Day 2 Speakers #COMIT 2019
Presentation: 10:00
A Digital Future for the Infrastructure Industry


Jamie Johnston,
Board Director
Head of Global Systems
Presentation 10:35
Automated Construction: Why Manufacturing is the Future of the Sector
Construction is the last sector, after agriculture, manufacturing and mining, that continues to throw thousands of people at a problem, working with chronically low productivity in physically and mentally challenging conditions. The time has come to apply the learning from other sectors and vastly increase productivity in both the design and delivery of assets.
The shift to digital design is accelerating thanks to sophisticated, data-driven tools that go beyond BIM. Algorithmic simulation, machine learning and generative design vastly accelerate the process. Better still, they generate far more possible solutions, which means better outcomes.
Meanwhile, new forms of construction are harnessing the benefits of manufacturing. Construction 'Platforms' combine design, manufacture, and procurement principles holistically to ensure a greater degree of rationalization and integration. Manufactured components can be used across sectors creating high, constant demand and economies of scale.
Biographical Information:
Having joined Bryden Wood shortly after the practice’s formation in 1995, Jaimie leads the adoption of a manufacturing-like approach to creating high performing assets on projects in the UK, Europe and Asia with clients including GlaxoSmithKline, Heathrow Airport and several government departments.
As Head of Global Systems Jaimie is one of the UK’s leading thinkers on the future of industrialised construction. He was an original member of the UK Government BIM Task Group and was the co-author of the 'Design for Manufacture + Assembly' overlay to the RIBA Plan of Works.
Jaimie was the author of the strategy documents ‘Delivery Platforms for Government Assets: Creating a Marketplace for Manufactured Spaces’, 'Platforms: Bridging the gap between construction + manufacturing' and 'Data Driven Infrastructure: From digital tools to manufactured components'. These have been adopted as a key articulation of the UK Government’s aspiration to adopt a more manufacturing-led approach to construction. This work was reflected in the Infrastructure and Project Authority’s call for evidence relating to the ‘proposed adoption of a Platform approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly’ issued in 2018.
Jaimie is the Design Lead for the Construction Innovation Hub, which in 2018 was awarded £72 million to drive innovation and technological advances in the UK construction and infrastructure sectors.


Cameron Blackwell,
Package Manager


Caroline Keane,
Technology Consultant
Presentation 11:35
Greater Efficiency in Design for Project Delivery
Every infrastructure asset is documented in data. Everything you ever need to know about your asset – everything that matters – is out there. Technically. The truth is most of the time, this data is scattered across various platforms and in various formats. It is not contextualized nor is it easily accessible. It is simply not data you can rely on. We need to bring all this data together, contextualize it, validate it, and visualize it.
How can we transform raw data into a living digital twin that is continuously updated and which opens your eyes to invaluable insights?
Join Mott MacDonald & Bentley Systems to hear about the challenges the industry faces and how they are leading the way to greater efficiency for Project Delivery through collaboration, innovation & openness.
Caroline Keane - biographical Information:
Caroline Keane is a technology consultant at Bentley Systems in iTwin Services - Digital Twins for Infrastructure. Her primary focus is to help project teams and owner operators to create, visualize, and analyze digital twins of infrastructure assets. With a proven track record of working in the software & services industry over the last 10 years throughout; UK, Europe, Middle East Asia & Australasia; in Oil & Gas, Government, Utilities/Owner Operators, Telecommunications and Infrastructure. Caroline is passionate about delivering added value to companies across the entire project lifecycle through innovative leading solutions & services.
Cameron Blackwell - biographical Information:
Cameron Blackwell is an engineering professional with a masters in Civil & Structural Engineering based, in London at Mott MacDonald. He brings extensive knowledge and expertise from working on major multidisciplinary infrastructure projects including; Thames Tideway, Crossrail 2, and most recently on HS2 Enabling Works at Euston Station.
Presentation: 11:50
It's All a Matter of Educating
Presentation: 12:15
The Use of Asset Management & BIM to Generate Information Requirements
Presentation: 12:40
Tiger (AO4) AWP Implementation


Mark Bankhead,
Technology Manager
Presentation 14:00
Integrated Nuclear Digital Environment – Optimising the lifecycle of nuclear plant
The nuclear industry is currently embarking on a process of developing Advanced Modular Reactor technologies as a solution to the energy trilemma – affordable, reliable, sustainable. If we are to achieve this goal utilising nuclear fission, we need to overcome the challenges of reducing costs and increasing safety. Digital technologies and cross sector learning have the potential to help us achieve this goal. We present the framework of a digital platform for nuclear. This will build on the legacy knowledge and understanding gained from many decades of safe operation and bring in cross sector ideas including Building Information Modelling and Digital Twins to manage the data across the lifecycle – from concept to prototype through the subsequent phases of construction, decommissioning and disposal. The advantages of implementing an integrated nuclear digital environment are presented in terms of shortening development timescales, reducing costs and raising safety, reliability and operability standards as well as creating the opportunity for the nuclear power industry to move towards small-scale mass production with its inherent cost reductions. A number of case studies are presented where impact is being made in nuclear decommissioning and nuclear reactor design.
Biographical Information:
Dr Mark Bankhead is a technology manager at the national nuclear laboratory. He is a chartered chemist with over 17 years’ experience working in nuclear R&D. He has a research background in computer modelling and is NNL’s lead for High Performance computing.
Managing Director, Spearhead Interactive & SafeSpace VR
Presentation: 14:25
Digital Transformation for Construction


Warren Hill,
Business Transformation Specialist
Presentation 14:50
KISS: The Key to Igniting Digital Change Among Field Workers
Despite of the increasing number of technologies available to construction companies, still there is a slow adaptation among field workers. One of the reason why the adaptation has been so slow is because the technologies are complex and originally developed for the office managers. Today, construction company leaders either find an app on their own then try to force the field teams to use the app or they don’t bother and let the field teams do as they want. The industry is in need for simple apps that any field worker can pick up and understand what it does, how it works without any training. One of the biggest complaints that field workers have is that they don’t want to take the time to learn a new technology. To have more field workers using digital tools will enable collaborative working, an increase in productivity and transparency on all aspects of the project. The session will appeal to Site Engineers, through to Project Managers, ICT Directors, Site Managers, and even investors, from the delivery side as well as the client side.
Biographical Information:
As a business transformation specialist for Site Diary, Warren Hill who is also a certified Business Coach and an Associate Member of ICE brings both mentoring and coaching and hands on field experience to the table. After managing his own house build in South Africa in 1994, Warren has been actively involved in various aspects of Civil Engineering over the past 15 years, working on a multitude of projects from motorways to Sports stadia all across the world.
Warren then took up the opportunity to coach and mentor several companies such as Industrial Roofing, Quantity Surveyors, Environmental Impact Assessment, Project Management, Professional Civil Engineers and Road Surfacing amongst others. He has coached on all aspects of the business focusing on growth opportunities and profit maximisation which gave Warren a deep insight into the construction industry which has led to his current role with Site Diary.
Presentation: 15:15
DEC for the World's Infrastructure
Presentation: 15:40
Waste to Wealth