The Benefits Of Incorporating BIM For The Construction Process
Building information modeling, popularly known as “BIM”, is the present star player in the construction industry. Though it has been almost a decade since the technology has been around, but in last two years it has created a lot of buzz in the industry. So what really is BIM? Here is the US National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee’s definition for better understanding:
“Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. A BIM is a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle; defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition (NBIMS-US, 2016).”
Use of BIM services in construction will help in generating visual files with all variables that are required in the construction of the actual project. All you need to do is provide the correct input and the output will be a model that will have all the information which is needed by anyone working on the project to make it a success.
The benefits of incorporating BIM in the construction process are many, but can be summarized in following five individual points:
Extended Scope
Conventionally, building model of a construction project is focused on the visualization of the building or infrastructure to be built. Though this type of CAD model could be used as a guideline for proceeding further, but not for exact calculation of variables involved. However, BIM not only includes these variables, but highlights them too. For example, thermal modeling is also as much a part of BIM as natural light and HVAC system. A shift from traditional architectural drawing to BIM will is like expanding the scope of the model, which, in turn, will increase the reliability of the model.
Projecting Constructability and Price
The enhanced scope of BIM will further help the construction managers and stakeholders in better understanding what exactly is involved in building the final project. Further, the traditional CAD models usually do not provide accurate pricing projections, but BIM includes all the variables to predict both individual and overall construction prices.
Enhanced Stakeholder Coordination
The most difficult part of completing a construction project is to maintain coordination of all the stakeholders. BIM services can lead to a better coordinated collaboration of all the stakeholders, as it includes a wide range of variables related to construction.
Accounting of Complex Construction Processes
The modern construction process is very complex, resulting in lack of a coordinated extended timeline and money loss. BIM provides a more cost and time-sensitive solution: In BIM data is directly connected with design, therefore, any design updates will update the model, thus accounting for each variable in the construction process.
Building workflow reliability
Planning a construction project can be a daunting task because of a large number of overlapping timelines. One major benefit of using BIM service is that it helps in avoiding clashes in areas where one model overlaps or makes the other impossible. BIM makes finding these clashes easier. In fact, it allows managers to spot problems before they become they go out of hand, thus building a more reliable workflow.
These benefits of incorporating BIM in the construction process has made it an invaluable tool for the construction industry. Any project starting with BIM will definitely have a greater chance of success.
With the advent of new technologies that aid in design and construction—like advanced data capture and computer aided design—more and more projects in the architectural, construction, and engineering industry are moving from 2D drawings to 3D models.
This opens up a new realm of possibilities in the field of Building Information Modeling, thereby giving architects, engineers, and site planners many benefits which help improve their quality, workflow, design, and project management. The switch also helps drive savings in terms of time and budget for building and infrastructure projects.
Building information modeling or BIM is a process that involves the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. These come in the form of 2D digital drawings, digital 3D models, aerial photography, or site scan files which can be extracted, exchanged, or networked to support
the decision-making processes regarding a building or other built asset.
Today, BIM is used by individuals, businesses and government agencies for planning, design, construction,
operation, and maintenance of diverse physical infrastructures. BIM improves productivity and gives additional benefits for its users.
1. With BIM, designers can immediately benefit from compiled input shared in a model in ways that traditional paper medium is unable to capture. These days, project starts include information from digital elevation and aerial imagery, along with advanced laser scans of infrastructure that accurately capture valuable real-world data pertaining to a project.
2. BIM reduces waste. By using shared models or assets, there is reduced need to duplicate drawings for the different building discipline requirements. BIM likewise reduces the need for reworks.
3. BIM software involves helpful aids—including auto save and project history—that helps prevent disappearances or file corruption, which can be disastrous and impair productivity.
4. Integrated simulation tools allow designers to visualize factors such as solar exposure during different seasons, energy use, structural analysis, earthquake and flooding resistance, and others to improve building performance.
5. 3D models can be used as the ultimate tool of communication for conveying the project scope, steps, and outcome, or render impressive views and fly-through or walk-throughs that can be used to sell a commercial space or to gain necessary approvals.
It has been a great void in the pre-construction and general design process in the construction industry. Customarily, initial architectural concepts and designs are mostly depending on the sketches, free floor plans, and area discussions. While with the onset of new technologies in the construction sector, the AEC industry has been in a boom in the current scenario and the 5D BIM is helping to fill the void in an appropriate manner.
What is 5D BIM?
When you create an information bim modeling, you can add the scheduling data to a different component, creating the specific program data for your project, this technique is said to be as 4D BIM modeling. The further step is to create accurate cost evaluation from the components of the information model which is known as 5D BIM.
5D BIM (Fifth-Dimensional Building Information Modeling) is used for proper budget tracking as well as related activities of cost analysis. The fifth dimension of BIM modeling is associated with the 3D and 4D (Time) acknowledges the participants to envision the progress of their operations and related cost-over-time.
With the application of 5D BIM technology, the users can notice greater accuracy and predictability of project’s estimates, changes in scope, materials, equipment or workforce changes. what is 5D BIM indeed provides methods for extracting and determining costs and evaluating scenarios.
Benefits of 5D BIM
5D BIM Modeling can boost the visualization of projects such as construction details.
It helps the people to work together to make the model productive and thus improve the collaboration on projects.
5D BIM advances the quality level of the finished projects because the users maintain the quality of data in BIM models.
As the costing of design options are accomplishing in the early design stage with the help of 3D and so 5D BIM modeling makes project conceptualization easier.
Using 5D software, design details are pointed out with more clarity, and it facilitates the analysis capability of the model.
5D ensures more take-offs during the stage of budget assessment.
Its efficiency to develop quantities for cost planning is higher than the conventional software and manually takes off during the detailed cost plan stage.
As it helps diagnose potential risks at an earlier stage, the team can improve clash detection in design stage itself.
It increases the ability to resolve RFI’s in real time.
As 5D BIM can model project options before and during construction, it improves estimating.
Integrating BIM with 5D CAD simulation models empowers the development of more efficient, cost-effective and feasible developments.
4D BIM (Building Information Modeling) is extensively used term in the 3D CAD industry in the current scenario. It refers to the intelligent linking of individual 3D CAD components or the assemblies with time or schedule-related information. The use of the term 4D BIM is proposed to apply to the fourth dimension (time) i.e. 4D is 3D plus schedule (time).
The construction building of the 4D BIM models facilitates the various participants of a building project from architects, designers, contractors to the clients to visualize the total duration of a series of events and also displays the progress of the overall on-going construction activities through the lifetime of the project.
Advantages of using 4D BIM
This BIM-centric way towards the project management technique has a very high potential to enhance the project management and the delivery of the construction project of any size or intricacy.
The 4D BIM sums up a new dimension to 3D CAD or solid modeling enabling a sequence of events to be portrayed visually on a timeline that has been settled by a 3D model.
The construction building management sequences can be inspected as a series of problems using 4D BIM that enables users to explore options, manage solutions and improve the results.
It also enables construction product development, collaborative project implementation.
4D is recognized as an advanced construction building management technique that is progressively used by the project delivery teams working on larger projects including tall buildings, bridges, highways, tunnels, hospital complexes, many luxurious residential projects as well as industrial projects. Due to an emergence of new technologies, 4D BIM is extensively used by the laymen in comparison with the traditional use for only high-end projects.
Laser Scanning Technology and Its Advantages in Construction Industry
Laser Scanning is a method of collecting external data using a laser scanner which captures the actual distance of densely scanned points over a given object at breakneck speed. The process is usually known as a point cloud survey or as light detection and ranging (LIDAR, a combo of the words ‘light’ and ‘radar’).
Laser scanning is currently acquiring the impetus in the construction industry for its competency in helping Building Teams to collect tons of remarkably authentic information in a very short span of time. When done in a perfect way, Laser scanning can prove to be beneficial to all the involved parties in the life cycle of the project.
The laser scanning method can be used to create 3D representations that can be converted for use in 3D CAD modeling or BIM (Building Information Modeling).
While the construction industry is relatively gradual in adopting the newer technology, the designers and the construction professionals are challenging themselves to complete the project in rapid pace with the use technologies like BIM and custom-designed apps. The 3D laser scanning is less promoted technology in the adoption phase, though the AEC industry is now noticing the benefits of laser scanning can bring the boost in their projects.
Accuracy:
The laser scanning technology determines to be much quicker, more exact and inexpensive than the traditional survey measurement. The exactness of the process depends on the stability of the instrument base and the distance from the object.
Benefits of using the Laser Scanning Technology in Construction Industry
Laser Scanning has been a boon to the construction industry that allows obtaining a level of detail, accuracy which was not feasible with the other traditional methods. Let’s have a brief look at the benefits of implementing the Laser Scanning technology to build in a smarter way.
Enhanced Planning and Designing
Using the laser scanning method, a tremendous boost in planning and designing is seen. The clashes between newly designed elements and existing conditions have been analyzed before the construction. The exactness of dimensions obtained from laser scans can also help improve planning by providing exact measurements for destruction and removal of components as well as assist in minimizing the waste materials.
Reduction in cost and Schedule
It has been seen that the 3D scanning can curtail the total project cost by 5% to 7%. The scanning can be performed in minimal hours to a few days, depending on the site as compared to several weeks in the traditional data collection methods.
Safety and Regulatory Agreement
The Laser scanning methods are often safer that the manual data collection method and are increasingly used to help satisfy with health, safety, and environmental responsibilities. The features such as remote sensing ability and quick data capture of the laser scanner trim the teams’ exposure to harmful environments. For example, when used in nuclear power plants, the laser scanner helps in reducing the size and the time of group’s exposure to the high radiation areas.
The laser scanning provides booming methods for surveying remote surfaces as well as complex geometrical surfaces are also surveyed with absolute ease. All the major providers of CAD 3D modeling and BIM have built compatibility that acknowledges their system to import the point cloud data into the 3D visual graphic material.
The use of drones with laser scanning has indeed become a recognized method of getting the exact detail of topography. LIDAR has been widely used for surveys from rail to the road vehicles. The instrument can easily operate at night when the targeted surfaces are less interfere with people and can produce outstanding accuracy.
Don’t waste your time and money on any paid or sometimes free online resources and software. Now converting PDF document to editable AutoCAD DWG format file is just a matter of seconds. You will be able to convert PDF to DWG by using just one AutoCAD Command.
PDFIMPORT Command in AutoCAD
When AutoCAD 2017 was released, it included one of the most necessary functionality PDFIMPORT. AutoCAD provides the simplest one-click method to convert your PDF to AutoCAD. PDFIMPORT command is used as a permanent PDF Converter for AutoCAD drawings. By using PDFIMPORT command, it is now easily possible to import PDF content material directly into AutoCAD drawings. The text turns into editable text and Lines will become editable geometry. AutoCAD supports complex geometry conversion from PDF to DWG format. The kind of the actual PDF primarily controls the accuracy of the following AutoCAD content, so consequences can also range. Moreover, PDF underlays in drawings created with preceding AutoCAD releases may be converted into editable drawing geometry by the use of PDFIMPORT command.
The use of PDFIMPORT with PDF produced from scanned pix/files will bring about the creation of a raster picture document, which is then attached to the drawing as an xref. The raster imagery will no longer be converted into editable geometry. It can be used for tracing the drawing objects accordingly.
How to Convert PDF to AutoCAD By using PDFIMPORT Command
Follow these simple steps for converting a PDF file to editable AutoCAD drawing;
Type PDFATTACH command in the command line to browse and attach the PDF file that you want to change to an AutoCAD drawing.
AutoCAD Attach PDF Underlay
In the next window select the required page number from pdf file. Only that one page will be imported as an underlay into this drawing.
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Just type the command PDFIMPORT or click on the PDF attachment. The top ribbon of AutoCAD interface will be changed to PDF Underlay section. Click on “Import as Objects” button. This option is used to import the PDF file or a particular part of the PDF attached file as editable AutoCAD objects.
PDF Import Settings
When PDFIMPORT command is initiated, three options can be seen on the command line [Polygon, All and Settings]. By selecting the Polygon option, you will be able to draw a closed polygon in the drawing to choose the part of PDF drawing to bring into this drawing as AutoCAD objects. The whole of the underlay is converted to AutoCAD if “All” option is selected. PDF Import Settings can be accessed by selecting the “Settings” option on the command line.
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In PDF Import Settings window you can select the type of data that will be imported into this drawing, i.e., vector geometry, True Type text, and raster images. You can also assign the layers to imported objects.
If the PDF underlay drawing includes raster images, these images will be extracted as png files to a specified folder and then attached to the current drawing as an underlay.
You can change the location of these raster images by clicking on the Options button and then follow these steps to change the location of the raster images folder according to your workflow.
PDFIMPORT PDF Images Location Settings how to convert pdf to dwg in AutoCAD 2017,
After clicking on OK and then selecting one of the options as per your convenience Polygon or All, new commands [Keep, Detach, Unload] are shown on the command line. Select any of these commands as you like the PDF Underlay to behave after conversion.
When the command is completed, the selected objects in the PDF Underlay are imported as editable AutoCAD objects enabling you to save this data as DWG or DXF file format and editing.
The AEC industry, now, is very well informed about BIM and its advantages. Many of the AEC firms have embraced this effectual BIM technology while others are approaching it gradually before BIM becomes a mandate in the coming run.
For those who are planning for BIM transition can view Overcoming the Barriers to BIM Adoption in AEC industry! And 6 Effective Ways To Get More Out Of BIM After Adoption
This new article of mine intends to highlight the Easy Steps to Initiate a BIM Pilot Project for
successful implementation. I am stressing on Pilot Project as – “The pilot projects have been considered to be one of the vital components of successful implementation plan for BIM.”
So, let’s take look and understand the steps to initiate a BIM Pilot Project:
Selection of a Pilot Project:
If the firm takes a decision to BIM transition, it is keen on knowing and confirming the effects of BIM implementation as well as unveil BIM capabilities. Pilot Project is the best exercise for this, but the selection of Pilot Project for BIM also plays an important role.
Following are some of the points which can be focused for selection of a Pilot Project:
Business needs and trend Complexity of the project
Availability of information for the project for comparisons
Use of the project & project delivery system
Application of the training of BIM tool:
There is no use of training unless it is applied on a live project or brought into practice. This is where Pilot Project comes into picture. This practice can also be used for evaluating the understanding of BIM grasped by the team so far
during the trainings.
It is also important that the users avoid switching back to traditional 2D CAD methodology and strives to achieve it through BIM tools opted by the firm as it can help them to be productive and apply their skills in the path of new
learning.
Undergo advanced training if needs demand:
The Pilot Project is helpful for understanding the new BIM tool as well as identifying the areas and requirement for advanced training.
It is evident that this transition is not so smooth sailing and the support of the management along with motivation for updating the skills of the users and would be a great booster for the team to go ahead with BIM for current and upcoming projects.
Evaluation of the Pilot Project, & Documentation of the BIM plan:
It is very important for a firm/organization to measure and evaluate the difference after transition to BIM and the respective increase in productivity.
Based on this, the team should define goals or alter the previous set road map as this will help them to achieve the optimum results for further projects.
Also, the documentation of hurdles faced while working on the Pilot Project, measuring the areas where BIM helped in enriching the design process will be aiding the team as well as management to solve them as well as assess the BIM
implementation respectively.
In closing, I would like to say that a successful pilot project is a true specimen to encourage the team towards Adapting to, Adopting & Implementing BIM in future projects.
And as I always say, BIM is the future of AEC industry. So, for the AEC industry, it is either Adopt BIM and reap in the rewards or remain left behind in the competition.
Since Revit is a multi discipline software, its Templates have special importance.
Templates primarily give user, basic environment required for any project and help to establish and maintain quality and consistency across projects of various types within a firm. They also save users a lot of time by setting up the necessary standards in advance so people don’t have to start from scratch every time. If you are a Revit Ninja, or you are just starting to get your feet wet, there are definitely a few things you will want to avoid.
Don’t load in all your firm’s content and typical details into your Revit template. The template will become too heavy and unusable. Instead, consider using ‘Resource Files’ – (See rest of article below)
Don’t place Useless information on your landing page. You will train your team not to use it, and ultimately disregard it when they are working on their project. Only place useful information such as project information that needs to be coordinated, such as wall penetrations, important milestones, or when the model was last purged.
Don’t place content in the template that encourages non-data centered workflows, i.e. filled regions to represent wall fire ratings. Pre-bake intelligent view templates with view filters that can work in harmony with you Building elements.
And have some guides for having a good Revit template with an absolutely blank file flow step by step:
Start
There are 2 ways to create a Revit template
Start with the out of the box Revit templates located here:
For 2017 – C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 2017\Templates\US Imperial/ and do a ‘save as’.
For 2018 – C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 2018\Templates\US Imperial/ and do a ‘save as’.
In the template, find the origin. It may seem silly now, but when you realize it isn’t where you thought later. In the old days it meant imported a CLEAN .dwg with nothing but an X drawn at 0,0,0 Origin to Origin, marking that spot with reference planes, and pinning it. Now, you can turn on the Project Base Point / Survey point, and mark THAT with reference planes.
In the template, find the origin. It may seem silly now, but when you realize it isn’t where you thought later. In the old days it meant imported a CLEAN .dwg with nothing but an X drawn at 0,0,0 Origin to Origin, marking that spot with reference planes, and pinning it. Now, you can turn on the Project Base Point / Survey point, and mark THAT with reference planes.
You can them Origin N/S and Origin E/W, pin them, and call it a day. Then, open your first blank TITLEBLOCK, and do the CAD trick, import the dwg OTO, and mark that with reference planes. Pin. Save as “1st titleblock” and close.
Prior to start a new project file, you have to create the bellows:
– Create Annotations first. NOT doing these first is why there is a reputation that Revit cant look like your office used too. You start with the Imperial Library folder called “Annotations.” If you’re in RME or RST it is different, but I do the same thing there, with the appropriate folder. If Autodesk has one in there, chances are you need it. Edit Family, Save As (to an entirely new directory) and start making annotations that look like what you firms standards are. Note: Labels are family specific, so figure out the firm font style, size, etc, first. Make them all, then save them all in your Firms Annotations folder. Load them all in the template, and start assigning them to the system families. Remember that some annotations have funky “type settings” under Manage > Additional Settings.
Note: There is a reason were doing the NON-model stuff first. Everyone jumps in head first. They get so far ahead they don’t have time to cover the basics, then they wonder why they don’t have time to cover the basics. If youre fast, you can get through all of this non model stuff in two days, and be on your way.
– Titleblocks. You need them, to make drawings. Remember that Origin starter title block you made? That origin will always be the BOTTOM and LEFT of your title blocks. Do Save As a few times, make the sizes you need, expanding the title block to the right, and the top. I use Jpegs for images, not .dwg or Filled Regions. It has no ill effects, besides a few bizarre printing issues with KIP plotters and drivers.
– Viewport Types. Depending on your office standard, this might be 1, or 50. Viewports are one of the system families that use embedded regular families, which mean instance parameters don’t do much (anything) for you. So the bottom line is: If you are “office drawing title” consists of “stuff on the left” and an extension line, you can do it in one Viewport Type. If it’s a series of lines of boxes or text on the right side as well, you’ll need a lot.
– Content. Time to build some System Families. Your office probably has standardized walls. Start putting them together, and filling in the correct Type Marks. Research “Core boundary,” “Function,” “Assembly Code,” etc. All things that get left out, but which MIGHT benefit you. NOTE: The moment you have to build a wall type, you’ll use Materials. Start thinking about that, but im going to ignore it for now. Materials is too big to get on the first pass. After walls, things you should put in: Standard Floors, Ceilings, Roofs, Curtain Walls, Curtain Panels, Mullions / Profiles*, Windows. (*The OOTB Mullion profiles have it MOSTLY right. Adding in a bunch of parameters, and breaking the detail component in to 4 separate pieces, gives you a LOT of flexibility).
– Doors. We can left them out of the Content section. Break out your companies Door Schedule. If its in the schedule, and its important, you’ll need a (SHARED) parameter for it in the Door Family. Start yours from Scratch. Throw out the OOTB ones. Research Nested Panels and Nested Frames. If built correctly, all doors can schedule together: Regulars and Curtain Panels alike.
– Cartoon your sheets, place your schedules. This may seem silly, but we just made the door schedule, right? Did we drop it on a sheet? Why not? We do it once in the template, or they do it once in every project. In fact, take this opportunity to Cartoon your set of typical drawing sheets, and to place typical stuff on them. Drawing List. Does it always go on the cover sheet? Put it there. Room finish schedule. Door Schedule. Annotation Legend. General notes. Cover images. Ceiling Plan legends. Drop it on the sheets. Once now, or once on every job. (In the “second round” we will make an entire set of ‘Design Drawings’ too…)\
– Create some Views. There are some Views you are just ALWAYS going to have, right? Floor Plan- First Floor. RCP- First Floor. Finish Plan- First Floor. Elevations (Exterior)
Start with a project file.
The nice thing about this workflow is you may already have your sheets set up, view templates, and your view browser dialed in. The downside is there will be a fair amount of clean up removing all elements of your project file leaving it an empty for the next project to start from.
If the file has work sharing enabled and a central file created, you will have to begin by detaching it from central.
You have to “Detach and discard worksets”. This process essentially disables worksharing and allows you to save-as a Revit template
Save-As Template. Please note this feature would not be available if you did not complete the above “Detach and discard worksets”.
Configure Revit Template Options
Once you have created your template you will want to configure your office’s machines to look at the Revit template. You will do this by going to all the user’s machines in the office and setting it in options.
You can hit the “+” symbol and navigate to your newly created Revit template.
You can remove the other templates that are not necessary by hitting the “-” symbol.
*This is also a good opportunity to set the location for where you want your local files saved. Decide where your content will live. On the office network, somewhere all Revit users can access. Do this first. Make the directory. Keep your “Office Content” separate from the Autodesk content. It will help you year to year.
Hit “OK”.
This will ensure that when you start a new project that your template will show by default.
View Templates
View Templates are imperative for any Revit template. We can’t survive in Revit without View Templates. A view template is a collection of view properties, such as view scale, discipline, detail level, and visibility settings controlled globally in your project. In short, view templates create consistency and efficiency for your project.
Go through and pick the scale, visibility settings, etc. that you want for your view template. One little subtle check box that either people don’t know exist, or they know it exists, but it confuses them from time to time is the “Include” column. The “Include” column unchecked will NOT apply the settings for that particular row. Why would you want that? For example, let say that you have an overall plan at 1/32″=1′-0″ and a typical floor plan 1/8″=1′-0″, and you want them to have the same visibility settings with the exception of the scale. Simply uncheck the “Include” checkbox for scale, and you can have ALL the same visibility settings in your view template with the exception of the scale.
Want to take your efficiency to another level? Set your type properties for your views, and every new view you create will automatically have the desired view template applied to it!
Research Filters help you separate them by group. You can select things by criterion, to either remove them from a view (uncheck visibility) or alter them. We have about 20 that are in every view, by default. Interior Finish Walls, Exterior Finish Walls, Building Sections, Wall Sections, (since annotations > sections grabs them all at once), demo sections (here is how you turn them off at once), Grids- Major, Grids Minor, Not in Contract, For Reference Only, Door Panels, Door Frames (if you nest them, and want to turn them off for Tag All Not Tagged). If you can put data in it, you can Filter for it.
Resource Files
A lot of firms want to know if they should have a “heavy template” or a “Light Template”. I’m more of a light template guy augmented with resource files. What’s a resource file or a container file? A resource file is a Revit project file that holds information that you would like to copy/paste into your project. For example, you may not want to load your entire casework library into your Revit template, but you could put it into a separate Revit project file, and copy/paste it in.
The other nice thing about Resource files is that they are visual. You are no longer “double clicking your life away” as I like to say, hunting and pecking through endless rows of folders. Rather you can see your content visually and simply copy/paste it into your project.
Another great example of this is general building details. You don’t necessarily want to bring any and every detail into your template. If you do this, all the detail components reside in your template making your template larger than it needs to be. A better approach is to create a general building details resource file and use the insert view from file command to bring specific details into your project on an as-needed basis.
All BIM guidelines in the world include 4 major parts:
– Project Execution Plan (PEP)
– Modeling Methodology (MM)
– Levels of Detail (LODs)
– BIM protocol and information organization (P&O)
Until 2015 in the USA, some independent departments of states published 47 BIM guidelines, standards to implement BIM efficiently, in which 17 were published by the government office and 30 were published by non-profit organizations. General Services Administration (GSA) plans to publish 8 BIM independent instructions.
They have published 6 instructions during 2007 to 2011 and a further 2 instructions are to be published. National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) published 2 BIM standard versions and prepared to publish the 3rd. In addition, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Association of General Contractors (AGC), universities, states and cities also published their BIM guidelines and standards. In which, publishers of Pennsylvania state university and the Association of contractors have covered all 4 major parts mentioned above. However a number of BIM guidelines developed do not cover all the 4 major parts well, i.e. the Level of Details (LOD’s).
Today in Europe there are over 34 BIM instructions and standards, in which, 18 have been published in United Kingdom by Construction Industry Council (CIC), BIM Task Group, British Standards Institution (BSI), AEC-UK, 6 have been published in Norway by Statsbygg – a government department and Norway Association of construction. There are BIM guidelines developed in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, where the BIM application instructions are set out for buildings, infrastructure and bridges. It is noteable that almost all publishers in Europe lacks 2 parts: PEP and LODs. Only the BIM specification of AEC-UK covers all of the 4 parts.
In Asia, there are over 35 BIM protocols, in which, 12 were published by Singapore Building Construction Authority (BCA) and other government departments. Others BIM protocols have been published in Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
These are similar to Europe in that all lack 2 parts: PEP and LODs. Only version 2 of BCS has covered the full 4 parts. This clearly shows that the countries in the world, which have applied BIM, published several BIM instructions and standards are focusing the requirements to their industry adoption. However in my opinion we need a recognised more rounded, regional or international BIM guideline, standard, specification to get more adoption and benefits for the wider BIM community.
In this latest release of InfraWorks, you are now able to make changes to GIS data that was imported from ArcGIS Online and Enterprise. With proper permissions to ArcGIS, those changes made in InfraWorks can be saved back to the ArcGIS Feature Service. For example, you may have brought sanitary sewer manhole and pipe data from ArcGIS into InfraWorks. Within your InfraWorks model, you may wish to change the location of that manhole and pipe location to meet your design requirements. Once you make that change, you simply select the data source from ArcGIS Online and select to ‘save back’ to save those changes back to ArcGIS. Now in ArcGIS Online, we simply refresh the web browser and the new locations of the manhole and pipe are shown.
Enhanced control of design manipulations
Extended Schema Tool
In order to meet BIM requirements, an aggregated model with deep metadata is often required and the schema tool helps simplify the process of managing this data. The new release of InfraWorks allows users to add new properties and information to the elements of their project. Customize data for objects in a model through the extended schema transfer tool. The data can be expanded with multiple fields and each element can be documented as needed. The schema tool can be applied to buildings, parcels, roadways, utilities, and a host of other InfraWorks elements.
Cut and Fill Display
InfraWorks now allows the user to control the cut and fill display on roads. Selecting the material display in the grading option, allows the user to specify the color or material by the impact, cut or fill. Clearly view impacted areas and make design revisions as needed. This feature will greatly help to enhance roadway and concept layouts within InfraWorks.
Spreadsheet-based edits
It is now possible to make adjustments to bridge structures using a convenient spreadsheet technique. The structure parameters are saved to a spreadsheet where multiple edits can be made to multiple areas of the structure at one time. These changes are then saved back into the spreadsheet and the structure model can then be updated. This method of making multiple changes across is particularly efficient for customers working on large bridge projects where changes in many areas of the structure may be required.
