AEC Magazine May / June 2013

IMAGE COURTESY OF ARRK

Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

Prints charming The benefits of 3D print bureaus

Executive Guide to BIM SmartGeometry 2013 Autodesk in transition BIM for quantity surveyors May / June 2013 >> Vol.66 p01_AEC_MAYJUNE13_Cover.indd 1

7/5/13 09:10:45

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Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

editorial

Managing Editor Greg Corke greg@x3dmedia.com

Consulting Editor Martyn Day martyn@x3dmedia.com

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Digital Media Editor Stephen Holmes stephen@x3dmedia.com

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Advertising Manager Tony Baksh tony@x3dmedia.com

Deputy Advertising Manager Steve King steve@x3dmedia.com subscriptions

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Financial Controller Samantha Todescato-Rutland sam@chalfen.com AEC Magazine is available FREE to qualifying individuals. To ensure you receive your regular copy please register online at www.aecmag.com about AEC Magazine is published bi-monthly by X3DMedia Ltd Rooms 108 -109, 4th Floor 65 London Wall London, EC2M 5TU T. +44 (0)20 3355 7310 F. +44 (0)20 3355 7319 www.x3dmedia.com © 2013 X3DMedia Ltd All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without prior permission from the publisher is prohibited. All trademarks acknowledged. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and not of X3DMedia. X3DMedia cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements within the magazine.

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Autodesk in transition 9 Martyn Day looks at Autodesk’s move to Suites and the cloud

Using a 3D print bureau 10 Stephen Holmes investigates how 3D print bureau services can help model projects down to the last detail

SmartGeometry 2013 report 16 SmartGeometry encourages experimentation with technologies ranging from computational design to laser scanning

Executive guide to BIM: part 1 20 What is BIM and is it relevant to me?

This two-part guide will attempt to answer questions that may arise relating to a BIM adoption strategy

Missing a trick 26 Stuck in their old ways and reluctant to invest, quantity surveyors are missing out on the benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM), writes Rob Charlton

One track mind 29 Rich data from wireless sensor technologies is helping track energy performance in sustainable construction and retrofitting initiatives, writes Professor Elena Gaura

Vienna Central Railway Station 30 Some 35 experts at Unger Steel Group used Tekla’s BIM software to plan, produce and assemble the diamond trusses of the partially transparent Vienna Central Railway Station roof.

Also this month: 4, and 6 News; 32 Workstations featuring Scan 3XS; Lenovo; and Workstation Specialists.

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News

Parsons Brinkerhoff and Arup Joint Venture used Bentley Civil software to create 3D models to ensure design quality, support co-ordination among project teams, and provide accurate data for construction set-out

Communitydriven apps for AEC EC-APPS.com, is a library of AEC applications that doubles up as a social media hub where members can post, rate, review, describe, and discuss apps and collaborate on the creation and sharing of new ones.

The website was developed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and CASE and currently hosts more than five hundred users who have posted some eight hundred apps.

“Tool users and toolmakers [can] share ideas on equal footing, from students scripting in universities, to entrepreneurial incubators in the basements of Brooklyn, to the developers at Dassault, Bentley, Autodesk, McNeel, and other major contributors,” notes SOM’s Technical Director Nicholas Holt.

“AEC-APPS will exist as the primary resource for the AEC industry to not only stay up-todate with the latest technology but to evolve their own practices as well,” adds CASE Partner David Fano.

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Bentley delivers new civils and point cloud tools penRoads is Bentley’s new foundation technology that unites its latest civils products: the V8i (SELECTseries 3) releases of InRoads, Geopak and MXROAD. “OpenRoads technology advances what’s possible in road design, construction, and operations through the use of industryleading innovations including immersive modelling, design-time visualisation, design intent capture and persistence, hypermodelling, information mobility across engineering disciplines and project phases, and construction-driven engineering,” said Ron Gant, Bentley global marketing director, civil engineering and transportation.

“Moreover, it works purposefully with persistent point clouds and scalable terrain models — for example, concurrently with Bentley Descartes V8i and with ProjectWise Point-cloud Services to improve projects, including through automatic recognition of roadway features such as centrelines, ditches, and edges of

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pavement — and, of course, all files are easily managed in ProjectWise.”

Bentley Descartes V8i (SELECTseries 4) is the latest release of the MicroStationbased tool used for processing and integrating point clouds and scalable terrain models, as fundamental data types.

“We have been early adopters of Bentley Descartes V8i (SELECTseries 4) and this new release provided us exactly what we were looking for,” said John Nolan, CAD manager, Network Rail. “Scalable terrain models now allow us to create and manage terrain models with hundreds of millions of points, and the section modelling capability addresses tunnel modelling perfectly. With the flexible display options for point clouds we can visualise the terrain or only the vegetation as necessary. With its fast, scalable terrain model manipulation and very powerful modelling tools, Bentley Descartes allows us to integrate point clouds and engineering data into hybrid models.”

by clients, designers and construction companies, the guide covers the entire lifecycle of implementing and embedding these more efficient methods into a company or project.

■ tinyurl.com/ciriaguide

■ contentstudioltd.com

■ bentley.com

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academics in the development of digital methods of construction have written a guide for CIRIA, the Construction Industry Research and Information Association.

Designed for practical use

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Managing Revit content ontent|Studio for Revit is a digital library solution used to collect, manage and share Revit families in a quality controlled environment.

The software does not use folders; instead information is stored in an intelligent quality controlled library. According to the developers, users can ‘throw’ any Revit data inside and allow Content|Studio to sort and organise the information.

A fully functional free trial for multiple users is now available.

Salford develops practical BIM guide xpertise from the University of Salford’s School of the Built Environment has been used to compile a free guide to BIM and Lean construction.

Five of the world’s leading

■ aec-apps.com

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www.AECmag.com

6/5/13 15:30:07

Building Success

With Information Modeling for Multidisciplinary Building Teams Success from BIM that drives project and building performance – not just coordinated drawings.

Success realized in buildings such as the Stone Towers in Cairo by Zaha Hadid.

Success achieved through the analysis, simulation, and collaborative workflows uniquely possible using Bentley’s AECOsim software and ProjectWise’s collaboration system of servers and services.

www.Bentley.com/AECMagazine © 2012 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries.

Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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News

ROUND UP National BIM library Sika Sarnafil has become the first flat roofing brand and Celotex, the first PIR (polyisocyanurate) manufacturer, to add their objects to the national BIM Library, a free online resource for downloading generic and proprietary BIM objects.

■ nationalbimlibrary.com

Structural calcs Tedds 2013 is the latest version of the structural calculation software from CSC. The software is claimed to be up to twice as fast as its predecessor and includes a new and fully integrated 2D frame analysis application and many new and enhanced calculations to both Eurocodes and British Standards ■ cscworld.com

BIM4SME The Construction Industry Council (CIC), in partnership with the UK Government’s BIM Task Group, has launched BIM4SME. The working group includes individuals from SME organisations who help other SMEs understand and engage with the BIM process.

■ bim4sme.org

Cost estimation DProfiler is a Macro-BIM multidisciplinary tool that is used during early stage cost estimation.

According to the developers, the simple 3D modelling toolkit allows the user to quickly and accurately represent any construction project ■ consultbim.com

BIM issue tracking Cadimage BCF is a new plugin that allows users to work directly with BCF files inside ArchiCAD or Revit. The software, which enables users to keep track of issues within a BIM Model, and communicate them with members of a team, can be used in conjunction with Solibri Model Checker ■ bcf.cadimage.com

IFC4 released buildingSMART has released the new generation of IFC schemas — IFC4. It will now be the basis of future work of establishing new open BIM enabled work flows by defining new IFC4 based model view definitions.

■ buildingsmart-tech.org

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Priority Based Connections automatically provide construction documentation level sections and details

Attention to detail with ArchiCAD 17 rchiCAD 17 can help simplify the modelling and documentation of buildings even when the model contains a high level of detail, according to developer Graphisoft.

The BIM software includes a new feature called Priority Based Connections which, together with Intelligent Building Materials, can help automatically provide structurally correct sections and details. This allows the model to stay live in the later phases of the project, says Graphisoft. “Many architectural practices use their BIM solutions up to the design and development phase only to switch to 2D for construction documentation,” said Graphisoft’s László Vértesi. “ArchiCAD 17’s brand new Priority Based Connections put a real ROI on the work put into the creation of the BIM model

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by automatically providing construction documentation level sections and details.”

ArchiCAD 17 boasts enhanced performance when working with large models thanks to multi-core CPU scaling and an improved graphics engine.

Coordination View 2.0 expands capabilities for defining new IFC data such as FM Handover (required by COBie), and others. There is direct access to an extensive collection of manufacturer content on BIMobject.com and an improved MORPH Tool supports conceptual design with zoning information and real-time 3D cutting planes to give extra control of ArchiCAD’s 3D modeling environment.

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graphisoft.com/archicad

Free BIM objects to be tailored for UK wedish firm BIMobject has formed a UK subsidiary to help address the needs of the UK construction market.

Through its cloud-based portal BIMobject provides the development, maintenance and syndication of digital replicas — as BIM objects — of manufactured building and interior products. These

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objects are available from the BIMobject portal, at no charge, to architects, designers and specifiers and are available in native format for a number of the model authoring tools including ArchiCAD, Revit, SketchUp and AutoCAD. “We have been tracking UK needs and we will work with product manufacturers to ensure objects on the BIMobject portal include

local requirements such as Uniclass classification and COBie compliant information. So not only will the architects be able to use real world objects in their designs, and increase design accuracy, but the objects will also carry information which will benefit both the construction and operation of the building,” said Stefan Larsson, BIMobject CEO. ■ bimobject.com

Scia Engineer extends interoperability cia Engineer has become the first structural BIM tool to be certified for IFC 2x3 version 2.0 for structural model exchange.

“Scia Engineer already combines powerful modelling, FE analysis, design of multi-material

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projects, Open BIM and a proven link to Revit,” said Ian Chambers, CADS. “This certification for IFC 2.0 just underlines what strength in depth this market leading software has to offer forward thinking engineers that are serious about BIM. “We have created several Open BIM tutorials, which

can be evaluated as part of a free trial of our Scia Engineer software. These straightforward exercises are designed to walk prospective adopters of BIM through a small example project to highlight the benefits of structural model based collaboration.”

■ sciaengineer.com

www.AECmag.com

6/5/13 15:29:52

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11/3/13 16:34:08

Change the story Tekla Structures 19

National Museum of Qatar by Arup

Get this and much more: Model, plan and manage the work through the whole process with the improved workflow tools.

See the weld info, size and shape at a glance.

Save time with an instant view of your drawings – without having to open the documents.

Collaborate and connect with improved IFC export.

Model concrete and plan pours accurately with the new Cast in Place tools.

Tekla Structures 19 inspires you to tell a new story. With reliable, fast tools for modelling, managing, documenting, collaboration and much more, Tekla Structures 19 makes it easy to adjust to the ever-changing business environments. Equipped with the new toolkit, you can make your work bold, innovative and efficient.

Change your story with Tekla Structures 19. Read more at teklastructures.com.

Feature

In Revit 2014 users now have more control over the appearance of point clouds

Autodesk in transition E

by Martyn Day

very March Autodesk releases its updated software. I am old enough to remember a time when we could wait two to three years to see a new version of AutoCAD. Now Autodesk is firmly in the groove of yearly updates, with midcycle additional features for those with subscription. However, all is not as it seems.

Autodesk is in transition, again.

Historically a one product company, it first split into market groups covering AEC and manufacturing, and created new code streams such as Inventor. Media and Entertainment and yet more new products followed. Under CEO Carl Bass, the company has continued to drive outside of AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, Infrastructure Modeler, Buzzsaw, iPad and Android ‘apps’ (check out Formit), games and now ‘cloud’.

With 2014, Autodesk is starting its next evolution. But looking at the updated feature set, it probably will not be visible to many of its customers this time round.

Autodesk is concentrating on 2014 Suites, as opposed to new functionality added to the individual products. In fact it is actually pretty hard to find much detail on functionality on its website or get a definitive list, even if you are press. But there is plenty of information on Suites.

The cynic in me says this is because Suites make more money for Autodesk in unit sales and yearly subscription. However I do know that the company is concentrating a lot of its development work on the cloud, where much of the capabilities that we see www.AECmag.com

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today is being duplicated or enhanced with the creation of cloud-based versions of commonly used design applications. The idea being that you will have apps on your desktop, apps in the cloud with access to your data and tools wherever you are, coupled with the ‘infinite power’ of online analysis and rendering.

Autodesk 360 is the framework for this cloud vision and there are some bits to play with. But in my view these AEC tools are pretty early incarnations of the toolset and of limited value. Autodesk’s manufacturing team has driven forward further, faster with cloud applications and seeing what is possible there with Fusion and PLM 360, I am encouraged with Autodesk’s vision. The AEC division needs to catch up.

In a discussion with Carl Bass last year, he said that in the future, a subscription should not be access to just the next release of your main tool but a guarantee to have access to a whole suite of powerful applications both on the desktop and in the cloud. On any device.

As effort is poured in to cloud development the big yearly updates mean less.

Functionality and capability can be added

by Autodesk to applications running in the cloud whenever they are ready. Users may not even know that subtle changes are being made all the time.

Autodesk 2014 products have a fair number of enhancements. There are precious few ‘big feature’ updates but lots of good tidying up.

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Revit 2014 at a glance Revit 2014 is snappier and smoother, with a lot of enhancements to the user interface, writes David Light at CASE • Displaced views • Dockable Windows framework and enhancements • Material UI overhaul • Non rectangular crop regions • Room calculation point • Schedules • Selection enhancements • Split elevations • Temporary view templates • View navigation performance • Multi selection — bring to front and send to back • Stairs and railings • Double click to edit • Point Clouds Specific structural improvements • Multi-reference annotations • Structural analytical model improvements • Reinforcement rounding • Rebar constraints • Welded wire mesh constraints • Enhanced rebar shapes • Rebar length calculation for UK shapes MEP improvements • CSV file removal — Ability to embed CSV data into a family • Divide system • Air Terminals on duct — Ability to place Air Terminal families directly on duct segments • Plumbing template • Cap open ends • Angle constraints building performance analysis • Energy analysis for architectural building elements — Ability to automatically generate an energy analysis model from a typical Revit model made of architectural building elements • GBS analysis app feature

autodesk.com

May / June 2013

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Prints charming The benefits of 3D print bureaus

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SLA model produced on a 3D Systems Viper machine. Brought to life with hand finishing, painting and traditional model making techniques.

Image courtesy of Thorp.

www.AECmag.com

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Prints charming 3D printing is causing a stir in industrial design and engineering circles, but how can it help AEC professionals who don’t want to take the technology in-house? AEC Magazine looks at how bureau services can model projects down to the finest detail

by Stephen Holmes

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hen trying to win bids, impress clients or explain planning procedures, the traditional scale model has always been a clear, reliable method.

Nothing works quite like a 3D model that a potential client can walk around and inspect, yet the cost and time they take to produce often make them impractical for an industry where developments move at high speed.

Traditional model makers still exist, but many have taken on new 3D printing technology to produce amazing models and dioramas in a fraction of the time.

In this case a 3D printer builds up a model in paper-thin micron layers on top of one another, taking its data straight from the CAD model.

The level of detail and structural strength offered by highend machines means that fine details and angles can be outputted as the designer intended.

So how can you get the best from this technology by using a bureau service?

3D printing is far from a clean and straightforward process; you cannot simply press a button and ‘voila’ a fully finished model appears.

Bureaux not only have the machines needed to print the parts, but also the skilled staff to adjust data, clean up, finish and assemble parts, and crucially, guide customers through the process with advice and experience.

The parts can usually be shipped anywhere in the world, and because repeat custom is key, reliability is paramount to what bureaux provide.

What is the model for?

Before choosing a bureau you need to define exactly what your model will be used for. All bureaux offer different material processes, but many also have other specialities, such as increased production speed or skilled 12

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craftsmen with years of experience building models to the highest quality.

A model for public viewing might need to show how people will interact with the building, requiring additional figures, trees, transport and sense of realism.

Models to win a pitch, or impress a client might focus on fine details within the structure and need the right materials to have this pin-sharp.

A 3D print does not have to be simply a stationary object for aesthetic viewing. The reduction in costs in 3D printing means models can be printed fast and cheap for use during the design phase.

Models with colour printed straight from the 3D printer can show computational

which affects assembly, cost and time.

A simple, small model might be easily printed in one go, but to get the best from a more complex model might require a combination of builds, materials and techniques.

A good bureau service will be able to provide these, advise on any areas that might benefit and add value.

Data decision

Sending data to a bureau can be the trickiest thing to get right. Different bureaux accept different files, with the outcomes and potential problems varying.

“To run a 3D printer we require data in STL format,” says Gary Miller at IPF ltd. “Yet when the client converts their data to STL there’s Fine detail architectural model produced by IPF nearly always teething problems.”

Common problems including scaling, wall thickness and optimising buildings for print by ‘hollowing out’ plague such data transfers.

Mr Miller explains that the way for clients to solve this simply themselves is through thirdparty software. “The larger, more experienced architects now have a seat or two of Magics, a file fixfluid dynamics (CFD) data for wind flow ing software, which helps them prepare the and air pressures on the building; highlight data for printing.

“We have to insist on STL CAD data as a specific architectural feature within a build, or different networks in a plan such changing file formats on behalf of a client as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air con- can lead to complications in their critical ditioning) and electrical lines. data.”

Strength and durability can vary greatly Other bureaux sometimes have the facilibetween different 3D print materials and ties to take on other file types, yet this can processes, so there’s a choice to be made add extra time on to a project. between a model that will be placed in a Thorp has been a model maker for over glass casing, or one that will be passed 125 years and can offer more assistance at around between architects studying every this stage, converting models from 2D data possible angle. into 3D data, even working from visuals or The size of a model obviously carries its photographs. restrictions. Machines have ever increasing “We accept all file formats for SLA modbuild envelopes, yet still have restrictions els including Revit or SketchUp files, but on what can be produced in one print, we usually have to complete some work on www.AECmag.com

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Feature excellent for fast iteration appraisals throughout the entire workflow.

The parts are printed much faster from these machines, although the finish is not as high as an SLA material.

The speed and cost benefits see them being used much earlier in the design phases, allowing architects to refer to these throughout the project.

ARRK offers popular clear SLA materials and bright white Duraform PA SLS material, which also allows more complex geometries to be built like internal features. Clear acrylic CNC machined components are also very popular, but will add time onto the production dependent on complexity.

The materials used by IPF’s Stratasys Connex machines are more expensive, but can contribute to a standout presentation especially when illuminated.

Using a combination of VeroWhite and VeroClear materials, the clear material encases the white detailed structure of a building and allows the designer to include every small detail he or she wishes.

Given its long history in hand crafting models, Thorp’s team of modelmakers build key structures on high detail 3D Systems Viper Si SLA printers.

The traditional skills of its workers can add in full surroundings and decoration to a diorama. Although this takes longer to produce, being assembled and finished predominantly by hand, it can have an incredible impact.

them before they are suitable for use with the SLA machine,” explains Thorp’s business development manager Peter Day. Others companies, such as ARRK, fall in the mid point, accepting the most common formats IGES and STEP, while Call Print enlists a bank of technicians to turn around a project as fast as possible.

“There’s a multitude of design packages out there,” says Call Print’s Paul D’Rozario.

“We have 500 clients using different software, when we come to physically print we need to optimise the 3D model.

“If a building’s been designed in 1:1 and they want to print a model at 1:1000, then the wall thickness and other elements are going to need changing.

“For a lot of our customers they don’t want to have to redesign a model just for 3D printing.”

The key element is dependent on the architect’s data, the abilities of the person sending it, and the timescale in which the model needs to be completed. More work that can be done in-house will save time and costs of outsourcing, yet for the inexperienced, a bureau can offer a failsafe way of getting it right.

Race against time Turnaround time is often critical in a project, and no architect wants the design phase to be cut short simply so a model can be made on time.

This all rests on the size and scale of the project and the level of finishing.

Materials, specific decoration, and hand finishing can all mean extra costs and add significantly to the time, but are important considerations when deciding the impact you want the model to have.

Call Print specialises in fast turnaround colour prints using its suite of six ZPrinters,

Conclusion 3D print bureaux provide a wide range of processes, materials and skills — many of which have been honed over decades of working in the industry.

Machines can produce amazing parts, but all need some hands-on finishing from

Model produced by ARRK Design by Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects (KPF) Client: The Pinnacle Limited Photography by Richard Thackham

a bureau. In addition you get the experience and advice from beginning to end.

Reliable delivery services now mean using a local model-making service is no longer a restriction. The UK provides some of the most skilled and well-equipped model makers in the world. Companies can outsource work to the other end of the country and know it will arrive on time for its big presentation.

The world might be moving into a new digital age, but a solid, physical representation of a project will always appeal to every demographic.

3D print bureaux: four of the best Thorp Model makers for over 125 years as part of Atom Ltd, Thorp has vast amounts of experience in melding traditional techniques with cutting edge high-definition SLA printing technology.

Why use a bureau?

“As we are model makers as well as a bureau we can offer the complete service of finishing the model as well as the SLA. “Combining both services results in an efficiently produced model to a very high standard.”

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atomltd.com

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ARRK Twelve years of UK business experience and a large number of machines has placed ARRK as a key provider of SLA and more intricate SLS models. As part of an international corporation it has access to CNC machined parts cheaply.

IPF Limited A specialist for industrial designers, IPF has quietly been producing architectural models with wow factor. Its access to Stratasys Connex technology makes its models stand out against alternative processes, especially when illuminated from within.

Why use a bureau?

“It is one thing having a machine but another knowing how to get the best from it. With a bureau you are not restricted to one technology, material or process.”

Why use a bureau?

“To discover what works best for varying projects as no one technology will deliver the complete solution. Clients with in-house 3D printers still require a bureau service to print overflow.”

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arrkeurope.com

■ ipfl.co.uk

Call Print 3D Active in London for nine years, the firm runs six ZPrinters on a non-stop basis. The benefits include full colour models often delivered within 24 hours. High definition is sacrificed for speed and price, but the models are incredibly useful during the design process and planning.

Why use a bureau?

“We like to think we take the pain out of 3D printing. We offer a substantial team for preparing data as it often needs quite a bit of work and optimising.”

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callprint3d.co.uk

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Case study Modelzium 3D printed scale models.

Created on an Objet Eden350

In the frame South Korean model making bureau Modelzium turned to 3D printing to produce higher quality models, and cut production costs by 30%-50%.

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outh Korean model making bureau Modelzium used to use manual techniques and CNC machines to produce architectural models. But this process required painful compromises.

“We would often omit some parts that required fine details, such as spheres, oval shapes, or thin parts,” says Yang Ho Park, CEO at Modelzium.

This limitation became more critical as South Korean architectural firms started integrating typical designs in more and more of their work — requiring the modelling of non-geometrical shapes with irregular contours.

In order to keep up with industry trends, Modelzium had to be able to model complex designs with highly accurate details.

Modelzium also realised that relying on manual modelling techniques was not scalable and was limiting its growth.

Looking forward, the company needed to streamline and automate its process to enable it to expand its modelling business.

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Despite the investment required, Modelzium decided to purchase a Stratasys Eden350 3D Printer.

“We were particularly impressed by the fine details and smooth surface finish of the printed models,” Mr Yang Ho said.

“Stratasys’ pricing was quite competitive compared to the alternative we examined.”

Modelzium switched overnight from manual to automated modelling.

“The operation of the printer is so easy and convenient that we use it frequently for all jobs — including for parts that can be easily done by hand,” said Mr Yang Ho. “Compared to our previous CNC modelling, where we had to rely on skilled CNC engineers, now all our staff can use the 3D printer with very little training.”

The firm estimates it has cut its model production costs by 30%-50%. Importantly, Stratasys has allowed Modelzium to stop compromising on model accuracy and detail. “If in the past we used to ‘cut corners’ and spend a significant amount of time find-

ing ways to handle complex designs, now there is no architectural design we cannot handle — including those with the highest level of detail,” Mr Yang Ho said.

“We recently completed a highly detailed model of a safari zoo, which required modelling realistic topography and animals involving fine details. We would not have been able to win this project without the Stratasys 3D Printer.”

Compared to the previous CNC method, turnaround time for model delivery has been reduced by 30% for standard designs, and by 50% for the more complex atypical designs.

Modelzium can now deliver complete architectural models during the early stages of the design, and follow up with multiple model iterations that can be provided with a quick turnaround.

“When we compete with other firms on getting modelling projects, our new 3D printing abilities definitely provide us with a competitive edge,” Mr Yang Ho said. www.AECmag.com

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ArchiCAD 17 provides a one-of-a-kind BIM-based documentation workflow. It simplifies the modeling and documentation of buildings even when the model contains a high level of detail. ArchiCAD’s end-to-end BIM workflow allows the model to stay live until the very end of the project.

For further information on ArchiCAD 17 contact Graphisoft at www.graphisoft.com or call 01895 876222

Copyright © Graphisoft UK Ltd. All rights reserved world-wide. All other company and product names may be tradenames or trademarks of their respective owners.

Image: Multifunctional dwelling complex on Mosfilmovskaya street, Moscow, Russia. Sergey Skuratov Architects www.skuratov-arch.ru Photo © Ilya Ivanov

Event report

SmartGeometry 2013 SmartGeometry provides an environment in which to experiment with the latest technologies, from computational design to laser scanning. This year delivered its usual eclectic mix of workshops and talks, ranging from the practical to the surreal

by Martyn Day and Greg Corke

S

martGeometry could never be (A)Synchronous Streams – This proved to workers, perhaps those in developing counaccused of being ‘just another be one of the more unusual workshops that tries, to build complex self-supporting thinevent’. Forget papers submitted we have seen to date. Using the new breed walled vaults.

The team used Generative Components, months in advance, peer reviewed of low-cost micro controllers such as the and then presented, most of SmartGeometry Arduino and Raspberry Pi, the team devel- Grasshopper and Kangaroo (a computahappens on the fly through live workshops oped remote sensing applications which tional physics engine for Rhino) to design and group discussions. As a result, one would collect and relay data. These units the vaults then, with the help of an artisan never really knows what to expect. It’s one were attached to low cost helium balloons tile / bricklayer Carlos Martin, constructed the vaults using foam glass and of those rare events where practice meets and tethered to the ground.

The team developed ways to accurately Catalonian bricks. academia, result in content that ranges from The system used a web cam , which was the practical to the esoteric. This year the gather location data and collect the mearoaming event returned to the UK, the place surements of details such as 3G strength, pointed at QR codes to check the position where it all started ten years ago. The Bartlett light, sound, temp, humidity pollution, wind against the virtual model, accurate to withSchool of Architecture and the University of etc, with a view to getting a much clearer in 10mm. While all this was going on, a Central London (UCL) played hosts to the picture of microclimate which, in industry, series of Microsoft Kinect scanners captured the build in time lapse, leading to an is often limited to the groundplane. six-day event. eerie ghost like video. The Kinect images For 2013 the theme was ‘Constructing for Uncertainty’, which challenged participants Adaptive Structural Skins was classic could theoretically be used to check the to look into issues of computational ambigu- SmartGeometry: a team of structural engi- vault as built back against the computer generated form. ity in materials, immaterial on both macro and micro scales.

With Projections of Reality If the environment is changSmartGeometry is one of those rare the goal was to create a working, how can designs adapt to ing prototype of a physical this? If digital tools and fabricaevents where practice meets academia, urban model that is augmenttion are so accurate how do result in content that ranges from the these work with the tolerances ed with real time analysis. of onsite fabrication? How can One of the key challenges practical to the esoteric sensing and scanning technolowas working out how to gies assist design? adapt unstructured laser scanned point cloud data in The workshops neers exploring how to form the load-bear- real time so it could be used in urban analyThe workshops are the heart and soul of ing enclosure of new generation buildings sis software.

Generative Components was used to proSmartGeometry, each of which responded through parametrisation, analysis, optimito the challenge ‘Constructing for sation and form-finding. Rhino and cess the input of the raw scanned data Grasshopper was used for form finding taken from a Microsoft Kinect, so that it Uncertainty.’ in rather unique ways.

Clusters are all about experimentation, while Generative Components helped can be used with the various analytical but not in the traditional sense where a design and validate the structural integrity applications. Four projectors then projected analytical imagery onto the physical hypotheses is tested in a controlled envi- using the STAAD plug-in.

The resulting origami like geometry, mass models, which automatically updated ronment. Instead they provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, processes and tech- which allows the structure to be configured as the models were moved around. niques, designed to act as a catalyst for in multiple states, was also tested through design resolution, rather than providing a physical prototyping, using polypropylene, PAD (Probabalistic Architectural Design) and bi-stable struts made of sections of alu- addressed the sg2013 challenge of definitive answer.

Constructing for Uncertainty by coupling The ten workshop clusters, each includ- minium tape measures. probability theory with parametric archiing ten hand picked participants, spent the first four days of the event burning the mid- Computer Vision & Freeform Construction tectural and urban design.

By analysing urban areas, the cluster first night oil. The findings were then presented was one of the most ambitious of the clusto the conference at large on the final day. ters. The aim was to develop an augmented explored the range of probable structure reality system that would help non-skilled heights in relation to the capacity of adjaHere are some of the highlights.

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IMAGE Courtesy of Bentley Systems

Projections of Reality processed laser scan data in real time in order to project analysis data onto a physical urban model

cent road networks. Buildings were then optimised for sun exposure while existing within the constraints of what the road could support.

Thermal Reticulation was a full on test lab looking into the thermal efficiency of façade designs and exploring the difference between the simulated thermal performance of digital models compared to the real world thermal performance of actual constructed physical models.

Facades were designed computationally and simulated using software aimed both at Building efficiency (energy+) and heat flow (Ansys, Autodesk Multiphysics).

Designs were then CNC machined or 3D printed and tested using a 500W bulb and multiple temperature sensors.

Talkshop and symposium The sgTalkshop and symposium invites practitioners to reflect on topics, projects and theories. The four sessions were on:

Constructing data: Data & information, how do we understand and interpret data, how do we actuate on it?

Constructing for an evolving ecology: Climate change, policies and the city From virtual to actual: From screen to site. From human to robot. From multiple potentials to an actualised form.

Technology and the future culture: From open source computing to synthetic biology.

The from virtual to actual Talks shop

Ten years of smart thinking This year’s event marked the tenyear anniversary of SmartGeometry events, which have been hosted in many Northern Hemisphere cities over the years.

Back in 2001, the founders were frustrated with the lack of resources backing the solution of architectural design problems through computational methods. CAD (Computer Aided Design) had become just a digital documentation tool, which rarely used the computing power available.

The early architectural systems, such as Sonata, BDS and Rucaps

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offered much more than just a drawing board replacement but failed to survive the move to the desktop PC.

actually assist in the definition of smart architectural and structural designs driven by rules, that would respond to inputs/change.

Along with research friends, Dr Robert Aish (Bentley Systems), Robert Woodbury (Simon Fraser University), Axel Kilian (Princeton University), Mark Burry (RMIT University) and Chris Williams (Bath University), the team set out to hold regular workshops to introduce and train the next generation of architects to better understand geometry, utilise computers, programming, parametrics and analysis to

These early workshops allowed Dr Robert Aish to drive Bentley Systems’ Generative Components (GC) scripting language to enable a new breed of digital ‘tool makers’, to allow complex design concepts to be explored using the power of computers. These workshops, or clusters, last for six days and attracts around 300 participants, from the fields of construction research and leading firms.

Looking at the number of firms that now use computational design as part of their processes, one can easily see the impact that this movement has had.

In the beginning, Bentley’s GC and core programming through CAD APIs were the only game in town but since then there has also been an increase in scripting tools, with many firms using products such as McNeel Rhino with Grasshopper and Autodesk Maya.

Computational tools are now available to the masses and complex forms are being added to the lexicon of all our cities.

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SHOWCASE eco Construction Roadshows “2 hours of structured learning and 2 hours informal CPD packed into one morning”

www.ecoshowcase.co.uk

BIM at UK sustainable construction roadshows ecoSHOWCASE is delighted to welcome their latest industry partner The Construction Industry Council, who will be presenting their keynote seminar ‘Sustainability by BIM means’ at eleven UK locations throughout 2013.

These seminars will explain the Government’s BIM policy, the benefits of BIM to the industry as a whole and how industry members can engage with the newly created BIM Regional Hubs, which have recently been established across the UK. Attendees will be provided with case studies to illustrate experiences in implementing BIM; what business considerations are involved, how information management processes change, the legal implications and many other relevant influences that can have an effect or be affected by the BIM context.

Entry to ecoSHOWCASE is free to specifiers and construction procurement professionals, visit www.ecoshowcase.co.uk to register today.

... also includes seminars presented by CIAT and a Green Deal Update from Asset Skills

Co-located with

SHOWCASE LIVE www.itshowcase.co.uk Organised by Framework Media Ltd 11 Star Lane RINGWOOD BH24 1AL Tel:01425 477565

Event report featured Mark Burry (RMIT + Sagrada Familia), Daniel Bosia (AKT), Sara Klomps (Zaha Hadid Architects), Dirk Krolikowski (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), Bob Sheil (The Bartlett).

Two of the stand out projects presented here came from Mark Burry and Sara Klomps.

Burry, famous for his work on the Sagrada Familia, explained the design of an interior walling systems for an office that, through the shape of its surfaces, would offer a beautiful and acoustically dead meeting room within an open plan office. Using computational methods and CNC manufacturing his team created a sculpted cone based wall which ensured sound stayed inside the space created by the complex sloping walls.

With the London 2012 restriction shackles off, firms can now talk about their Olympic designs. Klomps gave a great insight into how Zaha Hadid approached the design and manufacture of the diving boards in the London Aquatic Centre.

Using McNeel Rhino, the firm cleverly sculpted three diving boards of varying height using the same three sections. These were machined at real scale in foam, from which fiberglass moulds were made to cast the concrete. This was a great story of digital design and fabrication, showing the

team’s excellent design flair. My only concern was that for known temporary structures, they looked like they were built to survive a direct nuclear hit.

In the debate following the presentations, a fairly black and white discussion took place on the place of 2D drawings in the design and construction process.

Some participants said that they have dispensed with 2D altogether, other than for contractual needs, while others such as Klomps strongly disagreed. She said 2D had a valid place and had to regularly stop her team from modelling a problem, wasting time, when it could be sketched in 2D much more quickly.

The Symposium includes presentations from leading industry practitioners describing computational-based projects or thought leading research. This year SG had lined up: Tristram Carfrae (Arup), Michelle Addington (Yale University), Sarah Jane Pell (Artist & Researcher) and Ben Cerveny (Data Visualization Designer).

A major coup for SmartGeometry was getting Tristram Carfrae, structural engineer, Arup to present. Carfrae has helped design some truly amazing and award winning buildings, such as the National Aquatics Centre (Beijing’s Watercube) and is one of the world’s leading experts in light-

weight, long-span structures.

He explored a number of designs where generative methods were used to come up with a non-linear solution to deal with site restrictions, leading to a more interesting building that structurally as good, if not better than standard designs.

Conclusion SmartGeometry has a relatively unrelenting schedule over three days and covers such a broad range of topics and ideas that it can leave one a little bewildered, with no time to truly absorb the complexities or far reaching impact of a presentation. It doesn’t help that the event rarely runs to time.

Thankfully the Symposium and sgTalkshops should be available to view online in the coming weeks and can be taken with a little more digestion time.

At the start, ten years ago, SG workshops were producing little more than CAD spirals with arrays, or unravelling curved glazing schedules. Today’s teams were designing complex vaulted structures, 3D printing them, then assisting an artisan fabricate the form, while using 3D scanning technology to compare the built form against the original design. SmartGeometry and the technology we have at our fingertips has come a long, long way.

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smartgeometry.org

Bentley turns to the cloud for simulation Event sponsor Bentley previewed a brand new technology that uses Generative Components and cloudbased simulation to explore hundreds of design iterations.

Santanu Das, Bentley’s senior vice president for design and modelling, explained how studies have shown that most designs only undergo a few iterations. Time spent modelling and remodelling, setting up simulations, and processing bottlenecks are the big barriers to evaluating more alternatives.

Those wanting to do an acoustical analysis, heat analysis or a solar insulation analysis, for example, don’t want to have to remodel every single time, explained Das “[The model] should be smart enough to self describe itself and prepare itself for that type of simulation.”

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Simulation is traditionally used for design verification, but Bentley sees a big opportunity for it to be deployed throughout the entire design process, using early stage conceptual models from the very beginning. “You can get a big ‘red, yellow, green’ as to where am I with my solar exposure, or where am I with my line of sight or my shadows,” he said.

Das was clear that the technology is not just about using the cloud to run more simulations. “You have to make the analytics talk to each other,” he said. “It’s what we call multi-disciplinary optimisations: the output of structural should influence the input of energy. The output of energy should influence the input of acoustics. We can’t work in silos anymore.”

As the model progresses it should be able to be self-aware and provide feedback on how it’s handling the different analytics it’s exposed to, he said.

It’s also about the automatic generation of the different analysis models, which Bentley calls scenario management.

Simulation shouldn’t be a serial process of build > analyse > modify and then analyse again, emphasized Das. “It should be integrated and it should be in real time and with Bentley’s cloud technologies this is all now possible.”

“Using Bentley’s scenario management with our Generative Components we can optimise and automatically generate those models for you – by you giving the constraints and what kind of patterns that you want,” said Das. “All of those models are created and

uploaded onto our cloud and you can see we’ve designed them in real time and we compare them against many different scenarios.”

Das gave an example where the system generated 60 different scenarios, but in theory this could lead to 100s if not 1,000s, leading to a much more optimal solution and helping make a building more efficient, both in terms of performance and cost.

To handle all the processing, Bentley has partnered with Microsoft and is using its Azure platform. The technology is not just reliant on multi-threaded CPUs though: Bentley showed a slide highlighting GPU compute through CUDA. Bentley’s cloud-based simulation technology will be launched later this year.

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Feature

Executive guide to BIM: part 1 What is Building Information Modelling and is it relevant to me? This is a question asked by many in today’s construction sector. This two-part guide will attempt to answer the questions that may arise relating to a BIM adoption strategy.

by Paul Woddy, White Frog

B

IM is an acronym that is much used and very much misunderstood. It is not a new term — it was first coined in the 1970s — nor does any one party own it, commercially or collectively. This partly explains one of the problems with it: Because no organisation can claim ownership or oversight, clear definitions and standards have been slow to emerge and confusion has spread.

This situation has been exacerbated by some parties inappropriately or tenuously jumping on the Building Information Modelling (BIM) bandwagon in an attempt to leapfrog the competition or re-launch existing products and / or services.

For many, the move to BIM can be more cultural than it is technological and the impact can be far reaching in terms of upheaval as well as reward. It is important to grasp the principles and methodologies of BIM, as well as the implications on the team workflow, but also to seize the opportunity to work more closely with other stakeholders in improved collaboration and co-ordination, often referred to as supply chain collaboration.

BIM is not a topic exclusive to architects, engineers and constructors and in the wider construction sector BIM is no less relevant, even if it is arguably misdiagnosed as more of a sideline issue.

If you are a manufacturer or supplier of products to the building industry then the use of BIM may range from creating a suitable library of virtual elements to match your products, to altering your manufacturing workflow to accommodate BIM data received electronically.

BIM libraries can be made available to designers who are specifying components, 20

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and hence act as a great new sales opportunity, but which BIM software or format do you opt for?

If you are a client, contractor, topographical surveyor, quantity surveyor or facility manager then BIM may have a part to play, but your interaction with it may be varied.

For many it may be simply a case of ‘wait and see’.

The nature of the underlying database means that, once created, if an object is subsequently updated or changed, these changes reflect in all relevant 2D and 3D views simultaneously, and any annotation is also updated, thereby maintaining the co-ordination of the model as well as all views of the model.

If you only take one statement from this guide, let it be that the most important part of BIM is the ‘I’ in the middle.

Information is king. In the BIM methodology, data is collated, modelled, manipulated and managed, but always with an understanding of the object to which the data relates.

Isn’t this just CAD with bells on?

When drawing boards were (largely) replaced by monitors plus a succession of tablets, keyboards, mice and other input devices, developers of CAD software focused on mirroring the techniques and processes of the drawing office, whilst removing some of the repetition and making the job easier and faster along the way.

The adoption of BIM with all of the associated upheaval has been equated to this switch to CAD, but the consequences for the drawing office can be considerably more far-reaching. Technically, of course BIM is CAD in that CAD is Computer Aided Design, but pushing semantics aside, the industry has come to draw a distinction between the two, with the involvement of the computer being a foregone conclusion.

It is not simply a case of applying traditional techniques to a new technology, but the adoption of new methodologies and business practices that denote BIM. Aspects of BIM will replace the drawing production side of CAD as it will similarly replicate www.AECmag.com

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‘‘ statement from If you only take one this guide, let it be that the most important part of BIM is the ‘I’ in the middle. Information is king. In the BIM methodology, data is collated, modelled, manipulated and managed, but always with an understanding of the object to which the data relates

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some of the actions traditionally performed by spreadsheets and databases for quantitative analysis and component specification.

It is a common misconception that buying a piece of software is the answer to adopting a new business / design strategy.

Also affected will be the team structure, job titles and project management; communication with suppliers and contractors; client deliverables; collaboration with other project stakeholders; fee structures and contract form; legal liabilities; insured risk and mitigation; and the benefits and rewards can be equally comprehensive, but only if the adoption of the process and workflow is managed well.

Buying the wrong software or pouring money into inappropriate training can result in an expensive and painful exercise.

How and where do I buy BIM? Does Revit equal BIM and BIM equal Revit?

Several misconceptions need to be explained, including the idea that buying a piece of software is the answer to adopting a new business / design strategy.

BIM is a methodology and a working process as much as it is a purchasing decision. Revit is currently the market leading BIM software and it does help facilitate this methodology if properly utilised but so would products from Bentley, Graphisoft and a myriad of other developers — even Microsoft Excel has a part to play. Each tool has ardent fans and fervent detractors and each has benefits and failures, none of which we will be looking at here.

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from any one camp and remember to speak to the whole supply chain.

Industry drivers Often the biggest driver for BIM adoption is the government, as it often represents the largest client with the weight to force technology and process adoption.

National governments across Europe, in particular in Scandinavia and the UK, plus various States in the US, have made progressively stronger announcements regarding BIM in recent years, many mandating the use of BIM methodology on all public works. Most follow a similar vein to the UK approach, which has initially dictated that from 2016 onwards, a Level 2 BIM methodology is mandated on all centrally procured public construction projects with IFC and COBie as the exchange formats for hand-over.

These are very achievable targets in the short to medium-term but it is anticipated that as the market progresses and meets these objectives, the bar will be moved higher.

It is not that every design practice intends on winning public work, nor should a practice that precludes such work ignore this information as the effort and researching undertaken to validate this government decision has given the private sector the confidence boost it needed to move in the same direction. It is no longer early-adopter technology but something with a proven track record and a strong future.

In addition to the political drivers, the technological improvement in both hardware and software associated with BIM is driving the market forwards. The efficiency gains that can be made in adopting even a fraction of the features of BIM software can justify the often steep purchase and imple-

BIM cheat sheet BIM is an acronym for Building Information Modelling. This might be stating the obvious but it is worth clarifying because some argue that BIM can refer to Building Information Management, and messaging from software firms can vary.

Both interpretations are correct. But sometimes the word ‘modelling’ causes BIM to be wrongly pigeon-holed as ‘fancy 3D graphics’, especially when those writing about BIM tend to use fancy 3D graphics.

So what does it mean?

BIM can be summarised as a methodology which is fundamentally concerned with the collation and management of information relating to a construction project, manipulated through a 3D awareness of interrelationships between objects and their associated data.

Follow that?

This means that a virtual building model is developed and information is collated from manufacturers or through the decisionmaking process of design. This model is analysed, tweaked, tested and revised, before a full-scale replica is built on site. It is built twice — once in the virtual world and again in the real world. Drawings are no longer a prerequisite deliverable from a BIM workflow, but when required they, along with schedules and other deliverables are simply interrogations of this pool of graphical and non-graphical information.

What’s the deal with data?

One big difference surrounds text on a drawing; instead of information being entered using a text tool which is akin to sticking a post-it note onto a sketch, data is added as a property of the relevant elements which are placed within the model. Generic tags are then used to extract and report the captured information and annotate the drawing. If a change is made to the information, that change is reflected in all views and reports which reference those elements, even if that data is stored externally and associated through a unique ID which relates it back to the modelled element.

So what technology do I need for BIM? BIM is a methodology, not a software tool; no one application can deliver the whole BIM picture, nor should it. Technically, BIM methodology could be applied using a pencil and a spreadsheet application, and it could equally apply to road, rail and infrastructure. Other terms can be used to describe the same process for different related sectors, such as Graphical Information Systems (GIS) in mapping and larger-scale project management; Facility Information Management (FIM) for electronic O&M manuals.

OK that sounds reasonable To keep things simple, we are talking about BIM for building projects; it should be rich in non-graphical information; and built with reference to a 3D Model.

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BIM Compliance

Reduced risk

Managed procurement

Traceability and accountability

Budget and cost control

Review and collaborate BIM models

Š Copyright AceCad Software Ltd. Names, logos & imagery are the trademarks, registered trademarks or property of their respective owners. E&OE.

Feature

Is BIM relevant to me?

You may be thinking that BIM is only really of interest to architects and engineers, possibly contractors as well. Certainly those parties may chose to take on BIM and make it a core aspect of their business because it can improve the quality and efficiency of their delivery.

But they are not the only people to

whom BIM is relevant. For those in less obvious sectors, the decision to get involved in BIM can be simplified with a succession of questions leading to the most appropriate solution: Issue A: You need to be aware of BIM and where it is being adopted, above and below you in the supply chain Action: Keep asking questions Issue B: It may be pertinent to supply BIM data as a sales initiative either in maintaining current position or gaining new market share Action: The most cost effective solution is to contract out building

mentation cost.

These savings cannot be assumed however and the benefits promised by the chosen BIM software should be carefully reviewed against the associated expense of delivery in the traditional workflow; or the added financial benefit or delivering a new service.

Educational institutions have access to pretty much all the software they need but they rightly have a tendency to only adopt the technology which supports or enhances the message being taught in the wider curriculum. Software is rarely the topic of the course but usually just a means of deliverwww.AECmag.com

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the components as the cost of maintaining the software and skills in-house would be hard to justify Issue C: Building BIM skills internally would be relevant and costeffective in order to interact with the supply chain and the manufacturing or maintenance process Action: Define a BIM Strategy, choose a primary software format and train or hire BIM-ready personnel Issue D: BIM methodology can deliver demonstrable efficiency gains internally

ing the expected result. BIM methodology transcends this and is both a delivery mechanism and a topic worthy of academic study. Many colleges and universities are now offering qualifications in BIM methodology and the principles form a core of many design courses.

Understanding of the benefits to be had from a BIM-committed supply chain is growing in the UK. Communication is a key aspect of BIM, and better communication through multiple representations of a problem or design intent, allows for a better understanding of a given scenario.

Action: An adoption strategy with return on investment should be strongly considered and regularly reassessed in the future if the numbers do not yet stack up Issue E: Full collaborative BIM involving the transfer and reuse of electronic data with one or more stakeholders makes adoption essential Action: A thorough software adoption and training strategy should be budgeted and planned The diagram on the following page is intended to lead through to one of the suggested solutions listed above

The impact of any proposed solutions is seen on all surrounding objects, therefore allowing for more informed decisions and various options can be reviewed and discussed in order to reach the best result with full understanding of the costs and rewards of each alternative.

This is why the contractor and the client can expect a more streamlined and efficient design process, which in turn is why many of them are mandating BIM on all future projects — a trend which has been accelerated by the government pronouncement to the same effect.

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Feature

BIM terminology and principles Here we explore some common Building Information Modelling (BIM) terms and take a look at the wider implications in preparing data that may be used in design, construction and maintenance.

The single building model The single building model relates to the idea that all stakeholders participate in the editing of one single file, adding their work and elements to a central pool.

It is a common misconception that the concept of BIM and the idea of a Single Building Model are the same. This is also one of the biggest fears for insurance underwriters who see a free-for-all where every stakeholder is working on one shared file, adding and modifying the elements, with other trades working around them, potentially getting in the way and accidentally making changes.

It raises serious questions regarding the ownership of elements and associated permissions and liabilities, only some of which are answered by the technology.

A lot of these issues currently have to be handled through trust and management and are a potential hotbed of disagreement and blame.

The Single Building Model is at this point, a fallacy, both from a technological perspective and from a cultural perspective. The software and hardware would preclude all but the smallest commercial projects, and the contractual environment within the supply chain is not ready for the required workflows.

Case studies are available demonstrating the concept of a single file, worked on by all parties, but this has been in limited and controlled circumstances, on smallscale buildings. Given the right hardware and software, it is feasible to do, but that does not make it right or advisable.

BIM or BIM It is impractical to suggest that any organisation will take a single step to go from reliance upon 2D drawings using CAD to a full collaborative BIM work24

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flow. In fact there are four defined levels of BIM adoption: Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

2D CAD 3D CAD Siloed BIM Collaborative BIM

As can be seen in the above graphic, there is overlap between the levels of CAD and BIM use and there is a natural process of ascendancy that is commonly followed during the adoption of BIM. Level 1 — Is it CAD or BIM? It is not uncommon to find that software such as Revit, ArchiCAD or other BIMcapable applications are used to deliver drawings, but all BIM aspects are effectively ignored in the process. This is no better than 3D CAD and the model is used purely for aesthetic and graphical interrogation, effectively missing the ‘I’ out of the acronym and leaving a Building Model.

This generally occurs when there is a lack of understanding and training and usually stems from a decision — forced or otherwise — to adopt BIM and thinking that the price of this adoption is the cost of a software licence.

It is a common mistake to imagine that because a company is staffed with intelligent users, they will be able to train themselves and get on with it. Whilst this may be true, in terms of replicating old processes and getting the new software to ‘fit-in’, it does not allow those users to realise the benefits of the new workflows that deliver the real return on the investment. You can only search for help if you know what to search for.

Big BIM and little BIM So having decided to use the missing ‘I’ and add information to the modelled elements, users move firmly into the BIM ecosystem. But adopting BIM-capable software and methodologies for in-house production of deliverables is only the first step in BIM and although the benefits of

doing so are measurable, it is only when BIM data is transferred between stakeholders and used in a collaborative sense that the full capabilities are realised.

Level 2 — Siloed BIM Level 2 BIM is often referred to as Siloed BIM or Little BIM, so called because BIM is used in isolation of outside circumstances. This is not necessarily an indication that the software is badly-used or under-performing, but is often seen as a means to an end in terms of production, alteration and management of drawings and is often the first step in a BIM implementation — learning to walk.

Often various stakeholders use BIM for their own purposes in-house and yet are unaware of how others on the project are preparing documentation for the client or contractor. Each party delivers a set of drawings and instructions as per the contractual deliverables, whether they use the latest BIM tools or not.

Level 3 — Collaborative BIM Also known as Collaborative BIM, iBIM or Big BIM, this is the ideal to which we should aspire as an industry.

It does not dictate that all parties utilise the same software platform, but that electronic communication between platforms is fully explored and exploited.

Ideally, data is regularly passed between all parties and frequent meetings see the collation of the virtual building design incorporating all disciplines.

Such meetings would identify clashes and assign resolution of issues.

Each team should have access to the BIM data of other parties as a backdrop to their design activity and the client or contractor would be able to see and interact with the process.

The final deliverable of the workflow would be a fully laden 3D model containing all associated meta-data. The production of drawings might still be required by construction workers but need no longer be an integral aspect of design delivery.

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It is not simply a case of applying traditional techniques to a new technology, but the adoption of new methodologies and business practices that denote BIM

’’

With energy prices expected to rocket in the coming decades, the existing building stock is coming under ever closer scrutiny. Older, less efficient structures are being assessed and options being explored and priced to renovate or replace.

Many of these inefficient buildings are owned and maintained by public bodies such as councils, universities and hospitals, and with limited budgets available in the public sector, this task has to be performed with intelligence and as much self-sufficiency as possible. BIM does have a large part to play in the survey and assessment as well as the development of refurbishment options or replacement opportunities.

The construction sector will emerge from the current financial squeeze in a leaner, more robust form. Those companies that survive and form the vanguard of the next boom will demonstrate an awareness of this cultural change and be fully conversant in the technologies, methodologies, implications and workflows of BIM.

What dimension?

For the practical purposes of BIM, there are six ‘D’s that have relative industry agreement:

discipline and choice, but also on the demands of the clients and project stakeholders.

BIM data produced by an architect can often be used by engineers in analysis applications; quantity surveyors in cost estimating; contractors in the planning and construction phase; and ultimately used as the basis of a facilities management handover, but all of these uses may have implications on the way that a model is constructed and the type, style and formatting of information that is collated and compiled. These requirements may mean additional work to the model or even efforts that run contrary to the requirements of others.

This statement may seem contrary but in truth, the model that is produced by the concept architect at the commencement of the design is a very different model containing vastly different objects to the one which is used as an facilities management tool at the end. It is neither possible nor cost-effective to encompass all possible uses into an element from the outset, but most BIM workflows allow for the easy swapping of components and the addition of new meta-data to suit a new usage.

■

1D 2D 3D

4D 5D 6D

A Point Line Drawing Modelled Solids and Surfaces Time and Sequence Costing Building Lifecycle Management and Facilities Management

The above will have a greater or lesser involvement in your BIM workflow, depending upon your www.AECmag.com

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whitefrog.co

Next issue We will go into greater detail on BIM workflows, when a model progresses from concept to construction and FM. Our discussion will cover the benefits and implications of adopting BIM, including changes to teams and workflows.

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7/5/13 09:53:15

Comment

Missing a

trick

Stuck in their old ways and reluctant to invest, quantity surveyors are missing out on the rich data benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

by Rob Charlton

T

In 2006 the potential of this he adoption of data was clear to me so I began Building Information having a number of conversaModelling (BIM) has tions with the leading quantity now moved past simsurveying (QS) organisations in ply being a 3D design tool. the country. I was told then that Landlords, investors and buildthere was little interest. The ing users have started to realise Rob reasons were that these organithat BIM goes far beyond visuCharlton sations were either developing alisation and clash detection.

CEO their own software or they The shift towards BIM is Space Architecture could not trust the quality of increasingly about data gaththe information supplied. ered throughout the design and Around the same time we scheduled all construction process and how it can be of the floor areas for a secondary school. used positively.

Several years ago I referred to this data The quantity surveyors did not trust the as the marmite of BIM. Marmite is the bi- information so took our paper drawings, product of the brewing industry. At some digitised them and completed a take off.

Seven years later there has been little point, someone thought it would be a good idea to put this waste yeast extract to use, progress and the reasons are largely the to bottle and sell it. It is now a global brand same.

BIM pushes out lots of data that can be making millions of pounds of profit.

The data output from the modelling pro- analysed and reported on. The architect is cess is the same as marmite. The produc- not the best person to use this data. The tion of the model means there is a lot of engineer is using some of it, as is the constructor at certain points. information that can be used.

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There is a need for someone to take this information and use it in the design constructions and operation of a building. The quantity surveyor has the right skills to manipulate this information but seems very reluctant to do so.

Over the last few years quantity surveyors have been chastised for not getting involved, yet I have seen little change in attitude. This has led me to consider the reasons for this reluctance to get involved despite the ample opportunity.

One thought is that generally the QS software of choice is Microsoft Excel — a low cost technology. This reduced overhead has gone straight to the bottom line.

Any commitment to BIM would mean a commitment to software, hardware and training.

In comparison, a medium-sized architectural practice will spend six figures every year on software alone. For a quantity surveyor to invest in BIM, it would mean a significant reduction on bottom line profit.

A simple explanation for lack of engagewww.AECmag.com

6/5/13 16:31:31

Image: Andrey Prokhorov, istockphoto.com

Quantity surveyors often do not trust the information in BIM models so rely on paper drawings to complete the survey process

ment could be that surveyors enjoy measurement. It is a manual and laborious task that takes many hours of expensive resource. New software, on the other hand, can deliver quantum from the model in seconds.

Trust the data But can the data always be trusted? Of course it can. It cannot be any worse than human error in measurement.

We have all had projects where the quantity surveyor has missed something or measured incorrectly. However in reality, I think this is only a very small blocker and not one of the main reasons for a lack of adoption across the profession.

My next thought is a little more personal and is aimed at the partners of the many surveyor practices in the UK. In the 1990s, the QS profession was very commercial and during this time, looked to grow and increase opportunities in the design process. It took hold of project management opportunities as well as embracing planwww.AECmag.com

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ning supervision when new regulations were released.

At the same time architects focussed more and more on design and allowed these roles to move away from the lead consultant.

This generation of partners who were so entrepreneurial at the time are now at the twilight of their career. They were the sharp brains of their time and are now unwilling to roll the dice once more so near to retirement. Their focus will be on the Tuscan Villa rather than new software or hardware.

The sway towards the New Rules of Measurement is my final theory. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has been promoting NRM for a long time now but the first section has been issued while further sections have failed to materialise.

This means any potential future structure of information is in a state of flux. QS firms as a result are reluctant to commit to a potentially out-of-date framework.

RICS will tell you that NRM is an inter-

national standard. It is not. It is the RICS standard that is used internationally. Until procurement and measurement processes are aligned to those used internationally, we will always be left behind.

The challenge for the QS profession is that clients see the benefits of a clear understanding of the data throughout the lifecycle of a project from international case studies. Quite rightly they want to see this level of detail on their own projects.

Unfortunately the QS business is not responding at all.

While surveyors stand still others are seizing the opportunity to exploit the data. New programmes and dashboards are being developed which can interrogate information throughout a project’s lifecycle.

Quantity surveyors have the best skills to interpret and review the information; however at present they are looking very flat footed and may find it difficult in future to demonstrate their value to the process.

May / June 2013

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6/5/13 16:31:31

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Part 1/ 26—29 June Part 2/ 03—06 July

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Case study

A lack of understanding of how buildings behave in use, including those specifically designed to be energy efficient, has undermined the progress of sustainable construction and retrofitting initiatives

One track mind Rich data from wireless sensor technologies is helping track energy performance in sustainable construction and retrofitting initiatives.

by Professor Elena Gaura

A

lack of understanding of how buildings behave in use, including those specifically designed to be energy efficient, has undermined the progress of sustainable construction and retrofitting initiatives. No-one knows if the measures have led to real energy-savings or not.

Research has overwhelmingly shown that how a building is used is the critical factor, with up to 200% variation in energy consumption from identical buildings.

Evaluation of a building’s performance is not a common part of construction and commissioning, the assumption being that a building will perform according to the design spec. The shift towards sustainable building, as well as retrofitting campaigns, will be seriously undermined without clear and ongoing insight into how people and eco-buildings work together, and the steps that can be taken to ensure what is intended can be delivered in practice.

Information on behaviour will be a critical part of ensuring buildings are genuinely ‘resilient’, flexible and adaptable enough to deal with challenges from climate change, alternative use, and for the integration of new technologies without the need for major and expensive re-building. This kind of rich data will be important for Building Information Modelling (BIM), providing the www.AECmag.com

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basis for including an energy performance in-use dimension to the modelling.

Trials of new low-cost, wireless sensor technologies with the Orbit Housing Association have shown the potential for large-scale use of sensors a real option for closing the performance gap. New Wireless Sensor Networks have been developed that meet the needs of users in the built environment sector: low-cost, robust, easy to deploy and to interpret the data provided, and long network life on minimal battery power.

Intensive monitoring provides the opportunity for rapid insights into how any new technologies work, which are working and which are not. It is possible to identify precisely which technologies deliver the best value in terms of in-use performance, and to streamline procurement, feed back the learning into the future planning and design process and establish a stronger foundation of confidence in eco-friendly measures.

In the research, more than 200,000 items of data were generated from each sensor for every week of monitoring — tracking temperature, humidity, CO2 levels and VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), compared against consumption of energy and water — and crunched into a form that can be analysed by non-experts. This way landlords can find out whether excessive carbon emissions are caused by the behaviour of residents,

problems with heating systems or in the fabric of the building itself.

On the basis of the 70 homes monitored and analysed, Orbit has started making decisions on investment and areas for cost-savings. In one of the studies, the work has highlighted weaknesses in newly installed heating systems, which provided the evidence for calling back contractors for repairs.

It has also pointed at specific issues around occupier behaviour, which can now be addressed through information packs on the use of new technologies installed, the need for a site attendant to guide occupants and open house events for tenants to get help in managing their property. As a direct result of the research and work with Orbit, tenants have started to see savings of £250 per year in energy costs. In a survey of experiences, and despite the recent increases in levels of charges, 75% of tenants said they were satisfied with the size of their energy bills.

Orbit has saved £100,000 by identifying early some defects in the Passiv home site.

Energy performance in-use data will be important for the development of BIM as standard practice, with the potential for delivering cost-savings for developers and landlords over the full life-cycle of buildings.

Professor Elena Gaura is from the Low Impact Building Centre, Coventry University May / June 2013

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6/5/13 16:54:48

ALL ImageS Courtesy of tekla

1

2

3

4

1 The new Vienna Central Station roof was made of 14 unique diamond shape steel trusses

Thirty-five experts from Unger Steel Group used Tekla’s BIM software to plan, produce and assemble the diamond trusses of the partially transparent roof of the Vienna Central Railway Station. Now when the trains arrive at the station, passengers see the first glimpse of the city through the roof.

2, 3 & 4 Using Trimble Total Station on site

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6/5/13 17:10:16

Case study

Vienna Central Railway Station T

he new Vienna Central Railway Station is a major European traffic hub. When completed in 2015, about 145,000 passengers and 1,000 trains will pass through the station every day. The project has an attached shopping mall, residential buildings and park.

Unger Steel Group had to work with precision on this crowded site and include other project parties.

Unger was contracted to complete the roof which covers the tracks, with a complex geometry of 14 unique diamondshaped steel trusses. It used Tekla software and Trimble Total Station to complete the work.

Automating production

From Total Station to Tekla and back

The required data is transferred directly from the design office in to the DSTV file format and interfaces with the cutting machines in Unger’s workshop. The process means production can start immediately after completion of planning. Transferring fabrication information automatically to production machinery means errors are avoided.

The workflow for positioning the roof parts moved in rounds. Unger’s team measured the structure with Trimble Total Station, imported the data to Tekla Structures, adjusted it, and exported the modified data back to Total Station for positioning.

As any inaccuracies would have affected the composition, the Unger team performed control measurements continuously in case the components would carry tolerances from fabrication or transport. On the connection points of the diamond trusses, the team measured the structure, downloaded the measurements into the Tekla model and after this planned and manufactured the connection parts. On site, they also marked building axes with Trimble Total Station.

Punctual logistics

Unger chose Tekla because it had to work punctually: it was crucial to have the right material at the right place.

Unger’s team had to assemble the complex diamond trusses in a very limited space. The pieces arrived to site just before they were What’s in the model? bolted together. The site staff assembled the Tekla created constructable steel structures, first trusses while the workshop team proTime, money and workflow modelled and detailed the main structure and substrucSmooth workflow between tures like cable channels, office and site is the goal of extracted data and drawings every construction company, Due to the complexity of the geometry for production and assembly, and according to Unger, Trimble and simulated welding and Tekla together take their and very tight schedule, construction with sequences of the complex customers closer to this goal.

2D plans would not have been possible components.

BIM and automated data Up to ten designers worked transfer accelerated the project. on the model in multi-user With Trimble Total Station, mode. Unger imported the Unger’s own staff could meaarchitect’s model as 3D DWG files to Tekla duced the remaining ones. The entire pro- sure the structures to save on expenses of Structures for design and detailing the dia- cess from cutting one truss to its final assem- external surveyors. They transferred the mond trusses. As numerous parties operated bly took on average three and a half months. measurements of the built structure directly on the huge construction site, Unger includto Tekla to save time and labour and avoid ed platforms with rails and concrete founda- Trimble Total Station entering the measuring data manually. Tekla tions to the model in order to notice and solve Unger used Trimble Total Station with Tekla eased the logistical challenge with automatipossible clashes in the design phase. for the first time to assemble the diamond cally generated transport lists and aid in contrusses. Unger assembled the roof compo- trolling production and assembly sequence.

BIM everywhere nents while they hung from a crane, and the At Unger BIM does not stop at the design team needed exact position information for Collaboration using Tekla BIMsight office door. The company configures each lifting and fitting the components correctly Unger chose Tekla BIMsight for collaboranew version of Tekla Structures according at 15m above the platforms. tion with architects and structural engineers.

They used the combination of Tekla and Each party had the building information to specific standards, which enables it to plan specifically for cutting and Trimble in a preassembly workshop to mea- model available and could work together, sure the components after welding, to spot including production and installation teams production.

Unger created transport lists and surveys possible manufacturing tolerances before on site. Tekla BIMsight was also used for the directly from the model in Tekla and used it assembly, and later to control the position of approval process in the planning phase. the structure and put the parts together. to control production and assembly.

■ tekla.com

‘‘

’’

www.AECmag.com

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Review

Scan 3XS GW-MT15: Quadro K600

8GB of RAM, but Scan has managed to pack in an impressive 16GB into this machine, populating two of the four DIMM slots with 8GB DDR3-1600 modules.

For those that work with small assemblies much of this will probably go unused, so it could be worth scaling down to 8GB if budget is tight.

An overclocked Intel Core i5 To handle 3D models Scan 3570K CPU and Nvidia’s Product spec has included Nvidia’s brand brand new Kepler Quadro ■ Quad Core Intel new Quadro K600 graphics K600 GPU combine to delivCore i5 3570K Ivy card. The 1GB card is ideal er an enviably low cost CAD Bridge CPU (3.4GHz overclocked to for entry-level CAD, but will workstation 4.4GHz) start to show its limitations ■ 16GB (2 x 8GB) when working with large Sub £1,000 workstations used Corsair PC3-12800 (1600) memory 3D models, particularly when to mean a major trade off in ■ Nvidia Quadro displaying realistic materials, most areas — CPU, memory, K600 (1GB DDR3) using Nitrous in 3ds Max graphics hard drive and graphics. But, as for example.

■ 120GB PNY XLR8 Scan’s latest entry-level machine Series SSD + 2TB In terms of storage, Scan has demonstrates, the sacrifices do 7,200RPM Seagate Barracuda 6Gb/s opted for a dual drive setup: a not have to be nearly as big as SATA hard drive 120GB PNY XLR8 Solid State they used to be.

■ Gigabyte GA-Z77Drive (SSD) for operScan’s 3XS GW-MT15 is D3H motherboard ating system and focused squarely on entry-level ■ Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit applications 3D, but still provides raw CPU ■ 3 year warranty and sizeable performance. Overclocked to 1st year onsite, 2nd 2TB Seagate 4.4GHz the quad core Intel and 3rd year return to base (parts & Barracuda Core i5 3570K processor packs labour) SATA drive a huge punch for CAD and BIM ■ £940 for data. software, where clock speed 3xs.scan.co.uk Considering is king. the price of This ‘Ivy Bridge’ chip is a the machine cool £70 cheaper than the popular Core i7 3770K and there should be this is pretty impresvery little noticeable difference in day-to- sive, though I would personally allocate a bit day modelling operations.

The main distinction between the two is more budget to the SSD. For an additional £26 that the Intel Core i5 3570K does not support Intel HyperThreading, which should you can upgrade to a PNY give a welcome 15% boost in most ray trace professional 120GB Prevail Elite, renderers.

So, unless rendering is an important which is not only rated by part of your workflow, consider it money PNY as being 10x higher in terms of its long term endurance, but our tests well saved.

Most entry-level workstations ship with confirm that it is significantly faster than

the consumer-focused PNY XLR8. £26 well spent I’d say.

For what is positioned as a budget workstation it is good to see Scan has still managed to present the components in a quality chassis. The CoolerMaster Silencio RC-550 is solid in construction, provides easy access to the hard drives inside and also includes some handy top mounted USB ports.

With a substantial CPU heat sink and insulated with acoustic foam, the machine is also incredibly quiet in operation.

However, with the CPU rated at 77W and the GPU at 41W there is not a huge amount of heat being generated inside so the fans should not be taxed too much anyway.

Overall, the Scan 3XS GW-MT15 is an impressive entry-level machine, which, thanks to its overclocked CPU, can mix it with the best when it comes to raw performance in CAD and BIM software.

The only real limitation as far as CAD is concerned is with graphics where large models, particularly those presented with realistic materials, could become a little sluggish on screen.

Other than that, even with a few tweaks here and there, perhaps to upgrade the SSD, it is possible to keep it under that all-important £1,000 Threshold. Impressive stuff from the Bolton-based system builder.

Greg Corke

Nvidia’s new Keplerbased Quadro GPUs Nvidia has three new CAD-focused Quadro GPUs based on its Kepler architecture.

The Quadro K600 (1GB DDR3) (£149); Quadro K2000 (2GB GDDR5) (£389); and Quadro K4000 (3GB GDDR5) (£829) are for entry-level, mid-range and high-end users respectively.

The cards join the Quadro K5000 (4GB GDDR5) (£1,559) which is really reserved for ultra high-end CAD, powerwalls or design viz.

■ nvidia.co.uk/quadro

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6/5/13 17:11:39

Workstation Specialists WSX4V2 A good all-round CAD workstation with a brand new Nvidia GPU Intel’s ‘Ivy Bridge’ Core i7 3770K may have just celebrated its first birthday, but it continues to be the processor of choice for mainstream CAD. Single threaded applications thrive on this high GHz chip and with four cores and eight threads, there is power in reserve for rendering. And the best thing — it only costs £220.

For this ‘Workstation Enhanced’ WSX4 the Core i7 3770K has been clocked up to 4.3GHz from 3.5GHz giving a welcome boost in all applications.

While the CPU is relatively old in com-

Lenovo ThinkPad W530

puter terms, the graphics card is bang up to date. The Keplerbased Nvidia Quadro K2000 was only released in March this year and should provide a solid option for mainstream CAD and BIM software.

With a 120GB Intel 520 Series SSD and a 1TB 7,2000RPM HDD, the machine offers both performance and capacity.

However, those who use multiple applications, such as the Autodesk Building Design Suite, may benefit from an upgrade to a 240GB SSD. For a mainstream CAD workstation some might find the 220 x 500 x 500mm to be a touch on the large side, but it does make servicing easy.

Product spec ■ Intel Core i7 3770K

(3.5GHz clocked to 4.3GHz) (Quad Core) ■ 16GB (2 x 8GB) PC3-1600MHz Quad Channel DDR3 memory ■ Nvidia Quadro K2000 (2GB) GPU ■ 120GB Intel 520

Series SSD + 1TB 7,200RPM SATA3 hard drive

■ WS motherboard

(Intel Z77 Chipset)

■ Microsoft Windows

7 Professional 64-bit ■ 3 year full parts &

labour system warranty ■ £1,595

workstation specialists.com

but lacks a numerical keypad, a popular feature with designers. The keys are backlit and can also be lit from a light at the top of the screen — perfect for those late night emails.

There is some good attention to detail on An excellent all round mobile the chassis: the USB ports are colour-coded for easy reference.

There are workstation ideal for CAD on the go 2 x USB 3.0 (blue), and 2 x USB 2.0, including a permanently While 17-inch mobile workstaProduct spec powered port (yellow) which is tions offer an enviable combinauseful for charging a phone. tion of performance and features, ■ Intel Core i7-3720QM (2.6GHz) The 15.6-inch backlit LED disif truth be told they are not ideal(Quad Core) CPU play is full HD (1,920 x 1,080), ly suited to CAD on the go. Their ■ 8GB (2 x 4GB) clear and bright and boasts a size, weight and poor battery life PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz wide viewing angle and a 95% are real barriers to portability.

SODIMM memory colour gamut.

The 15-inch machines offer a ■ Nvidia Quadro K2000M (2GB) GPU Serviceability is good with the much better all-round mobile ■ 240 GB Intel 520 hard drive enclosure standing experience and the ThinkPad Series SATA3 Solid out for the ease with which W530 is a great example from State Drive (SSD) drives can be replaced. The Chinese manufacturer, Lenovo.

■ Microsoft Windows 8 Professional 64-bit W530 is limited to a single 2.5ThinkPad comes with an (Win 7 downgrade) inch drive — a workstation impressive pedigree, going back ■ 15.6” LED B/L quality 240GB Intel SSD 520 to the days when it was owned (1,920 x 1,080) display Series in our test machine — but

by IBM. While this new model ■ 2.7kg the 34mm ExpressCard Slot can bears little resemblance to the ■ 245 x 373 x 32-36mm support an angular chassis of old it does ■ 3 year on-site warranty additional manage to retain the robustness ■ £1,650 SSD. For largthat has become synonymous lenovo.co.uk er capacities, with the brand over the years.

Lenovo offers There are some functional differences: the curved chassis sports an off a range of SATA drives.

Inside the machine the centre catch, which makes single hand opening possible. The Touchpad has a dimpled Intel Core i7-3720QM surface, which gained mixed reactions from CPU provides a good solid our testers. Some liked its tactile feeling; oth- foundation for CAD. It is ers found it harder to point accurately. In tra- not the highest spec CPU ditional ThinkPad style though, there is also on offer, but offers good a TrackPoint nestled in the middle of the key- price/performance. It has board and, of course, an external mouse is a clock speed of 2.6GHz (turbo boosting up to 3.6GHz) plus four always the best option for serious CAD use.

The island-style keyboard, which has spac- CPU cores and eight threads, which gives a es between the keys, is solid and responsive welcome boost when rendering. www.AECmag.com

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Furthermore, because every Workstation Specialist machine features the same chassis, self repair over the phone, under the guidance of a WS engineer, is made easier, helping get back up and running quicker should it develop a fault.

The WSX4 is a good allround CAD workstation, delivering solid performance at a decent price.

Greg Corke

The processor is supported by 8GB DDR3 1600MHz memory; not a massive amount for modern CAD workflows, but there is the option of 16GB or 32GB for those who work with larger datasets.

The W530 is very much designed for 3D work and the Quadro K2000M GPU is ideal for mainstream CAD or BIM use. It is a step up from the entry-level Quadro K1000M, the other GPU option in the W530, but probably will not satisfy users of graphics-hungry design viz applications. If high-end graphics is your thing, you will need to investigate a 17-inch mobile workstation.

One of the benefits of the mid-range Quadro K2000M is its reduced power requirement. With a max power consumption of 55W it is significantly more efficient than the high-end Quadro GPUs. This, coupled with the 45W Intel Core i7-3720QM CPU, means the W530 has relatively low power demands.

Our test machine’s nine cell Li-Ion Battery, a step up from the standard six cell model, also means you can spend longer away from the mains.

Overall, the W530 is an impressive all round mobile workstation for mainstream CAD. Its size, weight and battery life means it is perfectly suited to design on the go, but can also be a more than adequate desktop replacement.

However, with only a 240GB SSD you may need to invest in external storage for CAD data.

Greg Corke May / June 2013

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Preview

AMD FirePro R5000 GPU

This, of course, depends on there being suitable bandwidth and latency on the network.

AMD says the technology works with existing networks, though acknowledgControl your workstation remotely with es there may be benefits to having a a new graphics card from AMD that dedicated network in place. melds a professional GPU with dedicat- Depending on the network conditions AMD’s Mohamed ed PC-over-IP (PCoIP) technology Jivraj explains that the In recent years there have been a number on-board Teradici of remote graphics technologies designed TERA2240 profor 3D CAD — use a thin client to control cessor will autoyour CAD application while your powerful matically compen3D workstation sits in a data centre some- sate by temporarily reducing the quality of the where else.

AMD’s latest offering, the FirePro R5000, streamed frames. The most important is basically a professional 3D graphics card thing is that the system remains responsive that has Teradici PC-over-IP (PCoIP) tech- to mouse and keyboard input at all times; nology built-in. It sits inside a workstation, the CAD model might not be displayed at rack or blade server, and streams highly optimum quality straight away, but the compressed graphics data over a standard image will sharpen up in subsequent frames IP network to a thin client that sits on the — a bit like a progressive JPG on a website.

Client side, the AMD FirePro R5000 designer’s desk.

With AMD’s remote graphics solution works with any PCoIP-certified thin client no actual CAD data ever leaves the work- solution, such as those offered by Dell Wyse. AMD says the techstation: all of the 3D graphnology will work with softics processing is done on AMD FirePro ware-based PCoIP clients, the card, turning snapshots R5000 GPU such as VMware View of the CAD model into pixel [which runs on a PC, tablet data. This data is then comPrice TBC or SmartPhone]. However, pressed by the Teradici chip ■ amdfirepro.com the best user experience for and sent out over Ethernet 3D CAD will usually be with to be decompressed by the client and displayed on up to four HD Teradici hardware-based clients as they do not rely on the CPU for decompression. monitors.

The AMD FirePro R5000 is primarily All of this is done frame-by-frame, much like streaming a movie — except in the case designed for use in a rack or blade server, of the FirePro R5000 the ‘movie’ is being but with a rating of 150W it can be used in made in real time as the user manipulates pretty much any desktop workstation.

In addition to an Ethernet port it includes the 3D CAD model on screen.

The big difference from mainstream two mini DisplayPorts to drive monitors remote desktop solutions is that the AMD directly. According to AMD, this will make FirePro R5000 is specifically designed for it easier to remotely diagnose and trouble3D CAD. For the CAD user, the 3D experi- shoot any issues client side. However, for ence should be much the same as working smaller firms, we imagine it could also give on a local workstation. Move the mouse and a standard workstation a dual role: a workthe model should instantly react on screen. horse CAD machine that could also be

Display resolutions vs planning bandwidth

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1,024 x 768

1,280 x 1,024

1,680 x 1,050

1,600 x 1,200

1,920 x 1,200

Task worker

3 Mbps

5 Mbps

7 Mbps

6Mbps

9Mbps

Knowledge worker/ basic CAD

10 Mbps

15 Mbps

20 Mbps

22 Mbps

25 Mbps

Performance user / 3D modelling

30 Mbps

45 Mbps

60 Mbps

65 Mbps

80 Mbps

Video editing

-

60 Mbps

80 Mbps

85 Mbps

100 Mbps

Extreme bandwidth allocation

-

120 Mbps

160 Mbps

170 Mbps

200 Mbps

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accessed remotely from the boardroom for interactive presentations.

There are many compelling arguments for remote workstations in general. With a centralised workstation resource ongoing maintenance and support costs can be significantly reduced (upgrades and updates are much easier to manage — no more diving under dusty desks to replace a workstation hard drive).

Data can be kept completely secure with confidential designs protected (CAD data never leaves the workstation — it is only pixel data that is ever sent to the thin client).

Office noise can be significantly reduced (imagine a 1,000W workstation with fans on full pelt versus a passively cooled thin client).

It is also possible to access expensive high-performance workstation technology in hostile environments (workstation fans expel heat but also draw in dust from the construction site, which can damage the machine).

Of course, remote graphics for CAD is nothing particularly new. Rack workstations have been available from Tier One workstation vendors for some time.

However, many of these deploy two discrete PCI Express boards – one for graphics and one for PCoIP. In contrast, the AMD FirePro R5000 is an elegant one-card solution, with a single driver installation and quick setup.

In terms of 3D performance, the FirePro R5000 is a big step up from the ATI FirePro RG220, the entry-level remote graphics offering that AMD released in 2010. With the equivalent performance of a desktop FirePro W5000 GPU the new card should hit the sweet spot for most mainstream CAD and BIM applications.

Finally, it is important to note that the AMD FirePro R5000 is all about a one-toone connection between workstation/server and client; the card cannot be virtualised to enable multiple users to share GPU resources.

We hope to test drive AMD’s remote graphics offering later this year.

Greg Corke www.AECmag.com

6/5/13 17:11:46

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