NDC26 is a design office specializing in steel structures, based in the Drôme region of France. This small company of around ten people has been relying on Trimble solutions for several years now, a choice that greatly facilitates its day-to-day operations.
With its various tools and software solutions, Trimble offers its users a connected construction ecosystem that effectively links field and office work. The combination of solutions can be adapted to all construction and building trades, and once integrated into a company's operations, can quickly become indispensable.
This is the experience of the team at NDC26, a steel structure design office based in Aouste-sur-Sye, in the Drôme region of France. This small company, which employs around ten people, has been relying on a number of Trimble solutions for several years. Feedback from its president, Jean-Baptiste Côte, leaves little doubt as to the effectiveness of combining the company's know-how with the precision and performance of Trimble tools.
Save time and manpower
When it's necessary to carry out dimensioning, there's no need to bring an entire team to the site: "A single person goes to the site with Trimble's TX6 scanner", explains Jean-Baptiste Côte. "With this device, he or she produces a 3D survey that corresponds precisely to the needs of the mission." Using Trimble's TX6 has multiple advantages: it can be handled easily by a single person, it doesn't require climbing a ladder or a cherry picker, and it delivers an extremely reliable result in a single pass. " It saves us having to go back and forth to the site: everything is recorded, so there's no risk of forgetting anything. It saves time and increases efficiency, especially when the site is hundreds of kilometers from the office", sums up the company director.
The 3D scan is then used to validate measurements for calculations and diagnostics. If the assignment involves the design of an extension or the addition of a structure within the building, the work is carried out using Tekla Structures software. 3D modeling is used to validate the design and integration within Trimble Connect: the different software packages complement each other perfectly.
From model to reality and back again
The principle of connected construction works in all directions. While NDC26 regularly switches from the real to the virtual to manage its projects, professionals can also switch from the virtual to the real. The company uses the Trimble RTS773 robotic total station, accompanied by the Trimble T10 tablet. "We have the design created on Tekla with the Trimble point cloud in the background. We then display the rendering on the tablet. This combination can be used, for example, to project light impacts on the walls of a building, to show very clearly where drilling is needed. We don't need a layout reference, we don't need to ask questions, we just drill
The time saved is considerable, as you don't have to wait until the components have been manufactured before starting to prepare the site. "Customers really appreciate it. When we present this solution, they usually call us back very quickly to put it into practice."
The construction site of the future is already here with Trimble
Jean-Baptiste Côte sees nothing but advantages in the Trimble ecosystem. "It saves us time and money, reduces the number of people needed to carry out operations, and makes the whole process more secure. What's more, there's no need to rent special equipment."
The company manager is confident about the future of the technologies at the heart of his business: "It's a way of working that's slowly but surely being democratized At NDC26, Trimble solutions are now part of the company's expertise, and this is undoubtedly just the beginning.
