Friday, June 18, 2010

BIM Serial 006: How Green is BIM?

Draftsmen do not decide how the model they create is being used. Engineer does not decide if the model they create will be used downstream. The decision to utilize building model or models beyond document production is always a management decision. It involves rethinking of responsibilities and processes. The starting point is to realise the value the building model can offer.

Value added Building Information Model

Traditionally 3D model is a tool to help to produce construction documents such as drawings, material lists and reports. However BIM has added value for the construction process beyond document producing tool. It’s a management decision to start utilizing this potential added value.

So what is the potential added value you ask?
I break in into three main items:
• Accurate good quality design early in the process
o Building can be made “more complete” from the design point of view
o Designs of different disciplines can be completed in one common 3D environment
o Constructability issues can be seen and solved while everything is still a computer model
• Communication tool
o Communication in 3D environment is more effective than using 2D drawings
o Modifications are easier to communicate and understand in a 3D environment
o Communication can be wider, more frequent and forward looking leading to a more integrated more efficient process and less errors.
• Information carrier
o Fragmented construction process is losing a lot of usable and important information on the way
o BIM keeps information up to date and easily accessible
o Information accumulated during the process
o Information is easily shared
o Process participants have better more complete information available leading to better and easier decision making

Don’t you want to have better design, better communication more effective construction process and decisions based on better information?

Still not convinced?

Statements from the people who have implemented BIM:
“The initial budgeted amount of bar was 459, compared to the actual tonnage of 358 tons (a 22% reduction in raw material needed) shipped to site. Further, with such predictable coordinated fabrication, the project realized a waste reduction of rebar to less than one-tenth of one percent for the project.”
When combining the net effect of the initial buyout cost savings with the 22% material savings, Weitz generated a total project savings of over $113,000 for rebar on Central Park Tower. The total reduction in fabrication and detail costs from this unit price procurement structure amounted to a total of 8.2% savings “We saved about 105 calendar days on the structure,” said Gregory P. Luth.

“Weitz was able to create a total model-based CIP detail/fabricate/erect process savings of $201,855 - $265,855. This was in addition to the (2) week reduction in construction schedule.”

The complete White Paper titled “Interrupting the Supply Chain” can be downloaded from www.tekla.com

Management Decision

One of the key tasks for the management is to always look the ways to improve – look no further – join the BIM wagon – for the benefit of your company.

Ari Nassi@Tekla

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