B3 - The Possible Future Problems with BIM/Revit?

The Possible Future Problems with BIM/Revit? 

The field of engineering and technology is ever-changing. New technologies and softwares are constantly being introduced in order to optimize construction and facilitate the creation of complex and innovative geometries. This leads to the constant modification of BIM tools and the introduction of new ones. 

This, however, creates the problem of adaptability. Engineers tend to resist change. We tend to stick with the methods we were taught in class and what others have been doing for a long period of time because we know how it works and that it actually works. Being engineers means we have more of a scientific outlook, we need the proof to support an idea. Thus, it limits our ability to try new concepts and methods of doing what has already been established.

The problem is, BIM is not waiting for us to decide to get onboard. It is changing and will keep changing. Thus, it is important to start implementing and teaching it in order to keep up with its changes. Learning the new softwares that are being released to aid BIM is vital to creating new integrated and efficient structures. Good use of BIM technologies will not only allows us to save time and money during design, but it will also allow us to expand our imagination of what is possible in the realm of buildings and structures. 

Furthermore, another problem that may arise with BIM is how much control engineers and designers will be willing to give to robots and AI. Accepting the future of BIM involves putting more trust into algorithms and robotic construction. According to Bill Allen, the CEO of Evolvelab, in the future, instead of Building Information Modeling, BIM with become Building Information Optimization. He explains how “rather than manually drawing walls, doors, and columns for what we think is a good design, we will feed the computer “rules” instructing it to give us a building’s optimal footprint, structural load capacity, and thermal performance” (Allen, 2019). Thus, this entails giving a higher level of trust to robots and artificial intelligence to produce the decision and analysis for us. 

Works Cited

Allen, Bill. “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM and It's Coming Faster Than You Think.” Autodesk University, 16 Oct. 2019, www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/article/Future-BIM-Will-Not-Be-BIM-and-Its-Coming-Faster-You-Think-2017.

Comments:

Reece,

You make a good comparison between Revit in Autocad in their compatibility with other softwares. I think one of the biggest problems with engineering softwares is that you have to spend too much time translating on file into another platform. I agree with the need for a single software that is able to manage all aspects of modeling in order to save time and simplify modeling.

Ina,

I agree with you in that Revit requires a lot of patience and good communication skills when working in a team. I think you brought up one of the biggest issues that we students face when using Revit as we have to sync our projects and constantly be changing in between software versions.

Andrew,

I like the point you made about how spending less time figuring out how to get the systems to work thanks to integrative design will lead to more innovative creations. I think this is something to look forward to as it would make the engineering industry a more collaborative community between professions. I had not though about the benefits BIM would have for the contractors but it is a good point to note that more detailed reports would be beneficial and would lead to better installations and construction of proposed plans.