Older people in the construction industry will remember the various forms of administrative chaos which were possible in paper-based building projects, and the sheer hard work of creating a strong management system. Monitoring everything was a full day’s work, and efficiency was a sort of wishful hope. It was the sort of work only experts could do well. The computer age made a dent in that situation, but it’s only now that real, dedicated systems for construction management are coming onstream.

BIM is the new wave of single stream, tailored business management tools for construction. It has the unique distinction of being highly regarded by all levels of the construction process for its reliability and efficiency. These systems allow full management scrutiny, and provide a lot of valuable data for reporting at all stages and levels of construction.

Working with BIM

BIM is a product of the demand in the construction industry for efficiency and productivity. It’s very much a business-based system, as well as a design and presentation tool. BIMs are derived directly from the 3D CAD planning information. They’re literally built from this data, and apply the CAD plans to a full working model. BIM allows a huge range of presentation and collaborative functions, providing a “same page” effect for consultation.

BIM relates to a full spectrum of construction issues:

• Demolition
• Waste removal
• Risk management
• Supply chain
• OHS
• Design
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Contractual completion staging
• Tendering

As you can see, this covers pretty much the entire building process, from inception, including the business administration functions.

The big advantages of a BIM system approach

BIMs are effectively a synthesis of data and graphic presentation values, used as much for business as for design and construction work. Recent surveys in the US indicate that 50% of the US construction industry now uses Business Information Modelling systems. The chief area of demand is in major project construction, and the basis of the demand is productivity and management efficiency. BIMs provide a holistic stream for management, and make every aspect of a project easy to track.

For systems which incorporate practical administrative, design and business values, BIMs are great sales tools They’re also invaluable as presentation media, providing both data and very strong visual presences as models and simulations. BIMs are the high end sales production media for sales professionals, the type which are used for everything from prospectuses to investor briefings.

It’s no exaggeration to say that BIMs are now the leading competitive edge of the global construction industry. They’ve already revolutionized design, and they’re now having the same effect on commerce.

Building Information Models- BIM basics is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

Operating system

Most 3D building modeling software is designed to work on a Windows platform. While Mac-based programs are available, their operation is not always as easy and efficient as on a Windows-based computer. The best software will be compatible with Windows 7 as well as Vista and XP.

Memory requirements

RAM is one of the components of the system that will have the most impact on the performance of your 3D building modeling software. Most systems will operate well, depending on the size of the actual model, with between 4GB and 16GB of RAM.

Memory branding is also important – look for trusted computing brands when you buy your memory, or ask your IT specialist for a recommendation based on quality, not price. It will pay for itself many times over in responsiveness and speed of the system!

32 bit / 64 bit

While many building information modeling software products will work with 32 bit systems, 64 bit is ideal. All of the components should be 64 bit to gain the benefits, including:

• The operating system
• The drivers
• The graphics card
• The software

Processors

A minimum of a dual core processor is recommended to run most 3D building modeling products. Often you will find that there are separate processes running within the same program, so multi-core processes give an enormous speed benefit. If you tend to run other applications at the same time, a quad core processor is recommended.

Processor speed should be as high as possible.

Graphics cards

If your building information modeling software uses OpenGL for rendering, as many do, check that your graphics card has good support for the process. NVIDIA graphics cards are common throughout good quality desktops and laptops now, and they tend to work well with OpenGL. Obviously the graphics card will be a critical component of how well the 3D model displays.
Your graphics card should also support the use of two different monitors.

Hard disk

A minimum of 150GB space is recommended, and a 7200 rpm speed for your hard disk. Best performance will come with space of up to 200GB, and ensuring you have a SATA or SAS drive.

Monitor

In order to visualize the structural engineering details properly, two 24″ monitors are recommended. A single 24″ monitor would also work (although would be less efficient), and smaller sizes are not recommended.

These requirements aren’t often discussed – but trying to work with the minimums in every field will greatly reduce the efficiencies and the cost savings that construction software makes possible.

Hardware Requirements for BIM Software is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

BIM for … non standard architecture

ONL is a multidisciplinary design firm with offices in the Netherlands and Hungary. Their reputation is for creating ‘visionary’ structures … which as you can imagine, would involve far more than grids and right angles! The senior project architect, Marthjin Poole, says that “To better develop, understand, and build these non-standard architectures, we depend on coordinated highquality 3D models”.

This is one of the keys that will bring BIM beyond the 21st century – enabling new and modernized designs.

BIM for … streamlining

Building information modeling is playing a key role in the efficiency and therefore profitability of many companies. Jason Erickson of Dynamic Structural Steel says that “We needed an edge to compete in this market. I knew if we could streamline the entire fabrication process – make it faster, more accurate and fully automated – we could redefine the steel fabrication market, and redefine customer service in our business”.

Dynamic Structural Steel is based in Minnesota in the US, but one of the countries where BIM is in highest demand for its efficiency potential is China. Growth is booming, and keeping up with demand using the old practices is simply not possible. Zhu Fuhua, of Shanghai Tongking (responsible for the Beijing CCTV Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center), says that “It is no exaggeration to say that only Tekla Structures software and integrated NC equipment allows steel structures to be standardized, modularized and assembled to accelerate the speed of erection at the construction site.”

BIM for … conflict minimization

The fact that every person working on the model works on the same version is one of the greatest procedural efficiencies in large projects. Shockey Precast Group in the US have said that “The model is the common data source for anyone who accesses it – from the initial modeler, to downstream engineers, to viewers in manufacturing operations. This element has great potential. … Our vision is such that much of our management system will share information with our 3D building models. Tekla Structures will facilitate that by requiring us to create information only once.”

Global Structural Detailing, a Canadian firm, concurs on this point. The 3D building modeling software they use has allowed them to complete non standard projects with a minimum of fuss, sharing the designs between all the interested parties and rolling through changes to the architecture with ease. Matthew Bastura, company founder, said “Design changes were on-going from engineering design to owner modifications, all handled very accurately and efficiently using Tekla Structures. Due to the fabricators’ requirement for import of electronic data files, we needed to send information directly from the model through the Internet. We did not receive a single call from the shop on drawings issued to date, and the field had only one comment: how great the steel fits together.”

BIM for … existing buildings

Stevens and Wilkinson in the US had to build a modern facility in an 80 year old structure, and found BIM invaluable in maintaining safety in the site while construction was in progress. Ronald Stang is the principal at the firm, and he said: “The GSA wanted a 21st-century workspace in a building almost 80 years old—a goal that involved significant challenges,” With all of the existing utilities in the rubble-foundation walls, it was quite tricky,” “Their support [Building information modeling software helpdesk] was extremely valuable in helping us get up to speed quickly on this project.”

Building information modeling software is the ideal solution for all construction projects, from small to large. However, it is the sizeable commercial projects where the impact of the efficiencies and streamlining of the system really makes the difference.

Customer Stories – Real Life Reasons for Changing to BIM is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

True or False: BIM Isn’t Worth the Changeover Time

Just like any major change in a business’s operating methods, there is lag time before an investment starts being profitable. In the case of building information modeling, though, the profit potential is very real! When you consider:

• The cost of hardware and software
• The Monthly labour cost
• Training time
• Lost productivity during training
• And the productivity gain after training

BIM always helps firms come out ahead. In the rare exceptional cases, it has often occurred that the firm decided to move back to the old system before allowing the BIM processes time to mature.

True or False: BIM Can’t Be Used on Existing Buildings

BIM can be used with existing buildings to support the process of renovations and extensions, in both small and large projects. The system is just as useful for individual houses as it is for massive corporate buildings. You can input basic parameters about the structure

True or False: You Can Design Sustainably Just as Easily Without BIM

In terms of design, it is possible to create equally ‘sustainable’ buildings without the aid of BIM. Note though, that just because it is ‘possible’ doesn’t mean that it is ‘just as easy’! BIM aids in performing energy analysis on a building during the design phase, looking at daylighting and how it will change throughout the building, reducing waste and inefficient use of materials. All this is inherent in the BIM process.

True or False: Small Projects Don’t Need BIM

Australian users have successfully used BIM on a range of projects, starting at 20 tonnes of steel. This ranges up to 800 tonnes of steel for the same company, and of course the cost savings are much easier to see at the larger end of the building scale. However, a busy architect working on many small projects at once will certainly see the benefits of BIM. It reduces the time taken in estimating materials, helps both the architect and customer visualize the end space, and allows for much faster interpretation of plans.

True or False: BIM Makes Costing a Job Much Easier

This one is true! By using a building information model rather than a 2D plan for parts estimating, takeoffs, counts and measurements can be generated directly from the model. If changes are made in the design, the 3D modelling software automatically changes all related documentation and schedules.

BIM has a myriad of benefits for both large and small structural engineering and construction firms. In the near future, it will be standard across the industry – and those that adopt earlier will have an innate competitive advantage.v

True or False? 5 Facts About BIM is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

How does BIM ‘green’ the construction process?

There are several main ways that utilizing BIM technology can help the green credentials of construction project. These include:

• Creating work efficiencies that help minimise the amount of carbon emissions created by machinery
• Disrupting the natural land layout and hydrology as little as possible
• Reducing human error in construction and therefore saving time, materials, and energy
• Making ‘paperless projects’ possible
• Optimising the use of materials available, and
• Therefore minimising (and properly disposing of) waste

Of course, BIM can also have a huge impact on a building’s ongoing green credentials, by helping architects visualise how the finished building will use light and energy, and how it will impact on the surrounding environment. Today, though, we will just look at the actual process of construction.

Minimising carbon emissions

As is the case in so many environmental initiatives, there is an associated long-term cost benefit in other areas to companies that take the time to put their ‘green hat’ on. Minimising carbon emissions also means minimising machine running time, which means minimising labour hours needed to do the job …. which means overhead savings. BIM can help reduce the time that machines are running around by:

• Evaluating different scenarios of earthmoving to decide which is most efficient, balance the acts of cutting and filling, and keep trucking of soil around the site to a minimum.
• If GPS controlled construction equipment is used, design files can be used directly with it to save time, fuel, and emissions.

Minimising disruption to the natural land layout

Obviously, when you can visualise and evaluate different earth movement scenarios using BIM, you can work to preserve the natural layout of the surrounding land as much as possible. This also helps preserve the natural hydrology arrangements.

Reducing human error

Once the systems transition is in place and operators are trained in the processes, BIM has the potential to almost eradicate human error in steel detailing, structural engineering and construction. Since errors almost always mean wastage of some sort – time, materials, and money – the reduction of errors will certainly work toward ‘greening’ the construction phase.

Making paperless projects possible

The day-to-day dependence on paper that characterised so much of the 1900s is very much disappearing from our lives. In the structural engineering industry, the change is being driven by the development of BIM. The computer-based interactions between different parties make it possible to effectively administer a project without the mountains of paper that a big building meant in the past.

Building Information Modelling is truly the way forward in construction, saving time, money, and the planet. The switch can take some time, but is certainly worth the effort.

Green Buildings with BIM Part 3: Construction is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

The following are principles of green building design that, by using building information modelling facilitate:

• Designing away unnecessary spaces
• Designing for climate
• Analysing the durability and longevity of a design
• Use recycled, or recyclable, material where possible and practical

Conceptualization phase

At the conceptualisation phase, building information modelling makes it possible for architects and structural engineering teams to collaboratively analyse the impact of sun and shade in the environment on the building; to analyse and design solutions for stormwater, and to use geospatial buffering to counter the impact of nature on the building itself. Note that the computerized nature of BIM means that the information can be shared quickly and easily, in a paperless way that is in itself, green.

The materials conceptualisation is also assisted by this construction software. It allows designers to see how the thermal and mass properties of preferred materials will function in the environment of the completed building, and whether they live up to required standards. The impact of recycled materials in the construction can easily be assessed.

Detailed design phase

The detailed design phase of a green building project has several key planning areas where BIM is useful:

• Lighting design
• Air quality assurance
• Duct and pipe sizing
• Water supply planning

Building information modeling will impact lighting design decisions by providing a clear picture of how different areas will be lit during the day and eliminating or reducing lighting banks where they are less necessary. Air flow through the building can be predicted quite well, and the building information modeling system can help maximise the use of natural ventilation to reduce HVAC dependence.
Duct and pipe sizing is critical for ensuring HVAC efficiency, and BIM helps plan this as well as the positioning and type of water supply to the building. If greywater systems are going to be used, the piping may need to be made of different materials, or sized differently.

Green Buildings with BIM Part 2: From Concept to Detailed Design is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

The design of a building depends on the way it interacts with its environment for energy efficiency. The requirements listing phase of a green building project will include tasks like:

• Establishing requirements for building space
• Establishing usage patterns and environmental needs based on these
• Setting energy efficiency goals; using these goals to develop specific strategies for the projects; enumerating requirements based on this.
• Looking at how air quality, climate, security needs and site constraints will impact the possibilities for natural ventilation
• Looking at how solar patterns will impact the need for electricity
• Looking at natural moisture control, sound control and adaptive comfort strategies

Structural engineers, architects and designers will all need to collaborate to ensure that green building principles are met. Green strategies that work visually for an architect may not be possible or practical from a structural engineer’s point of view. Building information modelling systems have a huge advantage in this respect, allowing easy document sharing and accessibility by all parties at all stages. Environmentally sound strategies that may otherwise have been lost in a more pragmatic approach  can be much more easily preserved with BIM.
Natural lighting and ventilation are a big part of green building and are much easier to visualize with the automated systems that BIM provides. 3D massing within the building model makes these real-life studies possible, and allows bolder decisions in areas where ‘playing it safe’ may have meant green aims were sacrificed in the past.
These requirements are based around the end user and the energy and water footprint of the building at completion but there is also a physical requirements listing phase that this construction software helps with.

Physical requirements – materials listing

Inputting some basic information into your building information modelling system at the start of a project can completely automate material calculations. Freedom from the tedious work of materials calculation frees up resources to spend on green design and fulfilling the environmental standards and requirements of the project owners.
Building information modelling may also help you determine whether less toxic or resource-intensive and recycled or reclaimed materials will be suitable in a particular area of a project. Confirming the strength and suitability of recycled materials before final design and material ordering gives confidence, accuracy and improved control to the construction process.

Sources: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=12638619

Green Buildings with BIM Part 1: Determining Requirements is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

• 332m long, 297m wide, 69m high
• Site area: 204,278 sq. m.
• Structure contains 36km of unwrapped steel length
• Largest steel truss spans 343m

The Bird’s Nest Challenges

To some people it might look like a tangled ball of discarded wire. To the people that built it, there was much more involved than finding leftovers. Some of the issues that building information modelling helped solve quickly for the structural engineers and steel detailers included:

• Weight minimization
• Reducing construction costs
• The saddle-shaped, ellipse based roof
• An outward incline of the external surface of 13 degrees from vertical
• As you see in the vital statistics, the largest steel beam is 343m long, and the structure used 36km of unwrapped steel length.

How BIM helped

One of the most difficult parts of the building for the structural engineers was the roof. The enormous weight of the steel showed in their calculations that a full steel roof was simply not possible. It took over a year for Chinese steel detailers and fabricators (two firms – Huning and Jinggong) to produce symmetrical 3D views of the connections and members. Good building information modelling software has mirroring functions, which took a lot of the legwork out of this project. The connections are almost impossible to visualize mentally – but this is not required, with the advent of 3D modelling for construction.

Another of the Bird’s Nest’s major features that would not have been possible without BIM is the cushion system of the inner spaces of the building’s facade. It was not only support that had to be considered in the design; the structural engineers used building information modelling to predict how the structure would react to wind, sunlight and weather. The solution ended up being to fill some spaces strategically with ETFE, a translucent material used to construct the ‘Bubble Building’ also in the Chinese Olympic Park.

Obviously, the appearance of the building is it’s most important factor. It is different, unusual and culturally significant; as well it is ‘anti-technocratic’ (according to the designers). This would not have been possible without the aid of building information modelling.

Sources: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/03/07/beijings-olympic-stadium-by-herzog-and-demeuron/
http://www.pacificcomputing.com/pdf/BirdsNest_ChinaOlympics.pdf

BIM for the Bird’s Nest – A Case Study is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles

With their greater resources and flexibility, it is often the big firms that lead big changes in the way an industry does business. Yet small firms are just as able to change and in some cases will have even greater benefits. There will be obstacles to consider in a smaller team, including:

• The impact of training on schedules, which are often much tighter in a smaller firm
• The impact of different personalities and the willingness of some team members to accept the change
• The resources to conduct pilot projects in house

The change process – a human phenomenon

No matter how well you plan for the implementation of BIM in your firm, it will take time for people to run the gamut of mental processes associated with change. In reality each of us goes through them every time we face a major change. In preparing for the transition to building information modelling for structural engineering, steel detailing, and project management your employees will face these phases:

• Anticipation
• Confrontation
• Depression
• Acceptance
• Enlightenment

Managers must allow time for the team to go through these phases in the lead-up to BIM implementation.

Other timing issues

It is also crucial that managers select the timing for the changeover appropriately. A period of training, followed immediately by the chance to implement the new skills, is ideal. Look at having three days to a week’s break for building information modelling training, where a new project will immediately follow.

Human issues

Having a single leader is crucial for structural engineering, steel detailing and construction teams switching to BIM. The leader’s role will involve administering the implementation of the technology, organising the training, and testing the new skills as they are acquired role in new skills.
Having staff properly trained for the new system is the single most important factor in determining how successful the changeover will be. Ensure that everyone has an equal chance to test their skills – don’t assume that the proactive volunteers represent the skill level of the entire ‘class’. Make sure that questions are answered thoroughly – the trainer should use active listening techniques to ensure full understanding. Have participants re-state the answer to the question, or demonstrate a related skill after hearing the answer.
The client is also part of the human equation when it comes to implementing building information modelling on a project. Make sure they are kept in the loop, firstly with the benefits and secondly with the possible problems.

Hardware issues

Speak with your construction software or building information modelling package reseller about the optimal requirements for the system – not just the minimal requirements. There are two main elements in hardware performance: the CPUs themselves, and the network connecting them. It is standard practice to upgrade the CPUs at the outset of a BIM project if the metrics are less than optimal. The network can be upgraded reactively though, when performance becomes an issue.

Implementing Building Information Modelling In Small Firms – Best Practices is a post from: Pacific Computing Articles