ATLANTA, APRIL 30,2013 – When Boston University built a new Center for Student Services, its urban campus, interspersed with residential and commercial areas and thoroughfares, required that the project be a fast-track job both to stay within budget and minimize the disruptive impact of a large construction project on the community.
To keep the community informed and maintain goodwill, the University’s Facilities Management & Planning Department wanted to have on-site construction cameras with time-lapse capabilities that would make the photos available to the greatest number of people.
“We wanted to make it easy to see our camera views without downloading any new software,” said Lauren Stanton, communications specialist for the department.
When the construction webcam the University IT people offered did not have that capability, Boston University turned to OxBlue.
Stanton’s team accesses the OxBlue interface dashboard internally, as do the University president, senior vice-president of operations and others with a stake in the project. Subscribers to the dashboard include faculty, staff, students and community members. Alumni groups tap into it too for development purposes.
The surprise benefit of having OxBlue wireless outdoor cameras on the job site was the way the general contractor, Bond Brothers, was able to use the cameras to keep the fast-moving project on schedule, stay within budget and make continuous improvements in its processes.
“Being a fast-track job, there were people in the industry who told me that this building could not be built in the time frame that was required,” said Kevin A. Cooke, project executive and director of operations for Bond. “As we were racing toward the finish, I used the time-lapse movie to rally the troops. I was able to show them where we are today, where we had started and all that we had accomplished in a relatively short period of time.”
Cooke later used the time-lapse movie to negotiate pricing with vendors whose late deliveries had added to the job’s final costs, as well as to train other project teams.
“The OxBlue camera was a terrific tool,” said Cooke, “and the best construction Web camera that we have encountered to date.”
The OxBlue interface provides a complete yet simple solution that is accessible 24/7 from any device with Internet access, and accessibility can range from completely public to restricted with several security options. It allows an unlimited number of users to stay up to date on project progress as well as review historical documentation.
“In the use of our cameras for a major construction project on a university campus, Boston University joins the University of Iowa and the University of Arkansas, who are also using our cameras to ensure job site efficiency and improve both internal and external communications, they are all examples of our increasing commitment to education.”
–Chandler McCormack, CEO of OxBlue
OxBlue construction cameras come with all camera hardware, cellular data connections, servers, software and professional time-lapse production expertise in one complete package.
For information on OxBlue construction camera products and services, please call 1-888-849-2583 or visit OxBlue.com
About OxBlue: OxBlue is a leading construction webcam service provider, with hardware, connectivity, and expertise across 6 continents and all 50 states. OxBlue’s time-lapse cameras connect people on and off the job site, by improving communication through high-resolution images and time-lapse videos.