Dee Dee Strohl - Blog 3

What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

BIM is the leading technology in not only in the field of architecture, but the engineering field as well. The software isn’t just for buildings; it’s for all disciplines. There is such a broad variety of programs and capabilities of the software. For building design, Revit is the most used and understood by the different disciplines.

Capturing reality

With BIM, a working model can be sketched in a matter of hours that easily conveys a design idea to other engineers or the client. You can show every view of the building including 3D views and interiors. Design elements can be changed quickly, as needed. You can see how all the design elements are interconnected. BIM allows you to simulate and visualize a variety of scenarios, like different sun angles with the change of the seasons. From that, you can also run energy performance simulations that give designers a way to quantify improvements.

Sharing of a model

The ability to share a model connects all disciplines and streamlines the design process. In my previous blog posts, I’ve discussed seeing this advantage firsthand at co-op. I was working in an MEP firm and we were working with external architects and structural engineers for a project. Whenever changes were made to the architecture model, those changes were shown in the structural and MEP models, and vice versa. This allowed design changes in all disciplines to be made quickly. It improved collaboration on the project. One other feature that was crucial to the design process was clash detection. With this technology, the system recognizes when an electrical receptor or ductwork or any other element is designed where they will run through each other. On-site clashes can be incredibly expensive and time consuming, so detecting them early is key. CBIM made it easier and cheaper to find clashes, thus improving the construction process as well.

There’s a huge economic benefit to using BIM for the reasons stated above. The software can be used at every step of the process, not just design. It can also be helpful for project managers and used throughout the construction process. In addition, it’s easy to create plans that can be sent to the client or city council to be approved. Overall, BIM, and Revit specifically, are making the design and build process of a building easier and faster than ever. As Kayleigh said, Revit might be at the forefront now, but there’s more to come.

Sources:

“Building Information Modeling for the Win: Top 10 Benefits of BIM.” Autodesk. https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/building-information-modeling-top-10-benefits-of-bim/

“Productivity Benefits of BIM.” New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, http://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/whats-happening/news/document-image-library/nz-bim-productivity-benefits.pdf

COMMENTS:

Lauren Kujawa:

I agree with what you said about AutoCAD. I’ve used both for projects, and though AutoCAD is great for creating line diagrams, it’s difficult to create an entire building in the software. I’ve used Revit for most projects and see both the advantages and disadvantages. We’ve been using it for our AE 391 project and it’s given us a lot of headaches. It’s an amazing software but also incredibly infuriating. I’ve never worked with MicroStation and wonder what sort of projects you have made in it for the transportation sector; I’m not very familiar with the discipline.

Allison Abad:

I agree that as time goes on BIM will continue to improve the collaboration between disciplines. I really hope that more projects will take on an integrated approach because of the continuing capabilities of BIM. I think with more integrated buildings, we would be on the way to creating more energy efficient and “greener” buildings. With the past and present ways of the building design process, the architect makes the design and everything is sequential from there, which isn’t efficient in design or construction—it can cause a lot of problems. I hope you’re right that BIM will continue to have advantages in the architecture and engineering fields.

Tyler Wicker:

I agree with what your friend Alex: Revit is great once you’ve been exposed to it and worked in it, but it’s not user friendly initially. Even after using it regularly, I still get frustrated with it. Sometimes you just can’t get the program to do what you want or you get an error that doesn’t make any sense. I like using AutoCAD for similar tasks because, though it is also made by Autodesk, it is easy to understand and manipulate. I agree that interoperability is important for the design process and project efficiency. Here’s to hoping developers see this need and work to fill it. 

DiGiovanni - B3 - Current BIM Advantages

Current Advantages of BIM

BIM programs, such as Revit, have a lot of positives aspects in today's world, and the pros it has follow it from early on in the design process all the way to post-construction assistance. 

One of the earliest ways BIM can assist the design process is for estimation purposes. Even before the bid is awarded by the owner, the architect and/or contractor (depending on the contract language) can start to assemble a design that resembles the owner's preliminary needs. From this model, the bidders can take off preliminary quantities, massings, costs, and analyze construction concerns. Besides providing the bidder with accurate numbers, this process shows the owner that the bidder is serious about winning the project because they put so much effort into laying out the site in extreme detail.

Moving on through the design process, BIM models can help the architect and contractor figure out where MEP and structural systems will clash before they clash in the field. On one of my co-ops, I sat in meetings where all of the different designers looked over one floor at a time in a BIM model. The designers would look at all the clashes and figure out what system needed to be moved. Sometimes the fire sprinklers would be moved, other times the air ducts would be moved, and even sometimes (but rarely) the steel structure would be moved. This process was eye opening because the design was only about 10 floors above the construction. For example, while the basement was being built, floor 10 was being finalized for the contractor, and so on. Running clash detection simulations like this are a great way to save money, because finding the issues during design are much cheaper than coming up with a fix afterwards. (This study talks about the benefits of group collaboration during clash detection meetings).

Akponeware, A.O.; Adamu, Z.A. Clash Detection or Clash Avoidance? An Investigation into Coordination Problems in 3D BIM. Buildings 2017, 7, 75. 

Finally, BIM and Revit can help building owners long after construction is complete. A building owner knows that construction costs don't stop once a building is built. Upkeep and renovations become a new big cost for the owner. These can range from cheaper individual room renovations, to major reno jobs that cost a significant portion of the original construction costs. Having an extensive BIM model done can help save the owner money later on. It can do this in a similar manner as mentioned above. It'll prevent clashes, conflicts, and can shorten design and construction time, as well as reduce the number of design errors made. 

“Bentley - Sichuan Provincial Architecture and Design Research Institute Case Study.”Bentley.com, 2016, www.bentley.com/~/asset/14/12378.ashx.

1) 
Sarah, you raise some good points and I also agreed with "The Future of BIM will not be BIM". To me, it seems like we are at some odd point in time where we have the technology to 3D scan every square inch of a building if we wanted too, but a lot of times the benefits don't outweigh the costs and effort to do so. And I'm not quite sure what the issue is that is holding BIM back. Is it the fact that construction is so far behind in regards to the technology used, where the best 3D model in the world couldn't beat a sheet of paper that tells an iron worker what beam to drop where? Is it fact that AI assisted design hasn't fully taken off yet? What is the missing stepping stone that will propel BIM to the next level?

2)
Kerry,
Relying too much on a computer to do the work for you is something that scares me as well, especially for the structural aspect of design. In the 1970s, some design firms were using computers to help design structures, specifically statically indeterminate ones that would be almost impossible to solve by hand. That is exactly what the designers of the Hartford Civic Center did for its innovative roof design. They pretty much chucked the space frame design into a computer, it spit out an "OK", and they built it. It turns out there were many issues and incorrect assumptions with the design that the computer couldn't have caught or wasn't designed to catch. The structure eventually failed under a large snow load.
https://failures.wikispaces.com/Hartford+Civic+Center+(Johnson)

I hope that in the future that the designers can stay experts at their crafts, even with the assistance of computers.

This 99% Invincible episode talks about the same fears, but regarding flight and the Airline Industry.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/children-of-the-magenta-automation-paradox-pt-1/

3)
Chris,
Your post has some good points, I just have some questions about IPD. In a lot of my classes, IPD is touted as the next big thing. You even mention that Revit enhances IPD greatly through collaboration and design factors. However, I just want to know why is Revit so popular but IPD is not? IPD is talked about all the time in class, but even large companies have little experience putting it into practice. What is that missing link and how can BIM improve the relationship?