CRIARTE at II Iberoconstruct: Digital Construction Sites, BIM and Automation
- construcaocriarte
- Jan 30
- 3 min read
Apresentação do evento e mensagem da mesa
The first day of II Iberoconstruct — the Ibero-Brazilian Construction Meeting — brought together public authorities, companies and universities at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid to discuss the sector’s evolution through industrialisation, technological innovation, sustainability and the modernisation of contractual models.
In the opening session, with contributions from José Miguel Atienza, Miguel Ángel Carrillo, Fernando Santos and Humberto Varum, the need to improve productivity, strengthen project predictability and modernise public-works processes became evident.
The Construction Sector in Spain — Julián Núñez
In his intervention, Julián Núñez highlighted the economic and regulatory challenges shaping the Spanish construction sector, stressing the importance of sustained infrastructure investment and maintaining the existing built environment.
The parent project of CRIARTE, FORTIS, includes a pilot led by VIAS addressing the robotisation of maintenance activities on Madrid’s metro tracks.
Perspectives from Portugal and Brazil — Humberto Varum and Fernanda Fernandes Marchiori
The contributions of Humberto Varum and Fernanda Fernandes Marchiori offered a comparative view of regulatory and operational contexts in Portugal and Brazil, including the specific challenges of public works contracts.
The diversity of legal and production frameworks reinforced the importance of digital platforms that integrate planning, execution and real-time control, enabling construction teams to operate on a shared information base — one of the pillars of the holistic digital twin that CRIARTE aims to develop.
Roundtable: Industry Dynamics — moderated by Carlos Ursúa
Moderated by Carlos Ursúa, the panel brought together Concha Santos, Esther Ahijado, Fernanda Fernandes Marchiori and Jorge Moreira da Costa to debate industrialisation, governance and internationalisation.
The discussion highlighted the importance of reliable technical records and collaborative processes, pointing toward digital construction sites capable of simulating construction sequences and anticipating risks.
Innovation in the Construction Industry — Carlos Martínez Bertrand
Carlos Martínez Bertrand highlighted the role of innovation ecosystems and pilot projects in accelerating technology transfer into industrial practice.
CRIARTE fits into this movement by exploring the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence and digital twins as the site’s operational infrastructure.
Industrialisation and Robotics: 3D Modular Construction — Rui Garcia
In his intervention, Rui Garcia presented Garcia, Garcia S.A.’s strategy through the AMB brand, as well as the challenges associated with prefabricated 3D apartment modules.
Issues raised around geometric tolerances, system interfaces and quality control showed that although modularisation is advancing, many products have not yet been designed for robotic on-site assembly — a topic that CRIARTE identifies as critical for the future of automation in construction.
Communicating Sustainability: Digital Product Passports — Pedro Mêda
Pedro Mêda’s presentation focused on material traceability and communicating environmental performance across the lifecycle.
These structured datasets are relevant for CRIARTE as informational layers within the construction digital twin, even though the project does not explicitly aim to develop this component.
New Materials — Jaime Gálvez
The session led by Jaime Gálvez addressed emerging solutions and the need to validate their real-world behaviour in construction environments.
Particular attention was given to the development of solutions designed to counteract concrete degradation caused by external agents such as carbonation and reinforcement corrosion while meeting carbon footprint reduction targets.
BIM and Digital Twins — Marcos García
In the BIM-focused session, Marcos García highlighted the evolution toward large-scale digital twins, with examples exceeding 200,000 interconnected objects.
This approach shows how digital twins are becoming central platforms for construction management — aligning with CRIARTE’s ambition to keep the construction site (and the future asset) continuously synchronised with its virtual model.
Roundtable: The Future of Construction — moderated by Tiago Teixeira Martins
Moderated by Tiago Teixeira Martins, the panel included Hipólito Sousa, Francisco Reis, Gómez Hermoso, Antonio Gómez and Antonio Ramírez, discussing innovation, financing and technology adoption.
The debate underlined that scaling digital solutions requires new skills that are currently scarce, regulatory alignment and demonstrator projects.
Conclusion
Day 29 of II Iberoconstruct confirmed that industrialisation and digitalisation are at the heart of the sector’s transformation.
Sessions on modular construction, BIM, sustainability and governance converged on the need for integrated digital environments that improve productivity, safety and predictability.
It is within this framework that CRIARTE positions itself: investigating how smart construction sites supported by holistic digital twins — representing buildings, materials, workers and equipment — can contribute to a more efficient and future-ready construction industry.
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