How can AEC professionals use BIM to overcome design and coordination challenges?

How can AEC professionals use BIM to overcome design and coordination challenges?

The AEC industry today is expected to deliver better results in faster time-frames and at low costs. This would definitely create a situation of pressure and the AEC professional’s must work in a manner that would leave no room for errors, rework or clashes.

Any successful construction of a building involves a collaboration between Architectural, Structural and MEP Disciplines. It is imperative to check for interferences between these disciplines as well as any clashes within the 3D model. Any clash left undetected could lead to major setbacks. Today the construction industry has the option to move beyond CAD; which doesn’t provide an automated system to detect clashes and puts a heavy reliance on intuition, imagination and technical knowledge of the team. Virtual Construction provides the AEC professionals better visualization capabilities and requisite tools which would enable them to detect interfaces in the pre-construction stage itself.

In the current article we aim to state the advantages of BIM Coordination Services and how it can be used to better overcome the design and coordination challenges faced during the construction of any building or a structure.

1. Hard Clashes between different disciplines:

It is imperative that the architectural and structural models are perfectly aligned with HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire protection models. A hard clash occurs when two objects occupy the same place or when they pass through each other. For example, and intra-discipline clash between architecture and MEP disciplines can be when an air duct is running through a concrete wall. Ideally these clashes were measured by comparing 2D construction documentation, a method which was highly prone to errors. Today, with Navisworks it is possible to combine 3D models and detect any interferences that are possibly occurring. It allows to run collision tests between isolated building elements and then generates clash reports which can be sent to the concerned member of the BIM team to implement required changes.

2. Space Allocation of MEP Components:

When any component or element in the design is not given the requisite tolerance it leads to soft clash. Any particular object has a geometric tolerance which if breached could lead to clashes. In the normal designing process any MEP engineer add 10% and 20% load calculation to cover any changes which could potentially occur during the on-site construction phase. With MEP BIM Services, it is however possible to calculate the exact load calculations and ensure that any element or component is given the required amount of space and the equipment can handle the given loads.

3. Workflow Management:

The Building Information Model also allows to identify a workflow clash that could occur as a result of inconsistent information in the 3D models. For instance, a HVAC component’s assembly and installation could be scheduled before the delivery of the parts. It is though not directly related to any design issues any undetected workflow clash could have a domino effect which could cause a significant damage to the timeline and the project’s estimated cost.

Thus, Clash Detection can provide AEC professionals the tools which are required to overcome design and coordination challenges. It is requisite to reduce errors, mitigate risks and reduce the overall cost and material waste. Moreover, by improving scheduling and sequencing it increases productivity and speed of the construction process.

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