Asset management of the future will heavily rely on reality capture and digital twins, according to Mahmoud El Charif, Head of Digital Construction at Urban Surveys.

He was speaking at the recent CoreNet Global Middle East Chapter meeting held at  Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens, Dubai.

Reality capture involves the collection of data, which will later be put together to make a digital twin.

Digital twins are not just a 3D model representation of the real assets. “In fact, it is that plus all the data about that building. And it is connected in real-time, allowing you to utilise it. For example, through your phone, you can go to a specific room and turn on the lights.”

He also explained how reality capture is different from traditional surveying, which uses laser pointers or measuring tape.

"With reality capture, we can have accurate and reliable data immediately. Whereas with traditional methods, there are chances of human error and it's labor-intensive. You have to visit the site again if you missed something. Also, each person can measure something differently, so it's not going to be accurate. You can also use reality capture for progress monitoring and scanning complex and organic objects, something that is impossible with traditional surveying. Reality capture can also be used to measure inaccessible spaces or places that pose risk to people. You can scan something from a distance using a drone," he said.

Project managers, facility managers, designers, architects, as well as clients can use digital twins alongside the project lifecycle for design, construction, operations, or renovation.

He pointed out that carrying out a reality capture or setting up a digital twin is considered expensive, but in fact, it isn’t when you look at the bigger picture.

“If you take a simple project, in which we only scanned and processed the data, it costs three to five dirhams per square meter. If you take a complex project, which includes scanning, processing, and having BIM models for multi-disciplines such as MEP structure and architecture, it goes up to 10 to 15 dirhams per square meter. However, the average cost of construction disputes in the Middle East in 2020 was US$86mn and the average length of a dispute was 15.5 months. So you can see that the cost of reality capture is nothing compared to US$86. That's the reward – to be able to avoid high expenses in solving disputes.”

Reality capture provides accurate measurements, makes coordination easier, and allows for better overall decision-making. It’s safe, and it's up to 50 to 75% time saved against traditional methods. And all in all, it has a return on investment that allows you to maintain a profit margin. 

“If we start often inaccurate data, we end up with inaccurate data in the long run. And that's why as designed is rarely as built, and as built is never as maintained. And that's what we're trying to push for – to have the accurate data from the beginning to run and manage your asset,” he added.