How BIM Influences Smart Construction
BIM technology can save time and money depending on how you use it. Click here to learn more about how BIM influences smart construction.
Architecture and construction have never been easier.
Do you recall the old days where building plans were drafted and shared, only to be redrafted and redrafted yet again?
Gone.
How about the rolled up stacks of blueprints to help construction companies, architects and consultants know what goes where?
Throw them out.
This is the future of building. It is a way for all members involved in an infrastructure’s creation to collaborate in one easy-to-navigate document. It’s called Building Information Modeling (BIM), and it is the precursor to smart construction.
Curious how BIM can help your construction company? Well, we can’t list all the reasons here (unless you’d like to read for a few hours), but we promise by the end of this article, you’ll see its benefits, too.
What Is BIM?
BIM stands for Building Information Modeling.
Although the new technologies on the market can be cumbersome and exhausting to use, BIM has quickly become the go-to program for construction companies. It offers a convenient way for construction workers, architects and engineers to work together on the same project.
BIM is a 3-D, (computer) model-based process that allows collaboration in creating a building from its very first stone. Its benefits are nearly limitless.
Shimonti Paul, the Deputy Executive Editor at Geospatial Media and Communications, writes, “Using BIM, owners can improve building quality, significantly reduce building lifecycle costs, better understand design projects from beginning to end, optimize operational efficiencies and increase occupancy and use rates.”
These platforms aren’t difficult to find; SmartLeanBIM is one of many companies offering BIM software that all members can use remotely or on-the-job.
BIM is integral to smart construction because it allows project leaders to explore every aspect of a building and analyze costs, potential hazards and final effects. It’s so effective that adoption rate surged from 28% in 2007 to 71% in 2012.
How It Influences Smart Construction
Are you ready to understand how BIM can help your company? The doors this technology opens are infinite.
Increase Productivity
Save time by finishing projects quicker and planning ahead, from the first small detail to the last.
BIM fosters organization and teamwork at its best. Groups and individuals can be assigned tasks, which can be updated in real-time from any internet-ready device. Furthermore, notes and additional documents can be attached to models to give clearer details on any component.
Time is money, and construction workers save a lot of time because of the efficiency this technology provides. In 2012, one study indicated product duration was reduced by 37% because of BIM.
Building Performance
In addition to finishing a project faster, construction companies have the added benefit of inspecting building performance.
BIM can calculate the best systems according to occupant traffic. It can project future issues and costs. It can even tell users ways to make the building more energy-efficient.
Once more, its effects cannot be overlooked. The United Kingdom estimated after it required all infrastructure projects to be built using BIM, there would be a 20 to 30% reduction in lifecycle costs of public-sector assets.
As a result, construction workers can create buildings that have a longer life and superior performance. And that means less negative impacts on the environment.
Estimate Production Costs
Hidden or unforeseen production costs can be a hindrance to construction companies. After all, having a thorough understanding of a project’s costs allows owners to make sound financial decisions before signing any contract.
Again, BIM comes to the rescue. A project manager can easily and quickly review the nuances of a building to come to a knowledgeable conclusion about the project’s economics.
This encourages lean construction, which is when a company trims excess expenses on a project and streamlines the production process. Doing so aids in creating more value for the building as well as for the company.
Avoiding Rework
Rework is a common problem in construction. In a typical project, it can result in increased production costs amounting to 10 to 15% of the entire contract’s price.
By keeping everyone up-to-date on what is being done and how, managers can ensure construction runs smoothly and no efforts are wasted. But don’t take our word for it.
Approximately 65% of United States contract workers report that BIM has drastically reduced rework issues.
Clash Detection
It’s a bad day when you’re knee-deep into a project and discover a conflict. Sometimes, such a find can mean costly construction changes, rework and precious time lost.
However, BIM also takes care of this problem. When all information is input into a model, the platform can assess it for any potential conflicts during the design stage. At this point, the building is still being changed and revised, meaning clash detection may be minimal.
However, once the project hits the construction document stage, owners and supervisors can be ready to reap results. This stage involves more information and higher-end development schemes, meaning the software can calculate and detect more conflicts.
You’ll enjoy fewer last-minute changes and much less frustration.
Pre-Construction
The advantages of BIM are felt by everyone from the very first thought that goes into a model.
Designers and architects can create their dreams and receive constructional and engineering feedback from professionals. This makes the revision process much easier for all parties because it fosters certainty between design intent and actual construction of the building.
And you don’t even have to be in the same room to have this dialogue. Roughly 75% of European organizations using BIM report it created better multi-party communication.
All Projects in a Single View
Perhaps one of the greatest, yet simplest advantages of BIM is the fact that everything–construction guidelines, design thoughts, changes and updates–are all included in one convenient location.
This makes everyone’s lives easier. No one has to sift through piles of 2-D blueprints to find what they need; it’s all right there, updated in real-time and accessible from anywhere an individual may need it.
The Best Tool for Companies
We haven’t even covered all of it.
BIM may be the best weapon in an owner’s toolkit for smart construction, and its applications extend far beyond a single article. It can help foster communication and even create a longer-lasting, more efficient building. All the while, it can cut unnecessary expenses for construction crews.
But BIM isn’t the only way to keep that checkbook balanced. Take a look at our article about cleaning up your business’s finances.
A little spring cleaning, anyone?
