BIM is one of the most promising development in the field of architecture, engineering and construction

- allows better analysis and control

- accommodates functions needed to model lifecycle of building

- providing basis for new design and construction capabilities

- facilitates harmony between various players in a project

- all this leads to better quality and reduced time of construction

Various contractual models:-

1. Design-Bid-Build – difficult to use BIM

2. CM at Risk – allows for early improvement if BIM is used

3. Design Build – BIM use can benefit a lot as single firm is responsible for whole project

4. Integrated Project Delivery – most potential for BIM

a. Uses BIM

b. Effective collaboration among different players in a project

c. Different trades integrate with design team from early stages till project completion

d. improved cost, energy, functionality, esthetics and constructability of the project

e. Reduced time and cost

BIM Model Creation Tools

- focuses more on data than the design, how data can be used in different ways

- BIM data can be used in different ways depending on the requirement; important as demands for environment friendly, sustainability and security is increasing which requires open and reusable infrastructure data

- BIM moves construction industry from paper-based and task automation to task collaboration, integration and interoperation

- Used to simulate and manipulate reality based models to manage built environment

o based on facts, repeatable and verifiable decision process

o reduces risk and enhances quality of actions and product

BIM Parametric Objects:-

- differentials BIM from other 3D tools

- these rules consist of geometric defamations and associated data and rules; geometry is integrated non-redundantly, and avoids inconsistencies

- Parametric rules for objects automatically modify associated geometries – changes in one part reflects in other related parts

- Different levels of aggregation can be defined for objects; object feasibility can be analyzed

- Ability to link to or receive, broadcast, or export sets of attributes and data

BIM is an obvious advantage over current AEC Business models

1. Preconstruction benefits to Owner

a. Concept, feasibility and design benefits – approximate project cost and time can be known in early stages of project

b. Increased building performance and quality – early design alternatives can be incorporated if design does not fit well to the requirement

c. Improved collaboration using IPD – BIM can be used from beginning of project to understand project requirements and to extract cost estimates as the design is developed

2. Design benefits

a. Earlier and more accurate visualization of designs, accurate cost estimates

b. Automatic low level corrections when changes are made to design and generation of accurate and consistent 2D drawings at any stage of design

c. Earlier collaboration of multiple design disciplines and easy verification of consistency

d. Improvement of energy efficient and sustainability

3. Construction and Fabrication benefits

a. Use of design model as basis for fabricated components; quick reaction to design change; discovery of design errors and omissions before construction

b. Synchronization between design, planning, procurement and construction

c. Better implementation of lean construction techniques

4. Post construction benefits

a. Improved commissioning and handover of facility information

b. Better management and operation of facilities; integration with facility operation and management systems

Challenges to BIM use

- Collaboration and teaming – effective teams have to be developed, synergy among all trades and players in the project – use of interoperable softwares based on Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) or proprietary standards

- Legal changes to documentation ownership and production – who owns the documents and who pays for them and who is responsible for its accuracy; guidelines are been developed by various professional groups like AIA and AGC

- Changes in practice and use of information – BIM requires intensive shared building models during various phases of project – adopting this practice will take time

- Implementation issues – BIM is not just buying a software and training people to use it; effective use of BIM requires changes in every aspect of a firms business, not just doing same things in a new way

o Involving top management and creating BIM teams

o Use BIM on small projects and use the knowledge to implement it on all future projects

o Continuous integration of BIM in all areas of firms business

o Learn and grow – use knowledge from previous projects and develop it to use in future

Transcending the BIM Hype:-

- BIM is talked about everywhere, it is considered to have a lot of impact on the future of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) process.

- BIM/VDC (Building Information Modeling/ Virtual Design & Construction) first immerged in 1990s with a promise of substantial cost and time saving

o Today, companies claim that it’s true as they witness reduced change orders, lesser conflicts with MEP etc.

o Still, moving BIM from theory to real world has many challenges.

The Technology and Hype Cycle:-

- New technology comes – there are a lot of expectations from it, and these expectations reach a peak due to frenzy of public and over-enthusiasm for the new technology

- After hype period, there is a trough of disillusionment, when do not have much clue of where the technology will lead us, but still research continue and we learn more realistic aspects of it. This is termed as “slope of enlightenment”

- Eventually users understand the practical benefits of technology and lead to its wide acceptance and adoption, the final phase “plateau of productivity”

- BIM has somewhat past the hype phase, and its uses and advantages are widely accepted, the only thing that is left is its wider use and eventually replacing the current trends in AEC

Results of Surveys that prove the merits of BIM application - 300%-500% return on investment, 82% companies say BIM increased productivity of the firm.

“Why to implement BIM in a project?” is one of the most important question that has to answered before implementing BIM in any project. Answering this question sets the path for effective utilization of this technology. Two examples are discussed here:

- One in which decision to use BIM was taken after creating 2D drawings – due to the complexity of the project, it was later decided to use BIM. Late decision led to wastage of significant amount of time.

- Camino Medical Group – BIM was integral part of the project delivery system which proved to be advantageous leading to significant cost and time saving. Also, after the construction completed, the BIM model is continuously used by the facility management team making their task much easier.

BIM model should be created with collaboration between various trades of construction like MEP, HVAC etc. The contractors who have a significant amount of work in the construction process should closely integrate with the design team from the beginning. Earlier integration proves beneficial as it all the necessary level of details that will be required during the construction phase can be implemented in the model and used effectively at later stages for Lean practices like prefabrication, and also in cost estimating etc.

Interoperability of the softwares used by architects, engineers and contractors is also a very pivotal factor in the success of BIM. Lack of interoperability among the softwares used by AEC is one of the major reason which increase the project cost. As softwares are not compatible with each other, thus, more time has to invested in making things work (Ex -Sketchup files cannot be imported in NAVISWORKS). Before starting a project, different AEC should sit together and decide which softwares they will be using so that issue of lack of interoperability can be taken care of at the beginning only while is benefit along the line.

Thus, the upshot is that if BIM is not used collaboratively during design phase, the project will only receive partial benefits from its use.

The traditional compensation and contract structure also needs to be changed:

- Traditionally, architects, engineers and contractors are treated as separate entities

- All work for the same project, but forced to look out for their own business interest

- This should change - A,E & C should be treated together – all participants should have a skin in the game i.e. share responsibility of risks and problems – and rewarded for success in working together

- Doing so leads to promoting team spirit among all the players – all work together to solve and avoid problems as they share the risks and rewards associated with it

Smaal things can have big impact-

- More details included in the model, the better

- Details left out may lead to conflicts later

- Even small things which are left out unattended in traditional method have to be included for success with BIM

Bringing people who ask the question and people who have the answer together- co-creating the model

- Regular meetings

- People with questions, people with solutions and people with knowledge of BIM in one place

- Problem identified, solved and incorporated in BIM model together at the same time and place

Learning and growing

- Learn from past experience, and incorporate the learning in present and future

- Keeping records of all the numbers and results – cost and time saving data; productivity data; lean and sustainable application data like effects of using BIM for prefabrication

- Measure and record all these data which is obtained by using BIM and compare them with respect to projects that do not use BIM

Levels of BIM-

1. Visualization – communicate design intent; evaluate alternatives; visualize end product

2. Coordination – bringing different trades together to reduce and avoid conflicts like RFI, change orders etc.

3. Constructability – models created by different MEP people combined together with design teams model to find error and points of intersection; use combined model for fabrication level MEP models

4. Fabrication and Installation – test constructability, determine best materials and methods for design and construction keeping project budget, schedule and quality in mind; models used to produce shop drawings, permit drawings, pull material quantities, getting estimates, prefab decision and produce actual installation drawings

5. Total cost of ownership – takes input from facility managers and end users which is helpful in ongoing maintenance. Ex: Products tagged with warranty info – this info used by maintenance team to keep facility running efficiently

What are you adopting when you adopt BIM?

This chapter focuses on the two aspects of BIM in the industry, BIM adoption and BIM implementation. While BIM adoption has been done by many firms, still they are struggling with BIM implementation.

- Advantages of using BIM are widely acknowledged and many large firms are using BIM, but social adaption and full understanding of BIM’s impact on the firm and the individuals that make up the firm is not yet understood fully.

- Technology is developed sufficiently, so there is no hurdle in BIM adoption due to technological or business factors

- Human factor is what responsible for not so fast adoption of BIM

- Many firms are using BIM for visualization and class detection. So, basically the modelling part of BIM technology is used by them. This is not full use of its capabilities. The information part of Building Information Modelling is the thing that sets it apart. Information part provides analytics.

o Many firms say they do BIM, but only few firms actually use it for analysis

o So, firms own the software but they do not fully understand the process

- BIM is both a tool and a process

Difference between owning BIM software to owning BIM process

- Adopt, adapt and then implement - BIM adoption is familiarizing with the software, gathering information and seeking advices, making decision and commitment, changing mindset and attributes about the technology for long term advantage

- All players benefit from BIM in one way or the other – some directly and others indirectly

- BIM is all about details, but details should not be added all at once. Add as you go - add details as you proceed from one stage another. Ex- BIM is incorporated from the beginning of a project, but level of details needed in the beginning are not that much, as we transition from design to preconstruction to construction phase - more and more details can be added gradually. Person using BIM should know what detail is too less and what is too much for a particular stage in the project.

- BIM operator should have critical thinking – he should have an understanding of the tool, knowledge of materials and construction methods – he should have a general idea of things involved

There are various hurdles in the adoption and subsequent implementation of BIM, but these can be overcome. A positive attitude and willingness to change is what stands in between. If this is overcome, then the benefits of this technology and be exploited to its full potential.