Page 94 • June 9, 2021 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
InSite Software Preps Students for Real-Life Construction InSite Software’s Elevation earthwork form work manually, so they would have a take-off and GPS modeling software is now better understanding of reading models and part of the Southern Utah University (SUU) selecting relevant data. curriculum; its adoption is expected to better “I found some variances only when the prepare students for the modern construction students forgot to include some contours in site. their calculations,” said Askar. The software is now being used in three Askar said the use of InSite Elevation in courses that are taken by students in the unithe classroom has helped the students to versity’s Construction Management, Civil identify, formulate and quickly and accurateEngineering and Engineering Technology ly solve application project problems; comprograms. InSite Software’s design and feamunicate effectively; and function effectivetures are a fit for the university’s Estimating ly on teams. and Bidding course, which covers three Last autumn, students from SUU particiimportant aspects of estimating and bidding: pated in a construction management compe• Efficient calculations to perform quantitition at Brigham Young University. The ty takeoffs SUU students used InSite software for take• The theory, methods and quantitative off the quantities and for bid preparation. tools used to estimate project costs effectiveThe sponsor, heavy civil contractor W. W. ly Clyde, asked them about the software. The • The preparation of accurate bid propossponsors were very impressed by the stuA student learns how to als for construction projects dents’ performance and knowledge. use InSite Software at The software is taught in two other coursThe courses that teach the software are Southern Utah University. es: Heavy Civil Construction Design taken by students in their final year and the Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all learning took Methods and Equipment, which addresses first students to use InSite Elevation graduatplace remotely. design practices, equipment, methods and ed in December. At which time they will construction management practices enter the labor force and put their technologemployed in heavy civil construction, and ical skills into use. the final course, Capstone Project, which pany, “The software solutions give the students • prepare the project’s bid form that brings all of the knowledge and work of the • bid on a fake proposed development includes the work items, quantities (from the the tools required to solve heavy civil project senior student into a single culminating proj- project, software reports), unit price (by using HCSS problems with accurate and fast figures,” ect. said Askar. “After implementing the soft• calculate all the quantities of the work Heavy Bid and RSMeans) and total price. “We implement project-based learning in items mentioned in the ITB (intention to bid) Although the InSite Elevation software is ware, the student learning outcomes have our curriculum and regularly revise the letter and on the InSite Elevation project capable of calculating accurate quantities been increased and outcomes have been course syllabi to match the industry and new drawings, and and automation, students were asked to per- achieved more efficiently.” technologies by adding more applications,” said Mohamed Askar, CM Program, Department of Engineering and Technology, Southern Utah University. “The university chose InSite Software because it is an integrated solution of earthwork and civil utility takeoff and GPS modeling tools.” Specifically, it is the software’s ability to calculate and model cut and fill, stripping, strata quantities, paving and concrete materials, topsoil re-spread, areas and lengths, trench excavation and backfill, as well as its construction staking data and GPS models that were the main reasons the Department of Engineering and Technology chose the software. Creating a Real-World Classroom Experience The department added InSite Software to curriculum that began in September 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all instruction and learning was completed remotely. Specifically, students worked in pairs to: • create a fake construction com- A screenshot of InSite Software’s elevation tool. InSite Software is a quick and easy earthworks take-off and modeling solution.
