New 3D technology streamlines DOB construction approval process

The Department of Buildings will begin to accept three-dimensional construction site safety plans from contractors that the agency hopes will expedite the approval process. The agency unveiled the program at its annual Construction Safety Week conference at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square yesterday.

Contractors can electronically submit an interactive, three-dimensional map, created with building information modeling software, to inspectors, who can take a virtual tour of how a new building or major renovations will be constructed and review safety features. Upon uploading the safety plan, contractors can also easily submit amendments and revisions.

“The program is designed to increase the overall safety of the construction process while accelerating department plan approvals,” DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri told the Brooklyn Eagle. Because of the electronic format, communication between inspectors and contractors is streamlined more efficiently, and visits to the office department are rendered obsolete. All told, the city said it would lead to a faster approvals process.

According to the DOB, New York is among the first cities in the world to accept the new technology for construction approvals. — Adam Fusfeld