Is Big Data in Construction a Big Problem or Big Opportunity?

Orlando, FL, October 30, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Massive construction projects often create major building forensic issues, requiring big data collection that quickly becomes a liability if not managed properly.

If a quarter million data sets are to be used by a 40-member team, the data needs to be organized so as to efficiently accomplish goals and achieve solutions amidst large construction project daily needs and looming deadlines.

"Anybody can collect data. What's critical is collecting the right data and making it accessible to the right people for their intended use. The data organization system must allow for the extraction of the right information at the right time in order to meet objectives."

George DuBose, Vice President of Liberty Building Forensics Group

“Anybody can collect data,” said George DuBose, Vice President of Liberty Building Forensics Group® (Liberty), a Florida-based firm.  “What’s critical is collecting the right data and making it accessible to the right people for their intended use. The data organization system must allow for the extraction of the right information at the right time in order to meet objectives.”

DuBose believes few know how to properly gather and utilize data to result in a maximum recovery when a project runs into difficulty, and to do so in such a way as to produce confidence in all parties involved – contractor, subcontractors, owner, designers, and end users.

Liberty recently gained unique insights from a major systemic issue occurring during construction of a large government project. Embedding digital data in each data point allowed for rapid, sophisticated, and continuous analysis that historically hasn’t been possible. Using geolocation in the large footprint multi-story building was critical so correlation to other information could be done quickly and contiguously.

Liberty believes construction data gathering needs to move away from traditional, time-intensive methods and towards a synchronized system that operates more like telemetry.

A recognized leader in solving, remediating, and litigating complex moisture and mold-related building failures, Liberty has extensive expertise in investigating and resolving construction and design deficiencies. This includes over 30 years of successfully assisting the Disney Corporation in completing over 500 highly complex construction projects worldwide; as well as successfully resolving the largest moisture/mold problem in the last 20 years and recovering $60MM+ in repair costs for the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Liberty staff have authored 3 manuals that are currently serving as industry standards for avoiding and resolving mold and moisture problems, including both the NCARB training monograph used by architects worldwide and Disney’s in-house design guidelines. Liberty has assisted clients in recovering over $500 million through its proven ability to understand and apportion complex moisture-related insurance claims and then effectively communicate its findings to a judge or jury.