Introduction to BIM

 Introduction to BIM

                          Let us see how and why engineering drawings evolved from 2D to object-based BIM process.

Initially, engineering drawings were prepared on drawing sheets by using drawing boards, T-Square, or mini drafter.

With the advent of the computer, drafting on drawing sheets made way for Computer- Aided Drafting or CAD. 2D CAD was the way to go and tools such as AutoCAD being used in preparation of Engineering Drawings

•      An engineering drawing is a technical drawing that is used to convey information about an object / building or structure.

•      An engineering drawing typically contain multiple views such as:

•      PLAN VIEW.

 

•      ELEVATION VIEW.

 

•      SECTIONAL VIEW.

•      To execute or construct a structure, design engineer need to develop all these views so that the execution engineer can understand and construct the same.

 

2D	3D
We can see only 2 dimensions length & width	We can see 3 dimensions length, width & height
2d can be summarized and called as flat shape	3d has depth projection

Federation Drawing

At this point we get a question “Can a civil engineer work all by himself without referring to other discipline drawings?” or in other words “Can any design engineer in a project work on his drawings without referring to other discipline drawings?” The answer would be “NO”.

It's imperative to refer to related drawings from other disciplines to complete the drawings. Hence, the XREF command became so important in AutoCAD.

A civil engineer will xref architectural drawings to decide his structural layout, similarly, mechanical and electrical engineers will refer to other discipline drawings to finalise plumbing and cable lines respectively.

When we refer or attach all the discipline drawings together as shown in this slide

they are called as “Federated Drawings”.

Isometric Drawings

“Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in  two  dimensions  in  technical  and  engineering  drawings.  It   is   an axonometric projection in which the three coordinate axes appear equally foreshortened and the angle between any two of them is 120 degrees.”

As already discussed in previous topics Engineers always had a quest to visualize details better in early stages of the project, ideally at the conceptual and design stage

of the project so that errors are minimised as much as possible. The first step for the same was to project the details in isometric views.

Remember, isometric projection is still two dimensional, i.e it’s a method where we are only visually representing 3D in 2D. This disadvantage of isometric projection also helped us move towards 3D or BIM.

                        Probable error in construction due to 2d drawings

As we saw in previous topic an engineer both during design & execution will have to refer to many drawings. This leads to imagination of the structure.

 Look at the first picture here at the bottom of the stairs instead of landing space there is a dead wall and hence a very basic error. Trust me this is very much possible to happen when we are working on the 2D drawings due to lack of visualization.

  Let us look at this second picture this again is a classic example of what kind of error could happen when you are not able to visualise and construct accordingly here probably the execution engineer referred only to the elevation drawing  and  hence built both the risers in the same space.

Advantage of 3D model:

As you saw in the previous topic due to lack of clarity or limitation in visualization on 2D drawings there were many errors which happened in site and hence lot of rework and hence additional cost.

If you see these models we see that the pipe with its insulation is fouling with the HVAC ducts . Since this is in 3 dimension its easy its identify such clashes, we realise that visualization becomes easier and many errors are avoided.

BIM

Adding information to my model and use it at different stages of the project execution,

 

and hence BIM is no more just a 3D model, it’s much more!

 

BIM = 3D + INFORMATION

  ·         BIM is an intelligent 3D model-based process that gives Engineers the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct & manage building & infrastructure.

·         BIM process begins at the conceptual stage moves to detailed design stage to analysis & documentation to detailed construction drawing stage  to construction stage including the construction logistics and then to operation and maintenance stage and then towards the end-of-life cycle of the structure that is to demolition stage.

·         BIM is a process!

 ·         It is an intelligent 3D model-based process that is adopted in the complete life cycle of a project.

Conceptual design

 It is an early phase of the design process, in which the broad outlines of function and form of something are articulated. It includes the design of interactions, experiences, processes, and strategies. It involves an understanding of people's needs - and how to meet them with products, services, and processes.

Detailed Design

 The result of the detailed design is the complete and precise physical description of all parts of  the  structure  (the  blueprints)  and  how  they  are  fit  together.  It also involves the investigation of the stability, strength and rigidity of the structure to be built, based upon the physical requirements of the building and an understanding of the structural performance, materials, and geometries used.

Engineering Analysis

By fine tuning the efficiency of a building during the design stage we can ensure that our clients benefit from lower construction & also operation costs following project completion and avoid installation of costly unnecessary systems.

The model is run through the BIM enabled analysis tools and design models are generated. Using the latest analysis software, we can quickly evaluate many of the key engineering aspects of a design directly from a 3D model including:

•      Structural analysis

 •      Natural and artificial lighting

 •      heat lost and solar gain i.e energy analysis.

 

 

Documentation

 

a cloud based BIM solution for the complete data & document management known as Common Data Environment (CDE), \

With BIM Document Management, construction teams can manage blueprints, 2D plans, 3D BIM models, and other project documents. The module is designed to streamline document management processes. You can consolidate all your sheets and designs and set up standard templates and workflows to maximize efficiency.

With BIM document  management process  you can manage construction documents, do design reviews, view 2D drawings and 3D models and do transmittals in one platform

Fabrication:

 As soon as, the design process is complete, it’s time to begin the construction process. We will have all details like materials, quantity take off, schedule and cost from the design stage using that we will start the construction at the site, keeping all those models and reports as base.

4D Model

4D Building Information Modeling (4D BIM) is a process to the intelligent linking of a 3D digital model with time or schedule related information. It provides precise and useful construction project information for teams. It's gaining momentum in the industry by providing both tangible and intangible benefits for it which are set out here.

  The benefits of 4D BIM modeling

·         Risk mitigation due to improved team coordination and communication

·         Conflict detection

·         Improved delivery time and cost savings

·         Improved quality

5D Model

Drawing on the components of the information model being able to extract accurate cost information is what's at the heart of 5D BIM.

•      This information allows cost managers to easily extrapolate the quantities of a given component on a project, applying rates to those quantities, thereby reaching an overall cost for the development.

•      This 'living' cost plan helps teams design to budget and because cost managers are engaged from the start of a project this allows for faster, more accurate reporting of costs at the early stages of a project.

Operation and Maintenance

 Well the BIM process does not get over at the end of construction, the design & construction data rich model which is known as asset information model is used further for the operation and maintenance of the structure and infact even used for repair & renovations etc.

The Operation & Maintenance (O&M) phase spans a very long period. O&M costs far exceed those of any previous phase, averaging 70% of total life-cycle costs.

The use of the BIM methodology in the Facility Management processes is increasingly affirming itself.

Application 

now that we know a 3D model with information used across the life cycle of a project is building information modelling. BIM is a process which is applied and used almost in all sectors of engineering. let us see some of the BIM models in

1  shipping sector

 2  aviation sector that is in airports.

  3 Residential buildings

4  commercial structures

 5  stadiums 

6  industrial process sector such as water treatment plant 

7 power plant including the substation.

8 transport sector such as roads railways bridges etc 

9 material handling plants