Bluebeam’s Luke Prescott presents new product innovations during the Unbound 2025 conference in Washington, D.C., showcasing workflow updates on stage before a full audience.
  • Project Management & Efficiency, Technology & Innovation

Unbound Day 2: Innovation Meets Reality on the Jobsite

From AI-powered workflows to mobile breakthroughs, Day 2 of Unbound 2025 showed how Bluebeam is turning big ideas into practical tools for builders everywhere
Duncan Wardle, former head of innovation at Disney, delivers his keynote at Bluebeam Unbound 2025 after walking on stage to Toy Story’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me."

Day 1 at Unbound: Why Creativity and Courage Beat Business as Usual

  • Project Management & Efficiency, Technology & Innovation
Why the first day of Bluebeam’s new industry conference wasn’t just about features but about the mindset to use them

Most conferences start the same way: an emcee points to the bathrooms, the CEO thanks the sponsors and everyone claps politely before checking their email.

Day 1 of Unbound could have gone that way. It didn’t.

Instead, Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja walked out and told more than 1,000 attendees that sticking to the old playbook is the surest way to lose. The industry, he said, is entering a “new season,” and the companies that survive won’t be the ones that play it safe; they’ll be the ones who prepare before the rules change.

That was the tone-setter: not another speech about “innovation” or “digital transformation,” but a call to become what he called “dual athletes”—builders fluent in both construction and AI.

And if that wasn’t enough to jolt the audience out of autopilot, the next keynote did the trick.

Former Disney exec Duncan Wardle had the crowd designing parachutes for elephants and brainstorming the Pet Olympics. Silly? Sure. But his point was serious: adults are professional idea-killers, and the future will belong to the teams that trade “no, because” for “yes, and.”

Season Change

Usman framed the moment in blunt terms: construction is entering a “new season.” Like Formula 1, you can’t win using last year’s playbook. He called on the industry to become “dual athletes”—people fluent in both construction craft and artificial intelligence.

And instead of talking in vague terms, he went concrete.

Turner Construction’s 100,000-square-foot cancer treatment center in Pasadena, California, wasn’t delivered by buzzwords but by superintendents rolling up their sleeves, ordering pizza and building their schedule inside Bluebeam so every contractor could stay aligned.

Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja shares a personal moment during his Unbound 2025 opening keynote, showing his 11-year-old son’s Lego build of Real Madrid’s stadium—a reminder that creativity, problem-solving, and building start early.

The project hit every milestone. More importantly, it hit the only milestone that mattered: first patient.

That’s the stakes of this “new season.” It’s not AI for AI’s sake. It’s AI that gives back 1,000 hours across a project—time that translates into fewer missed handoffs, fewer change orders, more lives saved.

The Disney Guy

If Usman’s challenge was about technology, Duncan Wardle’s was about mindset.

The former head of innovation at Disney walked on stage to Toy Story’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and within five minutes had people out of their seats.

Former Disney head of innovation Duncan Wardle energizes the Unbound 2025 audience with his keynote on breaking down barriers to creativity and sparking fresh ideas.

Wardle’s entire keynote was a reminder that adults are “professional idea killers.” We default to “No, because…” instead of “Yes, and…”—and in doing so, we shrink ideas before they have a chance to grow.

He had receipts:

  • Pixar brainstorms that birthed Finding Nemo and Toy Story in a single lunch.
  • A “what if” exercise in Mumbai that turned empty bottles into daylight lamps for a million homes without electricity.
  • And the insight that Disney’s $1.7 billion-a-year MagicBand wasn’t born from asking “How do we make more money?” but from asking “What if there were no lines?”

His closer hit hardest:

“The opposite of bravery isn’t cowardice. It’s conformity.”

Why It Landed

It would’ve been easy for Day 1 to be another parade of AI hype and soft-focus innovation jargon. But the pairing of Usman and Wardle made the themes land:

  • Season change is real. The industry can’t rely on yesterday’s playbook.
  • Dual athletes will win. Construction mastery plus AI fluency isn’t optional; it’s the baseline.
  • Mindset matters. Creativity dies in cultures that reward conformity.
  • Playfulness is a tool. “Yes, and” cultures grow bigger ideas faster.

What’s Next

Day 1 wasn’t only about vision and mindset. It also delivered major product announcements, including the debut of Bluebeam Max. But those deserve their own deep dive, which we’ll cover in a dedicated post.

Because if Day 1 made anything clear, it’s this:

The future of construction won’t be won by the companies that conform. It’ll be won by the ones willing to rethink how work gets done—and who have the courage to act before the rules change.

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Rebuilding Hollers volunteers in hoodies and hard hats gather after Hurricane Helene to support rebuilding efforts in western North Carolina.

Rebuilding Hollers: How Local Supply Chains and Skilled Hands Are Driving Recovery in NC

  • People & Project Spotlights, Project Management & Efficiency
A North Carolina nonprofit is blending supply chain innovation, contractor collaboration and community labor to rebuild after Hurricane Helene

At a gas station in western North Carolina, days after Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains, Stephanie Johnson watched a mother count out quarters to buy food for her kids.

“That’s when I understood that this is really bad,” Johnson said.

Helene had already left Johnson and her family stranded on their property for three days, sawing their way out through downed trees. But the sight of parents scraping for food showed her the storm’s devastation was deeper than wrecked roads and washed-out homes. It was survival.

For Johnson—a former commercial contractor turned real estate agent—that moment launched a mission that has since grown into Rebuilding Hollers, a nonprofit coordinating hundreds of recovery projects. Drawing on her construction background, Johnson built a system that blends supply chain innovation, contractor collaboration and community labor—an approach with lessons for construction professionals far beyond North Carolina’s hollers.

From Chainsaws to Sheetrock: Meeting Material Needs

Johnson leaned on her contracting background to see past the immediate food crisis to the larger task: rebuilding. From fall 2024 to spring 2025, Rebuilding Hollers had distributed at least:

  • 400 chainsaws.
  • 300 generators.
  • 50 water filtration systems.
  • Multiple 18-wheeler loads of lumber, sheetrock, siding and other building materials.

Support came from local businesses and national brands alike. Loggers donated lumber, a distributor contributed siding, Ryobi provided tools and a business pooled money to supply sheetrock. An empty storefront became storage space, and Starlink internet helped Johnson coordinate needs quickly on social media.

“It was just amazing how God was sending everything the community needed,” Johnson said.

A Construction-Informed Funding Model

Johnson’s team quickly recognized a familiar challenge for disaster recovery: getting the right materials to the right site at the right time. To solve it, they partnered with Summit Building Supply, a local supplier, to create a gift certificate system tied to each project’s material list.

Here’s how it works:

  • Rebuilding Hollers raises funds and directs them into a prepaid escrow at Summit.
  • Once a project is approved, the owner receives gift certificates linked to their specific list of materials.
  • Families use them at Summit to collect exactly what they need—reducing waste, avoiding mismatched supplies and keeping dollars circulating locally.

For some projects, Rebuilding Hollers also has paid contractors and subcontractors and covered costs at other stores.

A mountain hollow in western North Carolina shows the scars left by Hurricane Helene—washed-out banks, downed trees and debris. Rebuilding Hollers, founded by Stephanie Johnson, has supported more than 450 recovery projects like this one, supplying chainsaws, lumber, and skilled labor to help families rebuild.

As of spring 2025, the nonprofit has provided more than $284,000 in direct financial support. “It’s totally mind-blowing to me when you really get into what is going on,” Johnson said.

Workforce Partnerships and Skilled Labor

Rebuilding Hollers’ model emphasizes collaboration across the construction ecosystem:

  • Local contractors and tradespeople are working alongside families.
  • High school carpentry students, through a partnership with the nonprofit, are gaining hands-on training while contributing labor.
  • Nonprofits, businesses and individuals have joined in to provide both skilled and volunteer support.

By May 2025, the nonprofit was backing 457 projects—including 51 total losses. Two families had already moved back into fully rebuilt homes with help from the organization.

Rebuilding Communities and Stabilizing Economies

Johnson stresses that rebuilding homes isn’t just about shelter but about keeping the regional economy intact.

“If we don’t rebuild, our entire economy will crash,” Johnson said. “Families will leave, property values will plummet and the community will never recover.”

Tourism is central to the mountain economy, and in May 2025, Rebuilding Hollers hosted a fundraising event that brought tourists into the hollers, both to witness the devastation and support local businesses.

Lessons for the Construction Industry

Rebuilding Hollers’ experience offers several takeaways for professionals across construction, engineering and supply chain sectors:

  • Material management systems like project-specific gift certificates can reduce waste and misallocation.
  • Local supplier partnerships keep dollars in the community and streamline logistics.
  • Blended labor models—combining contractors, student trainees and volunteers—expand capacity in a strained workforce.
  • Community-focused rebuilding strengthens not just housing stock but the broader economy.

As Johnson put it: “We’re saying we’re going to stand by you as you rebuild. If you’re brave enough to rebuild, we’re brave enough to get you whatever you need.”

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Construction crew guiding a massive concrete tunnel segment into a submerged trench using pontoons and cables

400 Whales at a Time: Inside Europe’s Tunnel Megaproject Beneath the Baltic

  • Project Management & Efficiency
It’s one of the longest immersed tunnels ever built. Its 73,000-ton concrete segments float—barely—and it’s being assembled with millimeter precision beneath the Baltic Sea

Relatively unknown outside Europe, the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is quietly becoming one of the most ambitious civil engineering projects on the planet.

Slated to open in 2029, this 18-kilometer (11.2-mile) submerged connection between Germany and Denmark will cut travel time across the Baltic Sea from nearly 60 minutes—including a ferry ride—to just seven minutes by train or 10 minutes by car.

But the real story isn’t about speed. It’s about how engineers in one of Europe’s flattest regions decided not to drill or bridge, but to sink nearly 80 massive tunnel elements—each weighing roughly as much as 365 blue whales—directly into the seafloor.

This wasn’t the obvious choice, but it was the one that best balanced risk, cost and environmental impact, according to more than a decade of cross-border feasibility studies and analysis.

Drilling Was a Gamble. So They Didn’t.

In 2011, after extensive study, planners narrowed their options to three: a bored tunnel, a suspension bridge or an immersed design.

“A bored tunnel would have proved to be a very expensive and risky solution since the seabed is not suitable for drilling,” said Denise Juchem, a spokesperson for Femern A/S, the Danish state-owned firm overseeing the project.

A bridge might have saved money upfront, but wind conditions across the Fehmarnbelt are severe, and anything high enough to avoid disrupting shipping would’ve had a massive ecological and visual footprint.

“In terms of finance, environmental considerations and risk, the immersed tunnel was therefore the optimal solution,” Juchem said.

Assembly Line to Ocean Floor

The construction strategy sounds like science fiction, but it’s playing out in real time.

Crews are casting 79 concrete tunnel elements, each measuring 712 feet long and weighing 73,000 tons, at a purpose-built 1,235-acre facility on the Danish island of Lolland. Each element is formed from nine concrete segments poured in sequence.

“Production runs on an assembly line principle,” said Gerhard Cordes, a project director with Femern A/S. “A steel framework is first constructed for each segment, which is approximately 24 meters long. It’s then cast in concrete, allowed to cure and pushed forward one section at a time so that the next segment can be cast.”

Once complete, each tunnel element is sealed with steel bulkheads, floated into a lock system and guided to its final position in the trench, about 40 feet below the seabed.

Despite their weight, the elements float with just enough buoyancy to be maneuvered using specially designed pontoons and steel cables. A GPS-enabled alignment system ensures they’re guided with millimeter accuracy.

“The elements are immersed on steel cables and joined to the elements already installed by positioning the immersion pontoons,” Cordes said. “A locking system (pin and catch) secures the exact position relative to the preceding element and the alignment is ensured by adjustable supports.”

Once aligned, the joint is sealed using only water pressure.

“The water pressure from the opposite end of the element compresses the joint,” Cordes said. “The gravel layer in the tunnel trench is laid out before immersion and serves as an accurate foundation.”

It’s not welding. It’s more like interlocking stone, except each piece weighs more than a fully loaded aircraft carrier.

No Room for Error

A single misalignment could stall progress, delay schedules and complicate the precision required to connect the next segment.

There’s no easy do-over. Once placed, these elements aren’t coming back up.

That’s why the team runs detailed simulations in advance and monitors every placement in real time using underwater cameras and sensors. Each segment is a calculated risk—and a high-stakes test of coordination and trust in the system.

Environmental Tradeoffs—Without the Greenwashing

The Baltic Sea is home to porpoises, nesting seabirds and fragile marine ecosystems. Environmental scrutiny of the project has been intense—and justified.

But Femern A/S leaned heavily on experience from previous fixed links, like Denmark’s Øresund and Great Belt projects, to reduce the project’s footprint.

“The planning of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel draws on the experiences from the fixed links across the Great Belt and the Øresund, which have shown that negative environmental impacts can be avoided through careful planning and implementation of construction work,” Juchem said.

That includes relocating or replanting affected areas, minimizing on-site disruption and restoring natural habitats. In Lolland, Femern A/S has pledged to replace at least twice the area of disturbed land.

Is it perfect? No. But it’s a far cry from the zero-mitigation approach common to megaprojects just a few decades ago.

The Project So Big They Built a Tourist Platform

Public interest has been unexpectedly strong. When Femern A/S opened a viewing platform near the construction site, more than 10,000 people showed up in the first month.

Engineers have become de facto tour guides. And a project once known only to planners is now attracting visitors, photographers and school groups—long before its ribbon-cutting.

What Megaprojects Can Learn from Fehmarnbelt

This endeavor to link Denmark and Germany is about proving that modular construction, real-time simulation, environmental offsetting and international coordination don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Want a playbook?

Modular builds. Digital modeling. Live underwater alignment. Mitigation-first planning. Public transparency. It’s a strategy other megaprojects would be smart to copy.

The Fehmarnbelt tunnel, above all, is showing what’s possible when you combine high-stakes logistics with long-term thinking—and pour 73,000 tons of concrete at a time.

Want to see construction tech at full throttle?

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Logos of the Mexico, USA, and Canada national soccer teams above the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, symbolizing preparations for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics across North America.

How US Builders Are Preparing for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics

  • Project Management & Efficiency
As the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics approach, US builders are racing to retrofit stadiums, expand transit and deliver under intense global pressure

The United States’ construction industry is on the hook for delivering not one but two global spectacles: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

We’re talking high-stakes retrofits, billion-dollar transit overhauls and a clock that won’t stop ticking. The world’s watching—and the pressure’s mounting.

A National Sprint with Global Pressure

The 2026 World Cup will hit 16 cities across North America, 11 of them in the US. Think Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Seattle, among others. Two years later, the Olympics return to LA for round three.

Combined, the events are projected to add more than $28 billion to the domestic economy and support more than 250,000 jobs, according to the most optimistic and recent estimates by the Boston Consulting Group and LA28 organizers.

Still, these events aren’t just about dollars but about delivering infrastructure that holds up under the weight of the world stage.

This won’t be easy, especially for LA’s Olympic preparations. A devastating series of wildfires struck large pockets of LA County in January 2025, destroying more than 18,000 structures and forcing more than 200,000 residents to evacuate. This resulted in extended emergency response and diverted city crews away from Olympic preparations.

Stadiums Get a Second Life

The build must go on, however. And this time around, we’re not building shiny new stadiums. We’re fixing up what we’ve got—and making it work harder.

  • MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is getting a major retrofit to fit FIFA’s field rules. Skanska is ripping out more than 1,700 seats to rework the layout with modular steel seating.
  • AT&T Stadium in Texas is dropping $350 million on upgrades: AV, accessibility and fan experience.
  • NRG Stadium in Houston is adding lighting, locker rooms and a widened field for seven World Cup matches.

Over in LA, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will co-host the opening ceremonies of the 2028 Olympics alongside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, marking the first dual-venue debut in Olympic history. Rather than building a new $1 billion Olympic Village, LA28 plans to repurpose existing UCLA dormitories, using nearby student housing and dining facilities to reduce cost and environmental impact.

Then there’s the Intuit Dome, a $2 billion, all-electric arena built for the Clippers and prepped for Olympic basketball. It’s targeting LEED Platinum certification, runs on solar and stores enough energy to power a game off-grid.

Infrastructure Is Where the Real Work Happens

Everyone loves a good stadium shot, but the real grind is in the infrastructure.

L.A. Metro’s “28 by 28” plan is the backbone—28 major projects done by the Olympics. That includes a $3.3 billion Purple Line extension to UCLA and a $13.8 billion Sepulveda Transit Corridor, one of the region’s most ambitious rail projects.

LAX, meanwhile, is adding a people mover and a new transit hub to cut down on car traffic. A “car-free” Olympics was the dream. Now, Mayor Karen Bass says: just take the train.

Beyond L.A., cities like Kansas City and Seattle are revamping roads, rails and terminals. Kansas City opened a new $1.5 billion airport terminal in early 2023 as part of a long-term modernization strategy—timed to support the World Cup but planned well before it was awarded hosting rights.

Tech Is the Backbone

With timelines this tight, tech isn’t optional—it’s survival:

  • BIM and digital twins are being used to model venues, simulate crowd flows and test emergency plans before a shovel hits dirt. According to Autodesk and Turner Construction, these tools are streamlining design validation and reducing rework on site.
  • Bluebeam, Procore and Autodesk BIM 360 are powering documentation, markup workflows and project tracking across stadium and transit jobs.
  • Turner and AECOM Hunt are using AR headsets and prefab systems to cut labor hours and improve build precision.
  • Public dashboards let stakeholders monitor progress, track RFIs and flag delays in real time.

Greener Builds, Fewer Footprints

FIFA mandates natural grass, so US stadiums are testing modular turf systems that won’t destroy NFL fields. LA28, meanwhile, is committed to carbon neutrality, prioritizing adaptive reuse and temporary construction wherever possible.

The Intuit Dome leads the charge. Solar panels. Battery storage. Fully electric. It’s a prototype for what modern arenas could be.

Still, some critics say this reuse-first approach lacks legacy. Olympic events like canoe slalom are being hosted at Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City—more than 1,300 miles away—raising questions about what physical footprint LA will leave behind.

Labor Crunch and Supply Chain Scramble

Labor is tight. Supply chains are still glitchy. So, cities are getting creative.

  • Union apprenticeships and local hiring mandates are ramping up.
  • Projects are leaning on prefab and off-site builds to reduce on-site labor needs.
  • Materials like steel, glass and electronics are being pre-ordered in bulk, with secondary suppliers on standby.

Budgets are walking a tightrope. As of mid-2025, LA28 had raised $5.1 billion of its $7.1 billion target. If the city falls short, LA covers the first $270 million in overruns and the state picks up the next $270 million—despite a projected $12 billion California budget deficit, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

What’s Next

We’re inside three years to the Olympics and under a year for the World Cup. Stadiums are being ripped apart and rebuilt. Trains are being tunneled. Budgets are bending. And the whole world is watching.

This is a stress test for American construction, one that could rival past US megaprojects like the Interstate Highway System or Hoover Dam.

If the industry pulls this off, it won’t just be about medals. It’ll be about modernized cities, tougher teams and a blueprint for how to build smarter—under pressure.

The clock’s running. Let’s get it done.

Build better under pressure with smarter tools.

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The White House South Portico on a sunny day, symbolizing U.S. federal leadership—relevant to discussions on modernizing permitting processes using AEC-specific digital tools.

Modernizing Permitting: Why AEC-Specific Tools Are the Key to Moving Fast—and Getting It Right

  • Project Management & Efficiency
Federal agencies are racing to digitize permitting. Here’s how tools built for AEC workflows are cutting delays and delivering results

The April 15 White House memo wasn’t subtle: Federal agencies must digitize their permitting workflows—and the clock is ticking.

You’ve got fewer than 45 days to draft a strategy. Fewer than 90 days to start modernizing. The era of binders, stamps and buried PDF chains is officially over.

We’ve already covered the mandate and the tools. This time, we’re showing what success looks like, and how your agency can follow suit without reinventing the wheel.

Generic Tech Isn’t Cutting It Anymore

Permitting isn’t just paperwork. It’s regulatory, political and deeply collaborative. You’re juggling compliance reviews, interagency coordination and public scrutiny, all while trying to hit infrastructure deadlines.

And yet many agencies are still stuck with general-use tech: email chains, untrackable PDFs, generic DMS platforms. These tools weren’t built for permitting. They were built for office workflows that don’t involve public comment periods or NEPA deadlines.

So, if your review process feels slow, fragmented or unpredictable, it’s not your fault. It’s the software.

What AEC-Specific Tools Actually Do Better

Here’s what happens when permitting teams use tools made for their world—not just “document management” in general:

Real-Time, Multi-Stakeholder Reviews: Everyone—from city engineers to federal reviewers—can comment, mark up and approve plans in the same session. No delays, no version confusion.

Built-In Audit Trails: Every comment. Every signature. Every revision. Automatically logged, trackable and compliant.

Paperless by Default: Stop printing 500-page plan sets just to mark up one elevation. Save money, reduce waste and move faster.

Transparent by Design: Create a digital chain of custody. Open review statuses to stakeholders. Build trust without sacrificing control.

Fewer Delays, Less Rework: With centralized access and shared standards, teams spend less time hunting files and more time pushing projects forward.

And yes—tools like Bluebeam do all of this. But don’t take our word for it.

Cities Are Already Doing It—and Winning

Agencies across the U.S. at the state and local level are showing what digital permitting done right actually looks like:

  • Coral Springs, Florida, cut plan review times by 66%, dropping from 15 days to just five by combining Bluebeam with its existing permitting platform.
  • Las Vegas, Nevada, processes more than 3,500 permits a month—fully digitally—without adding headcount. The city also saves around $600,000 annually by eliminating print costs.
  • Merced County, California, accelerated plan reviews and reduced printing costs by adopting Bluebeam across multiple departments, streamlining workflows for everything from fire safety to code enforcement.

None of these municipalities started from scratch. They didn’t rip out core systems. They didn’t need five-year roadmaps.

They started with what they had. They added tools that worked. They got results.

You’re Not Behind. But You Can’t Wait.

The technology is here. The benefits are proven. And the deadlines are real.

The good news: You don’t need to overhaul your entire tech stack. Bluebeam plugs into your existing environment, supports secure federal workflows and has been helping public sector teams digitize permitting and plan review for years.

We’ll help you start fast, scale smart and stay compliant. You’ve got enough complexity. Your permitting software shouldn’t add to it.

Let’s Talk

Permitting is a public trust. It’s also a chance to lead.

You don’t need to figure it all out alone. Agencies across the country are already modernizing, and we’re helping them do it.

Ready to get started? Email our public sector team and let’s build what’s next—together.

Three engineers in safety vests reviewing wind turbine plans on-site, highlighting collaboration challenges in green energy construction projects.

The Dirty Truth About Green Energy Projects: Why Paper, Rework and Bad Collaboration Are Holding the Industry Back

  • Project Management & Efficiency
Despite big sustainability goals, most energy projects are still slowed down by outdated paper workflows, miscommunication and costly rework, making efficiency and ESG targets harder to hit

It’s a 94-degree day on a wind farm outside West Texas. The site superintendent is flipping through half-crumpled, coffee-stained paper drawings. They’re out of date—again. Meanwhile, the structural engineer is 200 miles away, marking up a newer version that no one on-site has seen yet.

This isn’t just frustrating. It’s expensive, wasteful and exactly the kind of inefficiency that the energy sector can no longer afford.

As energy companies pivot toward renewables, net-zero targets and ESG mandates, their processes are still dragging like a diesel truck in reverse. Paper workflows. Siloed communication. Version chaos. All of it adds up to delays, busted budgets and carbon footprints no one wants to report.

Here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be this way.

Bluebeam: Built for Real Work in the Energy Sector

Bluebeam gives oil, gas and renewables teams a better way to build. Its suite of digital tools lets project partners mark up drawings, coordinate in real time and track every change—without printing a single sheet or sending a single “just circling back” email. It’s not just efficient. It’s essential.

Let’s break down exactly where traditional energy workflows fall apart, and how Bluebeam helps fix it.

Paper Is the Enemy

The problem: Printed drawings, paper markups and manual handoffs still rule many energy jobsites. That leads to errors, rework and wasted materials—all of which carry major cost and carbon consequences.

The fix: Bluebeam replaces paper with field-tested digital workflows. Teams can annotate plans directly in Revu, access updates via Studio Sessions and make changes visible across stakeholders instantly. It cuts printing, delays and waste.

The impact: One study found that digital collaboration tools can reduce rework by 52% and slash document handling time by 61%. That’s time and money energy teams can’t afford to lose.

Rework Is a Budget Killer

The problem: A single versioning mistake can delay a pipeline weld or battery storage installation by days, costing tens of thousands of dollars. What’s more, rework accounts for up to 30% of total construction cost, according to McKinsey.

The fix: With Bluebeam, stakeholders can review, mark up and approve designs collaboratively, even across time zones. Everyone’s on the same page (literally). Version tracking and automated change logs eliminate confusion.

The impact: EPC firms using Bluebeam have reported faster approvals, tighter timelines and fewer costly field changes. For large-scale capital projects, that can mean millions in savings.

Time Is a Non-Renewable Resource

The problem: Energy builds are complex. Contractors, fabricators, inspectors, owners—they all need the right info at the right time. Every delay compounds.

The fix: Bluebeam centralizes project data. Measurement tools ensure accurate takeoffs. Punch walkthroughs and progress tracking reduce idle time. And because everything’s digital, field teams don’t have to wait on updated docs.

The impact: On solar and other large-scale energy projects, digital workflows have been shown to significantly reduce delays and improve coordination, helping teams stay on track and cut idle time, according to best practices from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and findings on digitalization in construction from MDPI.

Sustainability Starts in the Trailer

The problem: Many companies talk about ESG, but their jobsite practices tell a different story. Paper waste. Overordered materials. Flying in teams for on-site meetings.

The fix: Bluebeam directly supports sustainability goals by reducing paper use, travel and waste. Cloud-based collaboration keeps teams aligned from anywhere. Digital tracking improves procurement precision.

The impact: According to the EPA, construction and demolition waste accounts for more than 600 million tons annually in the U.S. Tools that reduce rework and material waste can have an outsized environmental benefit.

Better Builds Start with Better Tools

The energy industry is at a crossroads. Between climate mandates, market shifts and infrastructure aging, it’s under pressure to deliver projects faster, smarter and greener.

Bluebeam was built for exactly that. Whether it’s upstream oil, downstream processing or a solar microgrid in the middle of nowhere, Bluebeam helps energy teams collaborate better, reduce waste and build with purpose.

If you’re serious about delivering greener energy projects—without blowing the budget—it’s time to ditch the paper and level up your workflows.

Ready to ditch the paper and build smarter?

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Wind turbines and oil refinery near water under blue sky—symbolizing the oil and gas industry’s transition to sustainable energy through digital collaboration.

Powering the Future: How Digital Collaboration Drives the Oil & Gas Industry’s Energy Transition

  • Project Management & Efficiency
Digital tools are reshaping the oil and gas industry, streamlining operations, enhancing compliance and driving progress toward a more sustainable energy future

The oil and gas industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, where entrenched traditions clash with the pressing need for sustainable transformation.

Environmental mandates, shifting public expectations and investor demands have put fossil fuel giants under unprecedented pressure. They must transition to cleaner energy sources while battling the unforgiving reality of staying profitable in a hyper-competitive market.

This high-stake balancing act has forced the industry to rethink how it operates, making technological innovation less of an option and more of a necessity. Enter digital collaboration and document management tools.

These technologies might not command the spotlight like gleaming wind turbines or vast solar arrays, but these behind-the-scenes powerhouses are driving the energy transition forward. By simplifying complex project workflows, locking down compliance and speeding up critical decisions, digital collaboration platforms are transforming how oil and gas companies meet the demands of a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

The Growing Energy Transition Pressure on Oil & Gas Companies

The global energy sector is undergoing a major transformation as countries set increasingly ambitious renewable energy targets.

For instance:

  • The European Union aims for a 100% renewable electricity system by 2035.
  • Denmark targets 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
  • Several US states have set goals for 100% clean electricity, with varying deadlines.

To align with global climate objectives, the oil and gas sector faces the imperative to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. McKinsey & Co. estimates that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will require the industry to cut emissions by at least 3.4 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent annually—a 90% reduction from current levels.

This monumental task necessitates substantial investment in low-carbon technologies, including carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). McKinsey’s analysis suggests that annual global investment in CCUS technology needs to reach $120 billion to $150 billion by 2035 to meet net-zero targets.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores the pivotal role of the oil and gas industry in scaling up crucial technologies for net-zero transitions. The IEA reports that approximately 30% of the energy consumed in a net-zero energy system by 2050 will come from low-emission fuels and technologies that could benefit from the skills and resources of the oil and gas sector.

In response to these challenges, major oil and gas companies are increasingly investing in low-carbon solutions. The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) reported record low-carbon investments of $29.7 billion in 2023, totaling $95.8 billion since 2017, reflecting the industry’s commitment to a net-zero future.

These investments are not merely expenditures but strategic moves to diversify portfolios and maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. By embracing low-carbon technologies, oil and gas companies can position themselves as integral players in the global transition to sustainable energy.

How Digital Collaboration Tools Drive Efficiency in the Energy Transition

To manage large-scale renewable energy projects, real-time collaboration tools are indispensable. Digital platforms enhance coordination, reduce delays and minimize costly errors.

For example:

  • Centralized Document Access: Teams can work on the same project documents simultaneously.
  • Faster Decision-Making: Immediate feedback and approvals speed up project timelines.
  • Improved Communication: Engineers, contractors and project managers stay aligned throughout the project lifecycle.

In a 2023 survey conducted by Deloitte, oil and gas executives highlighted the importance of digital transformation in enhancing operational efficiency. The survey revealed that digital technologies are pivotal in meeting fossil fuel reduction targets, with executives in both oil and gas and industrial products sectors prioritizing these technologies.

This emphasis on digital tools reflects a broader industry trend toward embracing technological solutions to navigate the complexities of the energy transition. By using digital collaboration platforms, companies aim to streamline operations, reduce emissions and maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

The integration of digital technologies is not merely a strategic advantage but a necessity for oil and gas companies striving to achieve sustainability goals while optimizing performance. As the industry continues to adapt to global climate imperatives, the role of digital solutions in driving efficiency and supporting the energy transition becomes increasingly critical.

Efficient Document Management for Compliance and Sustainability

Managing vast amounts of documentation is critical for energy projects. Paper-based systems are inefficient, prone to errors and can hinder compliance with environmental regulations.

Digital document management platforms offer:

  • Centralized Data Storage: Securely store and access project documents like environmental assessments and permits.
  • Regulatory Tracking: Ensure compliance with changing policies through automated tracking.
  • Error Reduction: Minimize costly mistakes with up-to-date, easily accessible records.

Expanding the Scope: Addressing the Larger Energy Challenge

Global energy demand continues to rise due to population growth and economic development. A comprehensive approach should consider:

  • Diverse Energy Sources: Renewables are vital, but natural gas and nuclear power also play critical roles.
  • Advanced Nuclear Technologies: Small modular reactors (SMRs) and Gen IV reactors offer safety and efficiency improvements.
  • Specialized Construction Needs: Building new energy infrastructure requires specialized skills, enhanced safety measures and advanced project management capabilities.

Embracing Digital Tools for a Sustainable Energy Future

The future of the oil and gas industry hinges on its ability to adapt, innovate and redefine itself in a world moving rapidly toward cleaner energy solutions. Digital tools play a transformative role in this process, enabling companies to streamline complex workflows, enhance regulatory compliance and optimize project delivery timelines.

From real-time collaboration platforms that connect global teams to AI-driven analytics that predict maintenance needs and reduce downtime, these technologies are more than operational upgrades—they are the foundation for a more resilient, adaptive industry. By centralizing project data, automating compliance tracking and facilitating seamless communication, digital solutions help reduce costs while supporting sustainability targets.

As renewable energy projects grow in scale and complexity, the oil and gas sector must evolve to remain relevant. Adopting digital tools is no longer just a strategic move. It’s an industry imperative for reducing environmental impact, meeting shifting market demands and securing a sustainable future in an increasingly competitive and environmentally conscious world.

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Construction engineer using a laptop at a job site, showcasing the role of digital technology and open data standards in modern infrastructure projects. The future of infrastructure tech relies on seamless data integration for improved collaboration and efficiency.

The Future of Infrastructure Tech: Why Open Data Standards Matter Now More Than Ever

  • Project Management & Efficiency
Open data standards break down vendor lock-in and ensure long-term accessibility, making infrastructure projects more future-proof and collaborative

Infrastructure projects are bigger, more complex and more reliant on digital tools than ever before—but the industry is running into a serious roadblock: proprietary software.

Locked-in vendor ecosystems and inaccessible data aren’t just inconvenient; they pose long-term risks for projects meant to last decades, even centuries. What happens when a file format becomes obsolete or a software provider goes under?

The answer lies in open data standards. By breaking down barriers between platforms and ensuring long-term accessibility, open standards are transforming how infrastructure is designed, built and maintained.

The Hidden Risks of Proprietary Software in Infrastructure Projects

Proprietary software systems have long been a staple in the construction and infrastructure sectors. While they offer powerful tools, they also create dependency on specific vendors. This dependency can result in significant risks, particularly if the vendor goes out of business or stops supporting certain file formats. Moreover, proprietary systems often fail to integrate seamlessly with other platforms, creating inefficiencies and barriers to collaboration. 

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The growing reliance on digital workflows has amplified these challenges. In response, industry leaders and regulators are increasingly pushing for open data standards to ensure that information is not only accessible today but remains usable for future generations. 

Open Data Standards: What They Are and Why They Matter for Infrastructure

Open data standards are frameworks that allow information to be stored and shared in nonproprietary formats. These standards ensure compatibility between different software platforms, enabling seamless collaboration among contractors, designers and agencies. More importantly, they protect data from becoming obsolete, ensuring it can be accessed regardless of the tools used to create it.   

This approach aligns with initiatives like the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, which emphasizes open data as a cornerstone of modern infrastructure management. As federal and state agencies adopt these standards, they pave the way for a more interconnected and resilient infrastructure ecosystem. 

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Legislation Driving Open Data Adoption

Governments worldwide are recognizing the power of open data to improve infrastructure efficiency, transparency and longevity. Here are three key legislative initiatives shaping the future of data accessibility in construction and infrastructure projects:

  • Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (2018): This US law promotes open data in government agencies, ensuring long-term accessibility and interoperability in federally funded infrastructure projects.
  • Biden Infrastructure Bill: Formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a historic investment in modernizing US infrastructure, this bill includes funding incentives for digital transformation and the adoption of open data standards.
  • EU Data Act: This European legislation mandates standardized, accessible data sharing across industries, fostering a more interconnected and efficient digital infrastructure ecosystem.

By aligning with these regulations, companies and agencies can future proof their projects, reduce inefficiencies and enhance collaboration across sectors.

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How Bluebeam Is Leading the Charge for Open Data Standards in Infrastructure

Bluebeam has positioned itself as a champion of open data standards. Its platform prioritizes file and platform agnosticism, allowing users to collaborate without worrying about compatibility issues. This makes it a preferred choice for state agencies, contractors and private sector firms alike. 

Unlike other construction technology providers, which lock users into proprietary ecosystems, Bluebeam’s solutions are designed to integrate with a variety of file types, including PDFs and nonproprietary IFC formats. This flexibility not only enhances collaboration but also ensures compliance with emerging regulations. 

Why Open Data Standards Are a Game-Changer for Infrastructure Projects

For infrastructure projects, the advantages of open data standards are clear. These standards streamline communication, reduce errors and improve efficiency across all phases of a project.

The accessibility of open data is another key benefit. With tools like Bluebeam, team members can access critical project information on any device, from laptops to mobile phones, without requiring specialized software. This ensures that everyone—from engineers to project managers—has the information they need when they need it. 

The Future of Infrastructure: Embracing Open Data for Long-Term Success

The shift toward open data standards represents a significant step forward for the construction and infrastructure industries. The data created today must remain usable 100 years from now to support the maintenance and adaptation of infrastructure over time. 

Bluebeam’s focus on open data aligns with broader industry trends, including federal incentives for digitizing workflows. These initiatives underscore the importance of adaptability and transparency in managing infrastructure projects. 

How Open Data Standards Build a Stronger, More Resilient Digital Infrastructure

The adoption of open data standards is not just a technological shift but a strategic imperative for the future of infrastructure. By eliminating vendor lock-in, enhancing collaboration and ensuring data longevity, open standards lay the groundwork for more efficient and sustainable infrastructure management. 

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