Chapter 6 - BIM for Contractors - Group E

Using building information modeling (BIM) technology is an advantage for contractors since it could help saving the time and money. Group E were asked to read and discuss chapter 6 of the BIM handbook. Chapter 6 starts with listing different types of contractors firms and how BIM technology can be used to help them accomplish their specific needs.

These types of contractors are, small firms that have an individual owner, which can work on one-project at a time, and large companies that can operate or locate on different countries, which provide a wide range of services, and works on different projects. Figure below shows the percentages of firm in different major areas in constructions industry.

The industry consists of contractors that start with a successful bid, and then they hire subcontractors for specific services. These subcontractors seem to be the majority of the firms that fall in septicity trade.

There are a wide range of BIM technology and tools in use across the different types of firms. Large firms basically used computer based on almost all of their work, and when it comes to designing they used the different types of design programs as Revit and CAD. Doing theses tasks manually is time consuming, so contractors recognize the value of BIM, as the architecture will be able to provide floor plans and models earlier in the project.

Nowadays, since the use of BIM technology has increased, the contractors are using different approaches to achieve this new technology. So, when design teams have not created a model of project, Contractors will ownership the modeling process. Figure below shows the modeling process of a project and how the contractors using can use the BIM.

Using the BIM technology and tools will reduce the amount of error. As some companies performing clash detection manually, and some contractors use 2D CAD tools to find any conflicts between the layers. Doing this process manually is time consuming, a percentage of error will occur. So, to avoid this problem, custom written application for automatically detecting clashed could be used so it can identify design error and save time.

A wide range of estimates that developed through the design processes, and the values of these estimates cannot be more precise till the project is completed. If the project is over budget after the design is complete, it’s either cancel the project or apply value engineering to cut cost or quality. Therefore, to prevent this kind of problems, interim estimates could be perform to help identify the problems early, and BIM could greatly assists the development of the interim estimates. Although, none of the BIM tools could provide the full capabilities of a spreadsheet or estimating package, but estimators should select one of the different options that works for their estimating process.

When it comes to constructions analysis and planning, it involves different activates in space and time. Usually, bars charts were used show the timeline of each task in the project. However, today schedulers use different types of software such as Microsoft project that could save time and be more precise.

In addition, contractors could use any of the BIM software to provide the status of the project, and track the variance between budget and actual cost since it has the detailed quantity and components information that can be linked to other applications  

source:

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide To Building Information Modeling For Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers And Contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 21 Jan. 2014

Comments:

Comment on Yoon’s post:

I totally agree with you on that calculations and intensive data collections still continues after the building is finished with constructions. Using BIM software could be really helpful to prevent these problems. It’s important because it could cause canceling the project or cutting the cost and quality if the project is over budget after the design is complete.

Comment on Dave Barbalace’s post:

It’s true that before BIM models, design drawing, and as-built had any importance in the maintenance and renovation phase of the building’s life since it’s really difficult to read and kind of complicated. I face this problem when we had to study the building envelope for Korman center. The building was really old and the plans were from 1958, we could barely read them. Therefore, BIM technologies has change the way owners and engineers deal with building when maintaining and renovating it, and has the benefit to save both time and cost.