BIM, also known as
Building Information Modeling can be proven beneficial to many parties
involved in the constriction industry. Owners and faculty managers are amongst
one of them. BIM allows designers to integrate energy-efficient mechanical,
electrical and plumbing equipment right into the design during the early
stages. Often times, a building's energy consumption is least of the concern.
Aesthetics and durability take precedence. It can be reversed using BIM,
because of the design implementation into the model. Secondly, BIM can reduce
financial risk that comes along the project because earlier designs are more
reliable and hence cost estimation becomes more accurate. On the other hand,
reliable design can also shorten a project schedule. One of the many causes of
delay during construction is due to a lack of information or misjudged existing
conditions. Since BIM is an integrated cross-platform, a lack of information to
other parties can be easily detected and assessed as necessary. During my co-op
as a structural designer, one of my tasks was to respond to RFI's. Some times
it can take days or even weeks to respond depending upon the complexity of the
request. Until pending response, the contractor has to wait hence delaying the
construction schedule and cost of operation. BIM can be a very useful tool for
all parties involved.
Reference:
Eastman, Chuck, et
al. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners,
Designers, Engineers, Contractors, and Facility Managers, John Wiley &
Sons, Incorporated, 2018.
Comments:
Manon
The list of
platforms the utilize BIM modeling are very comprehensive. I was only aware of
only a few including Bentley, Revit, and Tekla. It is interesting to see that
more and more companies are improving their platforms to incorporate BIM
functionality. I think in the near future, the list is bound to grow and it
will be quite interesting.
Spencer,
The evolution of
modeling has rapidly progressed in recent years and it is evident from your
post. As we discussed in class, the profession of draftsmen has declined due to
improved technology. Imagine the profession BIM would vanish when it is fully
developed in the near future. The workflow will be more efficient and
productive as more and more decisions and calculations are autotomized.
Isabel,
A lot of time can be
saved when fewer and fewer file exchange is involved. In my previous co-op, we
re-drafted the architect's plan that was suitable for engineers. One large file
can eliminate redundant work since many people can interchangeably work simultaneously.
Of course, as you mention the computation power required to deliver such task
is massive however, it is bound to occur as technology improves.
8 comments:
Pritesh,
Although BIM is now almost mainstream among many medium to large sized companies, using it in the design phase of a project still requires quite the upfront cost (especially if the owner opts for an IPD method of delivery), which is ideally balanced later in the project with shortened coordination time and fewer mistakes. Choosing a tech-heavy project approach requires more capital up front than traditional methods (with, as you mentioned, higher savings later in the construction process).
Pritesh,
You brought up a good point when you related BIM to financial risks. The precision of these programs can really reduce the financial risks that occur due to design failures which leads to delays that affect the project’s budget. Every delay has a cost. The stakeholders or the owner of the project will ask for payback from the contractor. These are all statements that were agreed upon by all parties in the contract. Therefore, BIM is really important, and companies won’t stop improving their software to be better than other companies. Regarding the project’s schedule and timeline, RSMeans software and MS project software are both excellent programs to use to know the total cost, early start, early finish dates for your projects.
Pritesh,
From your post I can conclude that you retained from your article the importance of communication across the BIM platform. You stated that the lack of communication may result in a delay in your project, which I agree with 100%. Also you mentioned about your co-op, which is interesting and cool that you get to relate to your previous work environment to what we are learning in class!
Pritesh,
I thought your statement about financial risk was accurate and interesting. I work in the MEP industry, and when our revit model is accurate early in the design stage, it gives the project manangers, owners, and clients a better idea of where they are at with their budget. Communication is the most important aspect of getting a project done correctly, and on time. I've been in situations where the existing conditions were not communicated properly to us which lead us to inaccurate modeling. I do disagree a little with building's energy consumption being the least of the concern. Especially if the building must be LEED, energy consumption is one of the important aspects of the building design. I agree with your statement that BIM is a very useful tool for all parties involved.
Pritesh,
It is pretty cool you got to work with some BIM systems during your coop since that is such a major part of the industry now. I will be using BIM models at my next coop and simulating where the electrical components of a building will be and modeling the lighting of rooms.
Pritesh, I believe you made a great point with BIM being economical for the business by providing quicker solutions and great collaboration between the contractors and sub-contractors which hence saves time and helps in completing the project on time.
Pritesh,
BIM is definitely useful in many facets of construction. I like that you mentioned accuracy of cost estimation. At my last co-op, we would spend so much time on cost estimates only to get a result that was most likely too far off from what we would actually need to spend. BIM provides a way for contractors and designers to do cost estimation almost instantly as they work, which, as you pointed out, shortens the project schedule in the end since you’re not running around trying to find proper costs to evaluate the project with. Overall, BIM just makes all processes more streamlined.
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