Sydney region local authorities have indicated that when developers display the building proposal from a 3D viewpoint projected into the environment in which they will be built,this could speed up development approvals and reduce project costs.

Project Surveyors. Vic Cavasinni of Cavasinni Constructions, used it to demonstrate a planned development to a local authority, said that his company realised that lay people in council and council staff find it hard to think in three dimensions. "These people sometimes appear to understand what a development will look like, when in fact they are unsure. This product has been a tremendous help in getting the building concept across to them."

The software is expected to appeal to town planners, developers, construction companies, surveyors, accident investigators, urban heritage bodies, environmental and community groups and local government authorities.

Joe Frasca, the principal at Project Surveyors, said that because the end result is completely accurate and gives realistic visualisation from any angle, it is perfect for demonstrations to planning bodies.

"Viewers of the visualisation will be able to tell at a glance the likely impact of the project on the cityscape, on other individual buildings, street level activity, compliance with development controls, and so on.

"The professionalism of the 3D image will impress regulatory or forensic authorities used to looking at printed plans, or at models and artists drawings that may have distorted perspective."

Some of its uses include: street scape analysis; development approval hearings; environmental impact assessments; accident or crime scene portrayal and professional exhibitions.

Kathryn OMeara reports that Quantity Surveyors remain upbeat, but to a lower tune

the latest Westpac/AIQS Brix Building Survey reports that not all the nations quantity surveyors expect future workloads to continue rising over the next year. The survey foundthe QS community positive over the December quarter, this was down by 10% on the September results and over 30% expect future workloads to continue rising over the next year. The confidence is dented by suggestions of the prospect of an interest rate rise expected around the middle of 2005.

The survey of Australias major quantity surveying companies is conducted quarterly for Westpac and the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors by the University of Melbourne. The survey examines each phase of the construction cycle: pre-construction, during construction and post-construction.

South Australias booming property market shows no sign of abating, the survey found that South Australian respondents were the most confident of all the states surveyed, 80% of respondents in the June and September quarters and 60% in the December quarter anticipate a rise in workloads.

Queensland was the only major state to increase their confidence levels in the December survey.

New South Wales and Victoria were the only major states where respondents thought workloads would decline at any stage during the survey period.

The retail sector demonstrates sustained low vacancy and continued expansion plans of major centres. Similarly, industrial property has been in a steady construction cycle since the early 2000s. While many office markets remain oversupplied, demand has picked up, with all markets bar North Sydney recording expanding occupancy levels in 2004 for the first time since early 2001.

Not surprisingly the residential sector was where a balance of quantity surveyors thought workloads would slow, with the shift towards non-residential projects continuing.

The BRIX survey showed that quantity surveyors "before construction" activity in the residential sector during the December quarter was 22 percentage points lower than September.

Building prices continue to be a focal point and have once again exceeded respondent expectations, rising by almost 10% in the last 12 months. Quantity surveyors anticipate a continued increase in building prices over the next 12 months somewhere in the order of 7%.

The expected movement in building prices over the next 12 months is the highest given by respondents in more than two years, and reflects the building pressure on both materials and labour from the still very active construction sector,AIQS general manager Terry Sanders said.

"Some trades have experienced more stress than others. Structural steel costs grew by 4% over the quarter, with reinforcement at 3% for the quarter after growth of 8% in September. Joinery and paving had the smallest change in cost over the quarter at 0.3%".

28 - 30 July 2005

Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Australia

Exhibit at Infrastructure Australia 2005, 28-30 July.

International Trade Exhibition Focusing On Products, Equipment & Machinery For Major Building & Construction Projects

http://www.tradecom.ae or

eventellas2005@smartemail.co.uk