Intelligent use of tech: Bluebeam

In this mini-series, we are sharing some of the learning from our team who have been testing and trialling new applications as part of our Intelligent Use of Tech forums. This week we focus on the construction software @Blubeam. Whilst the use of digital measuring tools isn’t necessarily new, these tools are not always used as extensively as they could be. There is a lot more that quantity surveyors could do to make more of these tools.

Ibrahim Khan, a Graduate Quantity Surveyor in the Quantik team, shares his initial experience using Bluebeam. As Ibrahim is relatively new to the construction industry, this article aims to share his learning journey, hoping to assist others are also new to the industry and encourage those who do not use digital measuring tools to give them a try. It also aims to promote communication with existing users who might be open to share their experiences.

Here are Ibrahim’s thoughts.

Access and Price

Firstly, the cost. You can choose from three access types: basic, core and complete. Figure 1 shows the features included in each access type and the annual price per user. I used the Core access as I felt that professional-grade markups, measurement and collaboration were what I needed. At this stage, I didn’t required the automation and accelerated workflows that the Complete access offers.

Figure 1

Using Bluebeam

I was asked to prepare bills of quantities for several packages which were being procured by Quantik’s main contractor client, who was working across multiple education sector projects. I used Bluebeam’s PDF Markup measuring tool to produce the quantities. The tool was very useful because I could measure perimeter, area, volume, count objects, or even certain angles of points in a drawing (floor plans etc). For example I measured ceiling finishes, floor finishes, and perimeter walls by clicking the function and the corners of the room/space, with the quantity calculated automatically without manual entry.

I have included an online example of the Bluebeam interface at Figure 2, for reference.

Figure 2

It is important to know your intended output when preparing measurements. If you are just looking to get rough quantities, it’s straightforward. However, if like me, you are producing RICS NRM 2 detailed measurements, you need to know the measurement rules and refer to them when measuring to structure the quantities appropriately. Otherwise, you will spend time reworking the information to fit your needs.

The high precision within the calibration of the scale gave me a lot of confidence in my measurements’ accuracy. I could either calibrate the scale on a drawing myself by measuring between two points, but preset scales were also provided. Using traditional methods, I knew my quantities were correct to a high degree of accuracy, but the tool enhanced this accuracy further.

My understanding of NRM 2 was beneficial when exporting the quantities, and I found the simplicity of transferring data from Bluebeam to Excel very helpful. Figure 3 shows the drop-down list that allowed me to select the data I needed in Excel.

Figure 3

The data extract appears at Figure 4. While the data is well-structured, there is still work to do before it becomes an NRM 2 detailed measure suitable for the supply chain for pricing.

Figure 4

Suggested Improvements

It would have been helpful if the tool could read annotations on a PDF floor plan (e.g., the specification of a wall type), as I had to manually input this information, which was time-consuming. I needed to structure the data to produce an NRM 2 detailed measure; simply quantifying all the walls would not have been helpful for the tendering subcontractor. Complying with the measurement rules avoids subcontractors producing their own pricing documents, making tender evaluation more efficient for me.

I found the user interface somewhat challenging to navigate. The tools are used by many professionals (architects, engineers, QSs), resulting in numerous features across multiple labels, which is complicated for new users and slows the learning process. The search bar is in the help function rather than pinned to the menu ribbon. It would be better for new users if the search function were immediately accessible.

As a first-time user, the software was initially daunting. While it includes technical support and tutorials, they were not as useful as I had hoped. I found my colleagues to be the best source of help, which could be problematic for someone without that support.

A minor issue but a frustration I experienced was frequent sign-in issues, requiring multiple logouts and logins. It might have been something I was or wasn’t doing, but I couldn't resolve it.

Final Reflections

I have discussed these thoughts with the @Quantik team and, what occurred to me, is that whilst Bluebeam can help to improve the accuracy of take-offs, quantity surveyors still need a knowledge of the measurement rules and the production of an NRM 2 detailed measure requires a combination of digital and manual methods.

I wonder how long it will be before a tool can intelligently take drawings, specifications, measurement rules, etc., and produce high-quality bills of quantities. It feels close because the technology is available, yet far away because much needs to come together to achieve it. In next week’s article, our Senior Quantity Surveyor, Nathan Bilton, will share some learning from his exploration of Microsoft’s PowerQuery.

Keep an eye out for that and, in the meantime, enjoy the rest of your week!

Bringing The science of Quantik® to you

p.s. If anything in this article, or any of our articles, resonates with a challenge you are experiencing, check out our ‘Bringing The science of Quantik® to you’ initiative where we offer a tailor-made session aimed at helping you tackle your project or business challenge (link below).

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