This chapter of the BIM Handbook focuses specifically on how the implementation of BIM in a building project can be beneficial to the owner/manager of the facility. The executive summary of the chapter outlines a number of ways in which BIM can be effective, including increasing the value of the building by way of energy efficiency, shortening the project schedule by using programming to design the most efficient schedule, providing accurate and adaptive cost estimates, analyzing local and regional codes to ensure compliance along every step of the project, and optimizing the maintenance of the facility once it has been constructed. The chapter goes on to break down other ways in which BIM is effective. For the purposes of this blog post, I chose to pick one described method that I found interesting, which is described in Section 4.2.5: Overcoming Labor Shortage, Education, and Language Barriers.
First, the section describes that because using BIM can increase the efficiency of the project, it can also help address problems of labor shortage when it comes to the tradespeople who install the project at the site. More efficient project planning results in the occurrence of more prefabrication rather than on-site fabrication, which can lead to needing fewer people on-site for construction. Second, BIM can help bridge the language barrier that is so prevalent in so many modern projects, due to both the international nature of so many large projects, and also the fact that many tradespeople working on-site have learned English as a second language and may still struggle with language barriers. BIM allows the owner of a project to communicate with other personnel via models rather than written reports which would have to be translated or interpreted for anyone who does not speak English. Third, BIM can provide interactive reviews of the building for the project team to study. This allows the owner to effectively communicate aspects of the building that might be difficult to convey. In particular, this interactive review makes it a lot simpler to catch new project personnel up to speed if they join the project after the start.
Finally, one more interesting thing that the chapter points out is that the benefits that owners and facility managers may find in using BIM techniques are relevant for project of any scale. Whether an owner is new to the field or has numerous projects to oversee, whether the project is a multi-million-dollar venture or simply one single-family residence, whether the project is a private project or under the jurisdiction of an institutional facility, BIM may be used to make a project more efficient, to the owner's advantage.
Source: C. M. Eastman, “Chapter 4: BIM for Owners and Facility Managers,” in BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, 2nd ed., Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012, pp. 93–147.
Comments:
Mark,
I appreciate your honesty! I agree that parts of the handbook are certainly dry, but I definitely agree that there are portions we can pick out of it that are really interesting and innovative. I also like that you pointed out that while Revit may have significantly more capabilities than a program such as AutoCAD, it may be less efficient in the short-term because many employees (including you and I) are already comfortable with AutoCAD and would face a very steep learning curve if forced to switch to Revit.
Dee Dee,
I like that you mentioned using Revit MEP at your co-op, because I did too! I used it in a pretty different capacity though - I worked at an acoustical engineering firm for my first co-op and we used the MEP engineers' Revit models to help navigate the plans to create our models for the acoustic properties of the designed HVAC systems. So it seems that BIM is useful not only for the engineers doing the direct design work, but also the ones doing the complementary design work that builds off of what the structural, mechanical, electrical, and other engineers initially do.
Lucy,
In your post you stressed the BIM makes the project process a lot more inviting for owners - they can be much more involved than they have been in the past! This is especially true when owners and facility managers start to really understand how BIM works so they can use it to its fullest potential. There's definitely a learning curve, but I think it's worth it in the long run.
I never really considered the fact that BIM could help with the language barrier seen between clients and designers as well as on construction sites. It makes sense that seeing a model and having a visual rather than a text document is better understood by all involved. I agree that BIM makes it easier in general for different groups of people (i.e. different engineers and architects) to understand and convey their ideas. I found it interesting to see yet another aspect of the design process that is improved with this software.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog post to be particularly interesting, especially since through my co-ops and part time work I have been working on the owner's/facility manager's side of work. You said that the executive summary indicated that BIM can be used for analyzing and complying with codes which I find really interesting. Where I work part time at the moment, we are constantly working to figure out if our renovation ideas are code compliant. I am curious as to how BIM could be used to assist in this process, as I am sure it is more efficient and accurate than our current methods.
ReplyDeleteHi Jordan! I found your comments on Chapter 4 pretty interesting especially your point of view on the benefits that BIM can bring to the owners and the project. I think BIM is for sure a collaborative process that helps the project maintain in a 3D world and I am surprised to know that although with the efficiency and accuracy, BIM is still not yet being accepted by some project owners yet due to the risks it can potentially bring such as the high cost of training and the issues of model ownership. And I agree with you that a project becomes a lot simpler with using BIM process.
ReplyDeleteOne of the little stories that was included in Chapter 2 was about Boeing - and it rings true when you are discussing efficiency on a project through BIM. The handbook discussed how Boeing invested over $1 billion in BIM investments, modeling, etc for its 777 aircraft families, and it ultimately yielded 6000+ less change requests and a 90% decrease in spatial reworking when design was finished. I think your points about BIM bridging language barriers are very interesting. I find it on the same train of thought as the common expression, “math is the universal language,” but with pretty 3D pictures. However, one could argue that this benefit of bridging the language barrier is not new - it is essentially the same as scanning hand sketches and emailing them out. BIM is simply more refined and tech-forward, but they both rely on conveying ideas through graphics.
ReplyDeleteJordan,
ReplyDeleteYour comment about pre-fabrication had me questioning the book a little. Because while pre-fabrication does reduce on site labor costs, it increases up front costs required to fabricate parts of the building. I wonder if that chapter had any cost breakdown comparisons. Even besides costs, pre-fabrication does have other cons such as reduced flexibility in the field. If a design or site issue arises, a pre-built structure may have trouble being adapted to fit a different purpose. Overall, I think pre-fabricating certain parts of the building off site is smart and should be implemented more widely, I was just curious if the book talked about some of the negative aspects involving it.
HI Jordi! I really liked reading what you had to say and thought you brought up some valid points. I feel one of the biggest advantages of using BIM is it's abaility to break down that language barrier which is a very real issue with all of the international work happening. I also agree with what you mentioned about the visuals versus the written reports. Although written reports are good for the nitty gritty details, the visuals BIM can provide are easier to analyze and present when explaining to a team.
ReplyDeleteJordan,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more concerning the handbook's take on efficiency being paramount for today's field. Scheduling is obviously an important factor, though when the inevitable changes occur mid-project it is comforting to know how simplistic the updates to design and the subsequent integration into the construction can be when approached in this manner. You bring up another imperative point concerning the international factor that is forever-growing. Helping bridge the language gap by the use of universal software is nothing short of a miracle and will save everyone involved the time and money that the problem may otherwise cause.