B3: Group C - Mridul Chulet

Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a powerful set of design management’s tool has been highlighted by the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM has significant advantages over the entire building lifecycle, particularly design but also construction and facility management. The possible future advantages of BIM (building information modeling) are as follows [1]:

1.      Integrated project delivery (IPD), a highly collaborative method that often includes design-build or design-assist contracting approaches, benefits greatly from using BIM. IPD spreads risk evenly among project team members, works out feasibility issues early in the process, and leads to high-value, cost-effective building solutions.

2.      Virtual design & construction (VDC), will be relied on in coming years for constructability analyses, cost estimating and project scheduling. BIM supports VDC very well, providing dimensionally accurate 3-D models to eliminate conflicts among the trades using the process known as clash detection and to identify significant discrepancies in modeled and even non-modeled data.

3.      Sustainability and green building: Many firms use BIM to guide the LEED certification process, and it can be integrated into energy modeling, airflow analysis, and daylighting studies. BIM also contributes directly to improved “cradle-to-cradle” project analysis as well as “lean construction” methods, which are both meant to reduce construction related waste and embodied energy. Just in time delivery and industrialized prefabrication are also enabled through dimensionally accurate, information-rich parametric building models.

Many software developers have been entering the building information market as a result, though only a few companies offer comprehensive software suites that can be considered platforms for BIM. Autodesk Revit has the largest market share, which is causing some in the industry to use the terms Revit and BIM interchangeably. It is important to note, however, that Autodesk does have significant competition, primarily from software makers Graphisoft, based in Budapest and Newton, Mass., as well as Bentley Systems, Inc. based in Exton, Pa. [2] and while Autodesk may dominate, all three platforms are notable for their relative maturity. Google Sketchup may be another future BIM player.

References:

1)      https://www.wbdg.org/pdfs/1103_dell_bdc_whitepaper.pdf

2)      https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/ETD/Available/etd-042011-135239/unrestricted/MHergunsel_Thesis_BIM.pdf

Comments:

Hamad Al-Hajri,
I really enjoyed reading your post. All the statements you wrote are correct and make sense. Some of the other advantages of using Revit is that it stores an entire model in a single database with all elements interrelated. The significance of this is that when you make any changes in one location all affected elements will dynamically update. Also, Revit makes work sharing easy. This means that you can work on the same project and synchronize information to a central file located on the server while everyone is separately working on their own computers.

Yasmina Shields,
Great post. I completely agree with your opinion on problems with BIM. The other problems associated with BIM are: Training and Software Costs. The use of BIM requires significant training and as with any software program there are costs associated with the software such as purchasing, licensing and training. Also, BIM requires more effort at the beginning of a project. When BIM is used, it is insufficient for a contractor to simply submit plans for its own work and then begin construction. The contractor must first sit down with the designer and other prime contractors and create the model.

B3 - Group B - Hatim Amiji

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of integrating different aspects of construction into a single system. The extensive use of computers in the construction industry has played an important role in the widely usage of BIM software such as Revit. BIM has many advantages i.e. it is being used to reduce construction costs by optimizing material usage and also increase efficiency. BIM, being the future of the construction industry with so many advantages however certainly has setbacks at present.

Major issue of BIM development at present is the cost. The software itself is expensive hence it is not used by companies with small budgets. Also, smaller construction projects have less profits which in comparison to the cost of the software is not feasible. Use of BIM also requires extensive training of the employees in usage of the specified software hence adding more costs of operation. For companies which have been working primarily with CAD software or hand drawings will suffer additional costs to convert projects to BIM format.

Interoperability costs also arises, this is a major problem at present. Communication between different software is very limited because file formats are not supported across various platforms. When architects, engineers and construction managers want to share construction files for a project suffer major interoperability issues if they are all using different programs.

BIM model can be shared by  many parties hence engineers, architects even construction managers can contribute to the model this tends to compromise the accuracy of the project. A small flaw or mistake in the model can have an impact on all the parties that are sharing the same file and working on the project.

BIM also creates a problem of ownership/legality. In this case, since a BIM file is shared by many parties this can create confusion when it comes to the ownership of the BIM file. Legal claims can lead to result unnecessary costs to the project.

References

http://construction.about.com/od/Trends/a/Building-Information-Modeling-Risks.htm

B3 - Group C - Faisal Alghati

What are the possible future advantages of Revit/BIM

Roughly a decade ago, information on building projects was scribbled on paper, difficult to comprehend and above all a nightmare to design. Today, we pride being on the brink of time in which an entire building can be designed, presented in 3D, managed and implemented all in one place, on a single file using a specialized technique Building Information Modeling (BIM) [1].Termed the best thing in managing notorious construction projects which often run an over budget and out of schedule, BIM software’s such as REVIT have proved to reduce rework, cut down project duration, enhance communication, lessen construction costs among others. As such, BIM holds so much regarding the future of construction, consequently posting the question what is the future of BIM in itself.

Expectedly, more and more people will learn how to run BIM software like REVIT in a bid to not only remain relevant at work but also produce more and more complex designs. According to Reddy [1], governments are looking up to set BIM as an industry standard meaning new professionals eyeing a place in the diverse construction industry will be mandated by the markets to learn how to use this software.

Revit has been given a lot of credit regarding the collaborative framework it provides to make a project a success. To maintain a harmonious environment between different groups working to implement projects, for instance, engineers, 3D designers, architectures and owners, t legal and contractual framework will ascend to manage risks and help maintain functional institutions [1].

As time flies by, BIM software developers gain more insight. Thus, in the future, it is expected that delivered software solutions will be easy to deploy, stress-free to comprehend reports and help achieve more in terms of building designs. By incorporating modules that suggest to architectures what could possibly be included or removed from a model work will be easier and faster. Projection of costs and timeline schedules will equally be more precise. Hence, the future of BIM revolves around enhancing effectiveness and efficiency [2].

References:

[1]: Reddy, K. (2011). BIM for building owners and developers. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons.

[2]: Underwood, J., & Isikdag, U. (2010). Handbook of research on building information modeling and construction informatics. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

B3 - Group C - Haoying Ye

 What are the possible future advantages of Revit/BIM

In 21^st century, people have started to get rid of the hand-drawing, and BIM is going to be a major innovation in architecture and engineering industry, there are numbers of reason behind the increasing acceptance of Revit in the future:

ü  Revit parametric modeling is a really good tool for us to have a preview of future home in 3D BIM Modeling.

ü  In Revit, all the building components are connected to each other intelligently, that means, whatever we change in the Revit model, the software will always updates the related component automatically, it decrease the time for use to change the design, and no repetitive tasks.

ü  Revit produces accurate material quantity take outs as a by-product, with less-efforts, which helps the contractors and owners to determine the budgets of the project.

ü  People don’t need to spend a lot of time and papers to draw all the drawings and sketches, through BIM, all the building design and precise calculations can be done by the software. Most important is, we can save all these drawing digitally in the hard drive, instead of a great pile of paper

Besides, I think one of the biggest impacts that BIM will have on the industry in the future is the changing nature of the profession and those employed in it. However, this happened when 2D drafting software became popular decades ago, and the industry evolved to adapt to this new technology, as it will with Revit/BIM. At this point, AutoCAD is still used widely, but as BIM becomes more popular, it will become the go-to software for most firms to generate drawings and intelligent information about the model. As such, employees who are familiar with BIM programs will become highly sought after and employees that do not have such experience will find it harder to get a job. However, at least for the near future, the industry standard remains 2D drawings, and many companies only use BIM to generate these drawings

Comments:

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B3 - Group D - Maria Ayon

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a model-based approach of the design process that has been known for its efficiency amongst individuals in the construction field. It has had an extremely positive outcome with the coordination of project management and project delivery. With time, more projects have introduced BIM as they work source due to its advantages. Some of these benefits include the following:

BIM allows the design team to model the building virtually before it is constructed through a 3D representation. By doing this, all systems (architectural, mechanical, structural, etc.) can be seen, analyzed and redesigned if needed in order for them to integrate perfectly. This benefit is known as the automated clash detection. By looking at the 3D relationship of components, if there is any clash or conflict between the mechanical and electrical system above ceiling for instance, the design can be fixed virtually, ensuring a smooth construction process. This leads to a more accurate construction time and less on-site labor.

                                   

Going beyond the modelling aspect of BIM, it also offers an information database that is related to each specific project. Information including, quantity take offs, cost details, MEP design details, project schedules, etc., can be linked to the projects. Furthermore, different elements have their own statistical information and specifications when clicked on them. For instance, selecting a partition would give you its area, volume, thickness of the partition, its material, finish, R-values, etc. Mechanical equipment would give you its manufacturer, cost, weight, etc. This makes it easier for designers as it lets them go through several options of a similar element in order to choose what is more suitable for the building’s budget and design.

BIM also allows for better management and improved coordination of the building process. All the people involved in this process, architects, structural and MEP engineers, construction managers, site personnel, all remain updated of even the smallest change done to the design through BIM. Information about the construction schedules can be linked to the BIM project as well, visualizing it as it advances. Updates of the construction progress, use of materials, updated costs, and even labor can be seen through this tool, allowing for a better management of the construction process.

Sources:

https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/ETD/Available/etd-042011-135239/unrestricted/MHergunsel_Thesis_BIM.pdf

http://static-dc.autodesk.net/content/dam/autodesk/www/solutions/building-information-modeling/bim-value/EN_Business_Value_of_BIM_In_China_SMR_(2015)FINALf.pdf

http://www.autodesk.com/solutions/building-information-modeling/value

https://www.quora.com/What-is-building-information-modelling-and-what-are-its-advantages-and-disadvantages

Comments:

Cristian Almendariz Comment

William Whitesell Comment