Crate & Barrel Uses BIM to Reduce Project Costs and Time

U.S. retailer Crate & Barrel has utilized BIM in its construction projects since 2002 when company executives made a strategic decision to adopt the technology. The company's director of construction says BIM is allowing the retailer to continue building during the tough economic times, reporting that current projects take 40 percent less time and cost 50 percent less to complete than projects built before utilizing BIM. Click on the link below to read the complete article featured in Daily Commercial News and Construction Record.

http://dcnonl.com/article/id38245

Source: Daily Commercial News and Construction Record

Designing Sports Stadiums Using BIM

New York Construction magazine recently featured an article in its BIM Special Section on how BIM was used to design and build the new Yankee and Meadowlands stadiums. The reporter interviewed project team representatives on both stadiums and this is what they had to say about BIM:

http://newyork.construction.com/features/archive/2009/04_F1_SportsModeling.asp

Source: New York Construction

Understanding Complexities of BIM in Healthcare Facility Design

St. Louis, MO-based KAI Design & Build's BIM Coordinator Adam Lega recently submitted an article to Healthcare Design magazine discussing the complexities of using BIM in the design of a healthcare facility.

Read the article here:
http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=51EB7590B50142C49924A9C01C9DB19F

Source: Healthcare Design magazine

GSA Talks About 3D-4D BIM Program

The web site for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) includes an interesting and informative 12-minute video highlighting the group's national 3D-4D BIM program. The video includes comments from a variety of experts and shows multi-dimensional BIM drawing examples. The video also contains valuable insight into the future of BIM; including a prediction that two dimensional drawings will be absolete within the next 10 years. Worth checking out.

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?programId=14500&channelId=-24291&ooid=20917&contentId=24256&pageTypeId=17109&contentType=GSA_BASIC&programPage=%2Fep%2Fprogram%2FgsaBasic.jsp&P=PMBIM

Source: U.S. General Services Administration

Reviewing BIM in 2009; Looking to 2010

The author of the article in the link below sees BIM becoming a driving force in the AEC industry in 2010, based on the increased interest in BIM that he's seen locally and nationally in 2009. What do you think?

http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2010/01/moving-forward-with-bim-in-2010/

Source: Reed Construction Data

Register Today for BIMForum's Winter Event

Registration is now open for the 2010 Winter BIMForum. The program, filled with BIM education and discussion, is scheduled for Jan. 11-15 in Phoenix, Arizona. This year's BIMForum will "focus on the varied uses of a building information model for the life of the project - from design to construction to post-facilities management."

Click here for more information and to register:

http://bimforum.org/2009/11/23/registration-open-for-winter-2010-bimforum/

Source: BIMForum.org

BIM-Cutting Through the Clutter

St. Louis-based Tarlton General Contractors/Construction Managers blogs about BIM from a general contractor's perspective. Entry stresses the importance of determining BIM-specific goals and developing a plan to support those goals to ensure BIM implementation success.

Read More:
http://67.199.83.231/News/TarltonBlog/tabid/62/EntryId/6/Building-Information-Modeling-BIM-Cutting-Through-the-Clutter.aspx

Source: Tarlton General Contractors/Construction Managers

ASHRAE Offers FREE BIM Introductory Guide

ASHRAE, founded in 1894 to advance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to better serve humanity, is now offering its BIM Introductory Guide for FREE through its Web site, www.ashrae.org/publications. The recently released guide serves as a resource for professionals considering BIM tools and applications for their businesses.

For more information about ASHRAE or the BIM Introductory Guide, visit:

http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/375193-ASHRAE_releases_free_BIM_introductory_guide.php

Source: Building, Design & Construction

Texas Facilities Commission Adopts BIM

The Texas Facilities Commission, which oversees the state's real estate development, recently adopted Building Information Modeling for state design and construction projects.

Read More:

http://texas.construction.com/texas_construction_news/2009/1101_TexasAdoptsBIM.asp

Source: Texas Construction magazine

BuilderNews Looks at BIM

Thank you to reporter Ben Ikenson of BuilderNews for his insightful article into the latest e-tools, including BIM, that are helping the construction industry save time and resources on their jobs.

http://www.buildernewsmag.com/bn-multifamily/features/2595-track-and-build-

Source: BuilderNews

BIM and Green Design

This may be an older article, but of course it is still relevant today. The article takes an in-depth look at designing green buildings using Building Information Modeling. The reading includes an overall, general description of BIM, along with several, interesting BIM images. Worth a look at.

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=160501a.xml

Source: Environmental Building News and www.buildinggreen.com

BIM Videos and Whitepapers

The Autodesk website provides several videos on BIM, including a brief introductory video perfect for anyone just beginning to learn about BIM. The site offers several additional videos and a substantial list of whitepapers written on the topic of BIM. Worth checking out.

http://usa.autodesk.com/company/building-information-modeling/experience-bim

Source: Autodesk.com

BIM - Culture of Collaboration

A recent article on Reed Construction Data takes an in-depth look at the need for businesses to promote a culture of collaboration in order to implement BIM. It takes more than just the right software to make BIM work, it takes a lot of teamwork.

Read more about it here:
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/10/bim-ushers-in-a-culture-of-collaboration/#

Testing BIM's Intelligence

Reed Construction Data has posted a new article on a BIM topic. This week: "How Smart is BIM?" The article lays some of the ground work for BIM, asking the basics such as "what is the definition of BIM?" and looking at a step-by-step approach to selecting BIM content.

Read More Here:
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/bim/


Source: Reed Construction Data

Associated General Contractors Creates BIM Forum LLC

The Associated General Contractors of America has removed its name from its BIM Forum, which is concluding today in Philadelphia, in order to create the BIM Forum LLC. The Associated General Contractors of America will continue to own and run the BIM Forum, however its name was recently changed and its focus and membership expanded to include more architects, designers, owners, design and construction attorneys, academia leaders and other BIM pioneers. The BIM Forum will now charge members an $150 annual membership fee, which will include monthly meetings, weekly teleconferences and more web casts, in addition to its three BIM conferences a year.

For more information about the change, visit:
http://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/1340000734/post/360049636.html

Source: Building Design & Construction magazine

Decrease Design/Construction Costs with BIM

Multi-Housing News magazine takes an interesting look at the cost reduction benefits to the owner for using BIM in designing and constructing multi-housing projects.

http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003952293

Source: Multi-Housing News magazine

Autodesk BIM Experience Award

For those of you who are not aware, Autodesk honors professionals and educators around the world who are helping to advance industry transformation through BIM. Organizations or individuals may submit a nomination for the Autodesk BIM Experience Award online at the link below. Awards are granted on a quarterly basis. The next nomination submissions are being accepted through November 15 for the Q1 awards.


http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=12601739&DCMP=BAC-BIM-US-BDC-AWD

BIM Group on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great way to connect with others who share similar interests in an industry. I recently came across a LinkedIn group dedicated to BIM and Integrated Project Delivery. According to its LinkedIn description, the group, called Collaborative BIM Advocates, is a "collaborative coalition of construction industry professionals that provides networking opportunities to those interested in using collaborative agreements, BIM and lean construction methods to achieve Integrated Project Delivery and to deliver construction services efficiently and productively." Talking with others who share an interest in BIM is a great way to expand your BIM knowledge.

http://www.linkedin.com/

BIM Special Section Worth Viewing

McGraw-Hill Construction publications has a BIM Special Section on its Web site with a lot of information on BIM including a blog about its use around the world, image showcase, and an ask the BIM expert hosted forum. Plus, there are several featured articles on BIM to read through as well. It is worth checking out.

http://bim.construction.com/community/

Source: McGraw-Hill Construction

Hour of BIM Can Eliminate 10 Hours in the Field

According to a recent article in Multi-Housing News magazine, utilizing just an hour of BIM can eliminate 10 hours of work in the field! How is that possible? Read it from the experts at the link below:

http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003956453

Source: Multi-Housing News magazine

The Great BIM Debate

This information that I found floating around the Internet is somewhat older, but nevertheless relevant. Here is a white paper from a company called Newforma and some interesting webcasts regarding the great BIM debate. Worth a listen.

http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/index.php

Source: The LaiserinLetter, www.laiserin.com

The San Francisco Digital Design Breakfast Club on BIM

The American Institute of Architects featured on its website the outcome of a recent session of the San Francisco Digital Design Breakfast Club. The informal group meets once a month to discuss the use of digital design technologies in design and construction, talk about the philosophy behind the technology and share stories about their experiences with the technology. Check out members' interesting responses to a series of 20 slides on the topic of BIM.


http://www.aia.org/practicing/groups/kc/AIAB080228

Source: American Institute of Architects, http://www.aia.org/

Get Your Green BIM Guide!

The International Code Council is selling an in-depth guide on "Green BIM: Successful Sustainable Design with Building Information Modeling." This guide features practical strategies, techniques and real-world expertise to help you create sustainable BIM projects of all sizes. To order your copy:
http://www.iccsafe.org/e/prodsearch.html?words=9552S

Source: The International Code Council

Can You Measure BIM's Return on Investment?

Dr. Burcin Becerik-Gerber and Samara Rice of the University of Southern California dive deeper into the BIM/ROI question in a recent AECbytes Viewpoint entry. Check it out here:

http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2009/issue_47.html

Source: AECbytes.com

Creating a Window Using SmartBIM

Reed Construction Data is an excellent source for BIM-related articles. A recent article posted in the resource's SmartBIM section follows the art and science of creating a single SmartBIM object - a window.

Click on the link to read the complete article:
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/bim/


Source: Reed Construction Data

Encouraging Owners to Take a Closer Look at BIM

In a recent article published by Reed Construction Data, author Dennis Neeley, AIA takes a comparative look at the cost of implementing BIM in relation to its overall value on a project. He says that the sooner owners embrace the benefits of BIM, the sooner BIM will be more widely used and accepted. He encourages owners to research the benefits that using BIM has on the design, construction and management of their building projects.

Read the entire article:
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/articles/read/owners-it-is-time-to-substantially-increase-your-architects-and-engineers-f/


Source: Reed Construction Data

National Institute of Building Sciences Discusses BIM

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) offers an in-dept definitition of BIM, along with a listing of the organization's BIM initiatives, industry BIM initiatives, a BIM library and BIM white papers.

View the article:
http://wbdg.org/bim/bim.php

Source:
The National Institute of Building Sciences

South Central Construction Magazine Hosting BIM Conference

South Central Construction magazine is hosting a BIM seminar in New Orleans on Oct. 19. Here is a link with more information about the conference and an opportunity to register.

http://construction.com/events/BIM_NO/default.asp


Source: South Central Construction magazine

KAI Design & Build Uses BIM on Harris Stowe State University Project

Harris Stowe State University's new Early Childhood Center was dedicated in August. The architect on the project, St. Louis-based KAI Design & Build, and consultant designer Adrian Luchini, used BIM to help accommodate the project's tight budget and deadline. Buildings magazine featured an article on the project and highlighted how BIM was used throughout the design process.


http://www.buildings.com/DesktopModules/BB_ArticleMax/ArticleDetail/BBArticleDetailPrint.aspx?ArticleID=6852&Template=Standard_Print.ascx&siteID=1

Source: Buildings magazine

Complimentary BIM Webcast

A Complimentary BIM Webcast from Reed Construction Data

You Are Invited to a SmartBIM™ Webcast: “Lessons in BIM Adoption”
September 23, 2009 • 2:00 p.m. EDT • online webcast

Learn about specific details and developments in adopting Building Information Modeling from any computer. Allow experts and analysts to give you insight on some do’s and don’ts of BIM. You'll hear directly from an architect, engineer and building product manufacturer.
Click here to register now

On September 23, please join Dennis Neeley, AIA, Cindy Bremer, and Mark Mergenschroer for a complimentary webcast, moderated by Rex Miller.

Topics Include:
Why BIM adoption was important to their company
The initial approach to BIM
Overall results of adopting BIM
Recommendations for the industry

brought to you by
Reed Construction Data (RCD) • 877-REED-411Privacy Policy • Unsubscribe from RCD's event invitations © 2009 Reed Construction Data, 30 Technology Pkwy S., Suite 100, Norcross, GA 30092

Free BIM Seminar

KAI Texas, a leader in Building Information Modeling, is hosting a FREE "Build Before You Build" breakfast seminar:

When: 8-11 a.m., Sept. 10, 2009
Where: Studio Movie Grill, 11170 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75243
Cost: FREE (full breakfast included)

Seating is Limited! RSVP by calling 214-742-0400 or email rsvp@buildbeforeyoubuild.com

Presenters to include: Adam Lega, KAI BIM Coordinator; Darren James, AIA, KAI Texas President and COO; Donald Koppy, AIA, CSI, KAI Director of Architecture.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is revolutionizing the construction industry. General contractors are building faster, smarter and cheaper with BIM.

BIM allows contractors to build a facility virtually, before it's ever physically construction - or to build before you build - and to reap the cost and schedule benefits of doing so. At the seminar, you will learn how to harness the power of BIM for your clients, without the vast investment of time and money required to implement it in-house.

The seminar will also address:

• The competitive advantages BIM brings to general contractors.
• Provide actual field examples of better quality projects through BIM.
• Discuss why general contractors cannot always rely on architect-supplied BIM models.
• Ways you can customize your level of investment to each project.
• Ways an outsourced BIM model can pay for itself.

BIM in Architectural Lighting

Architectural Lighting magazine takes an interesting look at the who, what, where and how of BIM.

http://www.archlighting.com/industry-news.asp?articleID=723951&sectionID=1341

Rough Road Ahead for Companies Not Embracing BIM

A recent article in Concrete Construction magazine talks about the tremendous impact BIM is having on the industry, and warns companies not embracing the technology to beware of takeover by their competitors.

http://www.concreteconstruction.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=933691

Electrical Contractors Catching BIM Bug

According to a recent article in Electrical Contractor magazine, more and more electrical contractors are embracing and using BIM on their projects. The article by Jeff Gavin provides interviews from a variety of industry experts across the country and discusses their views of BIM.

http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=9749

BIM - The History of a Future Trend (Part 1 of 2)

Written By: Adam Lega, BIM Coordinator, KAI Design & Build

Imagine a virtual world where an architect, an engineer, a contractor and a client are working simultaneously on a project. Their goal — to create the most cost effective, efficient and structurally sound building possible, all without compromising their artistic vision. Sounds impossible? Not any more. Welcome to the new world of BIM, where interoperability and Integrated Project Delivery is key. http://www.rebusinessonline.com/main.cfm?id=3816

Source: ReBusiness Online, August 2008

RUSH (the band) - and BIM?

I went to the RUSH concert on Saturday night here in St. Louis. It rocked. That is really all that needs to be said. For a band that has been around since 1974, they have some of the best music I have ever listened to and that is saying a lot.

Growing up, my mom did not allow me to listen to rock music. She has a degree in music from the conservatory at UMKC and she believed that children should only listen to classical music. I was not allowed to play the instrument I really wanted to learn (drums). Instead, I was forced to play violin. I still play (several instruments in fact), though I almost quit along the way – frustrations with the instrument, the teachers, the practicing – oh the practicing. I wanted to be an instant virtuoso… not happening, especially with an orchestral instrument. Now a kazoo… The point is that I had to sneak in my fix of rock music until I was on my own in college.

These days, there is no limit to what I will listen to. If they play good music, I am all over it. Enter RUSH. A three person band has, to my knowledge, never produced the quality and amount of sound that this band does. And they have been doing it for 34 years. Wow. So by now, you have figured out that the concert was incredible. It was perfect – the band, the weather, the company – I could not have asked for a better setup. If you are not a RUSH fan, you might want to listen to their music. Start with 2112 and Moving Pictures, skip the rest until you get to the Roll the Bones album and listen to them progressing in time forward from there. Then go back and listen to more of their seminal music from the 70’s and 80’s. Oh, one other word of advice – listen to their live albums as much as you can. RUSH sounds even better live than they do on their studio recorded albums (Exit Stage Left comes highly recommended). And that is no small feat.

What does this have to do with BIM? Nothing really. I could make plenty of tie-ins: the frustration that hits when you do not practice in your chosen software platform enough, the need to have an open mind when trying new software, learning how to pick and choose what is appropriate and what is not, figuring out the best tools, getting training on live projects… If you read this entry and take any of that out of it, you are reading too much into it.

Go out and listen to some good music.

MEP, It’s all about the connectors

So you ask, “Can my MEP team use the lights, diffusers and plumbing fixtures that I put in my architectural Revit model? “ The simple answer is that there’s not a simple answer. If the MEP folks are going to Link in your architectural model, then No. Even if you use the Revit MEP content that has the proper MEP connectors in it, the connectors cannot be read through a linked file. If you are lucky enough to have both architecture and engineering in one office, and can share One Revit model, then the answer is Yes! This is how KAI has been operating with such success.

MEP content contains a very important new facet to Revit called the connector. It doesn’t show graphically, you can only see them when a MEP family is opened in Revit MEP. The connector gives the piece of content it’s MEP DNA. A family can have just one, or many connectors in it. A light fixture only has one electrical connector, it lets the software know what voltage the light is and how many watts of electrical load it uses. Something more complicated, like a heat pump has several connectors in it. It will have inbound and outbound air connectors that know the amount of air and the velocity that the unit can handle. If it’s electric heat, then it will have an electrical connector that knows the voltage and how many kilowatts of heat the unit uses. If it uses hot water as it’s heat source, it will have inbound and outbound hot water connectors that know how the flow capacity.

If you are sending your architectural model to an MEP firm to be linked in, there is a fairly easy solution to this dilemma. Contact your MEP team and get the content they would like you to use. Then lay out the toilets in your bathrooms, go ahead and do an initial lay out of the lighting if you want it to look a certain way. The MEP team can link in your model as their background and then easily copy all of the lighting and plumbing fixtures into their MEP model. They can then turn off your version and use the connectors in their versions to size, connect and circuit the systems. Once you link the MEP model back into the architectural model, you can erase your versions of the MEP content and link show theirs.

So as far as Revit is concerned, it’s all about the connectors. For the project to be a success, it’s all about communication and collaboration.

Mike Hartmann
Electrical Designer, KAI

5D?

My typical day ends with a short trip to pick up my daughter from school. The other day when I arrived, the kids were playing outside. Her teacher was seated near the door attending to one of the kid’s shoelaces. I said “hello”, as I usually do, and was ready to ask how my daughter’s day was when the teacher turned and thundered, “What is 5D?” Now I should explain that this particular teacher has a theatrical background. This is important because you need to understand how she talks and acts. Perfect for story time with the kids where the characters leap off of the pages, but at other times it can catch you off guard. Like this day. It felt as if I was pushed backward by the question. It was the same feeling of confusion I had when my 5 year old niece KO’d me in Wii Sports Boxing. Was this a test? Did she already know the answer and want to know if I knew it? Did this have something to do with my kid? Is our marketing department so good that my daughter’s teacher knows to ask ME this question? I knew the answer. At least I knew what 5D meant in my line of work. Is this what I was being asked? I stuttered a bit. “Its cost,” I said.

It turns out she had seen something on TV that referred to 5D and, being a bit of pessimist, she wanted to know from someone she trusted if it was legitimate or just jargon. This was the day I realized just how pervasive this topic has become. Not just something I hear and read about, but something that my daughter’s teacher is hearing about. And what really interests me is that she found it intriguing enough to ask a question about it. This is what drives me.

Modern design and building projects utilize Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools to make digital representations of physical objects. BIM projects assign properties to elements and can render them in all five dimensions. Imagine an electronic representation of a window that has been assigned a size (3D), a cost (4D), a lifecycle (5D) and any number of other variables such as the thermal performance, visible light transmittance etc. This data can be exercised and manipulated to advance the design solution, improve the construction process, and reduce project risk for all stakeholders. BIM tools have the ability to identify opportunities early and push building designs further than we have even imagined.

The process centers on the information. The information informs the model, the budget and the schedule (all 5 D’s). The information obtained by asking questions....Questions generated by interest....Interest that my daughter’s teacher, and so many others have been exhibiting. Interest that will lead my daughter to think this is how it has always been done, because this is the right way to be doing it.