The AEC industry is in an all-out tech frenzy, and the giant firms are at the leading edge. Given their size, these firms possess the resources and scale to research and test the bevy of software and hardware solutions on the market. Some have created internal innovation labs and fabrication shops to tinker with emerging technologies and create custom software tools. Others have formed R&D teams to test tech tools on the job site.
Here’s a roundup of BIM/tech-related innovations reported by AEC giants as part of the Giants 300 survey:
TOP BIM ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
2014 BIM Revenue ($)
1. Gensler $833,024,000
2. HOK $395,000,000
3. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill $338,257,865
4. Perkins+Will $322,194,600
5. HDR $314,877,500SEE FULL LIST BELOW
TOP BIM ENGINEERING FIRMS
2014 BIM Revenue ($)
1. Jacobs $2,761,837,228
2. Burns & McDonnell $144,794,135
3. Thornton Tomasetti $124,815,343
4. SSOE Group $121,870,541
5. Leidos $85,658,000SEE FULL LIST BELOW
TOP BIM CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
2014 BIM Revenue ($)
1. Turner Construction $6,960,000,000
2. Whiting-Turner $3,767,284,852
3. Skanska USA $3,391,297,339
4. PCL Construction $3,013,868,713
5. Balfour Beatty US $2,793,025,783SEE FULL LIST BELOW
BIM GIANTS SPONSORED BY:
Little’s digital media team is exploring the use virtual and augmented reality tools for design visualization and coordination meetings with clients. For advanced applications, the firm is utilizing the Unity video gaming platform to produce highly interactive, immersive building models for clients. The resulting models can function on a website, as an app, through a Wii/PlayStation, or through a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift.
For more basic VR sessions, the firm is testing Google Cardboard, an inexpensive (as low as $2.50) cardboard template that turns almost any smartphone into a VR headset. When combined with special lenses, Google Cardboard allows users to view stereo panoramic renderings that immerse them in a given space, allowing them to look left and right, up and down.
Skanska, Suffolk Construction, Gensler, and Turner Construction are among the growing number of AEC giants that are embracing the hacker/maker culture, and are encouraging their employees to develop and test advanced tech tools. Through its Innovation Grant Program (launched in 2010), Skanska provides employees with financial support and resources to help turn their ideas into repeatable solutions, in partnership with local universities. The program has led to the development of a number of proprietary tools and apps used by Skanska employees across the country.
The Innovation Grant Program’s most recent successes include a pair of mobile applications: Safety Coach, a pre-task planning tool, and Project Corners, a job site communication app. Both software tools launched in early 2015 and already have more than 1,000 users across 20 project sites.
Gilbane’s VDC Group, headed by John Tocci, Jr. (a BD+C 40 Under 40 honoree, Class of 2011), continues to explore advanced applications for 3D laser scanners. The technology has been especially useful as a QA/QC tool, says Tocci.
“The technology around laser scanning has become so user-friendly that we have project teams—supers, project engineers, and assistant project managers—using these $50,000-plus scanners as part of their normal day,” he says. The contractor owns multiple laser scanners and is planning to purchase three more units during the next three months to support various project needs.
Gilbane’s next steps for laser scanning include mounting scanning units on tracked robots to speed and automate the reality capture process. Applications include the scanning of no-access spaces, such as abandoned structures and structurally unsound areas. “Once we get that use case squared away, we’re hoping future SLAM [simultaneous localization and mapping] robotics developments will allow us to scan job sites and open floors with automatic routines that find ways around blocked off areas, debris, construction materials, and parked scissor lifts,” says Tocci.
Fortis Construction formed a six-member BIM team, in part to help develop the processes and tools for delivering total building life cycle BIM models to owners and facilities teams. The goal is to help clients streamline O&M activities through operation-ready models that integrate deep data and links to key documentation.
The firm’s most recent success: an enhanced O&M BIM package for Oregon State University’s $51 million Learning Innovation Center. The deliverable was found to be so useful that OSU is adopting the package for campuswide facilities management.
A host of firms reported developing custom tools. BDG Architects created a project tracking application to more accurately monitor projects in real time, with a focus on maximizing profitability. Sundt Construction’s software innovation marries customer cost databases with more than 20,000 parametric equations to enable the firm to perform digital design, scenario planning, and full estimating at the conceptual stage. HKS developed a computational method for space optimization. Using the tool, the firm was able to achieve efficiency gains in a recent Promedica hospital tower plan, where, for instance, the nurses’ walking distances were cut in half based on simulated paths.
TOP BIM ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
| Company | 2014 BIM Revenue ($) | |
| 1 | Gensler | $833,024,000 |
| 2 | HOK | $395,000,000 |
| 3 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | $338,257,865 |
| 4 | Perkins+Will | $322,194,600 |
| 5 | HDR | $314,877,500 |
| 6 | Stantec | $296,939,992 |
| 7 | HKS | $252,277,490 |
| 8 | CannonDesign | $165,000,000 |
| 9 | SmithGroupJJR | $147,900,000 |
| 10 | EYP | $144,727,249 |
| 11 | Callison RTKL | $132,800,000 |
| 12 | ZGF Architects | $118,520,258 |
| 13 | Corgan | $99,858,000 |
| 14 | Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture | $79,000,000 |
| 15 | HGA Architects and Engineers | $78,157,000 |
| 16 | Flad Architects | $73,300,000 |
| 17 | Perkins Eastman | $73,160,000 |
| 18 | DLR Group | $71,500,000 |
| 19 | Page | $70,000,000 |
| 20 | Gresham, Smith and Partners | $67,847,000 |
| 21 | Clark Nexsen | $58,700,400 |
| 22 | Cuningham Group Architecture | $55,069,991 |
| 23 | Ennead Architects | $52,275,000 |
| 24 | Harley Ellis Devereaux | $51,218,000 |
| 25 | Kirksey Architecture | $49,310,320 |
| 26 | Cooper Carry | $46,927,920 |
| 27 | Fentress Architects | $45,751,367 |
| 28 | Moseley Architects | $42,211,162 |
| 29 | Hord Coplan Macht | $41,833,043 |
| 30 | S/L/A/M Collaborative, The | $41,310,000 |
| 31 | LS3P | $40,192,940 |
| 32 | Payette | $38,248,821 |
| 33 | BSA LifeStructures | $37,784,799 |
| 34 | BWBR | $35,161,000 |
| 35 | Shepley Bulfinch | $33,695,880 |
| 36 | Westlake Reed Leskosky | $32,600,000 |
| 37 | HNTB | $32,407,740 |
| 38 | CTA Architects Engineers | $31,071,355 |
| 39 | Morris Architects | $31,040,000 |
| 40 | Ballinger | $30,432,909 |
| 41 | Heery International | $30,236,504 |
| 42 | tvsdesign | $30,000,000 |
| 43 | Ziegler Cooper | $29,310,545 |
| 44 | JLG Architects | $29,214,880 |
| 45 | FKP Architects | $29,000,000 |
| 46 | Solomon Cordwell Buenz | $28,284,704 |
| 47 | SRG Partnership | $28,182,623 |
| 48 | VOA Associates | $28,049,364 |
| 49 | NORR | $27,674,000 |
| 50 | CO Architects | $27,121,500 |
| 51 | EwingCole | $26,978,000 |
| 52 | FXFOWLE Architects | $26,562,029 |
| 53 | Huckabee | $26,240,000 |
| 54 | FreemanWhite | $26,142,100 |
| 55 | Array Architects | $25,500,000 |
| 56 | Moody Nolan | $24,918,260 |
| 57 | Francis Cauffman | $24,899,061 |
| 58 | Ware Malcomb | $24,145,796 |
| 59 | OZ Architecture | $23,665,000 |
| 60 | LPA | $23,323,450 |
| 61 | Wilson Architects | $23,000,000 |
| 62 | LMN Architects | $22,638,600 |
| 63 | Mithun | $22,443,000 |
| 64 | WDG Architecture | $22,197,000 |
| 65 | Cambridge Seven Associates | $22,100,000 |
| 66 | Symmes Maini & McKee Associates | $21,864,035 |
| 67 | Integrus Architecture | $21,811,724 |
| 68 | FGM Architects | $21,351,443 |
| 69 | Hnedak Bobo Group | $18,680,428 |
| 70 | STG Design | $18,136,000 |
| 71 | BRPH | $16,600,850 |
| 72 | Wight & Company | $16,435,386 |
| 73 | Lord Aeck Sargent | $16,356,435 |
| 74 | Legat Architects | $15,571,000 |
| 75 | KSQ Architects | $15,562,620 |
| 76 | NAC|Architecture | $15,055,520 |
| 77 | Bergmann Associates | $15,000,000 |
| 78 | RS&H | $14,070,000 |
| 79 | GWWO | $14,060,715 |
| 80 | Quattrocchi Kwok Architects | $13,860,000 |
| 81 | Dattner Architects | $13,441,992 |
| 82 | Davis Brody Bond | $12,817,186 |
| 83 | HMFH Architects | $12,721,846 |
| 84 | Goettsch Partners | $12,629,000 |
| 85 | Architects Hawaii Ltd. | $12,467,000 |
| 86 | Carrier Johnson + Culture | $12,230,000 |
| 87 | MG2 | $12,131,000 |
| 88 | Albert Kahn Associates | $12,000,000 |
| 89 | Luckett & Farley | $11,832,325 |
| 90 | GBBN Architects | $11,735,300 |
| 91 | Fanning/Howey Associates | $11,142,614 |
| 92 | RBB Architects | $10,820,000 |
| 93 | DesignGroup | $10,783,076 |
| 94 | Hastings+Chivetta Architects | $10,664,072 |
| 95 | Becker Morgan Group | $10,356,845 |
| 96 | Beyer Blinder Belle | $9,852,220 |
| 97 | MBH Architects | $9,522,000 |
| 98 | Schenkel & Shultz | $9,077,000 |
| 99 | Margulies Perruzzi Architects | $8,900,000 |
| 100 | GSB | $7,800,000 |
| 101 | Baskervill | $7,653,249 |
| 102 | Ashley McGraw Architects | $7,304,749 |
| 103 | Anderson Mikos Architects | $7,136,256 |
| 104 | Vocon | $6,466,538 |
| 105 | Good Fulton & Farrell | $6,340,900 |
| 106 | PBDW Architects | $5,900,530 |
| 107 | DLA Architects | $5,683,620 |
| 108 | FRCH Design Worldwide | $5,427,000 |
| 109 | Mancini•Duffy | $5,225,000 |
| 110 | WD Partners | $5,200,000 |
| 111 | SB Architects | $5,145,809 |
| 112 | FitzGerald Associates Architects | $5,130,000 |
| 113 | PBK | $5,120,000 |
| 114 | Schrader Group Architecture | $4,639,175 |
| 115 | TK Architects International | $4,263,636 |
| 116 | Rosser International | $4,011,813 |
| 117 | BBS Architects and Engineers | $3,890,000 |
| 118 | Sheehan Partners | $3,600,000 |
| 119 | Harvard Jolly | $3,600,000 |
| 120 | Massa Multimedia Architecture | $3,335,444 |
| 121 | Sherlock, Smith & Adams | $3,177,000 |
| 122 | GreenbergFarrow | $3,170,000 |
| 123 | Inventure Design Group | $3,156,091 |
| 124 | KZF Design | $2,820,737 |
| 125 | Zyscovich Architects | $2,783,045 |
| 126 | ai Design Group | $2,650,255 |
| 127 | Environetics | $2,622,733 |
| 128 | Nelson | $2,500,000 |
| 129 | LK Architecture | $2,350,000 |
| 130 | Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio | $2,000,000 |
TOP BIM ENGINEERING FIRMS
| Company | 2014 BIM Revenue ($) | |
| 1 | Jacobs | $2,761,837,228 |
| 2 | Burns & McDonnell | $144,794,135 |
| 3 | Thornton Tomasetti | $124,815,343 |
| 4 | SSOE Group | $121,870,541 |
| 5 | Leidos | $85,658,000 |
| 6 | Vanderweil Engineers | $83,723,900 |
| 7 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | $82,000,000 |
| 8 | Dewberry | $79,106,299 |
| 9 | WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff | $60,000,000 |
| 10 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | $57,430,000 |
| 11 | BR+A Consulting Engineers | $46,000,000 |
| 12 | Henderson Engineers | $45,129,475 |
| 13 | ME Engineers | $45,000,000 |
| 14 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | $43,651,196 |
| 15 | Walter P Moore | $42,030,337 |
| 16 | TTG | $40,573,200 |
| 17 | Smith Seckman Reid | $36,538,845 |
| 18 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | $34,360,981 |
| 19 | Jensen Hughes | $28,500,000 |
| 20 | Epstein | $23,991,400 |
| 21 | Cardno Haynes Whaley | $23,207,485 |
| 22 | Heapy Engineering | $23,132,853 |
| 23 | Degenkolb Engineers | $22,769,783 |
| 24 | Affiliated Engineers | $22,332,000 |
| 25 | Hixson Architecture, Engineering, Interiors | $20,000,000 |
| 26 | Syska Hennessy Group | $19,443,297 |
| 27 | STV | $18,782,000 |
| 28 | I. C. Thomasson Associates | $17,600,000 |
| 29 | H.F. Lenz Company | $14,000,000 |
| 30 | DeSimone Consulting Engineers | $12,030,795 |
| 31 | Environmental Systems Design | $11,790,000 |
| 32 | Walker Parking Consultants | $11,740,000 |
| 33 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger | $10,500,000 |
| 34 | GRAEF | $10,000,000 |
| 35 | RDK Engineers | $9,915,000 |
| 36 | Ross & Baruzzini | $9,000,000 |
| 37 | Dunham Associates | $9,000,000 |
| 38 | CJL Engineering | $8,500,000 |
| 39 | Bala Consulting Engineers | $7,800,000 |
| 40 | Wallace Engineering | $7,500,000 |
| 41 | Zak Companies | $7,288,507 |
| 42 | M/E Engineering | $7,136,813 |
| 43 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers | $6,930,604 |
| 44 | Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon | $6,150,000 |
| 45 | Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering | $5,000,000 |
| 46 | Apogee Consulting Group | $4,724,172 |
| 47 | Highland Associates | $4,200,000 |
| 48 | RMF Engineering | $3,500,000 |
| 49 | Primera Engineers | $3,500,000 |
| 50 | LaBella Associates | $3,211,745 |
| 51 | P2S Engineering | $3,210,000 |
| 52 | CRB | $2,943,018 |
| 53 | Newcomb & Boyd | $2,941,243 |
| 54 | KLH Engineers | $2,834,052 |
| 55 | SIGMA7 Design Group | $2,569,499 |
| 56 | KCI Technologies | $2,000,000 |
| 57 | GRW | $1,594,885 |
| 58 | Wendel | $1,527,734 |
| 59 | Wick Fisher White | $1,423,000 |
| 60 | William Tao & Associates | $1,403,835 |
| 61 | Allegheny Design Services | $1,403,286 |
| 62 | Core States Group | $1,276,329 |
| 63 | ThermalTech Engineering | $1,000,000 |
| 63 | Aon Fire Protection Engineering | $1,000,000 |
| 65 | Carlson Design Construct | $400,000 |
| 66 | G&W Engineering | $360,000 |
TOP BIM CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
| Company | 2014 BIM Revenue ($) | |
| 1 | Turner Construction | $6,960,000,000 |
| 2 | Whiting-Turner Contracting, The | $3,767,284,852 |
| 3 | Skanska USA | $3,391,297,339 |
| 4 | PCL Construction | $3,013,868,713 |
| 5 | Balfour Beatty US | $2,793,025,783 |
| 6 | Gilbane Building Co. | $2,562,000,000 |
| 7 | Hensel Phelps | $2,465,810,000 |
| 8 | Lend Lease | $2,268,281,000 |
| 9 | McCarthy Holdings | $2,253,640,597 |
| 10 | JE Dunn Construction | $2,012,573,205 |
| 11 | Mortenson Construction | $1,977,778,800 |
| 12 | Clark Group | $1,862,982,912 |
| 13 | DPR Construction | $1,793,000,000 |
| 14 | Hoffman Construction | $1,528,274,204 |
| 15 | Suffolk Construction | $1,505,933,298 |
| 16 | Walsh Group, The | $1,357,634,163 |
| 17 | Structure Tone | $1,283,092,300 |
| 18 | Walbridge | $1,264,845,000 |
| 19 | Barton Malow | $1,243,539,000 |
| 20 | Clayco | $1,140,000,000 |
| 21 | Austin Industries | $953,140,898 |
| 22 | Power Construction | $868,000,000 |
| 23 | Brasfield & Gorrie | $855,573,176 |
| 24 | Weitz Company, The | $765,632,000 |
| 25 | Messer Construction | $764,077,743 |
| 26 | Beck Group, The | $753,070,275 |
| 27 | Consigli Building Group | $714,742,356 |
| 28 | Yates Companies, The | $615,800,000 |
| 29 | Manhattan Construction | $594,366,000 |
| 30 | HITT Contracting | $553,000,000 |
| 31 | Bernards | $522,500,000 |
| 32 | Sundt Construction | $500,000,000 |
| 33 | C.W. Driver | $471,960,000 |
| 34 | James G Davis Construction | $469,954,794 |
| 35 | Kraus-Anderson Construction | $402,000,000 |
| 36 | Gray Construction | $399,111,914 |
| 37 | Shawmut Design and Construction | $365,000,000 |
| 38 | Pepper Construction Group | $352,283,000 |
| 39 | Adolfson & Peterson Construction | $347,735,906 |
| 40 | Level 10 Construction | $339,745,092 |
| 41 | Robins & Morton | $330,854,638 |
| 42 | LPCiminelli | $313,316,849 |
| 43 | Flintco | $285,000,000 |
| 44 | McGough | $284,000,000 |
| 45 | Hoar Construction | $280,234,000 |
| 46 | Linbeck Group | $254,000,000 |
| 47 | Fortis Construction | $231,300,000 |
| 48 | Clune Construction | $220,011,708 |
| 49 | Paric | $220,000,000 |
| 50 | O'Neil Industries | $216,097,677 |
| 51 | James McHugh Construction | $215,802,869 |
| 52 | Haselden Construction | $204,855,931 |
| 53 | Alberici Constructors | $199,848,150 |
| 54 | W. M. Jordan | $193,668,671 |
| 55 | Rodgers Builders | $145,957,320 |
| 56 | Choate Construction | $125,234,767 |
| 57 | S. M. Wilson & Co. | $113,008,058 |
| 58 | Hill & Wilkinson | $112,261,400 |
| 59 | Coakley & Williams Construction | $109,972,489 |
| 60 | Leopardo Companies | $99,574,200 |
| 61 | Batson-Cook | $97,078,298 |
| 62 | Hill International | $97,000,000 |
| 63 | Wight & Company | $69,418,222 |
| 64 | LeChase Construction Services | $68,500,000 |
| 65 | KBE Building Corp. | $53,798,015 |
| 66 | Donohoe Construction | $53,443,258 |
| 67 | Doster Construction | $38,600,437 |
| 68 | BlueScope Construction | $37,840,000 |
| 69 | Weis Builders | $17,831,345 |
| 70 | Stalco Construction | $6,100,000 |
RETURN TO THE GIANTS 300 LANDING PAGE
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.
AEC Innovators | Apr 26, 2024
National Institute of Building Sciences announces Building Innovation 2024 schedule
The National Institute of Building Sciences is hosting its annual Building Innovation conference, May 22-24 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. BI2024 brings together everyone who impacts the built environment: government agencies, contractors, the private sector, architects, scientists, and more.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2024
BIM at LOD400: Why Level of Development 400 matters for design and virtual construction
As construction projects grow more complex, producing a building information model at Level of Development 400 (LOD400) can accelerate schedules, increase savings, and reduce risk, writes Stephen E. Blumenbaum, PE, SE, Walter P Moore's Director of Construction Engineering.
AEC Tech | Mar 9, 2024
9 steps for implementing digital transformation in your AEC business
Regardless of a businesses size and type, digital solutions like workflow automation software, AI-based analytics, and integrations can significantly enhance efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness.
AEC Tech | Feb 28, 2024
How to harness LIDAR and BIM technology for precise building data, equipment needs
By following the Scan to Point Cloud + Point Cloud to BIM process, organizations can leverage the power of LIDAR and BIM technology at the same time. This optimizes the documentation of existing building conditions, functions, and equipment needs as a current condition and as a starting point for future physical plant expansion projects.
AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2024
How Suffolk Construction identifies ConTech and PropTech startups for investment, adoption
Contractor giant Suffolk Construction has invested in 27 ConTech and PropTech companies since 2019 through its Suffolk Technologies venture capital firm. Parker Mundt, Suffolk Technologies’ Vice President–Platforms, recently spoke with Building Design+Construction about his company’s investment strategy.
AEC Tech | Jan 24, 2024
4 ways AEC firms can benefit from digital transformation
While going digital might seem like a playground solely for industry giants, the truth is that any company can benefit from the power of technology.
AEC Tech | Jan 8, 2024
What's driving the surge of digital transformation in AEC today?
For centuries, the AEC industry has clung to traditional methods and legacy processes—seated patterns that have bred resistance to change. This has made the adoption of new technologies a slow and hesitant process.
Digital Twin | Jul 31, 2023
Creating the foundation for a Digital Twin
Aligning the BIM model with the owner’s asset management system is the crucial first step in creating a Digital Twin. By following these guidelines, organizations can harness the power of Digital Twins to optimize facility management, maintenance planning, and decision-making throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Digital Twin | Jul 17, 2023
Unlocking the power of digital twins: Maximizing success with OKRs
To effectively capitalize on digital twin technology, owners can align their efforts using objectives and key results (OKRs).
