BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

Owners and facilities managers can benefit from the use of BIM. The owner’s understanding of BIM tools and applications can help owners to better communicate with their fellow designers and architects. This communication will benefit the progression of projects and minimize the risk of delays caused by inconsistencies in vision. This is evidenced through its efficiency in project management with creating a more defined scope of work/design. The role of gathering and purchasing materials is simplified for owners with the use of BIM. 

An owner or facility manager’s education in BIM applications can be helpful for managing costs, projecting time of construction, evaluating the structures complexity, producing sustainable elements, predicting failures, and quantifying product necessity. This list of “drivers” as they are referred to in the BIM handbook are so vital to an owner and facility owner’s successful business. This list ensures project completion and efficiency while also improving the design/construction through cooperation with the client’s specific needs. Allowing a new filter to view the plans of a building through, or even a new set of eyes, will bring valuable considerations and mishaps to light that would otherwise go unnoticed until too late. 

There are specific tools within BIM specifically able to be catered to owner and facilities manager’s use. BIM estimating tools like U.S. Cost Success Estimator or Exactal’s CostX are specifically created for owners to value the structure and extract quantity takeoffs. Facility and Management tools can further personalize the building toward its projected function. BIM can also be used for conducting simulations under emergencies like a fire evacuation within the building. 

There are still some barriers preventing the universal acceptance of BIM. One of said limitations is society not having caught up with said technology. Requesting of 3D modeling may result in fewer bidders and thus, higher cost. BIM is also often considered an afterthought. With most projects already having been financed and complete, the results provided through the use of BIM must equate to the excess time put in to accomplish said model. The cost and time necessary to adapt can contribute to a very daunting path for most owners.

Work Cited:

Eastman, Chuck, et al. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Fabricators. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, Newark, 2018.

Christopher:

I appreciated your discussion of how architects and engineers can further accommodate their clients and owner’s of these buildings. The more cooperative the experience is with the owner, the more satisfied they will be with the final product in terms of savings and quality of work. This could satisfied client result in being provided more projects under this client or even referrals to other clients in need. Also, it is likely better to have these tools at one’s disposal so as to accommodate different clients’ experience and to have a leg up on those in the industry who have yet to adapt to the new technology of the modern era.  

https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/search/label/Christopher

Pritesh:

I really liked your focus on Energy Conservation as opposed to Aesthetic concerns when constructing a new movie. It shows how BIM can benefit a buildings long term responsibilities in addition to the interests in just building a structure as soon as possible that meets everyone’s immediate needs. The shortening of construction time does not imply a lack of detail or analysis in the development stage as you have elaborated. BIM simply provides owners with the chance to address errors earlier, when they are less lethal to the project. 

https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/2020/01/blog-2.html 

Manon:

I was drawn to your post due to the level of detail you emphasized on the individual platforms of which I had not come across in other posts. This just shows how many BIM tools that are at our disposal and how we are just barely touching the surface. DESTINI is an interesting considering it can provide a cost for a conceptual design. The system begs the question of whether or not it is accurate enough to depict the details of one’s specific site to calculate an accurate cost of construction. Digital Project sounds like a similar program to that of the program CREO 3.0 of which we were introduced to in freshman design. Bently is another program that sparks curiosity with its focus on curved structures, given that curves can become quite complicated in most other programs. 

https://ae-410-510-ay19-20.blogspot.com/2020/01/b2-core-technologies-and-software.html 

B2: BIM & Owners and Facility Managers

     BIM is an incredible tool for everyone involved in construction projects, but the features have a unique impact on the jobs of owners and facility managers. The use of building information modeling software and programs is to ultimately produce a building with higher quality in a multitude of ways. BIM is beneficial for owners because it allows for more control early on in projects, collaboration between trades, and increase the sustainability of the structure. This leads to a reduction in time, as there is less of a need to focus on unforeseen issues that arise due to lack of communication between trades, thus shortening the project schedule and leading to a reduction in cost. In addition to helping make the owner’s life easier by ironing out issues in early phases of the project through proper coordination and drawings, BIM also aids in facility management. Most notably, it allows for ongoing updates to be made on the building, as well as make maintenance and life cycle costs easy to manage.

     My only experience with BIM was some slight exposure to Revit for structural engineering at my previous Co-Op, so I found it really interesting to learn more about the other ways BIM is used to design efficient and sustainable buildings. Approximately 40% of energy use in the United States is due to heating, cooling, and lighting systems in buildings. In order to manage these costs and make buildings as green as they can be, programs like Legion Studio are used to properly estimate energy usage of buildings and influence the overall design of the structure. In conjunction with the ability to monitor energy consumption, BIM allows for coordination of design in order to positively impact the users of the space. One fact that really caught my eye while reading is that 92% of operation cost is spent on the users of the building. It’s ultimately important for the owner to invest in equipment that saves energy while the building is in use, as well as for money to be used in order to ensure the space is a productive environment. This can be achieved in many ways, such as ensuring good air quality with proper HVAC equipment and maximizing architectural design that uses natural lighting to increase productivity. Through the use of BIM, owners and the facility management team can ensure that the design process goes smoothly and that the overall operation of the building is a success throughout the building’s life.

Work Cited:

Chuck Eastman et al., BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors (3rd Edition Wiley, 2018)

Comments:

Ina:

I found it really interesting to learn about how the different files and data are converted between programs and the necessary steps of filtration that need to be taken in order to be efficient and precise. The issue with translation is something that really caught my eye. I read about the impact of BIM on owners and facility management, which discussed many things, but focused heavily on the importance of collaboration early on, throughout, and even after a project’s life. With the technology that we have available to aid in design comes the ability for so many different people from around the world to work on a single project, so it’s definitely important to not allow the incredible possibilities for design advancements to be hindered by something like a language barrier. I’m happy to hear that IFC solved this by allowing property name translations with their buildingSMART Data Dictionary, and I hope it expands beyond this and allows for further collaboration in the future.

Spencer:

Knowing the type of technology and BIM software we use for design and construction now makes looking back at the past methodology so intriguing. I can only imagine what the future design process will utilize that will make our current means feel as crazy as designing a building entirely by hand does now. The fact that the modeling software in 1980 cost what is now in the ballpark of $80,000 is so insane to think about, especially because of how common design programs are in our industry. The software that we have is so incredible and allows for so much to be done, and I can’t wait to see what advancements will be made in the future as technology and demands for design change.

Andrew:

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.

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.