How valuable do you think a single source of information is? One where all your ideas, designs, characteristics, operational details of a construction project are kept intact? One that doesn’t spill out or even create any redundant data or information?
It would definitely be crucial and make life a lot easier. And there’s a name for it, building information modeling or BIM.
Keep reading to read out more about why BIM is so imperative to the construction industry.
Captures reality
An eruption is underway when it comes to the use of visual data collected and used in near-real-time for construction. The wealth of information now easily accessible about project sites is much greater than before with better mapping tools and images of Earth.
Today, when a project starts, it includes aerial imagery and digital elevation, and even laser scans of existing infrastructure, aiding in the capturing reality and streamlining of project preparations. Drone photography and 3D modeling programs allow people to collect data in an urban environment in a way they never could before. With BIM, designers benefit from all of that input compiled and shared in a single model, a way that paper was never able to capture.
Maintains control
With a single shared model, there’s almost no need to rework and duplicate drawings for the different requirements of various buildings.
BIM can foresee likely conflicts between plumbing chases, risers, ductwork, electrical closets, vertical and horizontal penetrations, and more, identifying these problems far before a normal human could. It leaves time to fix said issues before construction has even started. This could potentially save tons of time and prevent the need to replace materials, which, in turn, would save considerable amounts of money.
Improves collaboration
Consistently, one of the most highly appreciated powers of BIM has been its ability to enhance understanding between diverse parties. Sharing and collaborating with one model is so much easier than with multiple different drawing sets, as there are a lot of functions that are possible only through a digital workflow.
There are specific tools for created for different systems to share their complex project models and to coordinate integration with their peers. One of the tools enables each system to annotate the model to its own discretion, allowing people to work with the models however they want. Building information modeling interoperability assures that everyone has had an input on the evolution of the design, ensuring they’re all ready to execute when the concept moves forward in construction.
Visualizing in the 4th dimension
Most people believe that humans live in three dimensions. But they’re wrong. We actually live in four dimensions. And this 4th dimension is time.
4D BIM allows collaborators on each project to see exactly what each phase of the building and the building site would look based on how things are going at the present moment. This futuristic view enables people to know what materials are required and how much work is to be done well in advance, and allows for it to be easily changed.