AE510 Overview

Looking back I can definitely say I found this class to be one of the most interesting classes I have taken here at Drexel University. Not only did this course open multiple discussions on intelligent building topics which are not explored in undergraduate architectural engineering classes but also provide an enjoyable experience while gaining new knowledge. Taking this class has provided me with few reality checks and also provided a platform to acquire new skill sets with will be beneficial in my line of work but also help improve my resume as David Morrison mentioned.     

Taking about reality checks, for the past four years I have been attending Drexel University I have been presented with my major of Architectural and Civil Engineering from closed educational point of view. But it was not until this course I was encouraged to start looking at the career I am pursuing from a real world prospect of what I have been taught and learned during my last couple years here at Drexel. The topics of weekly blog posts and presentations of public speakers were the key features of this class which made this possible. For example entering this class I considered myself as a well experienced Autodesk Revit user, thinking of the software being still pretty new to the Architecture, Civil and Mechanical Engineering world. But after hearing the presentations of Eric Kuszewski from KlingStunnins and Huw Roberts from Bentley about Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its presences in the real world today, that my skill set of 3D modeling software is very  minimal compared to average standards employers are pursuing today. So I agree with Nathan Barry and Lorena Alvarado mentioning in their posts that the guest speakers invited to the class were well selected as they really knew what they were talking about but also presented the information in a manner which did not bore the students in the process.    

  

Two main skills I was able to gain from this course was the ability to create a family in Revit and creating a database in Microsoft Access. Now knowing how to create families in Revit I will be able to create custom structure components to provide 3D section details on construction drawings which I had difficulty doing previously during my past coop. Additionally many structural engineering concepts and methods are being carried out with computer software such as SAP2000 which are all mainly running on databases. So learning the basic concept of database and how they work provide a better understanding of the concept of how these structural analysis software works. Also having this intuition of database and its operation behind the main interface can help error screen results which the software provides efficiently. Having gained these two skill sets was the most beneficial aspect of the course.      

The course was well structured and multiple concepts of intelligent building were presented to the students as an introduction class for the topic of intelligent building. Each subtopic presented in the class can be turned into its individual 10 week class. I have heard of rumors of architectural engineering department adding a new concentration of digital building and I believe this course would make a great introduction class for that concentration.  

Databases in Design Offices

In the USA, design firms offering geotechnical services are typically given the responsibility to perform an investigation and afterward produce a report based on the findings. This single company approach is different from the way the same services are performed in the UK. The technical information gathered by firms in the USA can be contained in databases developed by each company, as the report is the only documentation that must be understood by more than one party. In the UK, the geotechnical services are often performed by multiple companies, signifying the need for a universal input format to allow information be interpreted by multiple players. This need was met with the implementation of the “AGS” format, which offers the highest level of acceptance into other programs and databases. The information can be accessed in text editors and then imported into each companies chosen form in order to produce bore logs, graphs, table and cross section figures. Design firms are known to use the information from soil borings early in the process to establish the extent and schedule of the tests that must be performed by themselves or an investigative contractor.

In the office, architects and engineers use databases that contain discrete information of objects in the BIM process. Software systems such as Bently’s Microstation and Autodesk’s Revit allow the user to create tags and assign them to elements different elements in the modeling environment. This feature allows the designers to export the information to useful platforms such as Excel or a database program to sort and record in relation to other parameters. Designers at manufacturing companies are using databases to store information of each of the products that they carry. Portions of these databases are then shared with designers to allow the smooth exchange of specifications and other project specific details. An example of this is in Brian's post, where he described creating families using objects to organize information of each component in the building. These objects contain information that is taken, sometimes from other sources and linked to the BIM. This allows designers to pull information about the object to include in schedules, charts and other analysis procedures.

I have experiences with databases as a user and developer were those that included cost information of each construction trade for completed projects. Project information was accessed using a search query that included the type of building, number of levels, construction materials and function. Once the reference building was selected, the user could duplicate the project and then change various parameters, such as the current year, location and indexes of material costs. Jalpesh's post mentions that design firms can archive the information used for a design so that the firm can access the information for future projects. This archiving process is valuable because designers can re-use portions of the design that they know already work. This has been happening in design long before databases but was known as "rules of thumb". Similar to design, after the project is selected it could then be modified by omitting certain trades based off of the building the user was attempting to model. The database contained information for adjustments due to location and time and would output a project file that included costs for each trade involved. The information was utilized in a design-build project team to deliver accurate costs at the conceptual level of design. I believe that at a point in the future, with the progression towards integrated design with multidisciplinary teams, specialty contractors will begin to share more database information with the designers in order to expedite project completion and minimize errors.

Companies can utilize databases for estimating material and labor costs for structural steel. The database of each type and size of steel members were linked to respective information such as weight, area, required bolts, crane lifts and various other metrics for the piece. Information could then be derived from the job summary such as labor hours for painting and assembly, crew productivity rates as well as weight for the galvanization process.

1.      Chadwick, Neil C. "Data Transfer and the Practical Application of Geotechnical Databases." Data Interchange for Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.

BIM For Architects and Engineers: Future Design

                Although it’s not the most commonly type of design used yet, I believe that BIM is the future of engineering and architectural design.  Since it’s a fairly new technology, many companies already use other design/drafting programs such as AutoCAD which causes problems when trying to implement BIM. Due to the large alteration to files among other deciding factors, BIM can be too expensive for many companies to make a full transition. Once BIM becomes a bit more competitive in its pricing, I am sure that it will become a sole monopoly in any type of design field. This is due to its ease of use, and productivity rate that one is allowed when using the program. 

                Five years from now, I believe that  BIM will be a major form of the design process used for any type of construction. A major reason for this improvement is because of the efficiency of the modeling that  Matthew and Maria also discussed. A big difference is that in former programs such as AutoCAD, a line command simply draws a line, while in a program such as Revit, a line can represent a whole wall. When drawing this wall, there is preset characteristics applied to it, that can be changed or updated upon the users liking. This simple change alone can greatly benefit architects who are trying to come up with a quick design that can be changed before a customer.

                In ten years, I feel that BIM will be close to becoming the sole form of design with regards to any type of construction. This new form of BIM will be commercially available anywhere and will replace AutoCAD from schools. With that being said, I agree with my teammate Rita that there might even be an actual degree in BIM.  BIM has a lot of advantages over current design and in 10 years there’s no doubt that it will take over the construction industry, thus schools will allow for degrees and specialties in the field. A mix of BIM and Computer Sciences might also be a possibility to further develop the program.

                Finally in 20 years, it’s hard to think about how  heavily we will rely on BIM. It’s similar to taking a look back 20 years ago, when the first drafting programs such as AutoCAD were released. Now those programs have exponentially improved and in some ways helped create this new Building Information Modeling. I feel that BIM, might have changed drastically in 20 years, into something more advanced that is easier to use, and perhaps even more productive.

BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors.  Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks and Kathleen Liston  Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 http://ascpro.ascweb.org/chair/paper/CPGT182002008.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling

BIM in the years to come...

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is definitely going to be the main stream method used by architects and engineers for building projects for many years to come in the future. But being on the same boat as Rita Pauliushchyk of being new to the subject matter of BIM and in the process of training myself to become proficient with all the tools which are incorporated in BIM it is hard to accurately predict where BIM will stand 5-10 years from now as she mentioned in her blog post. The reason I am confident that BIM is the future of architects and engineers is because firms which have already implemented BIM in their projects resulted in achieving decrease time, cost reduction, facilitating documentation, greater quality of visualization, allowing better integration, and facilitating sharing and transferring of information as Maria Gonzalez stated in her blog post has all allowed more and more people to gain confidence in the BIM process as a whole. One of the main reasons it is difficult to predict where BIM will stand 5-10 years from now is as the speaker Eric Kuszewzki from our previous mentioned the learning curve for BIM is very high for the architects and the engineers in the field today. Therefore it is difficult to predict how quick that learning curve can be decreased in the future before BIM becomes main stream for projects.  

Based on an article I read “BIM’s future up in the cloud” by Dominic Thasarathar, I believe the learning curve for BIM will decrease in the years to come. One of the reasons the learning process of BIM has been so slow is for the roadblocks consisting lack of computing power and high cost of hardware which sets many limitations for training in BIM. So the article talks about how BIM is in the works of major integration with cloud computing to turn these roadblocks into “sidesteps”. BIM’s integration with cloud will able its users to use BIM from an average computer from any location on the earth with unlimited computing power to make BIM accessible to wider range of users. Additionally more and more institutes, colleges, and universities are enforcing their scholars to use BIM software in their curriculum which is helping again to decrease the learning curve. For instance I as an architectural engineering student here at Drexel University am required to use Revit for design purpose and SAP2000 for structure analyses, both of the software are incorporated with BIM. So lot of investment and effort is being place in the architecture and engineering industry to switch over to encounter projects using the BIM process conventionally.

Thasarathar, Dominic. "BIM's future up in the cloud." BIM's future up in the cloud. 08 Aug. 2012. 29 Jan. 2013 <http://www.bdcnetwork.com/bim%E2%80%99s-future-cloud>.             

BIM for Architects and Engineers - Future (5, 10 and 20 years)

During the next 5 years of the construction industry, BIM will leave a significant mark on each aspect of the design, construction and operation of the worlds buildings. Owners will choose BIM for the new design experience and witness effective results by the different members of the design team collaborating between each system. The process will be under constant scrutiny when compared to traditional design methods because of the unproven integration between all parties involved. As mentioned in Maria's blog post, larger firms that are already implementing this technology could help the smaller and medium sized firms realize that the inevitable change to BIM is real and current. Maria also gives examples of projects internationally that have been using BIM for the design and construction processes. In the next five years, there will be plenty more projects being managed in all phases by utilizing BIM. Government agencies that have adopted this process of building management will most likely author the first of many manuals and design guides in addition to the required new specification sections and contractual agreements. The construction industry will start to see the benefits of model to factory processing where the results are nearly error proof and the amount of detail and the variety and complexity of designs will increase greatly. Building components will no longer be confined to simple shapes and plane geometries, as also mentioned in Rita's blog post where she believes that the current projects that undergraduates are studying could prove to be obsolete in the future of the design and construction of buildings. The construction firms that adopt BIM will see the schedule and monetary benefits from utilizing BIM features such as construction assembly. The building's operation personnel will being to benefit from the efficiency of completing maintenance issues that arise with equipment and other systems in the building. The personnel will be able to use the building models to reference mechanical equipment that are represented by families, model numbers, locations, quantities and schedules.

In the next ten years nearly every building will be designed using BIM and will be a rarity if an owner decides to design utilizing 2D drawings. BIM execution plans will be a staple in specification books and will be a requirement for each prospective design team. Designers will utilize the capacities of BIM to design buildings that contain a number of design elements that are standardized within the building program. I believe that their is a capacity for multiple construction firms to specialize in their own building components that have proven successful in past projects. These components will be designed or modified by the individuals at construction firms that are proficient in building modeling for the assembly of buildings. For this very reason, regular usage of BIM will make it necessary for new digital rights and securities to be developed to protect the authors of each component. In the facilities and operations realm, BIM will allow building owners to connect into the building automation system and receive real time feedback of the HVAC, electric usage and security systems among other important systems. The facilities managers will also be able to use the management software to keep virtual stock of inventory for the building. Each component in the building will have a specific identification tag that will carry information such as part numbers, compatibility requirements, specifications, prices, locations and replacement date.

In twenty years designers will take on a lessening role of chief designer and more of project manager. Architects will still be utilized for their space-planning, conceptual ideas and creativity that is required to translate a need of a client to the design space. Architects will be employed as project managers or "master builders" where the primary responsibility is to delicate design responsibilities, manage the design process and act as the owners representatives. Physical boundaries of design teams will be broken, as inter collaborative meetings will be able to take place across multiple countries and locations through the use of web meetings and conferences. This idea is expanded on by multiple classmates, such as in Junwah's blog post that mentions the use of mobile devices being integrated into construction management. As the design of buildings moves towards the most energy efficient and net zero buildings, the energy using systems will be the primary importance. This will obtainable through BIM, at this point in development, fully able to take multiple inputs from a myriad of illustrating programs and deliver real-time results to the design team and owners. Changes to the building will be able to be made, based off the amount of information available, that can be seen from the prospective of the "construction assembly team" as well as the facilities management through energy and maintenance programs. Construction firms will take on a role of an assembly manager as they could be interacting with smaller companies that specialize in each component of the building. Designs will begin to be analyzed and then modified based off best uses of the materials and construction practices.

Commented page:

 http://ae-510-ay12-13.blogspot.com/2013/01/bim-in-future_28.html?showComment=1359490237619#c410421265614393920

 

Eastman, Charles M. "Chapter 5: BIM for Architects and Engineers." BIM Ha

ndbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. 149-206. Print.

Chapter 5: BIM for Architects & Engineers

Week 3

Brian Vazquez

                For this week’s assignment, we explored the BIM handbook, and more specifically as a group we were asked to read about BIM for Architects and Engineers. Building Information Models, or BIM differs from previous method of drafting and design because it “redistributes the distribution of effort, placing more emphasis on conceptual design.”  Basically, BIM has changed the idea behind software such as AutoCAD that only focuses on a drafting to a more broad approach. With the recent invention of BIM programs such as Revit, a line command does draws a wall with properties as opposed to a simple 2-D line drawn on AutoCAD. Like Jalpesh Patel mentioned, the chapter in the book describes the four major concepts of design using BIM. These concepts are “conceptual design, the integration of engineering services, construction level modeling, and design-construction integration”.

                These concepts developed through time, but to my surprise, date back to the early Renaissance. The Handbook gives a small history lesson in how Leon Battista Alberti “distinguished architectural design from construction” back in 1452. Therefore the chapter also describes in detail the magnificent leaps that design and engineering have acquired within the last century.  The design process is seen in various charts and graphs in the chapter that help explain how the ability to grant more time to design, will create a stronger final structure.  Basically, BIM is greatly reducing the time generally needed for conceptual design and design development, which deals with planning structure, lighting, and so on. Due to BIM’s 3-D capabilities, lots of these steps are predefined, or at least guided, making it easier on the user by having pre solved calculations. A big reason for this big change, and leap, is because of the practicality and simplicity of the product. For example, Google sketchup was first developed as a “easy- to-use” tool but is now widely used for “its functionality that is important for preliminary design.”

                Although certain programs have flourished, BIM has not yet outdone other programs just yet because it’s  a fairly new technology. Like Maria Gabriela Gonzalez stated, implementing the new system would mean training lots of staff, and a whole database transfer to the new program. This could pose an issue for larger companies and be very costly. Overall, I feel that BIM is the future of computational design, and eventually will be implemented into architectural and engineering offices. 

SOURCE: 

BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors.  Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks and Kathleen Liston  Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

BIM for Architects and Engineers

The process of using BIM in building design and construction will change the type of product and level of building performance that is realized in the early stages of design. In the past, decisions made at the conceptual design stage included the site use, building function, space allocation and general systems awareness. Project designers were able to take the information from the owner and begin to produce building solutions that coincided with past examples of similar functioning buildings as well as accepted practices. With the current green direction that the construction and similar industries are heading towards, a lot of buildings are becoming the first of their kind, with respect to building materials, functions and energy efficient operations. Designers have the opportunity with this new technology to use analysis methods and the results to see how changes to the conceptual design of the building effects design elements such as solar shading, site orientation, space allocations and other building characteristics as well as the overall performance of the building. In reviewing my peers blog posts, I saw that Rita documented that the information gathering at the time of conceptual design includes a few more components, such as "building program, layouts of floor plans, the massing and general appearance of the building".

One of the most significant impacts that BIM has on the building process of design and construction is the ability to perform cost estimation of the project at nearly every staged of design. The cost of construction projects at all design levels in years past were estimated by counting and applying unit costs to each object. This process has worked well but being performed by humans, was susceptible to human error of the correct count of objects and took a considerable amount of time. Using BIM to perform the cost analysis, the resources needed for the project are realized as early as the conceptual design stage. The power of BIM can be used to fill in the missing details at the early stages of design and yet still produce a fairly accurate cost estimation. While the architects and engineers review the design with all involved parties, the cost implications of changing the design across multiple systems can be recalculated and can allow the process of value engineering to take place throughout the design process. Before the abilities of BIM, these changes most likely took place towards the end of the design stage, effectivly the most expensive and troublesome time to make such changes.

Another way the BIM technology will change the way construction industry is the formulation of design teams and the labor resources that must be allocated to each design undertaking. Under traditional design practices, teams would consist of a few senior designers, junior designers and administration help. Projects demanded that the design effort include a large amount of the cost to be dedicated to labor and administration. In the past, design teams spent a considerable amount of time on building the construction document set of 2D drawings. This process required junior engineers to draft drawings and check to make sure that all the details were married to the appropriate sections and plans of the rest of the documents. The BIM design process significantly reduces the amount of time that a construction document set can be compiled by aid of the 3D model and the details that are assignable to each object. Another reduction in labor costs can be seen from the reduction in the number of RFI's and CO's that the team has to process. With BIM, the entire design team, construction managers, subcontractors and vendors are involved with the design process, therefor reducing the likelihood of such errors and omissions. In the future, design teams will be formed taking advantage of the junior professionals that have been exposed to BIM and similar technologies along with fewer senior designers and even less resources allocated to administration. An example of the reduction in the amount of labor hours per project taken from the BIM handbook can be seen in a table located in the post by Jalpesh. It is seen in the table that the intern architect's hours have been drastically reduced from 320 to 96 hours for the particular project. The 233% reduction in labor is due to the use of BIM processes. It should be noted that the amount of hours for the project manager did increase with using BIM. I shared my comment on this blog post. 

In relation to the way that the design teams will be changed, the majority of the personnel will need to be well trained in each BIM feature that is inherent to their particular task. Maria expands on this topic and adds that the initiation of the project as well scheduling will be affected from adopting this new technology and that design firms can use this change in the industry to increase the amount and quality of their work.

SOURCES:
Eastman, Chuck et al. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, n.d. 15 Apr. 2008. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. 

BIM Handbook – Chapter 4 – “BIM for Owners and Facility Managers”

Week 3

1/22/13

David Bregande

At first thought, I see BIM as a tool for building owners to utilize once the building is completed and operational.  At the time of daily operation, owners will use BIM to manage and analyze the function of their building systems, thus making the building more efficient on a whole and less costly to operate.  What I have never thought about much, and what this chapter covers, is how owners and managers of buildings can use BIM before even breaking ground.  “Many owners view construction as a relatively small capital expenditure compared to the lifecycle costs or other operational costs that accrue over time. Changing marketplace conditions, however, are forcing owners to rethink their views and place greater emphasis on the building delivery process and its impact on their business” (Geertsema et al. 2003; Gaddie 2003).  Utilizing this powerful tool from the very start of a project and into its construction allows for everything from day one to run for efficiently and cost effective; and if I owned a building, cost effectiveness and efficiency is what I would strive for.

                The most basic, yet sometimes the most practical, aspect that can be improved for a building manager through BIM is the ability to actually see in a real life sense how the building is going to physically operate.  Kayleigh points out that before BIM, owners and managers didn’t have much input in regard to MEP and structure as they are generally unable to interpret plans to that extent.  With the ability to model and navigate something in 3D, a building manager can make sure that things are physically arranged in a way that makes the most sense for his needs and functions.

                When it comes to cost savings, BIM tools will create them in multiple ways and allow the owner to gain the power of control and knowledge of the site he is paying for.  The first way is that it will allow for more accurate budgeting and demand for cash flow.   Next, BIM tools will make scheduling more accurate and allow work phases to be more fluid; delays will be less and the overall time and cost of construction will be reduced through efficiency.  Another way costs will be lowered is through enhanced monitoring and controlling of energy and resources.  This only gives a brief idea of how BIM can be used to save money during and after a building project.

                As with any technology, BIM tools will only be as useful as the people working with and utilizing them.  In the last paragraph of Jeanine’s post, she focuses on identifies the extra work and training that will be required for a project to accurately utilize BIM.  Besides for knowing how to use the actual programs and software, it must also be noted that all aspects of using computers and systems must be acknowledged, such as file formatting, updating, archiving, etc.  It becomes clear very quickly that this will require a lot of training for the everyday person on a construction site or project, but that the training will be very worth it.

SOURCE: 

BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors.  Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks and Kathleen Liston  Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

BIM for Architects and Engineers

Building information model (BIM) has changed the aspects of traditional drawing production. Unlike CADD that just enhance and automated the aspects of traditional drawing, BIM has change the vision toward design.  It offers greater detail, higher precision and innovative models. It replaces the old 2D drawings with modern 3D.

 For architects and engineers BIM has brought many benefits. It helps to redistribute the effort by allowing more emphasis on conceptual design. It allows the integration of early decision, which today is considered one of the most important steps during initial phases of construction design. BIM permits building to become more sustainable by using simulation tools that address energy efficiency, sustainability, cost, and value. These tools analyze the building’s orientation, space, energy, operation costs, construction costs, and outputs the entire building’s behavior. Therefore, engineers are able to redesign any faults the building could potentially have.

BIM also integrates the design with the construction. It helps structural, mechanical, MEP, electrical steel, precast fabricators to plan accordingly and collaborate toward an integrated design. BIM has a high construction level modeling for details, specifications and cost estimation, which is one of the greatest strength this design-modeling tool offers.

Some of the major issues that firms have encounter when adopting BIM have been: being able to use automated drawings and preparations, managing the high level of details within the models, development of libraries components and assemblies, and integrating specifications and cost estimations. For architects and engineers bringing 3D model tools implies high additional costs.

Implementing this new system means having to train staff, development of new procedures, office preparation, initiating a BIM projects, planning ahead, among others. Some might believe that making the transition is not worthwhile, but its results that there is a high productivity benefits at the construction document level.

In general BIM has increase the value that both architects and engineers can offer to their clients and public. It is a tool that most engineers and architectural firms should start implementing. Despite the fact that it’s a relative new technology and adopting have been slow people need to start gaining confident and allow BIM to be a crucial tool in the building design and documentation process. It is going to be a great tool of great importance in the near future where sustainable and green designs are becoming more important. 
My classmate Rita Pauliushchyk focuses on her blog on conceptual design and how BIM puts an emphasis on bringing multidisciplinary professionals  to execute the design and construction of a building. I agree with her because in this stage in which various professionals share, discuss, and combined ideas for one final product. This process is commonly known today as integrated design. I do believe this is one of the main keys to the success of BIM modeling. Firms have realized that conceptual/integrative design has multiple benefits designs become more sustainable, have greater space usage, higher efficiency and many others. 

Source:

BIM Handbook 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling#Origins_of_BIM 

http://www.laiserin.com/features/issue15/feature01.php