Emerging digital technologies play an increasingly critical role in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry — providing an exciting opportunity for enhanced collaboration amongst not only industry partners, but also industry and academia. Over the last decade, our research at the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) has focused on collaborating with private, government, and not-for-profit partners to develop new workflows that push the boundaries of typical digital workflows used in the AECO industry. These workflows have evolved greatly over time to address the intricacies and complexities of modelling individual heritage assets for digitally assisted fabrication to developing large scale urban modelling projects. In this talk, I will present our current research on the application of digital technologies for the built environment focusing on how these technologies can be leveraged in the future. This includes developing an as-found conditions BIM for the Library of Parliament, creating a platform to manage large scale asset information models — for both the urban and rural environment, — and advancing digitally assisted fabrication workflows for the Centre Block Rehabilitation project. As an academic research lab, we are hopeful that in sharing our research we can work together to achieve the most of these incredible technologies.

This brief presentation will help the listener gain awareness of Algonquin College's research capabilities, an understanding of the applied research partnership opportunities, some examples of the Construction Research Centre's capabilities and some insight into the Digital College initiative. Algonquin College offers multiple ways to partner with private organizations to conduct collaborative applied research projects and to access government subsidies to offset costs. We have five research centres focused in areas including: Health & Wellness, Data Analytics, Applied Engineering, User Experience Design, and Construction. These projects can access College dedicated research equipment including LiDAR tools, 3D modelling software and environments, Thermographic imaging, 3D printing, building performance measurement and more. The Construction Research Centre is also engaging in a new initiative to develop a digital model of the entire campus using BIM and focused on creating a road map to guide user-centric development of tools and capabilities to serve the community.

Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are poised to revolutionize not only transportation but the way people live and work throughout the world. As technology, auto and transportation leaders around the world continue to evolve for a CAV-driven future, the testing and validation of CAV technologies is critical to ensuring the safe implementation of CAV innovations. The Ottawa L5 test facilities offers world-class integrated testing grounds for the safe implementation of CAVs. On site, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) testing, validation and demonstration of technologies are enabled on both public and private test tracks, in Ottawa’s true four-season climate. The Ottawa L5 testing facilities are equipped with GPS (RTK), dedicated short range communications (DSRC), Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE and 5G telecommunications and networking infrastructure, making it the first integrated CAV test environment of its kind in North America.

This presentation will demonstrate some of the geospatial innovation underway at the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation. It will provide an overview of the role of the organization, the rapidly changing environment in which it operates, and present some of the innovative work its various teams are working on, with the goal to foster interest within the BIM community.

The use of digital and advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, 3D scanning and virtual reality was, until recently, restricted to high-technology sectors. The widespread accessibility of electronic devices such as computers, tablets and phones has now enabled the possibility of using technological tools in conservative sectors such as the construction industry. By combining Building Information Modeling technologies with new advances in manufacturing creates a new model where mass production is not the only option, and where consumer products and spaces can be affordably customized. The presentation will explore how digital and advanced manufacturing technologies can be used to cut cost, reduce lead times and increase the reliability of fit and assembly operations. The use of technologies ranging from 3D scanning using LiDAR to metal 3D printing using Selective Laser Melting will be compared to traditional measurement, visualization and manufacturing technologies to highlight the new possibilities of these innovative processes. At the end of the presentation, the audience will understand: 1. How data can be acquired and treated digitally for prefabrication using BIM tools and software; 2. How measurement and visualization software can cut cost, reduce lead times and increase reliability of prefabrication operations; 3. How digital manufacturing technologies can be used to prefabricate physical objects from BIM data; 4. How BIM tools can be used to track differences between as-built and as-modeled geometry, and how this affects construction.