B3-What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?

As discussed in class, one of the most glaring problems I found with Revit/BIM technology in the workplace is a lack of people who know how to use it. Dr. Fiori pointed out that part of the Drexel curriculum is changing to mitigate that problem however that does not necessarily help people working in the AEC industry with no BIM training now. The NBS National BIM report of 2014 in the UK identified a variety of reasons why organizations balk at the idea of integrating BIM into those practices. 62% of practices with five or fewer employees are concerned with a lack of in-house expertise, and 77% of practices with six or more staff share the same concern. Businesses are trying to take advantage of recruitment and hiring people with the desired skills, but there is still a lot of training to be done and a lack of manpower to help people do it.

Another cited concern regards project size; if BIM becomes a mandated projects there will be projects deemed too small for an operation of that caliber but have to modeled in such a way regardless. 71% of small practices believed that BIM wasn’t a good fit for their typical workload; BIM can be a large financial investment and if it doesn’t fit a business’ needs it is very difficult to justify such a purchase. 

Dr. Fiori also discussed a general lack of enthusiasm coming from some of the more established employees in the industry.  There are plenty of people who believe that if what they’ve been doing for so many years works there’s no need to change it; or as Dr. Fiori said “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”. Integrating BIM into offices with little experience in it and minimal people capable of training others can be a bit of a culture shock.  There can be a steep learning curve when it comes to BIM modelling; with not enough people to train others this becomes a block on workflow and a downer for company morale. 

A noted technical issue that has arose regarding Revit/BIM is data exchange; interoperability is not at the ideal level it should be. BIM modelling incorporates three dimensional geometries, parametrics and a lot of added details to each piece in the model. Additionally time and cost can be added factors to the models as well. That generates a massive amount of information that needs to be stored, interpreted and communicated as smoothly as possible. Existing software companies aren’t coming up with solutions good enough to accommodate BIM’s full potential.

BIM/Revit technology is certainly revolutionary and benefits to using it can be seen across the board in architecture, engineering, and construction. However it is of course not without its problems and will evolve as the industry does as well. 

Works Cited

1.    Lymath, Anthony. “The Top Five Barriers to BIM Implementation.” NBS, Www.theNBS.com, 1 Dec. 2014, www.thenbs.com/knowledge/the-top-five-barriers-to-bim-implementation.

2.    Day, Martyn. “The Trouble with BIM.” AEC, aecmag.com/technology-mainmenu-35/450-the-trouble-with-bim.

Comments:

Spencer: https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/2020/01/b3-possible-future-problems-with.html

       

      I had never heard of the specific term "data waste" but wow I see stuff similar to what you were describing in my job all the time. Even in just two dimensional autocad people are always adding extra layers or cross references that make the files that much more bogged down. I can really see how this would have a heavily negative impact on BIM; unnecessary bits of information in a 3D model already chocked full of data could really throw a wrench in things

Abdul:https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/2020/01/b3-what-are-possible-future-advantages.html

       All the future advantages of BIM you touched on are so relevant to today and so important to improve on in the future! Energy efficiency and sustainability are such a hot topic in all industries around the world right now. Its important that everyone is doing their part and BIM is a grade way at helping with that. Additionally I like how you highlighted that better collaboration leads to better design. Meetings of the mind can really have everyone at their best, and if architects engineers and construction managers can easily share their thoughts and ideas the sky really is the limit

Andrew: https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/2020/01/b3-future-advantages-with-bim-revit.html

       You did a good job highlighting that BIM doesn't just benefit the engineers, or the architects or whoever is designing the model. It really can have a positive impact on everyone who has a hand in the project; the contractors, the clients, even financial boards in charge of the budgets way a the top of the food chain! The ability to easily communicate the designs and ideas really optimizes the project. Adding augmented reality would be so cool and would definitely have some interesting impacts on the industry too.