If you think extended reality (XR) is all about donning a headset and exploring a virtual world, you might be surprised to learn that it's transforming how business is done in a range of sectors.

From healthcare to energy, XR solutions are creating new opportunities for remote collaboration. And civil engineering is no exception.

There are a number of pain points that civil engineers know only too well. The design cycle is sprawling and held back by endless back-and-forth. Site visits and inspections cost a pretty penny. And the health and safety of frontline staff is a constant worry. 

SimplyVideo is a remote collaboration tool that's supported by most XR headsets and glasses. It's built for complex networks – the perimeterless, multi-device chains of users that are increasingly the norm.

It's also built to be used in low-bandwidth locations, so your deskless workers are never left alone in the field.

In this article, we look at how a platform like SimplyVideo can help civil engineers solve familiar problems, all while cutting down on cash – and carbon.

Shortening the design cycle

It's a story as old as time – the difficulty of getting everyone who's involved in the design process on the same page.

If you run an international team, you may find that the process is constantly slowed down by communication lags. You can't proceed til a blueprint is rubber-stamped – but you're also unable to present the blueprint easily.

SimplyVideo provides a solution to this problem so frequently experienced by people in the civil engineering sector. Wherever in the world your team is, they can all don headsets and look at the same designs – even the same virtual 3D objects.

Just as a VR headset allows multiple players to aim for the same golf hole, so SimplyVideo lets team members all look at a 3D design object as though it were there in the room with them. This isn't just good for your team – it's also good for stakeholders, who will get a vivid, lifelike presentation of your proposal.

What's more, these objects can be moved around and inspected. The need to contextualise and explain a design is drastically reduced – and waiting around for feedback is eliminated.

One of SimplyVideo's headline features is "in-call annotation". This means that you can virtually annotate images – highlighting an important feature, say – and have that annotation be seen by everyone on the call.

And naturally, this virtual workshop is far more carbon-efficient than a meeting room in Birmingham, where team members have had to get the train in.

When it comes to the design process, SimplyVideo boosts remote collaboration, cuts waiting times and keeps your company on track to meet its sustainability targets.

Improving health and safety in construction

Mixed reality glasses aren't just consumer gizmos. They're also able to keep your staff safe on a construction site. 

At the moment, construction workers and site visitors have to consult any documentation they need on their smartphones – but smart glasses have one key advantage.

They overlay site information in the wearer's field of vision. This means they can see building plans, installation instructions and technical data projected onto the real world while keeping their hands free.

Working hands-free is a surefire way to reduce cognitive load – the amount of information that an employee is processing at any given time. With information floating in their field of vision, they can stay focused on the task at hand. This has the potential to boost accuracy, as well as safety.

As with 3D objects, it's not just frontline staff who benefit from these digital overlays. It's also clients, who are able to see how an installation is going to look in situ – kind of like the construction equivalent of IKEA's app which lets you see how a piece of furniture will look in your house.

Building inspections

Walking through a hazardous area with a smartphone in your hand isn't ideal. Using SimplyVideo-equipped smart glasses, inspectors can see the information they need without looking down – and they can communicate with vendors and stakeholders in real-time.

This communication isn't just verbal, either. Inspectors can send photos and videos with ease – and have them sent back to them with helpful annotations. And unlike other video call platforms, this is built for XR and built for remote locations where signal isn't always reliable. 

And if you need to access high windows, rooftops or other hard-to-reach exteriors, you can harness SimplyVideo's drone support. This provides a clear video feed of areas where ideally you wouldn't send a member of staff.

Improving the accuracy of site inspections can only be a good thing. An overlooked fault is bad for everyone – you, your client and the people who will use the building.

That's where SimplyVideo can help – reducing the scope of human error and increasing inspectors' on-site safety.

The case of Soletanche Bachy

Soletanche Bachy is an international geotech company that provides the foundations for tunnels, roads, railways, buildings and more.

The company approached SimplyVideo for a workable safety solution when unable to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They used SimplyVideo with the RealWear HMT-1 head-mounted tablet. This enabled them to capture site visits and provide quality assurance and quality control from afar.

It also meant less experienced workers could be trained by mentors in another part of the world. Instead of flying an expert in – with all the money and carbon that consumes – they dialled in via video and shared their expertise.

This is a great example of how SimplyVideo can boost remote collaboration, improve safety standards, cut costs and keep your company sustainable.

Interested in finding out more? There are many more ways that our XR video call tools can open up new possibilities in civil engineering. Sign up for our free 30-day trial today.