Building Information Modelling (BIM) is now an integrated part of today’s construction world with the help of continuous technological advancements in the industry. But, there is question surrounding whether BIM itself is a technology or a process. 

According to BuildSMART Australia BIM is a “a highly effective process of capturing and sharing accurate, digital, three dimensional information regarding the design, construction and operation of a building.” Therefore, technology plays an important part in the process however; BIM itself is a process of communication.

From a practical point of view, a design team can use BIM as a work process and means of communicating with each other to produce an end product of a 3D model. Virtually, BIM contains all aspects, disciplines and systems of a building within one single, virtual model allowing all team members – owner, architects, contractors and engineers – to collaborate more accurately and efficiently than traditional processes.

Although it can’t be forgotten that the success of the technology within BIM is crucial to the solution it provides, BIM is a process that is quickly being recognised for its benefits and sweeping the AEC industry and will continue to well into the future.

If you were about to burst through a door into a burning building, you would want to know what was behind that door – the layout, the location of stairs and hallways not to mention anything else inside that cause you danger. BIM technology is giving fire crews the ability to do just this, and analyse and compare their building models to ensure the safety of all.

BIM can assist in analysing fire exits, automatic sprinkler systems, stair layouts and can even go as intricate as to evaluate stair width, rail height and door swing in order to stimulate real-world emergency situations.

One fire and rescue department in the United Kingdom has utilised the capabilities of BIM technology to create plans for high risk buildings in the area to better support and prepare the fire crews in the Strathclyde area. The BIM models produced are regularly updated and include around 8000 buildings and 26,000 plans that the crew can upload to their Vehicle Mounted Data System and identify any hazards then bring up detailed operating procedures to dealing with the hazard.

On site, hazards can be avoided throughout the building cycle with conflict resolution and therefore can be eliminated before construction begins. Various other benefits of BIM can in turn benefit site safety, for example, construction sequencing. It isn’t uncommon for construction workers to work in tight spaces because of existing components, creating access, fall and ergonomic concerns.

BIM offers a number of benefits that can improve safety both during and after construction. It can be expected that in the future, the construction industry will adopt the safety practices of electronic and manufacturing with set standards, and when that happens, BIM will be ready.

Although used regularly in the construction industry, acronyms can be confusing and cause more trouble than good in some instances. So, what is an acronym? As defined by dictionary.com an acronym is ‘a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words’ for example CEO, Chief Executive Officer.

Below is a breakdown of some of the most commonly used acronyms in the industry along with their meanings.

BIM, Building Information Modelling

BIM is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle from the planning stages continuing though to the construction phase.

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

IPD, Integrated Project Delivery

Integrated Project Delivery is a collaborative alliance of people, systems, business structures and practices that form processes that utilise the talents and insights of all participants to optimise project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication and construction.

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

AEC, Architecture, Engineering & Construction

AEC is the acronym for Architecture, Engineering & Construction.

FM, Facility Management

Facility Management refers to the management of a building’s performance and operations management throughout the life cycle of the building from design phase right through to it’s operational life.

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

3D, Three Dimensional

Three-dimensional is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe that doesn’t consider time, in which we live. The three dimensions are commonly referred to as length, width and depth (or height).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-dimensional_space

4D, Four Dimensional

Four-dimensional is a geometric concept derived from the generalised rules of three-dimensional where the fourth element is time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-dimensional_space

BIM is becoming one of the most widely used technologies in the construction industry and is increasingly gaining the interest of companies involved in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) as well as building owners and operators. However, it’s also one of the most of overused and misunderstood. So, what does it mean and what makes it so great?

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle from planning stages right through to construction and facility management phases. BIM was created and introduced to the industry to differentiate between 3D modelling and traditional 2D drawing.

BIM creates a reliable digital representation of a building available for design decision making, construction planning, performance predications and cost estimates. The ability to maintain all information in one accessible and integrated digital environment gives architects, engineers, builders and owners a clear vision of projects as well as the ability to make changes and decisions faster whilst eliminating errors.

Often promoted as the solution to reduce waste and inefficiency in building design and construction, BIM also saves its users time and money through improved productivity and error detection.

So why should we be looking into BIM technology? Here are just a few of the benefits BIM has to offer:

 • BIM reduces rework through fixing problems early meaning fewer issues in the plans and ultimately less in the construction phase

• BIM improves coordination in construction sequencing

 • Effective marketing presentation of construction approaches

 • BIM helps in identifying possible conflicts that may arise during building construction

• BIM provides clash detection, reducing the amount of errors and hence rectifications saving costs and resources

• BIM allows for more “what if” analysis, for example: construction sequencing options, shuffling of human resources, fine-tuning cost factors, etc.

• BIM helps clients and end-users in understanding and visualizing the end product

 • BIM helps owners to make informed decisions about the proposed project

The emphasis on green and sustainable living that is ever present in our current social climate is increasingly becoming an important factor in the construction industry and we can expect to see this trend to continue to grow well into the future.

The concept of entire cities being created, renovated and operated in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner has become a reality with the help of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology being implemented in the earliest stages of design and planning.

Crumbling infrastructure seen today is a clear indication that practices of the past should be just that, and that action needs to be taken to create infrastructure that meets the needs of future generations. The approach to doing so takes thought, strategy and practicality in order to achieve sustainable goals, balance man-made systems with natural systems whilst satisfying the needs of all involved.

BIM is playing an important role in the planning and future of this all over the world. Through workflow processes, BIM technology is being used by civic planners to better understand, evaluate, simulate and solve complex problems with building projects.

Similar to its use in the construction industry, BIM is being used in collaboration with design software to contribute to planning a civic project across its lifecycle. The models can then be used to analyse a number of factors including costs and scheduling as well as environmental aspects including carbon footprint and energy performance.

BIM technology allows everyone to experience the project before it’s real and enables evaluation and changes to be visualised on a computer first saving costs and time during the construction process.

Ten years have passed since one of the world’s most famous and tallest building structures, the World Trade Centre, was destroyed during the 9/11 attacks. The past decade has also seen great advances in the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM), which has been used extensively in the construction process of the new World Trade Centre Freedom Tower through the use of a BIM room.

Although there are no hammers or wrenches found in the BIM process, it is one the most vital factors in the construction process. The BIM process creates a computer animated 3D model that illustrates how every part in the building will fit together and detects any collisions, consequently saving time and money.

The virtual world that BIM enables is also used to plan the actual construction of the building in the real world. Serge Demerjian, the Development Manager for the company building the new World Trade Centre Freedom Tower says the BIM room allows for preparation of the sequence of installation and allows him to see “who is on top, who’s next, who’s in the middle and who’s lowest,” to avoid anybody being blocked or boxed out.

BIM allows those involved to come together and negotiate the building process with the ease of computers to resolve any issues in a virtual space and ensure smooth sailing once on site.

Visit http://www.casttv.com/video/ycsm9w2/fox-report-w-shepard-smith-cc-rise-of-freedom-bim-room-video to see the report on the use of BIM and the World Trade Centre Freedom Tower.

With the start of the GFC more than 2 years ago now, whilst we are seeing signs of improvement and most of us have managed to stay in business, we all just don’t know where next month’s work is coming from. The days of being booked up with work for the next 12 months have long gone… 

On a recent trip to Finland I was encouraged to hear that the construction industry in Europe is growing at a greater rate than was anticipated and confidence is the US is growing so signs are looking positive.

 But what does the construction market have in store for us? How will we be going in say 5 years from now? 

Over the past 3-4 years there has been much talk about a new “thing” called BIM. I call it a “thing” because there is still much confusion around what it really is. Is it a Computer Aided Drafting software, is it a process, or is it something else? 

The BuildingSMART Australia organisation is a major promoter of BIM and organises  many events and conferences to promote and support it’s adoption across our industry. During their recent Building SMART MESH conference series, they mentioned that a BIM economic study had recently been released (see http://buildingsmart.org.au/increasing-the-productivity-of-the-buildings-network-by-adopting-building-information-modelling for an overview on BIM and where you can download the BIM Economic Study). 

What will this mean for us? Will we all be using BIM in 5 years from now? All signs say that we should be.

Imagine you’re going to buy a new or used car. You’ve looked around, asked friends and family for advice, and have thought of a few options you think you’d like and would do the job adequately. Not only that, you’d like something with a little luxury, maybe it’s climate control air conditioning or seat warmers in winter. You go to the first car yard that has one for sale, take a quick look at the outside, don’t open the doors or even sit in it, and you write the dealer a cheque and you’re on your way.

 Ever done that before? Of course not. Why would you? You’d have no idea how the car runs, whether you like the interior, how to turn on seat warmers, how the steering feels, etc. No doubt you’d end up feeling even more frustrated and just take it back for a refund.

 Tekla Structures is that luxury car, the one you’ve always wanted and you know is the best.  It’s so comfortable, it’s quick, it cuts down on expenses because you’re not having to fix it all the time, it’s a whole lot more fuel efficient, you feel great when you’re using it, but there’s no point in having it if you can’t even figure out how to start the engine. Tekla has so many capabilities, many of which even the most knowledgeable users haven’t delved into.  It reduces RFI’s, rework costs through clash detection, improves your accuracy, automates drawings from the model and these are just from opening the box.

 Let us take you on a Tekla test drive. Come along for a full day of training, and we’ll give you a license to take home for 14 days. The best thing is that you don’t pay a thing for it and we even feed you at no expense. We know this software is the best and you won’t be able to stop yourself from wanting it. Click here to contact us or register your interest and let us give you the keys to a brand new working life.

So everybody is jumping on the BIM bandwagon and you’re starting to wonder if you should too, but it seems like so much work. You already know how to use AutoCAD and that’s good enough, isn’t it? I mean, sure these other programs seem a lot more advanced but you’re getting along just fine without them. Besides, you don’t have the time or the money to put into buying and learning something new, plus you can’t afford it. Realistically though, can you afford not to? Are you, in fact, losing potential jobs because the way you do things is slow, out of date, and prone to human error? Probably. Have you even had a real, proper look at BIM software? Probably not. You’ve just decided it’s too expensive and too hard to learn. But guess what? You may already have mastered the basics without even realizing it.

I’m sure at some time or another we’ve all played with Lego, you know the little plastic coloured blocks that join together to make castles, cars, motorbikes, trees, whatever you can think of. Like everything else in the world, Lego has advanced to an electronic state. You can download the ‘Lego digital designer’ from the Lego website and create whatever you want, all in a 3D environment, with each piece containing intelligent data. The model and individual pieces can all be rotated and viewed from all angles. It comes standard with an extensive catalogue of pieces, from base blocks to different heads to different sized wheels. You select which objects you want to use and literally just drop them into the model. See the screen shots below:

Does that seem too difficult? No. In fact, your 7 year old son or grandson has probably already built a football stadium complete with cheerleaders and tiny hot dogs. The concept is the same as BIM. As an example, Tekla Structures comes with an extensive component catalogue as well as all Australian standard beams, bollards, columns, etc just by opening the box. You literally select each object from the catalogue and put it in place on the model. You’re constantly working in a 3D environment and with an intelligent, data rich model. Your GA drawings are created by the click of a button, but that’s not even the best part. When you make a change on the model, the drawings immediately update themselves to reflect the change. You can find your errors by doing a clash check and say goodbye to most of those rework costs nobody likes. So the next time you think it’s “too difficult and not affordable to even look at”, think of your 7 year old building his Lego stadium and ask yourself if realistically, you can afford not to.