Construction Global - Autumn/Winter 2020

Powering data centres with a global ecosystem platform

Construction AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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AR

COVID BOOSTS UPTAKE OF AR AS INDUSTRY TURNS TO TECH

DEEP DIVES FOR DATA Microsoft’s Project Natick could serve as a blueprint for data centre construction

HOSPITALS BUILT DURING COVID-19

Transforming Utilities Projects to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century To effectively manage growing portfolios of capital projects, organizations require project management solutions that offer mobility, accessibility, and visibility across entire programs and functional teams to help streamline and automate processes.

Do you have what it takes?

FOREWORD

W

elcome to the Autumn/Winter issue of Construction Global magazine!

There hasn’t been much to celebrate as this universally challenging year draws to a close, but the construction industry’s concerted efforts to rally round during the crisis has definitely been one of the positive developments of 2020.

In our own small tribute, we have highlighted the Top 10 Hospitals which have stood out for providing largescale healthcare support globally.

While it may be premature to say we’re on the road to recovery, they are welcome indicators that activity is on the up across key infrastructure, residential, energy and technology sectors.

There is much work ahead. But with ongoing digital transformation, coupled with strong fundamentals for housing demand and infrastructure growth, change is in the air. The construction industry should enter the new year with cautious optimism – and take pride in its pivotal role supporting the healthcare sector.

Dominic Ellis

Talking of positive omens, whether it’s Google building a new 80-acre campus in San Jose, plans for a £5 billion development in North London or new windfarm projects in Spain, there is no shortage of activity. It’s clear construction will be key to driving growth in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic and beyond.

Get in touch: dominic.ellis@bizclikmedia.com

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PUBLISHED BY

EDITOR

Dominic Ellis EDITORAL DIRECTOR

Scott Birch CREATIVE TEAM

Oscar Hathaway Sophia Forte Sophie-Ann Pinnell Hector Penrose PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

Georgia Allen Daniela Kianickovรก

PRODUCTION MANAGER

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

Owen Martin

James White

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Kieran Waite Sam Kemp

Jason Westgate

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Stacy Norman

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Leigh Manning

PRESIDENT & CEO DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Glen White

Shirin Sadr DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Kayleigh Shooter PROJECT DIRECTORS

Manuel Navarro Tom Venturo c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

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Deep Dives for Data

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44 Taking a Green Stance on Concrete

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56

Hospitals Built During COVID-19

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84 EEI Corporation

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122

CRU Group

Digital Realty

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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TRANSFORMING OPERATIONS THROUGH DIGITISATION WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

GLEN WHITE

c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations at McDermott, discusses the impact of COVID-19 in the oil and gas industry

M

cDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions to the energy indus-

try. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott’s locally focused and globally integrated resources include more than 42,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and 12

fabrication facilities worldwide.

Mark Lowman is Vice President of Operations at McDermott. Having spent his early career as a Submariner in the Royal Navy, Lowman worked his way through the ranks to advance to Lieutenant Commander, before spending a further four years with the Royal Australian Navy. In 2000, Lowman left the Navy and joined the oil and gas industry and, over the next few years, gained experience as a Project Manager delivering projects in the Subsea, Offshore and Onshore business segments. In 2012, he joined McDermott to oversee company fabrication operations in Asia and to manage the Batam Fabrication yard. Two years later, he stepped into his current role as Vice President of Operations and is now based in Houston, Texas. “I loved my career with the Royal Navy, but I always knew I was AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

— Makes operations and asset optimization easier than it looks ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite In today’s trying times, we need every angle to solve business challenges faster. Analyzing data can give us an edge. But deciding which data and how is a whole different game. As a leader in digital technologies that help customers improve operations, we developed the ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite. Genix takes data from distributed control systems and devices, and combines it with data from information and engineering systems to provide multidimensional analytics that help you increase production, optimize assets and streamline business processes. Artificial Intelligence helps you produce predictive and prescriptive actions to improve. The Genix platform is augmented with easy-to-use applications and supplemented with expert ABB services to help you find the right solution to solve business challenges faster. abb.com

ABB: accelerating digitalisation with McDermott ABB is a leading global engineering company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels.

Heather Cykoski is the Group Vice President at ABB. Having worked for the organisation since 2005 in several different leadership positions, she has a comprehensive understanding of the industry and has observed her organisation’s digital transformation journey first-hand. “It’s incredibly interesting to be where we are today. Digitalisation has been at the core of what we do for many years; however, the acceleration of implementation today is truly transformational,” explains Cykoski. “Now is the time for those who lead in this space to transform and deliver digital value to both our own operations and to our customers. Today’s challenging economy makes this more urgent than ever. There is so much more to deliver, and we need to deliver fast.”

Rajesh Ramachandran is the Chief Digital Officer for ABB’s Industrial Automation business.

He joined ABB in February 2019 and brings over three decades of experience in technology and business leadership to ABB, having helped to transform world-class multinational organisations such as Oracle, Siemens, PayPal and more.

ABB Partner Video

“Having established a key, strategic business relationship with McDermott, Cykoski affirms that this collaboration is influential to mutual success.

“The partner ecosystem has changed. The combination of a technology provider like ABB, and an EPC like McDermott, supporting the end user, is the trifecta that creates the perfect project,” says Cykoski. “We know how important an EPC is: 80% of large projects go through an EPC. When you look at digitalisation and partnerships, what it truly means is that you trust one another and collaborate to provide value. McDermott and ABB both have very similar outlooks and values, and that is key.”

“With the future in mind, Ramachandran has a clear idea of what the partnership with McDermott could hold. “We’re actively working on how to build solutions together that have a “Different customers are at different points of lifecycle value for customers, from design through their digital transformation journeys,” says operations through continuous improvement,” he Ramachandran. “This is even true with the solution says. “The trusted relationship that we have with providers as they are learning along with the McDermott is important to ensure projects are customers on what the real value of digital is to delivered on time at the right cost. There is now a drive business outcomes. In today’s highly new normal in the industry following the pandemic. competitive landscape, industries are able to It’s the right time for partners to come together embrace digital technologies to address their core and develop, test and implement new technologies — challenges, while striving for operational excellence that challenge traditional ways of working. We’re Makes operations and asset and output of the highest quality.

Digital confident that by working together, we will ensure transformation has becomeoptimization a high priority due easier safer, than smarterit and more sustainable operations looks to its promise of addressing strategic business across the industry. “It’s a great opportunity to ABB Ability™ Industrial Analytics andknowledge AI Suite imperatives. Many companies are struggling withGenix bring the combined power of domain how to leverage this potential. We believe the and leading technology to our customers. We’re In today’s trying times, we need every angle to solve business challenges faster. Analyzing data industry must adopt a clear can roadmap of how to confident this jointgame. value will help our give us an edge. But deciding which data and how is a whole different As a proposition leader in technologies that help customers improve operations, we developed the ABB Ability™ address digitalisation, from digital enabling it to customers succeed today and tomorrow .”

Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite. Genix takes data from distributed control systems and implementing it through focused solutions, devices, and combines it with data from information and engineering systems to provide multidimensional analytics that help you increase production, optimize assets and streamline keeping in mind the longer digitalisation journey. business processes. Artificial Intelligence helps you produce predictive and prescriptive actions to improve. effectively The Genix platform is augmented with easy-to-use applications and supplemented At ABB, we can help our customers with with expert ABB services to help you find the right solution to solve business challenges faster. these challenges.”

Learn more abb.com

M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

“MCDERMOTT HAS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE AND PROMOTE THEIR IDEAS AND WE HAVE A MANTRA TO ‘TAKE THE LEAD” 16

Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations, McDermott

going to move jobs eventually because there comes a time when you can no longer serve at sea,” explains Lowman.

He studied at Deakin University and was awarded an MBA in Law, Finance, Human Resources, Economics and Marketing in 2001. He points to that experience as vital in providing a network of like-minded individuals. “That programme had a big influence on me as I got introduced to a number of senior executives from other companies and those conversations about opportunities really drove me to switch my career.”

Lowman believes the oil and gas industry has been slower to adopt new technology than other industries, but recognises that digitalisation is beginning to have a greater influence on operations. “When I started, digitalisation was in its infancy in the industry,” he explains. “McDermott was still working in the same way it always had with adequate systems and processes while not fully understanding the benefits of digitalisation. We have created our Digital and Project Innovation Group who are supported by resources across the organisation. This allows us to educate our employees and the leadership as

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Ship-to-Ship Motion Measurement System CLICK TO WATCH

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2:48

17 we prepare to evolve to a digital culture.

we can find. Going forward, our focus

Digital disruption is very likely to upend

is heavily on technologies which help

the way we operate.” Pointing to his

us improve collaboration, expand our

organisation’s ongoing digital transfor-

project predictability through analytics

mation journey, Lowman acknowledges

and automate repetitive activities to free

that there has been a combination of

up our people.”

small point solutions as well as longer

With the COVID-19 pandemic

running programmes. “We’re leveraging

impacting businesses across the globe

cloud technology in certain areas, such

during the first half of 2020, Lowman

as our ERP and utilising technology

recognises how difficult the challenge

platforms like PLM from the aerospace

of transforming operations rapidly was.

and automotive industries,” he says. “We

“There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has

have tried to ensure that we don’t have

had a significant influence on the way

an ‘only invented here’ mentality and are

businesses operate now,” he explains.

always looking to leverage the best that

“Almost overnight, we had to switch c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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“THE KEY IS UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER’S DRIVERS” Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations, McDermott c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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ServiceNow: driving digitalisation with McDermott Kevin Galloway, Director of Enterprise Sales, and Sunny Mahato, Advisory Solution, Consultant at ServiceNow discusses their firm’s partnership with McDermott.

ServiceNow is an industry leading SaaS provider, helping to make the world work better for people and has a mission to improve the overall employee experience.

ServiceNow has formed a key, strategic relationship with McDermott and helps the organisation with their digital strategy. Kevin Galloway is a Director of Enterprise Sales at ServiceNow. Having been with the company since February 2019, he has operated in the oil and gas industry over the past decade and has observed the rise of digital transformation first-hand. “Before McDermott brought in ServiceNow, they had a very manual process,” he explains. “If there was an issue, it would have to be passed around different employees until it reached the right person. With ServiceNow, we automate that process.” Sunny Mahato is an experienced technology leader with experience in strategic account software sales cycles, advanced enterprise software applications, business process optimisation, solution development and consultancy. He believes that ServiceNow’s solution is of significant value to McDermott as it streamlines the process considerably. “McDermott doesn’t have to worry about maintaining or managing the servers or having people go into the office to look after it. It’s all driven from the cloud.”

Prior to joining forces with ServiceNow, McDermott had no way of tracking inventory or streamlining their HR processes. Galloway believes that upon the beginning of the partnership with his organisation, the cost savings have been considerable. “McDermott went from 100% manual intervention and spreadsheets to now running our platform which they now use as ERP,” he says. “They track millions of dollars of assets automatically through our platform and their onboarding process has transformed from a manual process to a workflow which streamlines that process. Sometimes, people don’t realise

ServiceNow

the cost involved with some of these manual processes and the cost savings are in the millions.” Mahato affirms the importance of displaying a compassionate and understanding approach to customers and employees alike. “Our mission is all about showing compassion to not just employees but also our customers, particularly in the current challenging environment,” says Mahato.

“We want our employees and customers to know that we stand with them.”

Looking to the future, Galloway has a clear idea of the next stage of the partnership with McDermott. “As we continue to grow our relationship with McDermott, we want to begin to leverage AI into our platform and machine learning to help McDermott further automate their environment,” explains Galloway.

“The world is going more mobile, particularly because of COVID-19. Working from home isn’t going to go away so being a cloud-based mobile platform provider has become more important than ever. The ability to connect mobily and through an automated fashion is vital.” Mahato adds that he believes in an agile and lean approach in order to drive success in the market. “We’re hopeful we can continue to help McDermott with project management and introducing greater technology such as AI and ML,” adds Mahato. “It’s crucial to be as proactive as possible instead of reactive.”

M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

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from a normal office environment to

reassurance,” says Lowman. “We have

virtual working. Travel restrictions meant

fabrication operations where we have

that we haven’t been able to visit our

thousands of staff that work in close

customers face to face and as we’re a

proximity to one another and we need

global operation, travel was an essential

to be able to communicate and reassure

element to remain connected. COVID-

them, while ensuring they understand

19 has forced us to make the switch

the evolution post-COVID-19.” Despite

to online communications as well as

the unprecedented challenge of the

encouraged us to find innovative ways

coronavirus, McDermott managed to

of working together.” Lowman rec-

keep all sites fully operational glob-

ognised the importance of reassuring

ally. “From the beginning, our QMW

employees while undergoing significant

Fabrication operation on the Qingdao

disruption and change to everyday

coast, Shangdong province, Central

operations. “Our employees needed

China, was able to respond quickly and

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Mark Lowman Title: Vice President of Operations Industry: Oil & Energy

Company: McDermott

Location: Texas, USA

Mark Lowman is an accomplished, highly resourceful Executive Management professional with a wealth of experience in managing multi-billion dollar construction projects in the Oil and Gas industry from inception to delivery.

Prior to his career in the oil and gas industry, Mark had a successful naval career moving from the ranks to Lieutenant Commander.

Mark has been with McDermott International Inc. for seven years in a variety of roles, including as the Director of Fabrication in Batam, Indonesia, Senior Director of Commercial Asia Pacific, and Vice President of Project Execution in both Asia Pacific and in Houston. Prior to McDermott, Mark held leadership positions at Technip Oceania Pty Ltd. Marks holds a Master of Business from Deakin University and has degrees in Nuclear Engineering, Naval Science and Operational Studies, from Britannia Royal Naval College and Royal Naval College Greenwich.

Mark has a proven track record leading global operations, building business and setting up operations in new geographical areas and countries. He is a results-driven business leader who creates shared vision and leads from the front, to build, empower and motivate multi-cultural, cross-functional teams to achieve goals.

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M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

O N E MCDERMO T T WAY

Customers rely on McDermott to deliver certainty to some of the most complex projects, from concept to commissioning.

To help provide consistency and assurance of delivery, McDermott has established the “One McDermott Way” which means the same vision, values and processes are always observed.

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

“This particularly helped when we combined with CB&I as we put a huge amount of effort in working as coming together as one team,” says Lowman.

“McDermott has created an environment where employees are encouraged to engage and promote their ideas and we have a mantra to ‘take the lead.’”

Our Vision is One CLICK TO WATCH

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1:53

25 proactively by introducing control and

McDermott currently has a backlog

mitigation measures well in advance

of US$16bn worth of projects to execute

of Government restrictions,” explains

over the next few years. “This is a great

Lowman. “This has also been the case

position to be in, particularly at a time

for all our fabrication yards including

when market conditions are so uncer-

Dubai, Indonesia and Mexico, as well as

tain,” affirms Lowman. The projects

our project construction sites in the US

in question include BP Cassia – Cassia

and across the world.” McDermott took

C Greenfield and Gulf Coast Joint

the pandemic seriously from the outset

Ventures – MEG project. “In terms of BP

and quickly established global and local

Cassia, McDermott is undertaking the

area Crisis Management Teams. “We

procurement, construction and fabrica-

very quickly and efficiently developed

tion of a 7,250 MT topsides and a 3,400

procedures and processes to manage

MT four-legged jacket and piles. That

our response to the pandemic, but more

project is progressing well and our fabri-

importantly to keep our employees safe.”

cation yard in Mexico has remained open c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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27,000 Tons delivered in 17 months

“WHEN I STARTED, DIGITALISATION WAS IN ITS INFANCY IN THE INDUSTRY” Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations, McDermott

you can’t do it as a one- man band.

You need a series of experienced, industry professionals whom you can trust to build the team and empower them to align to the project goals.”

McDermott places considerable value on sustainability and has established several CSR initiatives. McDermott holds an Annual Batam International Golf Tournament which has been able to raise over US$1mn to fund the build-

during the pandemic and has responded

ing of orphanages in Batam Island in

with remarkable productivity,” explains

Indonesia, providing health kits to chil-

Lowman. “With the MEG project, we’re

dren, digging wells for a nearby island

fabricating large modules in two of our

and offering a range of other events.

global fabrication yards. The first mod-

“We have a series of sustainability goals

ules were delivered in early April and they

that we’ve been developing over time,”

are now in Texas where the construction

explains Lowman. “We like to engage

site is putting together and creating the

with the communities to ensure we

plant.” Despite the seismic shift in the

provide the support that is needed and

scale of projects, Lowman believes the

make sure that McDermott as a busi-

core foundations remain the same. “The

ness is conscious of the worldwide effort

key is understanding the customer’s

to reduce carbon footprint.” Those goals

drivers,” explains Lowman. “This will help

that Lowman mentioned centre around

execute the project successfully and

developing sustainable solutions that

provide a level of assurance to the cus-

support energy transition, contribut-

tomer. As a project director, I would want

ing to sustainable growth, reducing

to build a project management team with

operational environmental footprint and

a high-level of experience. With some of

promoting workplace and community

these larger multi-billion dollar projects,

wellbeing. Having previously focused on c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

developing natural gas power technology that produces low cost electricity while providing zero carbon emissions with NET Power, Lowman says that McDermott remains well placed to keep sustainability at the fore. “Everyone understands that climate change is an area that needs to be considered in planning,” he says. “Clean Fuels and NET Power have generated interests and we’re still providing customers with the opportunity to become engaged.”

Lowman recognises the importance 28

of partnerships and believes developing key, strategic business relationships are vital to success in the oil and gas industry.

“Due to the sheer size of some of the projects, it means that you have to share the risk and one partner may have a higher level of expertise in a particular area

“DIGITAL DISRUPTION IS VERY LIKELY TO UPEND THE WAY WE OPERATE”

than another,” he explains. “However,

Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations, McDermott

as particularly important. “We’ve been

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

by working together, this allows for more confidence in delivery and we rely on partners and vendors across the globe.” Lowman points to McDermott’s relationship with Baker Hughes and ABB working together on Subsea production solutions in conjunction with Subsea

29

umbilical rises and flow lines (SURF)

Onshore and Offshore business and

and by collaborating we’ve been able

is extremely supportive. They’re also

to offer solutions to the market that can

involved in some of our management

deliver savings to the customer that are

discussions with customers in terms of

potentially in the millions,” says Lowman.

providing the best lower cost solutions

“ABB is a great supporting company

that the customer is always looking for.

that provides technical solutions to help

The relationship is really built on aligned

us position ourselves to win work. ABB

goals and the ability to communicate

offers switchboard equipment for our

and work together effectively.” c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

M C D E R M O T T I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N C

Striving to make the world better, for everyone To help solve the biggest flow-control challenges, customers worldwide rely on the product brands, engineering, project management and service expertise of Flowserve.

We help our customers lower operating costs, optimize performance, prolong equipment life, mitigate risks and drive higher productivity.

“I BELIEVE WE WILL EVOLVE AND BECOME A DIFFERENT KIND OF COMPANY, BUT WE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO DELIVER PROJECTS TO OUR CUSTOMERS” Mark Lowman, Vice President of Operations, McDermott 31 Having been around for almost 100

the forefront of technology and the

years, McDermott has significantly

ability to continue to offer project

evolved over the years. Following the

concepts to final delivery to our

merger of McDermott and CB&I in

customers both upstream and down-

2018, the organisation has matured

stream from Petrochemical and LNG

into a company that has a presence

plants, Storage Tanks and Offshore

both Onshore and Offshore. “Despite

and Subsea. I believe we will evolve

the challenges, we’ve adjusted and

and become a different kind of com-

grown,” affirms Lowman. “We con-

pany, but we will always be here to

tinue to be a company that prides

deliver projects to our customers.”

itself on technology-led solutions and we have secured a partnership with Lummus Technology for the longer term. This relationship will enable McDermott to remain at c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

DEEP DIVES FOR DATA WRITTEN BY

DOMINIC ELLIS

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The success of Microsoft’s Project Natick could serve as a blueprint for future data centre construction and delivery

M

ention data centres and your mind jumps

to subterranean light-flickering units lined up row after row, often unremarkable

in their profile if increasingly essential in today’s digital-oriented world. From the largest multina-

tional to the humblest remote worker, they are the technological glue as we all strive for improved reli34

ability and performance.

For IT giant Microsoft, increased data demands have led to some out of the box thinking – not so much in the cloud, but beneath the sea. Project Natick involved lowering a shipping containersized unit 117 feet onto the sea floor off Scotland’s Orkney Islands to assess the feasibility of underwater data centres.

The Northern Isles underwater datacenter was manufactured by Naval Group and its subsidiary Naval Energies, experts in naval defense and marine renewable energy. Green Marine, an Orkney Islandbased firm, supported Naval Group and Microsoft on the deployment, maintenance, monitoring and retrieval of the datacentre, which Microsoft’s Special Projects team operated for two years (the

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

35

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

U N D E RWAT E R D ATA CENTRE BENEFITS

prototype, supplied by onshore power, was actually deployed in the Pacific

• They can be deployed quickly and run for years without any human intervention or repairs • They serve as ‘anchor tenants’ for land-based renewable energy farms • Underwater centres help cloud providers manage growth in a sustainable way • They reduce construction costs and limit costs associated with cooling machines

Ocean for four months in 2015).

The Northern Isles was deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre, a test site for tidal turbines and wave energy converters. Tidal currents there travel up to 9 miles per hour at peak intensity and the sea surface roils with waves that reach more than 60 feet in stormy conditions.

The experiment, which concluded in the summer, yielded some interesting findings, principally that servers were up to eight times more reliable than their dry-land counterparts. Alongside

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

P R O J E C T N AT I C K V I TA L S TAT S

• 40-foot container submerged off Orkney Islands • Subsea docking structure is 14.3 metres long and 12.7 metres wide • Payload of 12 racks containing 864 servers

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and air moisture are not the best friends – and the second phase looked at whether it could be turned into a manufacturable, production-scale component. The container allows it to neatly fits onto a trailer and cargo ship – and the unit can be built to scale.

“So far as we’ve been monitoring it . . . using the same components, we

• 27.6 petabytes of disk – enough for about 5 million movies

saw one-eighth the failure rate of the

• 100 per cent powered by locally produced renewable energy in Orkney Islands

whole deployment process, now let’s

ocean centre as we do on land,” he said. “We’ve proven we can do the finish the story and show that we can do the retrieval and do the recycling

• Pods could be deployed within 90 days

when it does reach end of life, and

• Target lifespan is 20 years

Admittedly, the Orkney Islands

make sure that entire cycle is possible.” offered some unique attributes. Mike Sheppard, Senior R&D Engineer,

data analysis, the project was vital in

said: “Orkney is a great place for this

processing workloads for a global, dis-

partnership because they have renew-

tributed computing project (Folding@

able energy for 100 percent of their

home) to understand the viral proteins

grid power. This project gives us the

that cause COVID-19 and design

ability to feel like we’re working not

therapeutics to stop them.

just on computers and data centres

Principal Researcher Spencer

but, moving forward, environmental

Fowers said phase 1 assessed the

responsibility as a company and

logistical and operational capability

individuals.” While variances in the

of having computers in water – oxygen

availability of both power sources

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Microsoft reveals findings from Project Natick, its experimental undersea datacenter CLICK TO WATCH

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2:16

39 would have proven a challenge for the

Cooling is an important aspect as

infrastructure power requirements of

costs can spiral operating chiller plants

a traditional, overland data center in

to prevent computers overheating. The

the same region, the grid was more

cold deep seas automatically make

than sufficient for the same size opera-

data centres less costly and more

tion underwater.

energy efficient and they’re not prone

The future relationship between data

to fluctuating seasonal temperatures.

centres, power and the environment

Cool, stable climates, like the Nordic

is likely to be more closely entwined.

region, allow centres to cool efficiently

Such centres will likely consume a lot

and save energy (see graphic).

less power than they do currently –

So what are the drawbacks?

and within five years, solar, natural gas,

Keeping ocean creatures off the con-

wind and nuclear will be more part of

tainers is definitely one, as barnacles

the energy mix, creating new renew-

could disrupt heat outflow. The current

able opportunities.

tech hasn’t reached cost parity with c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

40

“ This project gives us the ability to feel like we’re working not just on computers and data centres but, moving forward, environmental responsibility as a company and individuals” AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

solar or wind for most locations, and a

while keeping energy and operation

larger centre would require significant

costs low, while providing smaller cen-

power (100MW or more).

tres closer to customers, instead of

But Microsoft’s Natick experiment

routing everything via centralized hubs.

illustrates the benefits of portable,

After each deployment, the data cen-

flexible data centre deployments in

tre can be redeployed and reloaded

coastal areas – which are home to 10

with new computers, and the target

per cent of the world’s population, and

lifespan is 20 years.

more than half the world lives within

The company will now look into see-

120 miles of the sea. They can prove

ing how it can scale up the size and

a modular way to scale up data needs

performance of each facility by linking

41

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

42

more than one together to combine

a satellite ground station service and

their capabilities.

a colocation agreement with satellite

Researchers will now be looking

broadband provider SES. Satellites

into exactly what was responsible

are less prone to infrastructure chal-

for this greater reliability rate in

lenges in terms of unplanned issues

the hopes of also translating those

with ground-based infrastructure.

advantages to land-based server

“We are extending Azure from

farms for increased performance

under the sea to outer space,” said

and efficiency across the board.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella dur-

Now that the idea of placing data

ing his opening keynote of the Ignite

centres underwater is no longer

event, referencing Project Natick.

fanciful, Microsoft is now exploring

“With Azure Orbital, we are now taking

space, recently announcing plans for

our infrastructure to space, enabling

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

the Global Data Centre Power Market was valued at US$17.45 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$28.44 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.32 percent from 2020-2027.

Rising digitization is resulting in a rapid expansion of digital infrastructure is expected to define the growth of the data centre power industry over the coming years. Moreover, the rising adoption of cloud computing is also driving the cloud data centre market.

The data centre market in China and Hong Kong data alone is expected to reach revenue of close to $27 billion by 2025, according to ResearchandMarkets.com, driven anyone to access satellite data and

by the increase in the investment in

capabilities from Azure.”

artificial intelligence, blockchain, and

Commercial imaging companies are

quantum computing.

collecting upwards of 100TB or more

Writing about the Future of date

per day every day, accumulating huge

centres in the post-COVID world, Ed

data sets measured in petabytes per

Butler, CEO of Amito, said: “Covid-19

company, according to datacenter-

has placed data centres at the centre

frontier.com.

of key IT decision-making and as we continue to evolve with the new world

MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES

of distributed workforces and blended

All existing data centres use roughly

working options, we’ll see flexibility,

2 percent of the world’s electricity.

scalability and efficiency as the new

According to Verified Market Research,

standard in data centres.” c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

43

E Q U I P M E N T S A N D M AT E R I A L S

Taking a Green Stance on Concrete WRITTEN BY

DOMINIC ELLIS

44

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

45

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

E Q U I P M E N T S A N D M AT E R I A L S

More companies are rolling out CO2-emissions friendly cement – but can the industry deliver a green building revolution in time to save the environment?

I

f water is essential to life, cement must run a close second. It’s hard to think how our lives

would function without the durable, waterproof

and ubiquitous material. Around 2.5 tonnes of

46

concrete are poured for every person on the planet every year and global demand isn’t likely to shrink soon either, when you consider many emerging economies are going through a construction boom and 80 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050.

The one major drawback is that cement production accounts for around 8 percent of global CO2 emissions and more than half are linked to the process for producing clinker. The cement manufacturing process also includes emissions of airborne pollution in the form of dust, greenhouse gases, noise and vibration when operating machinery and during blasting in quarries, and damage to countryside from quarrying.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

47

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C O N C R E T E A LT E R N AT I V E S

Graphene-Infused Concrete Graphene Is a lightweight, f lexible semimetal that is 200 times stronger than steel. This material is also near impermeable, and its addition to concrete makes it twice as strong and four times more water resistant than normal concrete. As grapheneinfused concrete is stronger than regular concrete, half the amount is needed to complete construction projects, reducing carbon emissions during the concrete production process.

Root Vegetables Could one solution lie in beetroots and carrots? Scientists add nanoplatelets taken from vegetable fibers to cement to increase the amount of calcium silicate hydrate in the mix. Adding more of this compound makes the concrete stronger and denser. Because

this concrete is stronger and more durable, less is needed to complete construction projects. As an added bonus, using vegetable nanoplatelets is cheaper than additives such as graphene.

Coal Waste Researchers have also developed ways to make concrete with coal f ly ash. When using this material, the concrete doesn’t need to be heated, nor cement added. Not only does using coal f ly ash cut down on the concrete production processes that create CO2 emissions, but it also prevents this byproduct from ending up in landfills.

Green options Straw bales Biofuel waste, grasscrete, ashcrete, hempcrete, bamboo, recycled plastic, wood, mycelium and ferrock are all being explored as alternatives to concrete.

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

49

E Q U I P M E N T S A N D M AT E R I A L S

“ Due to the effect of CO2 emissions on global warming and the importance of implementing new solutions to reduce the environmental impact, we look forward to joining efforts with other companies that are also working towards achieving carbon neutrality.”

— Gonzalo Galindo, Head of CEMEX Ventures

but it’s fair to say cement’s unfavourable perception is firmly set among public and governments.

Interestingly, a recent University of 50

With the UN IPCC report stating

Southern Denmark study found that

we have 10 years left to keep global

cement’s environmental impact may

warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius

be over-stated and about 30 percent

and prevent irreversible environmental

of the total CO2 emissions from

damage, the construction industry

cement production are taken up by

finds itself under greater scrutiny.

concrete structure in a ‘fungal effect’;

It needs to come up with feasible

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Vertua Low Carbon Concrete From CEMEX CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:43

51 alternatives, and quickly. Construction

ambition for a carbon neutral future.

can no longer see itself as part of the

The movement is tangible globally,

problem but a key element of the cli-

with Chinese President Xi Jinping

mate change solution.

recently announcing it is aiming to be

Encouragingly, 40 of the world’s leading cement and concrete com-

carbon neutral by 2060.

These broad timeframes may be

panies have unveiled a joint industry

ground in realism, though they’re

‘2050 Climate Ambition’ that contains

unlikely to placate the green lobby

a roadmap for how the concrete indus-

eager to see immediate change. Can

try can become carbon neutral in 30

we comprehend how much cement –

years. Launched by the Global Cement

green or otherwise – will be poured in

and Concrete Association (GCCA) on

the next three decades? Constantly

behalf of its member companies, it is

improving technology may be a key

the first time the companies have come

tool on the industry’s side, but time is

together globally to state a collective

of the essence. c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

E Q U I P M E N T S A N D M AT E R I A L S

BIG TECH SUPPORTS CARBONCURE

52

CarbonCure Technologies, a Canadian cleantech company that develops carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions for the concrete industry, has received investment from leading technology and property developers. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and Breakthrough Energy Ventures co-led the investment syndicate which comprises Microsoft,

BDC Capital, 2150, Thistledown Foundation, Taronga Group and GreenSoil Investments.

CarbonCure, which hopes to remove 500 megatonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the concrete industry by 2030, injects a precise amount of CO2 into wet concrete mixes to form Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), which makes the structure stronger.

THE INDUSTRY RESPONSE

in classic, plus and ultra zero, includes

CEMEX, one company striving to

the option to offset residual CO2 to

deliver net zero concrete globally by

provide a carbon neutral product.

2050, is pioneering the use of recycled

The most green-friendly ultra zero

materials in blended cement produc-

offers about 70 percent CO2 reduction

tion in the UK and subsequently for

compared with standard concrete. All

end use in concrete, and its Vertua

its products have achieved BES6001

low carbon concrete range, available

responsible sourcing accreditation,

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

meaning that its readymix concrete

University of Sydney researchers

products are responsibly sourced and

recently poured ‘green cement’ – pave-

customers can score more credits

ment made from a unique mix of fly ash,

under BREEAM.

and waste materials including ground

A recent tie-up recently saw

glass and gaseous carbon dioxide.

CEMEX Ventures sign an agree-

The trial eco-pavement has saved

ment with Carbon Clean to develop

752kg of sand from being dredged and

a carbon capture solution for the

327kg of carbon dioxide being emitted

cement industry that lies below

into the atmosphere, while its produc-

the line of US$30/ton cost of CO2

tion has saved the equivalent energy of

captured. Could this prove to be the

1,000 cups of coffee or driving a car

‘game changer’, allowing for the eco-

over 1,800km. Researchers are also

nomically viable capture of carbon

testing an algorithmic intelligence tech-

emissions in the cement industry at

nique that adapts the concrete blend

an industrial scale?

to specific applications.

Gonzalo Galindo, Head of CEMEX

Scientists at London-based

Ventures, said: “Due to the effect of

Novacem claim to have developed a

CO2 emissions on global warming and

new form of concrete that effectively

the importance of implementing new

absorbs large amounts of carbon

solutions to reduce the environmental

dioxide as it hardens. Novacem’s

impact, we look forward to joining

new version of concrete, uses a

efforts with other companies that are

different raw material, magnesium

also working towards achieving car-

sulphate, which requires much less

bon neutrality.”

heating. Novacem claim that each c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

53

E Q U I P M E N T S A N D M AT E R I A L S

tonne of cement can absorb up to 0.6 tonnes of CO2 (compared with each tonne of old style cement emitting about 0.4 tonnes).

Carbon Clean, which now has proven scale across 10 locations, including the UK, India, US and Germany, uses an integrated modular system that works using rotating packed beds (RPBs) to intensify the carbon capture process.

This technology could provide a significant reduction in both capital cost 54

and equipment size, when compared to traditional capture technologies, enabling the wider-scale commercial deployment of carbon capture sys-

Replacing one tonne of Portland

tems. The technology will be tested

Cement with one tonne of Regen

for the first time in the cement industry

in EcoPlus concrete reduces the

at a CEMEX facility by deploying an

embodied CO2 by around 850kg.

industrial-scale pilot during the first

EcoPlus Regen’s applications are

quarter of 2021.

fairly broad too, covering foundations,

Hanson’s range of sustainable con-

pavements, structures and bespoke

cretes, including EcoPlus, are available

mixes; it’s been used in the ‘Walkie

from all static and mobile production

Talkie’ building in central London –

plants. EcoPlus concrete mix with

which has an 80.2 percent BREEAM

70% Regen Ground Granulated Blast

rating – and a 20-storey building in

Furnace Slag (GGBS) was used in the

Canary Wharf.

turbine bases at the Clyde Wind Farm adding sustainability and durability.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Ecocem claims to manufacture a cement with a carbon footprint 16

55

times lower than other cements pro-

Oxara, launched last October, is

duced in Ireland. It is also a proponent

another company which is focusing on

of GGBS, using it in combination with

construction waste (excavation mate-

Portland cement to produce superior

rial) to build sustainable and affordable

longer lasting concrete. Ecocem

housing, claiming its Cleancrete

GGBS is an industrial by product that

produces 90 percent CO2 reduction

is diverted from landfill and up-cycled

and cost reductions compared with

into a commodity product, produced

conventional concrete.

by drying and grinding the GBS at

Another energy-saving innovation

its milling plant in Dublin. On exiting

concern’s Peri’s handheld Sono WZ

the iron processing system, molten

Concrete sensor, which can measure

blastfurnace slag is rapidly quenched

the water to cement ratio in fresh con-

with water to form Granulated

crete mixes in two minutes – vastly

Blastfurnace Slag (GBS).

quicker than the hours it can take to test. c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

TECHNOLOGY

Build a New Reality 56

WRITTEN BY

DOMINIC ELLIS

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

57

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

TECHNOLOGY

The construction industry made slow digital progress before COVID-19 – but the pandemic has accelerated adoption and prompted renewed focus on AR, which provides opportunity to bridge BIM models and GIS reality

58

B

ack in June 2016, McKinsey released a paper Imagining construction’s digital

future, citing how large projects across

asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to

finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget. It didn’t make pretty reading – the industry was blighted by uncoordinated project planning, inadequate performance management and unsophisticated supply chain practices. In short, digital technology investment had not been embraced.

What’s more, a year later the consultancy’s Global Institute ranked construction as ‘the least-digitised industry in Europe’ on its MGI digitisation index.

Disruption was long overdue. McKinsey foresaw 5-D BIM technology will be enhanced “through AR technology via wearable devices” and a mixed reality environment where users can pin holograms to physical objects and interact with data using gesture, gaze and voice commands; the big question was when?

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

59

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TECHNOLOGY

Changes were forthcoming.

cost-conscious managers continued

Jasoren noted the use of AR weara-

to drag their heels. More than half the

bles devices for building workflow

industry (54 percent) had been slow

“drastically increased” and, combined

to adopt new technologies, while 56

with open AR development kits, con-

percent said low margins restricted

struction companies doubled the use

their ability to invest in new technology,

of AR in 2017 as tools such as Dalux’s

according to a Causeway report –

free smartphone BIM viewer, GAMMA

though it identified positive trends with

AR’s monitoring app and 3D-friendly

the use of biometrics and e-invoicing.

Augment came to the fore.

But even up to 2019, digital investment wasn’t widespread as

As this most extraordinary of years draws to a close, it’s hard to believe this was the pre-COVID reality; now you’ll be hard pushed to find anyone

60

not embracing digital transformation, with BIM (Building Information Modelling) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) essential to project delivery, and everyone scouring every available tech tool to raise productivity and cut costs. No digital stone can be left unturned.

AR: THE MISSING LINK While BIM is best suited to managing data related to the buildings themselves, GIS is more applicable for everything outside and around the buildings.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

BIM Augmented Reality in Construction CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:22

61 While their roles can be complemen-

looking at BIM and GIS models, making

tary, the AEC industry hasn’t found a

it really easy to observe any mis-

way of combining their power.

matches between model and reality.”

Mohammad Hammoud, Senior

This will result in the following benefits:

Manager, Khatib & Alami, believes AR could provide the ‘missing link’

PROJECT STATUS TRACKING IN AR

between BIM models and GIS reality.

A simple status AR tracking app

“Imagine how much simpler it would

can be deployed, allowing anyone

be if site workers could draw a red mark

to understand the progress of the

on the spot where a pipe should go;

project in a visually understandable

or if they could quickly locate existing

way. Stakeholders, regardless of

underground infrastructure assets to

their technical expertise, can access

avoid damaging or obstructing them,”

and interact with the project model in

he said. “AR provides a user-friendly

real-time, making it easy to follow the

means of zooming in and out while

project’s progress. c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

TECHNOLOGY

62

ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

ON-SITE CLASH REVIEW

Professionals on the ground can over-

Design and construction data can

lay designs in AR on top of the ongoing

be combined and visualized into

construction project, as well as surface

a one-single model. Accordingly,

construction documents from Revit

clashes and interference problems

and other software tied to their exact

can be identified and resolved

position. Instead of shuffling through

before construction, while aggre-

thousands of paper-based construc-

gating data from multiple sources.

tion documents or PDFs, the on-site

Because AR enables the visualiza-

team is armed with the information they

tion of BIM and GIS together, an

need to catch design flaws early and

automatic overlay of both the design

perform their jobs more efficiently.

and real world is now possible.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

AR T O O LS • A R is a rapidly evolving space with

• T he ICT Tracker tool is used by

Android’s ARCore and Apple’s

general and subcontractors to

ARKit enabling developers to easily

capture, using an iPad and ICT’s AR

incorporate construction benefits

technology, the actual progress of

into mobile apps.

work against the BIM plan.

• F rost & Sullivan recently presented

• P TC Vuforia was named ‘best in

CGS with the 2020 European New

class’ in last year’s PAC RADAR

Product Innovation Award for its

benchmark report (see case study).

Teamwork AR app, which works

• The Liebherr Tower Cranes Division

on any device, and combines ‘AR, self-guidance, outsourcing scale and human-machine convergence’.

An operator in a factory, for example, can be guided with or without real-time assistance through a maintenance procedure. Other useful tools include: • T rimble PULSE is offering Trimble Remote Expert free (available on the iOS platform) for a limited period to help support offices and field service technicians during the current economic situation.

• I n Malaysia, the customised BIMAR app – produced by a team from the tunnelling joint venture unit of MMC Corporation Bhd and Gamuda Bhd – enables virtual 3D overlays of design and construction elements which are overlaid on real-time screen camera captures of the worksite.

entered into a development partnership with the Center Construction Robotics at RWTH Aachen two years ago. Together with companies such as KUKA and Autodesk, Liebherr’s objective is to redesign the construction site of the future.

• Unity offers a range of interaction models so employees can interact in real-time with a live app on a mobile device, through a web browser, using AR in a fully immersive VR experience. Real-time 3D can also be embedded into existing properties, such as an app or e-commerce page.

• B entley Systems claims Synchro Pro is the ‘leading 4D construction modelling app’, enabling modelbased scheduling and simulations.

Synchro offers a portfolio of integrated software and services for digital construction management.

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

63

TECHNOLOGY AR BEN EFI T S •C ost savings from catching design

Case study: Howden

and engineering f laws earlier and

and Vuforia Studio

using construction sequencing to

The challenge: Glasgow-based

keep projects on schedule •W inning more projects by

ness which manufactures turbo

presenting buildings to clients in

blowers, needed to find a better

VR and creating leave-behind AR

solution to scale product expertise

applications

to internal teams. They often need to

•F aster time to market by enabling collaboration and communication between trades and federating data from different

64

Howden, a global engineering busi-

travel to train sales teams and support manufacturing and field service teams – a time-consuming and costly process (all the more challenging in

software (e.g., Revit, Navisworks,

the pandemic).

Rhino, etc.) into one model

The product: Vuforia Studio is an

•H igher employee retention rate by increasing workforce productivity and safety through interactive VR and AR experiences

AR authoring and publishing solution which leverages existing 3D CAD models to facilitate product demos and training experiences.

The result: A comprehensive AR-enabled training and product visualisation experience that enables experts to support multiple teams in different locations.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

65

PLATFORM AS A VISION

AR applications enable this two-way

Yet the greatest benefit of AR in con-

information transfer in real-time.

struction is to integrate all of your BIM

If your company is late to AR, all is

and GIS data into an open platform,

not lost, especially given the remote

available to anyone in a truly digital

working shift and ongoing uncertainty

format. Engineers want to know

surrounding the pandemic. Evan

what installations, for example, the

Gappelberg, Chief Executive Officer,

electrician has made in a certain time

NexTech AR, said: “We are just at the

frame. Workers need to receive the

beginning of what we believe to be

information they need for their instal-

a multi-year growth spurt in demand

lation task on site. In addition, users

for AR, video conferencing and virtual

should be able to add feedback to

events from businesses, govern-

their BIM models on the go, and such

ments and schools.” c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

T O P 10

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Hospitals Built During COVID-19 It’s been a year of whirlwind construction across the globe as countries have reconfigured and created spaces in record time.

WRITTEN BY

DOMINIC ELLIS

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

67

T O P 10

68

10

Detroit TCF Convention Center US 970 beds

One of the few positives to emerge from the COVID-19 global pandemic has been the rapid, wholescale mobilisation of field hospitals – even if, in many instances, demand for their services has been low (one $21 million facility in New York closed without registering a patient and London’s Nightingale was similarly quiet). Nonetheless, they may prove invaluable should public health services become strained in the coming winter, or the prevalence of the virus persists into 2021. The US, grappling with more than 7 million cases, including a President falling ill during an election campaign, has had to be versatile in its ongoing battle against COVID-19 – drawing on college dorms, hotels, convention centers and stadia, as well as erecting tents for small scale operations. One of the fastest installations was the conversion of a 350,000 square foot convention center in Detroit, which took nine days.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

09

Isabel Zendal hospital Madrid 1,000 beds

Spain’s COVID graph has worryingly continued to spike since July, and the country has now recorded more than 700,000 cases. In preparation of a busy winter, around 400 builders have been working round the clock to build the 45,000 square metre Isabel Zendal hospital in Madrid. The regional government is spending over 50 million euros ($60 million) to build the hospital, which will have large halls and bay windows to allow doctors to monitor patients without becoming contaminated.

69

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

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Vertiv.com

T O P 10

08

71

Jacob K. Javits Center New York 1,000-2,500 beds

The federal government rose to the COVID fight on land and water, setting up a temporary hospitals at the Javits Center, onboard the U.S.N.S. Comfort and in the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Javits was a prime example of construction flexibility in the hour of need – converting four sections of exhibition space on Manhattan’s West Side. But of the 400,000 coronavirus cases treated by NYC hospitals, only 1,400 ever visited temporary hospitals.

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

T O P 10

72

07

Huoshenshan Hospital Wuhan 1,000 beds

When it came to speedy installations, Huoshenshan was in a league of its own – although Leishenshan (see opposite) was slightly larger in terms of capacity. The 25,000 square metre purpose-built facility shot up in a little over a week at the end of January in Wuhan, at the start of the outbreak. Site photos show a frenzied picture of bulldozers, cranes, workers and trailers. Sixteen other makeshift hospitals were set up in the city’s converted gyms, convention and exhibition centers to isolate and treat mild cases, and prevent further infection. Government officials say both hospitals can be reactivated at any time should further waves arise.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

06

Leishenshan Hospital Wuhan 1,500 beds

Leishenshan Hospital, the second makeshift hospital to be built in Wuhan, adopted the modular design that divided the whole hospital into individual prefabricated units. In fact, both Wuhan facilities were modelled on the Xiaotangshan hospital in Beijing, which was built from prefab structures in barely a week to treat patients infected

by SARS in 2003. With a capacity of up to 1,500 beds, Leishenshan swung into action early February and closed mid-April. It took a team of 15,000 workers two weeks to build.

73

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T O P 10

05

Anhembi Convention Center Sao Paulo 1,800 beds

Brazil also has a number of large-scale sports and event venues – such as The Maracana in Rio de Janeiro – which have doubled up as healthcare facilities during the crisis. In Sao Paulo, which recorded the most cases and deaths, 2,000 beds were added to the Pacaembu Stadium and Anhembi Convention Center.

75

c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

T O P 10

04

McCormick Place Chicago 3,000 beds

At Chicago’s McCormick Place, a vast exhibition facility covering 2.6 million square feet, workers scrambled in April to transform an empty convention center into a massive temporary hospital with 3,000 beds – more than the biggest hospital in Illinois. But just as construction got underway, states were issuing stay-at-home orders. The US has recorded more than 8m cases and 224,000 deaths.

76

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

77

03

Dubai World Trade Centre 3,000 beds

The Dubai World Trade Centre – normally a magnet for trade exhibitions such as The Big 5 construction showscase – was turned into a 3,000-bed facility, including 800 for intensive care patients (it closed in July). The UAE is no stranger to fast-track construction projects and it quickly set to work building four field hospitals at Sharjah Expo Centre, Sheikh Khalifa Hall in Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah Exhibition Centre and Fujairah Exhibition Centre for COVID-19 patients – complementing others in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ajman.

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T O P 10

02

The NHS Nightingale Hospital London 4,000 beds

In terms of a tight construction timeline, the Nightingale, which opened on April 3, 80

was probably second only to China – taking just nine days to install 500 beds.

02

The 87,328 square metres of double

exhibition halls at ExCel London were

fitted out with the framework for about

80 wards, each with 42 beds. The facility was built with the help of up to 200 soldiers a day from the Royal Anglian Regiment and Royal Gurkha Rifles, working long shifts alongside NHS staff and contractors. Similar facilities have been built in Birmingham, Manchester and Yorkshire.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

© Sludge G, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

2

NHS Professionals - About Us CLICK TO WATCH

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1:00

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T O P 10

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World’s Largest COVID Facility In Delhi, The Size Of 22 Football Fields CLICK TO WATCH

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3:25

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

0

01

Radha Soami Spiritual Centre New Delhi 10,000 beds

To rapidly increase its capacity and manage the anticipated wave of coronavirus cases, the Delhi government converted the Radha Soami Spiritual Centre in

01

South Delhi into the world’s largest temporary COVID-19 care facility with a staggering 10,000 beds. One of the most interesting features of this facility – the size of 22 football fields – is its corrugated cardboard beds, which can be sanitised and recycled. Mumbai has announced plans to build a 1,000-bed facility in Bandra-Kurla Complex, which could scale up to 5,000 beds.

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EEI Corporation: Digital Transformation in Construction WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

KRIS PALMER 84

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

EEI CORPORATION

Lauro Matias, CIO of EEI Corporation, discusses the technologies involved in its digital transformation and its response to COVID-19

L

auro Matias is the CIO of the Philippines’ EEI Corporation, a leading construction company in the country. “First and fore-

most, we’re a general contractor company – the biggest one in the Philippines. Unlike engineering, 86

procurement and consulting firms, we do not end up owning or operating any of the property we have been tasked to construct, such as heavy civil infrastructure, electromechanical, petroleum refineries, beer-making and geothermal facilities, large building complexes, etcetera.”

AI and machine learning have played a significant part in predicting construction outcomes. “The primary algorithm we’re using considers multiple risk factors such as fluctuating prices, labour availability, weather and environment disruptions or major change orders, and then tells us whether or not we’re still going to make money at the end. Typically these projects last for about three years, so AI is invaluable. We’re exploring the use of machine learning studios available in AWS, Azure or GCP, trying to push it into the cloud. That’s AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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EEI CORPORATION

EEI Corporation Builder of a Better Future CLICK TO WATCH

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4:40

88

“ Digital business strategy is about the extension of a company’s physical reality and strategic capabilities using digital technology” — Lauro Matias, CIO, EEI Corporation

because right now it’s running on laptops, where it might take days to process the information - and on any given day, we have something like 40 projects happening.”

Another AI use case comes in pedestrian simulation. “If you want to evacuate people, how long will it take from the farthest point? What happens if the fire’s in the middle? What happens if the fire spreads in, let’s say seven minutes, because of a petroleum spill?. Those things require simulation, and we’re using AI for that.”

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Matias is overseeing the imple-

payroll time and attendance. Tableau

mentation of a comprehensive data

connects to our Primavera system,

strategy across the organisation. “We

the premier planning and scheduling

have field data collection, from mobile

software by Oracle.” That data is used

apps and IoT, for instance. Then we

to derive actionable insights. “We bring

have data governance and simula-

information up to Tableau so that we

tion. We use Tableau and Aufinia, a

can see and project into the future

Vietnam-based company which spe-

how many man hours and labour count

cialises in fraud analytics in terms of

we need, and the type of skills, trade

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Lauro Matias

89

Title: CIO

Company: EEI Corporation

Industry: Construction

Location: Philippines

Lauro MATIAS is the VP of IT for EEI Corporation, and a member of the IT council and the IT Governance Board of the Yuchengco Group of Companies. Prior to this, he was the CIO at Starbucks Philippines, the Global CIO for Jollibee Foods Corporation, and a senior IT expatriate of eight years - first as Asia Pacific VP IT at Lafarge Boral Gypsum Asia LBGA based in Shanghai, and then later based in Jakarta, with Indonesia’s Sinarmas Group of Companies, as VP and Chief IT Advisor for its palm oil and wireless telecoms divisions, and its mobile commerce business unit.

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EEI commitment on its 89th year CLICK TO WATCH

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3:29

91 and resources which are required. For

project sites are Synology drives that

example, how many plumbers do we

backup to AWS, so our backups are no

need? what type of equipment, how

longer tape drives, they’re backed up

much material is needed, and so on.”

on the cloud. We’re just launching with

“I have been a proponent of the

Office365 this month, and we’re using

cloud since I discovered elastic cloud

a cloud-based anti-spam system as

computing, offered by a company

well as digital signatures.”

not yet known to many as AWS, since

One of the core technologies

at the time, we still referred to the

deployed by the company is building

company as Amazon,” says Matias.

information modeling (BIM). “We’ve

Accordingly, he has made sure many

been a long time user of Autodesk, but

of EEI Corporation’s systems are

here BIM has never had the same sort

cloud-based. “We are using Oracle

of focus as in Singapore, for example,

for our ERP and migrated to its cloud

where the government itself is man-

ERP called Fusion. Our backups on our

dating the use of BIM. Our government c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

EEI CORPORATION

92

is still asking for real blueprints on

While new technology can some-

paper. As a general contractor, we are

times be a hard sell, such was the

in a strange position where Autodesk

excitement around introducing BIM

is helping us use BIM, not just for mod-

at EEI Corporation that teams across

elling the finished product, but also in

the company wanted to be involved.

developing siteworks more efficiently,

“Everyone wanted to be part of it,

so that we can reuse material for the

designers, architects, field engineers,

future. It’s a whole new ballgame, and

everyone,” enthuses Matias.

Autodesk have realised it’s something they can use worldwide as well.”

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

Like all companies, EEI has been affected by the ongoing COVID-19

93

“ It’s not just about physical health it’s also emotional health” — Lauro Matias, CIO, EEI Corporation

pandemic, especially so, given its role in the construction industry and the necessity of workers being on site. “Because we’re a construction company, we also have to look at resumption of construction, leveraging digital and virtual construction, the judicious use of barriers and so on. The typical measures in an office would be physical distancing and isolation. Our c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

EEI CORPORATION

Shaping the Future of Construction through Digital Transformation.

CIM Technologies is at the forefront in supporting digital transformation in Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry by offering technology solutions and services.

job was to make sure that we minimise the susceptibility of the worker to other illnesses that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.” A number of strict personal hygiene measures have therefore come into place. “No open wounds, proper grooming, breathing

“ First and foremost, we’re a general contractor company” — Lauro Matias, CIO, EEI Corporation

exercises. It’s not just about physical health - it’s also emotional health. If you get stressed after picking up a heavy load, we have strict rest breaks to make sure that your temperature goes down.”

95

Technology has played a significant role in its response, such as altering the pre-existing method of clocking in. “Before COVID-19, our best way of measuring time and attendance was the handpunch - a technology which analyses hand and bone patterns to identify who you are. But now that would require surface contact, and would result in contamination happening left and right. What we did was create an in-house mobile app that scans employee’s QR-coded IDs, enabling contactless clock-in and clock-out.”

One thing which Matias evangelises passionately about is the c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

EEI CORPORATION

1931

Year founded

$23.6b+ Revenue in US dollars

24,457 96

Number of employees

difference between information technology and digital technology, and the ramifications that it has for businesses. Information technology refers to traditional corporate technologies, focused on durability, streamlining and the integrity of formats, while digital technology is consumer focused and pervasive, with often conflicting standards.

Adopting digital methods as a business is in vogue, but Matias sounds caution and has no truck with those who recommend the ‘uberisation’ of any kind of business they encounter.

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99

“Of the many speakers that talk

parking lots’. I don’t follow along with

about digital transformation, the one

advising everyone to become Uber.

type I am very disappointed with is

For me, digital business strategy is

the one that tells the audience to dis-

about the extension of a company’s

rupt, disrupt, disrupt and be like Uber,

physical reality and capabilities using

Amazon, AirBnB - without providing an

digital technology.”

embraceable framework on how to go

As for the future, Matias is not

about it. And so they lose their audi-

resting on his laurels, having devel-

ence very fast, who for the most part

oped a framework to help chart the

have brick and mortar businesses but

possibilities for where the com-

are being told to ‘crowdsource their

pany could go next for this new c o nst ruc t i o ngl o b a l. com

EEI CORPORATION

100

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

“ I have been a proponent of the cloud since I discovered elastic cloud computing” — Lauro Matias, CIO, EEI Corporation normal. “My boss is the head of business transformation,” says Matias, “which includes IT, Innovation, and Corporate Development. The Business Transformation group has been tasked, not just with the transformation of EEI Corporation’s current construction operations and synergies, but in paving the way for the company to explore all possible ventures and adventures outside the construction industry space.

For EEI Corporation, this new normal is an opportunity to reinvent itself.”

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102

Data-driven commodities digital transformation WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

CAITLYN COLE

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

103

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CRU GROUP

Will Blake, Director of Technology & Analytics at CRU Group, discusses how data and data analytics is driving change in commodities

T

he digital transformation of every industry sector means that an immeasurable amount of data is being generated by

businesses, industries and consumers worldwide every day. The effective harnessing and analysis of that data can generate significant value to companies through the greater understanding and insight 104

of trends, and better prediction and forecasting that allows robust strategies to be delivered.

The latter is where CRU comes in. The Londonheadquartered company uses data to offer unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertiliser industries through market analysis, pricing assessments and consultancy services.

The content and insight provided by CRU gives a complete view of the commodity market, enabling operators and industry participants to make critical business decisions.

Understandably, delivering such a comprehensive suite of services requires a robust and innovative technology and analytics strategy. Will Blake is responsible for driving this strategy. Will is a highly experienced technology leader, having spent

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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CRU GROUP

“ Companies are producing reams of data and, at the same time, using a lot more to improve their operations” — Will Blake, Director of Technology & Analytics, CRU Group

that exploited the value of data in this way, so that experience has certainly given me a greater understanding of

106

more than 15 years at CRU and, pre-

the challenges around information and

viously, close to two years working as

data, as well as how we can effectively

a geophysicist in a seismic exploration

solve the issues our customers face.”

team. Data has been an overarching

During his 15 years at CRU, Will has

theme throughout his career, as he

witnessed data, and the effective

explains: “Geophysics is a data inten-

analysis of that data, play an increas-

sive role that requires the handling

ingly important role in the business

of large volumes of information – the

strategies of customers. “It’s been

oil industry was really one of the first

a huge transformation,” he notes.

“Generally speaking, data is a lot more prevalent and is consumed from a host of different and new sources, such as increased automation and so on.

Volume-wise, we’re dealing with so much more information that we analyse, so it’s a significant change.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

CRU’s strategy on data gathering CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:14

107 “Take the mining industry as an exam-

can they improve production rates and

ple,” Will continues. “Companies are

safety, but provide greater availability

producing reams of data and, at the

of data and information to analyse.”

same time, using a lot more to improve

CRU has been operational for just

their operations. There’s a big increase

over 50 years. And while the company

in IoT devices at mining sites and satel-

has always been at the forefront of

lite geospatial analysis for monitoring

primary research and analysis, Will

purposes, for example, which help to

explains that the exponential growth

boost productivity, eliminate unnec-

of data and innovative technology

essary costs and allow for the move

has led to the company’s own digital

towards predictive maintenance. At

transformation journey. “We started

the same time, we’re seeing an accel-

as a paper-based publisher that would

eration in the drive towards automated

publish thousands of industry reports

mining and self-driving vehicles, which

each year. And, because we have clients

can operate around the clock. Not only

in 90 countries worldwide, we’d have c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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“Digital transformation has fundamentally changed the way that organisations view and consume data,” says Omri Kohl, cofounder and CEO at Pyramid Analytics.

“We’re now in an environment where data is an absolutely critical asset—if you want to have a competitive advantage and to capitalise on any opportunities in the market, you need to leverage all data available to you. It’s the most significant cultural change in how people develop and scale companies. Just look at Facebook, Google and Amazon, they’re all hugely successful and all driven by data.”

CRU Group, a valued Pyramid customer and leading commodities analysis company, has undergone a significant digital transformation of their own. CRU offers analysis, forecasting and pricing services for the mining, metal and fertiliser industries. As such, its business is built around the effective analysis and use of data. “We’ve been working with CRU for roughly five years, enabling them to scale and provide effective data to their customers,” says Steve Cowell, Head of UK & Ireland. “At that stage, the company was embarking on its own digital transformation and had a lot of data in

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silos and spreadsheets. They were looking for an advanced analytics platform that would allow effective data modelling, improved security and governance.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time working with CRU to help them democratize and visualise their data and achieve real consistency across the organisation— ultimately transforming sales revenue reporting and driving portfolio growth.

CRU is now able to more accurately forecast profit margin and influence how and what they sell. We are honored to be a trusted partner in their digital transformation and congratulate them on their tremendous success.” pyramidanalytics.com

CRU GROUP

110

to transport that information to them

once a year, or once a quarter, but now

by courier. Similarly, the data collec-

we’re no longer willing to wait for that

tion was also quite a manual process.

information – technology makes eve-

“What’s really changed is the acces-

rything instantaneous, so our whole

sibility of data,” he continues. “Clients

cycle has had to change in terms of

used to be happy receiving a report

what we produce and how we produce

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

it. It’s no longer about pulling informa-

a tendency to do. The latest tools don’t

tion together and presenting it to the

necessarily matter that much, for us

customer, people can often find that

the focus has always been the acces-

information easily elsewhere. To be

sibility of data and information,

successful, we have to add value and

the understanding of what our custom-

interpretation on top of that informa-

ers need to help them make effective

tion, which CRU is very good at.”

business decisions, and how often and

To manage this transformation

in what format do they need it. Only

and add value, Will explains that CRU

once we have the answer to those

“pulled back to the information and the

questions do we consider the technol-

content, rather than focus around the

ogy necessary to deliver on them.”

technology, which people do have

One essential implementation was 111

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Will Blake Title: Director of Technology & Analytics Industry: Commodities research and analysis

Location: London

Will has over 12 years of experience in technology across a range of disciplines including data analytics, cybersecurity, digital product development and cloud infrastructure. He is currently Director of Technology & Analytics at CRU and has responsibility for digital development initiatives and global technology services.

He is also a member of the CRU executive team and has wider responsibilities across the business including product development and compliance. Prior to CRU, he worked as a geophysicist for a seismic exploration company in the oil industry. He holds a MSc in Geophysics from Durham University and a BSc in Geology from Bristol University. c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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An insight into how CRU gathers content for its consumers CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:23

114

“ For us the focus has always been the accessibility of data and information” — Will Blake, Director of Technology & Analytics, CRU Group

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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CRU GROUP

a cloud-first strategy, he explains.

our direct business, so networking

CRU consumes content from a mul-

communications, front-end website

titude of locations globally, and by

development,� he adds.

working in the cloud the business

116

CRU specialises in market-leading

is able to achieve the flexibility and

research built on robust and transpar-

technical delivery to maximise on

ent methodologies. Regardless of

any investment. Similarly, Will

specific sector or operation, its cus-

notes that the business has focused

tomers typically use the content and

on building on its core in-house

information provided to inform critical

technical and data skill sets in order

business decisions such as whether

to deliver effectively to custom-

to enter a certain commodity mar-

ers. “Data is pivotal, so we keep that

ket, for example. It also offers price

expertise within the business. We

assessments from a team of specialists

partner with other companies on

in London, Beijing, Mumbai, Pittsburgh,

things that we don’t see as core to

Shanghai, Singapore and Santiago.

An insight into how CRU efficiently dealt with the global pandemic CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:42

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

“ We’re also looking to drive a lot of automation and to improve our range of data sources, including satellite analytics” — Will Blake, Director of Technology & Analytics, CRU Group

placed to plan for any potential disruption. On 23 March we moved the whole global business – around 300 people – to home working and it’s worked remarkably well. Our cloud strategy proved to be very resilient and was a key enabler in allowing business to carry on effectively.”

The company has also been engaged in dedicated COVID-19 analysis to better understand how the virus is

Will explains that primary research in

impacting commodities. “Disruption

these areas covers supply, demand,

to supply chains has been significant,”

price and costs analysis; the content

Will states, “as well as short-term

is also used to build proprietary mod-

demand reduction. Alongside this,

els that inform CRU’s forecasting

we’ve been tracking operational status

under the strapline of ‘where com-

of mines, smelters and refineries with

modities meet economics’.

our dedicated disruption tracker ser-

Information provided by CRU helps

vice, which has been embedded in our

organisations navigate challenging market conditions. This has been evidenced most recently in the company’s work during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Like all companies, CRU faced the challenge of shifting to a remote working business model. “It’s been very challenging,” Will highlights, “but as we have offices in Beijing and Shanghai, which both enforced home working in January, we were better

DI D YO U K N OW?

• CRU sets and publishes over 500 commodity prices each week • CRU has 300 employees spread over 8 offices on 5 continents • CRU analyses over 40 different commodities

c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

117

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hello.global.ntt

NTT: supporting global enterprises in “ Othe ur cloud strategy new digital era proved to be very resilient and was a We keyspeak enabler to Moin Meah, Client Partner at NTT allowing business to with 25 years experience carry effectively” in theon technology sales —environment, on the Willcompany’s Blake, partnership Director of Technology & Analytics, with CRU Group CRU Group

existing products. Our economics team has been closely analysing the Joining of NTT in disruption 2014, Mo Meah currently holds impact this on global

the position of Client Partner at the company.

GDP “NTTand is aother global economic ICT providerindicators with a revenue of$11bn. As the 11th largest company in the asworld, our outlook shifts from what’s NTT’s focuses on supporting global enterprise companies that are happening now to what thelooking futureto utilise the new digital era of intelligent solutions, both looks our customers.” locallylike andfor regionally, as well as globally. NTT operates in over 50 countries, working with As to that future, Will describes customers to build very long trusted relationships as a managed service market provider,” that comments a rapidly changing is Meah.

Group’s collaboration tools, which in turn has led to NTT looking at other areas of the business such as security cloud and making use of digital events. “So the relationship is moving in the right direction to support their future business needs.

One of the key areas, considering the global pandemic that we’re currently experiencing, is being able to support and work with their remote workers. We were able to put together the ability to allow employees to work from home at very short notice,” he adds.

showing the first with signs of Group stability.

NTT’s relationship CRU began four years ago, originating from an event hosted Forecasting, he notes, always has

by NTT. “Cloud Expo allowed CRU Group to

Meah details that NTT’s partnership with CRU Group is one where they have been able to build a strong relationship. “We have worked closely assess who they could go to market and who with them to really understand where they’re a degree of flexibility, but CRU is would support them in establishing a more agile going as a business and being able to address experiencing commodities and robust network.

We actuallycustombid on XXXX at some of those issues in terms of having better the time, and as part of that we effectively communication tools and allowing them the data ers seeking answers to longer term delivered a brand new infrastructure for an and the voice to operate over one network environment to support their business and interface. Our partnership makes their job a lot questions, which demonstrates the consolidate their connectivity across the globe. easier because they can rely on their trusted response to has COVID shifting CRU, plansinfrastructure, revolve Our network enabled them tofrom communicate For partner to future worry about which more effectively with both employees and allows them to concentrate on the key areas a survival mentality to one of stratearound continuing to develop core customers,” comments Meah. of actually optimising and being more effective in their business concludes Meah. gically planning for the future. services and theroles,” implementation As a result of this initial partnership, NTT has had the opportunity to branch out and unify CRU c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

of new technologies, says Will. “We still have work to do to harness the volumes of data we need and make it more accessible – it’s a never ending evolution in that respect.

We have just purchased a new data platform that will drive this growth and offer a greater range of analysis.

We’re also looking to drive a lot of automation and to improve our range of data sources. The latter includes satellite analytics, which provides an enormous wealth of information at a global scale.”

“In terms of our business, there are two big trends that will drive what we do: increasing electrification of transport and the changing structure of power generation, and carbon emissions and environmental sustainability. Both will contribute hugely to how our customers operate and they’ll form a key strategic area for us to move into.”

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122

Digital Realty: the global data centre ecosystem platform WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

GLEN WHITE

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

Chris Sharp, CTO at Digital Realty, on powering data centre digital transformation with a global ecosystem platform

“

F

orget data lakes, we’re now talking about some of the largest data oceans ever created,” says Digital Realty’s Chris Sharp,

discussing the seismic evolution of data – and how 124

enterprise and hyperscale customers use that data – towards a series of interconnected global, digital ecosystems capable of supporting even the most complex digital transformations.

Digital Realty, at which Sharp holds the role of Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Service Innovation, is a key enabler of those transformations. The company supports the global data centre, colocation, and interconnection strategies of leading organisations worldwide with a fit for purpose global data centre platform, PlatformDIGITAL. This comprehensive solution offers a model built around network, control, and data hubs, and has been created to enable the ever-changing data, security, and networking demands of these global enterprises as they grow.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

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2001

Year founded

$3bn+ Revenue in US dollars

1,500 Number of employees

c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

“ We are really focused on supporting our customers in their enterprise journey, and a crucial aspect of that is not only focusing on what they need today, but what they’ll absolutely need tomorrow” — Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Service Innovation 126

The pace at which the global digital economy has evolved has changed the way enterprises in every sector create and deliver value. Now more than ever data, technology and an effective IT strategy are essential to enterprises.

Equally so, is operating on demand, ubiquitously and in a manner that is augmented by real-time intelligence at every point of business globally.

Yet, with that growth comes challenges.

For example, as data creation and consumption rises, so too does the need for effective tools, networks and infrastructures to access and analyse it. This creates data gravity – a point that many enterprises reach as they scale in a digital environment.

THE GLOBAL DATA TRANSFORMATION Sharp is a seasoned technology leader, with more than 20 years’ experience and a proven track record of evolving businesses to meet the most complex and demanding technology trends.

From the countless enterprise organisations that he and Digital Realty work with, he identifies an overarching trend driving change: as enterprises scale, they deploy globally and need access AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

to their data and public cloud-based systems in a different way, yet they also all need help managing the complexity from this shift. “This is where, in my experience, Digital Realty is really able to differentiate itself from others in the market,” he says. “We are dedicated to supporting our customers in their enterprise IT journey and a crucial aspect of that is not only focusing on what they need today, but also what they’ll absolutely need tomorrow.

“It’s essential to recognise that all enterprises and businesses – not just the hyperscalers that we deal with – are often going through significant digital transformations,” he continues. “Part of that, in terms of their data, is about being able to deploy globally consistent infrastructure to manage efficient data exchanges, rethink data flows to a broader set of partners, and build these ecosystems of community interest.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Chris Sharp Title: Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Service Innovation Location: Menlo Park, California Chris has more than 20 years’ experience and a proven track record of evolving businesses to meet the most complex and demanding technology trends. He has a strong understanding of technology and its business impact with a deep network of relationships in the internet, telecommunications and IT industry.

During his career, Chris has led acquisition and integration for seven successful companies since 2003, valued over $3bn in managed network services, colocation and security services.

Providing those organisations with an innovative and market-leading platform that’s exactly the same whether they’re in Silicon Valley, Chicago, London, Osaka, or any other location worldwide, allows access to revenue and ecosystems in a very repeatable fashion.” c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

127

Good for Water.

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a very different ethos at Digital Realty, where we want to empower our customers and be a true open platform.”

That ethos, as Sharp explains, mirrors the broader evolution of the data centre sector, as well as how companies – indeed, all of us – use data. “We’ve seen a shift wherein customers don’t want to be siloed into different products or different services – so, the differences between collocation and scale, for example. Typically, particularly with how rapidly the landscape is changing, you’ll see customers may go into collocation and outgrow it very quickly because the economics and the sheer infrastructure they need just can’t be provided through a collocation

BUILDING A GLOBAL DATA CENTRE PLATFORM

model. From our perspective, it’s about

This approach, Sharp explains, is the

manage all of those different fields in

driver behind PlatformDIGITAL, which

a seamless fashion. It’s why you’ll see

he says is “about being entrenched

us stop talking about collocation and

in what each customer needs and

scale, and just talk about ‘the platform’.

truly supporting them on a global

building out a robust platform that can

“That shift is really dictating the direc-

basis. This is what directly drove our

tion of PlatformDIGITAL,” he adds. “You

recent announcement of expanding

don’t go to Hertz to rent a car for three

PlatformDIGITAL with Interxion, adding

years, you know? It’s economics. So, for

more value to our customers and deeper

us, it’s always about understanding a

reach into Europe and beyond. We have

customer’s requirements around sizing c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

Digital Realty: PlatformDIGITAL CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:59

130 so we can work on an environment

created in a centralised place, the

that lets them ‘land and expand’. The

proliferation of digital technologies,

other critical challenge enterprises

smartphones, cloud, mobile analyt-

face today beyond that blended set of

ics and more means it is now being

services, is really around what it means

created everywhere. That data must

to be open, so that they can get the full

still be aggregated in order to ana-

value from the broader landscape that

lyse, understand, and learn from it.

they need access to.”

When it collects, a growing number

The last major challenge in the shift

of services and applications use it —

to a global ecosystem is data gravity,

against this proliferation of devices,

which Sharp describes as fundamental

data gravity interacts. This can result

to successful enterprise infrastructure.

in data that is near impossible to

By 2025, it is estimated that 463 exabytes

move and, according to Digital Realty,

of data will be created daily worldwide.

“unfavourable complexity when factor-

And while that data was typically

ing business locations, proximity to

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

users, regulatory constraints, compli-

a customer’s data – say they are look-

ance and data privacy.”

ing to carry out some data analytics

To grow globally, businesses must

and want to stand up an AI farm with

use the global open platform approach

several GPU processors, for example –

offered by Digital Realty to mitigate

which is a real game changer for many

the data gravity barriers created by

of those enterprises we’re working

digital transformation. “Some of the

with. They’re all trying to work with data

enterprises we work with aren’t fully

analytics, to use multi-hybrid cloud

aware of the issue, or that they should

architectures and our platform does

deploy in proximity to where all of this

that — when that data doesn’t have

data is burgeoning or being built, and

to travel far because the customer is

this is where PlatformDIGITAL brings

immersed right in it, that’s probably

huge value,” Sharp notes. “So, we can

the most optimal architecture that an

procure a cabinet in close proximity to

enterprise could hope to achieve.”

Solve data gravity challenges and scale digital business by implementing the PlatformDIGITAL solution model

c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

131

D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

CONTROL, CONNECT, OPTIMISE There is also a notable trend of enterprises looking to move away from running their own data centres and data locations, Sharp reveals. He explains that, in this context, solutions like PlatformDIGITAL enable those businesses to get ahead of the curve before their footprint is too difficult to move, adding that “we can expose the benefits of having that fit-for-purpose platform that’s heavily interconnected.

Believe me, I don’t run into any custom132

ers that tell me they want to continue building their own data centres.”

PlatformDIGITAL allows enterprises to leverage full interconnection capabilities across Digital Realty’s global ecosystem, including cloud service providers, partners, networks and customers, that will drive their business. According to the company, the core benefits of the platform revolve around three distinct opportunities: be in control, be connected, be optimised.

In the case of control, for example, standardising deployment and operations on a single platform simplifies infrastructure and reduces risk, while the greater connection of a global AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

platform improves business performance through participation in global digital ecosystems; it also shortens the time to connect with markets and other players in that ecosystem.

The platform tailors infrastructure deployments and controls matched to specific business requirements, irrespective of data centre size, scale, location configuration, or ecosystem configurations. In line with the scaling of modern, digital enterprises, it lets customers operate deployments as part of a seamless extension of any global infrastructure, says the company, thus enabling global, distributed workflows at centres of data exchange

“ Forget data lakes, we’re now talking about some of the largest data oceans ever created” — Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Service Innovation

to remove data gravity barriers.

CONNECTION AND SX FABRIC “To embark on a digital transformation, the first thing an enterprise needs is storage,” Sharp says. “They need their own data store, and that’s where the IP for a lot of our customers comes from, the ability to have that data store and run analytics against it. You’re no longer talking just about owning land, but the ability to deploy high power density infrastructure in close c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

133

D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

proximity to that data store once you

global exchange of data centre cloud

factor in things like AI. There’s not an

and connectivity solutions that enables

industry out there today that isn’t look-

interconnected global workflows, the

ing to up its data analytics capabilities

integration of cloud and B2B ecosys-

and it’s the proximity element that

tems with virtual interconnections,

PlatformDIGITAL enables in a very

and the ability to virtually connect

efficient way.”

clouds and digital ecosystems both

After storage, says Sharp, connec-

134

locally and globally. “It essentially lets

tivity is crucial. It is here that Digital

enterprises click and procure,” says

Realty’s Service Exchange (SX)

Sharp. “They’re afforded a portal within

Fabric on PlatformDIGITAL proves

which they can pick any one of the

crucial. SX Fabric, which is powered

150-plus cloud on-ramps from all of the

by Megaport’s multi-cloud and eco-

top cloud providers globally through

system connectivity, is an automated

SX - all without ever having to use an

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

engineer, or even understanding the

and giving them as open a platform

level of complexity behind it.

as possible. We really like to invest

“The work that we collaborated on

in our partners, not to compete with

with Megaport on SX is really at the

them, and have those best-of-breed

highest level,” he continues. “It’s very

relationships that let us deliver the best

technically challenging to achieve

capabilities to our customers.”

because it revolves around the hybrid multi-cloud approach that a lot of

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

enterprises are taking, wherein they

SX Fabric is just one aspect of the vast

need to establish a location to stand

PlatformDIGITAL capability roadmap.

up their private infrastructure and then

For example, the platform offers cover-

access multiple public clouds. From our

age from more than 265 Digital Realty

perspective, it was really about aligning

data centres in 20 countries and 44

our enterprise customers in the market

metropolitan areas. Connections are offered through physical and virtual cross-connects and includes more than 2,000 ecosystem participants — the company plans to extend this to more than 10,000 in the future.

More recently, the business has completed projects in Frankfurt, Dublin, and Tokyo, locations that Sharp describes as “hotbeds for enterprise customers trying to access revenue opportunities”. Take the new Clonshaugh data centre in Dublin, which forms part of an existing portfolio in the Irish capital. Ireland’s data centre economy is growing rapidly having already contributed 7.13bn euros c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

135

D I G I TA L R E A LT Y

136 to the nation’s overall economy in the

28MW; it offers solutions from Network

last decade. Digital Realty has invested

Hubs through to Data Hubs.

more than 200mn euros in Ireland

“With our size and our balance sheet,

to date, with the latest Clonshaugh

there’s rarely an opportunity in the

development designed to underpin the

market that we don’t see,” says Sharp.

importance of data-led technologies

“If there’s an asset that will trade or

to Dublin’s economy.

customer demand around an area

The company has also expanded

then we’ll spend a lot of time assess-

PlatformDIGITAL in Germany, purchas-

ing that prospect. We already have

ing 1.35 acres of land in Frankfurt to

one of the most robust platforms to

address increasing customer demand.

serve Europe with the recent expan-

The new campus, purpose built for

sion of the Interxion assets, we’re

those enterprises looking to exploit the

constantly watching for opportunities

opportunities that PlatformDIGITAL

in the Middle East and we also have an

provides, will add an additional 6MW

eye on some of the deeper elements

of power to the company’s existing

of the African market. It’s also worth

AUTUMN/WINTER 2020

137 noting that we’re always looking to go

trends we have discussed, as well as

deeper into existing markets. That’s

other emerging trends like the personi-

particularly the case in terms of new

fication of the data centre becoming

technologies, such as 5G or edge

a critical asset. Every industry and

computing, both of which will still

every customer out there, regardless

need efficient access back to the core

of size, will need to have a fundamental

infrastructure we have today.”

foundation like PlatformDIGITAL that

Those new technologies aside, Chris

allows them to increase in power den-

believes that the global ecosystem

sity, increase interconnection, increase

model enabled by PlatformDIGITAL

in square footage or footprint, and

will continue to dominate. “If you

increase in global presence.”

would’ve told me 15 years ago that I’d still be going to work in a data centre, I’d have found it hard to believe,” he states. “But what continues to draw me in is my passion for those secular c o n s t r u c t io n gl o b a l . c o m

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