Sunday, January 19, 2020

B2 - BIM for Owners and Facility Managers


BIM can be useful for owners and faculty manager. Some ways that BIM can be of use are to improve many aspects of the building process and other factors effecting the building. Some examples of this are improving building performance and sustainability, reduce financial risk, shorten the overall project schedule, use leaner construction practices, making sure the program complies with the codes, and better documenting changes in the future.

Owners can use BIM to enhance the design process by integrating the development of the requirements for the program. This is done by collaboratively sharing data in real time. Also, the use of BIM allows for more options to be explored in a shorter amount of time. This also helps when looking at the feasibility of the various options. BIM also allows for the simulation of many building systems which can be useful when determining operating cost. Included in the feasibility is whether prefabricated or modular construction is an option. Another factor that improves when talking about operating cost is using BIM to reduce the energy consumption of energy. There are tools that can help calculate the payoff of energy related decisions. The way to make sure a that BIM is used is to put it in the job description for the consultants by requiring them to understand the strategy for using BIM, the implementation guidelines and finally actually being able to do the BIM modeling.

Cost is a major concern for everyone involved in the building process. By using BIM there is a better understanding of what will cost, and it gets more accurate as the project moves along through the different phases. Using BIM there will be more accurate estimates earlier in the process. BIM has tools that do quality takeoffs and that have more detail which provides a more accurate measurement.  
BIM can help facility and information management as well by getting a building commissioned more efficiently. BIM can confirm that building systems and processes work ahead of time. Having BIM allows for a much faster evaluation of the impact of potential maintenance on a facility. An example of this would be accessing the real time data to provide a more accurate depiction of a problem that has arisen.

Overall BIM can be extremely useful to owners and facility managers in many different aspects and it would be extremely beneficial to involve BIM from day one of any given project to increase efficiency, accuracy and cost analysis.

Works Cited
Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Lee, G. (2018). Bim handbook : A guide to building information        modeling for owners, designers, engineers, contractors, and facility managers. Retrieved from           http://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Spencer (Link)
I think you are right on target and I have seen how the “development of object libraries” can decrease the drafting time. Companies often use the same details over and over but modify them to a specific situation. The section on the history of modeling was very interesting and gives good perspective on what we have today.

Dane (Link)
I think you made a good point about contractors in the field not having a good way to view the 3d models and I think that is one way that they could get a better understanding of what is going on in the building. It is also important for the engineer to have the construction worker in mind

Isabel (Link)
I enjoyed your discussion on data sharing, and you hit the nail on the head. I have personally seen how the exchange of information or lack thereof can lead to slowdowns in the process and money out of pocket for the firms or consultants involved.  

4 comments:

Amanda Kolar said...

I agree with the points you brought up, specifically the focus on how each feature and positive of using BIM in design will allow for better manipulation and estimation of timing and cost, two very important aspects of any construction project. There are so many different ways BIM can be used throughout the design process that can impact cost and scheduling, such as properly designing and working through energy problems, as well as allowing for proper documentation for servicing the building throughout its life. These technological advancements allow for every trade involved on a project to be on the same page and take care of any concerns and issues before it’s too far into the project when change orders and RFIs can alter time and cost significantly.

Dane Bell said...

Andrew
I liked how you spoke about cost being the main issue which it is. People don’t want to invest in an integrated BIM system because currently, the design build protocol “works”. But people don’t see how much easier and better projects could move through phases which is the toughest part of design. Also it is important to note that when one thing is changed, the parametric aspect changes multiple factors. This is very good, I think that it could be very beneficial but it could also cause huge problems if they aren’t connected correctly.

cory said...

Andrew,

I agree with the sentiment that the use of BIM will allow contractors a much better understanding of what is required of them during the construction process, leading to much more accurate and potentially lower bids for the owner. Often times, plans are released for bidding that contain mistakes or conflicts which will ultimately have to be resolved before the project can be complete. The use of BIM mitigates the number of these conflicts or code violations, leading to a much more streamlined project.

Stephen Pettit said...

Andrew,

Cost is extremely important, and for the owner is the most important. I agree with you that using BIM gives you a better idea of costs and estimates when it is on plan. For example, when you actually see all of the equipment on plan, you start to double check to make sure if its necessary, or if there is other options that could be implemented into the design that would be more beneficial. These options would just need to be maintained with code. BIM is very useful, and eventually will be used by every building industry company.