Building Information Modeling (BIM) was introduced nearly ten years ago to distinguish the information rich architectural 3D modeling from the traditional 2D drawing. BIM is a building design methodology characterized by the creation and use of coordinated, internally consistent computable information about a building project in design and construction.
BIM makes a reliable digital representation of the building available for design decision making, high-quality construction document production, construction planning, and performance predictions, and cost estimates. Having the ability to keep information up-to-date and accessible in an integrated digital environment gives architects, engineers, builders, and owners a clear overall vision of all their projects, as well as the ability to make informed decisions faster.
BIM has been promoted as the solution to reduce waste and inefficiency in building design and construction. However, many organizations have taken a wait-and-see attitude about BIM, looking for evidence for return on investment it entails. Today, it’s hard to peruse a professional journal without reading about BIM, and software vendors and consultants continue to promote it as the answer for improving efficiency of the entire construction industry.
A growing number of early adopters in public and private sectors, including GSA, Disney, and Intel, are starting to explore BIM and pursue integrated delivery approaches. Their common interest is ownership of facilities that extends beyond construction completion.
Customers using BIM will save time and money, see fewer design errors, experience improved productivity, and have access to new business opportunities. BIM is not a technology, but it does require suitable technology to be implemented effectively.
What BIM Means to the New Courthouse?
BIM will help the construction team "fine tune" the construction documents based on the design contract documents. The "fine tuning" will help in the following ways: Flush out discrepancies which involve errors in dimensioning, product compatibilities, and to model all of the material and products in the correct location prior to installing the products in the field. Hensel Phelps believes BIM is the wave of the future for helping each member of the team including the subcontractors, architect, engineers, consultants, and the client.
Advantages
BIM is not just about 3D (although that is major part of it). BIM allows the entire team more easily predict the performance of projects before they are built; respond to design changes faster; optimize designs with analysis, simulation, and visualization; and deliver higher quality construction documentation. Furthermore, it enables extended teams to extract valuable data from the model to facilitate earlier decision making and more economic project delivery.
Software
In order to produce the BIM Model the following products were used:
Subcontractors
Digital Vision was the main modeler on the project during the preconstruction phase. This super complex courthouse project proved to be quite a challenge, however the hard work and effort Digital Vision performed was unmatched by any other modeler.
DudaStudios helped to formalize the final touches and helped with the quality control of the model. The process was performed flawlessly for
two months while performing lift drawing standards with the Hensel Phelps team.
One of the most importance features of the modeling is to make the design method more constructive and to provide support for investment decisions by comparing in particular the practicality and scope of the alternatives and, to the extent possible, their costs and life cycle characteristics. The quality management is the integral part of Business Information Modeling. Its principal objective is to improve the quality of design solutions and the exchange of information between the parties BIM makes the overall design process more effective. This requires cooperation between the designers, project management and the client. Contractors have the ability to simulate construction activities inside computers to testify the workability and/or streamline the production processes by adding time and resource data into BIM. A lot of money, project risks and our environment by reducing unnecessary waste, could be saved by shifting the try-and-error process from construction site to virtual environment.