BIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION: Research and Detailed Analysis for Potential Implementation

BIM (Building information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION:

RESEARCH AND DETAILED ANALYSIS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION

BIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION:

RESEARCH AND DETAILED ANALYSIS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION

UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY-DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE,

VOLOS, GREECE

Chatziandreou DimitraKostopoulou Maria Aliki

supervisor: Vassilis BourdakisDIPLOMA THESIS, OCTOBER 2012

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First we would like to thank our supervisor Mr V. Bourdakis for his willingness to undertake us as students and for his continuous help both during our research and after its completion, to every attempt related to it- Startup Weekend in Volos, Australasian Conference on Innovative Technologies in Construction—”From Building Information Modeling to Beyond”. To our teacher Mr Farid Mokhtar Noriega, who was the first to introduce us to the concept of BIM during our ERASMUS studies in the Universidad Camilo Jose Cela, and who provided us with all the bibliography referred in the index.To the architects Kimon Onuma and Finith Jernigan who helped us understand the roots of BIM right form the beginning through their on-line interviews in July 2011. To the architects who gave us their opinion about the current state of BIM in Greece through their personal interviews- Kimon Onuma, Finith Jernigan, Polixronis Loulakis, Mathaios Papavasiliou, Vassilis Gastis.Finally, special thanks to the rest of our teachers, to our families and to all the friends that helped and supported us dur-ing our studies and keep doing it.

PROLOGUE

Building Information Modelling (BIM).This is a concept we didn’t know before starting to think about our thesis’ theme.At first, we were curious to discover what it is about and why we had never heard about it before. After a quick over-view, BIM seems to be the ideal way of designing and constructing. Its basic concepts deal with information and data storage and management as well as the automation of processes. There were, though, some questions that still need to be answered.Does this complete automation eliminate architectural creativity and innovation? Can doing BIM from the first day of the design process be risky? BIM has already started to be implemented in the USA and some European countries, but it’s not widely known in Greece yet. Could it be implemented and beneficial for Greek architects and the Greek con-struction industry?These are some of the questions we wanted to examine in our research. So, we started by studying BIM, learning its ba-sic concepts, being aware of what occurs nowadays in relation to it, in order to create a sufficiently complete overview that would help us answer our questions. We also had the chance to interview two American architects who are leaders in BIM worldwide and three construction professionals from Greece who practice architecture using digital design tools and software. Combining the feedback we got from them with all the information we gathered [from books, articles, papers, etc.], we managed to form a more comprehensive and complete opinion of BIM, the possible ways it could be implemented and its possible future in Greece.The research we present below consists of two parts. The first part is a detailed analysis of BIM, its aspects and all the related concepts, using the information we gathered from our bibliography and interviews. The second part is an ex-amination of BIM’s implementation in Greece. Unfortunately, as BIM is not yet well known in Greece, we didn’t find any Greek bibliography, so that part was written using feedback from the three architects we interviewed and our own criti-cal thinking.Finally, our intention was never to embrace BIM unconditionally. We strongly believe that every new idea has its positive and negative aspects. A critical way of thinking combined with the ability to remain realistic can lead to evolutionary and functional solutions. This is what we have tried to do in this research. Our goal was to find alternative ways of imple-menting BIM both generally and in Greece.In order to make a step forward, we have tried to implement the knowledge we gained from this research in our thesis project. We designed a wall segment that incorporates the principals of BIM and its goal is to be used in preserved build-ings in order to eliminate the space loss that usually occurs in the rehabilitation of old buildings and to automate the process. It is able to be controlled automatically and with a variety of functions, it responds to the needs of the standard office buildings introducing at the same time a new method of space control. Based upon the building of “Kitrini Apothi-ki” in the city of Volos in Greece, it may be the first attempt to incorporate BIM techniques in design in a Greek context.

BIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION: REARCH AND DETAILED ANALYSIS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION

INTRODUCTION /general overview /interviewed architects presentation BIM (until today)THE TERM OF BIM /Building Information Modelling /Building Information Model /IPD /BIM and IPD

INTEROPERABILITY /the concept /until today /the way to be achieved

COLLABORATION

THE TIMELINE OF BIM /the leadership

EXISTING PROBLEMS & DEMANDS /the effect of the economical collapse

DIFFERENCES CAD – BIM /CAD files’ characteristics /advantages of BIM over former 2D, 3D approaches /what is BIM trying to achieve /misconceptions about BIM & risks /changes in the workflow

BENEFITS / EVOLUTIONS /BENEFITS: Construction industry, long-term, architects, owners /EVOLUTION: Design, construction, relationship, building’s lifecycle

BIM TODAY /general overview /the use of technology /existing software /software’s efficiency /training

CONCEPTS & SYSTEMS /GIS

INDEX

p.1

p. 2

p. 13


/Real-Time BIM /BI in the Cloud /BIMStorm, BIMXML, ONUMA PLANNING SYSTEM, 4Site Systems

APPLIANCE /case study /our final projec

BIM & GREECEINTRODUCTION /state of BIM in Greece /interviewed architects presentation and opinions

ECONOMY / MENTALITY /Greek mentality /economical crisis

BIM & CONSTRUCTION /demands /reasons that prevent the shift

POSSIBILITIES OF APPLIANCE /potential adjustments /motives for implementation /alternative ways of implementation

THE FUTURE OF BIM /the future of BIM tools (model servers, programmes, information access) /expected results (productivity, certainty, design, practice) /ubiquitous computing

CONCLUSION /general /BIM’s role in the future

REFERENCESBIBLIOGRAPHYLINKSINSTITUTES AND COMPANIESINDEX OF TERMINOLOGY

p.19

p.23

p.26

p.27p.27p.28

INDEX

p.28p.29


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image 1./ Kimon Onuma president Onuma Inc.

1./ INTRODUCTION

/General Overview

Architecture can be considered as a living organism that needs to evolve eternally as the technology and the construction methods keep changing all the time. Through years, lots of new theories have appeared changing the way we do archi-tecture, some of them more and some others less. The most important issue is to try to absorb the evolution that leads to some kind of facilitation of our work and not just follow each one of them just because they are new or seem interest-ing.One of the new directions in architecture -and also in engineering, construction, etc.- nowadays is the globalization of the process in order to repeal physical barri-ers (distance, countries etc.) and take ad-vantage of a more spherical knowledge. In addition to that, the concern about the reduction of the natural resources and the doubts regarding the existing con-sumer society seem to lead us to a dead end long before expected, if no solution will be found soon. So we are talking about a general change in the nowadays attitude and to each one of us separately at the same time, be-cause although the character of theories is international, their implementation depends on the mentality and the habits of each country, and as so they have to be examined in order to lead us to a real evolution and not to a waste of time and effort. For example it is meaningless to expect to take the same results from two projects of different scale, located in

different parts of the world, addressing to different final clients and have been designed by a different team of profes-sionals. The important thing is to form a process that can be incorporated in every project and serve it for its own needs. In-ternet of course plays an important role, but the mentality of the world of con-struction remains to follow the change too.This is what the concept of BIM is stand-ing for. BIM is more a way of thinking and acting than a theory that needs followers. It can be used as little or much as every-body wishes to, in whichever stage of the life of a building, even before its concep-tion or after its demolition, because is about data that can be used over and over again as the point is to remain up-to-date. “Without general BIM’s imple-mentation though, we cannot speak about the understanding of the concept. And doing BIM without understanding and collaborating means huge loss.There is a term regarding becoming an overnight BIM expert and it’s called “BIM washing”. This proves that BIM training has already become an important issue.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

So the question is if a procedure that was firstly designed according to the Ameri-can standards and scale can be useful in a country like Greece, which is still using the old-fashioned way of personal observance of the construction site in the majority of the now-built projects. Or it is only an illusion to try to convince the professionals to shift towards a new way of working and thinking, even more now with the present bad economical situa-

tion of our country.“As the majority of architects, engineers, constructors, etc. has not embrace BIM yet, most owners don’t have the option to do or demand it. However, as the con-struction industry moves towards BIM, they know that they will have to do it in the future.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

So, starting from the theory of BIM-through books but most importantly through the opinion of the architects that had an important role in its forming (Kimon Onuma, Finith Jernigan), through its application with the case study we have designed according to the rules of BIM, but still for a preserved building in the city of Volos, in Greece, and finally through an analysis of the present situ-ation with the help of the professionals that have been interviewed (Loulakis, Papavasileiou, Gastis)-we are trying to figure out if BIM and Greece can look forward to a common future.

/interviewed architects presentation

Kimon Onuma is an architect and BIM specialist, creator of Onuma Planning Sys-tem and BIMStorm and founding mem-ber of the biggest BIM associations (GDL Alliance, Ship Group, Akrotek). As he is constantly working with BIM since 1993, while being a software developer as well, he was the most appropriate person to describe the existing state of BIM in USA and its possible future tendencies, both for BIM and the existing software.


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image 2./ Finith jernigan author of “BIG BIM little bim”

Finith Jernigan is an architect, educator (University of Maryland Eastern Shore, King Faisal University), author publisher (“BIG BIM little bim – The Practical Ap-proach to Building Information Mod-eling – Integrated Practice Done the Right Way!”), and an expert in integrated practice (Created 4SiteSystemsSM, a standardized BIM based workflow). Also founding member of the biggest BIM associations (Design Atlantic Ltd, SHiP Group) and responsible for a series of government, NASA, the US Corps of Engineers, NAVFAC, the US Army, the US Air Force, the US Marine Corps projects. As one of the first who talked about the theory of BIM, in his interview he explained its philosophy and roots, and also the changes than can provide to the known architectural procedure.(Detailed C.V. can be found in the index)

2./ BIM (until today)

THE TERM OF BIM

/Building Information Modeling

To begin with, trying to define this con-cept, we underline some things that BIM definitely isn’t. It’s not a software or a contracting method. BIM is not a 3D model without attributes attached to it, nor a combina-tion of 2D files. It’s not a linear process with a beginning and an end. It’s a con-tinually evolving process that stops only when a facility is no longer “alive”, aka it’s demolished.“BIM it’s not for just one’s use, it’s not selfish. It’s for an open use. It can be from an excel file to a detailed model of the world. It is not a software. It is a process.”(from Kimon Onuma’s interview)

It has been described by many ways:“An improved planning, design, construc-tion, operation, and maintenance process using a standardized machine-readable information model for each facility, new or old, which contains all appropriate in-formation created or gathered about that facility in a format useable by all through-out its lifecycle.”(NIBS 2008)(National Building Information Modeling Standard (NBIMS) Committee of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Facility Information Council (FIC),

BIM can also be referred as a verb:“It is a modelling technology and associ-ated set of processes to produce, commu-nicate and analyse building models.”(Eastman, BIM Handbook, 2008, p. 13)

“It is a system conceived to create a single

building model recognized universally as a repository for all elements of a building, including its properties and interrelation-ships.”(Design Built Project Delivery, Managing the Building Process from the Proposal through Construction / Sidney

M. Levy)

“It is an activity and not an object.”(Chuck Eastman in BIM handbook)

“A basic premise of BIM is collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the lifecycle of a facility to insert, extract, update or modify informa-tion in the BIM to support and reflect the roles of that stakeholder. The BIM is a shared digital representation founded on open standards for interoperability.”(Integrated project delivery_a guide. / The American In-stitute of Architects, The American Institute of Architects,

California Council)

So BIM is the combination of all the above. It has to do with data and pro-cesses. Data related to virtual design, construction and facilities management and a group of processes that is applica-ble to all kind of contracting methods. It uses virtual models that carry information in order to share it through the entire building industry and reduce errors. It’s not the virtual models themselves.“BIM is a process that helps people to make better decisions. It needs you to col-laborate in order to cooperate. Its goal is to make everything as simple as possible, make everything transparent. BIM places everything geographically on the planet and makes it possible for everyone to be aware of everything about the life of a building and beyond. It is a non-linear process, it links everything, everyone, every software.” (Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)


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image 5./ Example of the internal structure’s exchanges supported by a BIM server. To support synchronization, all BIM tools should be able to be accessed and controlled from the server.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 3./ Building Information Model in TEKLA

image 4./ Representation of the different levels of detail in a model building information.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

Such an open and eternally developing concept cannot be categorized easily. It’s more holistic than that. Every differ-ent point of view could lead to another categorization. There is a huge difference between examining BIM as a tool and examining it as a process for example. So, a very schematic and general categoriza-tion could be like this:A/. Enterprise BIM. In this case, BIM means that everybody is working to-gether.B/. Lonely BIM/Little BIM. In little BIM you’re doing BIM in isolation.C/. BIG BIM. BIG BIM refers to the whole world, with design as just a fraction of that.D/. IPD. IPD for BIM is another design and construction method. It’s not the goal.(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

/Building Information Model

A Building Information Model includes all the characteristics of BIM. It can be described as:A project simulation consisting of the 3D models of the project components with links to all the required information connected with the project’s planning, construction or operation, and decom-missioning. This section describes the 3D models, the information contained or attached to these models, and the nature of the links among the individual models, the components, and the information.(Building Information Modeling, Planning and Manag-ing Construction Projects with 4D CAD and Simulations / Willem Kymmell)

IPD (Integrated Project Delivery)

Integrated project delivery is a delivery system that addresses all the participants of a project’s design and construction process (including software and peo-ple) to optimize project results. In small words, it’s a delivery method of minimiz-ing time and cost and maximizing effec-tiveness. It requires the entire project’s lifecycle stakeholders to be collaborative and cross functional during the whole design process, starting as early as pos-sible. All those people share access and responsibility to everything related to the project.

/BIM and IPD

IPD is a delivery method and BIM is a tool supporting IPD. It provides the database for all the building’s information storage (related to design, construction, manage-ment logistics, etc.) and the platform for the collaboration of all participants. BIM supports IPD not only until the building’s construction phase, but also afterwards, in the buildings facility management (space planning, furnishing, monitoring, energy perform, maintenance, etc.).

The part of BIM called “facility manage-ment” helps you to prevent data from “data rot”, meaning that by keeping the data up-to-date you won’t have to go back and collect them when needed.With the increasingly more use of IPD and the slow change in the professionals’ relationship by having architects, builders and owners collaborating between them, we are shifting conservatively into BIM.

But IPD can’t happen without BIM, and BIM should happen at any level of the architectural process.(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

BIM vs IPDprocess enabled method by software of deliveryworking with It can enable BIG information BIM, it isn’t BIG BIMin the built small methodol environment ogy to do BIM(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

INTEROPERABILITY

/The concept

In the architectural procedure it is very important to make correct decisions at an early stage, for example you can start doing energy analysis even with simple blocks that represent the future building or with a simple excel file of the spaces. The next step then is to be able to deliver the data in a way that owners can under-stand in order to be sure that the results are going to be consistent to the desir-able, as the phenomenon of a difference of 50% percent between the final project and the first goal is not rare .(from Kimon Onuma’s interview)Interoperability is a concept that BIM is based upon. It refers to people, products, systems or software and it was initially defined for IT systems or services and only allows for information to be ex-changed. A more generic definition could be this one:• A property of a product or sys-tem, whose interfaces are completely


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image 6./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, ex-plaining the term of interoperability.

image 7./ Typical organization of the work team on a con-struction project.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 8./ From the TEKLA webinar titled: “OPEN BIM COL-LABORATION WITH ARCHICAD 14 & TEKLA STRUCTURES”, 26/10/10

understood, to work with other products or systems, present or future, without any restricted access or implementation.And with respect to software, the term interoperability is used to:• Describe the capability of dif-ferent programs to exchange data via a common set of exchange formats, to read and write the same file formats, and to use the same protocols.”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperability)

To be interoperable means that:“One should actively be engaged in the on going process of ensuring that the systems, procedures and culture of an organization are managed in a way to maximise opportunities for exchange and re-use of information, internally or externally.Based upon these definitions, it should be clear that there is far more to ensur-ing interoperability than using compatible software and hardware, although that it is of course important. Rather, assurance of effective interoperability will require often radical changes to the ways in which organisations work and, especially, in their attitudes to information.”(http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue24/interoperability/)

/Until today

For many years now, the access to build-ings’ information data is restricted to only few and not being openly available to all those who might need it. The files con-taining this data are saved in formats that can be opened only by certain software, meaning that they need a translating process in order to become visible and

usable. This has as a result time and pro-ductivity loss, which could be avoided if the concept of openness and interopera-bility in data-exchange was followed. Dur-ing the common architecture procedure, firstly the building is made, then it is being delivered to the owner in a way al the information about it gets lost, which inevitably diminishes its value. This linear process has to be changed and decisions making and construction need to be a loop that provokes communication in early planning with many different people and mistakes to be made and corrected in that phase in order not to reach the construction site. All these are obligations of the architect as we can’t expect from the client to be aware of architecture or technology, let alone BIM.(from Kimon Onuma’s interview)

/The way to be achieved

Someone can achieve interoperability between various software applications in several ways. The most important thing is to produce files in formats readable and editable by more than one application. This can happen if they use a suite of software applications from a certain ven-dor, where the applications can directly read the file format of the BIM software application. One can also use software that incorporates an Application Program-ming Interface (API) that can enable them to link interfaces from different providers, or alternatively use a software that sup-ports data exchange by reading several file formats and it’s widely accepted by the industry.The choice of the appropriate procedure

depends on which step BIM is going to be incorporated, the software which is to be used, the compatibility of the different software and the updating schedule of every collaborator.

COLLABORATION

Nowadays, experts from many disciplines should be brought together and work as a team in order to produce the huge amount of information needed. Archi-tects, designers, constructors, civil and technical engineers, fabricators, planners and facilities personnel should cooperate in order to achieve a successful workflow and design product. Every one of them provides his/hers expertise in the work-flow. All these people have to be coordi-nated and agree upon every matter that will occur. This means collaboration.A BIM design approach can make this collaboration happen, as it enables you to manage a huge amount of information at the same time by different persons and from different geographical points without any false calculations and data loss occurring.

BIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION: REARCH AND DETAILED ANALYSIS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATIONBIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION: REARCH AND DETAILED ANALYSIS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION

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image 9./ The old (first two rows) and the new (last order) process for maintenance work orders. The old process does not only require more work, also require significantly more time in order to be completed.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 11./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, about the evolution of BIM the last 4 years.

image 10./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, about the value of information.

/The Leadership of BIM

Many people have been involved until now in the forming of the idea of BIM. Some of the first, though, are:Chuck Eastman (Georgia Tech), acknowl-edged as the “grandfather” of the BIM. He was writing about it earlier than anyone else.Jerry Laiserin, responsible for naming BIM.SHiP group together with European initia-tives for their activity in Europe.David Hammond from the U.S. Coast-guard, the international leader in enter-prised BIM concepts.Richard See, who influenced Microsoft in order Microsoft Product ISC compliant to be produced.Eurostep active in Finland and Sweden.The founders of Graphisoft.Heikki Kulusjarvi with Solibri (model checker).Senat Properties (Finland).International Alliance for interoperability (IAI), which later became buildingSMART in Europe and buildingSMART Alliance in U.S. with introducing the concept of interoperability and industry foundation classes.Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) from Stanford University, which did the initial testing over the productiv-ity of BIM by doing research over the 4D, time and scheduling attach to models.Lawrence Berkley National Lab, working on the details occurring behind the scene.U.S. Corps of Engineers, a force related to facility management.

EXISTING PROBLEMS & DEMANDS

Information is becoming more and more important nowadays. Information re-garding everything that surrounds us is the ticket that keeps us up-to-date and helps us remain in the first line of the procedure of change. It’s normal that the amount of it is becoming bigger and big-ger and more complex. So finding a non-traditional way to manage and handle it is fundamental.The way BIM manages information aims to improve understanding. With CAD and the traditional methods, information was missed and changed when passing from one step to another during the process of design and construction. We are forced to make decisions taking into account a limited amount of information every time and not at the right moment. BIM provides you the opportunity to be able to decide when it’s needed and with all the fundamental information you should consider in order to make the optimal decision. A lot of studies that have been conducted in the past few years have shown that the construction industry suffers from inef-ficiency in information management, as it is often operated in isolation and is not effectively communicating with other in-ternal and external partners of the design and construction process.

The big differences from the “traditional design and construction process” become obvious by reading its description in the “Report on Integrated Practice, Technol-ogy, Process, Improvements, and Culture change”:

1. Designer imagines an idea in 3D to solve a client’s problem.2. Designer deconstructs 3D ideas to 2D representations.3. Designer passes 2D representa-tions to the construction team.4. Construction team gets fabrica-tors to redraw parts, again in 2D.5. Construction team attempts to reassemble the 2D information into 3D objects.6. Designer is often amazed by the outcome!(Report on Integrated Practice, Technology, Process, Improvements, and Culture Change / Jim Bedrick, Tony

Rinella)


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THE TIMELINE OF BIM

*This timeline was formed using information from books and manuscripts referring to BIM and from information provided by the interviews of Kimon Onuma and Finith Jernigan.

First introduction of the concept now called BIM and the possibilities that it could bring, inside universities, a theo-retical base as “future ideas”.

Appearance of Gra-phisoft and Hungry, tools able to do virtual design & Construction.

Some small firms get more involved. The large ones resist because they don’t con-sider it necessary.Virtual Design & Construction. Introduc-tion of processes which are doing lifecy-cle BIM-such as 4site Systems-, and crea-tion of the first lifecycle models.Data-based CAD systems permit the elec-tronic storage of building components, such as doors and windows, concurrently with the design.

First bidirectional Computerized Main-tenance Management System (CMMS) model (facility management models) is introduced.First virtual organizations: SHiP (Strate-gic Hi-performance Integrated Planning group), that actually moved the technol-ogy to the U.S. federal government (GSI, Coastguard) with Kimon Onuma, Finith Jernigan and Diane Davis as its founders, and with Triglyph and European initia-tives getting involved too.

First reference to the name “BIM” by Jerry Laiserin in his article “Comparing Apples and Oranges”:“I am convinced that the building industry cannot move forward with any of the new tools unless and until we agree on a term to replace “CAD.” I am equally convinced that the best term for this purpose is… Building Informa-tion Modeling.”The term “Building Information Modeling”, had already been used by Autodesk, but only in order to introduce and present a new series of products that they had put on the market.Generally, until that time, there were a lot of terms be-ing used in order to define what we now call Building Information Modeling (BIM). Terms like “single building model”, “virtual building model” as Graphisoft called it, “integrated project modeling” as Bentley Systems called it “project lifecycle management”. *

1970s

1988

1990s 2002

2000


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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes a report stating that poor interop-erability and data management cost the construc-tion industry approximately $15.8 billion a year, or approximately 3-4% of the total industry revenue. Since this report, many have labelled Building Infor-mation Modeling (BIM), an emerging technological information management process and product, as the answer to this problem.(EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF BUILDING INFORMATION MOD-ELING (BIM) ON CONSTRUCTION)As a result, owners demand the change and ask for BIM to be required in conducting a project.AIA embraces BIM and IPD.

U.S. Coastguard’s Short Facil-ity Capital Asset Management Roadmap, the first implemen-tation of commercial BIM is created.

Research and reports reveal a major productivity decline, claiming that it can be avoided through BIM technology: “On average, 3.1% of every project can be attributed to the costs of lack of software interoperability.”(McGraw Hill Smart Market Report on Interoperability, 2007)

The release of the National BIM Standard (NBIMS), which states that a BIM (= a single Building Information Model) is a “a digital representation of physical and functional char-acteristics of a facility” and, furthermore, that a BIM repre-sents a shared knowledge resource, or process for sharing information about a facility, forming a reliable basis for deci-sions during a facility’s life cycle from inception onward.(NBIMS 2007)

The first BIM-storm takes place in Los Angeles.

The Department of Administration, Division of State Facilities of Wisconsin publishes the implementation of the first segment of DSF BIM Guidelines and Standards. The results and outcomes list-ed in this report are expected to achieve substantially uniform usage as a standard for BIM applications.(«Building Information Modeling. A report on the current state of BIM technologies and recommenda-tions for implementatio»/ Bill Napier Architect and Professional Engineer BIM Specialist, Division of State Facilities)

2004

2005 2007

2008

2009


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*In this article, Jerry Laiserin explains why the name “Building Information Mod-eling” is adequate, according to his per-sonal opinion, to carry the concept of this new technology and separate it from the “CAD”. He writes:

“I find that I prefer the word “building” over “project” because there are many kinds of projects (such as software de-velopment) that have nothing to do with buildings. At the same time, the word

“building” is loose enough to hint at de-sign, construction and operation. Without delving into the semantics of data versus information versus knowledge, I find that “information” is clearly suggestive of soft-ware that deals with more than just ge-ometry. Combined, “building information” implies, to my ear, a strong sense of what the design, construction and operation of buildings is about. It avoids techno-jargon, yet remains evocative of technical goings-on. “Modelling,” although a near-jargon word, does connote the mathematical or digital description of objects or systems—we have econometric models and weather models as well as physical models of 3D objects. “Modelling” also implies a process of description or representation that pro-vides the foundation for building perfor-mance simulation (essentially, modelling future behaviour) and for the manage-ment of building information (informa-tion models serving as the frameworks in which information is managed). So, “building information modelling,” as a description of the next generation of de-sign software, seems to me to come closer to the winning characteristics evidenced by “CAD” for its generation of tools—spe-cific enough to evoke reasonably clear, common meanings, yet broad enough to encompass a diversity of commercial and technological approaches. The only fly in the ointment is that Autodesk has been using the term for the last few months to describe their building industry strategy. [..]Now, vendors can compete—and us-ers can judge them—based not on “how many ways we differ from CAD,” but on “how well we execute and live up to the promise of BIM.”

As is shown in the timeline of Building Information modelling above, it was already pre-sent in the academic world in the ‘70s but just as a “future idea”. It took it almost twenty years to be acknowledged as a necessary process and an important factor in the devel-opment of the construction industry. The early adopters started using BIM long before it became known and without the client’s knowledge, because clients didn’t care about it. A series of studies on the productivity of the construction industry had to be conducted, a lot of organizations (Open standards organizations) that promoted this idea had to be founded in order for it to become accepted and bring an actual impact to the reality of construction. SHiP and IAI were those who actually convinced government agencies such as Senate Properties, U.S. Coastguard, GSA, Smithsonian, GIS and Corps of Engi-neers, of the importance of BIM and the needs it has come to cover. Once achieved, these agencies that actually had the power moved BIM into action and made it the path that architecture is willing to follow.


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image 12./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, about economy nowadays.

image 14./ From the TEKLA webinar titled: “OPEN BIM COLLABORATION WITH ARCHICAD 14 & TEKLA STRUC-TURES”, 26/10/10

image 13./ Layered structure of a SmartBIM vivlothikis. (Courtesy SMARTBIM LLC.)(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

/The effect of the economic collapse in construction

“Some years ago, that there was no ques-tion about our economy, you were free to make bad decisions because there was no pressure for change. But the difficult economic situation of nowadays can be perceived as an opportunity for those that are willing to change towards the search for more economic solutions.”(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

The economic collapse of nowadays can’t leave construction industry undamaged. Researches have shown huge money waste, such as almost 500$ million per year (data for America) in expenditures during construction. Economical, envi-ronmental and social factors demand a change in the building design and con-struction industry. BIM comes to provide a solution and introduce productivity.

DIFFERENCES CAD – BIM

/CAD files’ characteristics

Computer-aided drafting (CAD) was originally introduced in the architectural process in the late 1980s. It came to replace the hand-drawing and drafting with a digital way to produce more easily and efficiently an architectural drawing. Its purpose was to reduce the time waste in the production of the 2D drawings, so it continued to rely on 2D representations of 3D objects. This as an idea by itself eliminates elements and information of the building and also the opportunity to relate directly the drawings between them and manage them at the same

time. This happens because you may be able to inter-link them in one file but they still remain separate elements and there-fore not editable at the same time. These facts make the user responsible for their correspondence of the drawings, which demand extra work and time.CAD files contain simple data consist-ing of lines, arcs, curves and sometimes surfaces and solids (in the 3D attributes). These elements are 2D graphical repre-sentations of building components and not building elements. They are attached to a plot style so that each one of them carries information about their thickness and colour when printed. None of these elements contains information regarding the building’s physical elements them-selves such as requirements of a pillar or a wall or the relevance between each one of them. The only relation these elements have between them is their position inside the software’s environment.Computer Aided design when started being used, gave the engineers a chance to introduce productivity into their work, to perform drawings that could be cor-rected and printed easily. CAD systems, that through time have become more and more affordable and compatible to the computers, were a revolution in the world of architecture because they introduced geometry and accuracy in the designing process. However, the most important thing they lacked in was the information, the pres-ence of time and the capacity to provide the architect the ability to make deci-sions. This is where comes BIM. The fur-ther development of 3D drafting and CAD systems allowed building components

to be displayed in multiple views and by adding a degree of “intelligence,” any change in one element in the building’s design immediately affected all other re-lated elements. This process was referred as object-oriented computer-assisted design (OOCAD). BIM can be viewed as the latest iteration of OOCAD software.

/The advantages of BIM over the 2D and 3D design approaches

1. The plans, elevations, wall sec-tions, and schedules are always consist-ent— if one changed, all related work changes.2. The coordination across differ-ent disciplines eliminates the problems previously associated with ensuring that everything fits in its allotted space— hori-zontally and vertically.3. Schedules for finishes, doors, windows, and hardware are easily gener-ated and updated as changes occur in the plan and elevation design.4. The ability to generate quantities of materials during design facilitates pro-curement and, particularly in the design-build mode, constantly tracks design and budget.5. The data created by BIM contin-ues to have a useful life during commis-sioning and the continuing operation and maintenance of the building.(Design Built Project Delivery, Managing the Building Process from the Proposal through Construction / Sidney

M. Levy)


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image 15./ Statistics on the results of BIM compared with traditional methods in various areas of construction.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 16./ Cloud laser scan data where each point can be mapped onto the BIM objects to showmanufacturing deviations from design to the geometry.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

/What is BIM trying to achieve

BIM tools and software work in a very different way than CAD applications. They achieved to relate and link the data with the information because they don’t use lines, arcs and surfaces, but simulations of real building components with all the information related to them attached. So they provide you the opportunity to make accurate estimations at any time, regard-ing the material, the energy waste, the load bearing capacity and so on… They help you identify problems and find al-ternative solutions before you proceed to construction because they contain actual information.

/Misconceptions about BIM & Risks

“Of course there are risks in the assimila-tion of BIM, as it happens with everything new. It is possible that somebody doesn’t understand how to use the tools correctly, or misread the information. He /she can even believe that the technology is going to be the answer and that everything is going to happen automatically without the need of people, but that’s not true.”(Kimon Onuma interview June 2011)

“One of the biggest risks BIM could have is its improper use, or the so-called “self-ish BIM”.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

The term “selfish BIM” is being used to describe the use of BIM for personal advantage, without sharing the produced information. But BIM can be anything from an excel file to a detailed 3D model,

is not a software, it is a process.(Kimon Onuma interview June 2011)

What is the point of doing BIM if the information and data you get is not for common use; if they’re not out there in the cloud? Keeping the information ac-cessible to few leads to an improper use of BIM.

The most common misconceptions about BIM are:a.) If approached as technology (it is im-portant to understand that it is not about the technology but about the people)b.) Lack of holistic thinking (wrong structures: think that BIM can be done in a traditionally built scenario, without changing how business is operated or correct organization)c.) Projects as end-goal (important is not to look for the immediate awards of it)d.) The way of thinking: “What’s in it for me?” (searching for personal benefits and destroy the larger picture by not sharing the data)e.) Confusing process with product (see-ing it as a product and not as a process)f.) Suppose that it is : “Too complex, too finished and too difficult” (thinking that it has to be complex or difficult in order to work)(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

/The change in workflow

The workflow that BIM implies is com-pletely different from the one we are used to follow with CAD methods of designing. Instead of having several files that represent the project and its parts,

you have a unique file that includes all the relevant information attached to it. The files that previously were produced separately from each other and didn’t have any intelligent connection between them don’t exist any more. You leave the interaction management that you previ-ously had to do by your own, among a huge group of unrelated files to the computer and you just work on a single file, accessible by any other person at any time, carrying information networked be-tween them. You are not designing lines that represent walls but wall elements loaded with all the information of the real walls that exist in the building. You now model the building and its systems.Every change you make in the work file is assembled in this underlying database and attached to the element that it be-longs. This fact makes the whole process of design a real time process as you have up-to-date information during the whole workflow and an internally consistent model.You leave the computer to make all the processes related to calculations and file management, so that you have more time to make more critical decisions over the design.

BENEFITS / EVOLUTIONS

The benefits of BIM can be categorized in many different ways, according to the short-term, middle-term or long-term vision of the aspect, according to who is taking advantage of it, architect, owner, constructor or builder, and the kind of evolutions that can bring into the archi-tectural process depending on its use.


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image 17./ The process from design to manufacture of parts of a custom-made panel.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 18./ Schedule at the end of the two month process of ratification of the budget (07/03/07) depicting the start of the warrants on 01/09/07 and submission of structural package OSHPD 16 months later, on 1/2/09.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

BENEFITS

/Benefits in the construction industry

The use of BIM and an integrated design approach (IPD) helps us make better decisions before going into construction. You can see for example how the building will impact the environment and estimate the relation between complexity and cost. You can predict the amount of every material you use, the amount of energy that is needed during its function, sched-ule the construction time and prevent mistakes. The advantage of having the building virtually before it is being cre-ated physically, provides you the ability to make decisions for matters that you would only confront in the construction site and would have cost a lot of money and time loss, and overall it provides you with the ability to test variables that would lead you to the optimal solution any time needed.

/Long-term benefits

A better exposition than the one of the Division of State Facilities of the Depart-ment of Administration of the State of Wisconsin, about the long-term benefits of BIM, is difficult to be found:“So, the long-term benefits from BIM revolve around data that can be ‘grown’ over time to include a virtual description of a facility and all relevant information about the facility and its surroundings. To achieve these benefits the data must be consistent and repeatable. Large numbers of people and systems work together to produce and maintain this data. For that

reason, the data and systems that people use must be interoperable.”(Building Information Modeling, A report on the current state of BIM technologies and recommendations for implementation/ The State of Wisconsin, Department of

Administration, Division of State Facilities)

/For the architects

This real time workflow and internal information availability that BIM and therefore IPD provides, makes the archi-tect able to offer new services to cur-rent customers and standardize what we call “green” and “smart” infrastructure requirements through applying them automatically and at any time. In short, it lets the architect begin designing from an advanced basis and not from zero, every time reducing risk. In general, IPD provokes and evolves a long-lifetime relationship between the architect and the customer, which leads to more and different types of job opportunities.Regarding the architects, “BIM and IPD will free the architects to truly be design-ers again. Their basic role will remain the same; to gather and process information to create a unique physical solution in a clear and understandable manner.”(Integrated Project Delivery, Frequently Asked Questions (2006) / AIA California Council)

“Architects have to become conductors. They need to open up. The architect will no longer be seen as the enemy-dictatori-al leader.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

/For the owners

About the owners now, embracing IPD means open information sharing from the first stage of design, therefore increased collaboration between client and pro-vider, which leads to elimination of mis-understandings and inconsistencies. By being involved more you get punctuality and you stay within the budget.

/For the constructors

For the constructors, IPD allows them to participate in the design process. This mean that they can have the overview of the design’s decision making, offering optimal solutions regarding construction, as you can get constructing visualization before the actual construction starts.

Generally, BIM and IPD provide you with the ability to examine how the building participates in any network related to it. How it will react during its function to any dynamic change and how its state is going to be in the future. It allows you to have a lifecycle relation with it accumulating any information needed at any time.

EVOLUTIONS

/Design

The essential difference that BIM has brought to the design process is that the model is the certain part of its evolution. All project teams communicate through the model. The new attributes that the software provides you enables you to reflect all the ideas you have over the


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image 21./ Typical flow of Building Information Modeling lifecycle.

image 19./ From the TEKLA webinar titled: “BIM & PRO-JECT DELIVERY”, 01/12/10

image 20./ Screenshot of 4D model and photos of the pro-ject site.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

project on the model. At this phase, the model may be very schematic but yet quite usable to adopt possible construc-tive solutions and other possibilities that can help you to take the right designing decisions. /Construction

In the field of construction, the use of BIM as a tool can lead to significant changes in the way we know it by intro-ducing virtual construction before physi-cal construction, construction sequence planning (4D), construction sub trade coordination, quantity and cost tracking and integrated trades assembly of large components off site.Also the Computer Integrated Environ-ments (CIE) solutions become more and more necessary, as the products designed are getting more complex and demand-ing. Even the big enterprises don’t have all the adequate staff to design and produce all the parts of each product, as the expertise needed is high demanding. This means that in order to design one product you may have to combine a lot of software applications from different platforms and be able to make data ex-change. All the information related to this product has to be readable from all the parties involved in order to be managed and reach the desirable outcome. In the constructions industries the build-ing becomes the product, so, interop-erability mechanisms between all the different platforms and applications are fundamental, fact that makes Computer Integrated Environments one of the best solutions.

/Relationships between professionals

The change of the professionals’ rela-tionships that BIM meant to bring in the building industry are inevitable, because the working model that implies is that of a collaborative team, consisting of all the stakeholders. Every stakeholder is partici-pating in the project creation throughout the whole timeline of the workflow, fact that involves the architect with the other engineering teams, more than it did up until now.The services that each involved team will provide will not be so distinguished any more, as the workflow will be more collaborative with all the teams work-ing together at the same time, providing solutions at the right moment.The architect, for example, becomes now part of the team. He is not any more the untouchable, gifted designer. His success is attached to the project’s and the team’s success.

“The project teams are not any more just cooperating, but collaborating. The architect from the once enemy dictato-rial leader becomes a conductor, opens up. He collaborates to create a successful project. He searches for mistakes to cor-rect then before construction.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

/Building’s Lifecycle

“BIM is a cradle-to-cradle pro-cess. It can be used in any phase of any-thing in the built environment” The building’s lifecycle and BIM:

IDEA → REAL ESTATE → BUILDING’S LIFE → DEMOLITION → REBUILT(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

The building’s lifecycle refers to the view of a building throughout its whole life, from the design phase up to its demoli-tion, including its operation phase. Lifecycle tools are tools that keep provid-ing you with information related to the building during its whole life. This means that they’re not just designing tools, but they can load data extracted and related to all the building’s life states and phases.(from Finith Jernigan’s interview)The lifecycle thinking leads to a more holistic approach to the building, where every decision and action is considered as a part of a whole that impacts all its components and leads to sustainability. Construction is tied up with design; de-sign is tied up with the building environ-ment and user.Having available data regarding structural frame and MEP systems (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumping) over an existing building, it enables easy maintenance through its lifecycle. This kind of avail-able information can also be used for the design of new buildings, as they provide you with feedback from the function of the existing ones. BIM is referred to data that is constantly alive throughout the life of a building. It means that someone can take informa-tion over it at any given time and this information will be valuable. The data is not to be saved. Once it is, occurs the so-called “data rot”.Data rot happens when you save the data in one format. Then the building model


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image 22./ Team working remotely with other groups over the internet for fast development and evaluation of alter-native design solutions using the system Onuma (OS) dur-ing a BIMStorm event.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 23./ The increasing complexity of data to different types of data exchange. The horizontal axis represents the approximate number of grades in fig.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 24./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, about the use of mobile technology.

loses its life, it becomes static. After that, the data you have in your hands is not editable, it cannot be used immediately for feedback, and so it’s no longer useful.(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

3./ BIM TODAY

/General Overview

Nowadays, the trend in architecture is to explore more and more complex geometries that are extremely difficult to be conceived, let alone designed and constructed by the human mind without any additional help. Even a whole team of professionals can’t predict all the possible needs a very complex building can have, and that is where BIM can be proved a very useful tool, as it can keep track of every little detail, categorize them as wished, and manage them according to the introduced rules. This way, it relieves you from having to pass all the amount of changes to every single format of the drawings manually. It can be made auto-matically in the 3D model.“In this landscape, complexity is still very high, but the production of drawings is now the by-product of building a virtual 3D model composed of constructive ele-ments. These elements are loaded with data that describe not only geometry, but also cost, manufacturer, count, and just about any other meta-data you can imagine. With an integrated parametric 3D model, it’s possible to detect spatial clashes between the multitudes of sys-tems in the building. You can know with confidence whether duct work will inter-fere with the structural steel long before construction starts.”(Mastering Revit Architecture 2008 / Tatjana Dzamba-

zove, Greg Demchak, Eddy Krygiel)

/The use of Technology

The use of technology is an integral part of the BIM concept, and depending on the way it is used and the software that takes part in the process, it can contrib-ute to improve certainty in every aspect of the architectural process. Everything depends on the dif-ferent types of technologies and tech-niques that already exist, and keep being improved everyday. According to Chuck Eastman and his book “BIM Handbook”, these technologies are:1. Schematic Design Technologies• Pre-design BIM applications that can be useful for the project plantation and orientation (Onuma Planning Systems, Trelligence)• Tools like Rhino, Form-Z, SketchUp, Maxon that help you produce easily 2D, 3D and 4D visualizations of the design2. Checking softwareThe kind of software that enables you to check and analyse the compliance of the building model. This kind of applications are Solibri and Navisworks.3. Analysis/Simulation softwareAnalysis/simulation software contains tools such as Ecotects and Graphisoft that enables you to check the sustainability of the building (integrated energy, daylight-ing analysis, bioclimatic elements, etc.).4. BIM AuthoringThe point where all the building’s mod-els are being combined for compatibility check, coordination and document pro-duction. This process takes part periodi-cally during the design.5. Existing Facility Assessment and Documentation


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image 25./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, the different software used is a single BIMStorm.

image 27./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, about software compatibility.

image 26./ From the TEKLA webinar titled: “OPEN BIM COLLABORATION WITH ARCHICAD 14 & TEKLA STRUC-TURES ‘, 26/10/10

The documentation that contains high quality documents related to bid and con-struction. They accrue from BIM checking tools such as Solibri, Autodesk Navis-works, Digital Project, Onuma planning systems and AEC infosystems.6. Programming and Planning Tech-nologiesThese technologies provide you with bid and construction documentation that comes from elements accurately designed and related, namely, software with its own database of element librar-ies. Tools: Graphisoft, Bentley Systems, Autodesk Revit7. Quantity take-off softwareSpread sheets extracted from certain software naming the quantity of each ele-ment used in the building.8. Design Development Technolo-gies (BIM authoring for architectural and structural, BIM authoring for building systems (MEP), HVAC modelling, Plumb-ing and Electrical, IFC as a data transfer method, Civil BIM Authoring, MEP soft-ware applications, 3D files)9. Construction Document Tech-nologiesTwo categories: Construction drawing generation and specifications technology. The first one relates to the ability of the automatic production of drawings and schedules of a building out of a single model with accuracy, when specification technology is the conversion of simple word processing master files into sophis-ticated database driven systems.10. Optimizing the Capital Facility Planning processThis process has to do with the cost

control from the first steps of the project. One of the tools is Beck Technology.11. Interoperability with the use of the existing exchange formatsInteroperability between software can be achieved with three ways: Through pro-prietary file exchange formats as DXF and DWG, proprietary direct links (API), Open standard formats (file formats readable by all the BIM applications) like Extensible Markup Language, XML.

/Existing BIM Software

Since the concept of BIM has been intro-duced in the architectural process, a lot of different software have been designed from different companies in order to cover every necessity of a building, from the designing phase all the way through the construction and maintenance. (c.f. toolkit) Forthwith some of them are more popular among the professionals, like Revit Architecture, ArchiCAD or Onuma Planning System.Even though every software has differ-ences from the others, they have some common characteristics in order to be able to do BIM. In their basis, there is a central database and every element of the model is coordinated by it and attached to it. A group of information is loaded to every element, therefore saved in the database. This can be proved useful when for example in Revit Archi-tecture, every change the user makes in one document is reflected to all the documents that contain this element or are related to it automatically. This data-base also contains libraries with elements ready to be used in the design and most

importantly, it allows users to work on the project at the same time from differ-ent access points through internet.Usually, the BIM software for design is operating as parametric modeller too in order to facilitate the architectural pro-cess by not having to switch applications al the time, which complicates the pro-cess even when the applications support file formats created by a different plat-form such as DWG, DXF and IFC formats.

/Software’s Efficiency

Nevertheless the advantages or disadvan-tages of every BIM tool, there is no one that can be considered more appropri-ate than the others, neither can any on them do BIM correctly and effectively if used alone. The important matter is to be able to combine many tools in order to have the best result in each part of the process.“There is no single BIM tool. Don’t get stuck in one program, just be aware of what’s out there.”(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

All the information about a building can be loaded on one program, but then the model gets so heavy that it is difficult to get to the information.We could say that the easiest way to do BIM is to find or create a single tool or platform that could do everything and link everything and everyone. However, this would lead to a very complex file, or a very complex tool that only a small group of people would be able to use it. And BIM is not a process related to few. It’s a process related to everyone. (Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)


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image 28./29./ Prefabricated pieces of roof panels with simultaneously installed HVAC, electrical and sewer sys-tems. (Top right) 3D view of the model (Courtet al. 2006) and (Down) prototypes manufacturing (Pasquire et al. 2006).(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 30./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, im-plementing geographical data in 3D modelling.

/Training

“The most important and difficult fact about BIM training is not learn to use the tools that do BIM, but learn and under-stand the new state of mind that it came to establish, as it is completely different from everything existed until now.”(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

According to Finith Jernigan: “the huge step in order to be able to do BIM is to understand its basic concepts. What BIM trains you to do, is basically being able to know, at any given point, which choice is appropriate by analyzing and criticizing its faults and benefits.”

It is completely wrong start using BIM just to have some short-term benefits in your work, because BIM wrongly used will be ineffective and eventually a lost of time, as referred above. What matters is to re-ally be aware of the defects existed in the traditional way of working in the field of construction, and furthermore, be willing to change in a different direction in order to save time, labor and money and make your work more efficient and accurate.The biggest challenge of BIM is not the training. The training time needed de-pends on the training level wished. But the point is to have the willingness to change, not to be able to manage per-fectly just one tool, even though you can succeed integration with this tool, the future lays upon the use of many.(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

Of course software ability is required but it can also be minimized, as you’re able to choose the most adequate and simplest

software for you. The software training period is called grey period.(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

As expected, tools so different from everything that already exists, demand a completely different range of capabilities in order to be used properly. And as they are by nature so demanding by their user, somebody must always be aware of the potentials of the programs, and also be able to choose the parts needed accord-ing to the desirable result. If not, it is easy to get overwhelmed them and loose architectural quality and personal way of designing. A person who is competent in operating BIM, apart from being able to manipulate different kind of software to his or her own benefit, should be able to overview at any certain point the project’s state and needs. This, apart from technical knowledge demands critical thinking. BIM actually helps in the development of it because it gives importance to elements apart from form and aesthetics. Every step of the designing process is being analysed regarding its function, if it’s do-able or not, if it’s the most beneficial etc. This leads to a different approach to-wards architecture with space being the main character.

CONCEPTS & SYSTEMS

/GIS

An essential rule of BIM, which is incor-porated in every BIM tool, is to always be aware of the position of the building that you are designing in order to be led to a more sustainable design.

Very important though is every single thing to have latitude and longitude to be able to manage the location in order to choose the appropriate materials and the energy control for sustainability. But except from location, in BIM you can also attach time in everything and manage it according to the day-week-year schedule.(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

The BIM model can be considered as a virtual representation of the real world, and if not treated like that is nothing more than another 3D model with no ad-ditional use.“Everything, even a single thing, even a chair, has latitude and longitude.”(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

The combination and interac-tion of all the factors of a building can lead to more efficient energy control – by controlling climate factors like sunshine, temperature range between seasons, windflaws, location control, etc – to de-sign in respect of the surroundings built situation- and election of the appropriate materials – to use materials that can be found in the area, and are the ones that last longer and are more effective for the construction. The best solution that exists now-adays and enables you control all these factors, is GIS technology (Geographical Information Systems).GIS are digital environment systems that relate data with location. It consists of all types of data that have to do with geo-graphical references. The main character-istic of a GIS system is that it uses spatial data from different points and reaches to conclusions through the combination of


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image 31./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, ex-plaining the term: “real-time BIM“.

image 33./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, BIM in the cloud and its use in 3D modelling.

image 32./ Screenshot of Finith Jernigan’s interview, im-plementation of real-time data in a 3D BIM model.

them together with a location reference system (longitude, latitude, elevation). It can also use different types of infor-mation (not just those in map forms) to reach to location centred conclusions.Through the GIS systems, BIM can be involved into geospatial applications, for instance Google Earth.

/Real-time BIM

Going even further with the ability of data exchange that is offered from the concept of BIM, the net can also be a very useful tool in the hands of the construc-tion professionals. It is capable, not only to free professionals of their compulsory physical presence at the office and let them be able to work from any point of the world, but also to allow them to save valuable time by giving the possibility to share information holistically between them.The concept of BIM provokes us to con-vert the idea of static information to that of dynamic, which consists of structured data and is able to lead us to the so-called “real-time BIM”.The difference between static and dy-namic information is fundamental. Static information is information related to a certain moment. Once it’s completed it doesn’t have the possibility of change. Dynamic information represents the state of a project/building with relations to its past and future states. It provides us the possibility of frequent access to eter-nally updated data, from different access points several times.Structured data is the data that is gath-ered and coordinated directly from the

computer and doesn’t need human intervention. Conclusions and results can be gathered automatically without processing.The combination of the structured data and the dynamic information gives you the “real-time BIM”, which is actually a process that comes from intelligent data manipulation.In the BIM process every piece must be simple enough to connect to the next. The way to achieve that is by subscribing one program’s data to another instead of importing it.(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

Real time BIM is actually BIM in the cloud (referred below). The model is saved in the main server and it’s editable from several locations through web-applica-tions; therefore by any user. The factors that should be taken into account in order for it to remain effective are acces-sibility and system performance.When we talk about its accessibility, we refer to the ability of direct, concurrent access to the model by any user through a local network (LAN). This access can be achieved through mobile, web applica-tions. It should also be considered the offline access to the BIM model. The user should be able to access it while being offline, but ensure there are no conflict edits among the other team members upon next model synchronization.The issue of the system performance is about the way it is responding as the model is being developed. There should be enough space, memory and proces-sors in order for it to be able to handle the increasingly bigger size of the project. Additionally, all the client computers

need to work on just one virtual machine, while in the background, a whole grid of computers serves the client requests.

/BIM in the CLOUD

Cloud computing is a concept related to the net and computer networks generally. It’s neither a particular technology nor software. It’s a group of processes that share data and resources over computer networks. Every software that supports BIM is dynamically in the cloud.Several companies have popularized dif-ferent approaches of cloud computing. Data in the cloud, supported by Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox, Software Virtu-alization in the Cloud, supported by Citrix XenApp, Web Applications in the Cloud, supported by Google and Business Logic in the Cloud, supported by Apple.All four approaches mentioned above contain a server where all the data is saved and the user handles them from his/hers computer through the network. They can also function with virtual ap-plications where the user handles them without installing them in his/hers desk-top. In small words, we talk about edit-able data from any point.Until now, the higher-level model servers are quite expensive, therefore, unafford-able for the small companies. In order to make BIM widely used, they need to be cheaper and more available and also its appliance to become a part of every case of the design.


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image 36./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, GIS data in Onuma System.

image 35./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, expli-aning the term of BIMXML.

image 34./ Screenshot of Kimon Onuma’s interview, BIMXML points on USA map.

The data of a building can be represented as dots on a map.

Data with GIS:<Angle georeferencing = ‘0 ‘Latitude = ‘38 .89293798399300 | ‘Longitude =‘77 .05 |073693019006 ‘Altitude from sea level =23.322 | ‘/>

/BIMStorm

Cloud computing is changing the land-scape of architecture by running soft-ware on the Internet. The power of BIM combined with cloud computing running on the Internet, enabled BIMStorms to become a reality.“130 teams around the world working for 24 hours, for 400 buildings explained in 2,8 million papers. This is BIMStorm. A non-stop procedure which needs tools’ connection and people collaboration in order to be successful.As an architect, if you don’t collaborate, you become irrelevant too quickly.”(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

BIMStorm™ has similar principles to real-time BIM. It unites knowledge with pro-cesses and tools, using BIM and data. Its main characteristic is that it’s by default in sync, meaning that any work occurs in real time. It enables experts to be able to work together; from any location in the world, to identify problems and project patterns, to find solutions, etc. on the spot.

(Some useful tools in order to do a BIMstorm are: Archicad, City GML, DDS, Elite CAD, Google Docs, Google Earth, Go To Meeting, IFC, Knowledge, MS Excel, MS Word, Navis Works, Onuma, Onuma BIMXML Converter, paper, PDA, pencil, Revit, Skype, Webex, OGC WFS, 3G cell phone)(http://onuma.com/services/BimStorm.php)

/BIMXML (Building Information Model Extended Markup Language)

BIMXML is a non-linear process which relies upon the concept of information at-tached to the object, whatever this object may be (from a single dot to a detailed 3D model), and its purpose is to relate the object with the world. Without this correlation it is impossible to make good decisions about the building because the single building itself is less valuable that the information about it. “The data about the facilities is more valuable than the physical facility itself.”(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

BIMXML describes building data (sites, buildings, floors, spaces, and equipment and their attributes) in a simplified spatial building model (extruded shapes and spaces) for BIM collaboration.The XML Schema was developed as an alternative to full scale IFC models to simplify data exchanges between various AEC applications and to connect Building Information Models through Web Ser-vices.It is currently used by the Onuma System (Onuma, Inc.), DDS Viewer (Data Design System), vROC, Tokmo, BIM Connect, and various Plugins for CAD Applications (Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD).(http://bimxml.org/)

/Onuma System

Onuma System is a Web Based BIM Plan-ning, Programming and Project System, constructed by Kimon Onuma. It gives you the ability to do facility management,

project plantation and checking as well as model editing-using its own libraries- in more that one BIM project and by more than one person at a time, through the Cloud and doesn’t need installation as it’s not a desktop software.(http://onuma.com/products/OnumaPlanningSystem.php)

The Onuma System is not only about electronic tools but also working with paper and pencil, in order to help the natural way of the architects’ thinking, give them more time to spend on things you can’t automate, like decisions mak-ing. That’s why a building is being used as a reference in order to capture the infor-mation that is not worth creating every time. It is also a way to communicate with the team as it uses model servers so you don’t have to upload manually the information you need on the project, you just find what you need in real time.The problematic of the architects about the automating the design process doesn’t have anything to do with Onuma System, as the only thing that is being automated is the process and not the result. The future goal is to be able to connect many systems in order to make the process even simpler.(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

/4Site Systems

4Site Systems is a system created by Finith Jernigan. It’s a software that allows you to validate the project by estimating the building’s program, make cost analy-sis and quick representations during the design process. It also provides you a fast,


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image 37./Case Study Medical Center, CASTRO VALLEYImported model and data model plot in Tekla.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 38./ Case Study Bridge CRUSELLIncision and sides enhanced details in conjunction with other materials, such as large cable anchor assemblies.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 39./ Case Study Music Center HELSINKIModel that combines the layouts and detects a possible collision data.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

parametric way to see the needs of the future building.(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

APPLIANCE

When we refer to BIM’s appliance, we mean its implementation with acknowl-edgement methods and processes directly related to it.Though, as BIM is a concept, a process, a way of thinking, its range of implementa-tion can be huge. BIM makes information the centre of attention, targeting optimal design results and eternal possibility of change.Every project that follows these principles can be considered BIM. The software used is irrelevant.

/Case Studies

The huge majority of building projects are the existing ones. Therefore comes the need to work with the building stock that we already have. Although informa-tion provided for existing buildings is very little, it can be proved beneficial because it can lead to different building solutions, such as renovations, damages’ predic-tions, etc., that are definitely costless than constructing.(Finith jernigan, interview 2011)

A very large part of BIM’s appliance is connected to the existing buildings. Apart from the facility management possibility that BIM provides you after the building’s construction, we have the case studies.Case studies have to do with creating BIM documentation for existing buildings, most of the times not created with BIM,

in order to get data and results regard-ing the building’s function, sustainability, efficiency, etc. These results may be used for possible future alterations in order to optimize the building’s function.(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

Over the years a lot of case studies have been made to examine the function and effectiveness of an existing building However BIM provides the possibility of a more detailed and accurate examination in order to form specific alteration plan-ning with already predicted outcomes. Regarding the structure of a beneficial case study, the most important issue is to produce all the related to the study’s sub-ject documents in order to be able to pro-cess them afterwards and to coordinate the whole process in order to achieve effectiveness (getting the Logistics right).

/Our Final Project

The majority of the owners are not ex-actly aware of their belongings because they have no data for them and even if they have they don’t update them. And the thing is that the existing buildings nowadays are a fertile soil for architec-ture because of their number.(Kimon onuma, interview June 2011)

What if we could preserve an old building, avoiding demolition, and create a whole new design inside its shell that can change dynamically in order to cover every possible need that can come up in the future? This is what we tried to do designing our final project. Implement the principles and innovations that BIM introduces to create a multifunctional

and eternally changing building using the existing building stock that already exists.

(See images pag.19, 20)


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4./ BIM & GREECE

INTRODUCTION

/State of BIM in Greece

BIM, as a process, has not yet been implemented in Greece, due to many causes related to the way public and private constructions are being assigned and to whom, to how construction differs from the rest of America and Europe, to the culture of Greeks-professionals and individuals-in construction, and many other parameters analysed earlier.So, the only approach that could make sense on the issue of BIM in Greece, is the analysis of today’s reality in construc-tion to determine whether it’s feasible and efficient its implementation in our country.The main and perhaps the only data that we could rely on in order to describe the present situation in Greece when it comes for BIM, were three interviews of people that have been involved with it. Mr. Polichronis Loulakis, mr. Papavassiliou and mr. Gastis told us about it, each one from his one point of view as they are working in completely different fields of the architectural process.

/Interviewed Architects Presentation and Opinions

Poluxronis Loulakis is an Autodesk certi-fied program trainer with experience in drafting, 3D and BIM software. He firstly got in touch with the BIM concept during his university studies. He was selected to be interviewed in order to explain if there

is any interest by the Greek market (by professionals or university students) in BIM software training and the evolution sees in the existing software.Matthaios Papavasiliou is an architect and educator at the Civil Engineering Depart-ment of Metsovio University of Athens. As he was one of the first architects that imported BIM ways of working in the architectural process in his office, he was capable to describe the advantages or disadvantages of such a choice.Vasilis Gastis is a Mechanical Engineer specialized in steel construction. Because of his dedication to BIM tools and the use of them in every project that he is work-ing on, his opinion about the coordination or not of the design and the automated construction, was covering the last step of the architectural process, the one of the realization.(Detailed C.V. can be found in the index)

As it was expected their opinions about the need and the way BIM can be imple-mented in Greece differ a lot. Mr. Loulakis, when questioned: “What is BIM for you?” replied:“Any architect who thinks about a solu-tion makes virtual BIM in his mind. The thing is to be capable to exceed the physical limits of his/her mind accord-ing to the amount of information that can be managed by it and find the way to transfer the information to his/hers colleagues, engineers, builders, etc. When “doing” BIM to design, practically we are trying to trace much information as possible so that it is readily available to us or anyone else involved. That is how

I personally comprehend the concept of BIM. [...] Even more nowadays that the potential amount of information that we can have about a building is huge, and it’s not necessarily only about design. For me this is BIM.”Meanwhile, Mr. Papavasileiou considers that:“BIM can help to work upon the light-ing, the environmental information and various other data related to the design. But its use, of course, does not ensure you the creation or the completion of a better architecture.”Mr. Gastis is referring to it as:“It’s a commercial trick of large software companies to promote new products that have recently designed. In Greece it doesn’t work and I don’t think that it will work, as the sector of construction is characterized by a lack of willingness in collaboration and improvement in the way of working.”

ECONOMY / MENTALITY

/Greek Mentality

The three main factors that diversify the Greek construction industry from the one of the other countries are:A. Historical and cultural elementsB. Method of ConstructionC. Specialized construction crews

A. In his interview, Mr. Papavasiliou said: “In a country where everyone builds on his own, there is no need for architects, if the client is convinced that he can build on his own, is reasonable not address to an architect.”

Indoor climate conditions’ control system, graphical rep-resentation.

Exemplar floor plan for 70 users (both researchers and visitors).


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As the opinion above describes more or less the thought of the majority of the individuals who decide to build, we are talking about a culture that does not need an architect at the architectural design because of the lack of architec-tural education. Architectural theory is not taught in primary and secondary levels of education, so whoever does not choose to follow a sector relevant to it, does not ever come into contact with it and concepts such as functionality of the built space and aesthetics, remain com-pletely unknown to him/her. It is obvious that we’re talking about a theory that is closed, not understood by everyone, which makes questionable the necessity of its implementation and an approach of quality towards it.

/Economical Crisis

The relationship between the Greek financial structure and the BIM’s appli-ance can be approached by two totally different aspects, the conservative one, which suggests the continuation of the current state, and one that suggests radi-cal change.“The financial crisis is our chance to look right through our real needs, see the landscape that surrounds us, how we should build on that landscape, what’s important from it, check the environmen-tal state. This check though, doesn’t need complicated systems, but only knowing the way to do ‘good architecture’.”(Mathaios Papavassiliou, interview December 2011, ques-tion: “Do you think that architectural design should point to BIM, especially during the financial crisis, reducing the

construction expenses?”)

In order for BIM to be applied, a change is required in all the fields that are related to the architectural design, from the training of architects, to the renewal of the equipment used by factories of build-ing materials’ making.If someone chooses BIM, he should know what it is, which rules it follows and the tools for its appliance. This takes time and cost and a society whose economy fails is difficult to decide in investing in such pro-cesses that don’t have short-term bene-fits. If we also consider the extreme fall of the construction field due to the financial difficulties in Greece, BIM’s appliance in the near future seems like utopia.On the other hand, it is widely known that the state of the architectural and construction field is radically changing, and the way construction operates in Greece isn’t so effective, so it is possi-ble that we will turn towards BIM much faster than expected. If this happens, the route of Greek economic policy should change and the Greek construction field should restrict to the global rules, as the current stream is towards designing low efficiency buildings.In due time, the adaptation of a low cost policy will have positive results, but the time needed cannot be calculated with the current data.

BIM & CONSTRUCTION

/Demands

Trying to describe the construction industry in Greece, probably we will not be led directly to architecture as known internationally neither to the architec-

tural community. Except from the fact that it is an industry that doesn’t really contribute to the economy of our coun-try, it is also an industry which does not recognize the value of the involvement of an architect in the process, but char-acterize his presence as a luxury, since the range of his/hers powers is small and not involved much with this of the rest of the construction specialists in develop-ing a project. However, BIM as a process requires the architect to stop being a dic-tatorial leader, as stated in the interview of Finith Jernigan, and to collaborate with other disciplines so that the flow of work becomes more efficient.Another issue for discussion, as already mentioned above, is the nature and the projects developed in our country. We constantly hear about large sums of mon-ey being wasted for a project’s construc-tion, regarding government and major projects mostly, without this project to meet the cost, with questionable qual-ity, structural design and functionality. Surely, this is not the sole responsibility of the unskilled crews that undertake more complex constructions and larger scale projects than their abilities…There are many different issues that can be defined as problems in connec-tion with the architecture in Greece. But all lead to one conclusion: the need of change and the awareness of this need. This means, at first, a shift in the attitudes and later in the proceedings. “Only by groups of young people that are willing to work in this way the situation could slowly begin to change. Someone needs to do the principal, prove that the new way of working is feasible and effective.

Automatic space reconfiguration’s system, graphical rep-resentation.


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Like that, the motivation to change will be created for the rest.”(Vassilis Gastis, interview December 2011, question: “How

we could talk about change in Greek architecture?”)

/Reasons that Prevent the Shift

The architect’s responsibilities concerning a project in Greece are still to get estab-lished, as there are specialties -such as the civil engineers- who can undertake the entire preparation of the project. When we start by not considering the architect as necessary then how can we talk about him becoming more produc-tive through the use of BIM?

B. As mentioned above, BIM is a concept developed to cover the needs of a very different market from the Greek one. “In Greece, where you mostly built with concrete, BIM can not be applied, be-cause of the fact that in a building that is very detailed in its design, the deviation of 2 cm that the concrete can have is an important loss. In our country though, this way of construction is acceptable, as concrete is usually made through the process of moulding, where the loss is expected. So one cannot order the frames, for example, before the construc-tion has reached a certain point. They will have to be measured and made to fit, so either predesigned or not, the result is the same. That means that someone who is doing ‘good architecture’ in Greece can work even with Pikioni’s tools, to design for example on a pack of cigarettes and give instructions to the manufacturers.” (Excerpt from the interview with Mr. Papavasiliou)

BIM is a process that offers productivity,

especially in cases of industrial, automat-ed manufacture in large-scale projects, a fact that is very different from the Greek way of construction.

C. “It is possible that respectively in Greece the cost from empirically building is much smaller. But I do not know if this fact has changed until now. It’s something that requires research. Perhaps it started because of low budgets or lack of know-how and expertise. [...] Just this raises the question of whether the recipient of the construction information is able to understand it and whether the architect has taken into account all the parameters necessary in the design.”(Polixronis Loulakis, interview December 2011)

When doing BIM in order for the informa-tion generated to be valuable, it has to be manageable by everyone who is involved in the project. When the crew in charge of the construction is not able to read such information, then its use automati-cally becomes undoable. The training of construction crews in Greece is mostly empirical and therefore limited, except in case of large construction companies, which do not form the rule.

POSSIBILITIES OF APPLIANCE

The use of digital design in Greece till now, is limited mostly in drafting tools, starring AutoCAD and 3d modelling programs, which help the users (mostly architects) to develop their own archi-tectural proposition easily, avoiding the traditional design patterns.The building’s design and implementa-tion process that BIM suggests, differs a

lot from the existing designing procedure of Greece, making it’s appliance impos-sible - without adjustments - in the Greek reality.

/Potential Adjustments

Information, productivity and coopera-tion are the most important characteris-tics of the concept of BIM. The appliances and the tools used to implement it are based upon these features, combining also the requirements of the market for which it was created. “Construction and design differ a lot between Greece and the US. I had already conceived this when I had tried to create the Greek edition of AutoCAD Architecture, a program based on the American way of construction. The Greek mentality is completely different and inconceivable by the US.” says mr. Loulakis.Taking these facts in consideration, we can conclude that it can be applied in every market, but it needs various adjust-ments in order to be effective in every country separately. This doesn’t mean that we should decline BIM, but that we should interpret it differently. A different point of view over BIM, could lead us in adjusting its appliances and its tools to achieve better use in the Greek construc-tion domain. The possibility of developing new appliances increase if we taking into consideration that the Greek projects dif-ferentiate than the others. “In our office, despite the generation’s difference, we try to use BIM. So we have developed some digital tools-we don’t use pre-made ones- which we implement in every new reconstruction. These tools


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though, elementary ones, help us insert hatches, make snap bases, etc, things that are difficult to be managed inside big projects. These add-ons could be consid-ered as BIM, but in 2d form.”(Mathaios Papavassiliou, interview December 2011)

/Motives for Implementation

“In Greece, digital design is used in the majority of architectural projects. What we should consider as development in our field, is the use of specialized tools and the increase of productivity leading to increased quality and reduced mistakes.”(Polixronis Loulakis, interview December 2011, question: “How could digital design help the construction field in

Greece?”)

BIM is directly related with the building’s information. This information consti-tutes of data describing each building, its construction method, and its manage-ment by every involved recipient in all aspects of its life, from concept design to facility management. BIM ensures the decrease of mistakes of inaccuracy or lack of know-how, leading to better estimation of building costs.When the size of the data is big, making it impossible for the human brain to man-age it, BIM takes control. What happens though if the data size is rather small and thus manageable by the human brain? What happens when BIM-based data can’t be conceived due to lack of know-how?The tools that do BIM are still quite com-plicated and dysfunctional, making it hard to implement the building’s data through one of these programs, especially for a community that never had the chance to

familiarize with something similar.Most of Greece’s constructed projects are small-scaled designs. Thus the informa-tion that implements them is rather manageable by the architect, the civil engineer, the contractor, the worker, etc. Using BIM in such constructions seems like adding an intermediary between the involved parts, when the information can be transferred directly. Taking into consideration the difficulty in its import in a difficult program and the lack of the ability of translation by the receiver, we can suppose that BIM in such cases can’t be productive. To make it more efficient as a process, the projects that use it should be of a size and type that need a management process and the software to become more widely known.BIM hasn’t yet been introduced to the educational process in Greece, making it hard for architects or civil engineers to know its existence. We should note though that there are many conflicted opinions considering its entry in the university.“In general, my opinion is that BIM should not be introduced in the architectural training. I believe that because these tools have integrated designing tools, most of which have certain libraries that offer certain architectural aspects such as openings and a general designing pat-tern. Under my consideration this could be an inhibitory factor in architectural composition. {...} These are important tools for an architect who has clearly defined approach in architecture, which allows you to understand his/hers work when you see it.”(Mathaios Papavassiliou, interview December 2011)

When the theoretical background of a new way of thinking, such as BIM, has not been assimilated by its audience, it is impossible to be judged from it , its appliances to be correctly used, and to get transformed in a way that adjusts it to this audience’s needs. So, while the architects and engineers don’t know what BIM means, they won’t ask themselves if they need to adopt it, they won’t learn to use the tools and its appliances, they won’t suggest it to their customers who of course won’t demand it either.In another point of view, almost the whole built environment in Greece is con-structions of armed concrete. This way of construction is simple in comparison to other ways of construction with more specialized materials and can be eas-ily implemented by experience without asking for automated programming of its stages. If we consider a new reality in building construction in Greece, with buildings made by different materials, and with more industrialized process of production that will not look like “hand-crafted” (as mr. Loulakis expresses in his interview), then BIM can be used as a tool for increasing productivity and be considered as one of the most effective ways that architecture can follow. Until then, it remains unknown for the masses and a dysfunctional tool.

/Alternative ways of Implementation

Architectural design in Greece, as mentioned above, is fragmentary. The job that each professional is undertaking (from the architect to the static) is limited to a very small range of jurisdiction that


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image 40./41./ The workers are using tablet computers to search for information on prefabricated parts and produc-tion, delivery, erection, and approval by the color coding in the model plot. These computers are equipped with detectors that receive information from the RFID tags that are associated with the precast concrete pieces.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

prevents the cooperation between them. The designing material which each engi-neer delivers is always incomplete and forces the next one to reprocess a large part of it, scaling it his/hers specialty needs.A really good example is set by mr. Vasilis Gastis -co-owner of SDENG co., a metal construction company basted in Vo-los- who uses TEKLA Structures. TEKLA Structures is a software specialized in metal construction, considered a BIM tool, regarding that the elements of each model contain some kind of information. Every project that he and his partners undertake has already been implemented architecturally, most of the times statical-ly also, which means that there is already a digital model and a series of designs that describe it. The problem is that this material most of the times is wrong and read-only. This means that for each project they are forced to redesign the digital model, leading to the repetition of a process already been made, but not made correctly.The above isn’t a solitary event, but the usual way of receiving and sending data from one scholar to another, from the architect to the static, from the static to the engineer etc. Thus, the architec-tural process doesn’t flow and becomes expensive and time consuming. But, by taking advantage of the BIM workflow, and by using platforms that can cover the requirements of more than one specialty, the nature of the relationships and the rights between the professionals can be changed in benefit of the architecture.“Reinforcement of the productivity through 3d programs can be applied with

the exchange between the different fields, when for example there is cooperation with a expert for the bearing structure of the construction. While this process takes place, some things that are considered as basic for your study, can be differenti-ated, that leads to the need of redesign-ing them. With such software you have the ability to redesign elements without affecting the rest of the project and in ad-vance, you can provide these changes to the other professionals, the engineer for example. If you want to do the same pro-cess for a 2d design tool, some data could be lost, as traditionally not everything is designed in 3d shape.{...} Thus with the use of such a platform or software, you can design everything in the same digital environment, with the cooperation of the requested specialty, so you can have an interaction with the rest of the profes-sionals.”(Mathaios Papavasileiou, interview December 2011, question: “In which part of the design can BIM be of

use?”)

The attitudes that BIM comes to offer, such as freely distributed information, can be applied with various different ways, having a positive effect in the bureaucracy that comes with every architectural project and is delaying significantly every construction in Greece, in the architectural culture of the clients by making them co responsible for the outcome since they are fully informed for the upcoming construction, and making easier to change the functionality of the building if considered necessary.It seems that for the Greek reality, first has to come the appliance of the BIM’s rules and then its design platforms.

5./ THE FUTURE OF BIM

BIM is a tool that is “constructed” accord-ing to the directions of nowadays civiliza-tion. It responds to globalization, speciali-zation, the need of sustainability and the commercialization of the architecture and engineering. It enables factors regard-ing the building that are becoming more and more important, such as facility management. On the other hand, fac-tors like technical barriers, liability issues and regulations, become obstacles to its development.

Trying to imagine where BIM is leading to, we could say that it will be all about information. We will move from focusing on processes to focusing on information. “The data about the facility are more valuable than the facility itself”, says Finith Jernigan. “Complexity will go behind the scenes, while some things will be made easier and some others more complex.”(Kimon Onuma, interview June 2011)

/The future of BIM tools

In the present, many software like Grapgisoft, ArchiCAD, Revit Architecture, Solibri and so on are doing BIM, but the future stands for open-standard organi-zations, like BuildingSMART. The future stands for always-related-data and being able to manage them from whichever point of the world. As the architectural process will become more and more independent from the physical idea of the office, so the impact of i-phones, smart phones and i-pads’ will


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image 41./42./ Sentral servers network and their position on USA map.(BIM Handbook / Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston)

image 43./ From the TEKLA webinar titled: “TEKLA BIM-sight”, 11/09/12

increase and the training period will be demanded to be as minimum as zero, if possible.Imagine walking inside a building and au-tomatically having all the data you need about it loaded to your smartphone, for example.(from Kimon Onuma’s interview)BIM tools are supposed to cover and follow these demands, although they’re not there yet. Therefore, the future of the BIM tools leans towards the direction mentioned above:1. The import and export capability of data through certified and open stand-ard protocols like IFC.2. The ability to work on a single BIM platform (through the increase of the number of each platform’s applications), without having to change platforms and make data translations or have file for-mats’ compatibility problems.3. The development of Web Appli-cations that support “design everywhere” with no need for powerful client comput-ers (as it happens with desktop applica-tions).4. BIM tools that support detailed designing of complex products that can be used later as a warranty of the prod-uct’s quality.5. Applications capable of 4D sched-uling.(Finith Jernigan, interview June 2011)

/Model Servers, Easy Access to Informa-tion, Productivity, Certainty

A significant change has already started to happen in the field of technology, and of course it is affecting BIM too. We

are moving from file administration to a central server as the administrator of all actions. This change is leaded by the huge amount of data needed in every aspect of the technology use, which is impossible to be managed by each application sepa-rately. Once the central server is in use, the whole amount of documents should be accessible from all client computers. This leads to the common use of just one file format editable by all BIM platforms and Applications like IFC.“One of the important developments I can see coming is that all information is going to be kept in a database instead of files, while the final will de administered by terminals and client applications.”(Polixronis Loulakis, interview December 2011, question: “Do you thing that there is an important development

going on concerning the concept of BIM?”)

Because of the highly automated nature of BIM, the new potentials expected from the field of technology, will undoubtedly affect the as-known designing techniques in a very desirable way. They are expect-ed to expand the designing options and possibilities and remove the unneces-sary effort of the architectural process. Techniques like parametric modelling and exchanging data between model and designing team will be highly developed. The model will be able to provide infor-mation related to GIS, orientation, sus-tainability, open standards requirements, facility management, etc.However, we cannot baptise BIM as the unique solution and be done. BIM is just a tool that helps us reduce time and work waste. Our critical thinking and action combined with BIM can lead to a more

integrated design process.The real difference will be the combina-tion of all the factors analysed above, in order to create a “living” architecture, the kind of architecture that could interact with its environment continuously and be able to inform you about the changes made or needed, through a holistic flow of data between the building and the architect.

/Practice

Inevitably, apart from the changes that will cause in the strictly technical part of the architectural process, BIM will affect other aspects too. Aspects that are some-how connected with it, like the type of contracts signed from now on, the profes-sionals relationships, the regulations, the workplace as a concrete sense, the whole process of the projects done and finally the education too. Every one of these fac-tors will be influenced differently, and the most probable prediction is as described below. Contracts and Relationships: The rela-tionships of the players in an integrated project delivery team are fundamentally altered, shared risks and shared rewards. Regulation: With the rise of integrative concepts and methods there will be fun-damental changes regarding professional standards of care and how the building process is regulated. Indeed, the meaning of professional licensure itself will change as the boundaries between design and construction blur, and the meaning of “responsible control” will change dra-matically.


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Workplace: Flexible project structures coupled with collaboration technology will facilitate the integration of global, extended project teams and allow organi-zations to find talent anywhere and shift work to remote locations as needed—in-creasing the overall flexibility of the build-ing industry’s workforce.

Project process: Traditional project phases will be adjusted and refined to accommodate an integrated project team and their project participation.

Education: As the building industry be-comes more integrated, the education of future professionals will no doubt follow suite with altered curriculum that reflects the increasingly large footprint of building design and construction. (Improving Building Industry Results through Integrated Delivery and Building Information Modeling, Autodesk

Whitepaper / Autodesk)

/Ubiquitous computing

We have already talked about the infor-mation management and its value. How the parallel virtual representation of a building can be beneficial to its every as-pect. From a point of view more centred to the information itself and to what it could create, we can lead ourselves to new paths of designing. Instead of attach-ing information to the virtual model on a digital platform, what would happen if we managed to attach information to the physical building itself? If we made the building more intelligent, how would it react and which would be the outcome?We have heard about the concept of

ubiquitous computing and the world where someone could extract data from everywhere. Taking into account all the facilitations that BIM provides us, it is possible to create buildings that can load and manage information on their own and to their own benefit, maybe even without our intervention.These “smart” buildings could be de-tached from form and size. They could keep changing eternally in order to achieve optimal conditions of function, in terms of aesthetics and sustainability. We would then speak about a fluid reality where nothing stays static. Everything has the possibility to change, so everything is up-to-date and capable of satisfying every new need that will ever come up. The work of the architect will be then to create the conditions of that fluidity. Until now, the architect created the rules under which the entire project would be based on. She/he tried to identify the optimal scenario and design the build-ing according to it. What if there is no optimal scenario and the architect should only draw the path in which the building can be expand and altered?BIM, as we already mentioned, puts the information in the centre of attention. However, putting the information in the centre of attention doesn’t only mean to be able to manage it in a beneficial way. It means that we no longer design the building. We design the information related to the building. And if we make an exact parallelism with BIM’s principles, where we had the building before, we now have the information. So, the archi-tects and the designers design the infor-mation and not the building. Where we

had the software platforms, we now have the building itself. So, we load all the data on the building instead of the virtual model inside the platform. And where we had the predictions, possible forms, functions, solutions that we got from the design process, we now have the build-ing’s particular states at any given points inside it’s lifecycle. We could say that this way, the information is the given, con-crete element and not the building.


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6./ CONCLUSION

/BIM’s Role in the Future

BIM at first comes to present procedures, but also obeys in rules that have exten-sions in mentality. When we talk about collaboration for example, databases, central servers, object libraries, open information sharing and the ability to be accessed and managed by everyone, non-desktop software with internet playing an important role in every step, minimum software training and combination of platforms, up-to-date data and virtual models attached to location, automated control of the building from far away and life-long surveillance, it is obvious that we refer to a remodelled reality, with possi-bilities of further development and hence growth.BIM itself cannot be considered the only way in which Greek architecture and construction have to be turned to. But by keeping certain rules and endorsing the new procedures that comes to impose, also in combination with a different way of interpretation and adaptation, perhaps it can attribute more towards productiv-ity.“The thought is not to keep anything locked. A drift to computers, a drift to productivity in general.{...}BIM is not the only solution. It is a tool that will help someone solve problems if they cannot be solved otherwise. It is not a one-way solution. Thus BIM’s appliance can have a meaning under certain conditions. This example*, as surprising as it may seem, it personally made me consider that every-thing is relevant and that there is not just

one solution for every problem” says mr. Loulakis during his interview.As for Greece now, if implemented prop-erly and carefully it could be a great help in some major problems of the Greek construction nowadays.The BIM way of documenting the build-ings, which can be updated anytime needed as it is linked with the virtual building, the bureaucracy could possibly be avoided, one of the major aspects in the delay of the realization of every con-struction in our country. And by having the data shared between the individuals concerned, the process of assignment can be transparent and fair. Fact that is hap-pening really rarely until now and ema-nated from the closed architectural circle and the small amount of international participation in Greek competitions. By avoiding these barriers, the construc-tion time could be deescalated and the projects’ budget as well as the role of the architects could go under serious consid-eration.Additionally, by having recorded in digital libraries the existing buildings or archaeo-logical sites, the separation of the ones that deserve to be preserved as well as the budget needed, could be more distin-guished and furthermore their research would be facilitated importantly and our cultural heritage could be evaluated as it’s truly worth it.With such important changes taking place, new working places would be created, not only in the fields of architec-ture, design and rehabilitation, but also in the automated construction field and in the practical training of the construction workers. Two fields that until now are

either based on the import of materials, construction techniques and workforce from abroad, or on the empirical knowl-edge of the professionals. This would inevitably lead to new working places’ openings, a really critical factor if we take into consideration the temporal economi-cal situation of Greece.Hopefully, the future leads to creating buildings released from the limits of the form, the programme, the size and the location. “Smart” buildings that take advantage of the abilities of every profes-sional, respect the environment, stay into budget and become a source of world-wide knowledge by having their data open to everybody. A completely differ-ent kind of architecture from the one that we know until now.But in order to succeed that, we have to focus not on a blind full implementa-tion of BIM but on using the procedures needed for the best outcome and criticis-ing the results on every step. BIM has to be used as a tool, with the human factor being in charge, maybe with an even more extended role than before as the complexity keeps rising.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

C. Eastman, P. Teicholz, R. Sacks, K. Liston, ‘BIM Handbook’ (Απρίλιος 2008)

S. M. Levy, ‘Design Built Project Delivery, Man-aging the Building Process from the Proposal through Construction’, 2006

W. Kymmell, ‘Building Information Modeling, Planning and Managing Construction Projects with 4D CAD and Simulations’, 2008

B. Napier, Division of state facilities, ‘Building Information Modeling. A report on the current state of BIM technologies and recommenda-tions for implementation’,

F. E. Jernigan, ‘BIG BIM, little bim’, 2007

T. Dzambazove, G. Demchak, E.y Krygiel, ‘Mas-tering Revit Architecture 2008’, 2007

J. O. Jonassen, ‘Report on Integrated Practice, Changing Business Models in BIM-driven Inte-grated Practice’, 2006

G. Aouad, Y. Arayici, ’Requirements Engineer-ing for Computer Integrated Environments in Construction’, 2010

J. G. Burns, ‘Report on Integrated Practice, Ap-plications in Engineering’, 2001

E. Krygiel, P. R., J. Vandezande, ‘Mastering Re-vit Architecture 2011’, 2010

R. Cheng, Report on Integrated Practice, ‘Sug-gestions for an Integrative Education’

K. K. Fallon, S. R. Hagan, Report on Integrated Practice, ‘Information Facility for the Life Cy-cle’

K. Onuma, ‘From Abundance to Scarcity. A

Strategy for the 21st Century Building Industry (Doing More with Less while Creating Value)’, 2009

L. R. Bachman, ‘Integrated Buildings, the sys-tem basis of Architecture’, 2002

R. Binnekamp, L. A. van Gunsteren, P. van Loon, ‘Open Design, a Stakeholder-oriented Approach in Architecture, Urban Design and Project Management’, 2006

L. Lesniewski, E. Krygiel, B. Berkebile, ‘Report on Integrated Practice, Roadmap for Integra-tion’, 2006

The American Institute of Architects, Cali-fornia Council, ‘Integrated project delivery, a guide’, 2007

Autodesk BIM Curriculum, ‘Instructor Guide’, 2011

Autodesk Whitepaper, ‘Improving Building Industry Results through Integrated Delivery and Building Information Modeling’, 2008

AIA California Council whitepaper, ‘Integrated Project Delivery, Frequently Asked Questions’, 2006

McGraw Hill Smart Market Report on Inter-operability, ‘Evaluating the impact of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on construction’, 2007

DSF report presented by to the Construction Industry Institute (CII), ‘Construction contract change orders, Internal Benchmarking and Comparative Functional Benchmarking’

REFERENCES

Kimon Onuma – Architect, Software De-veloper, President and Founder of FAIA (on-line interview 2011)

Finith E. Jernigan – Architect, Educator, Author and Publisher (4Site Press Ltd), Ex-pert in integrated practice, Presidents of AIA (on-line interview 2011)

Polixronis Loulakis – Writter, Publisher and Autodesk Authorized Trainer (interview October 2011)

Mathaios Papavasiliou – Architect and Lec-turer in the National Technical University, Athens, Greece (interview October 2011)

Vassilis Gastis – Mechanical Engineer (in-terview October 2011)


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INSTITUTES AND COMPANIES

The American Institute of Architects (AIA)www.aia.org/ip_default

The American Institute of Architects, Califor-nia Council (AIACC)www.ipd-ca.net

IAI: International Alliance for InteroperabilitySubset of the International Standards Organi-zation (ISO). IAI is an alliance of organiza-tion dedicated to bring about a coordinated change for the improvement of productivity and efficiency in the construction and facili-ties management industry (Building Smart). http://www.iai-na.org/

buildingSMART allianceTM: Organization within the worldwide International Alli-ance for Interoperability, and council of the National Institute for Building Sciences (NIBS), with the mission of improving all aspects of the facility and infrastructure lifecycle by pro-moting collaboration, technology, integrated practices and open standards.

The NBIMS-US Project Committee: is a pro-ject committee of the buildingSMART alliance.

LINKS

Amazon Cloud Drive: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/learnmore/

Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/login?cont=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fhome%23%3A%3A%3A

Citrix XenApp: http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products/product.asp?contentID=186&ntref=prod_top

Web Applications in the cloud, που υποστηρίζονται από την Google:

Gmail: https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=mail&passive=true&rm=false&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F&bsv=llya694le36z&ss=1&scc=1&ltmpl=default&ltmplcache=2&from=login

Google Docs: https://www.google.com/ac-counts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600&continue=https://docs.google.com/?pli%3D1&followup=https://docs.google.com/?pli%3D1&ltmpl=homepage

Google Chrome OS: http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

iCloud: http://www.apple.com/icloud/

GRAPHISOFT BIM Server: http://www.gra-phisoft.com/products/archicad/teamwork.html


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INDEX OF TERMINOLOGY

A

A&D: Architecture and Design

AEC: Architecture-Engineering-Construction

API: application program interface(API)

B

Building model repository: a building model repository is a database system whose sche-ma is based on a building object based for-mat. It is different from existing project data management (PDM) systems and web-based project management systems in that the PDM systems are fi le based, and carry CAD and analysis package project files. Building model repositories are object-based, allowing query, transfer, updating and management of individual project objects from a potentially heterogeneous set of applications

BIG BIM: refers to the whole world, designing is a tinny fraction of that.

BIM washing: to become an overnight expert

BIMstormTM: a software as a webservice project for real-time collaboration using open standards.BIMStorms are virtual online events involving many participants worldwide in condensedscenarios for project planning.

BIMXML: is a non-linear process for attaching information to an object and associate it with the object so that every object to become data-related and not just a 3D model.(Kimon Onuma on-line interview)

C

CAD: Computer-Aided Design or Drafting προγραμμάτων Σχεδίασης με Υπολογιστή (Computer-Aided Drafting - CAD)

CIE: Computer Integrated EnvironmentIs the type of innovative integrated informa-tion system that helps to reduce fragmenta-tion and enables the stakeholders to col-laborate in business. Ολοκληρωμένα Πληροφοριακά Περιβάλλοντα (CIE)

Collaboration: Collaboration means work-ing together cooperatively, as a team. True collaboration requires all participants to have a similar understanding of these goals so that their efforts can be supportive and comple-mentary of one another.

Communication: This is the transfer or exchange of information, generally between individuals or groups. Communication takes place when information is both provided and received; a form of confirmation that infor-mation was in fact transmitted and received is important.

CM: Construction Management

Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is chang-ing the landscape by running software on the Internet.

D

Data Rot: If you don’t keep the data up-to-date you will have to go back and collect them.

Database—Centralized and Federated: A database is a “large collection of data in a

computer, organized so that it can be expand-ed, updated and retrieved rapidly for various uses.A centralized database implies all the data in a single—centralized—location and managed all together by a single entity. A federated database consists of various data-bases managed by different entities that have agreed upon a system of working together to permit access to each of those databases.

E

Enterprise BIM: everybody needed in the construction of a building process working to-gether at the same time on the same project. F

FM: Facility Management.

G

Georeference: Refers to exactly locating something in the virtual world, via coordinate systems.

GIS (Geographical Information System): eve-rything, even a single thing, has latitude and longitude that helps at the energy control and therefore the sustainability of the building, and give you the data of the building’s loca-tion at any time which helps in the appropri-ate materials’ choice.

GSA: (General Services Administration): man-agement of all the US Government buildings

H

I

ICA: Independent Component Analysis is a computational method for separating a mul-tivariate signal into additive subcomponents supposing the mutual statistical independ-

ence of the non-Gaussian source signals. It is a special case of blind source separation.

IFC: Industry Foundation Class

Interoperability: is the ability to exchange and manage electronic information seam-lessly and the ability to comprehend and integrate this information across multiple software systems.

Integration: The introduction of working practices, methods and behaviours that cre-ate a culture in which individuals and organi-zations are able to work together efficiently and effectively.

IPD (Integration Project Delivery): design & construction method. A project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all par-ticipants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste, and maxi-mize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.

IT (information technology): a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange, and use informa-tion in its various forms (business data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and other forms, including those not yet conceived). It’s a convenient term for including both telephony and computer technology in the same word. It is the technology that is driving what has often been called “the information revolu-tion.”

J

K


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L

Lonely BIM (little bim): doing BIM in isola-tion.

Lifecycle: A life cycle refers to the entire life of a project; this includes from the earliest planning until its demolition and the recycling of materials. M

MEP: Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing

Model Server: system in which isn’t neces-sary to upload, store a file, it allows you to find only the information that you need in real-time.

N

NBIMS: National Building Information Mod-eling StandardIs a document which spells out the NBIMS-US Project Committee’s (the National Building Information Model Standard Project Commit-tee - United States) vision and describes the results NBIMS-US expects to achieve.

O

Object-based Parametric Modelling: The technology on which most BIM design appli-cations are based. Includes the ability to de-fine individual objects whose shape and other properties can be controlled parametrically. It also applies to assemblies of objects, possibly up to the building scale that allows the as-semblies to be controlled by parameters.

Onuma System: is an off-the-cloud system that can do BIM, made from the architect and software developer Kimon Onuma which manage the planning and organization of the project depending on working with other

tools too.

P

Parametric Objects: A limited form of para-metric modelling, where a single object can be created or edited through its parameters.

Q

R

REAL TIME BIM: generate a BIM model, its visualization, blocking & stacking, costing sensor data, its sustainability and carbon footprint working a the same time from all around the world.

RDP: Remote Desktop Protocol

S

Selfish BIM: use of BIM in order to use it just you & make construction documents.

SHiP: Strategic Hi-performance Integrated Planning group

SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises

T

U

V

Visualization: is “the creation of a clear picture of something in the mind, or a clear picture of something created in the mind”

VID: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

VE: Virtual Environment

W

XXML: Extensible mark-up languageIs a simple and flexible text format originally designed to meet the needs of large-scale publishing, but is now playing a major role in exchanging data over the Internet.

Y

Z

0-9

4D: Building information model with the addition of time (virtual building model with scheduling).

5D: Building information model with the ad-dition of time and construction information additions

4SiteSystems: a system that helps at the validation (program estimation), cost analysis, quick representation (not the final one) of a project, means that is a fast parametric way to see the needs of the future building.



Documents

BIM (Building Information Modeling) AND GREEK CONSTRUCTION: Research and Detailed Analysis for Potential Implementation