TIES Living Lab

Project details

Full project title: TIES (Transport Infrastructure Efficiency Saving) Living Lab: Offsite Modern Methods of Construction Advanced Logistics

Duration: 2020-2022

Sponsored by: Innovate UK

Project team:

• Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi
• Dr Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu
• Professor Bill Gething
• Dr Ignacio Deza

Project summary

As infrastructure and construction projects are increasingly adopting Offsite Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), well-timed delivery of offsite assets is of the essence. Advanced logistics is a critical issue in transforming UK construction agenda, as it addresses some of the root causes of poor performance, especially time delays and cost overruns, because of assets not being delivered onsite on time. Improved logistics will help the industry to improve its performance and reputation, as well as increase its profit margins. At a strategic level, this project helps in the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and offers advanced benchmarking intelligence for the delivery of manufactured assets where and when needed onsite.

UWE Bristol delivers a transformative approach that harnesses the digital twin technology to assist in smart planning of advanced offsite logistics activities to ensure just-in-time delivery of infrastructure assets to construction sites. An advanced logistics TIES Living Lab platform has delivered a range of cloud-based digital solutions to synchronise, in real-time, between project planning and scheduling using Building Information Modelling (BIM), production and manufacturing, transportation and onsite logistics.

Outcomes

• TIES Asset Data Points is a comprehensive and user-friendly digital platform that helps to guide clients and the supply chain to define their requirements for an asset throughout the project lifecycle, according to the latest BS and ISO standards. 
• TIES BIM Asset Tagging is a custom-built digital solution that facilitates the automated synchronisation between ADP and associated objects within BIM.
• TIES Mobile Asset Data Scanning is a QR-code based mobile app, for IOS and Android, used to scan and synchronise an asset data for easier and accurate asset tracking and monitoring throughout project lifecycle.
• TIES Asset Data Intelligent Management System is an intelligent digital framework that delivers bi-directional asset data and information integration and synchronisation.  
• TIES Optimised Asset Delivery is an AI solution that helps to determine the optimised delivery route for transferring the assets to the construction site based on a trade-off between route availability, labour and transportation costs, carbon footprint, and disruption to road users. 

Additional information

• TIES Living Lab
• TIES Advanced Logistics