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Getting NSW Construction Back On Schedule After Unprecedented Lockdown

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July 2021 has seen the NSW government shut down all construction works across the Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong areas. Amongst organising site-security and shut down, head contactors and the sub-contractors that were mobilised onsite are now in planning mode.

What will the re-opening of construction sites look like? When will this occur and in what capacity? How will we re-mobilise, get back to the works that were halted, and most importantly how will we be able to get back on-time and on-schedule.

One of the considerations will be ‘do we need to create a new schedule for the build or try to catch up on lost time and meet the previous contracted schedule?’ The Topcon LN-150 site set out instrument will be a key part of the re-building process. This technology will help head contractors gain back their original schedule and allow sub-contractors to set out their work 4-5 times faster, using fewer human resources.

Traditional set out practices would typically take two or three workers off their duties to set out the next phase of the job. Technology such as the Topcon LN-150 allows for that same set out to be done even faster, more accurately and with only one person setting out the design onsite. This allows the trades and contractors to utilise their workers more effectively to get the job done faster.

Removing the human error involved with pulling string lines off grid, using tape measures, and avoiding site obstructions will allow the project to get back on track due to having more hands on the tools, and avoiding re-work error and design changes.

Topcon Ln-150 Construction set out tool | Digital layout tool

At the best of times, pulling string lines and using tape measures cost the project time and money in error and resources, which has, in the past, been accepted as ‘a part of doing business.’ This time and cost is factored into a project, but can be eliminated using the LN-150, which will serve to bring the project back on time, and on budget after the lockdown ends.

The LN-150 knows the design after the CAD drawing is uploaded, and in real time directs the user to the point they are wanting to set out with millimetre accuracy. Site-obstructions on busy decks are no longer an issue, as string lines and profiles are no longer needed, and the knowledge that the user is building to the approved design speeds up the building process and as-built reporting.

Time is going to be against a lot of builds throughout NSW, putting pressure on the sub-contractors and head-contractors alike. The Topcon LN-150 can alleviate that pressure and allow the industry to pickup where it left of, but more than that, get back on schedule.

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