BIM for Pre-Construction (Part II)

Posted on: December 21, 2018, By: Tesla OS

Preface: This blog is the second and concluding part of the blog “BIM for Pre-Construction”. We had discussed the benefits of BIM in the pre-construction phase in the previous blog. We had considered an actual project to understand this objectively. This project was an integrated BIM project which included the application of all features of BIM for pre-construction. For better results, the project was divided into 3 phases:

1st phase: Developing Architectural, Structural, and MEP BIM models from design drawings.

2nd phase: Performing Clash Detection Services and eliminating the interference to generate a coordinated BIM model.

3rd phase: Creating Architectural Construction Documentation Services and MEP Shop Drawings from the coordinated BIM model.

We had talked about the 1st phase in the previous blog. We will now elaborate on the remaining two phases of the project.

The 2nd phase commenced by linking the Architectural, Structural, and MEPF models in Navisworks to check for interference. The purpose of this phase was to eliminate all the clashes that appear between various elements of the structure in the pre-construction phase to minimize on-site re-work and thereby, control the cost and improve the efficiency of construction. The models were exported to Navisworks, linked, and checked for clashes. A clash report was generated for all the existing clashes. The design teams (Architectural, Structural, and MEP) came together and adjusted the designs to eliminate the discrepancies. The design changes were incorporated in the BIM models to produce BIM Coordinated models.

The 3rd phase of the project was to create 2D drawings that can be used for construction. The final outcome of any Virtual Design and Construction project is to generate drawings that can be directly used for construction. Once BIM coordination process is complete, the model and designs are free of any errors and can be used for construction. The benefit of using a Building Information Modeling software is that you can extract sheets directly from the coordinated model. Architectural Construction Drawings and MEP Shop Drawings were extracted as sheets from their respective coordinated models.

The entire pre-construction process improved the speed of construction while controlling the costs and being environment-friendly (as re-work and wastage of materials were reduced).

Conclusion:

BIM acts as a catalyst to bridge the gap in the loss of information between different teams of a project (the design team and the construction team) as well as the building owner or a facility manager. It enables all parties involved to be on the same page at all times of the project. As building contractors and engineers work under several restraints of limited resources in terms of manpower, budget, and accelerated schedules, technologies such as 3D BIM, 4D BIM, and 5D BIM prove to be significant in overcoming the constraints.

Written By:
Tesla OS

Tesla Outsourcing Services is an Architectural and Engineering Outsourcing Company providing CAD Services, Engineering and E-building Design Solutions (BIM Services) to clients across the globe.