Aarsleff are an innovative pilling, geotechnical and sheet piling contracts and a subsidiary of Aarsleff A/S one of Denmarks leading civil engineering contractors. Aarsleff approached Luminous to explore how they could introduce VR into their business to assist with visualisation and project planning, as well as using it as a marketing, training and recruitment tool.
Most of what Aarsleff does happens under the ground, this makes it hard to train new staff and get them to visual the processes that they are carrying out. By utilising VR Luminous where able to recreate all of the core piling and drilling techniques that Aarsleff use as real time interactive experiences that take the user under the ground to witness the process first hand.
Aarsleff’s Marketing and Communications Manager said: “Finding ways to visualise and engage with ground engineering techniques can be challenging – everything our specialist industry does is underground or soon covered up. The new virtual reality application makes it possible for our users to experience ground engineering techniques in a more dynamic and accessible way than ever before, and this is what makes it really unique”.
With half a million workers set to retire over the next 10 years, the application has primarily been designed to address the growing skills shortage in the construction sector with a view to help attract the next generation of digitally native gamers into the industry.
The application has been designed to both appeal to a new entrant into the field of construction, and an already established geotechnical engineer who would like to understand more about Aarsleff’s products and services including Drilling and Grouting, Soil Nails, Driven Piling, Mini Piling and Sheet Piling.
Managing Director Kevin Hague said: “In embracing VR, we also hope to tackle the challenge that ‘young people are not interested in construction’ by rolling out the virtual application at careers fairs and university shows. Students and aspiring engineers will be able to walk around on an Aarsleff site, helping them to understand several ground engineering disciplines and learn about the machinery operated on site – all whilst in a safe and engaging way”.
The Luminous VR system has already reaped some substantial rewards for Aarsleff.
The company experience a huge uptake in students signing up for its mailing list after demonstrating the application at the 2019 Newcastle University Engineering, Science and Technology Fair. And more than 1,000 students between the ages of 10 and 16 checked it out during a demonstration at the Lincolnshire Construction Week event.
Banham says the feedback Aarsleff has received from clients who have used the application has also been largely positive. One client in particular was so impressed it signed up for more than $8.6 million worth of work following a demonstration.