HoloLens/ Mixed Reality Technology gets “On the Job” Experience
The Trimble XR 10 with HoloLens/Mixed Reality Technology has been available in the P1 VDC department for nearly two years, but has recently been able to really “strut its stuff” on job sites. READ MORE
According to VDC Specialist Richard Anderson, the first year was about learning how to properly use the technology.
“I would set it up in the training room, and any free time I had I would put towards learning the HoloLens the right way,” Richard said.
“Now that we have a handle on how to use it properly, we’ve had the opportunity to see how it works on actual job sites.”
The first run was this past summer at Garmin Building 3, a project managed by Senior Project Manager Jason Quattlebaum.
When they went to the Garmin site, most of the equipment was placed and the piping had been installed, but they were able to see the mechanical room and compare the drawings to the nearly finished product.
“After only seeing it work in the training room, it was exciting to get that first experience on an actual job site,” Richard said.
In December, they took things a step further, showcasing the technology in an empty mechanical room at The University of Kansas Hospital ED Expansion Project, before the equipment and piping installation had begun.
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Another contractor had brought the piping into the mechanical room, so what they could see was the rubble on the floor and the two pipes that entered the room. Then it just stopped, and that’s where P1 began. Chris Wittman was the detailer for the project, and had drawn all the piping and equipment for that mechanical room.
With the HoloLens, the detailer’s drawings were projected into the space to show what it would look like when the project was finished.
To get things started when they got to the mechanical room, they used a QR code, taking the HoloLens and iPad up to it and moving it around until the model appeared in room scale.
"the mixed reality tech was able to show where that piping would be, as if it had already physically been installed."Pictured above: The QR code gets the process started, and the photo shows the iPad point of view from the HoloLens at Garmin Building 3. -Brady Kyle
Richard used the HoloLens and Pipe Shop Manager Jeremy Price used the iPad.
“I think being able to see the equipment layout in a space like a mechanical room - especially when it’s empty - is very valuable,” Richard said.
“It allows us to visualize the actual on-site conditions with the model conditions, comparing the virtual world with the real world, and seeing how those mesh together.”
Brady Kyle was the Project Manager on the University of Kansas Hospital ED project, pictured above.
“Obviously, not all projects fit the bill for using this technology, but this particular project was perfect for it,” he said.
“The space where the new mechanical room will be was wide open at the time – with only an open trench in half of it for underground plumbing piping. Since Chris had already detailed the piping in Revit,
the mixed reality tech was able to show where that piping would be, as if it had already physically been installed,” Brady added.
Richard stated that one of the greatest benefits of this comparison is seeing when on-site conditions don’t match the model, which tends to happen frequently.
“Many times there are beams, columns and other structural elements that weren’t modeled in on the contract drawings, but are actually there on site,” he said. “On-site verification is extremely useful.”
Richard added that when P1 purchased the HoloLens, they knew it would be helpful, but everyone is still learning.
“Getting it out on site twice now has allowed us to see what that jobsite application is actually like, Richard said. “The next step is deciding exactly which situations would be right for its use.”
Pipe Fabrication Shop Manager Jeremy Price has been pretty impressed with the technology, and where it will take us.
“I think having everything 100 percent accurate will be a gamechanger for fully fabricated mechanical rooms,” he said. “With this technology, there won’t be any deviation between what we have modeled and what we are building, because we can see it through the digital lens before it goes into production.”
The XR10 HoloLens and iPad powered by Trimble Connect is one more way P1 is keeping up with where the future of construction is going.
“there won’t be any deviation between what we have modeled and what we are building, because we can see it through the digital lens before it goes into production.”
-Jeremy Price
Finding Big Opportunity in Sin City
With all the people P1 Vice President Brad Davis knows in Las Vegas, it might surprise you to learn he grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
But his Vegas future wasn’t far away. When Brad went into the U.S. Air Force after high school, he was stationed in Las Vegas with the occupation of plumbing specialist.
Thus began not only an illustrious career, but a connection to Las Vegas that has been instrumental in the success of the P1 Las Vegas office under Brad’s leadership.
“I was stationed in Las Vegas in 1988, with the 820th Red Horse Squadron – a combat engineering unit,” Brad said. “We went all over the world doing plumbing projects, and setting up base camps with showers, latrines, boilers, things like that.”
Upon his discharge in 1992, after Desert Storm, Brad joined the Local 525 Plumbers and Pipefitters, where he was able to come in as a thirdyear apprentice due to the experience he had already gained, leaving him only three more years to complete in the five-year program.
“I didn’t know welding or pipefitting, I was strictly a plumber, so I had those things to learn,” Brad said. He turned out of the program as a Journeyman Pipefitter with a plumbing license.
Growing up in Detroit, Brad says he was around lots of people who worked in the trades, and he knew it was a good living - so he kept doing it.
“I’ve been around the trades my whole life,” he said. “The plumbers and pipefitters I knew in Detroit always made a good living. The pay and benefits are really good.”
While working in the field, Brad also took up teaching with the Union, and became the MedGas certifier for Southern Nevada.
It wasn’t long before Brad was working his way up to foreman, general foreman, and then superintendent with a company called Southland. It was there he gained experience running large projects.
Then came a big career opportunity.
“In 2006, a Southland employee started their own company in Las Vegas, and I was invited to serve as Vice President of Construction,” Brad said.
“Brad has been able to create a vibrant culture in our Las Vegas office and his team continues to grow our presence in Las Vegas and the western U.S. with each passing year,”A young Brad Davis in his Air Force days
-Kollin Knox
While it was good experience, the company eventually shut down, and Brad found himself looking for work in 2013.
“I didn’t even know P1 was here in town,” Brad said.
So even though he didn’t want to leave Las Vegas, he found himself on the brink of moving to San Antonio for an opportunity.
That’s when a colleague who worked for Victaulic - and happened to be friends with P1 President Kollin Knox - proposed an idea.
“He told me P1 was looking for someone to run the Vegas office. He suggested I call Kollin, and I thought, ‘if it means I don’t have to leave Vegas, why not?’” Brad recalled.
Kollin remembers that Brad came with rave reviews.
“P1 was struggling to find leadership for our Las Vegas office when I received a call from a friend in the industry,” Kollin said. “He had nothing but great things to say about Brad, and thought his diverse skill set would be a great addition to our organization.”
Kollin said he knew right away Brad was “our guy.”
to grow our presence in Las Vegas and the western U.S. with each passing year,” Kollin said. “I’m still thankful for that phone call, received years ago, that brought Brad to P1. He’s a great ambassador for our organization and the industry as a whole.”
But even with P1’s enthusiastic support, Brad wasn’t completely convinced.
“After interviewing in Kansas City, it was obvious P1 was a stable union company,” Brad said.
At the time, however, there wasn’t much business for P1 in Las Vegas. Brad says it’s become a joke now, but he almost didn’t do it.
“I almost turned around and left. It was a tiny little office, and I thought ‘what did I get myself into?’”
With about five field associates, it was a slim crew, including Office Manager Catalina DeLeon, Quality Control Manager Rob Anderson, and General Foreman Kennedy Sanders, who were there from the beginning.
“We needed to build a team, but we didn’t have work. And that’s a pretty big challenge,” he said.
Some of those early believers included General Foremen Mario Vitale and Dan Osborne, and Project Development Manager Jackson Pyper. Brad also had to call upon some of his connections, including some big GCs in town, and eventually they started getting work.
“Las Vegas is the biggest small community,” Brad said. “At first, our average job size was $20K, but then it started getting bigger, and so did our team, including more quality craftsmen who could handle the work.”
It took almost two years, but in 2015, a critical door opened: P1 became preferred vendor for MGM.
“That was our bread and butter, and the business kept growing from
Today, the Las Vegas office can say they brought the largest plumbing project in P1 history to the table. That project was Circa Resort and
Casino, the first ground-up resort built in downtown Las Vegas since 1980. P1 did all the plumbing for the 1.25 million sq. ft. facility, for a contract value of $27,305,554. The massive project was completed in December of 2020, just 22 months after it started.
Brad says the success of the Vegas office is, and always will be, because of the people that work there.
“You can get your foot in the door anywhere, but you have to have good people doing great work to be asked back,” he emphasized.
Brad says the spectacular combination of a strong office team along with a field that has earned a great reputation for quality work and professionalism is what keeps the Vegas office growing and succeeding. And we can’t wait to see what they do next!
P1 Connection is produced by P1 Marketing.