Evolving from Carpentry to Mass Timber Specialists

Savcon, a company with a 25-year history, has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from a carpentry business to a leader in mass timber construction. This transition, solidified over the last decade, has seen the company shift its focus towards design and construct projects. This involves providing end-to-end mass timber solutions, encompassing in-house engineering, procurement, and installation. As a subcontractor, Savcon partners with general contractors to deliver comprehensive mass timber structures, managing everything from initial design through to final on-site assembly. According to David Kingham, Project Manager at Savcon, this shift required the mass timber team to embrace digital tools for improved precision, communication, and streamlined workflows.

“The usability and versatility of cmBuilder have made it an indispensable tool for us, helping us bring our projects to life with confidence and ease.”

- David Kingham - Project Manager at Savcon

Navigating Design Challenges and Harnessing Precision

For Savcon, overseeing projects from tender to completion involves extensive coordination. The most challenging aspect is the design phase, where aligning timelines with other subcontractors—such as steel and concrete trades—can be complex. This issue underscored the need for better visualization and communication tools that would improve project understanding and reduce the risk of miscommunication.

Savcon's project teams spend upwards of a year on the design and procurement phases which require meticulous planning and preparation of their projects. The goal is to deliver the highest level of precision, allowing experienced site crews to work smoothly.

“We often dedicate over a year to tender design and procurement. With mass timber’s inherent precision, the effort invested in meticulous planning pays off when our site teams can execute seamlessly. Seeing a project come together so smoothly is incredibly rewarding.”

- David Kingham - Project Manager at Savcon

Embracing Advancements in Technology

The recent years have seen significant technological shifts in project delivery, particularly within the mass timber industry. Savcon has leveraged these advancements to improve both design precision and on-site efficiency:

• 3D Collaboration: Mass timber projects demand accuracy, and Savcon’s use of 3D modeling ensures seamless integration across trades. Digital tools like cmBuilder have made virtual builds and real-time collaboration more accessible.

• Enhanced Field Communication: Platforms such as Procore, Trimble, and cmBuilder streamline document control and quality assurance. These tools reduce reliance on printed drawings, ensuring all stakeholders stay aligned.

• Improved Communication Tools: With Teams and video links, sharing 3D models and intricate details has become straightforward, improving coordination across teams.

These innovations have transformed how Savcon communicates and operates, delivering projects with greater confidence and clarity.

Pain Points: Fragmented Processes and Information Silos

Before adopting cmBuilder, Savcon relied on disjointed workflows that hindered collaboration and project clarity. Their previous methods included using 2D digital markups which were prone to errors and didn't easily accommodate revisions. While models were created using standard 3D modeling software, utilizing them across teams was difficult and time consuming, especially when changes were needed. The team, often not directly involved in drafting or modeling, found that these tools lacked user-friendliness. Sharing 3D models with stakeholders was also challenging.

cmBuilder: Transforming Communication, Collaboration, and Project Delivery

The adoption of cmBuilder has strengthened Savcon's approach to project delivery, allowing for better communication, collaboration, and ultimately a more streamlined execution of projects.

Bid Phase: cmBuilder allowed the team to tell a story on how a project should come together in the bid phase to provide a level of confidence to the clients that Savcon knew how the project should proceed. Savcon now uses virtual build scenarios to visually articulate their intended process. This is the first thing that clients view after the price and has resulted in excellent feedback.

Pre-construction and Construction Phase: Once a project is underway, cmBuilder provides a centralized platform to share project details with everyone involved. By importing all relevant models, including steel and precast concrete, the platform creates a common operating picture to easily plan and solve complex interfaces and issues.

Savcon leverages cmBuilder’s multi-scenario feature to create various views for internal planning and communication with external stakeholders. These scenarios are used to highlight installation sequences, delivery schedules and even truck loading plans. This facilitates clearer communication, ensuring everyone understands the project's phased approach. The ability to share live links, QR codes or videos improves the usability of the tool across all types of stakeholders. Additionally, cmBuilder’s outputs have replaced costly 2D documentation. The team creates presentation-ready visuals, quickly iterates plans, and exports screenshots into methodology documents, serving as the sole visual project documentation.

Leveraging Parametric Resources for Precision Planning

Planning access and lifting in constrained environments can be challenging, but parametric resources (such as boom lifts and cranes) in cmBuilder provide a powerful solution. By accurately simulating real-world machine behavior, these tools help ensure that lifting operations are feasible before equipment even arrives on site.

A recent example involved a crawler crane manoeuvring through a narrow tunnel entrance, where it needed to slew over a concrete barrier. Using the parametric model, we were able to simulate the crane’s exact movements, check for slew clashes, and confirm clearance tolerances—all before the lift took place. The accuracy of the model mirrored the machine’s real behavior, allowing us to proactively address site constraints and execute the lift with confidence.

By integrating parametric equipment into the planning process, we can optimize access routes, assess crane positioning, and pre-emptively resolve space limitations, reducing risks and improving efficiency in complex site conditions.

Delivering Confidence

Feedback from stakeholders—general contractors, project owners, and other subcontractors—has been overwhelmingly positive. Stakeholders are increasingly relying on Savcon’s expertise in mass timber construction and are finding cmBuilder a valuable tool for their understanding.

“Our clients rely on us as experts to navigate the complexities of mass timber projects. Tools like cmBuilder provide invaluable confidence by visualizing material transport, unloading, and installation while factoring in site constraints and lift/crane planning, ensuring a well-coordinated execution.”

- David Kingham - Project Manager at Savcon

Key features like the ability to split models, remove elements, and update designs dynamically have further enhanced workflows. By incorporating Google Earth 3D structures into models, Savcon has addressed site-specific challenges in urban environments, improving overall project planning.

Moreover, the responsiveness of cmBuilder’s support team has been a critical factor in Savcon’s success, ensuring seamless adoption and continued innovation.

Looking Ahead

Savcon’s journey from a carpentry business to a mass timber pioneer underscores its adaptability and forward-thinking approach. With technology at the core of its operations, Savcon is not only delivering projects with precision but also setting new standards for efficiency and collaboration in the mass timber industry.

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