Paul Brion, BIM Coordinator and Structural CAD Designer with DLR Group opened a session at the September Mid-America Design-Build Chapter Breakfast in Kansas City to hear industry professionals discuss “The Benefits of Building Information Modeling in the Design-Build Arena.”
He discussed how a firm transitioning from CAD to BIM can expect a minimal investment for software and user training. Most programs communicate with others, but firms should make a decision for software based on their primary industry focus. Firms should also consider the types of companies they work with regularly and what program best supports that industry focus. A sample of programs available includes Revit, EliteCad, Tekla, x-Steel, SDS-2, Bentley, etc.
Firms can conduct either off-site or in-house training directly with the software manufacturers and should anticipate soft costs associated with the change, such as adopting a revolutionary way of practicing traditional architecture and engineering.
“Designers may spend more of the project budget creating the model up front,” Brion said. “The significant cost savings will be found on the back end of the project, during construction administration.”
The BIM process requires more data sharing than some designers have practiced for many years, and is, in a sense, a true team approach. To achieve maximum efficiency, BIM models should be created in the design development phase.
“Making changes later in the design process using a program like Revit takes more time and shrinks a project budget faster than using a program like Auto-CAD,” Brion said. “Early buy-in by all parties involved will help minimize changes and maximize better decisions.”
Productivity may slip during the early stages of learning the BIM process, but firms must set a realistic time table for making the transition. They should consider the learning curve and select a small, simple project rather than a monumental project to implement BIM initially. The more complex the project, the greater reason to use BIM, but the design team must become comfortable with the BIM process first.
Team Benefits
“Team members can share design options earlier in the project, define sustainable goals and identify any challenges that may hinder those goals,” Brion said.
While obtaining LEED® certification using traditional design and construction is time consuming and costly, intelligent 3-D modeling allows contractors to view LEED expectations on specified materials or systems and gives clarity to compatible alternatives for consideration. In addition, BIM software provides the opportunity to run in depth energy consumption analyses, which was once considered too time consuming.
These analyses can result in more energy efficient buildings and possible LEED certification points. Also, better coordination among the project team members leads to fewer change orders and conflicts in the field, which ultimately leads to less waste of construction materials.
BIM reduces duplication of efforts and allows the design team to hand over a complete design model to the fabricator and contractor, leading to fewer errors on shop drawings. This technology allows designers to focus more on their primary role, to deliver a high-quality design solution to the owner.
Contractors are given more complete construction drawings resulting in a smoother building process, owners are able to visualize the predicted outcome of their structure and can then use the model for facilities management.
“BIM technology informs the project team about parts of the building in conflict, or clash,” Brion said. “Learning about clashes early in the design process results in cost savings and possibly a reduction in construction time.”
In addition to financial savings, the project team also can use BIM as a marketing tool to illustrate their commitment to the highest quality design solutions and final product.
“There is something for everyone to help increase productivity and creativity, and at the same time minimize waste of production hours and construction materials,” Brion said. “Because the technology is still in its infancy, some of its benefits have not been realized yet.”
Great Expectations
Brion said, however, that BIM isn’t “magical.” It’s a tool to streamline construction. Even so, design errors might occur. But BIM technology greatly reduces risk. In addition, sharing a model across the entire design team and across disciplines increases the probability errors will be caught and corrected early.
The shift to BIM is not comparable to the transition to AutoCAD, but is an entirely new design process.
“BIM is a new way to design. It will forever change how we practice architecture and engineering,” he said. “Professionals who have not applied this technology in one form or another cannot fully understand what they are missing. These firms run the risk of being left behind as others realize the full potential of BIM.”
Brad Hardin, building information director for McCown Gordon Construction, added that change is inevitable with BIM — not only during the design phase but also during the construction phase.
Hardin said BIM’s overall goal is to improve both the process and technology, and one is not possible without the other.
“Adding technology to the wrong process only makes the process very wrong,” he said. “It does not increase efficiencies, increase profit, decrease risk or increase teamwork.”
As a result, he said industry professionals must change the way they think. If a team is profession focused, BIM will not succeed. But if a team is project focused, communicating early and sharing the design model, BIM will lead to team buy-in and ultimately success.
Evolution
As BIM technology changes the way general contractors work with architects, engineers and owners, contractors are involved early in the process as well, which affects construction schedule planning.
“Being involved at the outset of a project allows contractors to provide valuable input on construction scheduling and sequencing,” Hardin said. “Firms are able to more effectively manage multiple trades, make more informed decisions and create clash reports before construction even begins.”
In preconstruction, BIM then brings the contractor to the team earlier. BIM also allows the building design to be modified in a real time manner. Flexibility equates to more accurate estimates and accommodates better design and better construction in the end.
“Scheduling improves with BIM,” Hardin said. “Project schedules are easily updated and regenerated using links in the technology. This allows more efficient coordination across all trades.”
The Plan
A good BIM strategy is plan development, Hardin said.
This includes:
- Consulting with legal counsel to develop BIM language understood by everyone.
- Developing an implementation strategy, which outlines the divisions of a company to begin using BIM first.
- Getting involved with other peers with BIM-related experiences to learn what works and what doesn’t.
- Tracking the time it takes to accomplish new BIM-related tasks and use the data to budget fees and times for future projects.
- Expecting the unexpected and remaining flexible — a critical aspect to BIM success.
“People and companies want to operate more efficiently,” Hardin said. “Rising costs, shrinking margins and resources will continue to affect a company’s bottom line, and for this reason technology and its ability to usefully increase efficiencies will continue to be in demand.”