BIM for Construction is a term that describes an approach to delivering buildings and infrastructure using digital models. Building Information Modelling is an integrated process supported by various software packages, related technologies and contract terms that enable the design and implementation of digital models to create a structural and physical characteristic of a location. It is the foundation of many construction projects and is used in the management of the construction process from beginning to end.
“BIM enables us to build virtually first, allowing us to make mistakes in the virtual world rather than the real world where the costs are greatly increased. By enabling various members of a project team, the Architect working through a complex design process, the contractor looking to deliver this vision to a client who may not fully understand a 2D or 3D visualisation for their building, BIM can provide benefit throughout,” says Chris Allen, Director – BIM Institute.
“As defined by Autodesk, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the holistic process of creating and managing information of a built asset. BIM encompasses several different tools to integrate multi-disciplinary data to produce a digital representation of an asset across its lifecycle, from planning and design to construction and operations. This data can be managed in an open cloud platform for real-time collaboration. The whole BIM process has as an end goal making every phase of construction and design as efficient and cost-effective as possible,” remarks Mrs. Uboho Y. Othman, Communications Executive – BIM Africa.
“Projects go wrong when the initial cost of the project is calculated incorrectly due to a lack of understanding or information. The very creation of the Building Information Model forces the design team (Architect, Engineer, Specialist Supplier) to have to think through details of the design to a much greater level than in traditional methodologies, thus reducing the potential for information to be missed. When this is then expanded upon by the construction team reviewing the information as they work through their delivery process, it further reduces the potential for incorrect or poor information to be disseminated to those responsible for the delivery, the subcontractors. For the cost management team, this also assists in reducing the potential for a surprise, especially when technology such as digital scans are used, with this information being converted into BIM models to assist in verifying the physical quantities, thus increasing the quality of the costing exercise and reducing the risk of cost overruns. The combined effect of this process is achieving great results on projects,” adds Chris.
BIM involves structural and material modeling, construction costing, scheduling and communication. It provides accurate insights which prove to be helpful in decision making. The concept of BIM has made it possible for construction firms to successfully deal with critical issues like cost effectiveness, schedule management, material procurement, budget management, site selection, land management etc. This helps in increasing productivity, quality, reliability and safety.
“With BIM, activities can be carried out in real-time collaboration in an open cloud platform, allowing all role-players access to important data from anywhere. This reduces rework because every member of the team will always have the most current information on hand. Thus, the preconstruction process will be more accurate, cutting down on rework later,” asserts Mrs. Othman
“By taking a BIM model into VR or AR headsets, one can immerse project participants, down to the individual worker, in the project delivery process, to the extent that H&S challenges can be communicated, thus reducing risk to all the participants. These interventions reduce the potential for mistakes to happen which would lead to project delay and rework. Furthermore, when clients understand what they require and BIM models can communicate this to a project team clearly and unambiguously, it fosters a more positive culture in the project enabling other issues to be worked through without the traditional conflict that is inherent on projects. This generally results in improved delivery including the key areas of quality, cost, time and health & safety,” comments Chris.
BIM software allows construction firms to gather important information relating to their projects such as cost, availability and price of materials, optimal schedule, time required to complete the project and more. BIM aids in the identification of the appropriate material, location, and techniques to use for various structures. It enables the construction firms to create accurate construction schedules and manage resources efficiently. BIM is available in several forms such as design software, 4D planning tools and 6D virtual teams. Many construction firms are now using these BIM solutions to streamline and complete their work.
“BIM systems store project information such as design information, scheduling, cost, etc. Since several models (structural, MEP, etc) are integrated into one main BIM model, this helps in clash detection for effective identification and reporting of interferences in a project. Improved flow of information and workflow leads to increased productivity. BIM also enhances financial risk management and provides reliable construction cost estimates long before the construction phase begins. Not only does this give stakeholders a better idea of how much the project will cost, but it also helps them discover ways to reduce costs,” elaborates Mrs. Othman.
BIM is based on the principle of structural modeling and is a useful tool in decision making. The main advantage of BIM is that it is designed to manage and collect building information from different sources including manual data, digital information, and structural drawings. BIM software provides critical information in easy to understand formats which are then used by the engineers during the design phase. It is mainly intended for designing buildings, tunnels, shafts, pipes, insulation, foundations, and structures. The main use of BIM software is to reduce errors in the construction process and make projects more efficient and economical.
As stated by Chris Allen, BIM provides a single platform of information so communication between the different parties to a contract are better informed, thus improving their understanding of a project and decision making. Poor decisions are a result of poor information; therefore, improving the quality and quantity of information available to decision makers is key to improving this. BIM models incorporate all the elements of a project including temporary elements that may have major implications in the decision-making process.
Mrs. Othman further points out that, communication and teamwork are the key tenets of a successful construction project. Of all the many benefits of BIM, the most important is that it improves collaboration by bringing all project stakeholders together. This synergy between owners, consultants, and main contractors enhances access to quality information thus promoting and improving the decision-making process of projects.
“Indeed, BIM is a reality. Not only are professionals embracing it, but Governments from all over the world are requiring it for publicly-funded projects and policies are being developed around BIM. However, the BIM chain should remain unbroken all through the phases of a construction project – from project inception to the eventual demolition of the project, otherwise data will be lost and the benefits of having the complete project history in a single BIM will not be realised,” she emphasizes.
BIM provides the necessary information during the design phase of a construction project and can be applied for any type of construction and is specifically designed to meet the needs of the structural engineers. BIM software contains a user-friendly interface, which enables the users to easily manipulate and modify the models, run the software in a demo version, and even print out the completed models.
“As a result, improved coordination of the various facets of a project can be carried out in a more seam- less fashion. Furthermore, those elements have large amounts of data attached to them, all in a single location. The fact that data can be assigned to objects in the model environment and that the data can be extracted for upstream or downstream analysis provides a huge opportunity to enhance the level of knowledge of decision makers and thus greatly assist them to make the correct decision more often. Add in modern computing power and data analysis software and decision making now has many additional tools available to enable better understanding of the complexity and implications (scenarios) that may play out as a result of decisions made. The ability to communicate these scenarios to a wider discourse of project participants (stakeholders) will in turn also enable greater feedback into the decision-making process, further enhancing that process going for- ward. The key aspect is that the visual nature of the data enables multiple entities to provide input. This then results in an enhanced output,” affirms Chris.
BIM is used in many areas of construction such as structural design, costing, schedule management, material planning and forecasting, and many others. BIM also provides a fast, accurate and flexible method of collecting and organizing necessary information for a construction project. Most of the BIM solutions are flexible enough to handle the complexity of the projects, resulting in less manual work from the designers and engineers. BIM can also integrate all the necessary modules into one platform, making it easy for the project managers to modify information and resources at a later stage of the construction project.
