B2: BIM for Architects & Engineers - Danielle Beynon (Group D)

After reading Chapter 5 of the BIM Handbook, I have gained a large amount of understanding about the advantages, limitations, goals, and applications of BIM in the design and construction fields. In my opinion, the most valuable aspects of BIM are incorporated into the conceptual design and analysis phases of a building project, mainly when it comes to collaboration among all parties.

          In the conceptual design phase, BIM is used to strengthen the quality of decisions that are made with its rapid feedback. Decisions made in this phase are crucial to the success of the project, and people making these choices in regard to the building program, cost constraints, and environmental aspects are much better informed from the very beginning. There are numerous easy-to-use tools already available; these include the following types:

• programs for quick 3D sketching and form generation, such as Google SketchUp and formZ
• programs that support layout and space planning, such as Facility Composer and Trelligence
• programs for simple layouts and interfaces for energy and lighting, such as EcoTect and IES Virtual Building
• programs for cost assessment, such as Dprofiler

With each of these programs there are limitations, but advancements are ongoing to make these BIM tools more efficient and useful. Also, the results from all of these applications have to be transferred to a more general BIM tool; a single tool has not been formed, but currently there are many integrated applications to use.

          In the design analysis phase, various software and design tools allow for collaboration among all professions in the project. Collaboration is another essential aspect for the final outcomes of a project, so having BIM capabilities that enhance this process is highly beneficial. Many BIM systems allow for model and drawing review and have markup capabilities. Several new tools can display 3D building models and 2D drawings to be reviewed, taking away the complexity of full model generation aspects. During my last co-op, we used Revit in this way; the structural design team would produce drawings to be sent to contractors for bidding and review, while we used full modeling capabilities for system integration and analysis in the office.

          Two types of workflows are used with exchange formats to allow for the designer and structural engineer to send updated BIM drawings back and forth. The one-way flow design tool involves transfer from the BIM design tool to the analysis application. The designer sends the general structural form with load information to the structural designer, the structural designer adds more structural information and possibly proposes changes, and any updates are entered manually in the BIM system by the designer. With this approach, any new analysis must have its own analysis run. The two-way flow approach involves the design application allowing flow to and from the analysis tool. The flow is the same from the designer to the structural engineer, but after analysis, the proposed changes are sent back to the BIM tool digitally. In this way, updates are implemented directly and more easily.


           It can be seen that there are many types of BIM tools to use for designing buildings. Each system has a unique aspect (or multiple features) that enhances that particular part of the design process. The chapter emphasizes that more and more companies are integrating BIM software into their projects, so it is obvious that 3D modeling is becoming more widely used than ever before. I think that this will produce numerous positive outcomes and allow for more efficient design-build processes as the field continues to progress. 

References:
Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2008. Web.

Comments:
1) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b2-group-b-alex-palma.html

Alex,

You read a different chapter of the BIM Handbook than I did, but your discussion about interoperability relates to what I talked about regarding collaboration in the design process of a building project. Before reading your post, I was not familiar with ProjectWise or XML files, but I now understand how they make the system of exchanging modeling information more efficient. Chapter 5 of the handbook introduces two workflow methods which involve file exchanges between the designer and the structural engineer in order to modify drawings as the project progresses. Having the capability to make changes in different programs and have files that shows these changes is truly beneficial. It is very interesting to see how the data exchange process is advancing to enhance building design and to make it more easily accessible to multiple parties using various programs.

2) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/chapter-2-introduces-bim-technology.html

Laura,

I read a different chapter of the BIM book than you did, so it was interesting to learn about how BIM technology aids in manufacturing materials. I completely agree 3D modeling capabilities that allow for materials to be placed into the design are great achievements, since this helps not only the designers but the engineers and fabricators involved with the project as well. Having specific materials designated in the initial stages of the project allows for easier collaboration for the remaining stages. Also, since I am very interested in structural analysis of buildings, I understand the importance of having material designations for proper load analyses like you mentioned.