Excitech experience issue 2

CPD certified articles inside

EXPERIENCE an Excitech Professional Services publication - ISSUE 2

BIM IN CONSTRUCTION FOCUS: Part 1

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE SNIPPETS, COBie .... and MORE!

OPINION

David Philp from the “BIM Implementation Task Group”

Copyright © 1985 - 2012 Excitech Ltd

CASE STUDY Capita Symonds

COMMENT.

ABOUT EXCITECH Excitech are UK leaders in “technology for design”; in thought, delivery, service and support particularly for the built environment.

Leadership Excitech has led innovation in the development of processes and technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) before the term was coined, delivering benefits in world leading projects. Our technology forums, user groups, seminars and web meetings share ideas, knowledge, expertise and experience with and between our customers.

Welcome to this second edition of Excitech Experience, and thank you to all those who contacted us to comment on the first issue and make suggestions for future content. We hope this issue will receive the same warm reception.

Once again our featured topic is BIM, which makes you wonder whether it is possible to mention design for the built environment without referring to BIM. However, the adoption of BIM continues apace, as more and more see the benefits it can bring.

Our focus in this issue is the use of BIM by construction companies: main contractors and subcontractors. The need for them to adopt BIM has grown rapidly from client demand (not least government projects), the opportunity to use BIM data from the design phase, and the advantages of using BIM for construction planning and management becoming clearer.

While some construction companies have been exploring and using BIM processes to a greater or lesser extent for some years, the current growth in this area is dramatic. Excitech has been working closely with a number of construction companies on particular projects, supporting different aspects or project stages as required and delivering additional services or software as needed.

The UK Government’s requirement as a client is bringing greater focus to the desired outcomes of a building project and adding deadlines which helps to focus the collective minds of the industry. We are grateful to David Philp of the BIM Implementation Task Group for his opinion piece which certainly acts as a “call to arms” for any remaining sceptics.

It is the recognition of this knowledge, expertise and partnering, including Autodesk Consulting Specialisation, that sets apart our industry expertise and customer care.

Solutions that Deliver Our focus is not just on delivering complete solutions but, with our professional services teams, supporting our customers through to seeing a real return on their investment.

From initial consultancy and bid support, to understanding and developing our clients’ requirements and opportunities, we work closely with them to provide the consultancy, systems, implementation services, training and support.

Project and Building Lifecycles Excitech is unique in its knowledge of the whole building lifecycle; from review and planning through design to construction and on into facilities/asset management. Our expertise extends to the essential aspects of design data management through each stage of the project and asset lifecycle.

Quality and Reputation Excitech achieves high standards and is certified to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and Tick-IT for software development.

From a headquarters north of London we support customers, large and small, across the UK as well as global organisations across Europe, the US, the Middle East and beyond.

Excitech is independent of major software suppliers but has high levels of technical accreditation from leaders in each field including Archibus, Autodesk, HP and Microsoft

Finally, if you wish to comment on these articles please continue to do so via info@excitech.co.uk

Bob Garrett Editor

Excitech HQ, Enfield

Front cover image: Birmingham City University, Birmingham Institute of Art & Design under Construction; image courtesy of Birmingham City University and Willmot Dixon.

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COMMENT

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CONTENTS. 3

News from around the industry.

5

In this article David Philp from the “BIM Implementation Task Group” gives his opinion on BIM in Construction.

7 11

15 18

22 25

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SNIPPETS

OPINION: DAVID PHILP

Not JUST A TREND! In this article, Excitech’s Marketing Director, Bob Garrett, looks at why BIM for Construction is now the hot topic, and how Excitech sees the opportunities for its widespread adoption through the benefits it can bring.

BIM FOR CONSTRUCTION Building Information Modelling (BIM) is proving to be a great process in delivering information rich, fully co-ordinated design projects. However, once the design work has finished, will the contractor benefit from reusing this information or will they just be provided with traditional 2D drawing information?

COBIE COBie is seen as the way to deliver project asset data to the client; and this article shows how it is another piece of the BIM jigsaw.

BIM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE With the directive from the UK Government for all public projects to be delivered using BIM methodologies by 2016, there has been a drive within design consultancies to understand more fully the concepts and implications of implementing BIM for infrastructure projects.

The devil’s in the deTAIL - Structural Detailing Benefits and processes of using AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2012

case study: Capita Symonds Capita Symonds explains how it manages its emails and other documents with Communico Docs, the new email and document management solution from Excitech.

Architecture

Consultancy

manufacturing and Fabrication

Building Services

Design Data Management

process, Plant and Energy

Civil Engineering

Facilities Management

Structural Engineering

CONSTRUCTION

GIS

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CONTENTS

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SNIPPETS. White Frog courseware to support Excitech’s Revit skills modules

Email and Document Management for Projects in SharePoint

In partnership with White Frog Publishing, Excitech have acquired the rights to provide their courseware modules for the latest versions of Revit Architecture, Structure and MEP. This material supports a range of specific skills development modules across key areas and is aligned with the AEC(UK) Standards for Revit.

A common problem when design teams are working on projects is the poor management of emails and other documents. They are often stored (and duplicated) in personal email systems, are confused as to which is the latest version and are can be difficult to find and retrieve which can waste time and even cause legal issues if they are contractual.

In addition to options for teaching new Revit users the essentials skills across all disciplines, Excitech provide a series of popular modular sessions that focus on key areas, such as conceptual design, content creation, workset management and project collaboration. The use of this material will provide additional supporting exercises as well as a key reference for delegates after each session.

Communico Docs, from Excitech, builds upon the capabilities of Microsoft SharePoint to simplify email and document storage. Furthermore, it works within Outlook and via your desktop so users can simply drag-and-drop emails, drawings, attachments and other file types straight into structured libraries that can be shared with the whole team – even when away from the office.

For larger organisations, Excitech can also facilitate corporate licenses that will provide electronic access to this material, that will support employee development and allow faster mobilisation of Excitech’s professionally delivered skills development sessions.

Find out how Capita Symonds implemented Communico Docs with our Case Study on page 25.

For more information see Excitech’s Revit Training pages: http://www.excitech.co.uk/xp2a

Excitech’s IT Managers Forum

Autodesk 2013 Product Launch

Excitech recently held their 8th IT Managers’ Forum, a regular event which allows IT Managers and decision makers to get together and discuss IT networking, security and management issues, while discovering more about topical issues.

With the theme “Lead the Way”, Autodesk have launched 2013 releases of their software portfolio. With particular focus on Building Information Modelling, Digital Prototyping, Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Entertainment Creation they have released new versions of many applications with new features and updated the content of many Design and Creation Suites. An increased focus is also being placed on cloud-based services for data storage, collaboration , processing and analysis particularly as part of Autodesk Subscription.

The forum is becoming increasingly popular, with many regular attendees as well as new faces. The topics discussed this year included email & document management, data back-up and disaster recovery, and virtualisation of software with Citrix. Attendees are also able to input their own topics within the open-forum – a section where attendees swap knowledge, discuss advantages and disadvantages of IT operations and future technology.

If you would be interested in attending future IT events or would like more information please contact your account manager or email alex.dewar@excitech.co.uk

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NEWS

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Autodesk solutions for Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Prototyping, Product Lifecyle Management (PLM) and Digital Entertainment Creation can help you to gain greater production efficiencies, save time, stay within budget and solve even the most complex production challenges.

Autodesk’s newly enhanced Design Suites let you design, visualise, simulate and innovate, helping you to win new business and achieve better results in every phase of the project lifecycle. Plus, with Autodesk 360 cloud-based services, you can extend your workflow well beyond the desktop, so you can work faster and smarter from anywhere.

Copyright © 1985 - 2012 Excitech Ltd

Synchro V4.5 Synchro is proving to be a class leader in the generation of construction sequence models and at the 2011 Construction Computing awards Synchro was awarded the “One to Watch” Company for 2012. This has been evident in the recent release of Synchro Professional version 4.5, which offers several new tools to enhance the generation of 4D construction models and synchronising 3D models to project scheduling.

Autodesk Forecast: Cloudy!

With the release of Autodesk 2013 products it has also announced future plans and further services for Autodesk Subscription customers delivered from “Autodesk 360” – a cloud computing platform offering virtually infinite computing power. Services, depending on the Autodesk product under subscription, will include: online data storage and sharing; web and mobile viewing, editing and mark-up; visualization rendering; energy analysis; design optimization and simulation.

Storage capacity has been increased and later this year it will be possible to purchase extra computing capacity for those who find they have used the resources provided as part of the subscription contract. It will also be possible for Subscription contract managers to review how much resource has been consumed by their organisation to ensure the service is being taken advantage of and to obtain extra capacity should it be needed.

The new release offers enhanced system integration with support for 64bit Google Sketchup, Solidworks, Catia, Pro/E, ACIS and Parasolid, and for planning tools such as Microsoft Project 2010 and Primavera P6 R8.2. Significant development has gone into the 3D Path Planning and the animation of building elements to reflect a more realistic visual of the on-site construction activities. The user interface has a more of a look and feel of Office 2010 and we can now use the find 3D model elements and the find tasks dialogs simultaneously. The Gantt chart graphics have been improved and we now have the ability to import/export Gantt layouts.

There are many more features in the 4.5 release and with all the other existing great features of Synchro it will continue to be the tool to go for when producing construction sequence models.

ARTRA BIM for construction and building lifecycle management is currently a hot topic and ArtrA is a solution that will help deliver Design, Construction, manufacturing and as-built information over to the building owner.

Reducing the need for conventional O&M manuals and aiding the soft landing process ArtrA will link all the BIM collated information from various application with the as-built fully co-ordinated BIM model.

Collecting as-built information on site is key to any project delivery, ArtrA allows you to link this data captured directly to the BIM model live while out on site. Previously only available on a tablet Toughbook PC, ArtrA is now available on the Apple Ipad platform.

Linking photographic as-built data and even laser scanning point cloud data to actual room spaces will provide 100% accurate asconstructed data for lifetime records.

Archibus Version 20.1 ARCHIBUS Version 20.1 is the latest version of the leading worldwide facilities management solution, which introduces improved functionality and new product options.

•

New Web Central core features including web-based redlining integrated into Service Desk requests Existing application enhancements such as workplace transaction functionality and enhanced global feature set New Smart Client features including ARCHIBUS Smart Client Extension for Revit New ARCHIBUS applications including Clean Building, Waste Management plus more

• • •

With ARCHIBUS, organisations can use a single, comprehensive, integrated solution to make informed strategic decisions that optimize Return On Investment (ROI), lower asset lifecycle costs, and increase enterprise-wide productivity and profitability. Today, more than 4,000,000 ARCHIBUS users collectively manage over 5,000,000 properties around the globe. Available in over 130 countries and more than two dozen languages, ARCHIBUS is supported through a global network of over 1,600 Business Partners.

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NEWS

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Autodesk Previews a new way to Access to Buzzsaw Those of you using the latest internet browsers can now gain access to Autodesk’s new interface to Buzzsaw, “Autodesk 360 Access” (still being badged as a preview release).

Users accessing their Buzssaw site through this new interface will be able to view dwfs of files uploaded to the site. These dwf files are created automatically within Buzzsaw and allow viewing of these files without the need for design software being installed.

Even better news is that when a Revit file is uploaded, Buzzsaw will create a dwf file of every view and sheet contained in the file and present them in a project browser type manner. If you use the right browser you can even view 3D dwf files and select to view them interactively. This could offer huge potential when collaborating on projects, allowing all parties to view the latest Revit model without any software being required and without the design team having to output each view and sheet for publishing to Buzzsaw.

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Overall our BIM hypothesis is simple: that significant improvement in cost, value and carbon performance can be achieved through the use of open sharable asset information.

With the BIM Task Group having completed the draft of the standard data set “COBie UK 2012” (this will be the main BIM deliverable together with the native model files and the 2D PDFs), along with the how, PAS1992-2 which is out for consultation, we are well on our way to having tools to support the programme.

The boat is well and truly being rocked. The traditional conventions of the construction industry are being truly tested: to be more efficient, deliver better value for money alongside the carbon transition agenda. In order to give industry a nudge in the right direction the Government Construction Strategy set out the requirement for Building information Modelling (BIM) to be mandated on all UK Government projects by 2016.

As we begin this journey with the MOJ, getting hands dirty and testing the hypothesis, there will be stormy seas, most likely cultural and some no doubt technological (the vendors are listening and engaging via the BIM Technology Alliance).

We will measure, learn lessons, modify and repeat the good bits and refine the process as we go, making it consistent and simple. As we ascend the Level 2 BIM maturity wedge the prizes attainable and value proposition (already axiomatic) will grow.

2016 is a few years off so no rush and anyway it’s only for large new build projects? Well no to both. The first Department has already entered the ring, with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) beginning procurement of four BIM exemplar projects this month including a 180-cell prison extension and a court scheme. We will also be looking to other departments to pilot refurbishment projects and linear projects, of all sizes.

Scalability is principal to our programme success and it needs to be agile enough that everyone in the supply chain can play a valuable part, from product manufacturer, designer, main contractor and importantly the asset operator. We will be helping engage these players and SMEs to deliver a consistent message at a local level with our soon to be established Regional BIM hubs.

Departmental engagement is progressing well and the workshops (so successful with the MOJ) will be expanded out as cross departmental BIM surgeries to help speed up the process.

Whilst Government is pulling, the supply chain needs to stop putting off until tomorrow and start to implement BIM consistently, to unlock more efficient and collaborative ways of working. And this is beginning to happen; the annual BIM survey from NBS found that 31% of professionals are now using BIM compared with 13% in 2010, with three quarters of those aware of BIM predicting they will be using it in 2012.

So if you haven’t already done so it is time to set sail.

Level 2 Building Information Modelling Workflow Overview (Draft) FM/ SLi2

Team Selection: BIM Criteria

Competency Assessment & BEP validation / approval (PIX protocol?)

* Model governance * Standards Delivery Team * Collaborative working Methodology * Lean * Safe by design

Task Group BIM Standards, Protocols & Guidance

FM BEP Design Team BEPs

Contractor BEP

COBie UK 2012 Templates & Protocols

FM/ SLi

PAS1192 Parts 2&3

Facilities Management Soft Landings Intervention Points

Start / Finish FM/ SLi1

Domain Specific BIM Execution Plans

Clients BIM

“Project Implementation Plan”

* Project Brief * Specification * FM Strategy * Usage Strategy * Success Metrics * Data requirements

Feedback Loop to Drop 1 (Including social data)

Points Of Reference

BIM

“Use Cases” identified

Question Sets to be Answered

Briefing For Better Outcomes

Q4

Q3

Q2

Q1

Level of Definition Post occupancy validation

As-Mainatin Baseline Models

As-Built Models

WIP

WIP

Aggregated BIM Execution & Data Management Plan

Strategic Data (HMT requirements)

“as-is” Data e.g. point cloud / site analysis data

WIP

OPINION. DAVID PHILP

In this article David Philp from the “BIM Implementation Task Group” gives his opinion on BIM in Construction. The BIM Task Group was set up to help deliver objectives for the reform of the industry identified in the Government Construction Strategy. The Groups bring together expertise from industry, government, public sector and academia.

Model Outcomes

FM/ SLi3

Asset & Dept Portfolio Management Planned Preventative Maintenance / Whole Life cost

“As-Maintained” Model Management Data Bus bar (Data Management)

Data Drops

D2

D1

D4

D3

D5

nD

nD

nD

nD

tU

Clien

COBie Data Migration to Client Asset Management Platform

Feedback loop to drop 4

FM nique

data

CapEx COBie Data Gateway Reviews

Client Unique FM data Operational COBie Data

Asset - Business case validation FM/ SLi5

FM/ SLi4 Project Lifecycle

In-use Asset Data Set

Preperation

Design

FM/ SLi6 Preconstruction

FM/ SLi7 Construction

FM Aftercare Gateway Reviews

Operational use

Copyright Bew/Philp Feb2012 (Unrestricted)

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NOT JUST A TREND!

In this article, Excitech’s Marketing Director, Bob Garrett, looks at why BIM for Construction is now the hot topic, and how Excitech sees the opportunities for its widespread adoption through the benefits it can bring.

ADOPTION

Building Information Modelling is the “trending” topic in the construction industry. In conferences, seminars, exhibitions, magazine articles, white papers and advertising, it has become difficult to find a construction industry related item which does not mention BIM somewhere – and often its difficult to miss because it’s in the title! You could almost be forgiven for thinking that BIM is new. What has happened though is a period of rapid adoption driven by a number of factors; with each factor further reinforcing the others to further accelerate the growth. The current area where the use of BIM is growing fastest in percentage terms is the actual construction stage – the use of BIM by contractors, design/build organisations, and the contracting supply chain.

TIME

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Just Part of the Process Typically, BIM is considered as being a design task to be undertaken by architects and engineers. After all, something new is being designed and the “model”, the digital representation, which is produced comes from the designer. So it is paradoxical that the first BIM project that Excitech was involved in was really driven from the other end – from a facilities or asset management perspective. The future building owner wanted, among other things, a clear asset register coming from the design and construction project – and the solution was BIM, even if that acronym did not exist back in 1997.

That BIM is seen as either a design task or a way to populate an asset register highlights the potential discontinuity of BIM in many projects, and where much of the industry may be missing out. BIM is now widely used in construction project design producing highly detailed 3D models, drawings, visualisations and schedules. Yet much of this invaluable design data is ignored by the organisations then tasked with the construction planning and work. The ultimate owner/operator of the facility has worked closely with the designers (especially the architects), has seen impressive digital representations of what his new building will look like maybe down to an astonishing level of detail, but on handover he either gets very basic “as built” documentation or detailed but incorrect or incomplete information from the designersarchitect. This means he then has to spend large sums surveying his new building to produce facilities management information for space management, building operations etc.

Building Products

Architecture/ Engineering

Fabrication/ Construction

partnerships/consultants. Looking back, it has to be said it seems to have been mainly architects taking uch intiatives. However, is that because they had most to gain, or was it the fault of the vendors, ourselves included?

Modelling was done in 3D, and 3D design had always had the connotation of being for visualisation use, which was reinforced by vendors attracted to the use of ostentatious images in marketing materials (mea culpa!). So architects were the fastest growing users of what became known as BIM. The challenge for many though was the need for project partners to adopt appropriate technologies and processes both across the project in different disciplines and through the project in its various stages. In some areas the benefits were not as great, so the attraction was less. Today though, it is clear that the tools are there; the data interfaces between every component may not be perfect but will be better than manual recreation of that data.

The scene is set for continued improvement and dramatic changes in construction projects from end to end, but particularly in construction.

Operations/ Management

To use BIM in the construction phase is logical and will bring benefits for all; though as in the other areas, it will rquire significant change in processes and an initial investment for the ultimate advantages it will provide.

Excitech’s consultants come from a wide variety of backgrounds and we are fortunate having both expertise and experience in all the relevant areas: manufacturing for building components, architectural and engineering design, construction, and facilities/asset management. These groups have been working together for some time understanding and advancing how BIM connects the whole process. These processes and practices, as well as their supporting technologies and standards, continue to evolve and our consultants know that all the answers don’t yet exist, but they certainly know what the questions are. BIM is a fast developing field and as everyone says, “BIM is a process not a product”, but it’s not even yet one process; each company and each project will be different and the processes and tools are not yet generic so systems must be tailored to particular needs.

Single Model Environment Excitech Design Productivity Journal 2001

From Early Projects Excitech’s involvement in “building design data” as a different technique can be tracked back to at least the mid-1990s when, together with a number of major customers, it was working to bring together data from a number of sources including GIS systems and CAD building information.

This was developed as a “Proof of Concept” prior to the introduction of new processes for a major project – Heathrow Terminal 5 and was developed to the Single Model Environment. This approach was adapted over the years of the project through experience, across a number of software platforms

by Excitech’s consultants working full time on the project, and in liaison with the other framework partners.

However, T5 was not the only early project using a model approach, Excitech worked on many others of different types and sizes with different project partners taking the lead: sometimes clients, sometimes construction companies and sometimes architects or engineering

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Single Model Environment Excitech Design Productivity Journal 2004

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Data Management

Complete Solutions

The very essence of BIM is moving away from drawings to a model; a model which contains more information than a graphical representation of an object. In BIM, an object could/should contain a wealth of data which might include shape and size; type of object; colour and weight; manufacturer, part number, serial number; performance; cost of object and fitting; maintenance data, fitting/installation date; and potentially more.

Based upon this information the drawings, bills of materials, construction schedules, visualisations, fabrication instructions, overall costs etc. would all be created and updated. So a whole set of tasks traditionally handled independently by architects, engineers, construction companies, and even clients such as drawing management, costing and scheduling, construction management in all its forms, etc. suddenly become interelated data management tasks. Document control, publication, co-ordination, collaboration, RFI, etc. become data management tasks. This can bring significant advantages; but again significant changes to working practices are needed. As in BIM generally, the tools (especially in software) that support changes in processes are under constant development; with different tools for different requirements. Adopting these together with BIM may appear to make the changes more dramatic, but the advantages will be greater still.

As already stated, BIM is a process not a software package. In fact I’d go even further; a single software package to do BIM would probably be impossible and certainly impractical. Different stages, different users, different projects all have different requirements so if everything for everyone was all in one package to support the BIM process it would be totally unwieldy. We have used the term “tool” to support BIM and that is a particularly apt term. To “do BIM” a set of tools is probably required – even if you only work in one area of the project. You may get many of these tools from one supplier or you may not. Like any building project, the key is to ensure all the parties can work together and that the method of working together is agreed.

In the projects Excitech supports we will be supporting processes that our consultants will have helped develop and implement with the project team. These may include software tools we can and have provided but may also include other software, often that we have worked with before but see no current need for us to also resell.

Benefits Today – Vision of Tomorrow In the same way that Excitech’s involvement in Facilities Management has aided our understanding of BIM’s ultimate customer’s needs, our experience in design data management aids our understanding and support for BIM data management. Again though there are no single point solutions applicable to all; each organisation, each project and each process phase may require different (or no) solution. What is common is to ensure a rigourous process is developed and implemented – and where appropriate tools to support this process are rolled out and used.

As standards for the sharing, transfer and publication of project data are established and adopted more widely then this area will also become easier to manage and bring still more benefits. Much work is being done here but as is so often the case, vendor-specific solutions compete with standards defined within the industry.

However, whichever standards are used they are likely to evolve over time so there is no excuse for delaying and waiting – you would wait for ever while others get an advantage.

There is not doubt that BIM is bringing increasing benefits to construction projects. Different projects are producing different benefits at different stages to different types of organisation. This perhaps highlights the current common state of BIM use: in most projects it remains at worst fragmented and at best complete for some participants. That it is producing benefits in the form of risk reduction, efficiency, time and cost is difficult to ignore. BIM has also become a requirement in so many project competitions, and a differentiator for the rest. The greatest benefts will come when it is used thoughout the project so that data really is built upon for the benefit of all - right through to the client; which is why the government is both helping itself by dictating its future use for its projects and helping the industry by setting some standards and protocols.

The greatest opportunity for improving construction projects is where this phase embraces the BIM process and continues to capture and reuse the design data already generated at earlier stages. Excitech’s recent involvement with several customers in the construction/contractor environment has confirmed this.

AUTHOR Bob Garrett Marketing Director bob.garrett@excitech.co.uk

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R O F N O I M T I B STRUC N O C

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Building Information Modelling (BIM) is proving to be a great process in delivering information-rich, fully coordinated design projects. But once the design work has finished, will the contractor benefit from reusing this information or will they just be provided with traditional 2D drawing information?

AUTHOR Steve Rudge Consultant steve.rudge@excitech.co.uk

More often than not, 2D drawings and schedules in electronic PDF format will be all that is delivered; this means that the contractor, and ultimately the client, do not benefit from the implementation of a BIM process on a project.

The BIM process can bring benefits to all the stages of a project, and this article aims to highlight these areas. In particular, this will look at why we should be driving to use BIM from the concept scheme design phase, during the project planning and bid stage, and ultimately right the way through to the handover and management of the building for years to come.

The Benefits Although the strategy to phase in the requirement for BIM on all public projects between 2012 and 2016 (outlined in the Government’s Construction Strategy in May 2011) has undoubtedly had a catalysing effect in mobilising previously inert sections of the industry, many more are being driven to find better ways of working by the harsh realities of the current economic climate.

Contractors are now beginning to focus on the benefits BIM will deliver across a number of key areas at each stage of the construction process. The stages this document is going to focus on are: • • • •

Project bids Pre-construction On site construction Handover

When a contractor is implementing BIM, they are looking to drive efficiencies through the supply chain - whilst decreasing overall construction cost and timescales; and ultimately improving the value being delivered to the industry’s clients.

In general, some of the key advantages of a BIM process in these four stages are as follows: • • • • • • • • • • •

Improved communication and collaboration among project participants Enhanced project execution and decision-making More accurate planning and scheduling Higher quality construction results Greater process standardisation More consistent performance against projected budgets Notably reduced change orders and RFIs Understanding of construction environment through visualisation Cross-discipline co-ordination / virtual issue resolution Clash detection Faster pre-fabrication of materials

To ensure BIM information is effective for construction, the way in which the BIM models are generated will need to change. Elements such as columns and floor slabs should be placed in the model with constructability in mind.

So floor slabs should be divided to establish the actual pour sequence, and steel columns should be put into the model to show the actual length of sections delivered on site. Applications such as Synchro, which could be used for construction sequencing, will actually allow the division of the BIM model elements to aid this process outside of the BIM design application.

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PROJECT BIDS

PRECONSTRUCTION Bid Submission Content

Construction Sequencing Initial Quantification and Cost Estimation

Architectural Model(s)

Cost Estimate

Architectural Model(s)

Cost & Resource Management Structural Model(s)

Design Model Review

Initial Construction Planning & Sequence Evaluation

Animated Construction Sequence

Bid Presentation Content: Visualisation

Scheme Visualisation

Structural Model(s)

Collaboration Portal

Design Model Review & Validation

Quantity and Material Take-Off MEP Model(s)

MEP Model(s)

Clash Detection & Management

Some of the most immediate and obvious advantages of the BIM process should be realised during the initial bid stage – where costs need to be limited due to the speculative nature of this endeavour, yet the quality of communication is critical in highlighting the strength of the design response.

The benefits come from the ability to not only obtain cost estimates in a fraction of the time, but also produce these with greater confidence by harnessing automated material take-offs from the model. Additionally, these models facilitate rapid design visualisation for both the simulation of the construction sequence and for high quality photo-realistic presentation graphics. This could highlight areas that may be overlooked when just traditional 2D information is reviewed.

Since the cost submitted as part of any bid will have such a major influence on the outcome, the benefits of using BIM are significant. The ability to collate the initial design models from the consultants will facilitate rapid quantification to reduce the time required by the estimators and reduce the risk of errors associated with the manual take-off process. By linking quantity take-off to material costs, the estimating team will be able to produce a more accurate evaluation and have increased confidence in the costs submitted.

Further costs savings can be realised through the early use of BIM-enabled planning solutions to compare alternative construction sequences, and as such has the potential to both accelerate the programme and reduce the usual level of waste.

The typical selection process relies heavily on the impact of visual communication and this can have a profound effect on those tasked with choosing the successful delivery team.

Although traditionally perceived as a costly luxury, the use of BIM enables any organisation to produce quality visualisation for simulated construction through to fully immersive presentation quality images and animations.

The construction process and increased co-ordination will all be visually highlighted earlier in the project deliverables. Virtual construction models will aid in co-ordination and ultimately enable more accurate quantity take off.

So the bid stage can be enhanced through BIM processes whether the BIM is a pre-requisite for the project (as increasingly this is the case), as a way to present a better bid, or simply as a way to highlight better processes and added ‘differentiation’ rather than simply focussing on price.

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The preconstruction area is where the contractor can have elevated benefits. At this stage we can actually build the building virtually; highlighting areas of concern, component co-ordination, on-site coordination, access routes, lay down areas, and general day-to-day activities which can all be planned and problems resolved before a site team is even established.

Modular build could be considered and animated to visually display any benefits, all with confidence in a clash-free environment.

Construction planners have a critical role in ensuring that a project runs to time and budget; although this is more often hampered than helped by traditional methods. Using the completed design models, planners and schedulers should simulate the build process from start to finish. This will provide a visual aid to the planning team and will enable them to compare schedules and see potential procedure cost savings which can be instantly simulated with bi-directional links between the planning tools and the model; this process is often referred to as 4D design.

Using a more developed version of the model – along with the same solutions that were used to provide the accurate early cost estimates – construction cost planners should be able to drive efficiency into both the construction process and the selection of suppliers. With this more accurate model, it is possible to ensure that quantities are accurate enough to facilitate a more efficient ordering process; which in turn helps reduce the traditional waste associated with having too much material and the requirement for excessive on-site storage.

A lack of co-ordination is frequently cited as one of the main causes of cost and time overruns on projects of any scale of complexity. With a complete description of the building’s key elements in each of the primary disciplines’ design models, full co-ordination management should be achieved to aid a smooth, ‘clash-free’ construction process. The available tools facilitate this from the development of the initial design models all the way through to the final co-ordination check before on-site activities proceed. The improved review and co-ordination abilities should be continued through the construction stage to ensure late design changes are incorporated with minimal impact and that opportunities for further process optimisation are not missed.

So BIM can aid pre-construction in better planning, more accurate costing and reduced risk; so producing savings in budgets and timescales.

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CONSTRUCTION

HANDOVER Construction Sequence Optimisation

Laser Survey/ Photographic Records

Architectural Model(s)

Architectural Model(s) Cost & Resource Optimistion Structural Model(s)

Structural Model(s)

Collaboration Portal

Construction Model Review & Validation

Off-Site Manufacturing

Structural Fabrication Model(s) MEP Model(s)

Field Data Capture

Collaboration Portal

Compilation of O&M Model Data

As-Maintained Building Model

Integration with FM System

Structural Fabrication Model(s)

Asset & Installation Data

MEP Fabrication Model(s)

MEP Model(s) MEP Fabrication Model(s)

Field Activity Monitoring

During the construction phase of the project additional information will be generated that will not be captured in the design phase and will require recording for future reference. Commissioning documentation, maintenance procedures and snagging lists will form part of this data capture. This is the information that is often captured but rarely delivered formally to the client for future building management. ‘As-built’ or ‘asconstructed’ information is also an area that is sometimes overlooked, but imagine linking the BIM model room spaces to an actual high definition image of the same space before suspended ceilings are installed in order to capture the true positioning of services. This can provide the client with the facility to take accurate dimensions off components without the need to even visit the site. This is all possible via the introduction of point cloud laser scanning, which will reduce the need for accurate fully detailed models.

The use of mobile media has opened up the comment and review procedure on site with live data being able to be displayed and marked-up live at the site, then passing this information back to the contractor team and design team without any delay.

The model can also enhance the co-ordinated information at hand to the site construction team. By locating information stations in the actual build, these can be located on a floor by floor basis and then the model can be restricted to display the relative area to anybody who needs clarity in uncertain areas. Knowing the data is always up to date and any missing dimensions can be taken direct from this brings immediate benefits and requires minimal training for the team.

In construction, the benefits acrued from pre-construction are realised together with better control of the actual construction work including more reliable documentation and the chance to use this as part of completion and handover.

In the traditional handover process, the disparity between the information transferred from the design documentation or construction documentation to the building owner is a major disconnect in what many aspire to see as a fully integrated digital process. With the use of Field-BIM techniques applied during construction, the opportunity exists to capture fully validated ‘as-built’ information that needs minimal rework to provide a valuable data resource for the operators or owners.

Extending the process to encapsulate the full advantages of FieldBIM, construction operatives are able to reliably add further detailed information to the model during fit-out, which ensures that a more reliable digital O&M resource can be handed over to the operations team. The accuracy and efficiency of this data capture process is increased with the use of bar-code readers and RFID scanners that can capture the unique references of individual items that are mapped to the ‘as-built’ BIM data.

Having acquired a more accurate representation of what was actually built or installed during the construction stage, this can now be provided to owners and facility managers for direct input into their own management and maintenance systems. This should save unnecessary effort in completely resurveying the whole project and re-entering extensive amounts of data. Once fully verified by the operating team, the BIM data can be repurposed to support the on-going maintenance of equipment, the effective use of space and to apply the original benefits of BIM to any future refurbishment of the building.

With BIM, the completion and handover should be better managed and easier, to the advantage of the whole supply chain; and with potentially valuable extra resources for the client to take advantage of during the building’s life.

Summary We can now see how all aspects of any project can benefit from implementing BIM from concept scheme design work to project handover and building life cycle management. Many of the processes that have been highlighted are being applied already and further developed on a day-to-day basis. We just need to bring this information into a managed BIM process, capture the data correctly, link the data to existing design information and ensure all this enhances facility management. With these processes, not only do the design consultants benefit from BIM but contractors and owner/ operators should also reap the benefits; all resulting in a better delivered and cost-effective delivery to the client.

BIM will provide numerous benefits to all parties, at all stages in the construction process. As the recognised boundaries of BIM are pushed ever closer towards a full integration between design, construction and operation, each participant should be looking to extend their contribution beyond design to support the delivery across all stages of the project and allow the client to also benefit from the BIM implementation process.

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COBie

Another piece of the BIM jigsaw AUTHOR David Shepherd Consultant david.shepherd@excitech.co.uk

Government Construction Strategy and COBie In May 2011, the government announced its plans to target a 20 per cent reduction in construction sector costs. Although part of the Government Construction Strategy detailed measures intended to streamline building procurement and payment, the strategy also included a bold new initiative to ramp up to full 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) on all government projects by 2016.

The strategy states: ‘Government will require fully collaborative 3D BIM (with all project and asset information, documentation and data being electronic) as a minimum by 2016. A staged plan will be published with mandated milestones showing measurable progress at the end of each year.’ Exemplar projects have been commissioned for this year.

The value of this data was clearly explained: ‘Integration of the design and construction of an asset with the operation phase should lead to improved asset performance. This has been demonstrated in projects which have integrated design and construction with whole-life operation. The same alignment can be created by requiring those who design and construct buildings to prove their operational performance for a period of say three to five years’. So, the purpose of BIM extends beyond improved design and construction co-ordination. It is a starting point for a pre-determined information set that can be updated with operational data, including the carbon consumption of each asset (whether during manufacture or in use) and readily distributed. In this way, an accurate carbon footprint of each building can be calculated.

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COBie, Construction Operations Building Information Exchange, is a standard for handing over ‘as-built’ asset data to the client at project completion in a structured digital format. This digital data can be stored in a spreadsheet or uploaded to an on-line data repository. The information is updated incrementally by all parties involved in the design and construction process. As the data is refined at each key stage, it can be immediately distributed to all project stakeholders.

COBie Data Structure COBie uses the following structured hierarchy of data:

Paul Morrell, the Chief Construction Adviser, who heads the Construction Task Force in charge of the new strategy also explained that “for the first year, the total software requirement is Excel”. The Building Information Modelling Working Party Strategy Paper clearly states: ‘The working group recommends that Government clients mandate the supply chain to deliver public asset information in a specific structured and consistent format, referred to as the COBie format.’

As a spreadsheet, the digital format of COBie also means that the resulting design and construction data can be more easily integrated with operations and maintenance databases. The Excel format is the lowest common denominator of database technology integration.

Figure 2: The COBie data scheme

Each COBie spreadsheet contains multiple worksheets relating to a single building. Each category of data is stored in a worksheet (see below).

Elements within this data structure are assigned unique identifiers and categorised with descriptive fields and/or key design data and dimensions.

For example, the Facility worksheet contains the location and unit formats for the entire project. The Floor worksheet contains floor names and their related elevations. The Space worksheet contains space names, usable height, gross/net area and the respective floor levels. The Component worksheet contains all uniquely identified components, their respective systems and the spaces to which they have been assigned.

Figure 1: Sample COBie Worksheet

COBie in Practice As an example, consider the recent pilot of the COBie data aggregation process for a Primary School in Wales. During construction, the project captured room, furniture, fixtures and equipment data for 150 spaces.

This data was exported directly into the school’s facility management system. This tool enables them to deliver occupancy reports and plan the departmental allocation, addition, reduction, replacement, overhaul and commissioning of equipment. Furthermore, they can schedule the maintenance of assets for the whole school. The ability to publish the relevant equipment drawings for any work order is considered of immense value to the school’s maintenance staff. Documentation can also be retrieved and distributed instantly to all external contractors who bid competitively on later extension, maintenance and refurbishment projects; at a fraction of paper publishing costs.

The BIM Advantage The advantage of using BIM is that the design and construction team can extract COBie-structured information from the data that underlies the integrated 3D spatial model representing that design. They can do this while developing the design in BIM, adding asset data to each element and all the while refining the information for ‘as-built’ documentation at handover.

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Figure 3: Inter-related Floor, Space and Component Data

Updating COBie Data During The Project The implementation of COBie involves specific information drops at key stages during project delivery (see table). The required services are specified as systems in the spreadsheet during Scheme Design.

Later on, data about the actual components of each system is added to the spreadsheet during the Construction Documentation phase. That information is refined during Commissioning with manufacturers’ data and links to operational and maintenance procedures.

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Figure 6: Scope of COBie import via Archibus FM

Energy Efficiency Considerations

Figure 4: COBie updated at Plan of Work stages

Currently, building services engineers are mandated to provide a Building Log Book at handover in accordance with professional guidelines (CIBSE TM31 and BSRIA). For the sake of conciseness, the form-based documentation recommends that, in large buildings, the list of building services plant should be restricted to those items rated above 5kW. For COBie data in Excel, this restriction need not apply. COBie provides comprehensive data on all furniture, fixtures, equipment and systems.

How Revit Handles COBie Output Revit already maintains series of element inter-relationships. Buildings are organised into levels. The layout on each level can be subdivided into spaces and each space can be populated with the components and fixtures. In addition, building services components are typically grouped into a variety of user-defined systems, such as domestic hot water and chilled water return.

There are now tried and tested add-in tools that can create Revit schedules in COBie format and export them to Excel. The most reliable method of COBie export involves the intermediate step of conversion to the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format.

All construction products have expended fossil fuel in manufacture (i.e. embodied carbon) and many items continue to expend it (i.e. carbon in use). Facilities managers can use sub-metering and building management systems to log energy consumption and review energy use against each asset defined via the import of COBie data into these systems.

In June, 2011, the European Union instituted new measures to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the region by 2020. The proposals include a requirement for all countries to establish energy-saving plans. This is a significant government priority.

There are already fiscal incentives in place that are designed to encourage energy efficiency in business. Currently, new businesses can benefit from the Energy Capital Allowance Scheme. During the first year of business, a company can claim £500 in capital tax allowances for each new energyefficient zone-controlled HVAC unit that they install on their premises.

Centralised zone-control systems can reap an even greater tax reduction.

Once this scheme is expanded, it is easy to see how energy consumption data could be matched to the detailed database of assets contained in COBie, reviewed for on-going energy efficiency and even submitted as part of a company’s tax claim.

Conclusion The COBie standard is clearly capable of efficiently capturing the range of furniture, fixtures and equipment developed within the Building Information Model of any new facility. The export of data from BIM represents the easiest method of doing this. COBie will be a requirement of all government projects in the near future. We can expect that the handover and integration of this design and construction data into Facility Management programs will streamline cost control and energy benchmarking, the planning of operations and maintenance and future claims for energy retrofit tax allowances.

The business opportunity for design professionals would be to utilise this structured ‘as-built’ asset data. They could conduct a multi-disciplinary annual review of building performance and embed themselves as part of the client’s on-going strategic efforts to reap greater energy-efficiency and maximise the tax advantages available in this era of energy conscious design.

Figure 5: COBie data exchange

Facility Management Software vendors are invited through a programme of tests known as COBie challenges to demonstrate that their application can input and/ or output data that is compliant with the standard. To date, Revit has successfully met the output requirement via IFC . In December 2011, the BuildingSMART alliance™ also acknowledged the ARCHIBUS FM ability to import COBie data based on the most recent COBie public challenge parameters.

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References 1.

2.

3.

http://ec.europa.eu/news/energy/110622_en.htm http://www.wbdg.org/resources/cobie.php Strategy Paper for the Government Construction Client Group From the BIM Industry Working Group

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BIM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE With the directive from the UK Government for all public projects to be delivered using BIM methodologies by 2016, there has been a drive within design consultancies to understand more fully the concepts and implications of implementing BIM for infrastructure projects.

A typical infrastructure project may well include many design elements, including earthworks, road or transportation corridors; site design elements such as car parks; structural elements such as retaining walls and bridges; underground utilities and drainage; and buildings. The obvious implication of this is that as there are potentially many design disciplines involved, the BIM collaboration process must be well thought out, clearly defined, and robust.

Technologies Proponents of BIM all agree that it is a process, and not reliant on a particular technology. However, the practicalities of implementing BIM on any project dictate that the process cannot be defined in detail without understanding which technologies are to be deployed.

It is likely that one or two intelligent CAD applications will probably form the bedrock of the process, with other satellite technologies feeding into them as necessary. For those organisations that already use and rely upon Autodesk technologies, the most likely platform choices will be Revit for the structural modelling, and AutoCAD Civil 3D for the infrastructure modelling. These primary design tools will act as a hub for the creation of a federated model which can be brought together using a model review tool such as Navisworks.

During the detailed design phase, the model is likely to be split across several design files, which together form a ‘Work In Progress model’. At any stage when information is approved for sharing, this should be by some form of export which provides a snapshot of the model. Under no circumstances should the live Work in Progress model be shared. The exact method used to share data may vary according to the technologies used

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and the purpose for sharing, but might include exporting to the familiar AutoCAD.dwg format, or perhaps as a Navisworks NWC or NWD file.

BIM Process It is generally acknowledged that the processes set out in BS1192:2007 provide the outline methodologies for setting up the BIM project. Within this standard there are several important concepts that will require careful interpretation before embarking on a BIM implementation.

File and Document Naming BS1192 includes a structure for file and document naming. It is fair to say that the current definition is not particularly “Infrastructure” friendly, but it can be adapted for use on infrastructure projects. The system relies on a series of codes which relay information about the origin and scope of the document or model file, and are used to make up the complete document name.

[Project]-[Originator]-[Zone]-[Level]-[File Type]-[Discipline]-[Number] A typical document name might look like this:-

Additional information such as the Version and Revision Number should also be defined as metadata for the document, but should not be part of the name itself. For example, in a scenario where Autodesk Vault was being used to manage the project data, there are dedicated fields in the Vault database to hold this information. A full list of proposed code definitions is listed in BS1192:2007.

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CDE - THE COMMON DATA ENVIRONMENT The Common Data Environment defines a process for the sharing of data throughout the design lifecycle, and incorporates a system of model and document versioning and revisions to be used.

The CDE is based on four stages – Work In Progress, Shared, Published and Archived – and establishes a controlled framework for the issuing of information, with clear boundaries between data that is issued for collaboration (shared), and data that is issued at key gateways in the project (published – for tender, costing, construction etc). In short it ensures that the data is fit for purpose at each stage, with checking and approval processes built-in, and seeks to remove risk from the project arising from incomplete or out-of-date data.

In practice this process will need to be mapped to appropriate technologies. For example, both Revit and Civil 3D can derive benefit from sharing data using Autodesk Vault Collaboration as a document management solution. Vault, therefore, might be a logical choice as a mechanism for storing and retrieving project data, as it supports sharing of content and model data, and also includes support for versioning and revisions. It can also be used effectively with Buzzsaw, which is essentially a cloud based collaboration tool – data can be stored in Vault, and then when the appropriate approval is given, documents can be automatically shared with the wider project team.

Similar procedures exist for other solutions, such as Bentley ProjectWise and Sharepoint Services, although current versions of ProjectWise do not provide the same level of design object management for Civil 3D that Vault Collaboration would provide.

Checking and approval of design data is clearly an essential part of any document issuing process, and most organisations will already have established procedures in place. In most cases, these procedures can be easily mapped to those defined in BS1192 without difficulty, although one benefit of adopting this standard is that it seeks to formalise this process.

Figure 1: The Common Data Environment

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Getting ready for BIM Preparing your organisation for adopting the principles and processes for BIM will require considerable effort, resources and a budget. It will be necessary to prepare a BIM Strategy, which will take a critical look at current work practices, personnel, technologies and IT systems. The BIM Strategy should define how current processes will be adapted to suit the BIM environment; what changes will need to be made to personnel and IT systems; what resources will be needed for implementation; and which technologies would be suitable.

For example, a suitable BIM design application, such as Civil 3D, will require a higher specification of workstation than one capable of running basic AutoCAD. Similarly, the operator of Civil 3D will need to be trained not only in the use of the software, but will need to have a good understanding of relevant engineering principles and local design standards. This may require a re-balancing of personnel - engineering technicians will probably be more appropriate in this role than a general CAD operator.

Before undertaking a project requiring the use of BIM, a BIM Project Execution Plan should be created for the project. The execution plan will set out how the project will be carried out and managed, will need to be endorsed by all participants, and as a guide might include the following elements:• • • • • • • • • • • •

be brought together for design review, and which together form the “BIM model”. The data derived from these individual model files is also brought together to create the deliverables for the project – drawings, construction documentation, bills of quantities, COBie spreadsheet and GIS models.

Operation and Management BIM should not stop at the end of the design process, and one of the key deliverables of any BIM project will be the delivery of data for use in the Operation and Management (O&M) of the delivered asset.

The data required for O&M should be clearly defined in the BIM Project Execution Plan so that the necessary information can be gathered during the project and handed on at the end of the construction phase.

The data format for the O&M phase may vary, but most commentators agree that COBie will be the most likely format. COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) is essentially a spreadsheet data format that contains all of the asset data and information on performance, maintenance, and warranty for each asset. Detailed information on COBie and its use can be obtained from the Whole Building Group web site, http://www.wbdg.org.

For a more detailed discussion of COBie please see the “COBie - another part fo the BIM jigsaw” article in this publication.

Project Information Key Contacts Project Goals / BIM Objectives Organisational Roles & Staffing BIM Processes Information Exchange BIM Data requirements Collaboration Procedures Quality Control Technologies and IT Infrastructure Organisation of the BIM Model Project Deliverables

BIM in Practice The following example only focusses on the design element of an infrastructure BIM project, and is based on examples where BIM processes are currently being used by Excitech clients operating in the Infrastructure space.

Figure 2: The COBie data scheme

There are, however, a number of difficulties with COBie as a standard method of delivering asset data for Infrastructure projects:•

•

Highways and Drainage example

An infrastructure project is likely to require the use of more than one design platform, as the example above shows. Each link in the diagram represents a process for the transfer of information, and each process will need to be defined, tested and documented. The project will not be based on a single model – instead there will be a number of model files generated by the two main design hubs (a federated model) which can 20

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•

It has essentially been developed for use on Buildings, not more general infrastructure projects, and therefore the data schema does not quite “fit” with regard to the terms and references one would normally associate with an infrastructure project. However, with some careful planning, most of the information required can be captured and entered using COBie as a data format .

Whilst Revit applications can create COBie data reasonably well, Civil 3D cannot export in this format at all. Many other “Building” applications can also export to IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), from which COBie data can be derived, but again, there is no corresponding output for Civil 3D. Of course Civil 3D can export some data to a spreadsheet format, or even as LandXML, but the data will require manipulation and considerable manual editing to transfer it into COBie. COBie only takes into account the data for the asset, and does not store any of the model geometry, although this information can be linked through the use of attached documents. Such attached documents could be models, or as-built data in the form of point cloud scans.

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For COBie to be more widely adopted in infrastructure projects, it should be developed further to take into account the requirements of infrastructure more generally. It is incumbent on all those participating in the commissioning and delivery of infrastructure projects to engage with the relevant bodies to ensure its evolution meets the wider requirements of the construction industry.:•

•

•

Infrastructure data should not have to be amended to fit the standard – it should be the other way around. In the longer term it is hoped that COBie will evolve further to accommodate infrastructure data more easily, but in the short term it will mean utilising the extensible nature of COBie, with careful definition of an appropriate schema for each project.

Application developers must implement tools to enable data to be exported for COBie easily, and the applications should work in such a way that they support the required data structures, thus avoiding time consuming post-modelling data manipulation.

IFC should be developed to support the object types more likely to be found in an infrastructure project. Whilst there is a “bridge structure” in development for IFC, it needs to encompass other components such as roads and ground surfaces.

Aside from the discussion on COBie, it should be recognised that a wellestablished and proven method for managing infrastructure assets already exists, and has done for many years – Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

GIS can almost be considered as the forerunner to BIM – it is a spatially co-ordinated system that stores object information which can be queried and analysed. It has some distinct advantages in that Civil 3D and similar software applications can export directly to GIS file formats, and many of these formats are Open Source and can be read by any GIS application. It is ideal for many linear infrastructure projects where the spatial relationships in plan are more important than the precise geometries of the asset.

COBie data can also easily be used as a means of porting data to GIS – it is well structured and lends itself to being converted by other computer applications.

Conclusion

References 1.

2.

Figure 1: Diagram derived from BS 1192:2007 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information. Code of practice) Figure 2: This diagram taken from http://www. wbdg.org (Whole Building Design Guide)

The concept of “BIM in Infrastructure” is not as clearly understood as BIM is for buildings, and yet there are many organisations who are currently pushing the boundaries and actively seeking ways to adapt BIM procedures and processes for use in the Infrastructure space. There are clearly many issues that remain to be resolved before we can truly claim to have a process for BIM in Infrastucture. This article has highlighted some of these issues, but many are outside the control of those seeking to adopt BIM. Removing these difficulties will require the construction industry in general to acknowledge the relevance of BIM to all construction projects, and to make a concerted effort to ensure the changes happen in as short a time frame as possible.

Broadly, the issues are:•

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• •

t hose seeking to adopt and use BIM need to understand what data will be required for infrastructure asset management software applications need to be able to “talk” to each more effectively and incorporate intelligent objects that assist the BIM processes data standards and protocols (IFC, COBie etc) need to be embraced by design applications, and the protocols themselves need to embrace the whole concept of construction, and not just buildings.

AUTHOR Dave Bosworth Consultant dave.bosworth@excitech.co.uk

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Despite the difficulties that exist, BIM in Infrastructure is forging ahead – if this is your industry, and your organisation is not yet looking to adopt BIM, then perhaps now is the right time to start – or at the very least, understand how not adopting BIM is going to affect you.

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THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL BENEFITS AND PROCESSES OF USING Autocad sTRUCTURAL DETAILING 2012 With an impending government mandate which states that all public sector projects in 2016 will be delivered using the BIM process, many consultants and contractors are desperately trying to implement products to support BIM processes such as Autodesk Revit.

However, will this really deliver all the required drawing outputs including 2D reinforced concrete drawings and steelwork details? AutoCAD Structural Detailing can be the necessary solution. Many of you will already have AutoCAD Structural Detailing as part of an Autodesk Suite such as Revit Structure Suite or Building Design Suite. Autodesk have, for some time, packaged a number of products into one box called a suite, and most of the suites typically also contain an AutoCAD based application.

In this article we are going look at some of the benefits and processes of using AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2012 to produce steel and reinforced concrete details; and then linking these details into a Revit Structure model to help deliver a fully detailed structural model with all the required associated documentation such as schedules and bills of materials.

Many structural consultants and contractors have already realised the value of working within a Revit environment and are delivering large, complex and fully co-ordinated projects; but of course, it is not all about the 3D model!

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You will also need to create many 2D details and schedules to fully document the project. Revit Structure 2012, in its current guise, is not really suitable for the efficient creation of reinforced concrete details or steel details and the required functionality is likely be a few years away.

The Process AutoCAD Structural Detailing, built on top of AutoCAD, will deliver steel fabrication details and also reinforced concrete details that will suit engineering consultants, fabricators and contractors. There are many different workflows, both for reinforced concrete detailing and steel detailing; some using Revit Structure and Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis, and some using AutoCAD Structural Detailing as a standalone tool.

A typical process for concrete reinforcement drawings is outlined in the diagram below with the options of using Robot Structural Analysis for the design and placement of reinforcement bar. The concrete formwork can be generated directly from a Revit Structure object and AutoCAD Structural Detailing can automatically create views with sections ready to be detailed with rebar. If you would rather issue the RC drawing directly from Revit Structure then you can link the drawings from AutoCAD Structural Detailing into a drafting view, the drawings automatically updating when details are changed within AutoCAD Structural Detailing. The output of a bar bending schedule can be completely automated and output directly to Microsoft Excel if this is a requirement.

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The steel module, having a 3D output, will have a few more options within the process diagram as you can see in the above diagram.

A fabricator working with an engineering consultant can gain significant benefits from receiving a Revit Structure steel model and then being able to transfer the model to AutoCAD Structural Detailing. The steel model can be transferred via the subscription tools and allow full control over the mapping of steel section sizes.

The fabricator can then send the steel model back to the contractor or architect for co-ordination purposes; typically this is an area that is neglected within the construction industry but does cause problems on site.

At the heart of the steel module are the automated macros that make the creation of the 3D model incredibly efficient. There are over 50 connection macros that can be used to join all manner of columns, beams and braces; and also parametric structures to automate the creation of typical structures such as ladders, stairs and handrails. Of course, if a connection does not exist then you can create this manually by using tools such as plate, drill and bolt macros which let you create any type of connection. Fabricated sections such as plate girders and columns fabricated from plates can be easily created with specialist macros that allow control over welds, bevels and lap splices. In the example to the left you can see a small section of a bridge girder and the parameters that control the bevels between differing flange widths and thicknesses.

Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis can also be used to design the structural frame by passing the structure directly from AutoCAD Structural Detailing.

For small structural projects the connections can be saved as a 3D DWG and then imported into Revit Structure to allow drawings to be generated with connections.

The Steel Module - Digital Fabrication A typical steel detailing workflow would be to create a steel structure within Revit Structure and then export this to AutoCAD Structural Detailing and adding the relevant connections. You can then automatically create the 2D fabrication drawings and then link these back into Revit Structure ready to add to your drawings. The Revit Structure model can be transferred via the Extensions Ribbon (this will need to be installed separately and is included with your Autodesk subscription). The Extension Ribbon will enable the import and export of models to and from AutoCAD.

Once the 3D structure is complete then drawings can be automatically generated with pre-configured templates and dimension and description styles.

The drawings can take the form of single components, assembly drawings or a complete structure. Each part and assembly within the model will need to be given a unique position which can be dependent on the part’s size and also location within the structure. The position is used to generate drawings of each component and assembly as well as to generate a parts list. Positioning can also be useful for loading and delivery to site of the prefabricated steel structures to ensure that the correct assemblies are delivered in the correct sequence.

In order to achieve a high level of automation whilst generating drawings, AutoCAD Structural Detailing has a comprehensive set of tools to define dimension and label styles. The labels, dimensions and style of drawings can be configured with powerful tools to customise the software to conform to your chosen CAD and BIM standards.

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The drawings can then be adding to drawing sheets by using block references. This allows for simple manipulation of drawing positions and also allows the updating of drawing views when the structure or connections are revised. AutoCAD Structural Detailing will track any changes made to the model and indicate which sheets and views require updating; allowing the user to add the relevant revision clouds and notes to the drawings.

Another key tool is the ability to output NC data directly to manufacturing machines such as laser cutters and automated beam drilling lines. Automated NC manufacturing will definitely benefit from these processes but the smaller fabricator can also benefit by using the accurate drawings and various cutting lists and schedules to allow them to process the plates and steelwork.

The Reinforced Concrete module The concrete module is predominantly a 2D application but does have some capability to view macro created bar in 3D. The software has a number of powerful macros to create the formwork of typical structures such as beams, columns and retaining walls, and also to add typical reinforcement arrangements. A wide variety of country codes are included within the software to aid in adherence to local codes and drafting practices as well as the relevant shape codes and material specifications for the rebar.

The Challenge!

One of the hurdles of adopting any new software technology is likely to be the user’s learning curve and the implementation of the software into working processes. But “why can’t we just have everything in Revit?” you may ask. The future strategy for Autodesk is likely to be the delivery a fully detailed RC drawing capability and possibly a steel fabrication solution directly from the Revit Structure platform. However, this is likely to be a number of years away.

As with most software, a good set of templates really is an essential element and this is something that Excitech Consulting can offer as a service. As well as creating templates, we can also help integrate AutoCAD Structural Detailing into your current workflows and with your other software applications.

A huge advantage of AutoCAD Structural Detailing is that it is built on the AutoCAD platform and this fact alone gives potential users the ability to feel quite familiar with the interface and the basic drawing operations. Excitech are also offering two training courses for users wishing to learn the steel or concrete modules within AutoCAD Structural Detailing. This is a very important step and will ensure that maximum productivity is gained at an early stage within the implementation of the software.

The formwork can be created directly from Revit Structure, automatically creating the required elevation and section views, and dimensioning the structural object. The cover is defined and then the rebar can be added using a variety of placement methods such as picking points or sketching the bar.

If the bar is manually sketched then AutoCAD Structural Detailing will automatically recognise the shape codes based on the country codes selected.

Distribution of bars is handled with macros and can support linear or tapering sections as well as complex slab shapes and wire fabrics.

Scheduling of the added reinforcement is completely automated, saving a huge amount of time and effort. The schedules can be output to Microsoft Word or Excel to create a bar bending schedule if required. Summary tables can also be created giving total weights for each type of bar or wire fabric very useful for cost estimating.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing can also be linked to AutoCAD Robot Structural Analysis to bring designed reinforced concrete elements into the software for detailing.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing & AutoCAD Plant 3D AutoCAD Structural Detailing is now included within the Premium and Ultimate Plant Design Suites and is very useful for creating detailed steel frames.

You can directly XREF a Plant 3D model into AutoCAD Structural Detailing and create accurate, fabrication-ready steel models and drawings and then XREF these back into Plant 3D or Navisworks for co-ordination.

The creation of objects such as ladders, cages, grates and railings is automated via intelligent parametric macros that ease the generation of typical structures. The structure can then be sent to Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis for steel and connection design if required.

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Copyright © 1985 - 2012 Excitech Ltd

AUTHOR Lawrence Hooker Senior Applications Specialist lawrence.hooker@excitech.co.uk

CASE STUDIES.

CAPITA SYMONDS

and management software and services - what it would recommend. At that time Excitech’s Data Management Systems team was defining and building new software tools for Practice/Project Management; email and document handling was one key area under development. This seemed to be the possible solution that Capita Symonds was looking for, and so they were quickly added to the steering committee to refine the software features and subsequently became a pilot site for the new solution while they also continued to evaluate alternatives.

SOFTWARE:

Implementation

Email has become the most popular method of business communication between people today, with crucial - even contractual - information exchanged as part of email content or attachments. With all these emails it is often a difficult task to find a specific email and to be confident of what is the latest information. It is also impossible to know what emails are saved within the personal inboxes of colleagues working on the same project. Capita Symonds explains how it overcame these problems and manage its emails and other documents with Communico Docs, the new email and document management solution from Excitech.

Capita Symonds Capita Symonds, a division of Capita plc, is a large multidisciplinary consultancy providing design, infrastructure, management, real estate and outsourcing solutions across the UK and internationally. Like any large organisation it works on numerous projects simultaneously, and with around 4,000 members of staff across 50 offices, it realised it needed a solution for users to more effectively manage important information. It chose Microsoft SharePoint as a platform for development and delivering improvements to internal communication, collaboration and management. The organisation planned for SharePoint to become the environment for most IT projects including data storage/retrieval, for their Intranet and for departmental projects. However, once implemented, it realised that SharePoint could be quite difficult to use, especially for the management of emails. As a result, members of staff were not fully using SharePoint, and its success as a company-wide business platform was at risk.

The need for an email management solution Capita Symonds realised it needed an email management solution which would work with SharePoint. It would need to help ensure project emails were correctly filed and allow users to rapidly search for and recall documents. It would also need to be easy enough to install and use that users would choose to use it.

They began to look at a number of different solutions available, however, none of these met both their needs and worked effectively in SharePoint.

Capita Symonds asked Excitech - who already provided them with design 25

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During implementation and planning there was significant focus on ensuring the solution built on SharePoint would be easy to deploy and use; without this Capita Symonds knew user adoption could be low and the goals put at risk. Sandra Seal, Project Manager at Capita Symonds, was impressed by Excitech’s plans based on the issues customers faced. “We found Excitech understood our expectations and was committed to delivering a quality product”, she says.

The developed solution allowed users to view their SharePoint folders through a tree view in Microsoft Outlook; and with the ease of drag and drop, users could file their documents straight into their SharePoint library.

Additional functionality that went beyond email and attachment handling was also included and trialled during the Pilot. A need that was identified was the ability to quickly store documents into the SharePoint folders when Outlook wasn’t open on their computer, and so a drop box was created on the users’ desktop which gave access to the SharePoint folders. Furthermore, users who travelled and were often not connected to the company network were catered for by the ability to select SharePoint folders for offline access, with any new email or documents automatically synchronised to the SharePoint libraries once the user was reconnected. Capita Symonds found the Excitech solution which came to be called Communico Docs provided all the benefits they were looking for, and satisfied users, the organisation and the IT department. The pilot testing of Communico Docs took place in 2011 and lasted for several months, with around 80 users involved from Capita Symonds. From here, it was rolled out in batches, and since full release in November 2011 user adoption has accelerated rapidly. Communico Docs has been implemented into projects either by the IT team initiating it into their projects, by project managers who made Communico Docs a requirement for their project, or by users choosing to install the software themselves from their own intranet.

Conclusion The implementation has bought a range of benefits, including more consistent and reliable email (and other document) storage, faster search, local and network document availability, better collaboration, less demands on their server capacity, greater efficiency and reduced risk. Feedback from users was positive, with many choosing to install the software to experience the benefits, without it being a requirement for their project.

Capita Symonds now intends to roll out Communico Docs across the company and it is a key part of their future information system strategy.

According to Sandra, “we are now upgrading SharePoint to the next release and using it as a foundation for new staff systems including a new Intranet; without Communico Docs and its widespread acceptance and powerful features, this whole development would have been delayed or less beneficial”.

Copyright © 1985 - 2012 Excitech Ltd

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