Baumanagement Chmelar Uses Digital Site Records During IKEA Store Refurbishment

Baumanagement Chmelar used PlanRadar’s construction management platform to document refurbishment work at an IKEA store in Vösendorf, Austria. According to a case study published by PlanRadar, the system reduced the time required for a documentation walk-through by between 85% and 90%.

Baumanagement Chmelar was responsible for project management and construction coordination during work on the store’s 22,000 sq m roof. The project included repairs to the roof membrane, replacement of skylights, installation of photovoltaic panels and changes to the ventilation system.

The store remained open during the work, requiring the construction team to coordinate activities without disrupting customers below.

Adding context to site photographs

Construction teams routinely take large numbers of photographs, but individual images can be difficult to use if they are not linked to a location, date and stage of work.

“A photograph without location and time information is simply an image rather than evidence,” said Adam Heres Vostarek, Regional Manager at PlanRadar. “If photographs are spread across individual workers’ phones or stored without a consistent structure, it can be difficult to reconstruct the progress of the work later.”

This was a particular issue on the Vösendorf project because much of the large, flat roof looked similar. Skylights, fans and ventilation outlets could be difficult to distinguish in conventional photographs. A record describing moisture near a skylight, for example, would be of limited use without a precise location.

Documentation time reduced

The project team used PlanRadar to record site information and store it in a central system. Its SiteView feature captured 360-degree images during routine inspections using a wearable camera, which could be mounted on a helmet.

The images were automatically linked to the building’s digital plan, creating a location-based visual record of the work. According to the case study, a documentation walk-through that previously required between 90 minutes and two hours took about 15 minutes using the system.

The centrally stored records could also be used to prepare project reports and review earlier site conditions.

Records used after storm damage

During the refurbishment, a severe storm caused water to enter the building at several points. The project team used the existing location-based records to identify affected areas, coordinate repairs and document the damage.

PlanRadar said the records reduced the need for repeated physical inspections and manual searches through photographs. The information also helped the team manage repairs while the store remained open.

The project produced a digital record of the building’s condition that can be retained for future maintenance and facility-management work.

“The project shows how digital tools can support the management of complex construction work,” Vostarek said. “Having project information in one system was particularly relevant because the store remained in operation throughout the refurbishment.”