Building Information Modeling - Essay Example

?BIM modeling tool no Lecturer Table of content Table of Contents 0.Research elements 3 2.0.BIM management 3 3.0.BIM practice 4 4.0. BIM Modeling 5 4.1. Autodesk Revit 5 4.2. Autodesk Vasari 6 4.3. Navisworks 6 4.4. Autodesk 360 cloud 6 5.0. BIM process 7 6.0. BIM collaboration with design team 7 7.0. Conclusions and recommendation 8 1.0. Research elements BIM or Building Information Modeling is a software means for instituting a building model that reflects the definite or real building when subjected to alterations. The two kinds of BIM software are authoring software and coordination software (Solibri, n.p). BIM process involves building design that require collaboration through computer models and not disjoints drawing sets. Through the use of BIM, digital representations of buildings are made available and used for decision making, first class production of construction documents, building planning, and predictions of performance and cost estimates (Solibri, n.p). BIM is employed in modeling and not drawing (Solibri, n.p). Modeling permits the designers to see the building and its parts from numerous angles. In addition, clash detection in the design phase allows designers to identify faults and correct them prior to commencement the building (McNell, 9). Early errors detection implies that costs involved in on-site correction are eliminated. Coordination is emphasized and facilitated by BIM through the use of a data repository where team members easily access information to confirm questionable aspects like building elements’ compatibility with the rest of the building. Through BIM cloud, BIM models by different team members can easily be viewed and edited and the consequences of each action made accessible to all model users (McNell 9). BIM is used to provide precise inclusion and modeling of prices and upgrading of bids and project pricing accuracy. Through the visualization designs, clients can verify design intention and sharedknowledge through virtual design and construction then strengthens client’s satisfaction. 2.0. BIM management Although BIM reinforces construction team members’ collaboration through the use of a shared information database to create a virtual model, there is heated debate over the management of BIM (AUGI, n.p). The ownership of BIM is left to DDC or the department of Design and construction. The model ownership is extended to include all inventions, designs, ideas, and methods contained inside the model. DDC reveals that peripheral users like contractors and consultants are only granted short lived use of BIM which terminates with the completion of the project and all copies of BIM copies have to be returned to DDC (AUGI, n.p). Basically, the project models contained in BIM from pre-conception to completion belong to DDC while project team owns just the idea. BIM teams include architects, designers, engineers and contractors and owners. The owner submits his or her request for service to the architect (AUGI, n.p). The architect then validates the request before designing the building. The architect provides the engineer with the building model and the engineer then uses computer aided design 3D visualization and modeling through Revit and creates 3D design or imports ordinary 2D drawings that have 3D information to establish perfect renderings from 3D (McNell, 15). Using BIM, designers investigate substitute notions; carry out value engineering and come up with finest designs. The contractors then revise the documented construction before commencement of physical construction. From the model, project owners are then involved in project aspects since they gain immediate and vast information which is formatted to satisfy their needs. 3.0. BIM practice BIM process involves four main stages which are design, build, operation and maintenance. The BIM model life cycle begins with the request from the owners. At first, the owners do not have sufficient information on what the final product will have (Eastman, Teicholz, Sacks and Liston, 24). The architect then validates the request and designs the building as would satisfactorily meet the needs of the client. The design model is then provided to the engineer who then uses 3D modeling and visualizations to create designs models. The engineer is involved in the building aspect since the visuals and 3D graphics and non-graphics about the facility are subjected to intense testing where clash detection is determined. Collaborative and harmonized BIM nature permits the detection of crash between various design team members. When detected, conflicts are resolved before the design is handed to the contractors for construction commencement. Correction of conflicts results to reduction in the time needed for design buildings and minimizes the costs linked to the correction of conflicts when undetected. The engineer documents the drawings and visualizations are handed to the contractor who develops simulation and fabrication models to reviews the construction and resumes construction (Eastman, Teicholz, Sacks and Liston, 24). The electrical engineers work on electrical installations and configurations while the mechanical engineer deals with sanitation and sewerage, drainage, air monitor, fire systems, location of generators and others. The quantity surveyor makes aligns cost estimates to the terms of contract. 4.0. BIM Modeling 4.1. Autodesk Revit Autodesk Revit software tool is particularly intended for BIM. This tool uses a model-based approach that empowers BIM design and construction experts who transfer ideas from concept to building, consistently (Autodesk). Revit elements can be applied by structural, and MEP engineering, architectural design and construction. Revit elements include parametric components, bidirectional associativity, effort sharing and building modeling. Autodesk Revit architecture software is used for development of information model for simple and complex structures and for construction management. 4.2. Autodesk Vasari Project Vasari is developed to deliver ease of use in building construction concepts. When utilized at the commencement of the project, Vasari performs development, analysis and alternative concepts exploration (Autodesk). Get Vasari is a windows program. Very crucial design decisions are made using design provided through integrated carbon and energy analysis from Vasari (Autodesk). After the Vasari design is complete, the design data is transferred to Autodesk Revit platform for BIM. Prior to data transfer, the design intent should guarantee execution. Vasari’s conceptual building design capabilities are enabled by parametric and geometric modeling. 4.3. Navisworks Navisworks is an application that handles intense graphics and that handles very large models (Autodesk). As an application with one thread, a multi core processor is essential such that one core of processor is set apart for Naviswork. Navisworks supports Windows XP, Windows 7 and Vista. 4.4. Autodesk 360 cloud Autedesk 360 is a platform supporting cloud computing through provision of numerous features, products and cloud services geared towards enhancement of designing, visualization, simulation and sharing ways among people anywhere everywhere. By opening an Autodesk360 account, a person receives benefits of 5GB storage for every account, the capability to view, edit and distribute files with others. Users have the capacity to receive free mobile applications like AutoCAD WS, ForceEffect, and AutoCAD 360 Mobile. 5.0. BIM process Our design began with the design of internal and external walls. The Revit software Wall Tool is used to draft lines and outline the position where walls should be. As designers, we had to specify the height and other physical conditions (bimcurriculum.Autodesk). With the walls, doors and windows are added. The Door tool and Window tool are used to establish interior and exterior doors and windows. In order to have the floors and the roofs, the floor tool and the roof by footprint tool are used respectively. The roof traces the exterior wall boundaries. Curtain walls are used to disengage spaces and do not support any of the structure’s loads. Curtain wall establish very glossy external building skins. The components of curtain walls are mullions, panels, and grids all of which are constructed using the Wall Tool in Autodesk Revit. 6.0. BIM collaboration with design team The efficiency of design and construction depends on the project team members. In our team, we classified ourselves into architects, structural engineers, architects, designers, surveyors and a manager. Each group had to deal with the various roles played by actual expertise in their chosen field. Since we were using Autodesk Revit 2013, we had the advantage of accessing functionalities of numerous Revit field like architecture, engineering, MEP and contractors. In order to achieve maximum collaboration and coordination, we designed a model coordination plan (bimcurriculum.Autodesk). Our team manager was responsible for editing privileges one each workload. Each member was then assigned a package which was chosen randomly such that each member would intensely engage in a different field and gain necessary knowledge. At each stage, the output was expected to meet an acceptable details level. 7.0. Conclusions and recommendation Unlike traditional drawings through 2D and 3D, BIM reveals better design information communication across all project team members. In addition, BIM provides a better way manage the relevant details for description and coordination of project design and construction. Since all BIM project is stored in interlinked databases, information sharing is enhanced and information storage, reporting and tracking simplified (bimcurriculum.Autodesk). BIM also enables off-site building designs in details which results to minimized on-site waste since there is efficient use, installation and assembly of material. On-site waste reduction measures and best practices are retained in BIM and can be applied from one project to the other and minimize effort wastage in project standard reinvention. With modern day increase in project requirement and project complexity, BIM facilitates multidisciplinary teams where numerous experts work on a project facilitated by better collaboration and coordination (Autodesk). It is commendable that each member in the team understands their roles and responsibilities to avoid conflict of interest since as students we had no expertise in different areas. In addition, BIM allows project team to work on compressed schedules for their project and this satisfies modern day need for time budgeted designs for project and each member must observe time to avoid delays to other project stages. Works cited Autodesk User Group International or AUGI. “Better BIM collaboration”. Augi.com. 12 October 2012.Web. 25 April 2013. Autodesk, “Design better buildings”. Autodesk. n.p. 2013. Web. 25 April, 2013. bimcurriculum.Autodesk. “BIM Curriculum”. bimcurriculum.autodesk.com. 2013. Web. 25 April 2013. Eastman, Chuck, Technolz, Paul, Sacks, Rafael and Liston, Kathleen. BIM Handbook. United States of America: John Willey& Sons. print McNell, David et al. “Building Information Modelling.” Infocomm international.n.d. Web. 25 April 2013. Solibri. “What is BIM”. Solibri. 2013. N.p. 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