Week 4 - BIM makes the Engineer's Work Easier vs It makes the Engineer's work Harder

BIM software has shown a rapid growth in popularity the last few years and seems to be for the greater good, but some still question if it is a positive direction. A further examination of the positives and negatives will help to shed some light on whether it makes engineer’s work easier or harder.

Engineers have to work with many other disciplines that often hinder the ability to coordinate and complete tasks as efficiently as possible. With BIM software, less explanation between disciplines is needed because of the vast information provided in the model. For instance, Contractors might have questions about dimensions and/or locations of certain components that would normally have to be answered by an engineer, but with the implementation of BIM this question could simply be found by looking at the model. A similar scenario arises when the clients are having trouble understanding the complex ideas of a project that can be clearly conveyed through BIM’s visual representation of that project. Both of these examples reduce the amount of time spent explaining details that can be found and easily understood with the BIM model.

            

BIM software also offers a feature that is referred to as clash detection, which will identify any conflicts that occur between the different discipline’s models. This feature ultimately reduces the costs associated with clashes that go undetected through the design stage and improves the accuracy of construction bids. As a result, the clients and construction companies are pleased with the engineers work and are more inclined to work with them again.

            

Although arguments can be made about the initial cost of the software and training involved to properly use the software, they are minute compared to the effect BIM has on making an engineer’s work easier. The more substantial argument results from the difficulty of using BIM software’s when other companies are using CAD software’s. There are not yet viable solutions to this problem other than clients requiring that a certain project be done in one or the other. It would be a wise prediction to say that this problem will not exist in the near future but regardless of outcome it is clear that the use of BIM software makes an engineer’s work easier.

Works Cited

http://udsummit.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Russell.Rachel_Presentation.UDS5_.pdf

http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xbcr/infocomm/Brochure_BIM.pdf