3-D Keeps Construction Projects on Schedule

BY TAYLOR CUPP

Beyond the gee-whiz factor, cool graphics and high-tech status, implementing 3-D technology in the construction industry brings many practical benefits. At Mortenson Construction, it has become integral to our everyday business and we call it virtual design and construction (VDC).

In the past 15 years, 3-D technology has become one of the construction industry’s most effective tools to combat project delays and complications. From pre-fabrication to construction, we have leveraged VDC to help plan, design and fine-tune the $500 million Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N.D. Likewise, the $117 million Denny Sanford Sioux Falls (S.D.) Event Center benefitted from 3-D coordination during every step of its construction. And at the 50,000-square-foot critical access hospital for Southwest Healthcare in Bowman, N.D., we are using 3-D technology to increase our field efficiencies. The same approach was applied at the Sanford Healthcare Dickinson (N.D.) clinic and is being employed at the Dickinson Middle School.

We are building with more intricacy than ever before, and using the most advanced technologies available to us allows for greater and more precise planning. Using 3-D modeling significantly reduces the risk in reworking projects and allows us to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page through enhanced communication.

As an example, on the Sanford Medical Center Fargo, an effective yet simplified form of augmented