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Image courtesy of EPR Architects Ltd. |
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knowledge base
what is building information modelling (BIM)?
Everybody in the AEC industry seems to be talking
about Building Information Modelling (BIM) these days,
but what does it mean? Despite appearing to be a relatively
new concept, BIM has in fact been around for about
the last 10 years, or even longer if you take into
account the many guises it has been given.
BIM means different things to different people and
rightly or wrongly, there are a plethora of opinions
as to what it actually is. There are two main objectives
to BIM: Making CAD data more intelligent and managing
it more effectively.
Extra Intelligence
Building Information Modelling is about adding extra
intelligence and richness to CAD data that provides
the person using it with more information beyond just
the visual content. This extra dimension is not in
the graphical representation of the design but in
the intelligence of the elements in a CAD model. This
means for example that a line does not just represent
a door but can contain a detailed specification of
the composition of that door including materials,
design, fire retardence and even cost.
Including particulars that provide more detailed
data about objects means that the success of communicating
the design intent is not just reliant on interpretation
of graphics alone, and thus more likely to be effective.
Carefully considering how you structure your CAD data
by layer management goes some way to achieving this,
but by utilising the functionality of some of the
BIM software solutions, we can add an even higher
level of intelligence giving each individual element
its own identity or label independent of the layer
it’s drawn on. The importance and usability
of this information extends way beyond this primary
function by enabling you to extract and collate data
in the form of reports, specifications, schedules
and costing information as an automated process.
It’s important to point out here that the
Building Information Modelling approach is not limited
purely to 3-dimensional working. This type of information
can be just as easily applied to a 2D CAD model using
the technology that BIM solutions, or indeed CAD software
has to offer.
What are the advantages of taking this approach?
Exchanging enriched CAD data improves the whole process
of communication giving everyone access to the information
they need when they need it. The biggest cost incurred
to the construction industry at present is caused
by delays on-site due to design errors and clashes
that were not identified earlier, and subsequently
having to be overcome there and then. By including
more detailed and precise data at the design stage,
these errors can be significantly reduced and clashes
identified before the project even reaches construction
stage.
Sharing & Management
of CAD Data
Besides its added intelligence, BIM is also a concept
that is based around effective sharing and management
of CAD data. Often the building model is perceived
to be composed as a single item to which all parties
of the design team contribute, although this is not
necessarily (and more often not) the case. The principle
is purely to produce a fully co-ordinated model that
can be reviewed in its entirety when necessary by
all parties. Whether this is hosted in a single location
or is reliant on individuals handing over their data
to external parties is irrelevant. What is more important
is having all of the relevant and most up-to-date
information to hand. Again, by having all of the necessary
and latest CAD data at their disposal, designers can
better understand the design as it evolves and make
more informed decisions, thus significantly reducing
errors and clashes earlier on in the project. In addition,
the enriched nature of BIM data means that the risk
of making incorrect assumptions is also removed.
Beyond Design &
Construction
The benefits of the BIM approach extend further beyond
the design and construction phases of the project
lifecycle too. Once built, a Building Information
Model can play a large role in future building maintenance
and alterations as well as medium-term functions such
as building and facilities management.
Implementing BIM
Implementing BIM is not something you can realistically
expect to happen overnight. There is a lot to consider
in terms of software, CAD standards, training and
rollout. It is worth considering what you want to
get out of working in this way and what will be the
biggest benefits to you. Focus on your objectives
as part of your rollout strategy. If possible, plan
your implementation in stages, so that you can get
up to speed with the software and its capabilities
and establish the best way of working for you without
the pressures of a live project and its deadlines.
Pilot projects can be a good way of both learning
the software and identifying project processes and
requirements. Think about your CAD users, their needs
with regard to training and support, and how these
will be met. Don’t try to change everything
at once!
So where do you start? What does it take to start
implementing BIM within the practice?
Depending on how far you want to go with implementing
BIM, you may find that some small initial changes
to the way you work will help you well on your way
to BIM success. For instance, adopting an industry-recognised
layer naming standard can be considered as a means
of adding intelligence to CAD data without even having
to embark on 3D modelling. While this is a slightly
crude interpretation of BIM, it’s a step in
the right direction. More importantly, you need to
ensure that your 2D CAD data is structured and organised
in a sensible and logical manner. A good CAD standard
will provide your users with a good foundation and
certainly help to ease the transition to BIM and the
challenges this new approach is likely to impose on
them.
In order to realise the full potential of BIM, you
should consider investing in BIM-oriented software.
With so many applications available, it is important
to identify the right tool for you, which may not
necessarily be what everyone else is using. Assess
the various options available, not only in terms of
cost and usability, but also consider factors such
as compatibility, functionality and flexibility. Often
the quickest and easiest way to achieve this initially
is to arrange demonstrations of the software and compare
the applications with each other. It may be easier
to make a balanced decision by having an expert to
hand to show you the software and answer questions
as opposed to obtaining an evaluation license and
trying to learn and assess it for yourself. That’s
not to say you should rule out self-evaluation altogether,
as this can help to identify how easy the application
is to learn and use, as well as giving you the opportunity
to road test it in a real-life scenario.
Once you have made your selection, you need to carefully
plan the software’s deployment. A pragmatic
approach will take into consideration the immediate
concerns including hardware requirements, configuration
and customisation as well as identifying who will
be using it and what their training needs are. Knowledge
gained from conducting pilot test projects can be
put to good use at this stage by helping to shape
the build and its content.
It is unrealistic to expect users to just be able
to pick up a new tool and start working with it, and
so it is worth investing both time and money in training,
particularly when such a large investment has been
made in purchasing the software. Otherwise, time wasted
in trying to get to grips with the application as
well as mistakes made in misinterpreting its functionality
could cost your company dearly. In our experience,
often the best approach to training and support is
to gradually introduce teams and provide them with
the training as and when they need it. Badly-timed
training can sometimes be ineffective if delegates
are trained months before they are actually due to
begin working with the software.
Outside of the classroom, in the live-project scenario,
another level of learning is often encountered in
dealing with problems and issues as they arise from
using the application on a real job. No training can
accommodate every eventuality or nuance that may crop
up and so often a good support network is required
to help users work through such situations. Having
the benefit of experience can undoubtedly help to
resolve such issues quickly and painlessly.The move
to adopting BIM is not something that should be taken
lightly as there are many aspects that require careful
consideration beforehand. Thorough planning and a
sensible approach will help to ensure the transition
is as smooth and painless as possible.
With our wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience
in all areas relating to BIM, such as CAD standards
development, software procurement, configuration and
training, Cadventure can help you to achieve your
objectives and make the adoption of BIM a success.
Talk to us about how we can help you…
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