In this session, let us talk about what BIM technology can offer. First of all, BIM technology offers 3D BIM model, which is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life‐cycle from inception onward. What I just read about BIM model is from the first version of US National BIM Standard. Once you have the 3D BIM model, you can slice it anywhere you want, and view the model from any directions without worrying the gravity in the physical world. You can also easily toggle on and off components in a BIM model, examine different systems individually or as a whole, and examine their relationships. The applications of BIM are not limited to buildings but civil infrastructures. Here is an example of a BIM model for a bridge project. These are BIM models for power cable projects. As long as we have all the needed components in the BIM model, the computer can automatically perform quantity takeoff from the BIM model for us. Also, the computer can automatically generate 2D drawings from the BIM model for us. Although we may still need to post-process the drawings a bit to fulfill the client’s needs, the completeness of the automatically generated drawings is pretty high. The most important thing is that any modification in the 3D model will be consistently reflected to all related 2D drawings and the consistency among the 2D drawings is automatically guaranteed. Also, the BIM model helps us to integrate multiple systems into an optimized one and to make sure all conflicts between different systems are resolved in advance, before the actual construction. We can put the BIM model into a larger scale of modeling to see if the building fit well into its surrounding environment. We can also use the architectural BIM model to examine the building’s architectural performance, such as lighting, shading, ventilation, energy saving, and so on. The structural BIM model helps us to examine detailed design among engineers. These BIM models facilitate not only the coordination among designers but also the communication between the designers and owners as well as future users. Before actual construction, the construction BIM model can help us in resolving clashes in advance, especially for spaces with multiple systems. BIM technology provides the following benefits: First, better product information presentation, sharing & integration. Second, better interdisciplinary design integration. Third, better communication with clients and other design & construction team members. Now let me show you some examples. With 3D presentation on architectural design, the clients can understand the design much better and quicker than the 2D presentation with CAD drawings. These two videos show the results of BIM design exercises that allow people to go through the architectural design and check the MEP design in the BIM models. Better interdisciplinary design integration can be achieved through the integration of BIM models from different professions. Today’s BIM tools also allow for modeling of rebar design and realistic rendering of the interior of a building with lighting effects for better communication with clients and other design & construction team members. We all know that rehearsal is needed for any performance on a stage. The stage of civil engineers is the construction site and the actual construction work is their performance. However, it has been a long time that civil engineers do not have good enough tools for them to rehearse the actual construction work. Now, BIM enables rehearsal of all activities & their sequences throughout the lifecycle of a facility in digital space, in which engineers are not constrained by time and location but limited only by the engineer’s imagination. It should be noted that the simulation in digital virtual space is not limited to just the construction of physical objects in the real world but has been extended to include simulation of human behaviors. In summary, when compared to traditional technologies, BIM has the following advantages: BIM provides better visual expression and facilitates communication, coordination and advance planning. BIM supports better engineering management and reduces construction conflicts, design changes, and so on. BIM provides better life cycle engineering information management, especially operation and maintenance management. BIM improves construction quality and reduces life-cycle cost. Also, from the perspectives of both design and business, BIM enables the two savings shown in the figure along the lifecycle of a facility. The first one is in the design and construction phase where BIM enables faster and lower cost delivery, while the second one is in the operation and maintenance stage where BIM enables more effective product information management for facility management.
