How Carollo Engineers successfully scaled up VR BIM reviews across 18 companies

When Carollo Engineers wanted to level up their BIM reviews for the Metro Water Services (MWS) of Nashville treatment plant upgrade, they knew they needed a solution that could add value and keep pace with the project's tight schedule. Within just 8 weeks, VR-based BIM reviews have become a standard part of their review workflows and spread across 18 companies! By leveraging Resolve's technology and implementation support to streamline their design process, Carollo and their partners have been able to improve collaboration across 30 stakeholders on a water treatment project in Nashville, Tennessee.

About the project

The Nashville MWS Water Advancement project aims to replace and repurpose aging facilities dating back to as early as 1888, increase drinking water treatment capacity 67% from 90 million gallons per day (mgd) to 150 mgd, and advance treatment facilities to continue providing high quality drinking water to the City of Nashville.

The Results

• Stronger collaboration across 18 Companies: VR is being used across a diverse group of professionals, including engineers, contractors, and operations staff, representing 18 different companies. VR reviews have been critical for conflict management between disciplines, improved maintenance access and capabilities, and even understanding architectural details.
  
• BIM engagement across 30 Reviewers: With the right combination of software, hardware, and workflow, the Carollo team was able to engage 30 people to participate in VR reviews. It wasn't just one person wearing a headset and showing others what they were seeing and it wasn't just the technical staff. The model has been reviewed in VR by project managers, mechanical engineers, water services managers and engineers, and plant operations & maintenance staff.
  
• Consistency: Setting up Resolve only took a few minutes and after 8 weeks the team had integrated VR into their regular review workflows and achieved consistent usage across the 18 collaborating companies.

The Carollo team worked closely with Resolve to develop a deployment strategy focused on producing the desired outcomes. We know that when projects embrace new technology they don't want to waste anyone's time or money. We sat down to ask them what the keys to a successful deployment were.

Keys to Success

1. Aligning VR Reviews with the existing schedule

One of the critical factors in Carollo's success was integrating VR reviews seamlessly into their existing coordination timeline. By aligning review sessions with key milestones, you can ensure that models are at the right LOD and in a good state for stakeholders to review so nobody's time is wasted. Integrating with your existing schedule also helps guide what reviewers are looking for in VR.

2. Accessible, easy-to-use VR setups

The team used Resolve on Meta Quest 3 headsets, which delivered a simple wireless experience with performance capable of handling the large, dense models typical of water treatment facilities. The technology allowed reviewers to access the models immediately, with no need for additional modeling or file preparation. This efficiency was pivotal in gaining early adoption and maintaining momentum.

3. Structured and pre-scheduled VR reviews

Carollo Engineers adopted a structured approach to VR sessions. They scheduled reviews with clear, narrow scopes to maximize productivity, focusing on specific topics like accessibility or maintenance considerations. This structured format enabled targeted feedback from the owner’s operations team and other stakeholders.

When our team brought on Resolve, we were convinced of the potential of VR, but concerned about how quickly we could deploy a new technology on a fast-moving project. With Resolve’s Wellington Engine and wireless Quest 3 headsets, we were able to get the project team reviewing in VR, finding issues and improving our deliverables in a matter of weeks.
- Chris Cleveland, SVP and PM
Carollo Engineers

Carollo’s ability to adopt VR reviews quickly and effectively across 18 companies offers a roadmap for other firms looking to integrate VR into their workflows and truly unlock the full potential of VR BIM reviews.

Do you want to upload your own model to review in VR? Sign up for a free trial.

Resolve builds software that makes 3D building information models more accessible so teams can find critical issues that save time and money on new construction. Resolve's Wellington Engine can render large BIM files on the standalone VR devices making it a scalable, easy to use solution for project teams. Resolve is used by leaders spanning industries like food & beverage, water treatment, data centers, biopharmaceuticals, and green energy.