Building Information Modeling - Essay Example

?Building information modeling Lecturer 1485 words Table of Contents 0.Research elements 3 2.0.Management of BIM 3 3.0.BIM practice 4 4.0.BIM modeling tools 5 5.0.BIM process 6 6.0.BIM collaboration 7 7.0.Conclusion and recommendation 7 Building Information modeling 1.0. Research elements Building information modeling is a set of processes that is not only coordinated but also technology supported (Hymas, n.p). BIM provides additional value through creation, organization and allotment the attributes of an asset all along its lifecycle. The lifecycle of a product involves designing, building, operation, and maintenance activities. Since current buildings rely upon drawings, building designs have formerly focused upon communications through numerous distinct and often inconsistent documents. With BIM, building designs are not just about drawings and numerous documents, but about a data repository where structure and continuation information is combined in one expedient model for sharing amongst all stakeholders (McNell et al, 5). As a model-based design process, BIM offers explicit design information, for instant consideration and evaluation of the design objective and program. As a result, BIM model offers augmented process competence and superior quality accuracy compared to conventional 2D CAD drawings. 2.0. Management of BIM Previously, architects designed buildings which were then scrutinized by engineers who offered feedback and technical responses concerning the design (AUGI, 1). Conversely, the contractors obtained the drawings and build the structure. At this point, every party played their own part. However, BIM and all its inventions, ideas, methods and designs are all owned by the Department of design and Construction. According to AUGI, the other persons using BIM like contractors only have temporary use for given time extents after which all BIM copies are submitted to DDC. In the BIM model, the owner hires an architect and contractor. The architect is the design review agency while the contractor performs QC testing and inspection (Ashcraft and Shelden, 7). The architect works with specialist consultants and engineers (A+E). The contractor works with engineer contractors and subcontractors. The subcontractors work as product suppliers, material suppliers, installers and labor unions among others. The contractor have a construction simulation model and fabrication model, the architects have the design model, and the engineer will have the analysis model depending on their discipline (Ashcraft and Shelden, 7). BIM collaborative use requires that all available models are interoperable and that each model is a clear and consistent representation of the same structure. 3.0. BIM practice The building industry comprises of architects, engineers, contractors and owners or (A/E/C/O). The architect is provided with a service request (Ashcraft and Shelden, 7). The architect is responsible for designing buildings and space using BIM and has the intentions to have the building executed to work. However, the role of the architects expanded to business strategy, and technology among others. The professional engineers then utilize recent 3D modeling and visualization (Revit and AutoCAD) for 3D design. After receiving the request, the architect validates and designs the structure. Conversely, the engineer imports conventional 2D drawings that have 3D information for precise establishment of 3D renderings. When coupled with onsite coordination, 3D visualization offers improved accuracy for detection and resolution of instances of collision among infrastructure components. The process used here is crash detection (Ashcraft and Shelden, 7) and is cost saving since component collisions are only detected after commencement of construction. The engineer then documents the findings and issues to the designer. The designers utilize BIM to discover substitute concepts, perform value engineering and optimize designs. Given the BIM model, the contractors review construction, coordinate drawings and draft shop and fabrication drawings. The contractors then engage in the construction work. At this point, all the specifications, operations and maintenance information must be documented in manuals and warranty information, in the BIM model for application in future maintenance (out-law.com). Construction involves services of mechanical engineers who work with air conditioning, gas piping and fire hydrants and water and sewerage constructions. Electrical engineers will execute electrical installations, wiring and configurations of heating and lighting systems. 4.0. BIM modeling tools Autodesk Revit is the product of Autodesk and has the BIM use in 3D models development and reviewing (Autodesk). This tool is intended to sustain designs for architectures, MEP engineering, building and structural engineers. Revit is a BIM specific platform that is aimed at assisting in design, construction and upholding of buildings of expert energy efficiency. Revit is used by the full project team who can design 3D structure and its constituents. Autodesk Vasari is a user friendly significant design tool. Vasari is used in the development of building concepts. In order to contribute to the green nature of BIM, Vasari performs integrated energy and carbon dioxide analysis which offers design imminent for crucial pronouncement (Autodesk). The project team member uses the Vasari to create their design but later moves the design to production by integrating the Vasari design data into BIM Auto-desk Revit platform guaranteeing the design intent executes clearly. The functioning of Vasari is founded on conceptual design for building where parametric and geometric modeling is used. Autodesk 360 cloud services offers straightforward admission to authoritative cloud services. That only thing one needs is an Autodesk 360 account through which individual files can be saved to the cloud (Autodesk). The advantage with the Autodesk cloud is that one can work on stored files by presentation and editing files through any web browser or itinerant device. The basic access includes storage, viewing, collaboration and sharing and rendering. 5.0. BIM process In our design, building modeling process began with the formation of basics that represent the outside and inside walls of our proposed buildings. Using Autodesk Revit software the walls were created through the use of Wall Tool that sketches lines to designate wall positions. Depending on the attributes of the walls developed the characteristics of the walls are generated. With the wall positions, we specified the materials and structure of walls and wall height among other properties (autodesk). After the development of walls, the doors and windows are placed on the interior and exterior walls. The roof design traced the wall locations, while the shape of the roof was dependent on the intersections. The roof by Footprint tool in Revit software permitted the use of sketching lines or wall picking to show roof boundaries and denote the edges that will have sloped planes for the roof. Conversely, the creation of the floor required the use of floor tool to sketch lines or pick walls for boundaries denotation. However, floors unlike roofs do not have slopes. Curtain walls are essential for the provision of separators between spaces and do not support structural loads (Autodesk). The role of curtain wall is to establish smooth, modern exterior building skins or detach spaces inside especially for instances where there is desired visibility like between a lobby and a conference room. Curtain walls are easy to builds since they can easily be modified through adding, removing or moving grids and the mullions as desired. Creation of stairs and ramps required the user of elements like treads, raisers, stringers and railings. The technique used in stairs development was through specification of crucial properties for height and length settings followed by run line sketching to specify the direction of each section (out-law.com). In order to create Ramps, a Ramp tool is used and Revit computes lamp length automatically. Elevators were modeled using Shaft Opening tool which has the capability to cut vertical holes through the roof, floor, and ceilings. Any boundary modifications are automatically updated. 6.0. BIM collaboration In engineering, many head are preferred especially for collaboration. Collaboration is not restricted to design team. As a team, we depended on Autodesk BIM 360 Glue for the simplification of multi-discipline coordination of model and detection of crash. In addition, BIM 360 glue offered us access everywhere such that each stakeholder and manager can access the design from anywhere throughout the project lifecycle (out-law.com). As a project team, we decided to purchase this tool since it is independent of the subscription of Autodesk. In order to avoid conflict of interest, members were grouped as engineers, architects, builders and architects. Each team developed their model and saved their files in the cloud. Prior to uploading of the models, they had to be tested to see whether they were executable for easy integration into the final BIM project (out-law.com). 7.0. Conclusion and recommendation Compared to traditional building designs and drawings, BIM facilitates the production of premium quality design documents by architects and engineers while contractors can disjointedly establish estimation and invention models or reproduce constructions without models allotment. In addition, potential problems are discovered during the design phase when using BIM and this means that they are resolved prior to construction thereby reducing costs for late or delayed error detection (out-law.com). During the course of construction, project visualization offered useful information of project progress and successfully marketed the project. For teams intending to use BIM model for their construction, it should be made clear that the designers, fabricators, subcontractors and other stakeholders make use of a single BIM model (George, n.p). BIM collaboration relies heavily on interoperability such that each presented model consistently represents the same building. Works cited. Ashcraft, Howard and Sheldon, Dennis. “BIM Implementation strategies”. Autodesk, “Design better buildings”. Autodeskvasari.com. n.p. 2013. Web. 25 April, 2013. Autodesk User Group International or AUGI. “Better BIM collaboration”. Augi.com. 12 October 2012. 25 April 2013. George, H. “BIM Collaboration and Engineering-many heads are better than one”. Building information modeling. January 2012. Web. 25 April 2013. Hymas, David. “Building information modeling: the Designer”. Matt MacDonald. N.d. Web. 25 April 2013. McNell, David et al. “Building Information Modelling.” Infocomm international.n.d. Web. 25 April 2013. Out-law.com. “Building Information Modelling”. Out-law.com.2013. Web. 25 April 2013. Read More