’t need to put that hoist in which saves a couple hundred thousand dollars”, which not only allowed them to explain scenarios in real-time and accordingly shift things around, but simultaneously enabled them to achieve cost optimization through the power of digital visualization.

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Furthermore, Hugh emphasized that while every stakeholder understands the end-product of a construction project well, in today’s time, it’s vital to create a collaborative process from conception to completion. Hence, integrating consultants in the office and the individuals on site, through a visual platform like cmBuilder helps bring them all together by initiating “collaborative discussions on what’s the best solution, in real-time.” Therefore, ultimately creating a sense of “connectivity between the design world and the subcontractor world”.

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Digital delivery has already become the standard operating practice of the design world in AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) and forward-thinking firms like Forty4 are pushing the envelope in terms of standardizing digital delivery on the construction side as well. Forty4 is combining years of experience and practical construction knowledge with cutting edge digital site logistics simulation technologies like cmBuilder, to bring fully integrated service offerings to their clients. The construction industry is ripe for disruption to drive increased labour productivity and efficiencies, and firms like Forty4 are leading the way heading into the future.

“cmBuilder is a great communication tool. Utilizing 3D models to help people with no construction background to physically see what the construction process, safety, site establishment and stages of construction will look like”.

-Nate Gobius - Project Manager at Forty4 Projects

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