FIS 2023 Agenda

Future Infrastructure Summit 2023 Agenda

Speaking Times in AEST (Brisbane time)

Welcome to the 2023 Future Infrastructure Summit

This years summit will be delivered  as a hybrid event with both inperson sessions at the venue, as well as bonus virtuall only sessions via Webcast Cloud, with each session live streamed on demand to remote audience members  each session can be joined either live, or at any point throughout the day, and in general our speakers will be available to respond to questions within the comments while their session is live.

Note: This is the draft program and as such is subject to change without notice.

8:30 AM

FIS2023 - Welcome to FIS

Eric Bugeja
Chair, BuildingSmart Australasia
Phil Hendy
Director, Lean Construction ANZ

Leadership & Government

8:40 AM

Brisbane Olympics

Wayne Gerard
Australian Olympic LEGACY Committee

8:55 AM

Digital by Default – Building Information Modelling and Common Data Environment

Bryan McSweeney & George Schwerin
Queensland Department of transport and main roads

9:10 AM

Why Consistent Data is the Key to Doing Less With More!

Transport for NSW have been on a journey to establish a consistent and digitally enabled way of exchanging project and asset data with industry using the Digital Engineering Framework. This talk will focus on the efficiencies and value-adding opportunities that are now possible for Transport as we build automated data production and review capabilities on top of our defined metadata and geometry specifications.

Adam Griffiths
Transport for New South Wales

9:25 AM

Queenland Health's Major Update to their BIM Framework

Queensland Health recently announced their Health Capital Program consists of a $9.8B spend on health infrastructure over the next 6 years. Not wanting to miss the opportunity this offers, their Health Capital Division recently completed a project to develop their Asset Information Requirements, as well as refining the integration of BIM and SAP for improved asset data at handover. The resulting updates to the BIM requirements documents have a strong focus on structing data in BIM for asset management. The further development of Queensland health's requirements around the use of IFC will require an uplift in industry capability, in turn delivering greater functionality and improving value from BIM for the client.
Toby Maple
IIMBE on behald of Queensland HEALTH

9:40 AM

Insights and Confidence: Digital Engineering for Asset Owners and Infrastructure Delivery

Principally focusing on Brisbane City Councils Major Projects Division, we welcome the opportunity to share our digital journey and offer valuable insights on how organisations can leverage Digital Engineering to engage with and instil confidence to their clients and stakeholders. Learn from industry leaders in Digital Engineering advisory as common Australian information requirements are discussed with respect to: the objectives of infrastructure owners and project delivery partners; why clauses are specified and observed industry trends.
Henry Unwin
Brisbane City Council - Design Assurance Manager
Lindsay Offner
Senior Digital Project Manager - DBMVircon

9:55 AM

OPV Digitisation Strategy

Luke Belfield
Office of PRojects victoria

10:10 AM

Government Speaker Panel Q&A

Join all of our Leadership and Government Speakers on a Q&A panel.

10:25 AM

Morning Tea

Industry Body

10:40 AM

'Disrupt or Die' - How to Meet our Built Environment Needs in a Capacity-Constrained Future.

The forward construction pipeline is huge, and the industry simply isn’t keeping up. Meeting the needs of our growing population will require a step-change in construction productivity. To meet this challenge, we need to fundamentally transform how we organise and deliver major construction projects. Here’s how to do it.

Robert Sobyra
Australian Constructors Association

10:55 AM

ABAB and the Opportunities that Digital Enablement Provide – Why a Consistent Approach is Required

The presentation will be outlining the digital enablement that is being developed and the role that ABAB continues to play given that Infrastructure Australia identified the important role that ABAB has in its 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan.

Andrew Curthoys
Cross River Rail / Australian BIM Advisory Board

11:10 AM

Introducing the New RISSB Standard AS 7739 Digital Engineering for Fixed Rail Infrastructure

Digital Engineering (DE) is currently transforming the way infrastructure projects are planned and delivered, through the emergence of new skills and the rapid uptake of digital technologies. Pioneering organisations in the built environment are now pushing the envelope further, by taking lessons from other more mature, digitally advanced industries. New teams centred on master data management are beginning to emerge, with new capabilities such as data governance, data architecture and data literacy just to name a few.

In response to these changes, RISSB has shown leadership in this space though the development of a new suite of standards. AS 7739 is a global first, that defines best practice DE for infrastructure projects. This presentation will cover the objectives of this initiative, the journey so far and the exciting opportunities ahead for DE in the infrastructure sector.

Simon Vaux
DEOS Digital

11:25 AM

Driving Circular Economy Outcomes in Infrastructure

Can we do more with less virgin materials? As we strive towards creating a circular economy, join us to explore some of the challenges and opportunities for recycled content in Infrastructure. Looking at how materials are just part of the journey.

Carolyn Gibbs
Infrastructure Sustainability Council

11:40 AM

Open data schemas for Infrastructure - IFC 4.3 Implementation guidance

Discussion of implementation of IFC 4.3 extension with Uniclass Classification, and Australian Standards using examples from road and rail projects.

Scott Beazley
Geometry Gym & buildingSMART Australasia

11:55 PM

Industry Body Speaker Panel Q&A

Join all of our Leadership and Government Speakers on a Q&A panel.

12:10 AM

Lunch

Industry Best Practice

12:40 PM

From Concept to Completion: Accelerate Your Project Delivery with Collaborative Workflows

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed construction, and taught us how to work more digitally and remotely. In Australia, skilled labour shortages, construction input inflation and a full infrastructure pipeline are creating significant challenges. The construction industry must deliver more efficiently to meet project timelines within budget like never before. A key to this delivery is truly connected and collaborative workflows across the project continuum. In this session we will show how contractors and owners are using digital solutions to connect construction from design to operations, and improve efficiency, with a constrained workforce. How do I as a contractor or asset owner manage my costs more efficiently? How do I enable my workforce while upskilling what resources I have? We will demonstrate how stakeholders are implementing more efficient digital construction processes and workflows by scaling and connecting workflows and enabling connections across eco-systems and various delivery solutions.

Dwayne Rosie
Trimble
Chris Richardson
Trimble

1:00 PM

Georeferencing in IFC 4x3

Infrastructure, City Models and Digital Twins are all being covered by buildingSMART International with IFC 4x3. However previously IFCs version were perceived to be restricted to local engineering coordinates which are rarely used in any of these Civil areas.This talk will outline why georeferencing is important in civil projects that extend over many kilometres, what can go wrong if georeferencing is not considered in a project and how georeferencing is encoded in IFC 4x3.

Lee Gregory
12D

1:15 PM

Integrated Digital Delivery

Introducing CIMIC’s digital delivery framework, Integrated Digital Delivery is CIMIC’s approach to Project Data Structure, Active 4D Planning, Intelligent Earthworks and Virtual Construction.​

Ken Panitz
IDD Tech , CIMIC GROUP

1:30 PM

Data, Platform and the Connection to Industry Resiliency

Post covid, the AEC industry has come under increasing pressure and arguably a fight for survival. This session will highlight important of data workflows, platform and the importance of this to the resiliency of our industry.

Chris Ryan
Autodesk

1:45 PM

VinZero: Win the Bid for Sustainable Infrastructure

This joint talk by Dr. Bacal and Mr. Kain will bring the audience one step closer to net zero. It is a showcase tools that can be applied to score participant’s corporate sustainability objectives and win the bids for environmentally conscious projects. Sustainability is about efficiency. It is about improving the bottom line of the projects, and, simultaneously, saving the planet. It is about doing more with less. During this presentation, the conference participants will learn about the environmental impact of the Built Environment and develop ways to reduce it. Participants will get to know the Autodesk Construction Cloud, a commercially available software package widely used by the industry. We will explore specific functions of the software that assist its users with improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs while minimizing the environmental footprint - to drive both, the profit, and the purpose.

Dorota Bacal
Sustainability and Innovation Lead - ANZ, VinZero
Michael Kain
Technical Consultant at Vinzero

2:00 PM

Wellington Railway Station Façade Condition Assessment - BSI Award Winning Presentation

This presentation focuses on how automation, provided by the open BIM schema IFC, can lead to more reliable, accelerated and legible outputs which can be leveraged for planning and procurement by facility operators. It also features how web technology can provide a collection point for condition values and providing remote access in challenging collaboration environments.

Matt Randell
Regional Information ModelLing Lead (NZ) at AURECON

2:15 PM

We've BIM Doing it All Wrong

BIM and openBIM processes provide great opportunities by industry to make significant time and money savings throughout the planning and design phases of asset delivery. The introduction of clash detection tools and issue tracking software enables the identification of issues well before the project reaches the site, saving costly changes needing to be made. But the design process is still one that is reactive rather than proactive. In my presentation I will share my thoughts of changing the design collaboration process to one that is proactive rather than reactive. A process which will cut the number of clashes and make issue management more focused. It will propose a method for implementing and adopting this “new and improved” approach to project delivery.

Nathan Hildebrandt
SKEWED

2:30 PM

Do More with Less - Increased Collaboration Involves Interacting with More Stakeholders, Complex Systems and New Challenges

We have a vision to improve operations across all steps of the construction process and project lifecycle up and down the value chain. Real data, real insights, real decisions, Komatsu Smart Construction makes oversights a thing of the past. Creating value together by connecting equipment, technologies, and personnel. How do we do more with less, less time , less skilled industry people across all aspects of a project, less budgets and list goes on. Komatsu is providing digital solutions, services and agnostic technologies to bridge the gaps so that stakeholders in a project, a site and a specific application can delivery projects on time, on budget with less resources, while providing opportunities to upskill their current workforces.

Aaron Marsh
National Product and Solutions Manager, Komatsu

2:45 PM

Industry Best Practice Speaker Panel Q&A

Join all of our Industry Best Practice Speakers on a Q&A panel.

3:00 PM

Afternoon Tea

Lean Construction

3:15 PM

Lean Relationships

Relationships based on trust enable effective communications. Successful implementation of lean practices to support higher levels of performance requires high levels of communication. A discussion on why productive relationships enhance the implementation of lean practices

Michael Ward
Alchimie & Chair Lean Construction ANZ

3:25 PM

Lean Construction in the Australian Infrastructure Sector

Case Studies from the Department of Transport and Main Roads in Queensland, focusing on site activities.

Chris Lunson
Department of transport and main roads

3:35 PM

Critical Success Factors for Last Planner® System

The benefits of implementing the Last Planner® System (LPS) are well known and documented. It’s the most common lean methodology in our industry. But what does it take to get your team using it well? Having introduced and supported teams in implementing LPS across various McConnell Dowell projects, Phil will share key findings from a recent LPS study they undertook with University of Melbourne. Expect to learn what it takes to make it stick and how to avoid the pitfalls.

Phil Hendy
Western Program Alliance

3:45 PM

Fostering Lean Implementation in Construction through Industry–University Collaboration

Collaboration between industry and universities has proven to a success in driving the implementation of Lean Construction globally. This presentation draws on several case studies from the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia to discuss how such collaboration has helped companies become more confident in taking up Lean Construction practices. Gao will also discuss the lessons learnt for Australia’s construction industry.

Gao Shang
University of Melbourne

3:55 PM

Lean Speaker Panel Lean Q&A

Join all of our Lean Speakers on a Q&A panel.

Education Rapid Panel

Digitalisation has placed an increasing expectation on engineering graduates and practitioners to be familiar with new modelling and information management technologies and standards, developing the necessary skills to stay up-to-date with the ever-increasing pace of innovation.
These expectations push tertiary education providers and other learning institutes towards new curriculum and pedagogies, like problem-oriented learning and micro learning. A growing number of educational institutes are now delivering a range of courses in BIM and digital engineering (DE) aligned with the Australian Qualification Framework across micro-credential, undergraduate and graduate credential levels.
Efforts to harmonise these offerings have recently begun, with academic and industry groups developing competency frameworks and accreditation schemes, and governments launching grants scheme to support the development and delivery of new teaching and learning programs.
Consistent knowledge competencies and skills across engineering jurisdictions are now required to ensure recognised standards and a globally competitive workforce. This will require more robust connections between industry, government, and academia.
This panel explores the status various educational initiatives and the nature of the key connections between the research and technology strengths of industry, government, and academia.

4:05 PM

David Mitchell
QS Technologies & Bond University

4:10 PM

Robin Droegemuller
Queensland University of Technology

4:15 PM

Dr M. Reza Hosseini
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

4:20 PM

Carly Cosmo
TAFE New South WALES

4:25 PM

Julie Jupp
University of Technology Sydney

4:30 PM

Robert Doe
UniSA

4:35 PM

Anne Hellstedt
Mott MacDonald

4:40 PM

Education Speaker Panel Q&A

Join all of our Industry Best Practice Speakers on a Q&A panel.

5:10 PM

Closing Remarks & Networking Drinks

Ken Panitz, Eric Bugeja, Phil Hendy, Christina Levinson, Russell Bunn, Julie Jupp & Audrey Flemming
Future Infrastructure Summit Organising Commitee

6:30 PM

Event Concludes

Bonus Virtual Speakers

Bonus virtual presentations are available to all ticket holders via our WebCastCloud video on demand platform. 

Users can login to webcastcloud using the email which they used to purchase/register their FIS ticket. No password is required. 

Video
On
Demand

Carbon Twin: Embodied Carbon Calculation & Visualisation

What if we could understand and communicate the carbon impact of our design decisions? The Mott MacDonald Net Zero, Digital Twin and Extended Reality (XR) teams collaborated to create a platform to visualise and understand embodied carbon throughout the project life cycle. Carbon Twin is our interactive tool enabling a better understanding of carbon impacts and improving net-zero decision-making on assets and across asset portfolios. Combining embodied carbon data with carbon pricing and 3D models, Carbon Twin empowers leaders and investors to visualise the hidden carbon in a projects design stage, to drive positive interventions to reduce carbon. By raising embodied carbon literacy, the platform challenges engineers to reduce carbon through design, while communicating impacts and benefits to a range of stakeholders. As part of a JV delivering the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro facility in Queensland, Mott MacDonald leveraged design data to build the Carbon Twin through consultation with JV partners and Genex Power.

Hayden Wright
Senior Digital Designer - Mott MacDonald
Calum Prasser
Principal Digital Project Manager - Mott MacDonald

Video
On
Demand

Artificial Intelligence For Better Financial Certainty

There are two questions that every infrastructure project organisation in every sector, in every country, asks itself every day. What will it cost? and When will it be finished?. In the majority of cases the answers are always the same - More than you expected! and Later than you planned!. This remains the case despite all the software, all the processes and all the efforts by talented people from time immemorial. There are two industries that have not increased in productivity at all since at least 1995 ; construction and professional services. It is a commonly expressed view from many industry leaders, that there has to be a better way. Now, change is coming. It is emerging from the Industry 4.0 revolution in two broad categories; sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. In infrastructure, the dominant focus has been on sustaining innovation, which reflects the conservative nature of the management of large projects delivered by large organisations, and the low level of technology awareness of the industry. However, a small group of innovators around the world are taking on the challenge of bringing a new paradigm to the age old struggle of solving the chronic problems of time and cost performance. This presentation will take the audience on a tour of the leading edge technologies and highlight the opportunities they bring for better project outcomes. The presentation will challenge perceptions at the very core of the way infrastructure projects are managed and show how AI innovation will make things better for all infrastructure stakeholders. Examples of real outcomes, from real projects will be included.

David Porter
Managing Director at Octant AI

Video
On
Demand

Information Management and Interoperability

Before we talk about technology we must start understanding more about our information. Information properly defined, structured and managed can provide great value to an organisation and ensures it can be used at each stage on an asset’s life. This presentation will simplify the complex subject of information management and help change people’s mindsets with regards to the importance of information.

Emma Hooper
Associate Director & Head of R&D
Bond Bryan
Digital & Vice Chair of BuildingSMART UK & Ireland

Video
On
Demand

The latest from Austroads

An update on the development of the Austroads Guide to Digital Engineering – background (especially why we are doing it – to improve industry), status and expected outcome. I will also briefly cover on our support for BsI development of IFC, and endorsing open standards. Including the submission Austroads made to the parliamentary enquiry on infrastructure procurement.

Ross Guppy
Transport Infrastructure Program Manager at Austroads

Video
On
Demand

A dive into the productivity benefits driving change in spatial digital technology whilst delivering real benefits in the built-world lifecycle with minimal investment

Mobile connectivity has resulted in a greater reliance on apps and SaaS platforms than ever before, aimed at helping the construction industry do more with less. The demand for spatial digital twin technology has increased and is transforming the engineering and construction industry in ways that have never been seen before. Using AI and 360°photos, this technology can capture and then create dimensionally accurate 3D digital spaces that can be updated quickly to reflect modifications or alterations during the build lifecycle – and can be used across all phases of a project. With a simple “setup and go” process, spatial digital technology and Cupix has transformed the way communication across various stakeholders has changed. Providing far more jobsite data and information than ever before. In addition more benefits are realised including, less site visits required, less rework and disputes and more positive and productive collaboration. In other words, spatial digital technology provides more data, more information whilst cutting data collection costs. Digital twin technologies collect robust data and create stronger knowledge exchange between architects, engineers, builders and end-users. This presentation will focus on the next generation of Modelling and imaging. By combining AI and BIM technologies, SaaS platforms can transform 360 photos taken by off-the-shelf 360 cameras into a virtual 3D space and provide a cloud based unified platform for industry data formats.

Varhun Prasad
ANZ Director of Solutions Engineering, Cupix

Video
On
Demand

Sustainable Interoperability for the AECO Sector

Challenges to achieving interoperability in the AECO sector has hindered the design, construction and operation of fully sustainable buildings. The term interoperability refers to the connectivity that should occur between stakeholders and to links between collaborative and technical methods for integrating tasks. Hence, our aims are: • To examine these gaps in knowledge and understanding of the connectivity between sustainability and interoperability. • To focus attention on interoperability and its contribution to sustainable outcomes in the AECO sector where trust, openness, sharing, and collaborative methods for exchange of information and data are all essential if economic, social and environmental interests are to thrive. • To propose a technical solution which, by integrating interoperability, will lead to sustainable outcomes. Our current research project develops earlier research which compared solutions to improving interoperability in the Oil & Gas sector with the AECO sector. Arising from this comparison, we assert that a truly representative and sustainable architecture will emerge only when the means and methods of design, construction and operation have been improved, integrated and made fully interoperable. Following on from our earlier focus on comparing the standards and systems in two different sectors which influence interoperability, we will develop guidelines and specifications as the basis for creation of a proof-of-concept (PoC) solution to address current challenges to the integration of interoperability in the AECO sector. Participants in the ‘Interoperable Sustainability for the AECO sector’ project, include: Dr Robert Doe (UniSA Creative), Dr Karamjit Kaur (UniSA STEM), Dr Matt Selway (UniSA STEM), Dr Rebecca Morgan (UniSA STEM), Professor Markus Stumptner (UniSA STEM), GHD, DBM Vircon and buildingSMART International.

Robert Doe BSc, DipArch, MSt, PhD
Lecturer, UniSA Creative