Vico Guest Blogger #5: Climbing the BIM Ladder (Part 1)

 

 

Let's use the McGraw-Hill BIM SmartMarket Report's definition of BIM: The process of creating and using digital models for design, construction and/or operations of projects.

 

So the question to you becomes, "What do you want to do with the model when you create it, share it, or inherit it?  How far do you want to go with it?"

 

In the first part of this article, we'll go to the line of demarcation we've set between Planning and then taking that model out to the site for Planning and Production.

 

 

3D Model Visualization is perhaps the first benefit that comes to mind when talking about BIM.  For the first time, everyone around the table sees the same building come to life.  Laypeople can read the model as quickly as a subcontractor and understand the project. 

 

Some GCs (and Owners for that matter) think BIM starts at ends here.  A pretty model for the pursuit presentation.  But, the true value of BIM lies in being able to use the same business development model (with all the updates) throughout the lifecycle of the project.  And so we move to...

 

Clash Detection and Coordination.  Where does the model make sense and where is there a problem with the geometry?  We can take multiple models (structural, MEP, curtain wall) and combine them to see where systems have interference.   This is low-hanging fruit of BIM ROI because we can quickly calculate cost avoidance: 100 clashes at an estimated cost of $4,000 per clash = $400,000.  Not to mention counting the field delays, lost work, materials, etc.

 

We do believe there is an optimal methodology for running coordination meetings, including accountability with the constructability report, and tracking clashes from RFI to resolution.  For more info, please refer to the archived BIM 201 webinar and the Coordination Strategies in a Hard Bid webinar.

 

This coordination is so important because without it you can't climb any higher on the ladder.  You need a coordinated model from which to derive the quantities.  We believe Construction-Caliber Quantities are the linchpin for more accurate schedules and estimates.  As a builder, you need access to all of the element properties required to produce detailed cost estimates and derive task durations.  For example, Vico Office Takeoff Manager calculates ten specific properties for Walls and thirteen properties for Slabs. This ensures that you have the property and quantity fidelity required for Walls, Slabs, Beams, Columns, Rooms/Spaces, Windows/Doors/Openings.

 

The next step up the ladder is to quantify your Quantities By Location.  The location-breakdown structure is a logical subdivision of the project using horizontal and vertical splits that define the scheduling and cost planning units of a project.  The LBS can start with a floor or story of the building and then be further delineated into zones and then even further dissected into options; there can also be different location breakdown structures for the same floor, too.  The LBS can even start with Phases, such as Laboratory, Surgical Rooms, and Patient areas, as a hospital example. 

 

By organizing the project locations with these options, an optimal sequencing logic can be applied and these options can then be analyzed in terms of both cost and time.

 

This 4D Sequence Simulation is another great visualization tool, but it needs to be much more than movie.  To quote from Olli Seppanen's blog, "Owners should not be content with pretty movies but should pay special attention to the intelligence behind the schedule - quantities, resources, means and methods.  This information content is a better predictor of whether or not a General Contractor can deliver rather than the ability of the General Contractor to create a snapshot simulation movie. " 

 

This doesn't negate the power of properly planning and sequencing a job.  Special projects need to orchestrate excavation and backfill, cranes, delivery and exit routes, pick order, etc. In many cases, the only way to figure out a proper sequence is to see the animation on the screen and see where a logic error occurs.

 

One more step and we're into the meat and muscle of BIM: deriving schedules and estimates.  We'll address these rungs next week.  But in the meantime, take a serious evaluation of where your firm is on the ladder.  Are you just getting started or are you ready to take another functional step up?

 

Take a look at The BIM Checklist and see where you'd like your team to be.  And tune in next week for the steps to get to the top!

 

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Great Resources to Get Half-Way Up the Ladder

 

Selecting a BIM-authoring tool.  It is up to you and your team to determine the best modeling platform for the type of work that you do.  As a BIM-neutral environment, Vico Office works with ArchiCAD, Revit, and Tekla.  With the next release, we will offer an IFC import tool to support Bentley models.  We will also help more Subs by providing a CAD-Duct import tool.

 

What do you do if the Owner is asking for BIM in the presentations?  Our Professional Services Team can work with you to deliver a Business Development model that can be updated as the project evolves.  We also allow you to extend the services engagement when you win the deal (and this will take you to the top of the ladder).

 

What is the difference between design quantities and construction-caliber quantities?  To start, simple area and volume calculations are not enough.  But we've produced a mini-whitepaper to explain the difference.

 

How do we create locations in the model so we can have quantities per location, especially when we're under pressure with a hard bid?  The Scheduling Strategies Webinar does a good job explaining how to slice and dice the model.  But you'll also want to take a look at these blog posts:

Hard Bids - Back to the Future Construction-Style

Reduce Project Risk with Location-Based Schedules

Location-Based Scheduling from the Owner's Point of View

 

How do we extend the 4D Sequencing to true model-based scheduling? Perhaps the best example we have of an intelligent simulation, derived from the quantities of the BIM and then married with resources and productivity rates, is the comparison presented at the end of the Hensel Phelps Denver Justice Center webinar.  This shows the schedule simulation on one half of the screen compared with actual camera footage from the jobsite.