Jobsite Capture Goes Next Level
Balfour Beatty leverages innovative technology just in time for the digitaltransformation of 2020.

Between capturing, organizing and searching throughthis solution to project teams across the nation, which

images over the lifespan of a project, it’s no secretamong other operational benefits, enabled remotethat project teams have long desired a faster and moreteam members and clients to observe real-time jobsite

efficient process to document, view and track jobsite

progress.

progression.

Many Challenges, One Solution
A critical component of documenting Balfour Beatty’swork throughout the construction process, jobsite

Before leveraging OpenSpace technology, Balfour Beatty

capture assists project teams with quality control andteams utilized platforms that required a teammate toinspections, helps identify safety hazards and can evenmanually mount a 360° camera on a tripod, capture

be leveraged as a point of reference following projectprogress photos and pin those photos to the correct

completion. This process might not seem complicated,building location—repeating this tedious and time-

but it can amount to a considerable investment of time

consuming process in multiple jobsite zones.

and resources when capturing and cataloguing thousandsof images over the lifespan of a project.

Balfour Beatty’s industry-leading technology experts
knew there had to be a faster and more efficient method

Eager to identify an innovative solution that improved thethat would create more value for their clients and partners.

efficiency and effectiveness of jobsite capture, Balfour

The answer? OpenSpace.

Beatty’s construction technology team began testingand implementing OpenSpace, a cutting-edge, cloudbased software that has revolutionized how projectteams capture, organize and store images throughout thelifespan of a project.
In advance of the accelerated digital transformation
brought about by COVID-19, Balfour Beatty delivered

When our project team used
OpenSpace consistently
throughout the jobsite, it proved
to be an invaluable tool.”
Nicholas Walz
Senior Project Manager, Balfour Beatty

Through the use of a 360° hard-hat mounted camera, thisdocumentation provides better tracking of jobsite

innovative software enables a faster and safer handsfree

progress, saving valuable time and money for projectjobsite walk, giving project teams greater agility. It also

teams and clients alike.

saves valuable production time by eliminating the action ofpinning each photo with its associated location. Instead,“When our project team used OpenSpace consistently

the person walking the jobsite tells the program wherethroughout the jobsite, it proved to be an invaluable tool,”

they are on the plans at the beginning of the capture. As

says Nicholas Walz, Balfour Beatty senior project manager

they walk the jobsite, the OpenSpace software utilizes

in Texas. “We experienced multiple instances where thesimultaneous location and mapping (SLAM), a techniqueproject team benefitted from the vast amount of datathat constructs a map of an unknown environment whilecollected from the walk-throughs. Due to COVID-19,

simultaneously moving through it and estimating themany of our stakeholders and representatives not locatedpath of the walker on a floor plan while taking a rapid

in DFW were unable to travel. OpenSpace allowed thetwo photos per second—a frequency that increases

project team to quickly provide real-time updates

Balfour Beatty’s capture rate by roughly 75 times fromand walk-throughs, further providing stakeholders thethe previous platform. The captures are then fed into aopportunity to review progress, track quality control andmachine learning system that refines the estimate andreview various inspections. Our project management teamincreases accuracy with every walk.

also utilized the program for schedule updates, quality
control documentation, in-wall inspections, audit reviews

OpenSpace allowed the project
team to quickly provide realtime updates and walk-throughs,
further providing stakeholders theopportunity to review progress,
track quality control and review
various inspections.”
Nicholas Walz
Senior Project Manager, Balfour Beatty

and subcontractor billings, among other benefits. Thesetasks would have been near impossible with the previously
used platform.”
OpenSpacealso

utilizesinteractiveandartificial

intelligence (AI) tools that enable Balfour Beatty’s teams
to perform documentation and critical communication
tasks throughout the project. These tasks include
comparing work put in place with a coordinated Building
Information

Modeling(BIM)

model,

checking

theplacement of sleeves and penetrations before concrete
pours to coordinated locations, converting field notes
And the time saved undoubtedly speaks for itself. Prior to

into BIM 360 issues and assigning responsible parties toimplementing OpenSpace, Balfour Beatty’s Texas Buildings

execute any relevant change orders.

team captured 2,135 images during 71.96 hours over fivemonths on the EPIC 2 project. But, after implementing

It also allows teams to conduct virtual safety walks andthe software on another project, JP Morgan Chaseprovides often needed historical side-by-sides, allinterior finish out, they captured over 160,474 images

stored in one organized cloud space location, preventing

in approximately 22.29 hours over the same five-month

the once cumbersome process of searching throughspan. As anyone in construction knows, more frequent

overloaded network folders and eliminating the possibility

of lost documentation. By leveraging OpenSpace, project

partners to install blocking and fix junction boxes and lightteams can also track which team members are conducting

switches in the necessary locations, ultimately preventing

the photo capture, and more importantly, how much time

time-consuming and potentially costly re-work.

and associated investment they are spending doing so.
For a project of this magnitude, the manual capture of in“In my experience, it can take upwards of 30 minutes

wall photos alone would have taken a team member up toto locate a relevant photo of the area behind a visual

two days, and even then, it might have been possible toimpediment in a file filled with thousands of othermiss key areas. But with OpenSpace, teammates were able

photographs,” says Mikayla Socia, Balfour Beatty assistantto eliminate that process and ultimately able to efficientlysuperintendent in California. “OpenSpace makes finding

capture the entire project from start to finish.

several relevant pictures for any location at any point intime on the jobsite a quick and seamless process. We

But those were not the only benefits at ERIC; therecently had a small water leak coming out of a wall at

project team also used the software to compare actual

the County of San Diego Juvenile Justice Campus. By

site conditions with a coordinated model, which led toreferencing OpenSpace to determine what utilities werequick resolutions amongst mechanical, electrical andin the wall and how they were run, we pinpointed exactly

plumbing trade partners - a win for all stakeholders acrosswhere to open the drywall and fixed the issue quickly

the board.

with minimal drywall replacement. Without that picture
to immediately assist in locating the leak, our team could
have experienced extensive and costly rework.”

Leveraging OpenSpace across the BusinessOne of the most beneficial features of OpenSpace is its
progress tracking function used to detect changes fromone capture to the next for framing and drywall work.
Photo documentation through OpenSpace has saved
project teams valuable time and money by preventing or
minimizing re-work. If an issue does arise, project teams
can resolve the situation faster, potentially avoiding an
expensive and time-consuming demolition to stay on
track with the project schedule and budget.
At North Carolina A&T State University’s Engineering
Research and Innovation Complex (ERIC), a state-ofthe-art interdisciplinary and multi-functional facility,
OpenSpace empowered the project team to troubleshootpotential in-wall issues including blocking, telecom boxes
and light switches. By utilizing OpenSpace, the teamrapidly identified relevant images that enabled trade

“In the past, photo documentation was never as strong

conditions. This also allowed the team to locate a sleeve

as it could be, and most teams did not capture progressthat had been placed incorrectly that could have resulted

with enough frequency and detail to accurately show thein schedule delays if discovered after the pour.

status of the project from day-to-day,” says Katherine
Boumenot, Balfour Beatty senior technology specialistin North Carolina. “Our project teams have reaped greatInnovative Technology Provides Efficient
Project Delivery

benefits, resolved countless issues and saved time andmoney for the business, trade partners and clients.”

As an industry leader, Balfour Beatty seeks innovativeand custom solutions to continue to advance business

Our project teams have reaped
great benefits, resolved countless
issues and saved time and money
for the business, trade partners
and clients.”
Katherine Boumenot
Senior Technology Specialist, Balfour Beatty

At the Harnett County Resource Center and Library in
Lillington, North Carolina, the project team encounterednumerous power/data receptacles as well as other wallmounted devices that needed to be relocated due toclashes with casework. Although some conflicts wereidentified during the rough-in phase, the project teamsubsequently discovered several locations after roughin that required changes. Using OpenSpace to reference
what was previously installed within the walls allowed theproject team to identify the existing pathways, which inturn reduced the extent of the work, kept costs down andthe project on schedule.
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the project team at Broward
County Convention Center West Expansion utilizedOpenSpace to compare penetrations to the model before
the concrete pour. The team would walk the deck prior to
the pour to capture the sleeves placed by trade partners.
This allowed the team to see a direct side-by-side
comparison of the coordinated model and with real-world

initiatives, streamline operations and enhance services
to their clients. Balfour Beatty’s use of OpenSpace has
revolutionized jobsite capture and the use of project data
both during and after construction.