New Sitevision AR technology for construction

Based in Stonehaven, Scotland, WM Donald has over 40 years’ experience in civil engineering and construction. It offers a full range of civil engineering, suction excavation, multi utilities and drainage services for public, housebuilding and commercial sectors. Juggling accuracy and practicality was an issue for WM Donald and it needed a way of mapping pre-existing site structures to minimise rework and reduce operational costs.

The company turned to Trimble SiteVision, a handheld device that integrates global navigation satellite system (GNSS) survey data with AR-enabled software to provide detailed 3D visualisations. It uses Trimble’s Catalyst softGNSS receiver, Trimble Connect and Google ARCore to store data using cloud technology.

The tool combines AR and cloud technology to give users a real-world perspective on their designs, meaning they can visualise models and structures before they have been built. What makes the product so unique is its flexibility; it has applications with architects, engineers, planners, developers and many more disciplines.

“Before using SiteVision, visualisations were office based. Taking the same design to the worksite allows you to get a better feel for the site and look for potential issues that may have been overlooked,” explained Mike Meldrum, Director at WM Donald. “Having used Trimble software in the past, we were eager to purchase SiteVision as soon as it was launched. With the new product, we can now generate detailed visualisations of sites, including structural platforms, roads, drainage and utilities for our own project teams and clients as well as share images and videos.

“It is a very intuitive product that uses models and surfaces created for our machine control. If we have any issues SITECH and Trimble are always available to help. We’ve found it to be a very solid piece of equipment and we’re now regularly using it whenever we start work on a new site.”

“SiteVision has great potential for the construction sector and WM Donald is already seeing tangible benefits on its business,” added Ian Barnes, Head of Business at SITECH UK and Ireland. “It’s clear that the product is helping the company stay ahead of the technological game in the construction industry by optimising its visualisations in a way that few companies currently are doing.”