Three Yields of Building Information Modeling
Why do we as BIM Coordinators spend so much time on modeling, clashing, and reworking?
This is a question I often find that is overlooked in the BIM/VDC process. Sure, the BIM process is a requirement in the project specifications, expected by the construction manager, and drives fabrication opportunities; but what other reasons drive the many hours spent working on our models? As BIM Coordinators we spend days, months, and sometimes years working on a single project. For me personally, the BIM/VDC process generates three primary results: system Installation, system functionality, and system maintenance.
System Installation:
Installation drawings are the primary objective of a BIM professional’s work, at least during the construction phase. Installation cannot happen without thorough installation drawings. We build models, we coordinate with other trades and their systems, and we detail drawings with the fundamental idea that we are supplying a road map for installers. These drawings have changed over the years from simple 2-dimensional guides to advanced detailed installation sets that tie together robotic station point layouts, fabrication sheets, spool maps, bill of material, and precut hanger systems. In some cases, these aren’t even physical drawings anymore as the field teams have gone digital on iPads and other handheld devices. These "super installation drawings" can render almost any information you can think of. A BIM Coordinator must always keep in mind that the primary deliverable from the coordination process is the installation drawing, whatever form it may be in.
System Functionality:
System operation is probably the most forgotten segment of the coordination process. It should be the number one priority for all BIM coordinators as they model and coordinate systems. For MEP systems to perform to full capacity and efficiency per their conceptual design, they need to be installed as “clean” as possible. Understanding how and why a system works is a critical piece of being able to coordinate at a higher level. A BIM coordinator must be able to ensure that all systems are considered, not just making a system fit, but making it fit and function to the highest possible standards.
System Maintenance:
Maintenance in BIM coordination is two-fold. First, during the BIM coordination process, maintenance access must be considered and accounted for in the model. The maintenance team needs to be able to access all equipment for service and repairs for the life of the building. This is a basic issue, but often overlooked in the process.
The BIM model lives on long after the VDC process is complete and is the second consideration of the maintenance piece. This is a more recent portion of the industry and has a lot of new “buzz words” associated with it, but it basically comes down to this. The project owner is investing a great deal of capital on the BIM/VDC piece of the project, why not have a deliverable from that process that can live on with the building? This is where the “Digital Twin” comes into play.
Wikipedia defines a digital twin as “a virtual representation that serves as the real-time digital counterpart of a physical object or process”. This can be a simple model used to view elements of a building or can be developed into a smart model with live information and tracking for building systems. The process of a digital twin starts with a model of the building and all the components that are contained or connected to the building. The model utilized for the VDC process can be used as the starting point for the digital twin. Accurate and detailed information added by a BIM Coordinator is not lost after the VDC process is complete, it will live on in the deliverable to the customer starting the digital twin process.
In my opinion the BIM/VDC process is critical to all projects. It not only delivers information through the construction phase but lives on in the future to provide information for the lifecycle of the building.