Takaaki Miyauchi, Deputy General Manager of the Construction DX Promotion Department, Technology Headquarters, Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Aiming to transform the construction industry through "building a data infrastructure" and "digital human resource education"

Takaaki Miyauchi, Deputy General Manager of the Construction DX Promotion Department, Technology Headquarters, Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

■ Profile

He joined Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. in 1998. After working in the Structural Design Department (architecture), he was transferred to the BIM Promotion Office, which was established in 2017, and began building BIM. He began working on digital construction, and was appointed Deputy General Manager of the Construction Digital Promotion Department, which was established in 2020. In 2022, the organization was renamed the Construction DX Promotion Department, and is aiming to move from digital construction to DX.

As teleworking becomes more widespread due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction site workers continue to carry construction materials on their shoulders. Is digitalization possible in the construction industry, where human hands are essential? Daiwa House Industry, a major housing manufacturer, is working on a transformation project to dispel such doubts. We spoke to Deputy General Manager Miyauchi, who has constantly pursued technology amid changing times, about the progress of construction DX and the human resources that will be needed in the future.

When I joined the company, I was in charge of structural design for stores and facilities. As I pursued technology while drawing blueprints, I realized the importance of digital. By utilizing digital tools, the time it takes to create blueprints has become much faster. With the movement to aim for company-wide digitalization, I became involved in BIM, the basis of digital construction, and have been working on digital strategies in the Construction DX Promotion Department since 2022.

In particular, the fusion of construction technology and digital technology is called "Construction DX (Digital Transformation)," and there are three main issues behind the need for it. The first is work style reform in the construction industry. Overtime hours for construction workers have remained stable, and there is a labor shortage and an aging population. The second is responding to increasing and larger-scale disasters and abnormal weather. Disasters and abnormal weather are occurring frequently due to global warming. Our mission is to provide safe and prompt temporary housing to disaster victims. The third is the change in construction needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who telework from home, noise from construction sites is a concern. The need for remote work has also increased, even on construction sites.

■ Construction DX: advancing on two axes to benefit society

Our construction digital transformation efforts are based on two pillars: "BIM" and the "Digital Construction Project." BIM is a construction data platform that models buildings using information. By inputting previously unavailable information into two-dimensional drawings, it is possible to design drawings from any direction and model each exterior wall component and part. A specific example of its use is the development of an automatic layout planning program for disaster situations. Using BIM, we perform automated design known as "predictive construction" to provide fast and safe emergency temporary housing for disaster victims. For example, in the case of emergency temporary housing in Nagano, which was hit by the 2019 East Japan Typhoon, automated layout planning using digitalization enabled approval for layout in just two days, instead of the average seven days it usually takes.

The Digital Construction Project is a digital promotion project for construction sites that utilizes BIM information and performs risk prediction through remote management. A Smart Control Center (SCC) connects the construction site to the back office and automatically assesses the process, quality, and safety using fixed camera footage. A specific example of its use is the automatic assessment of safety at construction sites. If 360-degree fixed camera footage reveals information such as a worker not wearing a helmet or a scaffolding net being dangerous due to strong winds, the SCC automatically assesses safety. Furthermore, the accumulation of this data allows predictions to be refined, leading to improved safety at construction sites.

"We do things not because they are profitable, but because they are useful to society." Based on these words of our founder, Nobuo Ishibashi, we will continue to advance transformation through digital transformation in order to provide safety and security to people around the world.

■Advanced data utilization and digital human resource training

Our goal as the Construction DX Promotion Department is to build a data infrastructure that anyone can use. Until now, we've focused on design and construction sites, thoroughly visualizing data. Going forward, we want to further advance this, enabling risk prediction without having to look at each piece of data. Furthermore, we want to build a platform that anyone can use, regardless of experience or knowledge, including not only on-site personnel but also customers. We also want to focus on digitizing building materials and other supplies, and advance the foundation of the supply chain. We also believe that our role is to provide digital education to on-site craftsmen and contractors. Future construction engineers will be required to become "digital multi-skilled engineers" with the skills to build and plan real and virtual spaces using data. Because the skills required differ between on-site craftsmen and contractors, and between young and older workers, we aim to educate digital talent.

■Message

Construction DX also requires a mindset change on your part. There are four things I want you to keep in mind. First, "learn from the past." It is important to utilize existing knowledge and technology. Next, "absorb new knowledge." With the introduction of digital technology, it is also necessary to absorb new knowledge. Third, "create the future of architecture." Creating the future will give birth to new spaces. Finally, "be sensitive to the changing times." It is good to be sensitive to the changing times of the new era.

Student Newspaper April 1, 2023 Issue Senshu University 3rd Year Student Yui Takemura