"Using drones and Trendspek minimised the need to bring in mobile plant equipment and mitigated the associated risks."
Working alongside Placemaking NSW, CBRE and project stakeholders, Trendspek provided highly-detailed 3D models of the White Pay Power Station ahead of major remediation works and adaptive reuse for Sydney Biennale 2024.
Initially engaged to complete a constructibility report for remedial works, the project team turned to Trendspek’s digital capture and 3D modeling to address the challenges of physically inspecting the White Bay Power Station — an ageing structure with external areas that were hard-to-reach, or inaccessible due to hazards.
During procurement, they realised the additional bonus that Trendspek could host the photogrammetry data within a 3D model. Having had previous experience with LiDAR and BIM technologies, the Placemaking NSW team realised the wider benefit that Trendspek could provide the project.
"What began as a need for a traditional report and photos, led to the ability to virtually fly around to look at different aspects of the asset that we were unable to physically reach and inspect. On a site that requires such extensive conservation works, having the ability to easily inspect out-of-the-way areas was invaluabe, " said a representative from Placemaking NSW.
“Using the geospatial data in the model, the team’s Quantity Surveyor was impressed with the ability to measure to a high degree of accuracy. This allowed them to complete take-offs of the required work to build up a project budget.”
“There were many hard-to-reach areas that required repair and certain locations that were physically inaccessible. Using drones and Trendspek minimised the need to bring in mobile plant equipment and mitigated the associated risks.”
“There were many hard-to-reach areas that required repair and certain locations that were physically inaccessible. Using drones and Trendspek minimised the need to bring in mobile plant equipment and mitigated the associated risks.”
vs. manual methods of capture
vs. traditional limit of 50
vs. manual labour costs
vs. traditional 2D report and photos
After preliminary scoping works, the team’s next step was to tender for the remedial works. Using Trendspek’s platform, contractors and stakeholders were able to log in and explore the 3D model.
"We gave access to Trendspek’s model to each contractor intending to respond to the RFQ. This enabled them to virtually fly around the asset, and inspect physically inaccessible areas virtually.
They logged into Trendspek to inspect the asset, using it to support the development of their methodologies for the proposed work. It was used to measure the height of various parts of the asset, allowing them to analyse what type of access methodology they may need to adopt to complete the conservation works.
For Placemaking NSW, the models and detailed images also provided an opportunity to enhance stakeholder communication about an asset that is highly visible and of interest to the community.
"Additional stakeholders were also interested in the project, so, with our permission, the team at Trendspek gave them access to, and supported them in extracting the data from, the model, to use in their own investigations."
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“We gave contractors access to Trendspek’s model, enabling them to virtually fly around the asset and inspect physically inaccessible areas. This supported the development of accurate methodologies for the proposed work.”
Before Trendspek, Placemaking NSW’s team traditionally conducted surveys on-site. However, this process "required detailed knowledge of the site, and how the report was compiled."
“For this piece of work, we haven’t used a platform like this one before. But previously, when we have completed dilapidation surveys, the supplier would provide us with a long detailed report, requiring detailed knowledge of the site and how the report was compiled."
"Previously, when we have completed dilapidation surveys, the supplier would provide us with a long detailed report, requiring detailed knowledge of the site and how the report was compiled. The report generally took multiple weeks to compile.
Without context, trying to understand where each picture came from is a challenge, so having the geo-data from Trendspek stitched into a model for this project was really useful.
Capturing the asset by drone and using Trendspek to process the very high-resolution model was smooth, fast and comparatively more cost-effective.
In this instance, utilising a traditional approach would have taken a longer time to produce a result that could have been completed more efficiently.
When we used Trendspek, we came to the realisation that scoping up the works through drone capture and modelling gave us the information that we required."
“For highly visible assets like White Bay Power Station, Trendspek not only facilitates inspection but also enhances communication with stakeholders and the community.”
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