What's new with BIM?
According to research conducted by the website www.BIMmanager.com, in 2010, fifty percent of responding firms reported that they produced more than 60% of their projects in BIM, which is an increase of 30% over the previous year. Only 25% of respondents showed that they were working less than 20% of their projects in BIM.
Do you believe BIM is right for your upcoming project? Wuld you like to understand the benefits? Contact me at kdd@rees.com or 405-942-7337 and I can provide you with information on how BIM could help you reduce costs on your next project!
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a method to seamlessly bridge communication between architectural, engineering and construction. BIM efficiently generates and exchanges information easily, creates 3D representations throughout the building process and can simulate real world visualizations to streamline workflow while increasing quality. Currently REES uses Revit Architecture, which is a Building Information Modeling software, to produce documents on projects.
Currently, REES works in Revit on 100% of our projects unless requested otherwise by our clients. BIM has been used to significanlty reduce errors among project teams and costs throughout the project.
If you would like more information on BIM, read through the whitepaper below on a recent REES project completed in BIM.
While the emergence of BIM is no doubt going to provide huge advantages in cost and time savings on all types of projects, perhaps no other building type stands to benefit more from BIM than the Healthcare Industry, where cost and scheduling are crucial and where quality control can literally be a matter of life and death. As we all know and understand, construction delays cost healthcare facilities crucial dollars that cannot afford to be lost. In the economy that we live in today, we have to find ways to become more efficient in the construction of healthcare facilities, and BIM is certainly leading the way.
No one can argue the obvious advantage to seeing a “picture” that illustrates facility details as they present in reality. It allows hospital architects, engineers, administration, financial donors, and user groups to more accurately visualize the facility before it's actually constructed. However, the visualization aspect really only scratches the surface of BIM's true intent.
With a BIM model, individuals can run building analysis software to produce day lighting analysis, heating and cooling loads, energy consumption, lumen and glare analysis, occupant comfort, emergency egress studies, and LEED® verification checks. BIM will not only transform project delivery. BIM will also help the AEC community provide your facility with an energy efficient building from the early design stages of your project.
Another significant benefit to using BIM is collision detection. Because the architectural, structural, and mechanical components are all included in the model, interferences with components such as structural steel and HVAC can be detected during the design stage, when change and improvement can be made cost effectively. Traditionally, issues like this were not discovered until the facility was under construction, which would require costly requests for information and change orders.
The BIM based model approach should employ a collaborative effort between the Owner, Architect, MEP Consultants, Construction Manager, General Contractor, Civil Engineer and any other consultant that is involved in the construction of a facility. This approach makes the model the basis for information flow, rather than the traditional approach involving everyone sharing individual information. With a model based approach, building data is readily available at all times within the model. Being able to graphically test the building program and verify the gross and net areas within the BIM model, improve the overall work efficiency of the facility.
Building a “Smart” Model is the key to the BIM approach. The whole concept behind the use of BIM is to create a life-like “model” of the building and systems contained within the facility. Vendor specific equipment, “Smart” content, with connection points and data is the basis for the entire model. As you begin to plan for new facilities, planners should be asking their preferred vendors, “Do you supply ‘Smart’ BIM content for our consultants?” BIM has the ability to link into vendor websites, as well as, link to the paperless O&M manuals on facility servers. Having vendor specific equipment inside the model creates unlimited opportunities for the future of your facility and your building information model.
Facility managers are always looking for ways to help manage their facilities, and BIM has the potential to improve the management and operations processes of the facility. Information such as valve locations, sizes, manufacturer information, warranty notices, and even service history can all be captured in the facility database used to create the model for the life cycle of the facility.
