Ongoing novel Coronavirus has created a disastrous condition all around the world. During current crises such as COVID-19 Outbreak, all development work including architectural and engineering work requires holding down their jobs to secure the health and life of their site staff. Engineering organizations are also required to stay at home since even a small-scale organization is defenseless and at risk of an infectious disease. Modern innovations and digital transformations have totally changed the lives of an individual as well as organizations. They derived technical ways for the companies to manage their projects and dealings during the Coronavirus Outbreak. In this article, we will discuss the solutions for architectural and engineering firms to work remotely during the COVID-19 Outbreak.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, engineering and architectural organizations are managing their activities like project planning, designing, and scheming by using the distant working approach. Online communication can be considered as one of the best approaches to continue working without meeting site personnel. There are many benefits of online communication over physical meetings for organizations. This approach is really useful for architectural organizations to manage their designing projects and to give an immediate response to their clients. It also helps organizations to increase their working hours.
It is necessary for all types of organizations, either small-scale or large organizations, to continue their businesses, even during this condition, otherwise, there will be a huge loss. Science and Technology are rapidly increasing day by day and they have developed numerous ways for business organizations to continue their business and dealings during the pandemic. Some of those methodologies are mentioned below:
Create an Online Communication Strategy
Online communication is one of the best approaches to help your organization communicate throughout Coronavirus risk. Many software applications are available on the internet for online communication purposes. For a better understanding of social networking sites for online communication, consider the diagram below.
Online conferencing is cost-effective in comparison to physical meetings, as it requires a mobile phone or a computer with internet connectivity. Physical meeting requires cost to travel, cost to stay, spare time, and so on. Digital conferencing has given huge benefits for organizations to save money, and time by utilizing web conferencing services.
Online communication technology provides your organization with the facility to connect and communicate with staff remotely from every place in the world. It has improved the way of working and provides flawless connectivity to a greater extent. There are various applications that provides you the facility to connect to your staff and discuss your future dealing, and projects without any physical meeting. You are also permitted to respond to your clients immediately and solve their queries.
As technology is rapidly improving day by day, a large number of software applications are available free of cost both in mobile and in the computer devices. It’s totally up to you to manage your online meetings either in mobile, or in the computer devices according to your suitability, and requirements. Most android phones provide its users, an option to have web conferencing on a daily basis without paying any cost.
The proficiency of a business organization relies upon smooth communication and uninterrupted information flow between employees working at various designations. However, communication mostly takes place by means of electronic-
Mails, phone, or direct messaging applications, but the best alternative, on the other hand, is video conferencing. It provides its users, the facility to collaborate with each other using visual images over long distances. Visual effects enable organizations to grow faster, execute projects before the deadline, increases competition and productivity.
Videoconferencing is one of the best approaches to increase competence. Organizations or employees interact with each other over video, which results in the promotion of new services and products. As compared to traditional phone conferencing, technical Video conferencing provides the best opportunity to the business owners to grow and develop their business rapidly. Visual images are easy to understand, result in wise decision making, and help to minimize both time and cost.
Video conferencing facility protects business organizations from utilizing their energies and rapid growth of carbon component in the environment. Video conferencing mechanism follows green technology. Thus, collaboration using visual technology has made every small-scaled and medium-sized business association environment-sensitive. It has advised them to follow environment-friendly communication.
At Present, Cloud-based services are being offered by many design systems. Everything in today’s world runs through software applications and virtualized setups for business intelligence purposes. Cloud platform allows its user to use cloud-based applications like Autodesk BIM 360, and Graphisoft BIMcloud. It really helps you to work remotely because it provides you an alternative solution for the maintenance of a shared resources among BIM models by connecting your site’s computer screen with your home computer screen by utilizing software apps like Splashtop.
This task can be done by using different Google platforms such as Google Drive, and Dropbox. These platforms contain enough internal free storage to store and share your data securely.
Holding visual meetings is an essential way to manage your dealing among designers and architectures. This can be done by utilizing Google Meet app. At present, Zoom and UberConference applications play a vital role in holding video conferencing among all the members in a very smooth way.
During the pandemic, approximately 900 million people around the world have been restricted to stay at home. Among them, Architects and Engineers also tend to work remotely from their homes to protect their workplace from the deadly virus. In this situation, Structural engineers can work remotely from their homes. Several important tips for Structural Engineers to work at home are discussed below.
For Structural and MEP Designers, the foremost requirement is having a good architectural plan. These plans are needed for providing the blueprints unless the house is very old. Even without good planning, the City still demands significant data about the house, so, it is highly recommended to fill out the forms and receive whatever number of documents from them as possible.
Your next step is to make a realtor attempt, as they may have duplicate floor plans, but remember that their strategy may somewhat vary from the real condition of the house.
The last step is to take an approval from the inspection agency. Every development work requires a license, which occasionally comprises of floor plans and elevation sketches. These documents are filed by the inspection agency and must contain the following information.
Google Maps are very useful for checking the locations (such as floor information). A trained structural engineer couldn’t find it hard to evaluate the structure of the building, either it is in good or bad condition and so on. Google Maps do not clearly show small spots in the structure, but a professional structural engineer has the ability to evaluate and easily guide the owner to spot them after the measurement of an overall structure.
Photos and sketches play a vital role in resolving many design challenges. This is an efficient technique for working on architectural-based projects that emphasizes the home parts. The homeowner can draw the sketches and share them with the professional designer for further evaluation.
If your construction project is about the remodeling, then inspections must be a significant step. But if you are constructing a building on a completely new environment, it doesn’t need in-person evaluations. Professional designers can easily collect all the significant information they require to develop structural design by utilizing their experience and Google maps.
Having a sole source of duty for both structural and MEP design helps to save a lot of time and cost, especially in the current COVID-19 situations. If the information gathered during the previously discussed steps can be utilized for both tasks, then it can put less burden on the homeowner. If Structural and MEP Designers work within a team, they can produce more efficient outcomes.
In our design and engineering field, there are some situations that our engineers need to do engineering site visits, mostly structural engineers. We found out a way that enables us to set up video visits by using advanced communication technologies.