Are you ever frustrated by delays, miscommunication, or budget overruns on your construction projects? Do you find yourself wondering if you’re working from the most up-to-date plans? Do you wish there was a foolproof way to save time and money on your next project?
If so, you’re not alone. BIM is the solution you’re looking for.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) will help you ease your frustrations while saving you time and money. In fact, BIM is the key to the success of your next construction project.
So, what is BIM? BIM is the development of a project in a virtual environment that is then used to construct the project. You can think of BIM as basically a container – a virtual container – which holds all of the project data and allows it to be easily shared.
BIM takes project members out of their silos and brings all project stakeholders together. Everyone involved in the project, including the design and construction teams, will have access to the same information. You can easily interact with all stakeholders within the BIM. And you won’t need to wonder if you’re looking at the current version because it’s always up to date.
Advancements in technology generally have led to advances in BIM technology, changing how information is shared and how it’s used. There have been many advancements in how the field is receiving information and how the field is using that information.
So how does BIM technology help you save time and money? Here are three important tools that can help.
1. Tablet: The tablet has brought old school industry technology up to current times. Using a tablet, which is both mobile and handheld, project members can make sure all installation information is current, whether they’re in the office or in the field. A common tool for contractors in the field, the tablet allows contractors to have easy access to the latest setup construction documents at all times. They’re able to instantly create RFIs in the field using their mobile device.
Stakeholders can instantly mark up and share issues about the project, while working on the project, and all team members can see those changes instantly. There’s no need to share papers drawings, or send emails, or, worst of all, wait for the team meeting to update other members. Changes are reflected in real time, which saves you a lot of waiting time.
The tablet allows the project to be digitally documented by using photo or video to show progress and describe any issues to other team members. Photos and videos can easily be saved to the project for all members to view. When potential issues or changes are dealt with before they become part of the project, you’ll save the time and money that it costs for rework.
2. Laser scanning: Documenting existing projects set for renovations has always been a challenge, but BIM is putting an end to that. Laser scanning allows existing buildings to be scanned and an exact visual representation captured. This process brings the built environment to the virtual environment. You can stop using old methods, i.e. getting out your tape measure to find your exact measurements, and save time and resources using a laser scan.
Scanning is also a method of capturing as-built conditions. A quick scan can capture the location of installed building components, leaving guesswork out of the process. The scans are simply converted to a BIM model which can be accessed and used by anyone, anywhere, on the project.
3. Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR): AR is also bringing virtual and built environments together, allowing them to be visualized at the same time. Installations can be checked for accuracy by overlaying the BIM model with what was actually installed.
Through the use of an AR headset like the Trimble XR10 with Hololens 2, project members can be totally immersed in the project’s virtual environment. This allows contractors to see what they are building before it’s built. They’ll be able to build more complex projects with more accuracy and within budget. When a project is built accurately, you’re saving time and money, both in the short-term construction phase and the longer-term life of the project.
BIM technology can take your building projects from frustrating to fantastic as you begin to use these tools to save your project time and money. Once you see the savings adding up, you’ll wonder why you didn’t switch sooner. Speak to one of the experts at BuildingPoint Canada to learn what BIM can do for you.
