B3 - (GROUP B) - Matthew Zabiega

                BIM software is almost essential to any design firm as it allows for easily visualization, editing, collaboration and planning of the project. REVIT is arguably at the forefront of the BIM software. “Revit has now and will become more deeply integrated with the core of planning, conceptual design, detailed design, fabrication, and operation of our built environment” [2].  However like all things, nothing is perfect and REVIT certainly is not perfect.  Probably one of the biggest problems REVIT faces, it probably its biggest key feature; it is so incredibly complex almost to the point that no one is an expert. A REVIT model can be designed with huge amounts of detail, features and families, but the problem is to teach a new employee or teach a student. The learning curve varies from person to person, it may take a few hours watching tutorials and taking it out for a test drive before you can start ‘designing’ something incredibly basic. Once you feel like you have the hang of it, you hit a wall and have to ask questions (if there is anyone to answer) or watch another tutorial/buy books.  This process is almost repeated infinitely.

                Another problem I personally experienced is also another big advantage of REVIT; multiple people working in the same model at the same time. A REVIT model, if located on a server, can be accessed by numerous amounts of people that can work on the project simultaneously. Every now and then (more now than then) you have to save and reload the project to make sure you are seeing the most up-to-date model. This can present a relative big problem is someone either: goes a long time without saving/reloading, or tries to edit the same structure/family someone else is trying to edit. For the first problem, the work that person has just done may be over-written and possibly lost if someone has edited the space around it. For the second problem, if you edit a something in the model that someone else has already edited, it could cause the model to glitch, blend the edits or even crash. This requires a lot of planning if multiple people are working in the model at the same time, one way around this is to divide the work up so that no two people are working on the same thing.

                Sometimes REVIT is stubborn, anyone who has used REVIT can more than likely agree. The task may be simple but REVIT will not allow you to create that pipe connection, or connect those walls. A funny personal example happened at my last co-op, I was given the job to update the edits in a REVIT model. One thing I had to do was replace a 60 degree pipe take-off with a 45 degree take-off and then reconnect the pipe. For whatever reason it was, REVIT would not allow it. Fast forward 2 hours later, with our departments 2 best REVIT designer and the actual head of the REVIT department (person who is really good at REVIT), crowded around my cubicle, trying to figure out why REVIT would not create that connection. No Clash-detection. Check. No interference. Check. No turned off layers clashing. Check. Elevation and view correct. Check. No one could figure out what the problem was. It was becoming more of a personal dilemma for the designers to figure out this ‘simple’ problem. They ended up finding similar objects around the model, copying and dragging them into the needed place.

                Something that seemed so simple just took four people three hours to accomplish. Sometimes REVIT does not budge and you have to improvise. The REVIT software is always being advanced, there is a huge difference between REVIT 2012 and REVIT 2016 and I am sure REVIT 2017 will be even more glorious than the previous.

Sources:

1: http://aecmag.com/technology-mainmenu-35/450-the-trouble-with-bim

2: http://www.seandburke.com/blog/2014/03/29/is-revit-dead/

Comments:
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-group-b-kai-waechter.html?showComment=1453823169626#c7696118922486202263
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-dianna-vogel-current-issues-with.html?showComment=1453823803472#c1641956809589075840

B3, Group D, advantages of BIM, Redus

Building information Modeling, or BIM, has many positive effects. The article last week pointed out that it reduces the need to repeat work, increases the ease of collaboration, points out conflicts, and can aid evaluating designs through energy, cost, and circulation simulation add-ons.

In class, Huw showed us a lot of newer (and developing) BIM technology. Currently, the only information transmen have access needs to be on “construction documents” – 2D plan sheets. In the future Bentley’s modeling system will let the user see the proposed 3D model of the space in front of them. It will also show them the section drawing of a wall they are working on. This can greatly improve a tradesmen’s understanding of what he is working on, improving accuracy and allowing him to observe how his system interacts with others and make suggestions. While contractors have been eager to adopt BIM technology, this will probably encourage them even more. The tradesman could also verify the equipment he installed, which would be very useful to building operators as well. Maintenance personnel could simple pull out a surface device and see exactly where their part of interest is located. Huw also pointed out that Yelp can point out where local restaurants are and display reviews, pricing, hours, and distance to each restaurant. This could be coupled with a model to show where the different junction boxes are and which lines go into them. This information could help the electrician to troubleshoot and fix the problem much faster.

McGraw Hill Construction wrote an interesting report in 2014 examining the value of BIM for owners. They found that 85% of owners in the UK felt that few problems occurred during construction because of BIM (The UK has higher BIM usage than the US). This is most likely because of the collaboration that BIM enables and fault-finding software that most systems include. 72% also believe BIM improves control of construction costs, which is somethings most owners appreciate. These reductions are probably due to fewer design errors as well as allowing contractors to effectively plan and schedule the project. Importantly 98% of owners said BIM visualizations allowed a better understanding of the design. This is significant because owners are who pay the engineers and architects. It does not matter who has the best design, it matters who can communicate that the owner will like their design. BIM makes making 3D, schematic, and other visualizations easy, these visualizations give owners a better understanding of the design. Owners also appreciate BIM because it makes post-construction operation significantly easier. 78% perceive value in utilizing BIM for facilities management.

McGraw Hill Construction. SmartMarket Report. “The Business Value of BIM for Owners,” 2014. McGraw Hill Financial. Online.

Comment to Flint, Surveying
Comment to Beynon, Data-Rich Models

B2 - Adrian Kuzniarowicz Group E

For this week’s discussion post, Group E was instructed to read Chapter 6 of BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners. In Chapter 6 of the guide, the author writes about the various applications which BIM technologies are used for by contractors in the field.

The utilization of BIM technology in the construction field has tremendous impacts on the cost, time, and constructability of most construction projects. In design, BIM is utilized by all members of the project team to accurately model and integrate the components of the construction process. The implementation of BIM technology in the construction process allows for a better planned construction process with a reduced number of potential conflicts. Projects that benefit from interdisciplinary BIM models are typically ones that include IPD, or Integrated Project Delivery. IPD is a joint contract that requires architects, designers, general contractors, and trade contractors to work together from the start of a project.

In today’s construction field, BIM technologies can be utilized for a number of applications, including the following:

·         Clash Detection, Quantity Takeoff,  Cost Estimating,Construction Analysis and Planning, Integration with cost and schedule control and other management functions,  Etc.

In the past, contractors have been deemed with the task of performing manual quantity take-offs, estimates, and schedules, which became a very tedious and time consuming process. As time has progressed, contractors have recognized the importance of team communication and collaboration early into the project and how the implementation of BIM technology can simplify the organizational tasks which must be completed by contractors prior, during, and after the construction sequence. By considering the importance of team collaboration for the creation of useful BIM models, the number of errors in a project can be significantly reduced compared to previous construction projects which did not use BIM.

This guide presents an informative take on the importance of the emergence and utilization of BIM technologies in the construction field. The chapter on contractor implementation of BIM technologies presents good examples of applications and expectations of how BIM software impacts a contractors methodologies. The chapter demonstrated various different applications where BIM software is utilized in construction which I had no idea about. I found the chapter very interesting and informative considering BIM technology will only continue to advance and be implement in construction and design all over the world.

Comments:

  Kate Flint:

Kate,

From your post, it seems that your chapter on the implementation of BIM by Architects and Engineers pointed out many of the same things as my chapter on the implantation of BIM by Contractors. Similarly to Chapter 5, Chapter 6 stressed the importance of BIM in the early phases of the design process. I found that for a contractor to have an accurate BIM model, there must be collaboration between disciplines early in the process. In regards to your co-op experience, I have seen the same problem with tradesman not wanting to get on board. I believe that this is because they just want to get in and out of the project to get paid as fast as they can.

 Laura Worley

Laura,

In your last paragraph you mentioned the importance of the feature of clash detection in BIM software. I don’t know how extensively Chapter 2 touched on the subject, but in Chapter 6 on the Contractor implementations of BIM, the topic is discussed very extensively. It really gives you a good idea of how important BIM is when considering a fully integrated building design. I also agree with your statement of the importance of BIM in determining load paths through a structure. I have also used BIM for this and it has proven to be very beneficial.

Reference:
Eastman, Charles M. 2011. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost.