Building Information Modeling (BIM) – The Future of Construction

With the emergence of Building Information Modeling, it is hard to remember an era where CAD 3D was the holy grail of construction design and planning. BIM has taken the construction industry by storm, providing a more efficient medium for planning and carrying out a project.

If you intentionally clicked on this post, chances are, you are yet to fully understand what BIM is about. In any case, let me put you in the right direction.

What is BIM?

BIM Stands for Building Information Modeling, is an intelligent, model-based process for planning, designing, building and managing buildings collaboratively, using one coherent system of computer models as opposed to separate sets of drawings. It connects Architecture, Electrical and construction professionals, therefore, ensuring the efficient design, building, and management of the concerned project.

The output of a BIM design procedure is referred to as BIMs or building information models. These are digital data files or formats that portray details of the project, therefore aiding decision-making throughout a project cycle.

With technology becoming more advanced with every passing year, Building Information Modeling could not have emerged at a better time for structural and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) Engineering firms. Engineering firms offering BIM services are at an advantage of maintaining profitability. This is because increasing building mandates have resulted in increasing demand for Building Information Modeling. BIM designs help these firms keep up with the increasing building mandates.

BIM In Structural Engineering

Building Information Modeling helps structural engineers to improve workflow and produce more efficiently, thus, increasing quality and reducing costs. BIM designs are important to a structural engineer in several ways, a few of which are;

Interoperability

Using IFC format in file exchange between BIM software is removing hindrances between platforms for models and data sharing between platforms. This sharing of data is a major step forward compared with the option of building parallel models to carry out the entire process.

Team building and learning sharing

The use of BIM software in the construction workflow secures both connection and profitable viewpoints and can bring great benefits. Clashes that may exist between various models and software no longer exist, as well as clashes between the different disciplines involved. A simpler sharing of models results in a better relationship between the different technical experts who can exchange and share expertise. This also increases skills and productivity for the whole team.

BIM in MEP Engineering

MEP engineers have an important part to play in the life cycle of a project. Applying the idea of Building Information Modeling to MEP installations will ensure a genuinely productive and quality building design. BIM improves MEP design in various ways, for example,

BIM helps MEP Engineers Design Faster

The utilization of BIM accelerates the design procedure essentially, decreasing repetition and the amount of time required for design review. Also, BIM software is commonly equipped to calculate material lists without anyone’s input, hence allowing work hours productivity. For this reason, engineers can concentrate on designing the best solution without committing time to tedious tasks.

BIM makes maintenance easy and Reduces its Costs

The utilization of BIM doesn’t end with executing projects. A computer-generated building model is very valuable when managing the property and setting up maintenance operations. Specifically, it adopts a preventive approach rather than a responsive approach, in other words, fixing issues before they happen is far more profitable than fixing the harm.

Since BIM includes information on MEP components, updating with regular inspections or with building framework changes is possible. One of BIM’s services is providing an avenue to monitor the condition of key components and therefore arrange their replacements at the right time.

The Future of Construction

The adoption of BIM over a large area of the construction industry isn’t just concerning the universe of software houses and engineers, but also governmental and private clients. This trend is driving toward a sector development, swapping everything that for quite a long time has moved around CAD. In numerous nations, particularly European nations, and also Brazil, Canada, United States, Chile, BIM is becoming compulsory.

BIM enables AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) experts to create real-life structures from even the most complex models, permitting much more detailed modeling with a larger variety of materials, saving time and resources. Users can thus focus on what is necessary.