CUT AND FILL OPTIMISATION

CLIENT

The client oversees education facilities and plans for the future of schools. As part of their planning, they needed to evaluate whether a site was suitable for expansion or renovation and if it could accommodate more students.

CHALLENGE

A key challenge was acquiring critical information during site assessments to minimise the high-cost risks associated with site conditions. The physical properties of a site can significantly impact construction costs, with some sites being unsuitable for building and thus increasing expenses. Autonomation was engaged to address this issue by developing a tool capable of evaluating site conditions and optimising building layouts accordingly.

HOW AUTONOMATION SOLVED IT

AUTONOMATION developed a cut-and-fill simulation scenario, which consisted of two phases. In phase one, AUTONOMATION created a tool to layout the required buildings based on the needed capacity. For example, if a new school was to accommodate 1,000 students, it would require 50 m² of administration space, 1,000 m² of student learning spaces, and so on. The tool automatically simulated potential positions for the school buildings to determine the cut and fill.

In phase two, AUTONOMATION enhanced the tool’s logic to better determine the placement of buildings based on their relationships. For instance, the sports hall and cafeteria needed to be in close proximity, as did the administration and health facility with the student learning spaces. By positioning these buildings along the contour, the tool generated various outputs to determine the cut and fill and the percentage of the land with its physical properties. This allowed them to add a construction margin to their land purchase budget when considering new land acquisitions.

AUTONOMATION delivered a proof of concept that demonstrated the feasibility and value of their idea. The tool also enabled the client to visualise the data in an analytical dashboard, enhancing their decision-making process.

CLIENT OUTCOME SUCCESS

The solution enabled the customer to assess the physical properties of potential sites, thereby optimising construction costs. The tool also improved the client’s decision-making process by providing a visual analytical dashboard. This resulted in more informed land acquisition, with a construction margin factored into the budget, enhancing the efficiency of their expansion and renovation planning.

Solution Highlights:

  • Simulates Potential Building Positions: Determines the cut and fill.

  • Optimal Building Placement: Based on relationships and the site’s physical properties.

  • Construction Margin Addition: Aids in new land acquisitions by incorporating a construction margin into the land purchase budget.