DENVER – As an expert witness in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, Nick Kurth often uses visualization tools to help win claims. Familiarity with these animated resources can effectively persuade clients, neutrals, judges, and juries. “They say a picture is worth a thousand words,” says Kurth, managing director at Secretariat’s Denver office. “A 3D or 4D model is worth 10,000 words.”
As a panelist at last year’s CSC, Kurth and colleagues educated attendees on how to leverage emerging non-AI technology such as 4D building information modeling (BIM). 4D BIM and other animation tools can develop visual time-impact analyses and aid in damage calculation. Third Thursday sat down with Kurth to learn more about the benefits of this emerging tech that ultimately demonstrates that showing is sometimes better than explaining.
Third Thursday: Why specify “non-AI” when referencing technology?
Kurth: The importance of staying in touch with the non-AI side of tech is that AI does not touch every single part of the project. A lot of the technology we use revolves around leveraging project data. We’re taking work product of other people, analyzing it, and using technology to formulate an opinion and help present information in a specific way. I don’t know of any real AI tools that do that yet—and I say yet because I believe it will go in that direction. Right now AI is good at processing documents and information.
Third Thursday: Why do you consider animation tools such as 4D BIM to be so powerful?
Kurth: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A 3D model is worth 10,000 words. It really boils down to communication. Whether you’re dealing with clients, neutrals, judges, or special juries, you need to ask; How familiar are they with engineer drawings? It can look cryptic.
You’re trying to understand a 3D world in a 2D view, and the BIMs allow for that 3rd dimension to be understood. It’s not just the X and Y axis, but the Z axis. You can easily spin around the three-dimensional model. It boils down to understanding and communicating.
Third Thursday: What is the 4D aspect?
Kurth: It’s where we take two project records—the model created for the construction project and the schedule created for the construction project. We link activities from the schedule to elements in the model. If you’re building a column [vertical structure], we link to that activity. You can actually see the schedule and what it means. You can see the project being built per the schedule versus looking at charts.
We bring the project to life and allow those who aren’t as familiar with the project to get a more in-depth understanding. We are generally comparing a baseline schedule bought by the owner from the contractor. As the schedule changes due to scope, we can easily see what those changes look like. Instead of trying to analyze PDF files or spreadsheets, interested parties can quickly and easily see the material and understand it.
Third Thursday: What are the primary objections or problems when using 4D visualization models?
Kurth: The veracity and validity of the data being used will always come under scrutiny. Everyone must be comfortable that the correct project record and schedule are being used. The biggest challenge is making sure people understand that this is a project record.
Third Thursday: Is there a real-world example that comes to mind?
Kurth: There was a large infrastructure project in Los Angeles that involved a dispute. I was working for the general contractor and we had a client who wanted us to do some underground utility work. They wanted us to do it after we had already done the sidewalk, the curb, and the gutter. The work that they were asking us to do would have been out of sequence, and it would cost more money. There would also have been delays.
We said, ‘okay’ except we would have to push the schedule to accommodate the request, and we would need to be compensated for the extra time. There was some discrepancy on how much extra time it was going to take, and they didn’t quite understand it. We quickly put a 4D model together that showed what the adjusted schedule would look like, plus additional activities in the schedule that would be impacted by adding this scope of work.
Third Thursday: Why did they need so much convincing?
Kurth: For some reason they were not recognizing the additional scope of the utility project, and the delays and disruptions that would be felt in other parts of the project that were adjacent to where the work was going to be done. Everybody was really having a hard time getting their head wrapped around it until we brought these simulations into the project hearing. After that it was immediately resolved that same day by the project neutral.
Nick Kurth is managing director at Secretariat. He has more than 19 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry (AEC), 15 of which have been focused on the strategy and implementation of advanced technology and design management. Kurth has forged relationships in the AEC industry, identifying key market strategies, leading partnering efforts, and curating opportunities for large complex projects throughout the United States. He often serves as an expert witness and his efforts have resulted in three awards and $1.2B of secured contracts.