Building Information Modeling (BIM) uses intelligent 3D models to coordinate design, construction, and project information. In the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry, BIM improves collaboration, reduces conflicts, and helps teams deliver accurate, efficient projects.
PCS is a fluent user of BIM technology: the firm started using Revit Structure 3.0 in 2006, formally adopting it as the standard working platform in 2011.
BIM and Collaboration
The BIM team has a critical role in tackling project inefficiencies and cementing partnerships among project teams. Collaboration gives partners the best opportunity to impact cost and collectively tackle goals. Owners are selecting highly effective communicators, understanding they get the best value from a team that performs well together.
BIM facilitates effective workflow, enabling rapid information sharing among multiple team members. “The key for our team is to minimize downtime in the field, so identifying and resolving clashes before construction begins is another one of our team’s main priorities,” explains Dan Horne, director of BIM at PCS Structural Solutions. “We set our standards very high as a BIM team to make sure we are producing high-quality structural models as well as top-notch contract documents.”
“Client service is extremely vital for PCS’s success,” says Horne. “We are invested in the quality of work we do as well as in our client relationships. We want to be easy to work with, build relationships with our clients on a personal level, and provide exceptional service and deliverables to all team members. We share a lot of work between offices every day, so it is critical for our team to conform to PCS standards.”
What Makes an Astute BIM Tech and a Great BIM Team?
A strong BIM tech brings creative thinking, adapts with ease, and continually pushes their skills at every career level. They are proactive, communicative, and help the whole design team find and resolve clash and design issues as soon as they are discovered. They are always ready to respond to challenges.
A great BIM team is a group of individuals who share expert knowledge with each team member to strengthen everyone’s skill set. “We see ourselves as a BIM library and are constantly adapting to make improvements to our processes internally as a group. Some of our most experienced BIM techs have so much knowledge to share, not just with the BIM team, but also with the engineering team,” continues Horne. “If we don’t share experience and knowledge, it is detrimental to the overall strength of the group and firm.”
Where Are We Seeing BIM Impact?
- Healthcare campus modeling. Hospital campus models map existing infrastructure and guide integration of new construction and renovations. The team identifies design conflicts with existing structures early, allowing the whole team to address them before reacting in the field. This impacts coordination of site shoring and design element integration with existing structures. Facility directors have immediate access to virtual 3D campuses instead of digging through archive files and drawings. The models are valuable in resiliency planning and can aid emergency response and seismic assessments.
- Material takeoffs/quantities. These can be simple or complex depending on the project. The BIM team can break materials into categories, such as material grades for steel columns/beams. This allows the design team to follow the budget more precisely. Material quantities are also used for carbon footprint evaluations, measuring embodied carbon in the project’s parts and labor. The models then serve as the owner’s records.
- Implementation of prefabricated systems. PCS’s BIM team has worked with multiple contractors and subcontractors to produce drawings and models of prefabricated wall panels using both metal stud and wood construction. The information allows subcontractors to mobilize early in construction and stay ahead of schedule. This strategy has resulted in significant cost savings and value to projects. PCS has freed up budget for project enhancements from prefabrication schedule savings.
- Support multi-trade shop drawing coordination deliverables.The BIM team talks directly with subcontractors to produce and coordinate trade-specific coordination drawings and models. This reduces the overall trade labor cost by minimizing downtime in the field.
- Point cloud/laser scanning utilization. Laser scanning creates a three-dimensional record of existing conditions, giving the team access to information that would otherwise be time-consuming or nearly impossible to capture. Creating the model from a point cloud is more efficient when existing documentation doesn’t exist and tape-measure as-built work alone isn’t sufficient. The BIM team uses models generated from 3D scanning to map existing buildings, which are then used to refine seismic bracing or other systems that fit within the existing space.
BIM for the Future
“We want to make sure we’re staying on the front edge of our industry. We adapt appropriately to our clients’ needs and industry changes,” says Horne. “Continual training for our team is absolutely vital to our growth and success.”
The industry has transitioned heavily to Autodesk Forma, a cloud-based platform, because of its flexibility. It integrates design team models, contract documents, and correspondence into one location instead of hosting them on individual firm networks. Owners, contractors, and design teams can access published documents and models on demand, eliminating wait times for information that is exchanged by each discipline from individual file sharing systems. PCS has fully integrated Autodesk Forma into its internal processes.
The design team can use this flexible platform in many ways and customize it for each project. For example, some projects require live-linking, which allows each team member to see instantaneous changes once published between disciplines. Clash detection can also be managed on this platform, allowing the whole team to address clashes and issues before construction begins or the contractor gets involved.
Looking ahead, the BIM team expects a shift in how deliverables are submitted to and reviewed by building departments. In the future, teams may submit models alongside contract documents to support the review process. This would give reviewers the ability to navigate the building model and better understand the project’s systems at a higher level.
It’s clear that BIM has given traction to the collaborative work model in the AEC industry. What’s exciting is discovering its agility at work under tremendous social and environmental pressure, and its ability to drive connection and propel project success.