The term Building Information Modeling (BIM) was first
introduced in 1992, and has went from being a buzzword to a centerpiece of the
architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) world. With its implementation
in the industry, communication has become a lot easier, though it is still far
from perfect.
Throughout building history, 2D drawings have been the
dominant mode of representation, which has led to many mistakes and onsite
corrections since most of these drawings are inadequate.
BIM replaces these drawings with 3D virtual building
models wherefrom the 2D drawings can be extracted. It changes the way that a
representation is constructed, fundamentally changing the 2D line-by-line layout.
A lot of issues can be eliminated with virtual 3D modeling and in the future;
maybe it is the virtual model that is actually being used.
The process of building design is a very complex and
collaborative exercise. It requires the knowledge
and expertise of professionals in a multitude of areas.
BIM has the ability to connect all the contributors
of the building process, and make a more effective workflow. Implementing BIM
requires a lot of work, time and money, but as an old African motto says: “if
you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Some people
might believe the shift isn’t worthwhile, but in the long run it is impossible
not the adapt BIM into a standard practice as it will benefit all segments of
the project. If all AEC contributors on a project work together, a lot of future
problems can be prevented already in the design phase.
The design phase is the activity where
a major part of the information about a project is initially defined. The
traditional contract for architectural services suggests a payment schedule to
be 15 % for schematic design, 30 % for design development, 55 % for
construction documents and project supervision. The distribution reflects the
weight usually required for the production of construction drawings. If BIM
were implemented, then these numbers would be completely different.
Major BIM problems do definitely occur
though, as computer programs and procedures are still in development. Even the truly
pro-BIM authors of the BIM handbook says: “No program provides
the broad spectrum of functionality needed for general concept design, and
workflows are currently rough, requiring rigid modeling conventions to be
followed or alternatively restructuring of the model. A smooth workflow using
these tools is not quite a reality.”
The various ways of working and designing
throughout the different phases of the building design requires a need for
various design tools. A lot of 3D modeling programs is mentioned in chapter 5,
but none of them works for the whole process. For example is a very initiative,
free form geometry, and fast working sketching program, such as SketchUp or
Rhino, needed for the conceptual design. If all you need to do is design and
analyze, Revit would be way too heavy (like using a hammer to crack nuts). Revit
is a great program, but you need to know what you want to create before
starting, which makes it ideal for the integration of engineering services. The
last two categories mentioned in chapter 5 are construction level modeling and
design-construction integration, which Ryan has well covered in his post.
As almost
everything else, building design is heading in a more sustainable direction
than earlier. BIM is a great way to use analysis- and simulation tools to test
a buildings performance, which gives the designer an opportunity to optimize
the design considering sunlight, wind etc. and make the building more energy
efficient.
I have been an intern at Henning Larsen Architects in their sustainability
department (major Danish architectural company), and we used BIM to optimize
the design of buildings simply by designing and situating correctly in relation
to the surroundings and climate. The design itself reduced approximately 80 %
of the original buildings energy consumption. The BIM model was always in
center of focus when communicating with architects and engineers.
BIM is
still fairly new technology, but it has a great future. I think one of the
biggest challenges is making the transformation from one design phase to
another, because the interfaces has to be so different and house so many
different functions. Another challenge is having one big model, which everyone
can work on and see how their work relates to others. Autodesk might be on
their way to something big with their Vasari beta version. Hopefully it can be
a big part of the concept design, and then the BIM workflow can easily continue
in Revit.
Source:
Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael
Sacks, Kathleen Liston; “BIM Handbook, a Guide to Building Information Modeling
for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors” Second Edition, foreword and Chapter 5; 2011
Comments:
Ryan Donahue: I found your post very interesting as you take the view as a structural engineer instead of just writing a summary of the text. I am not sure I agree with you about firms being able to design entire buildings in Revit though. A great concept design needs to be made in a much more creative program than Revit, but else wise, I agree that it can be made entirely in Revit.
It was great with the personal experiences about BIM implementing! Makes the post much more personal and easier to remember.
Comments:
Ryan Donahue: I found your post very interesting as you take the view as a structural engineer instead of just writing a summary of the text. I am not sure I agree with you about firms being able to design entire buildings in Revit though. A great concept design needs to be made in a much more creative program than Revit, but else wise, I agree that it can be made entirely in Revit.
It was great with the personal experiences about BIM implementing! Makes the post much more personal and easier to remember.
