
The importance of BIM for healthcare projects:
As the world tackles the second wave of COVID-19 the importance of hospitals has become very clear. Most of the countries across the globe have come to terms with the fact that in order to deal with a pandemic of this magnitude they would need more hospitals and even the ones they have will need to be managed better. The construction of hospitals is critical and complex in nature. It must account for various factors like cost, safety of essential workers and patients, management of facilities etc. In the current article we will looking at the ways in which BIM can be useful to improve the construction and management of healthcare projects.
1. Enhanced Designing:
Architectural BIM Services can be essential to create the ideal hospital design. The architects and designers when designing the hospital must think of safety, ensure the design is wheelchair accessible and with COVID-19 should also have social distances measures incorporated in the design. The material used should be non-hazardous and possibly sustainable. The design should also make provision of clean and unfiltered air, proper ventilation should be there across the hospital, the emergency room should have proper heat and lightning etc. A therapeutic environment is essential for patient’s recovery which means using light and warm colors, incorporating windows in the recovery rooms etc. With BIM it is possible to add exact dimensions of rooms, doors, windows, lightning systems, hallways etc. Moreover, 3D visualization and walkthroughs can be used to see weather the final design is up to the requirements.
2. Proper Visualization:
As stated before, the hospital is a huge and complex building where there are multiple wards each with unique requirements. Creating an optimal design keeping all the patients’ comfort and safety in mind is a challenge. Moreover, once designed the next step is to construct it as per the plan. Many times, the architects are able to visualize the building but they fail to effectively communicate the same with contractors. This means that the design will not be converted into reality. BIM enables the creation of virtual reality and augmented reality environments wherein each aspect of the building project can be communicated from design to aesthetics to constructability. It allows to visualize the final hospital design with the minute details like placement of diagnostic equipment and flow of patients. Enhanced visualization not just conveys the design intent but also allows to detect any irregularities and change the same before onsite construction begins.
3. Better Financial Savings:
Building Information Modeling can to a great extent help reduce the construction cost. BIM Coordination Services ensures that any clashes or errors are detected right at the planning and designing stage so that there is no rework and loss of time, resources and money onsite. Similarly, proper visualization and coordination amongst all the members ensures that there is no miscommunication and the final output is upto the requirements of the people. Beyond that BIM also streamlines the scheduling process. 4D BIM by linking time related data into the 3D model ensures that the components, assemblies, prefabrication all take place in a timely manner so that here are no delays which ultimately always increase cost. 5D BIM links quantities of materials and components to cost so any change in quantity leads to an automatic change in cost. This allows to keep track of the cost throughout the project so there are no unexpected surprises in the end.
4. Management of Hospitals:
Once the hospitals are constructed the real task of effectively managing it on day-to-day basis begins. After construction as-built BIM models should be constructed which shows all the final constructed functional and physical characteristics of the hospital. This means the location of the components, information about the materials, manufacture’s details etc. BIM for facility management can help make quick repairs which is very crucial in hospitals as even small problems like faulty MEP systems could lead to adverse consequence. It also allows to keep track of new updates, check whether the given MEP system could take the load of a new heavy equipment etc. It could also help in space management which is crucial when hospitals need to add more beds during a pandemic or emergency situation.
Thus, using BIM could help the construction professionals involved in a hospital project to increase their speed, productivity, quality and also gain better profit margins. Following construction, the Intelligent 3D model also holds significant advantages for effective management of the hospital building.