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BIMANDGREEKCONSTRUCTION:
RESEARCHANDDETAILEDANALYSISFORPOTENTIAL
IMPLEMENTATION
CHATZIANDREOUDIMITRA
KOSTOPOULOUMARIAALIKIUniversityofThessaly,Volos,Greece
Athesis
submittedtotheDepartmentofArchitecture
oftheUniversityofThessaly
inPartialFulfillmentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegree
ARCHITECT
DepartmentofArchitecture
UniversityofThessaly
VOLOS,MAGNISIA,GREECE
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PROLOGUE
BuildingInformationModelling(BIM).
Thisisaconceptwedidntknowbeforestartingtothinkaboutourthesistheme.
Atfirst,wewerecurioustodiscoverwhatitisaboutandwhywehadneverheardaboutitbefore.Afteraquickoverview,
BIMseemstobetheidealwayofdesigningandconstructing.Itsbasicconceptsdealwithinformationanddatastorageand
managementaswellastheautomationofprocesses.Therewere,though,somequestionsthatstillneedtobeanswered.
Doesthiscompleteautomationeliminatearchitectural creativityand innovation?CandoingBIMfromthefirstdayofthe
designprocessbe risky? BIMhas alreadystarted tobe implemented in theUSA andsomeEuropeancountries,but its not
widelyknowninGreeceyet.CoulditbeimplementedandbeneficialforGreekarchitectsandtheGreekconstructionindustry?
Thesearesomeofthequestionswewantedtoexamineinourresearch.So,westartedbystudyingBIM,learningitsbasic
concepts,beingawareofwhatoccursnowadaysinrelationtoit,inordertocreateasufficientlycompleteoverviewthatwould
helpusanswerourquestions.WealsohadthechancetointerviewtwoAmericanarchitectswhoareleadersinBIMworldwide
andthreeconstructionprofessionalsfromGreecewhopracticearchitectureusingdigitaldesigntoolsandsoftware.Combining
thefeedbackwegotfromthemwithalltheinformationwegathered[frombooks,articles,papers,etc.],wemanagedtoforma
morecomprehensiveandcompleteopinionofBIM,thepossiblewaysitcouldbeimplementedanditspossiblefutureinGreece.Theresearchwepresentbelowconsistsoftwoparts.ThefirstpartisadetailedanalysisofBIM,itsaspectsandalltherelated
concepts,usingtheinformationwegatheredfromourbibliographyandinterviews.ThesecondpartisanexaminationofBIMs
implementationinGreece.Unfortunately,asBIMisnotyetwellknowninGreece,wedidntfindanyGreekbibliography,sothat
partwaswrittenusingfeedbackfromthethreearchitectsweinterviewedandourowncriticalthinking.
Finally,ourintentionwasnevertoembraceBIMunconditionally.Westronglybelievethateverynewideahasitspositiveand
negativeaspects.Acriticalwayofthinkingcombinedwiththeabilitytoremainrealisticcanleadtoevolutionaryandfunctional
solutions.Thisiswhatwehavetriedtodointhisresearch.OurgoalwastofindalternativewaysofimplementingBIMboth
generallyandinGreece.
Inorder tomake a stepforward,we have tried toimplement theknowledgewegainedfrom this researchin ourthesis
project.WedesignedawallsegmentthatincorporatestheprincipalsofBIManditsgoalistobeusedinpreservedbuildingsin
ordertoeliminatethespacelossthatusuallyoccursintherehabilitationofoldbuildingsandtoautomatetheprocess.Itisable
to be controlled automatically and with a variety of functions, it responds to the needs of the standard office buildingsintroducingatthesametimeanewmethodofspacecontrol.BaseduponthebuildingofKitriniApothiki
1inthecityofVolosin
Greece,itmaybethefirstattempttoincorporateBIMtechniquesindesigninaGreekcontext.
1KitriniApothikiorAmericana,asitiscalled,isthestorehouseoftheAmericanTobaccoCompanylocatedatthejunctionof
GaziandBassanistreetsinthecityofVolosinGreece.Builtin1926itwasfirstusedbytheAmericanTobaccoCompany.In1958it
wasrentedto(SocialistPartyofGreece),thenin1965itwasboughtbytheNationalOrganizationofTobaccoandusedasastorehouse.DuringtheSecondWorldWarithadservedasajailforpoliticalprisonersandastheJewishghettofortheareaof
Volos.
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
1./INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................6
/GeneralOverview...................................................................................................................................................6/Interviewswitharchitects:presentation................................................................................................................6
2./BIM(UNTILTODAY)...........................................................................................................................................7 2.1.THETERMSOFBIM................................................................................................................................................7/BuildingInformationModeling...............................................................................................................................7/BuildingInformationModel....................................................................................................................................7/BIMandIPD............................................................................................................................................................8
2.3.INTEROPERABILITY.................................................................................................................................................8/Theconcept.............................................................................................................................................................8/Untiltoday..............................................................................................................................................................9/Themethodofachievement...................................................................................................................................9
2.4.COLLABORATION...................................................................................................................................................92.5.THETIMELINEOFBIM............................................................................................................................................9/TheLeadershipofBIM..........................................................................................................................................11
2.6.EXISTINGPROBLEMS&DEMANDS.......................................................................................................................12/Theeffectoftheeconomiccollapseinconstruction.............................................................................................12
2.7.DIFFERENCES BETWEENCADANDBIM................................................................................................................12/CADfilescharacteristics.......................................................................................................................................12/TheadvantagesofBIMoverthe2Dand3Ddesignapproaches..........................................................................13/WhatisBIMtryingtoachieve...............................................................................................................................13/MisconceptionsaboutBIM&itsRisks..................................................................................................................13/Thechangeinworkflow........................................................................................................................................14
2.8.BENEFITS/DEVELOPMENTS................................................................................................................................14/Statistics................................................................................................................................................................14/BENEFITS:..............................................................................................................................................................14/Forthearchitects..................................................................................................................................................14/Fortheowners......................................................................................................................................................15/Fortheconstructors..............................................................................................................................................15/Intheconstructionindustry..................................................................................................................................15/Long-term.............................................................................................................................................................15/DEVELOPMENTS: ..................................................................................................................................................15/Design...................................................................................................................................................................15/Construction..........................................................................................................................................................15/Relationshipsbetweenprofessionals....................................................................................................................16/BuildingsLifecycle................................................................................................................................................16
3./BIMTODAY......................................................................................................................................................17 /GeneralOverview.................................................................................................................................................17/TheuseofTechnology..........................................................................................................................................17/ExistingBIMSoftware...........................................................................................................................................18/ProgramsEffectiveness........................................................................................................................................19/Training.................................................................................................................................................................19
3.1.CONCEPTS&SYSTEMS.........................................................................................................................................19/GIS.........................................................................................................................................................................19
/Real-timeBIM.......................................................................................................................................................20/BIMintheCLOUD.................................................................................................................................................20
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/BIMStorm.............................................................................................................................................................22/BIMXML(BuildingInformationModelExtendedMarkupLanguage)...................................................................22/OnumaSystem......................................................................................................................................................22/4SiteSystems........................................................................................................................................................22
3.2.APPLICATION........................................................................................................................................................23
/CaseStudies..........................................................................................................................................................23/OurFinalProject...................................................................................................................................................23
4./BIM&GREECE..................................................................................................................................................244.1.INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................................24/StateofBIMinGreece..........................................................................................................................................24/ArchitectsInterviewed:PresentationandOpinions..............................................................................................24
4.2.ECONOMY/MENTALITY......................................................................................................................................24/GreekMentality....................................................................................................................................................24/EconomicCrisis.....................................................................................................................................................25
4.3.BIM&CONSTRUCTION........................................................................................................................................25/Demands...............................................................................................................................................................25
/ReasonsPreventingtheShift................................................................................................................................254.4.POSSIBILITIESOFAPPLICATION............................................................................................................................26/PotentialAdjustments..........................................................................................................................................26/MotivesforImplementation.................................................................................................................................26/AlternativemethodsofImplementation...............................................................................................................27
5./THEFUTUREOFBIM.........................................................................................................................................29/ThefutureofBIMtools.........................................................................................................................................29/ModelServers,EasyAccesstoInformation,Productivity,andCertainty..............................................................29/Design...................................................................................................................................................................29/Practice.................................................................................................................................................................30/Ubiquitouscomputing...........................................................................................................................................30
6./CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................31 /BIMsRoleintheFuture........................................................................................................................................31
7./INDEX..............................................................................................................................................................32 /Terminology..........................................................................................................................................................32/InstitutesandCompanies.....................................................................................................................................37/Links......................................................................................................................................................................37/References.............................................................................................................................................................38/Bibliography..........................................................................................................................................................38
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1./INTRODUCTION
/GeneralOverview
Architecturecanbeconsideredtobealivingorganismthatneedstoevolvecontinuallyasthetechnologyandconstructionmethodsconstantly keepchanging.Over theyears,manynewtheorieshaveappearedchanging thewaywedoarchitecture,
somemoreinfluentialandothersless.Themostimportantissueistotrytoabsorbtheevolutionthatleadstosomekindof
facilitationofourworkandnotjustfolloweachtrendjustbecauseitisneworseemsinteresting.
Oneofthenewdirectionsin architecture-andalsoinengineering,construction,etc.-nowadaysis theglobalizationofthe
processinordertoovercomephysicalbarriers(distance,countriesetc.)andtakeadvantageofmorecomprehensiveknowledge.
Inadditiontothat,theconcernaboutthedepletionofnaturalresourcesandthedoubtsregardingtheexistingconsumersociety
seemtoleadustoadeadendlongbeforeexpected,ifnosolutionisfoundsoon.
Sowearetalkingaboutageneralchangeinthecurrentattitudeandineachofusseparatelyatthesametime,because
although the character of theories is international, their implementation depends on thementality and the habits of each
country,andsotheyhavetobeexaminedinordertoleadustoarealevolutionandnottoawasteoftimeandeffort.For
exampleitismeaninglesstoexpecttoobtainthesameresultsfromtwoprojectsofdifferentscale,locatedindifferentpartsof
theworld,addressingdifferentfinalclientsandwhichdifferentteamsofprofessionalshavedesigned.Theimportantthingistoform aprocess that can beincorporatedintoevery project and serveit for its own needs. The Internetof course playsan
importantrolebutthementalityoftheworldofconstructionhasyettofollowthechangetoo.
ThisiswhattheconceptofBIMstandsfor.BIMismoreawayofthinkingandactingthanatheorythatneedsfollowers.Itcan
beusedaslittleormuchasanybodywishes,inwhicheverstageofthelifeofabuilding,evenbeforeitsconceptionorafterits
demolition,becauseitisaboutdatathatcanbeusedoverandoveragainasthepointistoremainup-to-date.
WithoutgeneralimplementationofBIMthough,wecannotspeakabouttheunderstandingof theconcept.AnddoingBIM
withoutunderstandingandcollaboratingmeanshugeloss.
Thereis a term for becomingan overnight BIM expert and its called BIMwashing. This proves that BIM traininghas
alreadybecomeanimportantissue.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
SothequestionisifaprocedurethatwasfirstdesignedaccordingtoAmericanstandardsandscalecanbeusefulinacountry
likeGreece,whichis stillusing theold-fashionedmethodofpersonal observationofthe construction site in themajorityof
currentprojects.Oritisonlyanillusiontotrytoconvinceprofessionalstoshifttowardsanewwayofworkingandthinking,even
morenowwiththepresentbadeconomicsituationofourcountry.
Asthemajority ofarchitects, engineers, constructors,etc.hasnotembraced BIMyet,mostownersdonthave theoption to
implementordemandit.However,astheconstructionindustrymovestowardsBIM,theyknowthattheywillhavetodoitinthe
future.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
So,startingfromthetheoryofBIM-throughbooks,butmostimportantlythroughtheopinionofthearchitectsthathadan
important role in itscreation (KimonOnuma,FinithJernigan),throughits applicationwith thecase studywehave designed
accordingtotherulesofBIM,forapreservedbuildinginthecityofVolosinGreece,andfinallythroughananalysisofthe
presentsituationwiththehelpoftheprofessionalsthathavebeeninterviewed(Loulakis,Papavasileiou,Gastis)-wearetryingto
discoverifBIMandGreececanlookforwardtoacommonfuture.
/Interviewswitharchitects:presentation
KimonOnumaisanarchitectandBIMspecialist,creatorofOnumaPlanningSystemandBIMStormandafoundingmember
ofthebiggestBIMassociations(GDLAlliance,ShipGroup,Akrotek).AshehasbeenconstantlyworkingwithBIMsince1993,
whilebeingasoftwaredeveloperaswell,hewasthemostappropriatepersontodescribetheexistingstateofBIMintheUSA
andpossiblefuturetendencies,bothforBIMandtheexistingsoftware.
FinithJerniganisanarchitect,educator(UniversityofMarylandEasternShore,KingFaisalUniversity),publishedauthor(BIG
BIMlittlebimThePracticalApproachtoBuildingInformationModelingIntegratedPracticeDonetheRightWay!),andan
expertinintegratedpractice(Created4SiteSystemsSM,astandardizedBIMbasedworkflow).Alsoafoundingmemberofthe
biggestBIMassociations(DesignAtlanticLtd,SHiPGroup)andresponsibleforaseriesofprojectsforthegovernment,NASA,the
USCorpsofEngineers,NAVFAC,theUSArmy,theUSAirForce,andtheUSMarineCorps.Asoneofthefirstwhotalkedabout
thetheoryofBIM,inhisinterviewheexplaineditsphilosophyandroots,andalsothechangesthancanbeprovidedtothe
knownarchitecturalprocedure.
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2./BIM(UNTILTODAY)
2.1.THETERMSOFBIM
/BuildingInformationModeling
Tobeginwith,tryingtodefinethisconcept,weemphasizesomethingsthatBIMdefinitelyisnt.Itsnotasoftwareoracontractingmethod.BIMisnota3Dmodelwithoutattributesattachedtoit,noracombinationof
2Dfiles.Itsnotalinearprocesswithabeginningandanend.Itsacontinuallyevolvingprocessthatstopsonlywhenafacilityis
nolongeralive,thatis,itsdemolished.
BIMitsnotforjustonesownuse,itsnotselfish.Itsforanopenuse.Itcanrangefromanexcelfiletoadetailedmodelofthe
world.Itisnotasoftware.Itisaprocess.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
Ithasbeendescribedinmanyways:
An improved planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance process using a standardized machine-readable
informationmodelforeachfacility,neworold,whichcontainsallappropriateinformationcreatedorgatheredaboutthatfacility
inaformatuseablebyallthroughoutitslifecycle.(NIBS2008)(NationalBuildingInformationModelingStandard(NBIMS)CommitteeoftheNationalInstituteofBuildingSciences(NIBS)FacilityInformationCouncil
(FIC))
BIMcanalsobereferredtoasaverb:Itisamodellingtechnologyandassociatedsetofprocessestoproduce,communicateandanalysebuildingmodels.(BIMHandbook/ChuckEastman,PaulTeicholz,RafaelSacks,KathleenListon)
Itisasystemconceivedtocreateasinglebuildingmodelrecognizeduniversallyasarepositoryforallelementsofabuilding,
includingitspropertiesandinterrelationships.(DesignBuiltProjectDelivery,ManagingtheBuildingProcessfromtheProposalthroughConstruction/SidneyM.Levy)
Itisanactivityandnotanobject.(BIMHandbook/ChuckEastman,PaulTeicholz,RafaelSacks,KathleenListon)
AbasicpremiseofBIMiscollaborationbydifferentstakeholdersatdifferentphasesofthelifecycleofafacilitytoinsert,extract,
update ormodify information in the BIM to support and reflect the roles of that stakeholder. The BIM is a shared digital
representationfoundedonopenstandardsforinteroperability.(Integratedprojectdelivery_aguide./TheAmericanInstituteofArchitects,TheAmericanInstituteofArchitects,CaliforniaCouncil)
SoBIMisthecombinationofalltheabove.Ithastodowithdataandprocesses.Datarelatedtovirtualdesign,construction
andfacilitiesmanagementandagroupofprocessesthatisapplicabletoallkindofcontractingmethods.Itusesvirtualmodelsthatcarryinformationinorderto share itthrough theentirebuildingindustryandreduceerrors. Itis notthevirtualmodels
themselves.
BIMisaprocessthathelpspeopletomakebetterdecisions.Itneedsyoutocollaborateinordertocooperate.Itsgoalistomake
everythingassimpleaspossible,makeeverythingtransparent.BIMplaceseverythinggeographicallyontheplanetandmakesit
possibleforeveryonetobeawareofeverythingaboutthel ifeofabuildingandbeyond.It isanon-linearprocess,itlinks
everything,everyone,everysoftware. (FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
Suchanopenandcontinuallydevelopingconceptcannotbecategorizedeasily.Itsmoreholisticthanthat.Everydifferent
pointofviewcouldleadtoanothercategorization.ThereisahugedifferencebetweenexaminingBIMasatoolandexaminingit
asaprocessforexample.So,averyschematicandgeneralcategorizationcouldbelikethis:
A/.EnterpriseBIM.Inthiscase,BIMmeansthateverybodyisworkingtogether.B/.LonelyBIM/LittleBIM.InlittleBIMyouredoingBIMinisolation.
C/.BIGBIM.BIGBIMreferstothewholeworld,withdesignasjustafractionofthat.
D/.IPD.IPDforBIMisanotherdesignandconstructionmethod.Itsnotthegoal.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
/BuildingInformationModel
ABuildingInformationModelincludesallthecharacteristicsofBIM.Itcanbedescribedas:
A project simulation consisting of the 3D models of the project components with links to all the required information
connectedwiththeprojectsplanning,constructionoroperation,anddecommissioning.Thissectiondescribesthe3Dmodels,the
informationcontainedorattachedtothesemodels,andthenatureofthelinksamongtheindividualmodels,thecomponents,
andtheinformation.(BuildingInformationModeling,PlanningandManagingConstructionProjectswith4DCADandSimulations/WillemKymmell)
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2.2.IPD(INTEGRATEDPROJECTDELIVERY)
Integratedprojectdeliveryisadeliverysystemthataddressesalltheparticipantsofaprojectsdesignandconstruction
process(includingsoftwareandpeople)tooptimizeprojectresults.Inshort,itsadeliverymethodforminimizingtimeandcost
andmaximizing effectiveness. It requires theentire projects lifecycle stakeholders to be collaborative and cross functionalduringthewholedesignprocess, startingasearlyaspossible.Allthosepeopleshareaccessand responsibilityfor everything
relatedtotheproject.
/BIMandIPD
IPDisadeliverymethodandBIMisatoolsupportingIPD.BIMprovidesthedatabaseforallthebuildingsinformation
storage(relatedtodesign,construction,managementlogistics,etc.)andtheplatformforthecollaborationofallparticipants.
BIMsupportsIPDnotonlythroughthebuildingsconstructionphase,butalsoafterwards,inthebuildingsfacilitymanagement
(spaceplanning,furnishing,monitoring,energyperformance,maintenance,etc.).
ThepartofBIMcalledfacilitymanagementhelpsyoutopreventdatarot,meaningthatbykeepingthedataup-to-
dateyouwonthavetogobackandcollectitwhenneeded.
WiththeincreasinguseofIPDandtheslowchangeintheprofessionals relationshipbyhavingarchitects,buildersand
ownerscollaborating,weareshiftingconservativelyintoBIM.ButIPDcanthappenwithoutBIM,andBIMshouldhappenat
everylevelofthearchitecturalprocess.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
BIM IPD
processenabledbysoftware methodofdelivery
workingwithinformation ItcanenableBIGBIM,butitisntBIGBIM
inthebuiltenvironment smallmethodologytodoBIM
(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
2.3.INTEROPERABILITY
/Theconcept
Inthearchitecturalprocedureitisveryimportanttomake correctdecisionsatanearlystage,forexampleyoucanstart
doingenergyanalysisevenwithsimpleblocksthatrepresentthefuturebuildingorwithasimpleexcelfileofthespaces.Thenext
stepthenistobeabletodeliverthedatainawaythatownerscanunderstandinordertobesurethattheresultsaregoingtobe
consistentwiththeirdesires,asthephenomenonofadifferenceof50%betweenthefinalprojectandthefirstgoalisnotrare.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
InteroperabilityisaconceptthatBIMisbasedupon.Itreferstopeople,products,systemsorsoftwareanditwasinitially
definedforITsystemsorservicesandallowsforinformationtobeexchanged.Amoregenericdefinitionwouldbethefollowing:
Apropertyofaproductorsystem,whoseinterfacesarecompletelyunderstood,toworkwithotherproductsorsystems,presentorfuture,withoutanyrestrictedaccessorimplementation.
Andwithrespecttosoftware,theterminteroperabilityisusedto:
Describethecapabilityofdifferentprogramstoexchangedataviaacommonsetofexchangeformats,toreadandwritethesamefileformats,andtousethesameprotocols.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperability)
Tobeinteroperablemeansthat:
One should actively be engaged in the on-going process of ensuring that the systems, procedures and culture of an
organizationaremanagedinawaytomaximiseopportunitiesforexchangeandre-useofinformation,internallyorexternally.
Baseduponthesedefinitions,itshouldbe clearthat thereis farmoretoensuringinteroperabilitythanusingcompatible
softwareandhardware,althoughthatitisofcourseimportant.Rather,assuranceofeffectiveinteroperabilitywillrequireoften
radicalchangestothewaysinwhichorganisationsworkand,especially,intheirattitudestoinformation.
(http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue24/interoperability/)
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/Untiltoday
Formanyyearsnow,accesstoabuildingsinformationhasbeenrestrictedtoonlyafewandhasnotbeenopenly
availabletoallthosewhomightneedit.Thefilescontainingthisdataaresavedinformatsthatcanbeopenedonlybycertain
software,meaningthattheyneedatranslationprocessinordertobecomevisibleandusable.Thishastheresultoftimeand
productivityloss,whichcouldbeavoidediftheconceptofopennessandinteroperabilityindata-exchangewasfollowed.During
thecommonarchitectureprocedure,firstlythebuildingismade,thenitisdeliveredtotheownerinawaythatallthe
informationaboutitgetslost,whichinevitablydiminishesitsvalue.Thislinearprocesshastobechangedanddecision-making
andconstructionneedtobealoopthatprovokescommunicationintheearlyplanningwithmanydifferentpeopleandmistakes
tobemadeandcorrectedinthatphaseinordernottoreachtheconstructionsite.Allthesearetheobligationsofthearchitect,
aswecantexpecttheclienttobeawareofarchitectureortechnology,letaloneBIM.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
/Themethodofachievement
Someonecanachieveinteroperabilitybetweenvarioussoftwareapplicationsinseveralways.Themostimportantthingis
toproducefilesinformatsreadableandeditablebymorethanoneapplication.
Thiscanhappeniftheyuseasuiteofsoftwareapplicationsfromacertainvendor,wheretheapplicationscandirectlyreadthe
fileformatoftheBIMsoftwareapplication.OnecanalsousesoftwarethatincorporatesanApplicationProgrammingInterface
(API) that can enable them to link interfaces from different providers, or alternatively use a software that supports data
exchangebyreadingseveralfileformatsandiswidelyacceptedbytheindustry.
ThechoiceoftheappropriateproceduredependsonwhichstepBIMisgoingtobeincorporatedat,thesoftwarethatisto
beused,thecompatibilityofthedifferentsoftwareandtheupdatingscheduleofeverycollaborator.
2.4.COLLABORATION
Nowadays,expertsfrommanydisciplinesshouldbebroughttogetherandworkas ateaminorder toproducethehuge
amount of information needed. Architects, designers, constructors, civil and technical engineers, fabricators, planners and
facilitiespersonnelshouldcooperateinordertoachieveasuccessfulworkflowanddesignproduct.Everyoneofthemprovides
his/herexpertiseintheworkflow.Allthesepeoplehavetobecoordinatedandagreeuponeverymatterthatwillarise.Thismeanscollaboration.
A BIM design approach can make this collaboration happen, as it enables the management of a huge amount of
informationatthesametimebydifferentpersonsandfromdifferentgeographicalpointswithoutanyfalsecalculationsordata
lossoccurring.
2.5.THETIMELINEOFBIM 2
1970s
FirstintroductionoftheconceptnowcalledBIMandthepossibilitiesthatitcouldbring,insideuniversities,atheoreticalbaseas
futureideas.
1988
AppearanceofGraphisoftandHungry,toolsabletodovirtualdesign&Construction.
1990s
Somesmallfirmsgetmoreinvolved.Thelargeonesresistbecausetheydontconsideritnecessary.
VirtualDesign&Construction.IntroductionofprocesseswhicharedoinglifecycleBIM-suchas4siteSystems-,andcreationof
thefirstlifecyclemodels.
Data-basedCADsystemspermittheelectronicstorageofbuildingcomponents,suchasdoorsandwindows,concurrentlywith
thedesign.
2ThistimelinewasformedusinginformationfrombooksandmanuscriptsreferringtoBIMandfrominformationprovidedbythe
twointerviewswithKimonOnumaandFinithJernigan.
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2000
FirstbidirectionalComputerizedMaintenanceManagementSystem(CMMS)model(facilitymanagementmodels)isintroduced.
Firstvirtualorganizations:SHiP(StrategicHi-performanceIntegratedPlanninggroup),thatactuallymovedthetechnologytothe
U.S.federalgovernment(GSI,Coastguard)withKimonOnuma,FinithJerniganandDianeDavisasitsfounders,andwithTriglyph
andEuropeaninitiativesgettinginvolvedtoo.
2002
FirstreferencetothenameBIMbyJerryLaiserininhisarticleComparingApplesandOranges:
Iamconvincedthatthebuildingindustrycannotmoveforwardwithanyofthenewtoolsunlessanduntilweagreeonatermto
replace"CAD."IamequallyconvincedthatthebesttermforthispurposeisBuildingInformationModeling.
ThetermBuildingInformationModeling,hadalreadybeenusedbyAutodesk,butonlyinordertointroduceandpresentanew
seriesofproductsthattheyhadputonthemarket.
Generally, until that time, therewere a lot of termsbeingused inorder todefine whatwenow call Building Information
Modeling (BIM). Terms like single building model, virtual building model as Graphisoft called it, integrated project
modelingasBentleySystemscalleditprojectlifecyclemanagement.
In thisarticle, Jerry Laiserinexplains why thenameBuilding InformationModeling is adequate, according to hispersonal
opinion,tocarrytheconceptofthisnewtechnologyandseparateitfromtheCAD.Hewrites:
I find that I prefer the word "building" over "project" because there are many kinds of projects (such as software
development)thathavenothingtodowithbuildings.At thesametime,theword"building"islooseenoughtohintatdesign,construction and operation. Without delving into the semantics of data versus information versus knowledge, I find that
"information" is clearly suggestive of software that deals withmore than just geometry. Combined, "building information"
implies,tomyear,astrongsenseofwhatthedesign,constructionandoperationofbuildingsisabout.Itavoidstechno-jargon,
yet remains evocative of technical goings-on. "Modelling,"althougha near-jargonword, doesconnote themathematical or
digitaldescriptionofobjectsorsystemswehaveeconometricmodelsandweathermodelsaswellasphysicalmodelsof3D
objects."Modelling"alsoimpliesaprocessofdescriptionorrepresentationthatprovidesthefoundationforbuildingperformance
simulation(essentially,modellingfuturebehaviour)andforthemanagementofbuildinginformation(informationmodelsserving
astheframeworksinwhichinformationismanaged).
So,"buildinginformationmodelling,"asadescriptionofthenextgenerationofdesignsoftware,seemstometocomecloserto
thewinningcharacteristicsevidencedby"CAD"foritsgenerationoftoolsspecificenoughtoevokereasonablyclear,common
meanings,yetbroadenoughtoencompassadiversityofcommercialandtechnologicalapproaches.Theonlyflyintheointment
isthatAutodeskhasbeenusingthetermforthelastfewmonthstodescribetheirbuildingindustrystrategy.[..]Now,vendorscancompeteanduserscanjudgethembasednoton"howmanywayswedifferfromCAD,"buton"howwellweexecuteandlive
uptothepromiseofBIM."
2004
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes a report stating that poor interoperability and data
management cost the construction industryapproximately $15.8 billiona year, or approximately 3-4% of the total industry
revenue. Since this report,many have labelledBuildingInformationModeling (BIM),an emergingtechnological information
managementprocessandproduct,astheanswertothisproblem.(EVALUATINGTHEIMPACTOFBUILDINGINFORMATIONMODELING(BIM)ONCONSTRUCTION)
Asaresult,ownersdemandthechangeandaskforBIMtoberequiredinconductingaproject.
AIAembracesBIMandIPD.
2005
U.S.CoastguardsShortFacilityCapitalAssetManagementRoadmap,thefirstimplementationofcommercialBIMiscreated.
2007
Researchandreportsrevealamajorproductivitydecline,claimingthatitcanbeavoidedthroughBIMtechnology:Onaverage,
3.1%ofeveryprojectcanbeattributedtothecostsoflackofsoftwareinteroperability.(McGrawHillSmartMarketReportonInteroperability,2007)
ThereleaseoftheNationalBIMStandard(NBIMS),whichstatesthataBIM(=asingleBuildingInformationModel)isaadigital
representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility and, furthermore, that a BIM represents a shared
knowledgeresource,orprocessforsharinginformationaboutafacility,formingareliablebasisfordecisionsduringafacilitys
lifecyclefrominceptiononward.
(NBIMS2007)
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2008
ThefirstBIMstormtakesplaceinLosAngeles.
2009
TheDepartmentofAdministration,DivisionofStateFacilitiesofWisconsinpublishestheimplementationofthefirstsegmentof
DSFBIMGuidelinesandStandards.Theresultsandoutcomeslistedinthisreportareexpectedtoachievesubstantiallyuniform
usageasastandardforBIMapplications.(Building Information Modeling. A report on the current state of BIM technologies and recommendations for implementatio/ Bill Napier Architect and
ProfessionalEngineerBIMSpecialist,DivisionofStateFacilities)
AsisshowninthetimelineofBuildingInformationmodellingabove,itwasalreadypresentintheacademicworldinthe
70sbutjustasafutureidea.Ittookitalmosttwentyyearstobeacknowledgedasanecessaryprocessandanimportant
factorinthedevelopmentoftheconstructionindustry.TheearlyadoptersstartedusingBIMlongbeforeitbecameknownand
withouttheclientsknowledge,becauseclientsdidntcareaboutit.Aseriesofstudiesontheproductivityoftheconstruction
industryhadtobeconducted,alotoforganizations(Openstandardsorganizations)thatpromotedthisideahadtobefounded
inorderforittobecomeacceptedandbringanactualimpacttotherealityofconstruction.SHiPandIAIwerethosewhoactually
convincedgovernmentagenciessuchasSenateProperties,U.S.Coastguard,GSA,Smithsonian,GISandCorpsofEngineers,of
theimportanceofBIMandtheneedsithascometocover.Onceachieved,theseagenciesthatactuallyhadthepowermoved
BIMintoactionandmadeitthepaththatarchitectureiswillingtofollow.
/TheLeadershipofBIM
ManypeoplehavebeeninvolveduntilnowintheformationoftheideaofBIM.Someofthefirst,though,are:
_ChuckEastman(GeorgiaTech), acknowledgedasthegrandfatherofBIM._JerryLaiserin,responsiblefornamingBIM_SHiPgrouptogetherwith EuropeaninitiativesfortheiractivityinEurope_DavidHammondfromtheU.S.Coastguard, theinternationalleaderinappliedBIMconcepts_RichardSee,whoinfluencedMicrosoftinorderforMicrosoftProductISCcomplianttobeproduced_EurostepactiveinFinlandandSweden_ThefoundersofGraphisoft_HeikkiKulusjarviwithSolibri(modelchecker)_SenatProperties (Finland)_International Alliance for interoperability (IAI), which later became buildingSMART in Europe and buildingSMARTAllianceintheU.S.introducingtheconceptofinteroperabilityandindustryfoundationclasses
_Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) from Stanford University, which did the initial testing of theproductivityofBIMbydoingresearchoverthe4
thdimension,timeandschedulingattachedtomodels
_LawrenceBerkleyNationalLab,workingonthedetailsoccurringbehindthescene_U.S.CorpsofEngineers ,aforcerelatedtofacilitymanagement
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2.6.EXISTINGPROBLEMS&DEMANDS
Informationisbecomingmoreandmoreimportantnowadays.Informationregardingeverythingthatsurroundsusisthe
factorthatkeepsusup-to-dateandhelpsusremaininthefrontlineoftheprocessofchange.Itsunderstoodthatitsamountis
becomingbiggerandbiggerandmorecomplex.Sofindinganon-traditionalwaytomanageandhandleitisfundamental.
ThewayBIMmanagesinformationaimstoimproveunderstanding.WithCADandthetraditionalmethods,informationwas
missedandchangedwhenpassingfromone stepto anotherduringtheprocessofdesignandconstruction.Weareforcedto
makedecisionstakingintoaccountalimitedamountofinformationeverytimeandnotattherightmoment.BIMprovidesyou
theopportunitytobeabletodecidewhenitsneededandprovidesallthefundamentalinformationyoushouldconsiderin
ordertomaketheoptimaldecision.
Alotofstudiesthathavebeenconductedinthepastfewyearshaveshownthattheconstructionindustrysuffersfrom
inefficiency in informationmanagement as it often operates in isolationand does not effectively communicate with other
internalandexternalpartnersofthedesignandconstructionprocess.
Thebig differences from thetraditional designand constructionprocess becomeobviousfrom itsdescription in the
ReportonIntegratedPractice,Technology,Process,Improvements,andCulturechange :
1.Designerimaginesanideain3Dtosolveaclientsproblem.2.Designerdeconstructs3Dideasto2Drepresentations.3.Designerpasses2Drepresentationstotheconstructionteam.4.Constructionteamgetsfabricatorstoredrawparts,againin2D.5.Constructionteamattemptstoreassemblethe2Dinformationinto3Dobjects.6.Designerisoftenamazedbytheoutcome!
(ReportonIntegratedPractice,Technology,Process,Improvements,andCultureChange/JimBedrick,TonyRinella)
/Theeffectoftheeconomiccollapseinconstruction
Someyearsago,whentherewasnoquestionaboutoureconomy,youwerefreetomakebaddecisionsbecausetherewas
nopressureforchange.Butthedifficultcurrenteconomicsituationcanbeperceivedasanopportunityforthosethatarewilling
tochangeinthesearchformoreeconomicsolutions.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
Thecurrenteconomic collapsecantleavethe construction industryundamaged.Research hasshownahugewasteofmoney,almost$500millionperyear(dataforAmerica)inexpenditureduringconstruction.Economic,environmentalandsocial
factors demand a change in the building design and construction industry. BIM comes to provide a solution and increase
productivity.
2.7.DIFFERENCESBETWEENCADANDBIM
/CADfilescharacteristics
Computer-aideddrafting(CAD)wasoriginallyintroducedinthearchitecturalprocessinthelate1980s.Itcametoreplace
thehand-drawinganddraftingwithadigitalmeansofproducingmoreeasilyandefficientlyanarchitecturaldrawing.Itspurpose
wastoreducethetimewastedintheproductionofthe2Ddrawings,soitcontinuedtorelyon2Drepresentationsof3Dobjects.
This,asanideabyitselfeliminateselementsandinformationofthebuildingandalsotheopportunitytointerrelatethedrawings
directlyandmanagethematthesametime.Thishappensbecauseyoumaybeabletointer-linktheminonefilebuttheystill
remain separate elements and therefore not editable at the same time. These facts make the user responsible for the
correspondenceofthedrawings,whichdemandsextraworkandtime.
CAD filescontainsimpledataconsistingof lines,arcs,curvesand sometimessurfacesandsolids(in the3D attributes).
These elementsare2Dgraphical representationsofbuildingcomponentsand notbuilding elements. Theyareattachedto a
plottingstylesothateachofthemcarriesinformationabouttheirthicknessandcolourwhenprinted.Noneoftheseelements
contains informationregarding thebuildingsphysical elementsthemselvessuchas requirementsof apillarorawall or the
relationshipbetweenthem.Theonlyinterrelationtheseelementshaveistheirpositioninsidethesoftwaresenvironment.
ComputerAidedDesign,whenitstartedbeingused,gavetheengineersachancetointroduceproductivityintotheirwork,
toproducedrawingsthatcouldbecorrectedandprintedeasily.CADsystems,thatthroughtimehavebecomemoreandmore
affordableandcompatiblewithcomputers,werearevolutionintheworldofarchitecturebecausetheyintroducedgeometry
andaccuracyintothedesignprocess.However,themostimportantthingtheylackedwastheinformation,thepresenceoftimeandthecapacitytoprovidethe
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architectwiththe ability tomakedecisions. This iswhere BIM comesin. The further developmentof 3Ddrafting and CAD
systemsallowedbuildingcomponentstobedisplayedinmultipleviewsandbyaddingadegreeofintelligence,anychangein
oneelement inthebuildingsdesignimmediatelyaffectedallotherrelatedelements.Thisprocesswasreferredto asobject-
orientedcomputer-assisteddesign(OOCAD).BIMcanbeviewedasthelatestiterationofOOCADsoftware.
/TheadvantagesofBIMoverthe2Dand3Ddesignapproaches
1.Theplans,elevations,wallsections,andschedulesarealwaysconsistentifoneischanged,allrelatedworkchanges.2.Thecoordinationacrossdifferentdisciplineseliminatestheproblemspreviouslyassociatedwithensuringthateverythingfitsinitsallottedspacehorizontallyandvertically.
3.Schedulesforfinishes,doors,windows,andhardwareareeasilygeneratedandupdatedaschangesoccurintheplanandelevationdesign.
4.Theabilitytogeneratequantitiesofmaterialsduringdesignfacilitatesprocurementand,particularlyinthedesign-buildmode,constantlytracksdesignandbudget.
5.The data created by BIM continues to have a useful life during commissioning and the continuing operation andmaintenanceofthebuilding.
(DesignBuiltProjectDelivery,ManagingtheBuildingProcessfromtheProposalthroughConstruction/SidneyM.Levy)
/WhatisBIMtryingtoachieve
BIM tools and software work in a very different way from CAD applications. They relate and link the data with the
informationbecausetheydontuselines,arcsandsurfaces,butsimulationsofrealbuildingcomponentswithalltheinformation
relatedtothemattached.Sotheyprovidetheopportunitytomakeaccurateestimationsatanytime,regardingthematerial,the
energy waste, the load bearing capacity and so on. They help to identify problems and find alternative solutions before
proceedingtoconstructionbecausetheycontainactualinformation.
/MisconceptionsaboutBIM&itsRisks
Ofcoursethereare risksintheassimilationofBIM,ashappenswitheverythingnew.Itispossiblethatsomebodydoesnt
understandhowtousethetoolscorrectly,ormisreadstheinformation.He/shecanevenbelievethatthetechnologyisgoingtobetheanswerandthateverythingisgoingtohappenautomaticallywithouttheneedforpeople,butthatsnottrue.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
OneofthebiggestrisksBIMcouldhaveisitsimproperuse,ortheso-called selfishBIM.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
The term selfish BIM is used to describe the use of BIM for personal advantage, without sharing the produced
information.ButBIMcanbeanythingfromanexcelfiletoadetailed3Dmodel,isnotasoftware,itisaprocess.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
WhatisthepointofdoingBIMiftheinformationanddatayougetisnotforcommonuse;iftheyrenotoutthereinthe
cloud?KeepingtheinformationaccessibletoonlyafewleadstoanimproperuseofBIM.
ThemostcommonmisconceptionsaboutBIMare:
1.Approachingitastechnology(itisimportanttounderstandthatitisnotaboutthetechnologybutaboutthepeople)2.Lackofholisticthinking(wrongstructures:thinkingthatBIMcanbedoneinatraditionallybuiltscenario,withoutchanginghowthebusinessoperatesorwithoutcorrectorganization)
3.Projectsasend-goal(itisimportantnottolookforimmediaterewards)4.Thewayofthinking:Whatsinitforme?(searchingforpersonalbenefitsanddestroyingthelargerpicturebynotsharingthedata)
5.Confusingprocesswithproduct(seeingitasaproductandnotasaprocess)6.Supposingthatitis:toocomplex,toofinishedandtoodifficult(thinkingthatithastobecomplexordifficultinordertowork)
(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
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/Thechangeinworkflow
TheworkflowthatBIMimpliesiscompletelydifferentfromtheoneweareusedtofollowingwithCADmethodsofdesign.
Insteadof having severalfiles that represent theproject andits parts,youhave a unique file that includesall the relevant
information. The files that previouslywere producedseparately fromeach other anddidnt have anyintelligentconnection
betweenthemdontexistanymore.Youleavetheinteractionmanagementthatyoupreviouslyhadtodoonyourownamonga
hugegroupofunrelatedfiles,tothecomputerandyoujustworkonasinglefile,accessiblebyanyotherpersonatanytime,
carryinginformationnetworkedbetweenthem.Youarenotdesigninglinesthatrepresentwallsbutwallelementsloadedwith
alltheinformationoftherealwallsthatexistinthebuilding.Younowmodelthebuildinganditssystems.
Everychangeyoumakeintheworkfileisassembledinthisunderlyingdatabaseandattachedtotheelementtowhichit
belongs.Thisfactmakesthewholeprocessofdesignarealtimeprocessasyouhaveup-to-dateinformationduringthewhole
workflowandaninternallyconsistentmodel.
Youleavethecomputertodoalltheprocessesrelatedtocalculationsandfilemanagement,sothatyouhavemoretimeto
makemorecriticaldecisionsoverthedesign.
2.8.BENEFITS/DEVELOPMENTS
Thebenefits ofBIMcanbecategorizedinmany differentways,according to theshort-term,middle-termorlong-termvision,accordingtowhoistakingadvantageofit,architect,owner,constructororbuilder,andthekindofdevelopmentsthat
canbebroughtintothearchitecturalprocessdependingonitsuse.
/Statistics
/BENEFITS:
/Forthearchitects
ThisrealtimeworkflowandinternalinformationavailabilitythatBIMandthereforeIPDprovidesmakesthearchitectable
to offer new services to current customers and standardizewhat we call green and smart infrastructure requirements
throughapplyingthemautomaticallyandatanytime.Inshort,itletsthearchitectbegindesigningfromanadvancedbasisand
notfromzero every time thusreducingrisk.In general, IPDprovokesanddevelopsa long-lifetime relationshipbetween the
architectandthecustomer,whichleadstomoreanddifferenttypesofjobopportunities.
Regardingthearchitects,BIMandIPDwillfreethearchitectstotrulybedesignersagain.Theirbasicrolewillremainthe
same;togatherandprocessinformationtocreateauniquephysicalsolutioninaclearandunderstandablemanner.(IntegratedProjectDelivery,FrequentlyAskedQuestions(2006)/AIACaliforniaCouncil)
Architectshavetobecomeconductors.Theyneedtoopenup.Thearchitectwillnolongerbeseenastheenemy-dictatorialleader.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
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/Fortheowners
For the owners, embracing IPD means open information sharing from the first stage of design, therefore increased
collaboration between client and provider, which leads to the elimination ofmisunderstandings and inconsistencies. Being
involvedmoreyoumeanspunctualityandstayingwithinthebudget.
/Fortheconstructors
Fortheconstructors,IPDallowsparticipationinthedesignprocess.Thismeansthattheycanhavetheoverviewofthe
designsdecisionmaking,offeringoptimalsolutionsregardingconstruction,asconstructionvisualizationisavailablebeforethe
actualconstructionstarts.
/Intheconstructionindustry
TheuseofBIMandanintegrateddesignapproach(IPD)helpsmakebetterdecisionsbeforegoingintoconstruction.You
canseeforexamplehowthebuildingwillimpacttheenvironmentandestimatetherelationbetweencomplexityandcost.You
canpredicttheamountofeverymaterialused,theamountofenergythatisneededduringitsuse,scheduletheconstructiontimeandpreventmistakes.Theadvantageofcreatingthebuildingvirtuallybeforeitiscreatedphysicallyisthatitprovidesthe
abilitytomakedecisionsformattersthatwouldotherwiseonlybeconfrontedontheconstructionsiteandwouldhavecostalot
ofmoneyandtimeloss,andoverallitprovidestheabilitytotestvariablesthatwouldleadtotheoptimalsolutionatanytime
theyareneeded.
/Long-term
Abetterexposition than theone ofthe Divisionof State Facilitiesof theDepartmentof Administrationof theStateof
Wisconsin,aboutthelong-termbenefitsofBIM,isdifficulttofind:
So,thelong-termbenefitsfromBIMrevolvearounddatathatcanbegrownovertimetoincludeavirtualdescriptionofa
facilityandallrelevantinformationaboutthefacilityanditssurroundings.Toachievethesebenefitsthedatamustbeconsistent
andrepeatable.Largenumbersofpeopleandsystemsworktogether toproduceandmaintainthisdata. Forthatreason, the
dataandsystemsthatpeopleusemustbeinteroperable.(Building Information Modeling, A report on the current state of BIM technologies and recommendations for implementation/ The State of Wisconsin,
DepartmentofAdministration,DivisionofStateFacilities)
Generally,BIMandIPDprovidetheabilitytoexaminehowthebuildingparticipatesinanynetworkrelatedtoitandhowit
will reactduring itsuse toanydynamic changeandhow itsconditionwill bein thefuture. Itallowsyou tohave a lifecycle
relationshipwithit,accumulatinganyinformationneededatanytime.
/DEVELOPMENTS:
/Design
TheessentialdifferencethatBIMhasbroughttothedesignprocessisthatthemodelisthecertainpartofitsdevelopment.Allprojectteamscommunicatethroughthemodel.Thenewattributesthatthesoftwareprovidesenableyoutoreflectallthe
ideasyouhaveovertheprojectonthemodel.Atthisphase,themodelmaybeveryschematicbutstillquiteusableforthe
adoptionofpossibleconstructivesolutionsandotherpossibilitiesthatcanhelptomaketherightdesigndecisions.
/Construction
Inthefieldofconstruction,theuseofBIMasa toolcanleadto significantchangesinthewayweknowitbyintroducing
virtual construction before physical construction, constructionsequenceplanning (4D), construction sub trade coordination,
quantityandcosttrackingandintegratedassemblyoflargecomponentsoffsite.
AlsotheComputerIntegratedEnvironments(CIE)solutionsbecomemoreandmorenecessary,astheproductsdesigned
aregettingmorecomplexanddemanding.Evenbigenterprisesdonthaveallthenecessarystafftodesignandproduceallthe
partsofeachproduct,astheexpertiseneededisverydemanding.Thismeansthatinordertodesignoneproductyoumayhavetocombinemanysoftwareapplicationsfromdifferentplatformsandbeableto carryout dataexchange.All theinformation
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relatedtothisproducthastobereadablebyallthepartiesinvolvedinordertobemanagedandtoreachthedesiredoutcome.
Intheconstructionsindustriesthebuildingbecomestheproduct,sointeroperabilitymechanismsbetweenallthedifferent
platformsandapplicationsarefundamental,afactthatmakesComputerIntegratedEnvironmentsoneofthebestsolutions.
/Relationshipsbetweenprofessionals
The change of the professionals relationships that BIMwill bring to the building industry are inevitable, because the
workingmodelthatisimpliedisthatofacollaborativeteam,consistingofallthestakeholders.Everystakeholderparticipatesin
theprojectcreationthroughoutthewholetimelineoftheworkflow,afactthatinvolvesthearchitectwiththeotherengineering
teamsmorethanitdidpreviously.
The services that each involved team will provide will not be so separated any more, as the workflowwill bemore
collaborativewithalltheteamsworkingtogetheratthesametime,providingsolutionsattherightmoment.
Thearchitect,forexample,nowbecomespartoftheteam.Heisnotanymoretheuntouchable,gifteddesigner.Hissuccess
isunifiedwiththeprojectsandtheteamssuccess.
Theproject teams arenotanymore just cooperating,but collaborating. Thearchitectratherthanthe enemydictatorial
leaderbecomesa conductorandopensup.Hecollaboratesto createa successfulproject.He searchesformistakesto correct
beforeconstruction.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
/BuildingsLifecycle
BIMisacradle-to-cradleprocess.Itcanbeusedinanyphaseofanythinginthebuiltenvironment
ThebuildingslifecycleandBIM:
IDEAREALESTATEBUILDINGSLIFEDEMOLITIONREBUILING
BIM(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
Thebuildingslifecyclereferstotheviewofabuildingthroughoutitswholelife,fromthedesignphaseuptoitsdemolition,
includingitsoperationalphase.
Lifecycletoolsaretoolsthatkeepprovidingyouwithinformationrelatedto thebuildingduringitswholelife.Thismeansthat
theyrenotjustdesigntools,buttheycanloaddataextractedandrelatedtoallthebuildingslifestatesandphases.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
Thelifecyclethinkingleadstoamoreholisticapproachtothebuilding,whereeverydecisionandactionisconsideredasa
partofawholethatimpactsonallitscomponentsandleadstosustainability.Constructionistiedupwithdesign;designistied
upwiththebuildingenvironmentanduser.
Having available data regarding structural frame andMEPsystems (Mechanical, Electrical andPlumbing) of anexisting
building,itenableseasymaintenancethroughoutitslifecycle.Thiskindofavailableinformationcanalsobeusedforthedesign
ofnewbuildings,astheyprovidefeedbackfromthefunctionofexistingbuildings.BIMreferstodatathatisconstantlyalivethroughoutthelifeofabuilding.Itmeansthatsomeonecantakeinformationat
anygiventimeandthisinformationwillbevaluable.Thedataisnottobesaved,asonceitis,so-calleddatarotoccurs.
Datarothappenswhenyousavethedatainoneformat.Thenthebuildingmodellosesitslife,itbecomesstatic.Afterthat,
thedatayouhaveinyourhandsisnoteditable,itcannotbeusedimmediatelyforfeedback,andsoitsnolongeruseful.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
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3./BIMTODAY
/GeneralOverview
Nowadays, the trend in architecture is toexploremore and more complex geometries that are extremely difficult to
conceive,letalonedesignandconstruct,bythehumanmindwithoutanyadditionalhelp.Evenawholeteamofprofessionalscantpredictallthepossibleneedsofaverycomplexbuilding,andthatiswhereBIMprovestobeaveryusefultool,asitcan
keeptrackofeverylittledetail,categorizethemasrequired,andmanagethemaccordingtotheintroducedrules.Thisway,it
relievesyoufromhavingtopassallthechangestoeverysingleformatofthedrawingsmanually.Itcanbedoneautomaticallyin
the3Dmodel.
Inthislandscape,complexityisstillveryhigh,buttheproductionofdrawingsisnowtheby-productofbuildingavirtual3D
modelcomposedofconstructiveelements.Theseelementsareloadedwithdatathatdescribenotonlygeometry,butalsocost,
manufacturer, number, and just about any othermeta-data you can imagine.With an integrated parametric 3Dmodel, its
possibletodetectspatialclashesbetweenthemultitudesofsystemsin thebuilding.Youcanknowwithconfidencewhetherduct
workwillinterferewiththestructuralsteellongbeforeconstructionstarts.(MasteringRevitArchitecture2008/TatjanaDzambazove,GregDemchak,EddyKrygiel)
/TheuseofTechnology
TheuseoftechnologyisanintegralpartoftheBIMconcept,anddependingonthewayitisusedandthesoftwarethat
takespartintheprocess,itcancontributetoimprovingcertaintyineveryaspectofthearchitecturalprocess.
Everythingdependson thedifferent types of technologiesand techniques that alreadyexist,whicharebeing improved
everyday.AccordingtoChuckEastmaninhis BIMHandbook,thesetechnologiesare:
SchematicDesignTechnologies
Pre-designBIMapplicationsthatcanbeusefulfortheprojectplantationandorientation(OnumaPlanningSystems,Trelligence)
andtoolslikeRhino,Form-Z,SketchUp,Maxonthathelpyoueasilyproduce2D,3Dand4Dvisualizationsofthedesign
Checkingsoftware
Thekindofsoftwarethatenablesyoutocheckandanalysethecomplianceofthebuildingmodel.Thesekindsofapplicationsare
SolibriandNavisworks.
Analysis/SimulationsoftwareAnalysis/simulationsoftwarecontainstoolssuchasEcotectsandGraphisoftthatenablesyoutocheckthesustainabilityofthe
building(integratedenergy,daylightinganalysis,bioclimaticelements,etc.).
BIMAuthoring
Thepointwhereallthebuildingsmodelsarecombinedforcompatibilitychecks,coordinationanddocumentproduction.This
processtakesplaceperiodicallyduringthedesign.
ExistingFacilityAssessmentandDocumentation
Thedocumentationthatcontainshighqualitydocumentsrelatedtobidandconstruction.TheyaccruefromBIMcheckingtools
suchasSolibri,AutodeskNavisworks,DigitalProject,OnumaplanningsystemsandAECinfosystems.
ProgrammingandPlanningTechnologies
These technologiesprovidebid andconstructiondocumentationthatcomes fromelementsaccurately designedand related,
namely,softwarewithitsowndatabaseofelementlibraries.Tools:Graphisoft,BentleySystems,AutodeskRevit
Quantitytake-offsoftware
Spreadsheetsextractedfromcertainsoftwarenamingthequantityofeachelementusedinthebuilding.
DesignDevelopmentTechnologies
(BIM authoring for architectural and structural, BIM authoring for building systems (MEP), HVACmodelling, Plumbing and
Electrical,IFCasadatatransfermethod,CivilBIMAuthoring,MEPsoftwareapplications,3Dfiles)
ConstructionDocumentTechnologies
Two categories: Construction drawing generation and specifications technology. The first one relates to the automatic
productionof drawingsandschedulesof abuildingoutofasinglemodelwithaccuracy,whilespecificationtechnologyisthe
conversionofsimplewordprocessingmasterfilesintosophisticateddatabasedrivensystems.
OptimizingtheCapitalFacilityPlanningprocess
Thisprocesshastodowiththecostcontrolfromthefirststepsoftheproject.OneofthetoolsisBeckTechnology.
Interoperabilitywiththeuseoftheexistingexchangeformats
Interoperabilitybetweensoftwarecanbeachievedinthreeways:ThroughproprietaryfileexchangeformatssuchasDXFand
DWG, proprietarydirectlinks (API),open standardformats (file formatsreadable byall theBIM applications)likeExtensible
MarkupLanguage,XML.
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/ExistingBIMSoftware
SincetheconceptofBIMwasintroducedintothearchitecturalprocess,a lotofdifferentsoftwarehasbeendesignedby
differentcompaniesinordertocovereverynecessityofabuilding,fromthedesignphaseallthewaythroughtheconstruction
andmaintenance.Currentlysomeofthemaremorepopularamongprofessionals,likeRevitArchitecture,ArchiCADorOnuma
PlanningSystem.
Eventhougheverysoftwarehasdifferencesfromtheothers,theyhavesomecommoncharacteristicsinordertobeableto
doBIM.Intheirbasis,thereisacentraldatabaseandeveryelementofthemodeliscoordinatedbyitandattachedtoit.Agroup
ofinformationisloadedtoeveryelement,andthereforesavedinthedatabase.Thiscanproveusefulwhen,forexample,in
RevitArchitecture,everychangetheusermakesinonedocumentisreflectedautomaticallyinallthedocumentsthatcontain
thiselementorarerelatedtoit.Thisdatabasealsocontainslibrarieswithelementsreadytobeusedin thedesignand,most
importantly,itallowsuserstoworkontheprojectatthesametimefromdifferentaccesspointsthroughtheInternet.
Usually,theBIMsoftwarefordesignoperatesasaparametricmodellertooinordertofacilitatethearchitecturalprocess
bynothavingtoswitchapplicationsallthetime,whichcomplicatestheprocessevenwhentheapplicationssupportfileformats
createdbyadifferentplatformssuchasDWG,DXFandIFCformats.
SoftwaresupportingBIM:
(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
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/ProgramsEffectiveness
DespitetheadvantagesordisadvantagesofeveryBIMtool,thereisnonethatcanbeconsideredmoreappropriatethanthe
others,neithercananyofthemdoBIMcorrectlyand effectively ifusedalone.Theimportantmatter istobeableto combine
manytoolsinordertohavethebestresultineachpartoftheprocess.
ThereisnosingleBIMtool.Dontgetstuckinoneprogram,justbeawareofwhatsoutthere.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
Alltheinformationaboutabuildingcanbeloadedononeprogram,butthenthemodelgetssoheavythatitisdifficultto
gettotheinformation.
WecouldsaythattheeasiestwaytodoBIMistofindorcreateasingletoolorplatformthatcoulddoeverythingandlink
everything andeveryone.However, thiswould lead toa very complexfile,or a very complextool that onlya small group of
peoplewouldbeabletouse.AndBIMisnotaprocessrelatedtoafew.Itsaprocessrelatedtoeveryone.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
/Training
The most important and difficult fact about BIM training is not learn to use the tools that do BIM, but to learn and
understandthenewstateofmindthatitcametoestablish,asitiscompletelydifferentfromeverythingwhichhasexisteduntil
now.
(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
AccordingtoFinithJernigan: thehugestepinordertobeabletodoBIMistounderstanditsbasicconcepts.WhatBIM
trainsyoutodo,isbasicallytobeabletoknow,atanygivenpoint,whichchoiceisappropriatebyanalyzingandcriticizingits
faultsandbenefits.
ItiscompletelywrongtostartusingBIMjusttohavesomeshort-termbenefitsinyourwork,becauseBIMwronglyused
willbeineffectiveandeventuallyawasteoftime,asreferredtoabove.Whatmattersistoreallybeawareofthedefectsexisting
inthetraditionalwayofworkinginthefieldofconstruction,andfurthermore,tobewillingtochangetoadifferentdirectionin
ordertosavetime,laborandmoneyandmakeyourworkmoreefficientandaccurate.
ThebiggestchallengeofBIMisnotthetraining.Thetrainingtimeneededdependsonthetraininglevelrequired.Butthepointis
tohavethewillingnesstochange, nottobeabletomanageperfectlyjustonetool,eventhoughyoucanachievetheintegration
withthistool,thefuturerestsupontheuseofmany.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
Ofcoursesoftwareabilityisrequiredbutitcanalsobeminimized,asyoureabletochoosethemostsuitableandsimplest
softwareforyou.Thesoftwaretrainingperiodiscalledagreyperiod.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
Asexpected,toolssodifferentfromeverythingthatalreadyexists,demandacompletelydifferentrangeofcapabilitiesin
orderto beusedproperly.Andasthey are bynatureso demanding oftheiruser,somebodymust always beaware ofthe
potentialsoftheprograms,andalsobeabletochoosethepartsneededaccordingtothedesiredresult.Ifnot,itiseasytobe
overwhelmedbythemandloosearchitecturalqualityandthepersonalwayofdesigning.
ApersonwhoiscompetentinoperatingBIM,apartfrombeingabletomanipulatedifferentkindsofsoftwaretohisorher
ownbenefit, should beable tooverview atanypoint theprojects state andneeds. This, apart from technical knowledge,
demandscriticalthinking.BIMactuallyhelpsinitsdevelopmentbecauseitgivesimportancetoelementsapartfromformand
aesthetics.Everystepofthedesignprocessisanalysedregardingitsfunction,ifitspracticableornot,ifitsthemostbeneficial
etc.Thisleadstoadifferentapproachtowardsarchitecturewithspacebeingthemaincharacteristic.
3.1.CONCEPTS&SYSTEMS
/GIS
AnessentialruleofBIM,whichisincorporatedineveryBIMtool,istoalwaysbeawareofthepositionofthebuildingthat
youaredesigninginordertocreateamoresustainabledesign.
Veryimportantthoughiseverysinglethingtohavelatitudeandlongitudetobeabletomanagethelocationinorderto
choosetheappropriatematerialsandtheenergycontrolforsustainability.Butapartfromlocation,inBIMyoucanalsoattach
timetoeverythingandmanageitaccordingtotheday-week-yearschedule.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
TheBIMmodelcanbeconsideredasavirtualrepresentationoftherealworld,andifnottreatedlikethatitisnothingmore
thananother3Dmodelwithnoadditionaluse.
Everything,evenasinglething,evenachair,haslatitudeandlongitude.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
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Thecombinationandinteractionofallthefactorsofabuildingcanleadtomoreefficientenergycontrolbycontrolling
climatefactorslikesunshine,temperaturerangebetweenseasons,windflows,locationcontrol,etctodesigninrespectofthe
surroundingbuiltsituation-andselectionoftheappropriatematerialstousematerialsthatcanbefoundinthearea,andthe
onesthatlastlongerandaremoreeffectivefortheconstruction. The best solution that exists nowadays and enables you control all these factors, is GIS technology (Geographical
InformationSystems).
GISare digitalenvironmentsystems that relatedatawith location. Itconsists ofalltypesof data that have todowithgeographicalreferences.Themaincharacteristicofa GISsystem isthatituses spatialdatafromdifferentpointsand reaches
conclusionsthroughthecombinationofthemtogetherwithalocationreferencesystem(longitude,latitude,elevation).Itcan
alsousedifferenttypesofinformation(notjustthoseinmapforms)toreachlocationcentredconclusions.
ThroughtheGISsystems,BIMcanbeinvolvedingeospatialapplications,forinstanceGoogleEarth.
/Real-timeBIM
GoingevenfurtherwiththeabilityofdataexchangethatisofferedbytheconceptofBIM,theNetcanalsobeaveryuseful
toolinthehandsofconstructionprofessionals.Itisable,notonlytofreeprofessionalsoftheircompulsoryphysicalpresenceat
theofficeandletthemworkfromanypointintheworld,butalsotoallowthemtosavevaluabletimebygivingthepossibilityof
sharinginformationholistically.
TheconceptofBIMprovokesustoconverttheideaofstaticinformationtothatofdynamic,whichconsistsofstructured
dataandleadsustotheso-calledreal-timeBIM.
The difference between static and dynamic information is fundamental. Static information is information related to a
certainmoment.Onceitscompleteditdoesnthavethepossibilityofchange.Dynamicinformationrepresentsthestateofa
project/buildingwith relationships to itspast and future states. It provides thepossibilityof frequent access to continually
updateddata,fromdifferentaccesspoints.
Structured data is the data that is gathered and coordinated directly from the computer and doesnt need human
intervention.Conclusionsandresultscanbegatheredautomaticallywithoutprocessing.
Thecombinationofthestructureddataandthedynamicinformationgivesyouthereal-timeBIM,whichisactuallya
processthatcomesfromintelligentdatamanipulation.
IntheBIMprocesseverypiecemustbesimpleenoughtoconnecttothenext.Thewaytoachievethatisbysubscribingone
programsdatatoanotherinsteadofimportingit.
(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)RealtimeBIMisactuallyBIMinthecloud(seebelow).Themodelissavedinthemainserveranditseditablefromseveral
locationsthroughweb-applicationsandthereforebyanyuser.The factorsthatshouldbe takenintoaccountinorderforitto
remaineffectiveareaccessibilityandsystemperformance.
Whenwetalkaboutitsaccessibility,werefertotheabilityofdirect,concurrentaccesstothemodelbyanyuserthrougha
localnetwork(LAN).Thisaccesscanbeachievedthroughmobilewebapplications.OfflineaccesstotheBIMmodelshouldalso
beconsidered.Theusershouldbeabletoaccessitwhileoffline,butensuretherearenoconflictingeditsamongtheotherteam
membersuponthenextmodelsynchronization.
Theissueofthesystemperformanceisaboutthewayitrespondsasthemodelisbeingdeveloped.Thereshouldbeenough
space,memoryandprocessorsinorderforittobeabletohandletheincreasingsizeoftheproject.Additionally,alltheclient
computers need toworkon justone virtualmachine,whilein the background awholegrid ofcomputersservesthe client
requests.
/BIMintheCLOUD
CloudcomputingisaconceptrelatedtotheNetandcomputernetworksgenerally.Itsneitheraparticulartechnologynor
software.Itsagroupofprocessesthatsharedataandresourcesovercomputernetworks.EverysoftwarethatsupportsBIMis
dynamicallyinthecloud.
Severalcompanieshavepopularizeddifferentapproachesto cloud computing:Datainthecloud,supportedbyAmazon
Cloud Drive andDropbox,Software Virtualization in theCloud, supported by Citrix XenApp,WebApplications in theCloud,
supportedbyGoogleandBusinessLogicintheCloud,supportedbyApple.
Allfourapproachesmentionedabovecontainaserverwhereallthedataissavedandtheuserhandlesthemfromhis/her
computerthroughthenetwork.Theycanalsofunctionwithvirtualapplicationswheretheuserhandlesthemwithoutinstalling
theminhis/herdesktop.Inshort,itmeansdataeditablefromanypoint.
Untilnow,thehigher-levelmodelservershavebeenquiteexpensive,therefore,unaffordableforsmallcompanies.InordertomakeBIMwidelyused,theyneedtobecheaper,moreavailableandtheirapplicationtobepartofeverycaseofdesign.
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Projectphasesandsoftwareofcloudcomputing:
ONUMASYSTEM Revit, VELON,
TEKLA, VICO, Otherprograms
ArchiCAD GUERRYSYSTEM
(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
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/BIMStorm3
Cloud computing is changing the landscape of architecture by running software on the Internet. The power of BIM
combinedwithcloudcomputingrunningontheInternet,enabledBIMStormstobecomeareality.
130teamsaroundtheworldworkingfor24hours,for400buildingsexplainedin2,8millionpapers.ThisisBIMStorm.A
non-stopprocedurewhichneedsconnectionoftoolsandcollaborationofpeopleinordertobesuccessful.
Asanarchitect,ifyoudontcollaborate,youbecomeirrelevanttooquickly.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
BIMStormhassimilarprinciplestoreal-timeBIM.Itunitesknowledgewithprocessesandtools,usingBIManddata.Its
maincharacteristicisthatitisbydefaultinsync,meaningthatanyworkoccursinrealtime.Itenablesexpertstoworktogether;
fromanylocationintheworld,toidentifyproblemsandprojectpatterns,tofindsolutions,etc.onthespot.
/BIMXML(BuildingInformationModelExtendedMarkupLanguage)
BIMXMLisanon-linearprocesswhichreliesupontheconceptofinformationattachedtotheobject,whateverthisobject
maybe(fromasingledottoadetailed3Dmodel),anditspurposeistorelatetheobjecttotheworld.Withoutthiscorrelationit
isimpossibletomakegooddecisionsaboutthebuildingbecausethesinglebuildingitselfislessvaluablethattheinformation
aboutit.
Thedataaboutthefacilitiesismorevaluablethanthephysicalfacilityitself.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
BIMXMLdescribesbuildingdata(sites,buildings,floors,spaces,andequipmentandtheirattributes)inasimplifiedspatial
buildingmodel(extrudedshapesandspaces)forBIMcollaboration.
TheXMLSchemawasdevelopedasanalternativetofull-scaleIFCmodelstosimplifydataexchangesbetweenvariousAEC
applicationsandtoconnectBuildingInformationModelsthroughWebServices.
ItiscurrentlyusedbytheOnumaSystem(Onuma,Inc.),DDSViewer(DataDesignSystem),vROC,Tokmo,BIMConnect,and
variousPluginsforCADApplications(Revit,SketchUp,ArchiCAD).(http://bimxml.org/)
/OnumaSystem
OnumaSystemisaWebBasedBIMPlanning,ProgrammingandProjectSystem,constructedbyKimonOnuma.Itgivesyou
theabilitytodofacilitymanagement,projectplantationandcheckingaswellasmodelediting-usingitsownlibraries-inmorethatoneBIMprojectandbymorethanonepersonatatime,throughtheCloud.Itdoesntneedinstallationasitsnotadesktop
software.(http://onuma.com/products/OnumaPlanningSystem.php)
TheOnumaSystemisnotonlyaboutelectronictoolsbutalsoworkingwithpaperandpencil,inordertohelpthenatural
wayofarchitectsthinking,togivethemmoretimetospendonthingsyoucantautomate,likedecisionmaking.Thatswhya
buildingisbeingusedasareferenceinordertocapturetheinformationthatisnotworthcreatingeverytime.Itisalsoawayto
communicatewiththeteamasitusesmodelserverssoyoudonthavetouploadmanuallytheinformationyouneedonthe
project,youjustfindwhatyouneedinrealtime.
TheproblemofthearchitectsaboutautomatingthedesignprocessdoesnthaveanythingtodowithOnumaSystem,asthe
onlythingthatisbeingautomatedistheprocessandnottheresult.Thefuturegoalistobeabletoconnectmanysystemsin
ordertomaketheprocessevensimpler.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
/4SiteSystems
4SiteSystemsisasystemcreatedbyFinithJernigan.Itisasoftwarethatallowsyoutovalidatetheprojectbyestimatingthe
buildings program, make cost analysis and quick representations during the design process. It also provides you a fast,
parametricwaytoseetheneedsofthefuturebuilding.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
3 Someuseful toolsin order todo a BIMstorm are:Archicad,City GML,DDS,EliteCAD,Google Docs,Google Earth, GoTo
Meeting,IFC,Knowledge,MSExcel,MSWord,NavisWorks,Onuma,OnumaBIMXMLConverter,paper,PDA,pencil,Revit,Skype,
Webex,OGCWFS,3Gcellphone.(http://onuma.com/services/BimStorm.php)
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3.2.APPLICATION
Whenwe refer to BIMs application,wemean its implementation with acknowledgedmethods andprocesses directly
relatedtoit.However,asBIMisaconcept,aprocess,awayofthinking,itsrangeofimplementationcanbehuge.BIMmakes
informationthecentreofattention,targetingoptimaldesignresultsandthepossibilityofcontinualchange.Everyprojectthat
followstheseprinciplescanbeconsideredBIM.Thesoftwareusedisirrelevant.
/CaseStudies
Thehugemajorityofbuildingprojectsareonexistingbuildings.Thereforeit isnecessarytoworkwiththebuildingstock
thatwealreadyhave.Althoughinformationprovidedforexistingbuildingsisverylimited,itcanprovebeneficialbecauseitcan
leadtodifferentbuildingsolutions,suchasrenovations,damagepredictions,etc.,thataredefinitelycheaperthanconstruction.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
AverylargepartofBIMsapplicationisconnectedtoexistingbuildings.ApartfromfacilitymanagementthatBIMprovides
afterthebuildingsconstruction,wehavecasestudies.
CasestudieshavetodowithcreatingBIMdocumentationforexistingbuildings,mostofthetimenotcreatedwithBIM,in
order to getdataand results regarding thebuildings function, sustainability, efficiency, etc. These resultsmay be used for
possiblefuturealterationsinordertooptimizethebuildingsfunction.(FinithJernigan,Interview2011)
Overtheyearsalotofcasestudieshavebeenconductedtoexaminethefunctionandeffectivenessofanexistingbuilding
HoweverBIMprovidesthepossibilityofamoredetailedandaccurateexaminationinordertoformspecificalterationplanning
with predicted outcomes. Regarding thestructure ofa beneficial case study, themost important issue is toproduceallthe
documents relatedto thesubjectof thestudy inorder tobeable toprocessthemafterwardsandto coordinate thewhole
processinordertoachieveeffectiveness(gettingtheLogisticsright).
/OurFinalProject
Themajorityofownersarenotexactlyawareoftheirpropertybecausetheyhavenodataforthemandeveniftheyhave
theydontupdateit.Andthethingisthatexistingbuildingsnowadaysareafertilesoilforarchitecturebecauseoftheirnumber.(KimonOnuma,Interview2011)
Whatifwecouldpreserveanoldbuilding,avoidingdemolition,andcreateawholenewdesigninsideitsshellthatcan
changedynamicallyinordertocovereverypossibleneedthatcancomeupinthefuture?Thisiswhatwetriedtodoindesigning
ourfinalproject.ToImplementtheprinciplesandinnovationsthatBIMintroducestocreateamultifunctionalandcontinually
changingbuildingsinteriorusingthebuildingstockthatalreadyexists.
Aspartofthisquest,a singleintelligent,modularsmartwallpartitioncontainingall thetechnologies andmechanical
systemsneededforanofficebuildingisdeveloped.Managementisviaabased-on-datasystemgatheringinformationandsaving
itinapreconfigureddatabase,whichisalsoopentotheusersloadingpersonalpreferences.Thisdatacombinedwithaseriesof
rulesandconditions,facilitatespatialscenarios.Theresultsarepersonalizedsolutionsenhancingspatialutilizationandenergy
economy,nounusedspacesatanytimeandtotallyreconfigurablefloorplansthatrespondtousersneeds.4
4Thisprojecthasbeensubmittedwiththetitle:Objectdesignandinformationmanagementforlifelongspatialreconfiguration
inbuildingsontheOctober2012asthediplomaprojectofDimitraChatziandreouandMariaAlikiKostopouloutothe
DepartmentofArchitecture,UniversityofThessaly,Volos,GreeceforthedegreeofArchitect.
IthasalsobeenpresentedwiththesametitletotheAustralasianConferenceonInnovativeTechnologiesinConstruction
"FromBuildingInformationModelingtoBeyond",HuazhongUniversityofScienceandTechnology,Wuhan,China
Formoredetailspleasecontacttheauthors.
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4./BIM&GREECE
4.1.INTRODUCTION
/StateofBIMinGreeceBIM,asaprocess,hasnotyetbeen implementedinGreece,duetomany reasonsrelatedto thewaypublicandprivate
constructionsarebeingassignedandtowhom,tohowconstructiondiffersfromtherestofEuropeandAmerica,totheculture
ofGreekprofessionalsandindividualsinconstruction,andmanyotherparametersanalysedabove.
So, the only approach that couldmake sense on the issue of BIM in Greece is the analysis of the current reality in
constructiontodeterminewhetheritsfeasibleandefficientinitsimplementationinourcountry.
Themain,andperhapstheonly,datathatwecouldrelyoninordertodescribethepresentsituationinGreecewhenit
comestoBIM,werethreeinterviewswithpeoplewhohavebeeninvolvedwithit.Mr.PolichronisLoulakis,Mr.Mathaios
PapavassiliouandMr.VassilisGastistoldusaboutit,eachonefromhisownpointofviewastheyareworkingincompletely
differentfieldsofthearchitecturalprocess.
/ArchitectsInterviewed:PresentationandOpinionsPoluxronisLoulakisisanAutodeskcertifiedprogramtrainerwithexperienceindrafting,3DandBIMsoftware.Hefirstlygot
toknowtheBIMconceptduringhisuniversitystudies.Hewasselectedtobeinterviewedinordertoexplainifthereisany
interestfromtheGreekmarket(byprofessionalsoruniversitystudents)inBIMsoftwaretrainingandthedevelopmentsinthe
existingsoftware.
Matthaios Papavasiliou is anarchitect andeducatorat theCivil EngineeringDepartment of theMetsovioUniversityof
Athens.AshewasoneofthefirstarchitectsthatimportedBIMwaysofworkingintothearchitecturalprocessinhisoffice,he
wasabletodescribetheadvantagesordisadvantagesofsuchachoice.
VasilisGastisisaMechanicalEngineerspecializinginsteelconstruction.BecauseofhisdedicationtoBIMtoolsandtheuse
ofthemineveryprojectthatheisworkingon,hisopinionaboutthecoordinationofthedesignandtheautomatedconstruction,
coveredthelaststepofthearchitecturalprocess,thatoftherealization.
AswasexpectedtheiropinionsabouttheneedforandthewayinwhichBIMcanbeimplementedinGreecediffergreatly.
Mr.Loulakis,whenquestioned:WhatisBIMforyou?replied:"AnyarchitectwhothinksaboutasolutioncreatesvirtualBIMinhismind.Thethingistobecapableofexceedingthephysical
limitsofhis/hermindaccordingtotheamountofinformationthatcanbemanagedandfindthewaytotransfertheinformation
tohis/herscolleagues,engineers,builders,etc.When"doing"BIMtodesign,practicallywearetryingtotraceasmuch
informationaspossiblesothatitisreadilyavailabletousoranyoneelseinvolved.ThatishowIpersonallycomprehendthe
conceptofBIM.[...]Evenmorenowadays,thepotentialamountofinformationthatwecanhaveaboutabuildingishuge,and
it'snotnecessarilyonlyaboutdesign.FormethisisBIM."
Meanwhile,Mr.Papavasileiouconsidersthat:
"BIMcanhelpworkuponthelighting,theenvironmentalinformationandvariousotherdatarelatedtothedesign.Butitsuse,of
course,doesnotensurethecreationorthecompletionofabetterarchitecture."
Mr.Gastisreferstoitas:
"It'sacommercial trickoflargesoftwarecompanies topromotenewproducts thathaverecentlybeendesigned. InGreece it
doesntworkandIdontthinkthatitwillwork,astheconstructionsectorischaracterizedbyalackofwillingnesstocollaborateandimprovethewayofworking."
4.2.ECONOMY/MENTALITY
/GreekMentality
ThethreemainfactorsthatdistinguishtheGreekconstructionindustryfromthatofothercountriesare:
A.Historicalandculturalelements
B.MethodofConstruction
C.Specializedconstructioncrews
A.Inhisinterview,Mr.Papavasiliousaid: "Inacountrywhereeveryonebuildsonhisown,thereisnoneedforarchitects,iftheclientisconvincedthathecanbuildonhisown,itisreasonablenottoemployanarchitect."
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Astheopinionabovedescribesmoreorlessthethoughtofthemajorityoftheindividualswhodecidetobuild,wearetalking
aboutaculturethatdoesnotneedanarchitectinthearchitecturaldesignbecauseofthelackofarchitecturaleducation.
Architecturaltheoryisnottaughtatprimaryandsecondarylevelsofeducation,sowhoeverdoesnotchoosetofollowarelated
sectornevercomesintocontactwithitandconceptssuchasfunctionalityofthebuiltspaceandaestheticsremaincompletely
unknowntohim/her.Itisobviousthatwe'retalkingaboutatheorythatisclosed,notunderstoodbyeveryone,whichmakes
questionablethenecessityofitsimplementationandanapproachofqualitytowardsit.
/EconomicCrisis
TherelationshipbetweentheGreekfinancialstructureandBIMsapplicationcanbeapproachedintwototallydifferent
ways,theconservative,whichsuggeststhecontinuationofthecurrentstate,andtheotherthatsuggestsradicalchange.
Thefinancialcrisisisourchancetolookrightthroughourrealneeds,seethelandscapethatsurroundsus,howweshould
buildonthatlandscape,what'simportantfromit,andchecktheenvironmentalstate.Thischeckthough,doesn'tneed
complicatedsystems,butonlyknowingthewaytodogoodarchitecture.(MathaiosPapavassiliou,Interview2011,Answertothequestion:DoyouthinkthatarchitecturaldesignshouldpointtoBIM,especiallyduringthefinancial
crisis,byreducingconstructionexpenses?)
InorderforBIMtobeapplied,achangeisrequiredinallthefieldsthatarerelatedtoarchitecturaldesign,fromthetraining
ofarchitects,totherenewaloftheequipmentusedbyfactoriesmakingbuildingmaterials.
IfsomeonechoosesBIM,heshouldknowwhatitis,whatrulesitfollowsandthetoolsforitsapplication.Thistakestimeandcostsandinasocietywhoseeconomyisfailingitisdifficulttodecidetoinvestinsuchprocessesthatdon'thaveshort-term
benefits.IfwealsoconsidertheextremeslumpoftheconstructionfieldduetothefinancialdifficultiesinGreece,BIMs
applicationinthenearfutureseemslikeutopia.
Ontheotherhand,itiswidelyknownthatthestateofthearchitecturalandconstructionfieldsisradicallychanging,and
thewayconstructionoperatesinGreeceisn'tsoeffective,soitispossiblethatwewillturntowardsBIMmuchfasterthan
expected.Ifthishappens,thedirectionofGreekeconomicpolicyshouldchangeandtheGreekconstructionfieldshouldconform
totheglobalrules,asthecurrenttrendistowardsdesigninglowefficiencybuildings.
Induetime,theadaptationofalowcostpolicywillhavepositiveresults,butthetimeneededcannotbecalculatedwith
thecurrentdata.
4.3.BIM&CONSTRUCTION
/Demands
TryingtodescribetheconstructionindustryinGreece,probablywewillnotbeleddirectlytoarchitectureasknown
internationallytothearchitecturalcommunity.Apartfromthefactthatitisanindustrythatdoesntreallycontributetothe
economyofourcountry,itisalsoanindustrywhichdoesnotrecognizethevalueoftheinvolvementofanarchitectinthe
process,butcharacterizehispresenceasaluxury,sincetherangeofhis/herspowersissmallandnotmuchinvolvedwiththe
restoftheconstructionspecialistsindevelopingaproject.However,BIMasaprocessrequiresthearchitecttostopbeinga
dictatorialleader,asstatedintheinterviewofFinithJernigan,andtocollaboratewithotherdisciplinessothattheflowofwork
becomesmoreefficient.
Anotherissuefordiscussion,asmentionedabove,isthenatureoftheprojectsdevelopedinourcountry.Weconstantly
hearaboutlargesumsofmoneybeingwastedonaprojectsconstruction,particularlyregardinggovernmentandmajorprojects,
withouttheprojectmeetingitsbudget,andwithquestionablequality,structuraldesignandfunctionality.Surely,thisisnotthesoleresponsibilityoftheunskilledcrewsthatundertakeconstructionprojectsthataremorecomplexandlargerinscalethan
theirabilities
TherearemanydifferentissuesthatcanbedefinedasproblemsinconnectionwitharchitectureinGreece.Butallleadto
oneconclusion:theneedofchangeandtheawarenessofthi