Future Look - BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

A difference I noticed between the 2008 and 2011 editions of the BIM handbook was that in 2008 the handbook focused on the benefits of 3D drafting, while the 2011 edition focused much more on the benefits of 3D drafting for an integrative design process. In 2008, all disciplines could make separate models and eventually bring them together to form a cohesive design. Now, and in the 2011 version, it is possible for all disciplines to work together from the beginning of the design process using BIM.

This version of the handbook introduced the concept of Integrated Project Delivery. A difference this poses for owners is that they are now responsible for specifying the required scope and level of detail they want for a project before design begins. The design process is now changing in that multiple people are working on a design at the same time, which poses new legal issues concerning responsibility. As Kayleigh stated in her post, "the development of standards is a pivotal and important step in creating a cohesive use of the new method." Owners must understand and be able to communicate in BIM terms exactly what they want from their architects, engineers, and contractors, who will be responsible for what, and when. Like what Eric talked about in class last Tuesday, each project is unique and requires the owner to create BIM standards for every project.

Right now it seems that we have the technology to create fully integrated models between all disciplines but we do not have the proper space or memory to create files that large. On page 188 in the 2011 Handbook it states, “two to five years ago the creation of an integrated model required extensive effort on the part of a project team and dedicated technical expertise to support the integration. Today, many of BIM design tools have matured and provide integration capabilities between several disciplines at the generic object level. “ It seems that most members of my group agree that in the future, companies will have IT departments specifically there for BIM support to help address these issues.  With these advances, we also see performance issues with this technology. Within the next ten to fifteen years, I imagine this space to become accessible, and the norm will be for project design to be fully integrative from the beginning design stages. 

Future Outlook on BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling

As presented in my post from last week, I do not believe the progress of BIM and its tools and parametric modeling are not going to be the issue in the building and construction industry.  With time the software and hardware issues will undoubtedly be resolved as well as upgraded and the systems will become more compatible, as well as user friendly.  And, I do not doubt that drafting in BIM will become a specialty skill as mentioned by G. Carpenter and required to a certain degree for those in the industry as mentioned in J. Lancellotti’s post.  The issues that have and will most likely continue to slow down the progress of BIM are the industry conventions that all groups within the industry have built their practices around.  This was addressed by our speaker Eric Kuszewski during our week 3 class.  He addressed the fact that many of the building system drawings and efforts were being doubled as a result of wanting to use BIM to show it one way and then the system engineer or someone else wanting to see in another way, or the “old” way.  He also addressed that this not only affected the engineers and their products, but those dealing with the contracts, deliverables, and metrics.  The groups that work on the latter have built what they do around the existing conventions.

As a result, I believe the BIM execution plan that Kuszewski mentioned will be heavily involved in creating new BIM centered conventions.  I do not believe that in 5 years everything will have completely made the switch to being “BIM-centric,” but the ability for all those involved to work together to shift from the practice of making separate drawings for buildings to virtually creating the building will be much improved as a result of one building era ending as the beginning of another approaches.  These changes may indeed result in the predictions made by M. Tedesco regarding the industry in ten and twenty years.

BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

Chapter 4 in the BIM Handbook was directed towards owners and facilities managers. Since learning about BIM technology in classes and on co-op, I only considered the benefits this technology would yield through coordinating architectural, structural, and mechanical aspects of a project. The chapter I read in the BIM handbook made me aware of how many benefits BIM technology provides for an owner over the course of a project.

The chapter began by discussing why owners should consider using BIM tools throughout their projects. As stated in the handbook, “these tools broadly enhance today ’s CAD capabilities with an improved ability to link design information with business processes, such as estimating, sales forecasts, and operations” (94). With the ability to link estimates and cost analyses with the building design, many miscommunications between owner, designer, and contractor can be eliminated saving the owner both time and money. The handbook also addressed specific areas where BIM technology can be applied. These include cost management, estimating, and quantity take-offs. This chapter even discussed specific tools that owners can use in these areas based on their needs. BIM can also help owners create and manage more accurate project schedules and allow for smoother coordination between all disciplines. Other concerns this chapter addressed were codes and sustainability. BIM modeling can provide automatic checks to ensure a project is meeting all applicable codes and requirements and perform energy analyses.

Another advantage of BIM is the ease of communication between all levels of work on a project. “The computable nature of the 3D building information models makes them an excellent tool for quickly bringing new team members up to speed, so they can understand the scope, requirements, and status of a project” (105). As David stated in his post, "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". The 3D model can be used to show an owner exactly what a design looks like whereas 2D drawings may be confusing or difficult to conceptualize.  Kayleigh mentions how this advantage allows an owner or facility manager to give input on disciplines like MEP that they typically would not be able to visualize during the initial design process.

Not only does this chapter discuss why owners should use BIM, but the authors also addressed how an owner can go about building a project team who can efficiently utilize BIM technology. What I found most interesting was that at the end of the chapter, common myths that prevent owners from implementing BIM were addressed.


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.

Week 3: BIM for the Construction Industry (Ch. 6)

This week's topic for Group E focused on the advantages of the use of Building Information Modeling in the construction industry and how contractors can benefit from its uses. Chapter 6 of the BIM Handbook supplied us a lot of supporting evidence of the benefits of using BIM for contractors along with some of the challenges that may be faced along the way.

I believe that the Handbook best described the benefits of BIM by saying that “It allows for a smoother and better planned construction process that saves time and money and reduces the potential for errors and conflicts.” Many times contractors are forced to come up with designs for a construction project with very limited information on the building in question because they have to provide these designs in time for the bid meeting. It is not until after winning a construction project that contractors are given much more detailed information to then refine their original designs in order to create building plans (with the traditional design-bid-build approach). These building plans are then limited in what can be done because some of the significant information on the building is not available to the contractor during the design phase. However, with BIM efforts in place early in the design phase of a construction project, contractors and subcontractors are able to coordinate and accurately plan the construction of the building as the project moves along instead of coming across clashes and corrections while in the field and in turn delaying the progress of construction along with increasing the cost of the project as a whole.

Although there are many fields within the construction industry, with the use of BIM prior to construction all of these fields may be tied together in a building information model and the collaboration of all types can be accurately represented in a more organized and timely fashion. BIM application allows contractors to use the model for “estimating, coordination, construction planning, fabrication, procurement, and other functions.” Also, besides having benefits for pre-construction efforts BIM can be used in the field during construction for onsite verification, guidance, and to track the current or previous construction activities as they take place. In conclusion, although the efforts in order to have a construction project effectively use Building Information Modeling and the transition from traditional drawings may be extensive and a bit complicated at first, the benefit of using BIM in construction is immense and I believe BIM will become a very widely used and almost mandatory process in the very near future.


One of my peers Ryan Krall's post on the use of BIM for the Construction Industry (http://ae-510-ay12-13.blogspot.com/2013/01/week-3-ch-6-bim-in-construction.html) made an interesting point in mentioning that "If the model can include every discipline’s drawings within it than there is the potential for not only a zero clash project but also a tool that can be handed over the owner for future maintenance and alterations that they may want to make later on down the road." I thought it was interesting to take into account the uses of BIM in the future of a construction project rather than just during the design and building phases of a project. BIM can be used to keep order to the building's complete life cycle way after construction and far into the future of its maintenance and changes that are made as the building's purpose and uses may change with time to better meet the needs of its users and/or the goals the owner wants to meet with the building.

BIM For Owners

While I had always known how BIM is revolutionizing the way engineers and architects design buildings, I had never realized the potential it had as a tool for owners and facility managers.  We all have some experience with BIM and understand its capacity for interdisciplinary integration, and how it can prevent problems and conflicts during construction.  What usually isn't thought of is how BIM can cut costs associated with owners' uncertainty.

Often an owner can have difficulty conveying their desires to designers, architects, and engineers.  The owners meet with a project manager, discuss what they want, the PM then relays the message to the appropriate disciplines.  The engineers design their systems around what the designers and architects request and then a progress report is given to the owner. It is always hoped for that the owner will approve of the design and work can continue. What happens often is that the owner will not like something about the space or layout of an architectural component of the design, and without fully understanding the implications of the requested change, they demand the designers change it. These changes can be very easy to make, but sometimes they can have a ripple effect through all of the other disciplines, jacking up the price of the change and delaying the progress of the project.  If the owner was able to look at a BIM, they would be able to better weigh the importance of said changes, and may opt out of some of them.

As Kayleigh discussed, the use of BIM would greatly benefit facility managers as well.  As we see all around us, large institutions are constantly updating and renovating their facilities. While this is great for the advancement of the institution, this creates nightmares for those who are trying to manage the whole thing. If there was a BIM available for every facility at Drexel, these renovations would run much smoother and would allow the university to more accurately appropriate funds for projects.  The use of BIM would also allow for a complete model of a given building exactly as it stands.  There would no longer be the need to keep several sets of plans with the worry that a given set may be outdated. Not only do I think BIM will save owners and facility managers time and money, I also believe it will increase the life of the building.

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.

Interoperability - Why can't we all just get along?

I agree with John, that the current state of interoperability is insufficient given our level of technology.  Often the approach to transfer drawings to/from CAD is so difficult that it is easier to start from scratch. Last week as I listened to Group E discuss the capabilities of computer software and hardware, I was intrigued by the idea that all of the different programs for building modeling should have some sort of intercommunication. This fact seems obvious from an outside perspective. However it is easy to see how each type of modeling developed separately, catering to the specific needs of its respective industry. Of course, HVAC contractors are going to have different drawings from that of a structural fabricator/erector, and so on. 

I saw this first-hand when working with a steel subcontractor on my last co-op.  The architectural drawings were different from the structural drawings, which varied even from the outside erector's steel drawings, which further varied from our own stair drawings, and all of this had to fit inside the openings on the inconveniently separate precast plank drawings. There was an enormous amount of coordination required just to fit a stair tower into a building for which drawings had existed almost a year prior. All of this confusion could clearly have been reduced by the implementation of one unified building model. (To the contractors credit, they did provide CAD drawings after a while that could be used by all of the utilities contractors.) The availability of a singular 3-D model, at the very least in terms of building geometry, is an invaluable asset over the course of project.

As an idealist, I find it frustrating that, as Nathan and David point out, perfect interoperability will likely never exist due to the nature of competing industries and numerous technical issues such as incompatible XML schemas and display outputs. I would further point out that the diagram Elda used, while informative in showing the relationship between each program, is somewhat misleading in showing two-directional arrows between every linked program. Although I'm not completely sure, I would suspect that some, if not most, of the programs listed are not compatible in both directions. For instance, something developed in SAP 2000 cannot be converted to a general Tekla Structures format, then reconverted to Bentley, and then converted again to a format viewable in Autodesk programs. Still, it seems that the way forward for most compatibility programs seems to be native BIM formats such as DWG, RVT, DGN, or GSM files, as shown in Figure 3-5.

All this considered, I wonder if it would be beneficial for a third (or 25th or whatever it is) party to develop a program that merges the top BIM file types into some sort of super-program that handles the functions of every BIM program available and compiles them into one cohesive model. Such a program, if it were successful, would of course greatly enhance the construction process. However, given the much more likely possibility that it flops, the effort would only serve to muddy the already murky waters of BIM compatibility.

Sources: 

BIM handbook: a guide to building information modeling for owners, managers, designers, engineers, and contractors

Chapter 3 - Interoperability

 

BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

After reading the chapter I found that BIM can help improve the collaboration between owner and the project managers that can short the time of construction and cost of many projects. Companies like Toyota and Boeing have already begun using BIM and have found commercial success in doing so. In this blog I will type to explain what BIM has to offer to the owners that I’ve learned while reading the BIM handbook. BIM has many features like; estimating tools, model validation, and project communication. Each of these tools will help the owner in improving their success rate of their project.

Like what Jeanine said on her blog “the greatest ability BIM has is to link design with cost estimating and sales forecasts”. Estimating is a big part of what the owner does in a project and with the help of BIM’s estimating techniques it becomes easier for the owner to budget accordingly. Most companies use Excel and Exactal’s Cost X, but the owners must consider the level of estimation detail they need. The estimation must be adequate with the quantities, per component, or square footage. Also it has the ability to compare two version of a design to show how different changes can have potentially impact on the project. BIM-based estimating would also allow the ability to link items with specific components through a visual interface.

Model validation is software that performs many tasks like check against program requirements. This helps the owner compare requirements like energy, distance, height, and space with the design. Also programs like The Solibri Model Checker allows the owner to check if the model contains specified information within component, and even components within components. This would allow the owner to quickly view the project as its being completed.

As the owner, project communication is key in completing the project on time and with fewer obstacles. BIM can let the owner publish snapshots, which are one-directional static views of the BIM model. Model views, would provide the owner the ability to share data with other parties who could mark-up or comment on the model. Also provides the owner to access direct database, which is the ability to distribute project servers. All these forms of communication would surely increase the productivity of the project.

Hopefully by the end of this, you would feel as how I did that BIM would be an essential part of the owner’s tool set.

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. 

Interoperability

Chapter 3 of the BIM Handbook discusses the importance of Interoperability, which is the the interaction of file types with different programs. With just a quick look through the chapter you can see how many different file types there are. Considering how much information one file has with it it is very important to make sure that file in its entirety can be transferred between one program and another. This may seem like a simple task at first, but it is anything but.

One of the reasons that file conversion is not as easy as it sounds it because there are so many different standards by which different companies make their products. David Morrison talks in his blog why different companies either usually have good interoperability or poor interoperability, and it comes down to, of course, money. But I do not think this is the only reason for such diversity. As software becomes more and more powerful, the things it can do grows exponentially. When the first CAD softwares were created there were typically used just for simple drawings, however now a CAD drawing is so much more than just lines, often having data such as material properties and other information. This leads to different professions needing different standards for their CAD drawings to contain the information they need. This comic wonderfully displays why there are so many file types.

Despite the shear number of file types and the problems that can arise from trying to make them accessible, there are several foundations and committees that have worked and are still working on trying to make the industry completely interoperable. This is a task worth working towards. I was in Nathan's group on the GIS project he talks about and the different file transfers required were ridiculous. For one file of about 700kb, it needed to be converted in one program so that it could be imported into another program. This process would take the 700kb file and make it into about seven 1mb files that when more than 1 was opened at a time would crash the program. Its problems like this that make interoperability a dream of every engineer and architect and any one else who uses these types of files across different software.

I think Autodesk has a good approach with its Revit line of products because it has a separate program for architectural design, structural design, and mechanical design, however all of these programs work off the same base so that they can all be combined easily. This is the kind of interoperability that the industry as a whole needs to achieve.

BIM for Construction Industry

         BIM has its advantages in a design-build firm as it can help in the beginning designing process as it can facilitate in building the model and sharing between all the team members.  With its advantages, BIM also has its disadvantages because it is limited to its productivity when designers work with 2D or 3D CAD tools.  If so, “much of the value that BIM brings to the project is lost”.  By using BIM tools from the beginning of the designing process, models that are provided by the architects can then be used by contractors to develop accurate and time-efficient estimating, scheduling, fabrication, and other functions for construction.
 

Now a days, BIM tools today include detailed building information like the graphics of a 3D model and temporary components to represent equipment that are essential to the planning of the project. Future BIM implementations should support specification information linked with each building component, analysis data such as structural loads that can serve as proof for performance levels and requirements, and finally design and construction status for each component in order to understand and observe the progress.  With the use of all of the mentioned BIM tools in a project, this can ultimately be very useful because during project completion, the handover process to the owner will be facilitated as all the information of the project from the beginning through the end will be provided.

As I was reading some of my classmates’ posts that covered other chapters in the BIM Handbook, I learned about some other aspects of BIM, including Interoperability.  John Scanlon expresses that “we as a building society should focus on how well we can transfer data from one aspect of the building phase to another” and uses as an example “cost to design to construction to occupancy”.  That is how he defines interoperability and I could not agree with his definition and its importance in building systems more. In order for BIM to succeed in the construction industry, we need to find an efficient way in which interoperability can be achieved.

Source:
Eastman, Chuck, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, and Kathleen Liston. "Chapter 6 BIM for the Construction Industry." BIM Handbook. N.p.: John Wiley & Sons, 2008. 207-42.Online Library Wiley. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470261309.ch6/pdf>.

BIM Handbook Chapter 2

The first time that I heard BIM is on my second year of college. At that time, I just know this is a tool that can be applied on building industry in the future. This week, I read the Chapter 2 of BIM handbook and understand more about BIM.

According to the United States National Building Information Modeling Standard (NBIMS V1-P1), A BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle from inception onward. . At early time, there are two forms of solid modeling, one is boundary representation approach (B - rep) and the other is constructive solid geometry (CSG).Then this two method merged to one that become the precursor of modern parametric modeling. The current generation of BIM tools all grew out of the object - based parametric modeling capabilities developed for mechanical systems design. You can define a model family or element class and the shape and assembly geometry in a parametric modeler automatically adjusts to changes in context. Like the example of wall quote in the handbook (page 30-32).So, BIM tools are object – based parametric models with a predefined set of object families and a number of Web sites make additional object families available for downloading and use. Besides, user can define custom parametric object families by using a sketch tool module.

There are lots of differences between the specially - developed parametric modeling tools used in BIM and those used in other industries. First, buildings are composed of a very large number of simple parts. Second, there is a broad set of standard practices and codes that can be readily adapted and embedded to define object behaviors. Third, BIM needs to explicitly represent the space enclosed by building elements. In the second part of this chapter, author mainly discussed the versatility of different BIM software and compared their advantages and disadvantages (Revit and Bentley).You can see it in Wang Chunyi’s post.

In order to evaluate whether a project is a BIM, you can use a BIM Capability Maturity Model (CMM) provided by NBIMS. This method analyzes the completeness of 11 key targets to get the maturity of BIM application. These targets include Data Richness, Lifecycle Views, Change Management or ITIL Maturity Assessment, Roles or Disciplines, Business Process, Timeliness/ Response, Delivery Method, Graphical Information, Spatial Capability, Information Accuracy and Interoperability/IFC Support. For further information you can see NBIMS V1-P1 chapter 4.1-4.2.

Source:United States National Building Information Modeling Standard

Chapter 6 Review

As expected after reading chapter 6, BIM can off the construction industry a lot but it still far from perfect. BIM can offer detailed building information and representing temporary components important to the project. However, contractors do need things that BIM cannot provide such as component specifications, design and construction status, and data according to performance and constraints. The construction industry does use the model information for certain procedures. BIM can also help with design errors with clash detection. This can help in construction for example if there are conflict between mechanical and structural systems. BIM is also able to give out data like “area, volume, materials used, and to plot them as schedules. This kind of tool can help with cost estimates. There are limitations however. It is still important to have on hand estimators for projects. BIM for example give the amount of concrete used for footings but cannot give the amount of reinforcing steel used for the footings. What is probably the most interesting thing I read was using BIM to track ongoing construction activities. Errors can be found during construction if there was every anything done that did not match the virtual plans. This can be done through laser scanners, GPS, and RFID tags. Also since BIM can log what materials are used, contractors can send the information to the fabrication centers so as to have these components when needed. By reading the post from Wang Chunyi, it seems that chapter 2 can be directly connected to chapter 6 especially when dealing with clash detection and being able to change the design. I agree with Chunyi that programs like AutoCAD will become obsolete at least when it comes to large projects because the user has to change the design manually rather than automatically with a BIM program. I think that using BIM can be very helpful with the Senior Design project in which I am involved with. We could definitely use BIM to account for the dimensions, materials used, etc and putting them into schedules. I also like the idea of clash detection. It can really save a lot of money, time, and energy to catch the mistakes beforehand. 

Interoperability

Interoperability is explained in great detail in chapter three. In a lack of words the text defines that interoperability is a conversion of data from a unique system to another unique system. A personal example for me would be: In my high school drafting class I designed a house using RoboCad and several years later transferred that information to AutoCad. The objective was to convert a set of 2D drawings from RoboCad to a single 3D drawing in AutoCad. Since there is no computer interoperability between the respective software products, then the mode of interoperability was my own labor of redrawing the 3D version in AutoCad from the printed sketches in Robocad. This mode of interoperability is severely inefficient.  

The text stresses that interoperability is of paramount importance in building systems because of the many disciplines it incorporates. We as a building society should focus on how well we can transfer data from one aspect of the building phase to another. Cost to design to construction to occupancy is an example.

So how can we improve this exchange of data between hardware and software? The text elaborates that in order to achieve more robust data exchanges it is imperative to create a standard in which the data is exchanged. In effect this standard who figuratively funnel multiple data sets into a single recognizable solution.

There are problems that arise from creating a standard of data exchanges. Fellow classmate David Morrison hits the nail on the head with his explanation. David Says’ “A company that does not provide as much interoperability is typically one who wants its standard / program to be king above the rest. Whereas a company that is looking for high interoperability would most likely be a company that wants its product to infiltrate the market.” Essentially if a common standard is the key to interoperability then a single entity must design the system. If competing entities are designing for their best interest then it defeats the purpose of interoperability.

An interesting dilemma arises from the concept of interoperability. In essence the only possible way to achieve 100% efficiency of data transfer is to eliminate the transfer altogether. This would mean that competition must be eliminated. For example we would eliminate the use of different BIM products and use a one single product. If Revit were the product we choose as a society then Autocad and other modeling tools would be abolished.  But since competition is imperative for market survival the interoperability is a science that must be researched and improved.  Prof. Mitchell hinted at the idea that the future will challenge our interoperability prowess when multiple systems (such as robots) will have to co-exist in a societal fashion.

  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 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.

Chapter 4 - BIM Handbook

The use of BIM software helps all people involved in the design and operation of a building. It allows the engineers and architects to coordinate during design, and later in the construction phase, the contractors as well. As Kayleigh mentions in her blog post, Designers are able to coordinate in 3D for the first time during design phase. BIM also helps building owners in a multitude of ways that may not be obvious at first glance.  The owner’s wishes for their building are mainly to receive a working and safe building at a low cost. With BIM software the owner can see their building during the design phase and make changes, along with the engineers and architect, in order to get the final product that they wish for. BIM software also decreases the amount of time from concept to start-up because of the coordination among all involved parties.

Another tool of BIM software is the ability to perform energy analysis to lower energy consumption and costs. The building model, along with energy analysis software allows the owner and engineers to tweak the design aspects like insulation and window placement in order to decrease the amount of energy used in the building through heating, cooling and lighting. BIM software’s Daylighting and glare simulations allow designers to optimize light into the workspaces where employees or building users will achieve the most productivity.

A well-built model can be used during operation and maintenance phase in order to better facilitate the building staff’s upkeep of the building. Knowing exactly where a piece of equipment is, what it looks like and how to access it can save a lot of time and money on yearly maintenance cost. A BIM model’s “walk through” capabilities will also allow simulations such as fire exit scenarios to be assessed.

Of course all of these benefits are brought forth only if the owner is proactive enough to require BIM software. As Jeanine says in her blog, owners must know the capabilities of BIM software and must have representative that are informed in the use of a BIM model and software.