12th and 13th November 2015
The Gibson Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
Supported by Sponsored by
Hosted
Edited Dr. Alan Hore Barry McAuley Dr. Roger WestCopies of these proceedings are available from: Dr. Alan V Hore School of Surveying and Construction Management, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
eMail: alan.hore@dit.ie
Papers are also available on the conference website `http://www.cita.ie/events_/bim-gathering-2015/
Website and conference engine by Ex Ordo www.exordo.com
Organising Committee
Dr. Alan Hore, Chair, Dublin Institute of Technology
Barry McAuley, Secretary, Dublin Institute of Technology
Suzanne Purcell, Conference Manager, Construction IT Alliance
Bairbre Fox-Mills, Administrator, Construction IT Alliance
Ralph Montague, Arcdox
Dr. Roger West, Trinity College
Shawn O’Keefe, Headcount Engineering
Brian Lahiff, Garland Consultancy
Paul Brennan, BAM Group (Ireland)
Michael Murphy, BAM Group (Ireland)
Michael Earley, Scott Tallon Walker
Trevor Woods, DPW Group
Bernard Voortman, Cummins and Voortman
Dr. Ken Thomas, Waterford Institute of Technology
Scientific Committee
Dr. Alan Hore, Dublin Institute of Technology
Dr. Roisin Murphy, Dublin Institute of Technology
Mr Barry McAuley, Dublin Institute of Technology
Dr. Ken Thomas, Waterford Institute of Technology
Dr. Nenad Cuš Babic, University of Maribor
Dr. Roger West, Trinity College
Dr. Jason Underwood, University of Salford
Dr. Avril Behan, Liverpool John Moores University
Dr. Andrew Ross, Liverpool John Moores University
Dr. Louis Gunnigan, Dublin Institute of Technology
Mr Barry McAuley, Dublin Institute of Technology
Dr. Tomo.Cerovsek, University of Ljubljana
Dr. Matevz Dolenc, University of Ljubljana
Dr. Sean O’Keefe, Headcount Engineering
Dr. James McDonnell, University of Dublin
Mr. Malchy Mathews, Dublin Institute of Technology
Professor Lloyd Scott, Dublin Institute of Technology
Dr. Daniel O’Neill, Freelance Researcher
Dr. Niall Holmes, Freelance Researcher
Mr. Stephen Pittard, South Bank University
Dr. Nicholas Ingle, Dublin Institute of Technology
Dr. Andrej Tibaut, University of Maribor
Professor Rafael Sacks, Israel Institute of Technology
Dr. Frederic Bosche, Herriot-Watt University
Professor. Arto Kiviniemi, University of Liverpool
This is the second edition of papers presented at the CitA BIM Gathering International Conference. Since our inaugural conference in 2013, the Irish economy and construction sector has continued to recover at a rapid pace. This recovery has coincided with the increased use of BIM in Ireland. Given the proximity of the UK and the imminent BIM mandate in 2016, many Irish AEC businesses have responded by offering their professional services into the UK and complimenting this with Level 2 BIM expertise.
This year’s conference also coincides with Irish Design 2015 (ID2015). ID2015 is a year-long programme with the goal of increasing awareness of the value of design to everyone from individuals and businesses to the public sector. The CITA BIM Gathering fits very comfortably into ID2015 ethos, as technology plays a key role in expressing great design in Ireland. BIM facilitates a more complete and coordinated design prior to commencement of project work on site, which will lead to better project outcomes and downstream operational benefits for end users.
The papers presented continue with the themes back in 2013 of cultural change management, case studies and education initiatives. In this edition we have added papers on specific the themes of BIM and FM; BIM Standards and BIM in Ireland.
We are delighted to see an increase in the number of international papers presented to the conference, which indicates a growing interest and recognition of the CITA BIM Gathering as a significant event in the global BIM event calendar.
I would like to thank all of the participating partners, the scientific committee, the organising committee, the authors, the speakers, and most importantly the sponsors for their continued support in hosting this event.
Dr. Alan V Hore, Conference Chair
Best Industry Paper, Sponsored by John Sisk & Son
Best Academic Paper
Sponsored by Engineering Design Consultants Ltd
Best Student Paper
Sponsored by BAM Ireland
Collaborative and Multidiscipline Working: 162 From Theory to Practice in 48 Hours. A Case Study from BIM Region Northern Ireland
David Comiskey, Mark McKane, Eoin O’Shea, John Hughes and Sean McNiff Implementing BIM to streamline a Design, 173 Manufacture and Fitting workflow – A Case Study on a Fit-out SMEin the UK
Marina Machado , Jason Underwood and Andrew Fleming
Developing an ‘as-is’ Bridge Information Model (BrIM) 181 for a Heritage Listed Viaduct
Michael Minehane, Kieran Ruane, Barry O’Keeffe, Ger O’Sullivan, and Ted McKenna
Applying Intelligent Modelling methodologies, 189 through virtual environments, to the Built Heritage. Historic Waterford as a Case Study
Robin Stubbs, Christian Bourke and Darren Murphy
Cultural Change through BIM: Driving Lean 232 Transformation in Education
Avril Behan , Malachy Mathews, Kevin Furlong, Ciara Ahern, Una Beagon, Peter Brennan, Colin Conway, Lee Corcoran, Pierce Fahy, Alan Hore, Barry McAuley, and Trevor Woods
Applying Lean Principles to Higher Education via a
Collaborative Delivery Approach
David Comiskey, Tim McLernon, Andrew Fleming and James Harty
Providing Collaborative Education with an 249 International Dimension. An Ulster University and Pennsylvania State University Case Study.
David Comiskey, Mark McKane, Robert Eadie and David Goldberg
Barry McAuley, Louis Gunnigan, Alan Hore and Roger P. West
Sérgio V. Pinheiro, Edward Corry, Paul Kenny and James O’Donnell
Design Science: Choosing an appropriate
257 methodology for research in BIM
Dermot Kehily and Jason Underwood
A Collaborative Academia-Industry Approach to
Programme-Wide Implementation of Building Information Modelling Processes using a Reciprocal Learning Framework
Mark Kelly, Jim O’Connor, Mark Costello and Gerard Nicholson The Adoption of Building Information
(BIM) to Improve Existing Teaching Methods and Support Services within a Higher Education Institution in Ireland
Peter McDonnell and Roger P. West
KG@Onuma.com
Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be used to build informed environments and drive incredible value for the individual building and entire cities. In the world of big data, information is the new currency and BIM has a massive amount of embedded info rmation and knowledge that is underutilized. If we can find Starbucks on our mobile devices why can’t the same technology be used to find anything el se about a building or city?
As Buildings and cities produce increasing amounts of data and start to “talk” to each other with the Internet of things, processing this large amount of data using a file -based exchange is not enough. Smaller transactions of only the data that is needed using a services oriented architecture is a solution. The award winning SEPS2BIM.org and FEDiFM.org projects initiated by two large healthcare owners are examples of how this is possible today.
Complex owner requirement data for hospitals that was once locked in files as PDFs, Excels, and stand -alone BIMs is now accessible in real time with a direct l ink to the SEPS platform. This data can then be consumed in real time by other apps to act on. The BIM data must be as easy to consume and use as Legos. Standards such as IFC are important but must not encumber access to the data in BIM that end users and solution providers need.
Solving the climate change challenges cannot be done in isolation. It is urgent that knowledge and information be shared. Lonely BIMs are no longer an option. Realizing this full potential of the information in BIM and intensifying architecture will be the focus of the keynote presentation at the CITA BIM Gathering in Dublin on Nov. 19~20, 2015.
1 WW Industry Leader, IBM Analytics | Internet of Things | Enterprise Asset Management
E-mail: 1pennycla@ie.ibm.com
Abstract Building Information Modelling (BIM) is now commonplace within the design and construction phase of a building lifecycle. However, it is less common within in the operate phase, and yet, as we know, the operate phase is the longest and operationally the most expensive phase of the lifecycle. This is set to change. The driver of this change will not only be governmental change (and the mandate for the operate phase of a building to be considered as outlined in BIM level 2), but will also come from building owner/op erators who require accurate and timely information about physical assets in order to effectively and efficiently run and manage their buildings. So, given that BIM is extending to the operate phase, will there be additional value for building owners and occupiers? Will it drive the additional business value the company finance executives are demanding, or will it just be another white elephant, coming at an unnecessary cost to companies? Does BIM provide the process that will enable companies to embrace the Internet of Things (IoT) explosion?
Keywords Building Information Modelling
Building Information Modelling (BIM) has its roots in collaboration, process and associated technologies, which bring together all the stakeholders of the design and construct phase, to drive efficiency and reduce project costs.
In the 2014 McGraw Hill Construction [1] report on the many advantages that BIM is driving from an owner and supplier perspective in relation to design and construction. The report illustrates a wide range of benefits to all stakeholders from, simply, owners feeling more confident with their construction projects owing to 3D modelling (used throughout the BIM process) providing them with a visual aid of the end product, right through to, the more complex advantage of accurate transfer of all data into a centralised repository delivering a single version truth with respect to the construction of the structure. BIM process however is currently prone to end directly after construction with only a few foresighted companies, on both the owner and supplier side, extending the BIM process across the whole lifecycle of a structure, encompassing the design, build and the operate (DBO) phases.
Why is the operate phase in the lifecycle neglected?
Historically, building owners have not asked for this
capability, construction companies do not provide FM services, and FM companies do not build buildings, so it has not been viewed as valuable by any party. However, there is a clear and defined requirement to provide whomever is going to operate the building with accurate data to mana ge and operate the building, in a timely manner post construction. Currently, this handover event is fraught with challenges and frustrations for all the stakeholders involved and falls very short of providing value. Inefficiency and problems are born out in a variety of areas:
• Requirement for hard copy O&M’s from contractors is a lengthy and laborious process
• The transfer of hard copy documents to operations is often incomplete
• Storage of hard copy manuals (and subsequent loss of contents over time)
• Errors in the transfer of data from the hard copy information to digital form
• Duplication of data in multiple places
Technology that enables handover of this data to become part of the BIM process is already available, but the process of doing so is burdened
with issues such as cultural, legal, ownership of data and liability, which all hinder the collaborative environment BIM sets out to achieve.
Change, however, is on its way. The little boy who has his finger plugging the leak in the dam is about to get very wet, because a tsunami of change will drive a closer collaboration between the construction and FM companies, seeing them work more closely together, alongside building owners. A new breed of hybrid Building Lifecycle Management companies and technologies are starting to appear in the market, which will assist to change the current culture.
The driver of this change will not only be governmental change (and the mandate for the operate phase of a building to be considered as outlined in BIM level 2), but a lso from building owner/operators who require accurate and timely information about physical assets in order to effectively and efficiently run and manage their buildings. The building owners/operators need to be able to influence decisions made regarding assets early in the design and build phase of any capital project so that they can ensure that the correct equipment and materials are selected and purchased. Asset information which is integrated into the BIM process early in the project cycle ensures t hat at project handover the building owners/operators can hit the ground running in terms of commissioning, asset operations and maintenance. Financial savings are gained from removing the need to manually input hard copy information from the As -Built drawings into the asset management system. Case studies and client stories, such as the two highlighted below in Tables 1 & 2, have illustrated that accurate digital data contained within the model drive operational savings. These savings are achieved by providing immediate access to the maintenance information of each asset within the structure. Each asset can be visualised in 3D from within the BIM model and information including, but not limited to, geospatial location, warranty, and maintenance history, O&M which can all be immediately accessed through a mobile device or desktop computer. This provides the facilities maintenance teams with the flexibility to deliver corrective action without first returning to the plantroom
Using a real construction project, virtual Handover (digital building information will transfer to FM system, before the completion of construction) was to be shown.
The construction company also had to develop a BIM FM integration, which included all the multiple BIM models which would be used in the construction project.
They finally had to calculate owner’s quantitative benefit.
Establish the BIM (Building Information Modeling) for constructing building by using all the technologies currently in use such as Revit, etc and integrate into Maximo. Before the completion of construction, construction information (BIM Data) will be handed over to FM system (Maximo and the clients own FM system)
Developed Japanese version of the integration module for BIM and Maximo and tried to standardize the data exchange between BIM and FM with COBie sheet.
Define quantitative benefit using their knowledge, experience and public quantitative informatio n regarding LCC (Life Cycle Cost).
Benefits Realised
It was concluded by all stakeholders that virtual hand over is possible using BIM
Also it was concluded that this approach reduces maintenance (incl. repair/exchange) cost by approximately 20% (*1)
(*1) In case the total floor : 4,300 square metre and the total maintenance/repair cost is $51M
Maine General had deployed IBM Maximo Asset Management software throughout its hospital network more than two years prior to the construction of its new medical center. “Our asset management application wasn’t going to change, and we saw tremendous value in bringing the robust building-asset data developed in the BIM tool during the design and construction phases into Maximo for the building operations phase,” says Troidl.
As construction manager, Troidl is also responsible for managing the renovation of e xisting Maine General facilities, and he sees the integration of the BIM and Maximo solutions as having a role to play in those projects moving forward, particularly because the Maximo software-based asset tracking technology and the BIM viewer itself are cloudbased. This means that the company can model or update new additions or renovations in its Maximo asset management system.
“We recently renovated a building from the 1950s and created a 3-D BIM model for the project, including architectural, electrical and the HVAC system,” he says. “So, rather than getting the proverbial truckload of drawings from the contractor detailing each part in the HVAC system, we were able to bring all that information electronically through the BIM system and further levera ge BIM by bringing that asset data into Maximo.”
“We finished the front -end data loading from the construction model to the Maximo application on the owner’s side before we even moved in,” he says. “That process was automated through the BIM integration framework, so right there we estimate we saved about 600 hours of manual data entry time and who knows how many square feet of document storage space in the new building, valued at hundreds of dollars per square foot.” Additionally, based on multiple national studies, Troidl estimates that the company could save as much as USD225,000 annually through automation.
“In healthcare, everything is changing all the time, so we’ll always be working on a construction or renovation project,” says Troidl. “This BIM integration framework will remain vital to managing the construction and asset management processes at MaineGeneral Health.”
Beyond the maintenance and construction teams, CFO’s are also looking for new ways to drive down the costs of their real estate portfolios. In an electronic survey conducted during the second quarter of 2014, a joint IBM and CFO Research study[4] gathered responses from 150 senior executives on how their companies manage their corporate real estate functions, and the value they find from that.
The survey highlighted that, in order to act strategically, finance executives are looking to technology as a catalyst for change. To right-size or freeze the footprint of their real estate portfolio, many are gaining visibility and data-driven insight into occupancy, operational costs and facility usage. To achieve this level of visibility, they are looking to move Corporate Real Estate (CRE) away from personal productivity tools, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and in -house solutions to rely upon real -estate-specific software suites.
As they adapt the real estate portfolio to a new business environment and shifti ng demand for resources, they are also looking for new sets of capabilities to emerge beyond “traditional” process management capabilities. These include analytics and decision support capabilities such as forecasting, modelling and project management, underpinned by an increasing availability, frequency and accuracy of CRE data.
This represents a clear opportunity for BIM to extend into the operate phase of a structure’s lifecycle. In order to drive success for building owner and occupiers through BIM, what really needs to happen is for construction companies and corporate real estate executives to adopt a completely different way of doing business. They need to collaborate. Instead of the construction company supplying a building, they need to provide a service to the owner/occupier, and, in addition to supplying the requirements and budget at the start of the Design phase, the CRE executives/owners/managers need a mechanism to feed back during the operate phase. They need the capability to inform architects that their building designs are working, or not, as the case may be. Data must be digital from the start of the process and constantly enhanced and updated as the building lifecycle progresses, enabling a clear view of the total lifecycle costs. In turn, this will then drive efficiency and cost savings along with additional potential review streams across the supply chain.
Companies delivering the build phase may be able to extend their services into the operate phase and
deliver housing and space management where a customer will specify their requirements (and the requirements will be not only the design and build of the building), but more like ‘the specification of space’, that can be configured in any number of ways, and managed effectively in tune with users requirements throughout the buildings total lifecycle.
Simply put managing data will become just as important as managing people, materials and equipment. If the right person with the right equipment and the right material is at the right plac e at the right time, but has the wrong data, the result could be expensive and the risk failure increased.
Begin with the end in mind – Steven Covey
There is a perception within the market that extending BIM process across the entire lifecycl e is costly and is often raised as an issue, which in turns is one the biggest barriers to adoption of BIM in FM. It is particularly prevalent in FM companies, even though the facility manager is uniquely positioned to be able to view the structure as the product of the entire design and build process[5]. These companies are representative of those stakeholders who are resistant or not receptive to change, and do not yet consider the full lifecycle costs of a structure. They are not considering TOTEX (Total Expense), even though the operate phase of a structure represents around 80% of the total life cycle cost of that structure.
By taking a step back, and starting to think about what information (data) is required to efficiently and effectively operate the structure, operators should understand that the vast majority of information and data regarding the operation and maintenance of the structure is generated at the design and build phase. So, it makes perfect sense for operators of buildings to become immersed in the project at the initial life cycle phase. Early engagement can help to clarify and ensure that requirements such as accessibility, health & safety, environmental and asset performance are fully considered and adhered to.
The importance of this should not be over looked by FM companies. Operations teams should view BIM as their regeneration lifeblood. BIM will enable accessibility and interoperability of many data sources, which will stimulate innovation into a commoditised industry. The next generation of FM providers will be tech savvy and by embracing BIM companies will be able to attract and retain young, new talent.
BIM provides the process that will enable companies to embrace the Internet of Things (IoT) explosion, where a network of p hysical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors and connectivity enable the achievement greater value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer, operator and/or other connected devices. FM companies are again uniquely p laced to take full advantage and to drive the advancement of the IoT – but it requires strategic commitment, a willingness to embrace the new and leadership bravery.
Every journey starts with a single step and that single step is extending BIM into the o perate phase. There is definitely a place for BIM in operate phase of a building.
[1] Jones, S.A & Bernstein, H. M (2014) McGraw Hill Construction Smart Market Report. The Bus iness Value of BIM for Owners. 60 pp www. Co nstruction.com
[2]Press release; http://www06.ibm.com/jp/press/2013/09/1702.html
[3] Maine General Find ref
[4] CFO study Find ref
[5] McAuley, B, Hore, A.V and West, R. (2013) Establishing Key Performance Indicators to mea sure the benefit of introducing the Facilities Mana ger at an early stage in the Building Information Modelling Process, Proceedings of the CITA BIM Gathering, Dublin Ireland 14th – 15th November, pp 61-69il
1 University of Liverpool | School
of ArchitectureE-mail: a.kiviniemi@liverpool.ac.uk
Building Information Modelling (BIM), other digital technologies, and emerging visions for integrated project delivery are rapidly changing the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. These changes are fundamentally transforming the way architects will work in the future and should naturally change the way we educate AEC professionals. However, changing the education is challenging process and seems to be lagging behind speed of the industry transformation.
There are different views of “if” or “how” BIM should be integrated into the architectural curricula. The concerns include issues such as: 1) architectural curricula is already overloaded and there is no room for any more content, 2) the practice -driven approach of BIM is not compatible with the explorative character of “design thinking”, 3) the structure of the architectural curriculum is not suitable to adopt BIM, and 4) how to teach integrated processes in the current university structure where different disciplines are in their ow n "silos". However, there are also examples of institutions where BIM is already a part of the curricula, although often not well integrated with the rest of the content and missing the integration with other AEC domains. In addition, BIM is not a technolo gical issue only. It is closely related to many other challenges facing architects and their education requiring a broader understanding of social, economic, technological and cultural variables, and how to design buildings which perform to higher environmental and energy standards.
1 Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research TNO
E-mail: leon.vanberlo@tno.nl
This talk is about collaboration in a BIM environment. BIM seems to be a driver for better collaboration. The hypothesis is that better collaboration will create a better end result. However, we don’t form a team of people that are experts at collaboration. We find experts in architecture, construction, mep, etc and try to collaborate as good as possible with them. In the end collaboration is a necessity to create the end result, but collaboration itself is never the goal. The end result is data.
Research has shown that collaboration on a central model is less effective than working with reference models in IFC. This talk shows examples of this concept. Other examples show that the success of a BIM (engineering) project is not depending on the level of col laboration in the project. Non-typical tools will be explained like the ‘BIM execution plan generator’ that shows collaboration cannot be enforced by one organization.
The red line throughout is talk is about the difference between a top down and bot tom up approach when using BIM. Top down mandating, centralizing and enforcing a way of working, versus a bottom up approach from people that have a clear understanding of their needs from BIM.
Topics like the Dutch National BIM Guidelines will be discussed. Just like the UK levels of BIM; conceptand object llibraries; the companies that actually drive BIM innovation and new conceptual ideas like ‘BIM Bots’. The constant struggle between fighting fragmentation in our industry, against embracing it w ith the help of BIM technology, will be shown in many practical examples.
Construction handover documents include lists of installed equipment, valves, warranties, O&M manuals, maintenance schedules, parts, supplies, etc. These documents are expensive to create, and according to most facility managers, virtually useless. One reason why these documents are so expensive is that the same information is repeatedly captured and recaptured during design and construction. Without access to the information in those documents, a facility manager may need to survey the equipment again. Information about the equipment must also be rediscovered and rekeyed into information systems supporting the building’s operation, maintenance, and management.
The idea behind the Construction-Operations Building information exchange (COBie) standard is simple. Rather than have each partner and stakeholder retype lists of rooms and equipment, information should be captured once and reused. Each party simply adds the small bit of information that they create. Once everyone provides their specific information, the handover documents ar e complete. If implemented in this way, COBie can reduce or eliminate the cost of construction handover documents, accelerate final project payment, free skilled workers to start their next project, and deliver the customer a higher quality product.
COBie is not a new requirement COBie is a standard way to capture what is already required COBie does not demand that anyone learn or use Building Information Modeling (BIM) . While using BIM technology may make COBie production easier during design, COB ie during construction is no different than what the contractor must already regardless of the design technology.
A 1983 US National Academies study noted that much information is lost during building design, construction, and operations. Now that we have an internationally adopted standard to capture construction handover information, should we wait another three decades for the next study, or start using COBie today?
E-mail: F.N.Bosche@hw.ac.uk
This talk will demonstrate the convergence of BIM and r eality capture technology like laser sc anning. It includes a review of recent developments and a presentation of what the future will (soon) deliver. This shall bring to light that technological development s such as BIM and laser scanning do not only make sense on their own, but make significantly more sense when considered collectively.
The talk focuses on the two main areas where BIM and reality capture technology like laser scanning ‘integrate’. The first is commonly referred to as Scan-to-BIM and relates to using the data (point clouds) generated by these reality capture technologies to reconstruct an as-built or as-is BIM model of the scanned environment, such as a building. Although significant progress has been made in this field, a review of the state of the art highlights the amount of progress that remain s to be made to make Scan-to-BIM processes robust, complete and efficient. This leads the presentation to discuss the second, younger but growing area where BIM and reality capture technology like laser scanning ‘integrate’ and that the speaker refers to as Scan-vs-BIM. Scan-vs-BIM relates to situations where an existing (e.g. as-designed) BIM model of the environment is available and can be used to simplify the processing of reality capture data (e.g. laser scanned point clouds) acquired of that environment. Recent research is reported that demonstrates the potential of Scan-vs-BIM processes, not only to support Scan-to-BIM processes, but also for quality control during construction and facilities management. Yet, Scan -vs-BIM processes have their challenges, and these are also discussed. The presentation concludes on the progress made, the potential already at hand, and that yet to be unleashed.
1Dr. Ilka May
1 Managing Director planen – bauen 4.0 GmbH | Associate Director Arup
E-mail: 1ilka.may@planen-bauen40.de; ilka.may@arup.com
The fourth industrial revolution, called the digital revolution, is not an insular or local phenomenon; it is a global trend across all industries and sectors and cannot be ignored. Markets, clients, politics and nations respond differently to the challeng es that the change brings. The construction industry in Germany is a push market at present, driven bottom-up by the members of the construction value chain, represented by their national chambers and associations. This bears the risk of waste and duplication, market confusion and a high degree of proprietary solutions when it comes to the adoption of new technologies, processes and behaviours. Instead of a government task force, like in the UK for example, Germany takes a different approach in coordinating and accelerating the implementation of BIM.
The federal structure of Germany with 16, at least to some extent autonomous states and local authorities, does not support nation-wide policies and regulations, especially in technical areas.
Furthermore, the responsibility for innovation in construction is split between different departments. The federal ministry of economic affairs and energy, research and education, environment, nature conservation, building and nuclear safety (BMUB) and the ministry for transport and digital infrastructure (BMVI) act more or less on their own with a certain degree of coordination between the departments.
The BMVI with the largest capital budget of all departments has a huge interest in the best possible use of this capital investment. For this reason, but also from a historic affinity for a coordinated and consistent use of digital tools – the BMVI has put itself at the forefront of the introduction of digital construction and BIM in Germany.
Germany, the nation that is best known for its thoroughness, punctuality, appetite for optimisation
and perfection, has recently produced a series of spectacular failures in the delivery of major construction projects – the airport in Berlin and the concert hall in Hamburg are famous examples.
These failures have triggered a reaction at highest political levels. A reform committee „Major Construction Projects“, comprising 36 experts from construction industry, academia and Government, was commissioned by the BMVI in 2013 with the aim to drive better value from major construction projects. In June 2015, after two years of intensive review of current practices and policies, the committee has released a range of strategic and tactical measures for improvements in major projects delivery.
There is common agreement across Government and within industry that no single cause can be made solely responsible for failures in major project delivery, such as overrunning costs or time. The complexity of major construction projects requires a collaborative culture instead of the current adversarial one from the very early stages of user needs analysis to operations across the entire supply chain from the client, planners, contractors, consultants to the end users. This collaborative culture comprises a more informed and better co-ordinated client, more thorough planning making best use of digital technology and
processes, transparent and sufficient visibility of project cost, time and risks, an alignment of interest between all parties involved through financial and other incentives as well as an open and honest public engagement programme.
The major project committee report therefore calls for a profound change in the relationship between public authorities and the construction industry to create a strong, fair and aligned framework for procuring, planning, constructing and operating sets in the built environment. This can be achieved through:
A detailed user needs analysis at the earliest stage of a project,
A detailed economic feasibility study at the earliest stage of a project,
A collaborative way of working across the entire supply chain including multi-party partnering arrangements,
A mature state of design before construction starts
Early and continuous risk management including provisional costs and contingency in the public budget,
Award of contracts to most economically advantageous tender, not lowest price
Use of out-of-court dispute resolution
Clear responsibility and accountability, better processes, use of centres of excellence and competence
Increased transparency and better control
Early and open public engagement
Use of digital technology and methods, i.e. Building Information Modelling
Government has already committed to a range of measures to address the issues identified by the reform committee. The work of the committee will continue in order to maintain a strong, innovative and high quality construction industry in Germany.
Digital Construction was identified as an effective method for better control over time and cost and quality assurance by the “reform committee major projects”. An outline BIM Strategy has been developed together with further recommendations for its adoption in Germany.
The work of the committee has set a few things in motion in Germany in the meantime:
Both, Germany’s “Digital Agenda” and the “Hightech Strategy” emphasize the importance of digital construction
Four pilot projects, 2 roads and 2 rail, have started. They will be analysed by independent reviewers and the results will have an impact on future developments.
Last but not least another milestone was achieved in February 2015: 14 associations, representing the entire construction value chain from architecture, planning, industry, materials, software, manufacturers, real estate, etc . , have started an alliance called “planen – bauen 4.0” (design – construct 4.0).
Leading institutions and associations from design, construction and operations started the „planenbauen 4.0 – Association for Digitisation of Design, Construction and Operations” limited company in February 2015. This joint and unique initi ative, supported by the German government and the industry, aims to unlock the potential of digital design and construction and make it accessible to all members of the supply chain.
The founding members see a huge innovation potential in digital tools a nd intelligent modelling to virtually prototype and assess the impact of any aspect of a design’s performance.
Their founders see the planen-bauen 4.0 association as a national platform, a centre of excellence and the coordinating body for research, standardisation and market implementation. It will guide and steer the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the process for digital design and construction across the entire industry, in Germany. The particular German market situation with its high degree of differentiation will be considered.
If the name of the organisation rings a bell with “Industrie 4.0”, which is the alliance of Germany’s manufacturing industry, this is intentional, since both initiatives share similar aims and objectives –to help their respective industries with the transition into a digital future.
In July 2015, the federal ministry for transport and digital infrastructure (BMVI) commissioned planen – bauen 4.0 with the development of a road map for an accelerated and coordinated
introduction of BIM for public sector co nstruction projects in Germany, aiming at more consistency, clarity and efficiency in the procurement, delivery and operation of built assets.
A small group of experts covering academia, legal, clients and the market is currently developing the road map in regular consultation with a larger group of stakeholders from the entire construction value chain. The expert group looked at best practice examples from other nations, including the UK, China, Norway, Singapore, Denmark, Malaysia and Russia in order to avoid Germany’s isolation in an international market and to avoid time -costly duplication. The plan will be launched on the 15 th Dec 2015 at the BMVI.
As it stands, the German road map consists of a number of components:
An overall guiding principle
Some basic statements addressing the major concerns in the market
A vision for the German construction industry in the digital age
A German “BIM” definition
A reference process
A first target level definition
A timeline for adoption.
The basic principles summarise the intention, objectives and approach:
In future, deliverables such as 2D plans will be derived from 3D Models and clients will request digital data in addition to the built assets.
The road map aims to provide sufficient time for clients and supply chain to adapt to a different way of working, supported by pilot projects
No fundamental changes to procurement, contracts and other policies for a first target level
Adopt international standards and examples to avoid isolation
Consider the highly fragmented market situation in Germany with a high proportion of SMEs
Consistent, appropriate and understandable client requirements in the procurement process enable and support market growth and prevent proprietary solutions
The road map supports vendor-neutral, nonproprietary and independent technology, processes and solutions
The road map is applicable for all types of projects (infrastructure, buildings, new, existing), all procurement types and forms of contracts and for the entire Federated Republic.
As highlighted at the beginning, the federal ministry for transport and digital Infrastructure is supportive of BIM, pb40 and the German road map. However, it was also mentioned that the BMVI is not the only ministry in Germany with a responsibility for the construction market. Germany’s digital agenda and the hightech strategy are under the remit of the federal ministry for economics. Adding research, education and internal affairs to the mix, it becomes clear that a joint-up top-down approach will be difficult to achieve in Germany, if possible at all.
Aligning pb40’s 14 stakeholders and developing one road map for all members of the construction value chain is an equally challenging task. However; the bottom-up approach, which was not the preferred way at the start, seems to deliver a high degree of buy-in and acceptance from the market at present. This might lead to a quicker adoption and implementation of new technologies, processes and most importantly a more collaborative and communicative way of working across all parties involved.
Ulster University
E-mail: 1g.cunningham@ulster.ac.uk 2s.mcclements@ulster.ac.uk 3 m.mckane@ulster.ac.uk
The UK Government using experiences gained from other countries are driving through changes in the construction industry to improve efficiencies, reduce waste and improve value for money, therefore improving economic performance of the construction sector through “lean construction principles”. BIM has been identified as one of the approaches which could achieve this goal. However, this will require substantial changes to the way the industry works and how AEC organisations interact with the client and thei r supply chain. The UK Government has mandated that Level 2 BIM be a requirement, as a minimum, by April 2016 on all major public projects, and Level 3 by 2020.
The NBS (2013) Report outlined a worrying picture of a divided industry, including lack of investment in BIM technology and training by some business’s and inertia / ignorance by others. However, the NBS (2015) Report recorded a year-on-year growth in adoption, but this year, noted a pause in BIM adoption. As a result the report noted that t here remain a significant number of practices who do not see the advantages of BIM, and so choose not to adopt, or who are currently unable to adopt BIM because of time, cost or expertise. This paper considered this issue of a ‘divided industry’ by examining the industry’s BIM maturity levels and reviewing the current BIM adoption strategies required to close this divide. The literature review and electronic questionnaire survey, identified significant barriers to BIM adoption particular to AEC organisations. Obstacles included a lack of understanding of the BIM process, issues pertaining to intellectual property and liability issues with sharing information, investment and training costs as well as the long term cultural changes required to commit to this new collaborative way of working. Crucially this paper presents the key drivers for BIM adoption which encompassing client leadership, organisational structural changes, process driven agenda, flexible and competitive training and education. The key findings of this research, demonstrate that fundamentally the adoption of BIM for AEC organisations is strategically commercially critical. Furthermore this research shows that BIM’s implementation within AEC organisations that can best facilitate a greater integration of BIM across the supply chain.
Keywords Architecture, Engineering, Contracting Organisations, BIM maturity
The aim of this paper is to investigate the BIM maturity levels within Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) businesses. This research examines the drivers and barriers to BIM adoption and the impact of BIM integrated AEC businesses
on the success of the supply chain. The UK Government using experiences gained from other countries are driving through changes in the construction industry to improve efficiencies, reduce waste and improve value for money and economic performance of the construction sector through “lean con struction principles” as advocated in the reports by Latham (1994) and
Egan (1998). BIM has been identified as a key vehicle in achieving this goal. However, this will require substantial changes to the way the industry works and how AEC organisations interact with their supply chain. Fundamentally this requires a cultural change, a move to collaboration. In the UK public sector clients are mandating collaboration through their requirement to be level 2 BIM compliant by 2016, and level 3 by 2025 (HMG, 2015). However, despite the client mandate, industry acceptance has been limited. This limitation, according to the recent NBS report (2015), is due to the limitation and non-availability of resources and expertise. Therefore, further investment is needed to inform and enable the industry to understand and adopt the new BIM methods of working
Epstein (2012) further examined this issue of limited resources. His research found that some business’s embrace new trends, and are willing to overcome setbacks to achieve a worthwhile outcome, whereas other companies resist change. Generally most businesses are somewhere in the middle, not wanting to be left behind, but waiting for others to test the systems and processes and be the pioneers. This paper further examines this reluctance and standoff of AEC organisations to adopt BIM and the impact on the supply chain.
Due to advances made in the US with regards to BIM use, McGraw-Hill, (2013), surveyed thousands of AEC participants in North America from the full spectrum of AEC roles and disciplines and found 71% of the industry was now using BIM in 2012, increasing significantly from 28% in 2007. Contractors now make up the largest user group at 74%, over -taking Architects at 70%, followed by Engineers at 67%. Some of the key benefits identified include increased profitability, business development, gaining repeat business and improved interoperability, communication and productivity. This has all led to a perceived positive return of investm ent of 62%. BIM therefore has the potential to improve the commercial viability of AEC organisations and therefore essential.
In th e UK, according to the NBS (2015) Report, of the industr y sample it was found that 48% are aware of BIM and are using it, with 48% just aware of BIM and 4% unaware. The findings of this survey show that firms using BIM have increased from 13% in 2010 to 48% in 2014 The 2015 report also reveals that 75% of respondents in 2014 are aware of the different levels of BIM compared with 51% in 2012 plus 59% of
respondents in 2014 reported that they are achieving level 2 in BIM compared with 51% in 2013. Therefore the UK, like the US has increased their knowledge and application of BIM. However the NBS survey was not representative o f the UK construction industry. For example, in 2010 out of 6500 invitations to take part only 400 responded, with 40% of respondents being Architects, 11% multi discipline firms and 10% Public sector including local Government. Whereas in the 2015 report, although the figures for those invited to take part were not reported (it might be assumed that the same sampling frame was used), 1350 responded, with Architects reducing to around a third, Architectural Technologists an additional 14.4% and other notable increases were Building Services Engineers 4.9%, Building Surveyors 4.5% and Landscape Architects 3.3%. With the majority of respondents being from the architectural and design professions this would indicate that these types of businesses are developing their BIM capabilities rapidly, given half of respondents in 2011 did not know what BIM was. The survey did gain views from large contracting organisation however the small response rate does not allow for further analysis into the acceptance of BIM by this key industry group.
According to BIS (2012) 907,000 of private businesses operate in the construction sector, of which 85.1% (771,857) are SME’s. Whilst it is appreciated that this figure includes a large amount of small businesses who may not be required to engage with BIM, this does give a scale of the potential businesses within the supply chain. From a Quantity Surveyors perspective, the RICS (2011) reported that, of the 71 respondents, the results ranged from 39% not using BIM, to 23% using BIM, infrequently or in limited fashion and only 10% using BIM with any regularity.
As identified in the previous section, all three key AEC sectors are becoming increasingly aware of BIM and adopting BIM into their organisations Yet the maturity levels are both divided and much lower than anticipated. Researchers have acknowledged this issue and identified the key barriers to successful BIM implementation in AEC organisations which can be summarised as either process or technology.
Table 1 below details the barriers to BIM adoption, both process and technology.
If contracts include BIM deliverables less bidders will respond, and prices will increase, losing competitiveness.
Everyone must be on board to make BIM work.
Lack of client demand.
Training costs are too high and the learning curve is too long.
Legal issues relating to model ownership and intellectual property rights (i.e. uncertainties over ownership of data and responsibilities).
Legal issues relating to the incorporation of BIM within contracts and potential claims arising.
Legal issues relating to BIM and insurance
Information management will be too demanding on resources.
Table 1
Lack of training / education and staff refusing to embrace and learn the new BIM technology.
Lack of IT infrastructure
BIM potentially being unsuitable for specific projects.
and ultimately identifying improvements. This often requires change. Smith and Tardif (2009) suggest that implementing change and innovation in business can be risky whilst maintaining profits. Proactive companies will accept reduced profits, in the short term, to gain competitive advantage, potentially gaining greater profits if this strategy works. This is because such companies do not want to be left behind, so they assess the level of risk that they will be comfortable with.
Lack of interfaces between BIM systems and third party applications, such as design and take-off and bill of quantity description applications.
Cost of copyright.
Information management.
Table 1 shows AEC professions are waiting for client demand and leadership, before embracing BIM implementation. Furthermore AEC businesses require a complete understanding of the key benefits and risks, derived through BIM adoption, for their AEC organisation. Furthermore this literature shows that BIM adoption requires an essential business process restructure.
General guidance on developing a BIM implementation strategy suggests it should try to understand how BIM can benefit a business. This requires understanding how a business currently works, mapping current processes and workflows
Another consideration identified is that there is a “chicken and egg dilemma” with regard to implementing BIM because the full benefits shall not be realised until the whole industry is collaborating, therefore early choices may be incorrect and need changing later. To avoid this situation, innovation should be carried out to improve internal processes, whilst following and keeping abreast of industry best practice. The internal process is referred to as “Lonely BIM” A term used to describe the practices of an organisation, a project Team or the whole market where BIM models are not exchanged between project participants. (bimexcellence.com). Thereafter , developing and adjusting process change whilst carrying out collaborative project work will enable expertise to be nurtured and grow. This aligns with the UK Government Cabin et office BIM implementation team strategy, which through their HUB meetings promote the benefits of BIM and offer guidance. However, they are also expecting the AEC industry and supply chain to innovate and evolve BIM through their individual and collabor ative experiences.
Race (2012) also advocates that BIM should be understood at Director (Corporate/Strategic) level in terms of their specific company goals, and viewed as a business investment and development. The Government could dictate, through public procurement of contracts, how this should be done, but this may be viewed as additional “red tape” to a business and could increase costs as a “knee jerk” reaction whilst adding a barrier to market entry for some, and putting some SME’s out of the market
As identified earlier, understanding BIM is essential to the successful adoption of BIM. This understanding can only be derived through education and training. Each AEC business has skills and experience to carry out the works currently. However this literature has identified that there are insufficient numbers of personnel with the level of skills in architectural practice to develop models and be able to carry out digital analysis such as energy, clash detection etc.
The same situation applies to the number of engineers available who can extract structural elements and carry out digital structural analysis etc, as well as quantity surveyors and estimators who can investigate models and take-off quantities and lin k it to pricing libraries and finally managers who can extract, analyse and use the information generated (Eastman, et al. 2011).
However, some AEC firms are more proactive with BIM education and training. According to Epstein (2012), some firms are extending their mentoring programmes to be bidirectional, pairing older experienced groups with younger staff allowing them to learn from their older mentors, but also for younger staff to bring to the relationship their knowledge of up to date technology and processes which can aid the older staff members knowledge.
Furthermore, Eastman, et al. (2011) suggests that software training can be gained from software companies or specialist consultants. Race (2012) agrees there is an element of this type of training required, but also suggests information management training would be more pertinent as information continues to increase in quantity and complexity. Enforcing BIM education and training, may cause resistance if not managed properly. Smith and Tardif (2009) states “if change happens regularly and methodically, not irregularly and haphazardly” change management can be normalised in workplaces therefore making it easier to implement changes.
To appreciate the effectiveness of training, Epstein (2012) recommends two benchmarks:
1. “The first is how long it will take for the staff to achieve the same level of work within the same time previously allowed to complete a task.
2. The second is to find the point at which the increase in speed using the program stops without losing the quality of the work. This becomes the new benchmark for producing work.”
Epstein (2012) also proposes that a six month timescale is a realistic timescale to achieve benchmark 1, but this does depend on the size and complexity of the business. He also recommends a good stage to implement changing process would be when rolling out new software, because whilst people are learning how to use the software they are more susceptible to thinking how the technology can improve their current workflows.
Measuring the success of technology and process
change is also important for business, as this shall not only give feedback to senior managers that their strategy is on target to gain their return on investment, but it will also communicate positive results to stakeholders and staff which can create a “snowball effect” with regard to further investment and development further ideas.
Epstein (2012) recommends two primary benchmarks for the transition stage:
1. “At what point did you match your current productivity?
2. At which point did you achieve a new level of productivity”
To achieve this Epstein (2012) suggests clear company goals should be set, documented in a manual including “staffing, training, new skills, new technologies and new workflow processes and protocols” Thereafter progress can be measured against the manual and previously logged “historic” productivity. Interviews with staff members should also be carried out during and post project completion to identify their perspectives, establishing when staff fully embraced the BIM process and gain feedback on how improvements can be made, to establish future changes and development.
Benchmarking internal implementation and wider collaboration maturity against the industry standards is important for a business to gain understanding of where their company is within their industry, and how they align with other companies and employers. This will affect their potential for winning work and opportunities to collaborate with more BIM mature companies and employers going forward.
A survey was carried out of AEC organisations with regard to BIM maturity level. In particular the survey was designed to initially elicit the background (profession) of the respondent and then to establish BIM adoption levels and how adoption and implementation can benchmarking and continuous improvement implemented through the application of key performance indicators (KPI’s) The sampling frame for the survey questionnaire distribution was chosen from lists of the top 100 AEC businesses that operate in the UK, of which there were 54 returned responses.
The breakdown of the profession or discipline of the respondents is detailed in Table 2 below. The majority of responses were from architects and architectural technologists (29.63%) followed by structural engineering (18.52%) and
civil engineering (14.81%). If you combine the design professions as the final column shows, these account for 66.67% of the total. On further analysis some of the civil engineering respondents carry out design consultancy functions too, therefore the design type roles are higher again.
type firms being more proactive in engaging with BIM implementation, which could indicate that they are the professions primarily using it. The survey data also showed an increase in contractor’s awareness and use. However this might also be explained by architects being less concerned with commercial sensitivity or adopting a more “open minded” attitude towards sharing their knowledge with the industry.
The survey also showed that BIM knowledge and experience has increased from previously reported figures, suggesting that the Government 2016 mandate may be driving the in dustry to engage proactively. Therefore, the benefits of using BIM appear to still be divided among AEC organisations. The key factors impacting on BIM maturity are identified in Table 3.
Table 3 below summarises the response to the question in the survey of what are the barriers to BIM implementation. (54 responses).
The results presented in Table 2, show that only 5.56% describe themselves as specific BIM Managers, which is understandable given BIM’s current state of infancy. Of the three respondents who called themselves BIM managers, two worked in construction and the other one worked in an architectural practice.
Quantity surveying responses were low, and this may also support the findings in the RICS (2012) survey who reported that, of the 71 surveyors who responded to their survey, only 10% were using BIM regularly.
The response rate for those working for contractors was also low. Upon further analysis seven responses were received from Contractors, but they named themselves; Project Managers, Civil Engineers and BIM Managers therefore 12.96% actually work for Contractors.
The research data obtained from this survey shows a constant trend of architect/engineering design
The key findings from table 3 show that the top three barriers to BIM adoption are skills (13.30%), Understanding (10.55%) and Cost/ return on investment (8.26%). These key barriers were also identified by Yan and Damian (2008), Table 4.
Table 4 details the comparison of the top five barriers to adoption of BIM from three surveys. The results from this survey are compared with the top five barriers identified in the research of Yan and Damian (2008) and RICS(2011) National BIM Survey.
Order This Research (2015)
Lack of experience / skills
Yan and Damian (2008) RICS (2011)
important in BIM implementation. Therefore, the survey reveals that the measurement of performance using key performance indicators (KPI’s) of both traditional and BIM projects is key to any BIM strategy, as these statistics could underpin any benefit claimed for implementing BIM and this could also bring clarity to some of the barriers of knowledge with regards to return on Investment etc.
1
Cost of copyright and training
2 Understanding of BIM Unsuitable for the projects
Costs of Software / Return on investment unclear
People refuse to learn
Lack of client demand
Lack of Training / Education
3
Collaboration –Capability
Lack of interfaces between BIM systems and third party applications, which is assumed to mean take-off and bill of quantity description applications.
The survey indicates that BIM knowledge has increased, but is still quite sporadic a cross the AEC industry, with architect/engineering (design) firms and large contractors demonstrating the greatest knowledge through experience.
Micro to small businesses are not using BIM and this may be due to obstacles/barriers centred around knowledge, skills, costs and return on investment. Small to large businesses are using BIM only on a minority of projects (0-25%) evenly split between collaborative and lonely BIM.
4
Unsuitable for the projects & Collaboration –Capability (External Project team members)
5
Table 4
Waste time and human resources & Return on Investment unclear
Uncertainties over ownership of data and responsibilities & Current conditions of engagement
Current technology is enough Lack of IT infrastructure
The result presented in Table 4 show how the key barriers have changed and evolved from 2008. The emphasis of the key barriers has re-focused from the industry requirements, through to client requirement and now resides with individual organisations requir ements. This could indicate Government and Client promotion of BIM is having a significant beneficial impact on the subject with an increase in seminars and publications helping to increase its use and requirements
The survey does allude to the fact that organsiations require BIM benchmarking, they need to know that it will work form them and for their businesses. Furthermore they need to know what level of investment is required to generate the key benefits of BIM.
Benchmarking performance is therefore vitally
Industry publications and seminars over the past two years have helped to increase knowledge, and may be reducing the barrier to adopt ion, but this information does not seem to have filtered down to micro businesses as yet.
KPI benchmarking of traditional and BIM projects seems to be the exception rather than the standard approach, and may hamper the ability going forward to clearly demonstrate the benefits of BIM through research based statistics.
Businesses always need to consider developing their BIM skills and future work-force, therefore recruitment of graduates with BIM expertise shall be required. This will be of fundamental significance to Further and Higher Education providers.
The survey indicates that BIM knowledge has increased, but is still quite sporadic across the AEC industry, with architect/engineering (design) firms and large contractors demonstrating the greatest knowledge through experience.
Industry publications and seminars over the past two years have helped to increase knowledge, and may be reducing the barrier to adoption, but this information does not seem to have filtered down to micro businesses as yet. However more needs to be done to case study these perceived benefits.
1) [1]Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R. and Liston, K., 2011. BIM Handbook, a guide to building information modelling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors”. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
2) Egan, J, Sir.,1998. Rethinking construction. [pdf] Available online at: http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk /pdf/rethinking%20construction/rethinkin g_construction_report.pdf
3) Epstein, E., 2012. “Implementing successful building information modelling”. Boston: Artech House.
4) HMG, 2015 Digital Built Britain. (pdf)
Available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4100 96/bis-15-155-digital-built-britain -level3-strategy.pdf
5) Latham, M, Sir,. 1994. Constructing the team. [pdf] Available online at: http://products.ihs.com/cis/Doc.aspx?Doc Num=84343
6) McGraw, Hill., Smart Market., 2012. The Business Value of BIM in North America , [pdf]
7) NBS, National Building Specification., 2012. National BIM Report. [pdf]
Available online at: http://www.thenbs.com/pdfs/NBSNationalBIMReport12.pdf
8) NBS, Nation al Building Specification., 2015. National BIM Report. [pdf]
Available online at: https://www.thenbs.com/pdfs/NBSNationlBIMReport2015-single.pdf
9) NBS, National Building Specification., 2013. National BIM Report. [pdf]
Available online at:
https://www.thenbs.com/pdfs/NBSNationlBIMReport2013-single.pdf
10) RICS, 2011, Building Information Modelling Survey Report. [pdf] Available online at: http://www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/bcis/ab out-bcis/forms-and-documents/bim-
11) Race, S., 2012. “BIM Demystified”. RIBA Publishing
12) Smith, D,K and Tardif, M., 2009. “Building Information Modelling, A strategic Implementation Guide”. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
13) UK Governmen t, Cabinet Office., 2011. Government Construction Strategy, [pdf]
Available online at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resourcelibrary/government-construction-strategy
Open Water Consulting
Brighton, East Sussex
E-mail: john@ope nwaterconsulting.co.uk
The UK BIM project is neari ng its first m ajor m ilestone of 2016 Level 2 adoption f or public sector pr ojects The "8 pillars of level 2 BIM " are now establis hed and i n place The classification and digital pl a n of work elem ents will be issued as a beta version onli ne toolk it later this m onth.
Gl obally other countries are looki ng at the UK processes and adopti ng them .
So withi n the AEC industr y we are m ovi ng to a digital i nf orm ation e nv ir onm e nt. However we have to recognise that we are probabl y the last m ajor basti on of ana l ogue worki ng. W e are foll owi ng i n the f ootste ps of aeros pace, m anufact uri ng, a utom otive , petr oc hem , m usic and the rest.
However I would s uggest tha t the dri vers for AEC to move to digital lie m ore outsi de of the i ndustr y tha n w ithi n. If we chart the pr ogress of both c ons um er technol og y and s ociety we can see that we already li ve digital li ves.
The m ore com pelling questi on m ight be "why did AEC take so long to do this ?"
Indeed the recentl y launched Digital Built Britai n Level 3 strateg y poi nts the wa y beyond our i ndustr y to s om ethi ng m uc h br oader and ric her.
The Constr ucti on 2025 strategy already has put dow n a m arker on this, as the contributi on of the BIM programme to UKPLC was flagged up for the first tim e.
BIM and associ ated tec hnol ogies provide the m issing li nks that joi n up AEC with the res t of our lives. I n the cl oud, Sm art Cities, sm art lives and the rise of the Digital I nf orm a ti o n Econom y. It is in this m uch br oader visi on that the pl ace of AEC and BIM trul y lies. Level 2 is/was ever onl y a bridge head , a ga teway to what lies be yond .
W hilst the early i ndustrial revol uti ons were about m ass producti on, the Third I ndustri al revol uti on is about i nf orm ati on and c onnecti on on a gl obal scale. The DBB Level 3 strateg y and the Dot Everyone i niti ative by M artha Lane Fox, are about the UK bei ng a leadi ng player in the digital i nform ati on ec onom y.
The G en Zs, M illenials, already do this stuff intuiti vely, it's in their DNA, and is as natural as breathi ng They will bri ng this hom e, the rest of us just need to tr y to keep up!
BIM , AEC, Level 2 , Level 3 are just elements of a m uch bi gger pict ure, of the way t ha t our lives will be withi n the space of a ge ner a ti on.
Keywords BIM , Building In formation
M odelling, Change, UK BIM Level 2
Evol uti on, big data, Ge nera ti on Z, and why f or our i ndustr y the drivers for goi ng digital and adop ti ng BIM lie m ore outside tha n w it hi n
The Pace of Digital Evol uti on
I am perhaps you r typ ical Bab y Boom er, born in the lat e 50 ’s All this technolog y stu ff? I've seen it happen within my lifeti me !
Calculat ors, fax machin es, mob ile phon es, a nd pers onal computers; I've seen th e first versi ons com e out and rapidly b ecome obs olete. I got up earl y to watch the first moonwalk on our black a nd white TV in 1969. Do you rem ember the ZX Spectrum? Commodore 64 ? Amstrad PC ? App le M acintosh? Betam ax and VHS? O2? Vod afon e? W ell I remember M ercu ry 121 ! (An earl y mob ile provid er in th e UK, now long extin ct)
And then th ere is the intern et, email, Tw itter, Instagram, Google+ and the whole p lethora o f med ia and information channels we cons ume dail y Facebook at over 1 5 billion users and onl y found ed in 2004 is vying for larg est nation in t h e world with China and India. Twitter at over 50 0 milli on is still larger than the USA .
Feel th e speed of change: frighteni ng, exciti ng !
And th en th ere's the technology Computers on ce filled a football stadium. Th e first Apple M ac I bought had 4M B RAM and a 40M B hard -d ri ve (that was 25 years ago. Ou ch !). Nowada ys I carry 64 GB in my pock et on my iPhon e Th e Apollo 11 command modu le compu ter had 64KB And th en of course there’s th e whole migrati on to m ob ile from static PCs In creased use of ta blets, smartphones and wearable/implanted tech, th e latter which in tim e will surel y catch on W e are n o long er tied to our d esks or offices, or anywh ere in particular even Th e world is our oyster thanks t o 4G and smartphon es, and onlin e in formation 24 /7.
And my point is? The pace of this evol uti on.
It’s g etting faster Transforming our lives as communities, nations, the whole world, not on ly just as individuals or industries Perhaps music is the most recent example where the advent of M P3s, iTunes and the lik e transformed how musi c was produ ced, distribu ted, accessed and s old Economic models were chang ed as sudd en ly musicians were brought much clos er to their audien ce Th e middleman could be easil y byp assed.
Other industries have migrated to dig ital lon g before architectu re, engin eering and con stru cti on (AEC) W e are perhaps th e last major industry to make this journey M oore’s Law dicta tes th e
doubling of processing pow er and the halving of cost about every 18 months or so Th e compu tin g pow er at our fing ertips and in our pock ets is wa y beyond th e wild est dreams of our foreb ears
Our li ves ha ve b een dig ital for man y years, perhaps we just ha ven’t really realised it Tak e th e whole world of Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS), and the handling of our banking, transacti ons and buying patterns Tra vel is anoth er exa mple Using Big Data machin es, corporations ha ve for years been analysing our dig ital footp rints to p rofile our spending patterns and lifest yles.
So here’s the thing I b elieve that the reas ons an d drivers for ou r industry to move to digital – BIM and Common Data Environments – lie more ou tside than within.
W e have seen our whole lives go digital affecti n g all aspects of what we do and how w e live If you ’ve come across the Internet of Things (IoT) or Everything (IoE) th en you w ill know that all around us machin es, objects and sens ors of all kinds are communicating and sharing data, in mos t cases to make our lives better But not a lways.
Estimates differ but I ha ve seen figures such as ‘16 billion devices’ projected to be conn ected on the IoT b y th e end of 2014 (which was 20% up on 2013), ‘50 billi on’ forecast by around 2020, a nd ‘one trillion’ s omewh ere betw een 2030 -2050. W hen you bear in mind that over the same p eri od world population is onl y p rojected to rise to around 9 billi on p eople, that’s a lot of devices a nd in formation
The Sm art City movem ent around the world shows how dig ital life works on an urban or na tional scale Sens ors embedded in all sorts of things and ob jects share data about our surround ings, from the weath er, environmen t, traffic qu eu es, p e op le movements, energ y and ca rbon consumption to th e time we’re coming home so that the house will fire up it’s s ystems in time for our arri val
For all of th ese reas ons and more, migration to BIM for our industry and the lik e is a bs olu tel y inevitable For th e AEC industry or the AEC O industry as s ome now call it (A rch itectu re, Engin eering C onstructi on Op erati ons), th en BIM and CDEs provid e th e missing link that joins us up to ever ything else As th e Built Environm en t moves in to th e digital age this connects us to all the other dig ital commun ities W e can n o long er remain an analogu e island in a digital sea
Our industry moving into digital and BIM ma k es all of the above th ings possible; joining u p buildings, assets and in frastru ctu re, both individually and on an urban, national and even international scale BIM isn’t about a single
building or asset No more than it’s about just design and constru ction It’s about how we live in the built environment and share and us e in formation about abs olutel y e ver yth ing
In my mind this is th e d emocratisati on of ou r industry. If you ha ve th e right skills or th e right team with BIM tools in your hands and data at you r fingertips you can achieve amazing things. You might be an engineer, or an architect, or a client or a sub contract or…… .but it won’t matter, and you won ’t ha ve to b e…
W e will see a blurring of roles, moving across t h e traditional silos and boundaries As an industry w e can get hung up about roles and titles, in th e fu ture, this won ’t be s o important W ith BIM data and tools easily accessible this will revolutionise ou r dail y work.
The Third Industri al Revol uti o n
Do you h ear the cl ock ticking ? Or th e distant roar of the digital tidal wa ve app roaching ? It’s inevitable, irresistible and in a wa y, totally consuming. Analogu e wa ys of li ving and work i ng will be toast, and so will anyone wh o tries to resist ! For s ome time I have believed and stat ed that this is a Darwinian mom ent for our industr y Those that refuse to get on board with th is, or are too slow to adapt, will in time g o out of busin ess or just be left b ehind. Busin esses and careers are at stake h ere Individually if w e don’t acquire t h e digital skills appropriate for our cu rrent role in t h e next few years, the un employm ent qu eue b eckon s.
The First and Second Industrial R evolu tions w ere about th e moves towards manu facturing, mass produ ction, and the us e of steam for pow eri ng fact ories, and travel Th e Third Industrial Revolu tion – that we’re living in the middle of, right now – is about th e in formati on economy
How digital industries and in formati on are changing our lives It runs from th e individual to the g lobal and informs everything in betw een W e are all trading, consuming and using in formati on and data all the tim e In terestingly, wh o ma k es money from your in forma tion ? Th ink about it (M ost of th e time it isn ’t you )
‘For Ge nerati on Z… it’s as Natural as Bre a thi ng ’
Of cours e as much as we talk about technol ogy, it’s actually all about p eop le As a Bab y Boom er I’m relatively digitally literat e but I ha ve my lim its and I en coun ter th em everyda y! Look ing to th e young er folk around me, I can see those that have known this stu ff all of th eir lives, b ecaus e it h as alwa ys been there for th em And now w e ha ve th e Gen Z’s and be yond g rowing up in this digitall y
savvy in formation s oup that we call life They a re the M akers and Coders Th ey w ill change our wa ys of living and working, and our industry as a consequ en ce in wa ys that w e can’t even begin to imagin e Th e whole digital in formation age th ing is just part of their DNA It’s as natural as breat hing Shari ng in formation, tra ding in formation, collaborating onlin e, n etwork ing, blurring the boundaries betw een private a nd public, work and social It is literall y all up for g ra bs
Inevitably as a Bab y Boomer, or even an a g ein g Gen Y, you might feel past it or be feeling the h eat Don ’t give up. Keep up ! Run faster ! Get ah ea d!
Lik e I said I am getting old But I can hon estly sa y that I don’t think I’ve experien ced a more exciti ng time in my career There is so mu ch going on, ou r industry is und er all s orts of pressures a nd in flu en ces to chang e in all sorts of wa ys; carbon , en ergy, technology, climate chang e, d iversit y, equalit y, skills, trai ning, educati on, institutions a nd much more BIM is an important ingred ient in catal ysing change It’s just like a gripping thriller you can’t put down, you want to see how the stor y un folds at least I do anywa y! There is so ver y much more to come, we have barely s cratched th e su rface
W e must not und erestimate th e digital impact on ou r lives, communities and work This has barel y b egun.
As for BIM in the UK, the 2016 d ea dli ne approaches and whilst in theory th e targ et might have b een met for some of th e leading government departm ents, ou tside of W hitehall th e p icture is very differen t.
Dropping down a level to Local Authorities, we have a mixed picture. Som e forging a h ea d, building BIM requirements into their tend ers a nd procurement, others have not even started the jou rn e y
The p ri vate sect or is even more patchy Severa l major contractors now have in place BIM processes and teams. Although how mu ch of this is med ia and PR, as oppos ed to real imp l emen tation , process change and resulting in real b en efits remains to b e seen How ever, th ere are b eacons of excellen ce out th ere, and man y ha ve at least started the jou rn e y
Supply chain and upskilling SM Es remains high on the ag enda, and this is where th e acti on will be for several years to com e, in achieving consisten cy of Level 2 adoption adopti on across the industr y.
If we are simply imp lementing the 3D aspects of BIM , plus some data transfer in a federated CD E as standard, then in itsel f this will rep resent a hug e
step forwa rd, and the benefits will be obvious in terms of b etter assets, less waste, higher quality and profitab l y
By the tim e this Paper is publis he d: 2016 will be h ere or literall y around the corn er The gu idan ce for U K BIM Level 3 will b e publish ed in draft, and we will b egin to see how we tak e this forward and what integ rated environmen ts are going to look lik e Arrang ements for legacy post 2016, b eyond th e current Taskgroup lifetime will be s ettled provid ing certainty for the Regional BIM Hubs, the BIM 4 Commun ities and oth er supporters , wh o are all critical to achieving Level 2 g en eral adop tion
For further in formation con tact:
John Eynon
john e ynon@m e.c om www . op enw atercon s u lting .co. uk
John Eynon is a writer, speaker, blogg er, journeyman architect and design manager. You can catch up with him at www.ze nanddm .c om
School of Architecture
Dublin Institute of Technology, Linenhall, Dublin 1
E-mail: malachy.mathews@dit.ie
Abstract
Ireland is undergoing a digital transformation. Some industries particular ly in the areas of travel and retail have been radically transformed. However many industries are facing their biggest challenge in their existence already weakened by the economic crisis and constrained by their legacy business, it will be difficult for t hem to adapt and embrace the new rules dictated by digital change. Irelands design and construction industry is on the cusp of a digital transformation with early adopters now deriving some benefits from a move to a building information modeling (BIM) process. Digital transformation cannot happen unless there are personnel with the right skillsets to tackle the new methods of working. This move opens new dynamics into which domain specific skillsets supported by BIM technologies often overlap. New skillsets emerge while traditional ones submerge. One of those skillsets that has emerged is in the creation and management of building information through the digital model. New roles have emerged and are organically growing. Some of these roles are titled BIM Technician, BIM Coordinator and BIM Manager but here is confusion in the industry as to the meaning and interpretation of these titles. With a design and construction industry that is made up of traditional domain specific professionals where does industry go to find these “BIM” specific professionals. Do 3rd level education providers create new courses to fill this need or is there a design and construction course that has already many of the competencies required to fulfill the role? This paper sets out to e xplore these questions.
Keywords BIM Education, BIM Learning Outcomes, BIM Careers
I Introduction.
"What are you going to be when you grow up?"
It’s a question asked of every child and often answered with the most recognizable title in the child's mind's view. Job titles are important. They convey an educational standard and a place in social standing. They identify the holder as a person with a skillset and someone you might want or need to talk to. It is often the first thing we search for if we are in need of a service, the job title comes first followed by the person’s name. Job titles are so important that professional bodies will often seek to have their title protected by law. This is to stop unqualified people from using the title and to protect the consumer seeking to employ the services of a qualified person.
Innovation in industry is constant. New products are invented, new processes are created, new tools are invented to drive that process and new skillsets are required to operate the t ools. Language is
expanded to incorporate descriptions of the product, the process, the tools and the skill-set. Industry forever strives to be more efficient and as history tells us there are moments where new technologies have an immense effect on industry and consequently human society.
Marsh describes this digital epoch as the fourth industrial revolution. 1 The design and construction industry is on the cusp of a digital transformation. It could be argued that the majority of design and construction companies are failing to understand this. Those companies that are still standing have come through the worst recession in the history of economic development in modern Ireland. Happy to have survived they are trying to rebuild their businesses. The economic crash happened in 2008,
we are now in 2015 and the world has moved on. Companies that are rebuilding based on legacy technologies and processes are in danger of losing out to competitors because of new innovation in their industry. Digital transformation has its own history of doing this. The temporary economic crisis is being replaced with long term structural crisis that is impacting the very essence of their being.2 Companies need to look now at how digital innovation is affecting their industry and then look inward at their own process. You don’t have to look far to see how radically digital transformation can alter the status quo, for example we can look at printing and the way we consume the written word, travel and the way we visit the world, finance and the way we conduct our financial business, all radically different to how we did things even 10 years ago. The design and construction industry is multifaceted, it is people and process orientated and produces a product at the end of the day. It is ripe for the kind of transformation that digital can bring. However it is not all doom and gloom, Digital in itself is not a destructive power. It is a power that emancipates people, companies and movements, a power that creates new opportunities and ways to do things that were previously unthinkable.3
For the purpose of this paper i am confining the geographical boundary to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The United Kingdom is well advanced in terms of its digital transformation in the design and construction industry. In 2011 the UK Cabinet office published its construction strategy, in introducing this then then minister stated.
“This Governments 4 year strategy for BIM implementation will change the dynamics and behaviors of the construction supply chain, unlocking new more efficient and collaborative ways of working”.
At the heart of the construction supply chain are people, those wanting to have a career in the industry and those that are a lready there. These people will need to be educated at undergraduate level and reeducated at postgraduate level. Both of these groups face significant and different challenges. The education community faces challenges in integrating the learning of these n ew technologies and the incumbent dynamic and behavioral changes they will foster. The UK is again rising to these challenges in a structured way.
The BIM Academic Forum (BAF) was set up in late 2011 and is a group of representatives from a large number of UK universities with some participation from Irish Institutes of Technology (IOT) The BAF has been formed to promote the academic aspects of BIM. In particular, BAF is focused on the development of a ‘BIM academic framework’ . 4
Their first report “Embedding Building Information Modelling (BIM) within the taught curriculum” 5 was published in June 2013.
“The framework covers three levels of need: strategic, management and technical…the framework endeavors to interpret broad outline headings (resulting from the initial review of BIM learning needs for Government departments) into learning outcomes”.
The initial BIM learning outcomes produced by BAF are very generic and over-arching. They are non -domain specific and non -technology specific as one would expect. There is more of a concentration on the role that BIM will play in the development of a digital economy and the reasons why BIM is needed. This initial set of learning outcome’s give the design and construction industry the first clue in a requirement for new skillsets for AEC professionals and the development of new job roles.
The second iteration of the BAF BIM Learning Outcomes are more specific connecting the learning outcomes to the requirements for UK BIM Level 2 contextualized within the UK Government's Construction 2025 strategy. Again the learning outcomes are overarching and are information management centered and process driven. It’s a high bar to achieve particularly when starting from zero knowledge in undergraduate education and the culture change that will be required in postgraduate education. To achieve these outcomes professional educators will need to be break down these overarching learning outcome’s into more bite sized chunks, allowing for a progression of understanding, knowledge and ability in BIM Technologies and within BIM Process. Creating BIM specific learning outcomes for a measured delivery is the responsibility of each education provider. In Ireland there is no guidance on how to go about this. It ha s been left to individual educators who have taken a lead in
this area to plot out BIM development in both undergraduate and postgraduate pedagogy.
In Ireland, there is no Government BIM mandate. There is no central driving force for BIM. Those within the Irish design and construction industry who have adopted BIM are doing so because they recognize the benefits it can bring to their business. They are acknowledging the onset of digital transformation. Many of these firms work in the UK and will be subject to the UK BIM Level 2 mandate beginning in 2016. Enterprise Ireland is the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets and is offering grants to Irish firms wanting to tender in the UK market for Level 2 BIM under the UK Government mandate.6
However, it can be said that BIM in Ireland is growing organically as needs arise. Central to the growth of awareness and ability within the Irish AEC industry has been the CITA organization whose mission is to encourage the Irish Construction sector to take full advantage of current and emerging Information and Communications Technologies. 7 It must be acknowledged that the initial crop of BIM skilled graduates in Ireland and the UK have come primarily from the Architectural Technology courses. The introduction of BIM specific learning outcomes covering BIM technologies and information management has been a hand in glove fit for Architectural Technology.
What is clear from the BAF Learning Framework is that there will be a host of new skills across all domains required to deliver on the UK BIM Level 2 mandate. This is the same for Ireland and this posits a question, where will the people with these skillsets come from?
A quick Google search reveals 13 Masters Programs in the UK that have BIM in the title. It is interesting to note that most are not BIM alone but BIM “and” or BIM “in”. The courses are associated with another previously attained qualification, within a specific domain. This gives us a clue to the question “seriously, where does BIM live?”. The answer to that is that BIM lives everywhere in the AEC industry. It is cross domain and multifaceted. When you consider this you can understand why the BAF Learning Framework for
Is BIM a discipline in its own right? Or is it an add-on skillset to more developed professions? It is worth taking a look at an education course comparison. Nanoscience and nanotechnology is the study and application of extremely small things that can be used across all the other science fields such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.8 Nanoscience is multidisciplinary; professionals working in this area come to the domain armed with a base degree. They need to work with others to make nanoscience. They use a set of technologies made for the task. You are an engineer working in the field of nanoscience, you are a physicist working in the area of nanoscience. Collaboration is very much to the fore in nanoscience. This industry has many similarities with BIM. To do n anoscience, you bring knowledge from your domain develop new skills to create small things, using new robust technologies and most important collaborate with others in an effort to solve complex problems.
To do BIM, you bring knowledge from your domain and develop new skills, using new robust technologies and most important collaborate with others in an effort to solve complex problems. So it is reasonable to define BIM not as a discipline in its own right but as an additional set of skills on top of a base built environment qualification As with the new skillsets developed in nanoscience , it will be necessary that the new skillsets in BIM will permeate into undergraduate education as well as catering for postgraduate reeducation.
Where does your BIM education start? This is easier to answer at postgraduate level. You start by adding to your domain specific qualification with a PG course. In the Dublin Institute of Technology this has been addressed with Irelands first MSc in applied BIM/M. This course is designed for post graduate learning. It is part time and setup on a Cert/Diploma/MSc basis, 3 x 30 ects allows potential students to begin and travel along their BIM journey as needs require, pocketing 5/10 ects modules as they go. The learning outcomes have been tailored to provide a roadmap to eventually achieve the BAF learning framework, this being the most suitable reference at present.
BIM undergraduate education faces a different difficult set of problems. The first question asked is how do you integrate BIM into an already full,
base degree be it within the domain of architecture, engineering or construction. There is plenty of literature available charting different approaches and the results of pilot modules both in a single domain and as cross domain collaboration but there are no easy answers. The AEC education domains have for many years been honed into what they are. The disruptive nature of a di gital transformation will be as much prevalent in AEC education as it is in industry. There is already a resistance building up within particularly set education curriculums that will either not embrace BIM or leave it to postgraduate study or worse will BIM wash 9 themselves and their students.
From this authors experience in undergraduate education, there is only the choice, embrace BIM wholeheartedly or not at all. Embracing BIM wholeheartedly will involve a top to toe review of the program in an effort to critically align BIM learning outcomes in all relevant modules. To do this a stark choice has to be made, what learning outcomes do you take out to put BIM learning outcomes in. What now is less important in the evolving digital transformation within your domain that can make room for the now more important new skillsets required? The second problem to be faced is within the staff delivering the program. They must “by in” and upskill to effectively deliver on the new learning outcomes. In many cases this is the most difficult problem to be faced.
There are a myriad of BIM titles out there, a quick search in Google highlights, CAD/BIM Technician, BIM Technician MEP, BIM Coordinator, BIM Modeler, 3D/4D CAD/BIM Modeler, Revit Architectural Technician, BIM Technologist, Revit MEP Technician, BIM Manager, BIM Discipline Manager, BIM Design Coordinator, BIM Engineer 10 On deeper investigation a title like BIM Coordinator could mean working in any domain and in any disciple within that domain. There is no draw distinction between domains and skillsets. The same applies for BIM Manager, the role is defined very often by the perceived industry need. Only mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) engineering had a specific designation attached to some of the job titles advertised, where MEP is attached identifying the discipline within the domain. If we are to view BIM as an additional skillset on top of an original degree for the moment, there needs to
be a more formal method of identifyi ng the role and the skillsets required for the role relevant to the domain operation.
PAS 1192 0211 sets out a team task based structure consisting of Information Originator, Interface Manager, Task Information Manager, Task Team Manager, Lead Designer, Project Delivery Management, and Information Management. This structure is non domain specific and is generic in its description of responsibilities. Using this generic framework, this author will propose a base structure suitable for the industry in Ireland and the UK. There are 4 elements to consider, the National Framework of Qualifications12, BIM Learning Outcomes within an undergraduate base degree, BIM Learning Outcomes as a postgraduate addition to a base degree and industry expectations.
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and it’s equivalent in the UK gives academic or vocational value to education and training qualifications. We will concern ourselves with the NFQ level 7; ordinary degree, the level 8; honors degree and level 9; master’s degree for this paper.
The four titles this paper proposes are BIM Technician, BIM Coordinator, BIM Project Manager and BIM Manager. The first 3 are followed with a domain identi fier ie. BIM Coordinator (Eng) (Arch) etc. The identifier assumes you have a primary degree and skillset in that area. The notion of “boundary crossing”, having a skillset that is applicable to more than one domain is prevalent within design and construction and is made even more feasible by the level of collaboration promoted by BIM processes, Architectural Technology is particularly suited for boundary crossing and it is not unusual to find ATs working in the engineering, construction and surveying domains. The BIM Manager role does not need a domain identifier as this is an overarching role within the organization covering all aspects of collaborative information management, standards management and process planning.
The BIM skillset can be developed at undergraduate level in conjunction with the base degree as far as Level 8 provided there is a commitment to embrace BIM fully within the structure of the course. Postgraduate courses can allow for the development of Level 7 and level 8 BIM skills as an addition to a base degree. PG
students have an advantage of project experience and with their underlying knowledge their pace of learning is accelerated and puts them into the position of taking on the BIM Project Manager role The role of the BIM Manager is set at Level 9 Masters where there is a deeper cognitive requirement to analyze, synthesize and evaluate impact of BIM within their industry. At this level you are hitting the learning outcomes from the BAF Learning Framework. The chart below sets out a suggested framework for BIM job titles, set against an academic achievement l evel developing from undergraduate into postgraduate learning.
BIM Title with Career Structure - Undergraduate
BIM Technician – (designation with base degree)
Level 7 educated (Arch Tech), (Eng MEP) (Eng, Struct), (Eng Civil), (Geo)
BIM Coordinator–(designation with base degree) + 1 years office experience;
Level 8 educated (Arch Tech), (Eng MEP) (Arch Design), (Eng, Struct), (Eng Civil), (CM), (QS), (Geo)
BIM Title with Career Structure - Postgraduate
BIM Technician – (designation with base degree)
Level 8 entry to BIM PG Cert; (Arch Tech), (Eng MEP) (Arch Design), (Eng Struct), (Eng Civil), (Geo)
BIM Coordinator–(designation with base degree)
Collaborative
Level 8 entry + PG Cert + BIM PG Diploma + 1 years office experience; (Arch Tech ), (Arch Design), (Eng MEP), (Eng Struct), (Eng Civil), (CM), (QS), (Geo)
BIM Project Manager–(designation with base degree)
Collaborative
Level 8 entry + PG Cert on to BIM PG Diploma + 3/5 years project running experience; (Arch Tech ), (Arch design), (Eng MEP), (Eng Struct), (Eng Civil), (CM), (QS)/CCE - specific for complex contracts.
BIM Manager – no designation
Level 8 entry + complete Level 9 MSc aBIMM +
3/5 years office/project management experience;
This paper set out to investigate job titles and career paths in BIM. There is no formal structure within the field that identifies a BIM skillset with a level of academic learning. Many academic cour ses are only coming to terms with the changes that this digital transformation is bringing. The learning outcomes of DITs MSc in aBIMM 13 are a solid beginning for a BIM Learning Framework for Irelands AEC industry. They provide for a transition from level 7 to 8 to 9 academic learning into the titles of BIM Technician, BIM Coordinator to BIM Manager. The proposal that BIM skills are in addition to domain specific learning and as BIM specific learning outcomes are added into undergraduate education there should be an mechanism for Recognised Prior Learning RPL so exemptions made within the postgraduate PG Cert, PG Diploma in aBIMM.
This paper has proposed a system to clarify for industry BIM Titles and to clarify for 3rd Level education some career paths. The proposal comes with academic levels associated with it and a core set of learning outcomes associated to the NFQ. It will have the effect for the student of setting entry levels and prospective career paths in this exciting transformational shift in design and construction in Ireland.
[1] Marsh P., (2012) "The New Industrial Revolution - Yale University Press." 2012. 20 Jul. Retrieved August 14, 2015 <http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780 300117776>
[2] Caudron J, Van Peteghem D., (2014). Digital transformation : a model to master digital disruption ... Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://lib.ugent.be/en/catalog/rug01:002149033.
[3] Caudron J, Van Peteghem D., (2014). Digital transformation : a model to master digital disruption ... Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://lib.ugent.be/en/catalog/rug01:002149033
[4] BIM Academic Forum UK | BIM Task Group. Retrieved (2013). August 14, 2015, from http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim -academicforum-uk/
[5] Embedding BIM within the taught CurriculumBIM Task Group. (2013). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/10/BIM_June2013.pdf
[6] Building Information Modelling - BIMImplement - Enterprise (2014). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.enterpriseireland.com/EI_Corporate/en/fundingsupports/Company/Esetablish-SMEFunding/Building-Information -ModellingImplement.html.
[7] CITA. (2002). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.cita.ie/
[8] What is Nanotechnology? (2011). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.nano.gov/nanotech101/what/definition
[9] Succar, B. (2010),. The five components of BIM performance measurement. In Proceedings of CIB World Congress, Salford
[10] Bim Technical Manager jobs in Regent´s ParkIndeed.(2013).Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.indeed.co.uk/jobs?q=Bim+Technic al+Manager&l=Regent's+Park
[11] PAS 1192-2:2013 | BIM Task Group. (2013). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/pas-1192-22013/
[12] National Framework of Qua lifications (NFQ)QQI. (2014). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.qqi.ie/Pages/National -Frameworkof-Qualifications-(NFQ).aspx
[13] DIT Dublin Institute of Technology - BIM and aBIMM. (2014). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from http://www.dit.ie/multidisciplinarytechnologies /bimandabimm/
Ulster University, Newtownabbey, Antrim
E-mail: 1s.mcclements@ulster.ac.uk 2g.cunningham@ulster.ac.uk
3 m.mckane@ulster.ac.uk
Abstract This research examined the relationship between the client and the construction industry consultant and found that a measure of the success of this relationship was the level of client satisfaction with the consultants overall performance. A critical review of consultants’ performance found that clients were dissatisfied with the consultants’ performance, which was also found to have detrimental effect on the overall performance of the project . Therefore, project performance can be enhanced with the selection of an appropriate consultant. A review of related literature further shows that trust was found to enhance client consultant collaborative relationships, through acts of commitment, team working and effective communication, all of which contribute to the success of the project. Additionally trust can facilitate collaboration in the relationship by enhancing the selection process. There is a growing necessity to examine the impact of BIM on relationship management aspects pertaining to project success. In relationship management, BIM has a role to play in assisting clients to communicate effectively, timely and concisely and can result in the reduction of design risk Furthermore BIM is of primary importance for successful design collaboration. Whilst an abundance of literature already identifying that BIM can deliver improved performance, there is a lack of literature on how BIM can enhance competence based trust in client consultant relationships, and therefore the project success. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the attributes of competence based trust and the role of BIM in supporting these attributes. The research methodology for this paper, adopted a electronic client survey. The survey was designed to elicit information from client s on the importance of competence based trust in consultant service. The findings of the client survey identified that clients ranked expert knowledge, communication and cooperation as key attributes of competence based trust in client consultant relationships. These attributes can be supported through the adoption and integration of BIM. Furthermore this research concluded that BIM can enhance the client consultant relationship and improve project success. These findings may ultimately accelerate the uptake of BIM
Keywords Collaboration, Client, Consultant and Trust
Construction project success is influenced by a number of diverse and strategic factors; arguably the most important of these is the success of the client consultant relationship. The appointment of a construction consultant is a crucial and strategic decision that is governed by client’s project requirements. This relationship ‘is becoming ever more important for project success’, (Rowlinson and McDermott, 1999), insofar as the ‘quality of these services has a direct impact on the remaining 98% of the whole life cost of the construction project’, (OGC, 2003). A critical review of literature pertaining to the client consultant
relationship revealed that this relationship exists out of necessity; the client’s necessity for expert knowledge and the specific competence, and the consultant’s occupational necessity. The need for expert knowledge and specific competence can be explained by agency theory, in which the client delegates the responsibility of the project to the construction consultant professional, (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Agency theory, unlike theories on professionalism, is concerned with risk; risk that may arise out of conflict between the client and the consultant, and more importantly, individual and different assessment on the relationship needs. This can give rise to difficulties in the relationship, (Eisenhardt, 1989).
Client consultant relationships are therefore inherently risky. An examination of risks in client consultant relationships found that risks can be mitigated through collaboration. To do so successfully requires trust. Trust is a mechanism for exchange and is required in establishing and maintaining relationships. Without trust there is ‘ no commitment to the relationship’, (Brenkert, 1998). Furthermore without trust the relationship would not flourish. Research on relationship management issues in construction, often disagree on the exact meaning of trust. Despite the ambiguity surrounding the meaning of trust, (Atkinson and Butcher, 2003, and Misztal, 1996), th ere is a fundamental requirement for trust to be at the heart of the client consultant collaborative relationship.
A critical review on the role of trust in client consultant relation ships identified competence based trust as a fundamental base of trust in a collaborative client consultant relationship. Competence based trust is instilled through the consultants ability to meet pre-determined commitments. Pre-determined commitments encompass the consultant’s ability to do a specific job, (Gabarro, 1978 and Mayer et al., 1995). More specifically, Hassan and Semercioz (2010), identify this ability as competence, expertness, functional/ specific competence, interpersonal competence, business sense and judgement. Collectively these attributes of competence based trust strongly correlate with the project performance, (Ling, 2002 and Boyd and Chinyio, 2006).
Building information modelling, (BIM) is a construction management tool which can enhance a consultant’s ability to provide an improved technical and professional service. The enhancement is derived from the effective adoption and integration of BIM tools and software. The adoption and integration of BIM tools requires a competent application. However the application of BIM is not confined to the consultant’s skill in utilising BIM software, but more importantly, the consultant’s ability to collaborate with the client and other supply chain members.
Collaboration, like trust, does not exi st because it should, it is derived from commitment and motivation, to provide a competent technical and professional service that accentuates project success. This paper will explore if the adoption of BIM, by consultants, can support and nurture trust in a client consultant relationship. Due to the strong correlation between levels of trustworthiness in client consultant relationships and project performance, this paper will consider if BIM can positively influence project success by enhancing trust in client consultant relationships.
Trust as a concept is multifaceted and situational, thus creates an ambiguity surrounding the meaning of trust, (Atkinson and Butcher, 2003, and Misztal, 1996). Despite the ambiguity as to what trust actually means there is a fundamental requirement for trust to be at the heart of the client consultant relationship, without trust there is no commitment to the relationship, (Brenkert, 1998). Commitment to the relationship requires a positive attitude toward project objectives (Jessop and Higgins, 1966). It also requires clients and consultants to recognise their relationship dependency. This relationship dependency or this exchange or ‘human interaction’ (Gundlach and Murphy, 1993) requires an ‘expectancy of positive (or non-negative) outcome’ (Sahay, 2003), which essentially arises from client’s vulnerability, project risk and lack of client confidence.
Essentially clients place their vulnerability, and project needs in the hands of a consultant whom they deem trustworthy. Trust at this sta ge is yet to be earned. Thus the assessment of the consultant’s trustworthiness arises from the clients expectation based on perceived truths.
Perceived truths in a consultant originates from their provision of professional services; furthermore trust may be enhanced through the clients predictions of delivery of the consultants professional service and duty of care to the client, (Rousseau et al., 1998 and Mayer et al., 1995) and the ‘clients willingness to rely on the actions of others’, Wood and McDermott (1999) The reliance on the consultant’s actions requires client confidence. Confidence in the consultant’s service can be gained when the consultant behaves expectedly, thereby enhancing the consultant’s level of trustworthiness. High levels of trust yield improve project collaboration. Consultants, or ‘ sponsors’, (Higgins and Jessop, 1965) are required to collaborate with clients to develop project objectives, objectives which must be understood and nurtured in the pursuit of project success. In this sense it becomes apparent that ‘trust in the client consultant relationship have impact on the overall success of the project’ (Pinto et. al, 2008).
Trust is therefore a mechanism for exchange and is required in establishing and maintaining relationships. Without trust the relationship is less likely to flourish, therefore trust can be viewed as a ‘key determinant in project success’, (Zuo and Ma, 2005).However problems may arise if each party in the relationship holds a different view of what trust means to them. Having identified the importance of trust in client consultant relationships, this research explored the dynamics or bases of trust in client consultant relationships. A critical review of trust in client consultant relationships was conducted to further enhance knowledge and understanding of the role of trust in client consultant relationship. To aid the understanding of the role of trust, Atkinson and Butler (2003) simplified trust into the following four fundamental bases of trust:-
1. Mutual
2. Competence
3. Affective
4. Cognitive
Due to the constraints on this paper, this r esearch will focus on the application of comp etence based trust in client consultant relationsh ips. Essentially competence based trust is instilled through the consultant ’s ability to meet pre-determined commitments. Pre-determined commitments encompass the consultant’s ability to do a specific job, (Gabarro, 1978 and Mayer et al., 1995). Hassan and Semercioz (2010) pr ovide synonyms of this specific ability such as competence, expertness, functional/ specific competence, interpersonal competence, business sense and judgement. A literature review of competence based trust in client consultant rel ation ships identified 21 attributes of competence based trust, Table 1.
Table 1: Summary of Attributes identified by this literature review
Attribute Description
1. Professionalism The utilisation and quality of knowledge rather than the acquisition of knowledge.
2. Member ship of a Professional organisation
Consultant’s membership of a professional institution and its perceived level of trustworthiness.
3. Expert Knowledge Clients require construction consultant to have expert knowledge, knowledge which is deemed competent.
4. Education The attainment of expert knowledge derived from
education.
5. Exper ience Application of their expertise to the successful delivery of a project.
6. Professional Training the attainment of expert knowledge, derived from professional trainin g.
7. Skills Client requires construction consultants to have specific domain of group of skills’.
8. Qualifications – academic
9. Qualification - Pr ofessional
Professional qualification is the crucial threshold in the career progression of construction industry professionals. Qualification refers to both an academic qualification and a professional qualification
10. Ethically motivated The degree of trustworthiness and integrity with which companies and individuals conduct their business.
11. Specific Competence
12. Quality of Technical Service
13. Quality of Functional Service
A specific competence as a key area in which competency based trust can be assessed.
Service quality comprises of two fundamental components - technical quality (the core service or “what” is delivered).
The second fundamental dimension of service quality, functional quality, is concerned not with “what” is delivered, but rather processes of “how” the core or technical service is delivered.
14. Interpersonal Competence
Interpersonal competence is based on a person’s ability to engage with others effectively.
15. Business Sense Business sense is based on an individual's experience, wisdom, and common sense.
16. Wisdom Specifically competent in business.
17. Common Sense Competent management of business.
18. Busin ess Experience Trust depends on past experience and dispositional factors such as personality.
19. Reputation To have a good reputation requires individuals to be accountable and responsible for their actions and to
accept and manage the risk and vulnerability of placing another’s requirements before their own.
20. Achieving Results Achieving results is a relevant factor influencing the building and maintenance of trust.
21. Value Added Ser vices Value added services have derived partly from the increase in client knowledge and expectation and also due to the increase in alternative types of supplier.
Table 1 identifies the salient factors of competence based trust in the client consultant relationship, as per this literature review. The review found that trust improves problem solving, improves flexibility and increases cooper ation, thus demonstrating commitment to the project. Having considered the importance of trust in client consultant relationships and how trust is a vital contribution to success, this paper will now consider the role of BIM in su pporting trust in the client consultant relationship.
BIM is a process enhanced by a product developed by industry that ‘increases performance, accuracy and quality in a design and construction process’ (Eastman et al., 2011; Hardin 2009) Essentially BIM as a construction management tool that can determine the impact of design changes, reduce design changes during construction . This in turn has the potential to mitigate risk in project delays and additional costs.
BIM has the potential to drive innovation in the construction industry. The potential to drive innovations depends upon users/consultants possessing the technical competence and also to be appreciative that inherent differences in BIM enabled software can reduce the capacity to collaborate.
However the term BIM implies it is a product based application. This implication has created a barrier to greater adoption of BIM, which essentially involves an ‘extensive, wide ranging term that covers technologies and methodologies based around the creation and coordination of digital building data ’, (Mathews, 2013). Therefore clients must acknowledge that BIM requires change that is
both ‘cultural as well as technological ’, (Elmualim and Gilder, 2014). This requires the ‘consideration of people issues’, (Cidik et al., 2013). To do so can result in improved collaboration and the flow of information within the supply chain. It is the consideration of the people issues that will be explored within this paper, to gain a deeper appreciation of the merits of BIM in enhancing trust in client consultant relationships.
Successful BIM implementation requires users to focus on the strategic people issues, such as client leadership and team commitment. In the UK government construction clients invoke leadership by mandating that all construction projects, buildings and infrastructure be procured and undertaken within a BIM environment by April 2016. This client leadership initiative is thought to be both a ‘prerequisite for collaboration’ , Harvey et al., 2009), and a ‘catalyst’ for collaboration across the supply chain, (Mathews, 2013).
The merits of improved collaboration have been studied and documented by academics as a dominant feature of relationship management in the UK construction industry. The good management of relationships is the foundation for project success, subsequently there has been a drive to examine how BIM can improve relationships by enhancing collaboration which can impact successfully on project outcomes. Researchers, (Cidik et al., 2013 and Lu et al., (2013) found that BIM can enhance collaboration through the development of collaborative attributes such as improving coordination, increasing communication, improving project understanding and promoting coordination.
However collaboration will not happen simply because BIM tools can stimulate a collaborative environment. Collaboration requires a willingness and commitment to the relationship so as to ‘ to unleash the utility of BIM implementation and maximize stakeholders return on investment ’, Lu et al., (2013). This has developed a ‘growing demand for closer collaboration in the built environment’ (Mathews, 2013), lead Lu et al., (2013) to research the collaborative aspects of BIM. Their research found that professional knowledge, collaboration skill, attitudes and motivation and BIM acceptance as the four key attributes of success in BIM collaboration. BIM acceptance was determined as the most
important attribute of collaboration.
Furthermore their research suggests that the acceptance of BIM correlated with experience and knowledge. Positive experiences and successful outcomes could result in increased motivation and further incentivise the adoption of BIM. Successful collaboration requires trust in the client consultant relationship, without trust the relationship would be less motivated and incentivised to succeed.
BIM can therefore support trusting attributes through the effective implementation of the inherent collaborative tools and thus contribute to project success. In this sense BIM can be viewed ‘as ground-breaking vehicles for collaboration’, (Elmualim and Gilder , 2014).
Having theoretically considered the ability of BIM to enhance trust in client consultant relationship, the empirical stage of this research has been designed is to elicit data from clients on the competence based attributes of trust in a client consultant relationship.
A critical review of research strategies identified the most appropriate strategy as quantitative electronic client questionnaire survey. The participants of the client survey were obtained from published ‘Top 100 Client’ lists in Building Magazine TM in the UK over a period of five years This resulted in a client database of 326 unique clients. Each unique client was contacted and in total 189 clients agreed to take part in the study. The response rate for the questionnaire was 53%. Mangione (1995) believes below 50% response rate is not acceptable. Therefore the response rate was acceptable. A mean ranking analysis of the 21attributes of competence based trust was adopted to provide insight on importance of competence based trust in client consultant relationships. Essentially the ranking of the attributes converts scores (opinions) into more meaningful ranked data thus enabling comparisons.
To ascertain the most prominent competence based attribute, each attribute was ranked according to its mean value. Table 2 identifies the means ranking for each attributes. The scoring for the means rank was based on the Likert scale. The following responses were given the following numerical values: -Not important (1), Important (2), Fairly
The results show that all of the attributes of competence based trust were considered important to very important. The highest ranking attribute was ‘achieving results’ followed by ‘quality of technical service’ and in third was ‘experience’. These results suggest that clients place greater trust in consultants who can produce tangible evidence that is project related rather than service related. Whilst clients ranked the ‘softer’ attributes of trust, such as education, qualification and ethical motivation, to be less important. This suggests that
Important (3), Very Important (4) and Critically Important (5)
clients consider these ‘softer’ attributes a s the professional qualities inherent in all consultants. Thus they have determined, through their professional standing to already have these attributes of trust.
The key findings from this research show that project success is dependent on many strategic factors ranging from financial to technical to interpersonal. Specific interpersonal success requires project team members to be committed to collaboration. Within the project team a number of dynamic relationships exist, each playing a significant role in pr oject performance. The most significant of these project relationships is the client consultant relationship. This research has identified that the success of this relationship has a significant impact of project performance
Furthermore a successful client consultant relationship requires trust. Trust requires an acceptance and understanding of each parties risk and the competent fulfilment of delegated responsibilities within the project. This research identified competence based trust as a key aspect of a successful client consultant relationship. The results of the client survey on attributes of competence based trust show that clients considered all identified competence based attributes as important in building and maintaining trust in the relation ship
This research identified that successful relationships generate greater motivation; motivation to improve project commitment, collaboration and communication. Yet despite the fundamental necessity for competence based trust to be at the heart of this relationship, trust must be earned through the consultant’s ability to deliver a competent service that meets or exceeds client’s expectations.
aspects of BIM and the relational-ship aspects by exploring the concept that BIM can enhance trust in the client consultant relationship. Trust is pivotal to project success, therefore it is of increased the importance to the application of BIM in the UK construction industry. This paper will hopefully stimulate the debate around the industry adoption of BIM through the wider consideration of BIM in building trust in collaboration relationship management.
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E-mail: 1ralph@arcdox.com 2pat@arcdox.com
3john.mockler@accentsolutions.ie 4eben.adlem@accentsolutions.ie
Abstract this paper will focus on further and subsequent developments of the “LivingBIM” concepts, as explored and presented at the 2014 CITA Smart Collaboration Challenge, where a multidisciplinary team, investigated the management and maintenance of Building Information in the post construction, operational phase of a building lifecycle during a 4 day workshop.
The outcome and conclusion of the CITA workshop was the establishment of various workflows and information connections in the property lifecycle, and acknowledgment that a software solution was required that would connect existing third-party software systems and processes in order to secure and maintain the Building Information i n an aggregated digital format. This connected, accessible information set would provide value to the range of property stakeholders throughout the entire lifecycle of the building. The core aim of the LivingBIM concept is to have at all times, a digital, computable, searchable, accurate and up -todate information data source that represents the physical building and its information as an asset.
For this paper, the authors propose to focus on the interesting and challenging prospect of assessing information of existing property assets (where Building Information Modelling has not been deployed during design and construction), to investigate how asset information could retrospectively be digitally captured, or reverse engineered into a digital state, that w ould comply with PAS1192 -3 “Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling”.
This paper is a co -authored by ArcDox and Accent Property Asset Management (APAM), providing a combination of ArcDox's extensive experience in design and construction management during delivery phases, and APAM's wide involvement in the asset, property and facilities management phases. Together we bring a unique insight to the challenge, with a clear understanding of the benefits of efficient information flow throughout the project and asset lifecycle.
The effective and efficient management of building information is currently hampered by the fact that building information is:
Predominantly paper-based (or scanned PDF’s), and difficult to search & query.
Unstructured, and difficult to compare or transfer between systems or link across portfolios.
Fragmented, with different aspects managed in different systems.
Not accurate, incomplete or out-of-date.
Not accessible, locked in bespoke desktop based applications, which in themselves can be difficult to use (unless you have a licence & training).
All of the above are contributing significant costs to the operations and management of buil dings (directly or indirectly), due to poor access to quality information.
ing surveys. LivingBIM would endeavour to mitigate the gap between such systems, enabling improved accuracy in respect of "the latest true version ", by way of governing access and version control, auditing throughout the Owners Information Management policy, and providing quicker access and more reliable information sets which would benefit all current, and potential stakehol ders
Significant time an d cost is expended in generating and managing Building Information during design and construction. This typically ends up being delivered in static digital files, or paperbased documents which are handed over to the building owner or property management t eam. Not only does this static format require building owners and operators to manually populate the management systems, but in this static format, the information is very difficult to process, query or maintain (update), and so the information very quickly enters a cycle of degrading and depletion.
Source: ArcDoxThis paper investigates how legacy data can be resurrected and revitalized, by way of retrospective information gathering and digitization of i nformation collected, so that it can be used and maintained and add value to the management of the property asset and subsequent operations of the building, We also seek to secure this information as a complete and up-to-date digital asset (AIM Asset Information Model) on behalf of the client or building owner, and provide a mechanism to su pply updated information to the range of disparate applications being used during the lifecycle of the property.
Property Asset Management (PAM), Facilities Management (FM) and Building Information Modelling (BIM), are currently disconnected systems and processes. Common data is created, stored and maintained separately throughout the various lifecycle phases, creating uncertainty as to which is most relevant or up-to-date information and subsequently generates additional costs for unnecessary duplications and information gather-
Source: LivingBIMWhere new buildings have used a clearly defined information management process (like PAS1192-2) that delivers digital data at the end of construction, this provides a better platform for using and maintaining that information during operations phase (using PAS1192-3). The reality for most buildings, however, is that these processes were not used and the information is in varying states of disintegration. The focus of this paper is on such buildings, and how an asset information management strategy (like PAS1192-3) can be retrospectively applied.
This paper also considers how the use of cloud and mobile technologies can make Building Information accessible and help keep it up to date, so that this information can be leveraged and maintained, during the operational phase of buildings.
We envisage the ideal scenario where the Building Information remains active, useful and up-to-date in its digital format, during the buil ding's lifecycle, an d is recognised as an important and valued asset - as important as the physical property asset itself – a LivingBIM
When it comes to producing, managing, and exchanging building information, there is no doubt that BIM, as a process, is far more efficient than traditional 2D CAD processes, as you are only creating the information for every component in the building in one place (in the model), and only managing the information about the components in one place (in the model). The object -based model of building components, becomes the container or place-holder for all associated non-graphical data with links to associated documents.
op confidence in the integrity of the information, avoiding on-going, time consuming, and costly surveys, to establish the lat est true version of the required information.
Connecting a cloud-based BIM collaboration platform with cloud-based PM and FM data systems, would enable bi -directional links between the platforms and systems to connect, update, maintain and filter property information in the ongoing operational and management lifecycle of the property asset.
The ultimate goal of Asset Information management, is to have, at any time (at all times), a ccurate, up-to-date, digital (computable, searchable and accessible) building information (ready for use or ready for sale). The role of the LivingBIM, is to gather, collate, digitize, structure and verify information, to secure this status, and then maintain it in that state. The maintenance of the information a sset must become as critical as the maintenance of any physical asset itself.
Based on our experience and investigations, and discussions during and aft er the CITA 2014 Smart Collaboration Challenge, we acknowledge that the solution is not to attempt to develop a new piece of software that tries to do everything, for the following reasons:
There are existing systems that do certain aspects of information management very well, and there is no point in “reinventing the wheel”.
Multiple views of the model can be generated if required, but the usefulness of BIM is that you do not have to manually produce, and manually manage multiple separate 2D drawings and schedules, as you would in a traditional process. So the introduction of BIM will bring cost efficiencies and savings, particularly around keeping information up-to-date, as it is managed in one place
Managing construction, property asset and facilities information via a single Building Information Management (BIM) platform will further help to reduce costs associated with managing multiple documents over disparate unconnected systems, mitigate human error caused by duplication and record keeping of information, and devel-
Clients will probably have existing systems they are heavily invested in (both in cost and staff tr aining and experience) and are committed to using, for certain aspects of information management, and they are unlikely to want to change to a new system.
A new system that attempts to do ever ything for ever type of client and stakehol der in the building development and oper ation lifecycle, would be complicated, cu mbersome and expensive to develop.
The preferred solution is to develop a pla tform that allows different systems to integrate or connect, and keep information synchronized or linked across multiple existing systems with data duplication kept to an absolute minimum, rather than develop a new system. The initial stage would be to develop a platform, then we can look at d e-
veloping “connectors” or plug-ins for each individual 3rd party system we are asked to seek to connect to, on an “as required” basis (agile development), or recommend to clients to move over certain aspects of their building information management to systems we already integrate with.
Property Asset Management and Facilities Management are dependent on management, maintenance, occupational and operational information, from building construction and hand-over, throughout the lifecycle of the property asset. LivingBIM anticipate and seek to connect the disparate nature of stakeholder activities by reconciling all stakeholders' input and output throughout the lifecycle of property asset into a single platform that would collect, map, aggregate and filter data relevant to stakeholders.
Current practice for the production, management and exchange of Building Information, is highly inefficient because it is based on large volumes of paper-based documentation, static digital scans, and fragmented management systems which is cumbersome to search and access. In its current fragmented state, Building Information is difficult to access, query, update, maintain, an d the information quickly becomes outdated, redundant and unreliable, losing its usefulness and value to property owners and managing agents. The challenge is to turn this legacy issue into a positive whereby information as a whole is catalogued, searchabl e and easily accessed for research, reference and due diligence.
Information depreciation leads to further and significant costs, draining management and oper ational resources to access, gather, verify and maintain Building Information for ongoing business decision making purposes. The development of the digitised and collated information model with a sanitised information set enhances asset value and access to the information becomes a valuable operational tool for the variety of stakeholders.
Digitise and Visualise existing Building Information.
Create a live, web-based, bi-directional link between the BIM and Property/Facilities Management Systems as a platform to collect, structure, collate and manage Building Information.
Reduce duplication of effort, improve management efficiencies, access and accuracy of information and secure data ownership for property owners.
Leverage cloud and mobile technologies to deliver and capture information live in the field, during operations and management, which can be fed directly back into the BIM to help maintain an accurate record of the property information, available to stakeholders at any time.
PAS1192 -3
When attempting to apply PAS1192 -3 to an existing building, there are a number of things to consider:
a) Establishing and maintaining the Building Information records (securing a digital asset).
PAS1192-3, requires a defined “Information Management process” to be implement ed and maintained. The first step in gathering building information would be to establish the Organisations Information Requirements (OIR) and the Asset Information Requirements (AIR) in accordance with PAS1192-3 This will determine what information is required to be collected, and will provide a measure against which the existing information can be measured.
All existing information gathered and current information harvested, would be subject to Client ownership of the archived, legacy and current data. In return, stakeholders would be entitled to filter information from the aggregated digital information model in a secure and pre-qualified methodology
Source: BSi
b) Gather Existing information
First we have to try and gather all existing information from whatever disparate sources that
currently exist, into a centralized repository – ultimately a Common Data Environment (CDE) as described in PAS1192, but there may be a temporary holding place while data is checked, verified, correctly renamed and then en tered into the AIM (asset information model), using the approvals and authorization workflows set out in PAS1192.
Source: ArcDox
Once the strategy is in place, all subsequent maintenance task, fit-outs works, renovations, etc., will be required to gather and provide information in accordance with the strategy for that element of work. Over time, these individual projects will be contributing to the overall development of the Asset Information Model (AIM).
Next we have to carry out and “information gap analysis” against industry standards, to ascertain what is missing. Our core benchmark for measuring compliance would be the BS ISO 55000 (PAS55) international standard for Asset Management, which informs PAS1192-3.
We then need a strategy as to what is the best method to gather missing data. This could range from contacting original suppliers of information, to carrying our survey work. It could include determining a list of all the “product s & materials” used in the project, and contacting the relevant product manufacturers/suppliers to provide an industry standard Product Data Sheet (PDS) in digital format, for inclusion in the AIM. The strategy will be driven and determined by a specific information requirement to meet a specific need, and that may dictate that there is high urgency (for assets that are costing a lot to maintain), to low urgency (where information can be simply be capture/gathered as part of future activities ( such as fit-out, maintenance, or transaction, such as new tenant, sale etc.). An Organisation Information Strategy (OIR) as defined in PAS1192-3, will drive the information requirements for Asset Information Management (AIR’s) and for specific projects (e.g. fit-out etc.) this will feed into individual projects, through Employers Information Requirements (EIR’s) as per PAS1192-2.
The end result, is that no matter how poor the information asset is at the start of the process, it will now be continuing to grow and develop, in accordance with the strategy, (rather than contin uing to degrade and deplete, which is the status quo).
A key element of the LivingBIM concept is creating software “connections. As stated it is not the intention of LivingBIM to reinvent current applications, but rather to provide a facility to “connect” systems, to compare and validate the shared data sets across those systems. This aims to achieve two objectives:
To make sure the information being used across multiple systems is correct and r emain up-to-date.
To make sure key information that the building owners requires is secured outside of any proprietary system or short-term service provider.
Some modern software systems have an API (application programming interface) which is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for allowing one application to connect to another, for exchanging data, for building software applications. Where these API connections are facilitated across the internet (web services API), applications can maintain almost real-time connection to keep data cross-checked, verified, and synchronised (if a ppropriate). We would caution against machine-tomachine update of information where professional judgement is required, as the responsibility and liability of information must remain with the correct party.
Other older software, or closed systems do not provide this functionality, and may require manual connections, or manual data exports/imports to get information exchanged and synchronised.
LivingBIM will have to deal with all these “connection” types on a project-by-project basis, depending on the software application involved, but it is all technically possible.
The concept of the Asset Information Model (AIM) as described and envisaged in PAS1192-3, being the graphical data, non-graphical data, and related documents, hosted in a central repository, or Common Data Environment (CDE), with wor kflows that manage and contr ol the information that resides there, makes perfect sense, but if the people who need to access that information to carry out their daily tasks, cannot easily get to the information, or potentially make updates to the information, then the case for BIM bringing efficiencies will be quickly lost.
Providing appropriate and controlled access to the building information via cloud and mobile devices, will assist in making people’s jobs easier, quicker, but will also assist in making it easier to report inaccuracies or changes, and initiate tracked workflows, to keep information up-to-date, ver ified, and accurate.
The LivingBIM concept, as envisaged, will be dealing with vast amounts of data across many systems, which has to be processed, compared and validated. In developing the solution it will be i mportant to understand data formats, data capture, data mining, data analysis, data checking/validation, data visualisation, etc. Below are some considerations:
LivingBIM aims to secure relevant data and make this available to parties through cloud (pr ivate or public) services, so it is accessible. Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) are important. Security of data is an issue (and PAS1192-5 would be relevant). The location of data may be important to clients (i.e. Europe vs US etc.). Some clients may want to host the data themselves on different ser vers, and this needs to be taken into account.
Since the data in the data warehouse is going to be restructured from the original applications, and extracted from multiple formats, it is not necessarily dependant on their format. So a decision on what the best format would be going forward is important (future-proofing etc.).
This area remains to be researched and we will explore the difference between standard rel ational databases vs the application of graph databases, to see which is most flexible, particularly regarding search capabilities across vast amounts of data. A flexible database structur e would be important in the future. We must ensure that we are developing something that is scalable & adaptable, based on the most modern thinking in technology.
Security of data will be paramount to clients and research will include services that are already developed around that to incorporate into the solution. There are services and international stan dards, including government approved solutions.
Since we are developing an application at the cutting edge of technology adoption in a particular sector, it is very important that we research emerging standards and structures in order to predict in which directions those might move, and develop our system towards those or with the capability of easily adapting those (e.g. IFC, IFD, IDM, COBie, Uniclass etc.). Checking data submitted against these standards, and verifying data will be an important aspect of the system.
Source: LivingBIM
A key challenge to LivingBIM is to try and match or map data in one disparate 3rd party system, with the core data structure, or another system, where each uses a different data structure or
naming convention. A manual process of mapping table to table, column to column, would be very slow, cumbersome and prone to human error. Our plan is to develop algorithms that check and compare data and to do as much of the mapping as possible. While we may not be able to automate all of this, streamlined processes need to be consi dered. But key to this is making sure the mapping tables are based on an agreed industry standard like IFD (bsDD) and a common agreed classification of data (Uniclass).
This would be a key element of what LivingBIM could provide as an extended service (beyond just housing data). How can owners and organisations be sure their data is good? It needs to be checked against an agreed industry stan dard/benchmark, or some specific client/project requirements, or regulation etc.
To automate the checking, it will be necessary to have the criteria/rules codified, and have the project information in the same structure (using same code), so you can run a machine cross-check. Since LivingBIM is proposing to re-structure and codify data between the source application and the data warehouse (common structure), for many applications, it provides an opportunity to provide valuable data checking facilities/services.
Since the focus of this Living BIM study is on existing buildings, the focus is on developing skills, tools and processes that allow us to take existing information (in whatever format & cond ition), and quickly consume, process, assess that information, to provide a client with a gap analysis & strategy/roadmap to getting to a fully functional LivingBIM. The focus would be on using technology as much as possible to capture and process data (web forms, Excel imports, OCR etc.), existing data in the warehouse, and spreading the input load of additional information across multiple parties (each individual supplier, product provider etc.).
The value of data increases with its accuracy and completeness. LivingBIM will consider tools and algorisms that continually assess the data set to try and find non-compliant data, duplicates or bogus records, and flag these for review, so that there is a continuous effort to maintain the databases, and the value of the information.
The value of accurate, up-to-date, or even r eal-time information is that it should be able to pr ovide powerful “business intelligence” to drive significant improvements in costs. LivingBIM will investigate applications that will continually mon itor data and search for key indicators that drive business intelligence, based on pre-determined rules that will bring high-value to clients.
Once the digital asset has been secured, a key aspect to LivingBIM is to be able to present the vast amounts of data back to key business leaders and decision makers, in easy-to-use, easy-tounderstand, summarized views, reports and dashboards, which give clients access and visibility to their key data without requiring complicated software or training. Once we have gathered, aggr egated and structured the data from various systems in the data warehouse, this should be readily pr ovided, even across multiple buildings in a portfolio that are using different systems. A graphic design element will be required to ensure that the data is displayed in an intuitive and easy to understand, eye-pleasing way, without requiring manual user processing.
Data visualisation tools will help answer key high-level question for clients, for example:
How complete is the information set? (measured against an industry standard or benchmark)
How accurate is the information set? (has it been verified)
How much energy are my buildings using?
How much Embodied Carbon is there in my portfolio?
How many issues are outstanding?
What is the current performance of contractors?
Are we getting better or are we getting worse (month-by-month, week -by-week)?
Does my buildin g comply with regul ations?
Are there elements in my buildings that don’t meet our current company specifications or policies (health policies, green policies etc.)?
Source: LivingBIM
Development of a mobile app to provide general users, who have no software training, a ccess to the information, either through a view of the virtual model with links to the information, or from the information, with links to the virtual model
For existing buildings, what can potentially be a time consuming and costly exercise of gathering and verifying data between multiple service providers, can be greatly improved with modern CRM/ERP systems which automate messaging, and tracking of activities, to make sure people are providing the information required. This goes back to the previous point of spreading the information input workload across a number of parties, rather than just relying on one party. We want to incorp orate best use of technology to be sure that the activities of gathering information are automated as far as possible.
The LivingBIM team have taken the conceptual ideas arrived at last year at the CITA Smart Collaboration Challenge, liaised with clients and the market, investigated further what would be required to make this work in practice, and determined further research requirements, in order to establish the technical brief for development of a software solution to help manage building information for clients and building owners during the asset lifecycle. Our next steps include progressing our research and development funding endeavours, allowing us to reach proof of concept stage and a simple working model that will be utilised to engage with investors as we move on to the implementation and delivery phases.
E-mail: Paul.Smith@Bentley.com
Abstract:
"Beginning with the end in mind!" (PAS1192-2:2013)1
This is the premise of the UK Governments Level 2 BIM (PAS 1192-X) initiative for publicly funded projects in the United Kingdom.
The intent of the BS1192 initiative (the initial BIM - Building Information modelling - building block) was to provide a process or a framework for all of the parties involved with the provision of publicly funded projects to ensure that projects were delivered on-time and under budget against the historic baseline data. The process is designed to cover both the information processes and the Management processes and covers the project from inception to in use. The challenge facing the parties involved with these publicly funded projects is to ensure that the data that is created at the outset of the project is used during the operational phase of the asset within a Common Data Environment (CDE).
BIM or as Bentley Systems reflect it as B/IM, is a process that involves a methodology or a process that can be applied to any infrastructure asset project. The B in BIM can easily be replaced by R for Road or Rail, a U for utility etc. The IM reflects not just information modelling but also information management and information mobility. Mobility in this instance does not only refer to the ability of data to be viewed and acted upon in the field via the use of handheld devices but mobility in the sense that data is created once and is then repurposed over the life of the asset from a Project information Model (PIM) scenario to an Asset information Model (AIM) environment. How can the use of technology be used to enhance and facilitate information mobility over the lifecycle of an infrastructural asset?
If one considers the progression of B/IM on a X and Y axis with the X axis representing information mobility and the Y axis representing information modelling advancements, one could consider that B/IM is evolving from its' initial Level 1 focus on design modelling ( the ability to visualize design content and intent to prevent co-ordination errors in drawings and models) to BIM Level 2 where the use of design solutions to improve the mobility of data into the construction phase through improved information model simulation, resulting in an ability to achieve analytical modelling and construction modelling within a common data environment. The challenge then becomes how to progress B/IM to the operations of the infrastructure, whereby the infrastructure asset owner is able to leverage real time information associated with the asset to create asset performance models that enable predictive responses to the current status of the asset. The ability to extend a common platform to cover this element of PAS 1192 - X is critical to the success or failure of the current B/IM initiatives around the world. Research indicates that 18% of the total cost of an asset is associated with the design build phase. This
means that the other 80%+ is associated with the operations of the infrastructure asset The BSI BS-8536_1_July 2015 provides additional guidance to existing standards relating to projects for the delivery of assets/facilities according to defined operational requirements, including maintenance, and expected performance outcomes. Part 1 provides guidance for Building assets with Part 2 for Linear Assets due to follow.
Keywords Infrastructure; B/IM; Information Mobility, TOTEX; Asset Lifecycle; Technology;
For generations data that is essential to the successful operations of infrastructure assets has been discarded or left untapped due to a lack of understanding of its importance to the successful operation of the the infrastructure.
So what is infrastructure and why is data associted with infrastructure assets so important and why is it that it is only in the last twetnty years of so that greater focus has been placed on capturing this data ? In the Oxford English dictionary infrastructire is defined as follows:
“The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise:”
Source: OxfordDictionaries.com, 20152
Infrastrucure makes the world a better place for those in the world who experience the benefits of it, be it a roof over their heads,water infrastructure, electricity, roads, rail, bridges, telecoms etc.. Infrastructure or lack there of impacts upon all areas of our lives.
Research published by Bentley Systems based on 2013 data indicates that the top 500 Infrastructure owners manage some US$16.7 trillion in infrastructure assets.
The assets that are manged by the Top 500 in many instances began as a construction project some time in the past. What is not clear from the data is how many of these projects were impacted during construction by the provison of incorrect data, data being delayed or now that they are tangible assets have imperfect asset data sets that result in inefficient operations and/or maintenance.
The results when infrastructure assets fail can be dramatic and catastrophic. There are a number of high profile events such as the Piper Alpha disaster (Picture 1), the Deep water horizon leak, the I35 bridge collapse in the US as well as high profile building collapses around the world that stcik in people’s memory.
In addition to ensuring that infrastructure operates as intended it is also important in todays economic climate that assets are being managed efficiently and effectively and that the data that drives the operations and manintence decisions is accurate and up to date.
The efficient use of funds to maintain assets is brought into perspective by the IBEC submission to the Irish Government for the 2016 budget indicating that based on IBEC research between 90-95% of the governments capital budget will be consumed maintaining existing assets.
“By 2016 between 90% and 95% of capital expenditure will be on maintenance.”
Source: (O’Brien, Brady and Wrynn, 2015)5
It is the authors opinon that this should be classified as an operational budget rather than capital expenditure due to the fact that the funds are not being used to create any new tangible assets but rather the maintenance of an existing asset and there remains a question mark if the funds are realsing the best return on investment for the infrastructure owners.
“Beginning with the end in mind.” (PAS11922,2013)1
This short sentence may best encapsulate what the UK Governments BIM Task Group initiatives of the past decade or so is trying to achieve. What is being built? why is it being built? How will it be built, and how will it be maintained and by whom?
The inclusion of all stakeholders in the project from the outset – including the operations and maintenance organisation.
The applicable documents are BS1192:20076 which covers the collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information. PAS1192-2:20131 which provides for the specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. PAS11923:20147 Provides Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling BS 11924:20148 defines expectations for the exchange of information throughout the lifecycle of a Facility. The use of COBie (Construction Operations Building information exchange) ensures that information can be prepared and used without the need for knowledge of the sending and receiving applications or databases. It ensures that the information exchange can be reviewed and validated for compliance, continuity and completeness. While the latest addition to the PAS1192 family PAS1192-5:20159 provides specification for security minded building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management.
The use of the acronym BIM it can be argued has lead many to consder that Level 2 BIM only refers to Buildings but in actual fact the guidelines and requirements apply to all infrastructure assets that are funded by the UK Government e.g.road, rail and utility projects are also covered by the
guidelines and in fact this is stipulated in the PAS1192-2:2013 document.
BIM or as Bentley Systems reflect it as B/IM, (see Figure 2.) is a process that involves a methodology or a process that can be applied to any infrastructure asset project. The B in BIM can easily be replaced by R for Road or Rail, a U for utility etc. The IM reflects not just information modelling but also information management and information mobility. Mobility in this instance does not only refer to the ability of data to be viewed and acted upon in the field via the use of handheld devices but mobility in the sense that data is created once and is then repurposed over the life of the asset from a Project information Model (PIM) scenario to an Asset information Model (AIM) environment. How can the use of technology be used to enhance and facilitate information mobility over the lifecycle of an infrastructural asset?
If one considers the progression of B/IM on a X and Y axis with the X axis representing information mobility and the Y axis representing information modelling advancements, one could consider that B/IM is evolving from its' initial Level 1 focus on design modelling ( the ability to visualize design content and intent to prevent coordination errors in drawings and models) to BIM Level 2 where the use of design solutions to improve the mobility of data into the construction phase through improved information model simulation, resulting in an ability to achieve analytical modelling and construction modelling within a common data environment. The challenge then becomes how to progress B/IM to the operations of the infrastructure, whereby the infrastructure asset owner is able to leverage real time information associated with the asset to create asset performance models that enable predictive responses to the current status of the asset. Throughout the Lifecycle process technology is being used to capture the current state of an asset be it through laser scanning and pointcloud technologies or through digital photography where leading edge technology is now being leveraged to produce geospatially reference 3D models from digital photographs which can be taken with the camera embedded in the field workers smartphone or tablet Mounting the camera on a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) or drone expands the boundries of where this technology may be used.
Research indicates that 18% of the total cost of an asset or capital expenditure (CapEx) is associated with the design build phase. This means that the other 80%+ is associated with the operations of the infrastructure asset or (OpEx) This combination of CapEx and OpEx is often referred to as TotEx or total expenditure. The BSI BS-8536_1_July 2015 provides additional guidance to existing standards relating to projects for the delivery of assets/facilities according to defined operational requirements, including maintenance, and expected performance outcomes. Part 1 provides guidance for Building assets with Part 2 for Linear Assets due to follow.
While the UK Government initiative and activities in other juristictions focus on the improving the traditional construction industry, other industries who construct and maintain different types of infrastructre assets, due to either regulatory requirements or by industry specific specifications as they relate to the type of assets that they are constructing and managing e.g. ISO 55000 family standards which were developed from the PAS55 standard provide guidelines for asset management are already embracing or realisng the benefits of where the construction industry is journeying to. The Oil and Gas industry, utilities, pharmaceuticals industries are among the most regulated in the world and it is from these regulations that best practices and standards have been developed. These best practices and standards lead to efficiencies of effort and a common methodology acrosss the industries to ensure that they stay in compliance.
It is from looking at these indsutries and others such as manufacturing that the ability to successfully extend a common design environment (CDE) that embraces the intent behind the PAS 1192– X initiatives is critical to the success or failure of these ongoing B/IM initiatives around
the world. Why should the traditional infrastructiure industry of buildings and linear assets be so different to other infrastructure? I t should not and the BIM standards from BS1192:2007 through the PAS1192-X guidelines provide guidance on the use a Common Data Environment (CDE) for the data associated with the project. Figure 3 provides an insight into the Bentley Systems approach to this requirement.While Figure 4. represents the intention in another manner.
The key issue here however is that it is not about the software that is used but the processes. There are many in the constrcution industry who would consider that by using a specific solution they are BIM compliant. These companies tend to focus on the tip of the iceberg – Figure 5 – when the reality is that what is lurking beneath is critical to a successful implementation of B/IM.
Bentley’s approach to this industry issue is through their portfolio of interoperable solutions to achieve information mobility (Fig 2) across the lifecycle of the asset. The Bentley portfolio of solutions includes solutions for the design, construction and opeartions of an asset while supported by solutions that support infomration mobility to the field through the Bentley Navigator and various mobile applications for the most popular operating systems. The solutions are developed to facilitate the use of data through the asset lifecycle. The fact that the solutions are interoperable means that data does not end up a silo and unused following its handover for the project construction phase.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) defines interoperability as the:
Capability to communicate, execute programs, or transfer data among various functional units in a manner that requires the user to have little or no knowledge of the unique characteristics of those units.To put it in layman’s terms – “All of the software used on the project should work together,
and making it work together should be easy.” (Cleveland, 2013)13
For any project team the intention is to realise actual interactions among the technology systems that are being implemented for the project.
Leveraging correct data is crucial to the success of any projects. How organisations ensure that the data is accurate and is reused efficiently throughout the project lifecycle is key. When changes occur they must be captured accurately and efficiently. The systems must be established in a way that ensures that information, drawings and associated documents are properly updated and the correct versions are available to all team members regardless of their location. It is critical that any ripple effects of change are effectively managed and that increased visibility to the changes is ensured. This helps reduce risk, improve quality and safety, and minimize costs. “The key to effective change management is information. To successfully support change management, this information must be: • Comprehensive; • Accessible; • Accurate; • Timely; • Usable; • Structured; • Auditable; • Contextual (Cleveland, 2013)14
When the change management systems does not function as intended the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of impact of the environment the individuals and the environment.
A key challenge and one that only a few solutions can solve is how to bridge the gap between Information Technology systems, Operational technology systems and Engineering Technology. Figure 7 represents how the AssetWise solution from Bentley addresses this challenge.
The technology successfully bridges IT/OT gap while ensuring that the engineering data from the design and construction phases is updated as required so that it always represents the current status of the asset. The solution has many interfaces to collect structured and unstructured
data, data that is real-time or right-time, daily uploads etc. The solution can access and leverage data from SAP, Pi, Oracle systems etc Once data is captured, set up analytical models via templates that can be used time and time again. Any changes in the templates will automatically update (replicate) across all existing models from the template. Different level of capability within the solution provide data capture, calculation, analytical & visualization. This ensures that the original design intent data in the engineering technology tools is kept current and decisions related to this data are based on the most up to date information. Historically for typical non BIM/PAS 1192 projects this original data was left unused.
The referenced case studies demonstrate how through the adoption of technology organisations in different industries are achieving significant benefits from their assets from the design phase through to operations and that information is being updated on a predetermined basis to ensure that the right decisions are being made at the right time. It could be inferred that by the absence of the traditional Building and linear asset type of infrastructure from these case studies that these industries are lagging behind in the adoption of technology. The PAS1192 initiative in the UK could be argued to be attempting to normalise these processes across all infrastructure assets The case studies chosen are used to demonstrate that it is possible to join the design intent with the operational requirements of the infrastructure through the creation and reuse of data over the lifecycle of the assets.
South Australia Water Saves AUD 3 Million in Energy Costs Alone (Smith, 2015)16
For this project AssetWise provided invaluable forecast data to the water authority regarding projected water usage and required movements
Project Summary
Organization: South Australia Water
Solution: Water Utilities
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Project Objective:
Predict demand and optimization of water across the network
Improve analytical and decision-making capabilities regarding new infrastructure and reduce operational costs
Background to the project:
The Adelaide area is comprised of sixteen water supply zones, six major water treatment plants, and nine reservoirs
There are 26,000 kilometres of water mains in the State; 8,900 kilometres of which are in metropolitan Adelaide
A 25-year historical database of weather was used to predict long term planning
The ROI was provided through an ability to predict short-term hourly and daily demand levels and long-term capital planning in seconds
This newly acquired ability saved AUD 3 million in energy costs in the 2013-2014 financial year
A further AUD 400,000 was saved in network expenditure over the subsequent six months
Incident response times were reduced by 90 percent – from 4-6 hours to an average of 30 minutes.
The ability to combine real time reliable asset associated data combined with technology that provides prescriptive outputs to the operators is a key to the success of this project.
Case Study 2
Eastman deploys ProjectWise to drive collaboration, greater efficiency and cost savings (Aeccafe.com, 2015)17
Eastman Chemical Company
Project Summary
Location: Kingsport, Tennessee, United States
Project Objective:
• The objective was to deploy a new system to enable secure, global sharing of engineering information• Integrate the system with Eastman’s existing record drawing change process (RDCP) software, SharePoint sites, and workflows• Use the system to increase efficiency, lower costs, boost security, and enhance collaboration internally and externally
• Minimize risk and ensure data integrity for Eastman and its stakeholders
Fast Facts
• Technology Solution accepts numerous file types, supports interoperability across software platforms
and enables live linkages with Eastman’s external applications and processes. • The solution has already been deployed across 13 sites and is used to manage 4 million project files.• The solution is being used for a wide range of projects – from small management-of-change projects to multimillion dollar capital projects around the globe.
Case Study 3
Optioneering helps Mid Coast Water Transform Gloucester (Bentley.com/Case studies, 2015)18
Optioneering is the use of technology to run numerous “what if” scenarios based on numerous variables associated with the asset to enable the best solution to be chosen to meet the desired requirements regarding the operations of the asset while the asset was still in the design phase.
Client: MidCoast Water
Solution: Water and Wastewater
Location: Gloucester, New South Wales, Australia
Project Objective: Design and construct an improved water system for Gloucester that primarily meets levels of service and ensures that residents experience adequate, reliable water pressure and secondly has lower operations and maintenance costs than the existing system.
Fast Facts:• Gloucester residents were experiencing pressure fluctuations and the water supply system relied entirely on booster pumps. • MidCoast Water assessed over 100 what-if scenarios in WaterGEMS to optioneer a solution.
• The optimal selected solution will increase service levels, while decommissioning most of the pumps and reducing operations and maintenance costs.
ROI • Capital investments: The selected optimal solution has the lowest net present value (at 4 percent) over 50 years.
• Operations and maintenance costs: Annual costs will bereduced by over 75 percent.
The research has examined how technology can be used to enhance and facilitate Information Mobility over the lifecycle of Infrastructure Assets by providing the right information, at the right time, in a usable format into the hands of the right person. The South Australia case study references is an example of where response times to incidents have been reduced from hours to minutes due to the ability to accurately pin point the issues
The level of integration across the various industrial sectors varies from industry sector to
industry sector. Those Industries that have been regulated or have had long established standards appear to be ahead in adopting some of the newer technologies. The Eastman Chemical Case Study indicates how even organisations with existing systems are looking to transition their systems tore efficient and effective systems through the application of new technology. However, the other industry sectors are closing the gap and the PAS1192 standards are facilitating these practices in the traditional construction industry in the UK and further afield by guiding towards the adoption of a CDE for projects. However, technology in and of itself will not drive change and a fully integrated future may only be realised when the clients are educated and request that the design information related to their infrastructure projects be delivered in a manner that can incorporated into their operations and maintenance systems. These systems in turn are linked to real or regularly scheduled time events associated with the asset to enable prescriptive responses to be assigned. Any subsequent changes that result from the activity are then captured to reflect the ”live” status of the asset. This in turn can lead to optimised designs and construction of infrastructure assets and ensures that the data is created once and then repurposed and updated as often as required over the life cycle of the asset.
[1] PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. (2013). 2nd ed. London: British Standards Institute.
[2] Oxforddictionaries.com, (2015). infrastructure - definition of infrastructure in English from the Oxford dictionary. [online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition /english/infrastructure [Accessed 5 Aug. 2015].
[3] Bentley.com, (2015). Bentley Infrastructure 500 Top Owners. [online] Available at: http://www.bentley.com/enUS/Engineering+Architecture+Construction+ Software+Resources/Bentley+Software+Publ ications/Top+Infrastructure+Owners/ [Accessed 1 Jul. 2015].
[4] Macalister, T. (2013). Piper Alpha disaster: how 167 oil rig workers died. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/ju l/04/piper-alpha-disaster-167-oil-rig [Accessed 5 Aug. 2015].
[5] O'Brien, F., Brady, G. and Wrynn, A. (2015). Budget 2016 Invest Ambitiously. [online] IBEC. Available at: http://www.ibec.ie/IBEC/Press/PressPublicati onsdoclib3.nsf/vPages/Newsroom~additional -E1-billion-for-investment-needed-in-budget10-07-2015/$file/Ibec+Budget+2016.pdf
[Accessed 29 Jul. 2015].
[6] BS1192 :2007: Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information - Code of practice. (2007). 3rd ed. London: BSI Publications.PAS11923:2014 Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling. (2014). 2nd ed. London: British Standards Institute.
[7] PAS1192-3:2014 Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling. (2014). 2nd ed. London: British Standards Institute.
[8] PAS 1192-4: 2014 Collaborative Production of Information. (2014). BSI Standards Publication.
[9] PAS 1192-5:2015 Specification for securityminded building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management. (2015). BSI Publications.
[10] Bentleyannualreport-digital.com, (2015). Bentley Annual Report - Annual Report 2014. [online] Available at: http://www.bentleyannualreportdigital.com/bentleyannualreport/annual_repor t_2014 [Accessed 20 Jun. 2015].
[11] Glanville, N. (2015). Technology Considerations for BIM.
[12] Cleveland, A. (2013). Interoperability Platform. [online] Bentley.com White Papers. Available at: http://ftp://ftp2.bentley.com/dist/collateral/We b/Platform/WP_Interop_Platform.pdf
[Accessed 6 Jun. 2015].
[13] Cleveland, A. (2013). Managing and Leveraging Change in Infrastructure Assets. [online] Bentley.com. Available at: http://ftp2.bentley.com/dist/collateral/docs/ass etwise/wp_managing-and-leveraging-changein-infrastructure-assets_cleveland.pdf
[Accessed 1 Aug. 2015].
[14] Cleveland, A. (2013). Sustaining Infrastructure. [online] www.Bentley.com. Available at: http://ftp2.bentley.com/dist/collateral/whitepa
per/Whitepaper_Sustaining_Infrastructure_en g.pdf [Accessed 24 Jul. 2015].
[15] Biagi, M. and Parsons, S. (2015). AssetWise Amulet Connection Event.
[16] Smith, A. (2015). Bentley Rail DayAssetWise.
[17] Aeccafe.com, (2015). Eastman deploys ProjectWise to drive Collaboration, greater effciency and Cost Savings. [online] Available at: http://www10.aeccafe.com/link/EastmanDeploys-ProjectWise®-DriveCollaboration-Greater-Efficiency-CostSavings/45126/link_download/No/Eastman_ CaseStudy.pdf [Accessed 12 Aug. 2015].
[18] Bentley.com/Case Studies, (2015). Optioneering Helps MidCoast Water Transform Gloucester. [online] Available at: http://ftp2.bentley.com/dist/collateral/docs/ca se_studies/cs_MidCoastWater_AU_EN_A4_ S.pdf [Accessed 5 Jun. 2015].
a School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
b School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
E-mail: 1 yang.zou@liverpool.ac.uk 2stephen. jones@liverpool.ac.uk
3a.kiviniemi@liverpool.ac.uk
Abstract Risk manage ment is becoming increasingly important in the Architecture , Engineeri ng, Construction (AEC) industry for mini mising the possibility of occurrence of hazards, improving safety and quality, and achieving project goals within planned budget and cost targets. Though so me techniques have been developed t o assist t his work, it is reported that currently risk manage me nt is still an experience based manual undertaking which is reliant on multidisc iplinary knowledge, and capturing frag mented infor mati on fro m various participants correctly for solving risk proble ms i n time is challenging. In this process, Knowledge Management (KM ) could play an essential role to facilitate risk infor mation stored in a proper structure , and communicated and reused effect ively. As an e mer ging tool within the AEC industry, B uilding Infor mation M odelling (B IM) not only is a digital repre sentation of physical and functional characteristics of a building but can also establish a repository of shared knowledge for ming a reliabl e basis for decision ma king. Theref ore, there is a pressing need to integrate KM and B IM to suppo rt risk manage ment throughout the lifecycle of a project; however, only limited research has been carried out in this area. This paper firstly e xplore s the fea sibility and potential of developing a B IM and Knowledge Based Risk M anage ment Syste m (BKRM S). It then presents a concept ual model of the BKRM S and discusse s the related technical soluti ons. Finally, re comme ndations for future research directions in this area are for mulated.
Keywords BIM (Buildin g In for mation Modellin g), KM (Kn owledge Management), Risk Management .
Over th e last fe w d ecades, th e AEC industr y ha s exper ien ced globall y fast gr owth to keep pace with develop men t of human soci et y: large projects ar e bein g in vested an d built, n ew ma ter ials and construction meth ods ar e bein g adopted, an d n ew design an d project deliver y approach es ar e bein g in tr oduced Th ough shar in g some common fea tur es, each con struction project h as its unique ch aracter istics and differ en t en vir onment and weath er con dition s Pr oject par ticipan ts fr om differ ent disciplin es n eed to collabor ate with each oth er an d deplo y th eir exper ien ce and kn owledge to build a successful project. Failur e to manage risks in th e project and pr oduct life cycle ma y cause e ffects such as time and cost overruns, in juries or deaths, an d structural damage or collapse. For example, because of design deficien c y an d in exper ien ced construction managemen t, Quebec Br idge collapsed
durin g constr uction in 1907 r esultin g in death s of 75 wor ker s [1]
It is becomin g in cr easin gly impor tant to manage both for eseeable an d un for eseeable r isks at an ear ly stage befor e an y h azards actually occur Ho we ver, tradition al r isk management meth ods ar e con fin ed to be static an d only play a limited role in th e r eal wor kplace [2] To over come th is gap, some techn ologies such as Kn owled ge Management (KM) an d Building In for mation Modellin g (BIM) have been devel oped as solution s for man agin g r isks. Con ceptually, KM could impr ove th e access t o, commun ication and th e r euse of r isk in for mation b y managin g data in a pr oper structur e [3], and BIM can h elp ear ly iden tification of both for eseeable an d un for eseeable r isks an d facilitate risk commun ication by quickl y establish in g 3D in for mation models of a pr oject an d accuratel y for ecasting an d visualising its con struction , managemen t, and maintenan ce in th e comp uter
based virtual en vir on ment [4] It h as been obser ved th at n owada ys th er e ar e some e ffor ts to in tegr ate KM and BIM for risk managemen t.
This paper fir stly explor es th e fea sibility an d poten tial to in tegr ate KM and BIM for managin g r isks b y r eviewin g th e curr en t challenges in gen eral r isk mana gemen t meth ods, an d developmen t of KM an d BIM for r isk management Th en a n ew approach for combin in g BIM an d Kn owledge Based Risk Man agement System (BKRMS) to suppor t pr oject lifec ycle r isk management is pr esented. Both con ceptual models an d technica l solution s for developin g this system ar e discussed Fin ally pr actical implication s of implemen tin g BKRMS a n d r ecommen dation s for futur e r esear ch ar e h igh lighted
II DEVELOPMENT OF R ISK MANAG E ME N T
Risks ar e widel y pr esen t dur ing th e lifecycle of a pr oject an d failur e to manage th em ma y lead to some un acceptable or even catastr oph ic r esults such a s cost an d time overrun, in jur ies or death, and str uctur al da mage or collapse. Risk management in cludes a ser ies of processes appl yin g logical and syst ema tic approach es for mitigatin g again st risks an d facilitatin g improved communication [5]. Alth ough th er e ar e man y differ en ces a mong differ ent stan dards an d specification s of r isk managemen t, e g PMI [6] and ISO [5], th ey d escr ibe th at a gen er al risk managemen t process sh ould at least con tain th e followin g sub-processes: r isk commun ication and con sultation , r isk iden tification, r isk analysis, ri sk evaluation, r isk treatmen t, and risk monitor an d r eview. T h e logical sequen ce of th e gen er al risk management process is sh own in Fig 1
tradition al techniques [11], ar e h eavil y r eliant on multi-disciplinar y kn owledge an d exper ien ce, and on ly pla y limited roles in r eal wor kplaces [2]. A sign ificant problem is th at th e commun ication of r isk in for mation ten ds to be poor, in complete an d in con sisten t an d captur ing fr agmented in for ma tion an d kn owledge fr om var ious exper ts corr ectl y for solvin g r isk probl ems in time is challengin g [12].
Ho we ver, th e actual wor k is complex an d in most ca ses ca nn ot be simp ly r epr esen ted by th e ideal process People n eed to make a quick decision with in a limited time on wh at th e specific wor k is n eeded for managing a risk and th e di ffer en t subprocesses th at ma y be applied in parallel [7] Some techniques ha ve been develop ed to h elp to iden tify, an al yse, an d treat risks, such as ch ecklists [8], decision trees [9] an d n eur al n etwor ks (NN) [10]. Ho we ver, th ese meth ods ar e still static an d
Numerous st udies [2, 13, 14] h ave poin ted out th at kn owled ge an d experien ce mana gemen t ar e fr agmen ted and in sufficien t in tradition al r isk managemen t. An impor tan t key to success for managin g r isks is to fin d out corr ect in for mation fr om exper ien ced per sonn el with in a limited time. In addition, th e per son in ch arge must make sur e th e ‘in min d’ in for mation is th e corr ect solution to th e poten tial r isks, and can be un der stood clear l y b y oth er s Ho wever, all AEC pr ojects start with plannin g and design followed by th e constr uction stage lasting for mon ths or year s, an d even tually th e pr oject will come in to th e op er ation phase that ma y last for decades befor e demolition Th e wh ole process is d yn amic and n ew problems a n d ch allenges appear ever y da y This ma y r esult in some r isks cann ot be iden tified an d treated proper ly in time. For instan ce, con struction progr ess meetin gs ar e cr ucial in th e constr uction stage and provide a n opp or tunity for ar ch itect, engin eer, clien t, con tractor, an d oth er pr oject par ticipants to discuss an d commun icate an y probl ems or r isks that ma y in fluen ce th e project goals. Sen ior exper ts ar e r egular ly in vited to atten d th ese meetin gs an d discuss an y poten tial risks r elated to th e pr oject with th e con str uction tea m. Th e constr uction team h opes to obtain valuable exper ts’ kn owledge an d exper ien ce through such meetin gs to manage poten tial risks. Ho wever, th e challenges ar e: 1) th e exper ts’ ‘in min d’ th ough ts ar e sometimes difficult to captur e with in a limited time; 2 ) th e captur ed in for mation migh t n ot be corr ect ; 3) th e in for mation can be poor ly commun ica ted in th e meetin g and n ot well un der stood pr oper ly by oth er s; an d 4) th e construction tea m ma y n ot ch an ge their sch edules an d execution if in for mation provided by exper ts ar e r egarded to be in corr ect or unr easonable. In addition , th e process of an y AEC project is d yn amic an d n ew exper ien ce an d lesson s come out n ear ly e ver y da y. Consequently, successful r isk managemen t r equir es a quick evaluation of th e r igh t in for mat ion through a ‘brain st or m’ sessi on
Kn owledge management (KM) is a process of capturin g, developing, shar in g and effectivel y usin g multi-disciplinar y kn owled ge an d experien ce [15] In th e AEC ind ustr y, valuable kn owled ge and
exper ien ce gain ed fr om pr evious projects an d academic studies could con tribute sign ificantly to managin g risks for futur e pr ojects. Effective managemen t of such an en or mous database of h uman kn owledge an d experien ce, an d th e flexible an d accurate extraction of data become a pr econ dition for success of r isk managemen t. It is cr ucially impor tant to mana ge, use and commun icate th is data effecti vel y dur in g th e life c ycle of a project. In th is process, KM can facilitate risk in for mation stor ed in a pr oper structur e, commun icated an d r eused effectivel y. Some existin g studies have r ecogn ized this idea an d adopted KM for mana gin g pr oject r isks For example, th e con cept of KM was applied into developmen t of a r isk mana gemen t fr amewor k b y Tah an d Car r [16] for descr ibin g pr ojects usin g a common lan gua ge based on hierar ch ical -risk br eakdown structur e and mana gin g th e r isk r epositor y based on database techn olog y Similar ly, Sh ar mak, et al. [7] pr oposed a con figur able kn owledge based r isk managemen t process model an d integr ated it in to th e pr oject lifec ycle r isk management process. To mana ge per sonn el sa fet y r isks at design stage, Cooke, et al. [17] implemented th e th eor y of KM to d evelop a web based decision supp or t pr ogr am named ToolSHeD. Th e cor e pr in ciple beh in d ToolSHeD is to pr oper ly str uctur e safet y r isk kn owledge obtain ed fr om n ational guidelin es, industr y stan dards an d oth er in for mation sour ces, and employ th e kn owled ge for assessin g sa fet y r isks for complicated buildin gs.
BIM h as been highligh ted in th e AEC ind ustr y over th e last year s and can be used as a syst ematic risk managemen t tool to supp or t th e develop ment process of a pr oject. It can n ot on ly provide n ew 3D comp uter-aided design (CAD) platfor ms and managemen t meth ods [4], but also facilita te sign ificantly communication and colla bor ation for both with in and bet ween organisation s [18]. Besides, BIM h as th e poten tial to implement th e con cept of ‘ear ly r isk iden tifica tion and pr even tion ’ by visualisin g, analysin g an d managin g building lifec ycle in for mation in comp uter based virtual envir onmen t befor e actual con struction [19].
In order to take full advantages of both BIM and KM, th er e is a pr essin g n eed to integr ate th e two techn iques for risk managemen t. Ho we ver, ver y limited r esear ch has been foun d in this ar ea For exa mple, Desh pande, et al. [20] pr esented a fr amewor k to classify an d manage kn owledge an d
proposed a n ew approach to capt urin g, extracting, an d stor in g data an d kn owledge in buildin g in for mation models. To strength en its pr actical application and facilitate th e commun ication and r euse of con str uction kn owledge, Ho, et al. [21] develop ed a BIM based Kn owledge Sh arin g Man agement (BIMKSM) system to en able manager s an d engin eer s sh ar e an d manage con str uction kn owled ge an d experien ce in th e BIM envir onment an d obtain feedback provided by jobsite en gin eer s for futur e r efer en ce To mitigate again st constr uction per sonn el sa fet y r isks at design stage, Qi, et al. [22] develop ed a dictionar y and a constraint model to stor e constr uction wor ker suggestion s an d th e for malised suggestion s r espectivel y Th en r ule ch eckin g soft war e can be implemented to ch eck construction wor ker sa fet y in BIM, which provides an approach to optimisin g th e dra wings an d elimin atin g con struction site hazards at an ear ly stage. Similar ly, Motamedi, et al. [23] in tegrated th e use of KM an d BIM to investigate an approach for detectin g failur e root-cause wh ich could h elp facility managemen t (FM) techn ician s identify a n d solve problems fr om th eir cogn itive an d per ceptual r eason ing Integr ated with BIM, a Computer ised Main ten an ce Managemen t System ( CMMS) wa s develop ed to stor e inspection and maintenan ce data.
Th e main prin ciples of th e existin g studies establish ed that: 1) KM can effectivel y extract an d manage fra gmented exper t based kn owled ge an d exper ien ce, an d facilitate data stor ed in a proper str uctur e, communicated an d r eused; 2) BIM is consider ed as th e pr imar y data r epositor y for shar ed knowled ge for min g a r eliable basis for decision makin g; and 3) th e visualisation capabilities of BIM could h elp technician s or decision ma ker s to implemen t th e con cept of ‘ear ly r isk identification an d prev en tio n’ a n d r efin e th e plan
Ho we ver, on e or mor e of th e followin g gap s ar e still existin g in curr en t effor ts: 1) n o th eor y to suppor t th e integr ation of KM an d BIM for managin g multi -disciplinar y kn owled ge for risk managemen t; 2) lack of a th eor y alignin g BIM with gen er al risk management meth ods to suppor t th e develop men t process of a pr oject; an d 3) lack of a stan dar d an d colour sch eme for suppor tin g visualisin g r isk in BIM.
IV TOWARDS A BIM AND KNO WLE D G E
BASED RISK MANAGEMENT S Y S TE M (BKRMS)
To over come th ese problems, th is r esear ch is proposin g to use a kn owled ge based appr oach for developin g a BIM an d Kn owledge based Risk Man agement Syst em (BKRMS). Th e system takes
advan tages of a str uctur ed dyn amic r isk database an d an active lin k bet ween th e database an d building in for mation model to in tegr ate KM and BIM.
This idea wa s motivated by pr evi ous r esear ch con ducted by Ki vin iemi [2 4] for mana ging user r equir ements dur ing th e life c ycle of a project by establish ing an active lin k bet ween r equir emen ts models an d building product models Kivin iemi [24] successfull y illustrated that user r equir ement in for mation can be divided into differ en t levels an d lin ked with building in for ma tion models. Similar ly, for th is r esear ch risk in for mation can also be lin ked to buildin g in for mation models to supp or t th e develop men t process of a project. Howe ver, th er e is curr en tly n o th eor y or softwar e to suppor t this solution . Th er efor e th e objectives o f th is wor k ar e as follo ws:
1) Develop a kn owledge based r isk model th at stor es r isk in for mation and cases in a proper str uctur e; 2) Develop a meth odol og y th at can establish th e r elation between a kn owled ge based r isk model with BIM; and
3) Develop a tool based on existin g BIM soft war e to imp lement an d validate th e proposed meth odolog y through a selected case stud y
Th e over all solution is pr esen ted in Fig. 2. BIM n ot on ly is a digital r epr esentation of ph ysical an d fun ctional char acteristics of a building but can also establish a r epositor y of sh ar ed kn owled ge for min g a r eliable basis for decision making Through buildin g an d mana ging 3D/4D in for mation models in a comp uter based virtual envir on ment befor e r eal construction, BIM could improve r isk in for ma tion extraction and facilitate th e per for man ce of r isk identification and communication In th is process, KM could play an essen t ial role to facilitate risk in for mation stor ed in a proper structur e, commun icated an d r eused effectivel y I n this r esear ch, risk in for ma tion r elated to a construction pr oject can be summar ised through pr evious cases, kn owled ge an d exper ien ce into a r isk model. Th e r isk model can be linked to a buildin g in for mation model (BIM) to gen erate a BIM an d kn owled ge based system to suppor t syst ematic risk management in th e lifecycle of a project.
Risks ar e h igh ly r elated to th e speci fic t ype of pr ojects To limit th e scope of this wor k, it has been focused on br idge engin eer ing. As literatur e targetin g at br idge risks is ver y limited but most construction projects sh ar e a large number of common risks [25], th e collection of r isk sour ces for th is r esear ch can be ext ended to all t ypes o f construction projects.
Th e pr oposed fr amewor k of BKRMS is illustrated in Fig 3 and consists of two main mod ules: th e BIM Module an d th e Risk Module wh er e th e two modules ar e lin ked in telligently to each oth er. In th e BIM Module, design , envir onmen tal and oth er gen eral pr oject in for mation can be captur ed fir stly to g en erate a 3D buildin g in for mation model (BIM) Th e secon d step is to collect an d analyse th e con str uction in for mation , sch edule an d wor k br eakdown tasks, which can be conn ected with th e 3D BIM to gen erate a 4D BIM. Th e Risk Module provides a user inter face for managin g any updates an d changes of identified r isk in BIM and will h elp captur e an d r etr ieve fr om two databases th e in for mation of r isk that ma y a ffect th e pr oject dur in g its life c ycle. An in itial set of r isk data can be gen erated from academic studies, in dustrial pr actices an d existing documentation an d hierar chies wh ich ar e stor ed in th e kn owledge based r isk database. An oth er database called th e ca se based r eason ing libr ar y ( CBRL) is a collection o f both successful an d un successful cases tha t can provide r isk man agemen t kn owled ge about pr oject cases for an alysin g th e ongoing project an d h elping decision maker s in vestiga te possible solution s Th e CBRL is able to r etain an d update n ew cases fr om th e BIM Module. Risk in for mation will be visua lised in th e 3D/4D BIM that en ables iden tification, commun ication , and th e managemen t of r isks at an ear ly stage.
To validate this proposed meth odol og y, a tool will be develop ed an d tested through a selected case stud y Th e technical application of BKRMS is based on Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Na viswor ks, Microsoft Visual Studio an d Microsoft Access Revit is BIM based d esign an d modelling softwar e wh ich allows user s to design a buildin g and its compon en ts in a 3D envir onment and provides th e access to buildin g in for mation fr om th e building model’s database. Th e Revit mod el can be fur th er devel oped in Naviswor ks for ach ieving 4D fun ction s such as constr uction plannin g an d simulation , and r eal -time n avigation. Access is a database mana gement system an d will be used to stor e, shar e an d communicate r isk in for mation an d r isk cases Takin g advantage of th e Application Progra m Inter fa ce (API) provided b y Revit and Naviswor ks, a user inter face of BKRMS can be d evelop ed in Microsoft Visual Studio an d embedd ed in to Revit an d Naviswor ks a s a plug-in to lin k th e BIM module an d th e Risk Module to manage kn owled ge an d ca ses stor ed in Access databases B y implemen tin g th e system, th e Risk Module provides a data base to h elp risk identification In addition, r isks can also be visualised, displa yed an d managed in a 3D/4D BIM envir onmen t to suppor t th e pr oject life c ycle. An active ‘lin k’ bet ween th e BI M an d Risk Modules would gr eatly ben efit th e efficien c y an d productivit y of project r isk management.
Successfull y ma nagin g risks in AE C pr ojects is cr ucial. Ho wever, th e curr en t meth ods wh ich ar e heavily r eliant on multi -disciplinar y kn owled ge and exper ien ce on l y pla y a limited role in a r eal envir onmen t. A sign ificant pr oblem is th at th e commun ication of r isk in for mation ten ds to be poor, in complete and in con sisten t. Also captur ing fr agmen ted in for mation and kn owledge fr om various exper ts corr ectl y an d in a timely mann er can be ch allengin g Kn owledge an d exper ien ce managemen t ar e fr agmented an d insufficien t in tradition al meth ods In r ecen t year s, KM and BIM have been devel oped as solutions for in for mation managemen t and demonstrated by some r esear ch er s to have th e poten tial to over come th e obser ved problems in r isk mana gement. To take full advan tages of both techn iques, th er e ar e some e ffor ts to integr ate th e KM with BIM to suppor t life cycle pr oject risk management.
This paper is part of an ongoing r esear ch pr oject to devel op a BIM an d Kn owledge based Risk Man agement Syst em (BKRMS). A con ceptual model of th e BKRMS h a s been devel oped in this paper wh ich takes advantage of str uctur ed d yn amic risk databases an d an active lin k between th e databases
an d building in for mation mod el to in tegr ate KM an d BIM. Th e cor e pr in ciple of th e proposed meth od is th at r isk kn owled ge develop ed from existin g documen tation, publish ed liter atur e an d industrial pr actices can be stor ed in kn owledge based databases an d linked to 3D/4D BIM to suppor t th e r isk management dur in g th e d yna mic process o f a pr oject’s life c ycle. T hrough visua lisin g and managin g r isks in BIM, hazardous wor k can be identified, an alysed, commun icated an d pr even ted at an ear ly stage. Th e n ext stage of th is r esear ch will focus on : 1) to establish th e r isk database b y d etailed an alysis of th e p ublish ed literatur e, industrial documen tation an d acciden tal r epor ts con cern ing construction r isks; 2) to collect an d analyse in dustrial r isk managemen t ca ses to develop th e case based r eason in g libr ar y; 3) to fur th er analyse th e in for mation stor ed in th e r isk database an d case based r eason in g librar y an d stor e th e data in a proper str uctur e, and ‘lin k’ risk data to differ en t level s of BIM (i.e. pr oject level, str uctural level, per sonn el level, site level, and object level); an d 4) to develop a tool based on existin g BIM soft war e and validate th e proposed meth odol og y through a selected case stud y.
Inter estin g r esear ch topics in th e n ear futur e ma y in clude: 1) to fur th er develop th e kn owled ge based r isk database and expan d th e cased based r eason ing librar y, especiall y for specific t yp e of pr ojects; and 2) to va lidate th e BKRMS in both simple and complica ted construction projects an d investigate imp lemen tation appr oach es an d exper ien ce Lon g-ter m r esear ch topics ma y focus on improvin g th e automation and in telligen ce of BKRMS, such as interpr eting th e r isk kn owledge to be automated or semi -automated machin e r eadable r ules; or integr ating th e proposed syst em with oth er digital techniques such as sen sin g an d trackin g techn ologies to esta blish a r eal-time r isk managemen t en vir onment.
This r esear ch is fun ded b y Un iver sity o f Li verpool an d China Sch olar ship Coun cil (CSC) (Gran t Number : 201408500090)
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Pro
fessor Dav id Jellings Managing Director Solibri UK Ltd - Board Member buildingSMART - Visiting Prof esso r BCUE-ma il:
david. je lling s @so libr i.co mThere is a saying often applied to the design and build process in construction:
Would you ever fly in an aeroplane designed by the construction industry?
Somewhat cynical perhaps, but it highlights an important, yet often unspok en problem – that construction cannot rely on current methods to get it right first time. This is accepted, but why should that be?
There are numerous reasons why the quality of industry processes is questionable. B ut, most originate from the traditional way construction think s and in particular, its approach to trust and sharing.
B asically, if project partners do not trust each other, then they are unwilling to share data. The result is incomplete or incorrect information, which in turn compromises q uality.
Persuading some one to get on that plane necessitates tak ing two steps:
Step 1 – a ‘cultural thing’ . The mind-set has to be changed to one that promotes open c ollaboration and communication – essentially this process is B IM. Once this concept is embraced, there is a chance to improve the way the industry work s and aspire to getting it right first time.
Step 2 –‘identifying and applying the correct process and technology, to guarantee the integrity of the data being created, as part of the process’. B IM provides an environment in which more data than ever before is created – if the ‘quality’ of that data is not controlled, then the original problem could be exacerbated, rather than resolved. In this case, B IM can never deliver on its promise.
This paper addresses the issues succinctly and without the use of unnecessary jargon. The UK government B IM mandate has done much to drive things forward and as a result it can be argued that the UK has taken a global lead in B IM.
Consideration is given to how the sector has reached it current position and detail is given of what needs to be done to change thinking. It shows how traditional methods can be transformed into the integrated and collaborative process, essential for successful B IM implementation.
Ideas are presented as to how analysis and interrogation of model data (such as geometric, component, performance), using current technologies, will transform it into reliable information (constr uctability, compliance, H&S etc ). This in turn, will mitigate risk and improve efficiency throughout the design and build life-cycle.
The paper concludes with the premise that data integrity is a fundamental requisite. Q uality Assurance of data has to be confirmed before it is integrated into the core work flow. Q uality Assurance is not optional –without it B IM loses its power to transform construction globally.
The author has been a consultant in change management and integrated process for over 30 years He has work ed with some of largest names in construction, both in the UK and overseas. He is currently Managing Director of Solibri UK and work s with government led groups promoting the B IM agenda
BIM Soli br i Quality Validation Ch eckin g
Histor y pr ovid es useful an d impor tant r efer en ce poin ts to evoluti on Th e con str uction industr y h as cer tain ly un dergon e con sider able advan cemen t in r ecen t times an d con tinues to do so.
Un like man y in dustr ies, such as man ufactur in g, media, oil & gas et c., wh ich all h ave str ong commer cial dr iver s, ‘buildin g for pr ofit’ is, in h istor ical ter ms, a r elativel y n ew con cept for con str uction.
Histor icall y, buildin g was eith er fun ction al or under taken to make a statemen t, for example, th e p yr amids, th e magn ificent structur es and civils of an cient Rom e, th e vast arr ay of ch ur ch es and temples in th e devel op ed wor ld an d mor e r ecen tly, th e fact or ies, town h alls an d civi c mon olith s sign ifyin g th e wealth of n ation an d empir e th at epitomised th e in dustr ial r evoluti on .
Yes, th er e wer e alwa ys cost con sider ation s, but to acquir e lan d, build on it an d sell or man age for pr ofit on ly r eall y t ook h old in r ecen t times, pr obabl y fr om th e mid-n in eteen th cen tur y on war ds
So in compar ison with man y of its con tempor ar ies, in a busin ess sen se, th e con struction in dustr y wa s differ en t – wh at was built bein g mor e impor tan t th an th e effi ci en cy of th e pr ocess th at built it.
In addition, as buildin g alwa ys tak es pla ce in a un ique locati on , con str uction in var iabl y used skills an d supplies sour ced locall y Th is r esulted in a sizeabl e n umber of micr o busin esses wh ich for med a large an d dispar ate supply ch ain.
As builder s moved t o n ew sites, th er e wer e n ew supply ch ain s Th is did little to en cour age th e tr ust th at devel ops with lon ger term busin ess r elation sh ips.
Th ese fact s con tr ibuted to wh at is comm on ly kn own as th e ‘Tr adition al Con struction Pr ocess’ of wh ich th er e ar e man y var ian ts, but with comm on th emes such as sin gle pr oject focus, lack of trust (leadin g to un willin gn ess to sh ar e in for mation ), excessive r isk aver sion (leadin g to h igh con tin gen cy p er cen tages) an d a gen er al acceptan ce of late or over budget deliver y
In th e modern wor ld, thin gs n eeded to ch an ge.
Wh en th e econ om y is boomin g, as it was in man y post wor ld war two year s, th e n eed for ch ange can be suppr essed. Un til 2007/8, con str uction h ad exper ien ced h uge expan sion, fuell ed by econ omi c gr owth, an in cr ease in population an d r ising disposable in com e Th is in turn led to con stant pr ice in flation If a pr oject wen t over budg et, sh or tfalls could be absor bed by th ese pr ice in cr eases, wh ich in
cer tain ar eas, wer e astr on omical in r eal ter ms as th e deman d for pr oper t y was r elen tless
By effecti vel y maskin g an y r eal n eed for fun damen tal ch an ge, sector gr owth facilitated a com for table san ctuar y for lon g establish ed con str uction pr ocesses
Alth ough th er e was little in cen tive with in th e in dustr y, th e n eed for ch an ge an d in par ticular, th e n eed for colla bor ative wor kin g was r ecogn ised as far ba ck as 1944 in th e Simon Repor t. [1] Similar th emed r epor ts fr om Emmer son [2] in 1962 and Ban well [3] in 1964, pr eced ed m or e common l y r ecogn ised n arr atives in cludin g th e Lath am [4] Rep or t in 1994, th e Egan [5] Rep or t in 1998 an d th e Wolst en h olme [6] Repor t in 2009
As th e global econ om y was h it by th e wor st r ecession in modern times fr om 2008, r eality h it and th e lack of in cen tive becam e a n eed t o ch an ge in or der to sur vive.
Oth er in dustries h ad alr eady h ad to em br ace ch an ge Examin in g th e ch allen ges faced by man ufactur ing an d th e pr ocess soluti on s it develop ed, allows par allels to be dr awn
Th e 1970s was a decade of h uge social and econ omic ch ange Th e ‘common mar ket’ , n ow of cour se th e Eur opean Un ion, for ced ch an ges in wor kin g pr actices/legislati on and un ion s took advan tage High er wages, better wor kin g con dition s, lon ger h olidays an d oth er ben efits, wer e major con tr ibutor s to r apid in flation acr oss Eur ope Rising pr oduction costs wer e r efl ect ed in pr ice in cr eases acr oss th e boar d, n on e mor e so th an for man ufactur ed goods
In a closed mar ket, th e effect ma y h ave been differ en t, but tr ade bar r ier s wer e falling, n ot just acr oss Eur ope, but globall y Th is led to an in flux of impor ts fr om th e emer gin g global markets, Eastern Eur ope an d th e Pacific Rim in par ticular. Con tr ar y to expectati on s, th e qualit y of man y of th ese n ew impor ts was accepta ble and pr ices wer e significan tly lower th an compar able goods pr oduced in th e h ome mar ket
For man ufactur ing th is low pr ice comp etition, r ising costs an d th e impact of n ew l egislation , meant th at someth in g r adical h ad to be don e if it was to sur vive
Th e solution was to adopt mor e in tegr ated and collabor ative pr ocesses ‘Islan ds of Automation ’ wa s a popular term used fr om th e ear ly 1980s, to descr ibe h ow th e var ious disciplin es in vol ved in a pr oduction pr ocess wor ked largely in silos and commun icated in effecti vel y Th e fir st por tr ayal of th e con str uction in dustr y equi val en t is illustr ated in Fig. 1.
Th is ‘Tr adition al Pr ocess’ was lin ear, for example, wor k fr om a pr oduct design team was t ypicall y passed to pr oducti on on compl etion Th ey th en wait ed for a r espon se befor e making ch an ges, r ath er th an in vol vin g th e latter befor e or dur in g design. Th is was in effi ci en t an d led to r aft of er r or s an d a pr otr acted pr ocess.
Th e fir st ch allen ge was to devel op in tegr ated wor kfl ows t o sh ar e data, wh ich in turn led to th e devel opm en t of automat ed syst ems Th ese wer e in itially un able to commun icate easil y with each oth er But common commun ication pr otocols and n etwor k techn ologi es, design ed to fa cilitate system in tegr ation , h elped to impr ove th e situation. It is
significant to note that the technology was developed to support the process – not the other way around Th e n ext step was t o iden tify an d adopt n ovel techn ologi es t o impr ove th e effi ci en cy of ea ch disciplin e For example Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Man ufactur e (CAM) cr eated m or e compr eh en sive data in a wa y wh ich could be visualised and sh ar ed Likewise, in telligent mach in e tools an d r oboti cs p er mitted faster, mor e accur ate and con sistent pr oduction
Supply ch ain s wer e in tegr ated in to th e pr ocess and in cen tivised by th e awar din g of long ter m con tr acts,
allowin g individual stakeh older s to amor tise th e cost of th eir own in vestmen t with a degr ee of cer tain ty
Th e r esult of th ese an d oth er devel opmen ts tr an sfor med th e in dustr y fr om ‘Islan ds of Automation ’ in to single pr oduction organ isms wh er e ever y part of th e pr ocess was in tegr ated, con tr olled, mon itor ed an d quality assur ed by t ech n ologies th at h ad been devel op ed speci ficall y for th at pur pose
Th e cultur al ch an ge an d in vestment was h uge, but n ecessar y if th e man ufactur ing in dustr y was t o sur vive. Success was ach ieved largel y with in a decade.
Th er e wer e of cour se casualties as th e industr y r ation alised, but essen tiall y th er e wer e on ly t wo cat egor ies of busin ess – th ose wh o ch an ged and th ose wh o didn ’t (or couldn ’t) ch an ge Th e latter became extin ct.
Man ufactur in g solved its pr obl ems by ad opting in tegr ated, colla bor ative pr ocesses, based on tr ust an d sh ar ing data. Th ese wer e suppor ted by techn ologi es d esign ed to cr eate an d commun icate th e in for mation r equir ed to r educe cost, time and r isk acr oss th e man ufactur ing cycle an d cr eate a h igh quality ser vi cea bl e pr oduct
Th is is exactl y wh at th e con struction in dustr y n eeds It effecti vel y set s th e busin ess par ameter s for wh at is un iver sally t er med as Building In for mation Modellin g, or BIM.
An oft en misused acr on ym, BIM actuall y r epr esen ts thr ee key acti vities or outputs:
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING - Is a BUSINESS PROCESS for generating and leveraging building data to design, construct and operate the building during its lifecycle. BIM allows all stakeholders to have access to the same information at the same time through interoperability between technology platforms
BUILDING INFORMATION MODEL - Is the output of the business process resulting in a DIGITAL PROTOTYPE, a virtual computer model of a project which holds selected structured data about the asset (design, quantity, time, cost, as built etc )
BUILDING INFORMATION MANAGEMENTIs the ORGANISATION & CONTROL of the business process by utilising the information in the digital prototype to effect the sharing of information over the entire lifecycle of an asset The benefits include centralised and visual communication, early exploration of options, sustainability, efficient design, integration of disciplines, site control, as built documentation, etc – effectively developing an asset lifecycle process and model from conception to final retirement.
Th e impor tan ce of th ese d efin ition s is th at th ey ar e all BIM, but can on ly wor k if applied cor r ectl y in sequen ce i. e ‘Modelling’ fir st, ‘Model’ secon d and ‘Man agemen t’ th ird. If th is sequen ce is n ot foll owed, BIM will n ot wor k. Th er e ar e n umer ous examples of busin esses th at h ave star ted at th e ‘Model’ level and h ave n ot on ly fail ed, but h ave lost mon ey b y in vestin g in th e wr ong tech n ology in th e beli ef th at all th at is n eeded is a 3D model.
So, h istor ical r efer en ce, exper t r ecomm en dation, compar ison with a success st or y an d common busin ess sen se, all point to BIM as th e wa y for war d
By 2010 BIM h ad been ar oun d for 10-20 year s, (views var ied). Th e logic of th e busin ess argument was soun d, th e techn ologi es wer e devel opin g, but th er e was still a h uge r esistan ce t o ch ange It was at th is stage th at th e catal yst was pr ovid ed th r ough th e lead taken by th e UK gover n men t
Th e UK gover nmen t was n ot th e fir st to act in Eur ope. Th er e h ad been a move towar ds BIM adoption in th e Nor dics for sever al year s, both commer ciall y dr iven an d govern ment backed. However in ter ms of size, th e combin ed Nor dic population of 26 million in 2014, was on ly ar ound 40% of th e UK, effecti vel y a ffor din g th e UK with far mor e in fluen ce.
Con tr ar y to popular belief, th e UK Govern ment Con str uction Str ateg y [7] documen t, r eleased in May 2011, con tain ed ver y few r efer en ces to BIM. It was effectivel y pr omotin g out comes – i e detailin g th e cli en t r equir emen ts It was th e BIM Task Gr oup [8] r epor t, publish ed ar ound th e same time, wh ich went in to detail an d made it clear that alth ough you did n ot h ave to adopt BIM t o m eet th e govern ment str ategy, it would be ver y diffi cult, if n ot impossibl e, to meet th e r equir emen ts thr ough an y oth er pr ocess.
Wh at th ese two docum en ts did was t o set in motion a paradigm sh ift in th e wa y UK compan ies h ad to wor k. Not on l y wer e th er e deman ds to r educe cost an d car bon (20% an d 40% r espectivel y – lat er r evised to 33% an d 50% in th e Con str uction 2025 Str ategy [9]), th er e was a n ew asset deli ver y and r ecor din g mech an ism – Con str uction Oper ation s Buildin g in for mation exch an ge (COBie).
On e poin t oft en over look ed, but cr ucial to th e n ew en vir on men t, was th at th e str ategy wa s procurement led. Th e major chan ge pr oposed bein g th at r ath er th an awar din g con tr acts on competiti ve cost, th ey would be a war ded on competiti ve deli ver y – i e a pr oject fee would be s et an d th e successful bidder (s), would be th ose wh o would deli ver th e best soluti on, r ath er th an th e lowest pr ice Th is is a ver y impor tant fa ctor wh en th e n eed for quality is con sider ed later in th is paper
Followin g th e laun ch of th e str ategy in 2011, th e BIM Task Gr oup deliver ed a ser ies of guidelin es and stan dar ds to h elp in dustr y d eli ver its r equir emen ts Togeth er th ey make up a suite n ow r efer r ed to as th e ‘Level 2 Legacy’ – effecti vel y th e 2016 str ateg y target per tain ing to Level 2 BIM Th e documen ts ar e availabl e via th e BIM Task Gr oup website [10]. Th e impor tan ce of th is catal yst sh ould n ot be under estimated. Gover n men t pr ocur emen t accoun ts for cir ca 40% of th e UK t otal con struction spen d, curr en tly ar oun d £90 billion per annum. With upwar ds of £35 billi on ann ual spen d, th e industr y h ad to r espon d. It pr ovided th e bedr ock for ch an ge.
It is essen tial to un der stan d that th e in tegr ated pr ocess is ver y differ en t fr om tradition al meth ods
Outsider s oft en view th e industr y with an element of mistrust Th is may be due to th e fa ct th at wh en bids ar e made on cost, th er e is a beli ef th at con tr acts ar e awar ded to th e lowest bidd er Th is in turn mean s that th ose biddin g usually do s o at ver y l ow margin s –occasion all y zer o or even n egative
It can be argued th at in or der to make a pr ofit, th e inh er ent err or s in tr adition al meth ods ar e in fact n ecessar y as th ey l ead t o con tr act var iation s, pr ovidin g th e oppor tun ity t o r aise addition al cash. Th e ver y fa ct th at con tingen cy sums ar e h igh, leads to an assumption th at th ey will be n eed ed. It is r ar e th at pr ojects ar e deliver ed on time an d on budget.
An en tr en ch ed ‘claim cultur e’ - wast e, r ewor k and litigation , h as become s yn on ym ous with con str uction.
Hen ce th er e ar e a n umber of ch allen ges th at n eed t o be addr essed if BIM is to be success ful
Culture - th e fir st an d biggest ch allen ge faced is cultur al For BIM to wor k pr oject par ticipan ts have to be mor e op en , shar e data an d tr ust oth er stakeh older s.
Th is cultural ch ange h as to be l ed fr om th e top – n ot just by th ose deli ver in g, but fr om th e cli en ts wh o th ey ser ve Implem en tin g a BIM pr ogr amme at a single disciplin e level simply does n ot wor k.
Project versus Business – a sh ift is also n eeded fr om th e pr oject l ed en vir on men t BIM is a pr ocess th at n eeds to be embr aced acr oss th e busin ess, oth er wise ‘r ein ven tin g th e wh eel’ becom es th e r ealit y ever y time a n ew pr oject begin s
Technology and Training - th er e is an obvi ous n eed to in vest in techn ology and train in g Wh ilst th e larger or gan isation s may be a ble to do th is, th er e is gr eater pr essur e on SMEs wh er e in vestmen t as a per cen tage of turn over , is in evitabl y h igh er.
Integrated Supply Chain - effecti ve BIM n eeds t o en compass th e supply ch ain. Th e top tier s of
in dustr y n eed to r eth in k en gagemen t policies and cr eate lon ger ter m par tn er sh ips Th is will en cour age smaller busin esses t o in vest in techn olog y, as th er e is a h igh er degr ee of futur e fin an cial cer tain ty
Future Skills – in vestin g in futur e skills is essen tial. As BIM adoption gr ows, in dustr y n eeds t o be wor kin g mor e closel y with academia to en sur e appr opr iate skills ar e being devel oped t o meet th e in evitabl e deman d
Clearly the challenge is far reaching
In addition, th er e is a fun damen tal issue th at effectivel y un der pin s th e n eed for ch an ge. As th ings pr ogr ess, th e data available will gr ow expon en tially, due n ot on ly t o th e data inn ate to th e BIM pr ocess, but t o th e capacit y t o lin k th is to oth er sour ces, for example: g eogr aph ic, gover n men t, legislation, media, publication s et c
Th is move t o ‘Big Data,’ en compassin g th e ‘In tern et of Th in gs’ (IoT), mean s th at th e data mar ket itself is ch angin g an d n ot just in th e con struction sect or IoT is h igh on th e gover n men t agen da as illustr ated in th e Walpor t [11] r epor t, commission ed by David Camer on and publish ed at th e en d of 2014.
So far, th is paper h as position ed BIM as a pr ocess th at is r eal, is curr en t, will be th e futur e an d that n ecessitat es a sign ifican t degr ee of tr an sfor mation in th e wa y con struction th in ks an d acts Above all, BIM sign ifies a h uge gr owth in available data th at fur th er en dor ses th e n eed for ch an ge
To date, BIM h as mostl y been about cr eatin g data usin g th e auth or in g tools th at ar e in str umen tal in th e design pr ocess To man y, th is is in fact wh er e BIM star ts an d en ds – th er e is still a common ly h eld belief th at BIM is simply 3D modellin g.
Cr eating data – such as th at fr om modelling and design – does n ot in itself add value to th e pr ocess un til th e model data is applied. It is th er efor e imper ative th at a wa y is foun d to effecti vel y m ove th e model data fr om th e tool s th at cr eate it to th e tools th at can use it
As stated ear lier, in th e BIM wor ld, mor e data is bein g cr eated an d sh ar ed th an ever befor e If th is in for mation is in accur ate, poten tiall y mor e pr obl ems will be cr eat ed th an befor e
Th e flow of in for mation fr om data creating tool s to data using tools an d th e poin t at wh ich th e data is quality assur ed is sh own in Fig. 2.
On th e face of it, tr an sfer r ing data bet ween auth or ing tools, or bet ween auth or in g an d utilisin g tools, or bet ween utilisin g tools, sh ould be a simple pr ocess –aft er all th er e ar e some ver y effici en t Common Data
En vir on men ts (CDE) out th er e th at can stor e and move pr oject data between stakeh older s.
However th e r eality is th at it is an yth in g but a simple pr ocess
Fir stly, th er e is th e ch allen ge to move in for mation bet ween tech n ologies with out losin g data in tegr ity
As auth or ing tools all cr eate th eir data in a un ique wa y, it is n ot as simple as it sounds To wor k, a common an d un iver sal commun ication pr otocol is n eeded
on e th at will tr an slate th e native data fr om ea ch auth or in g tool in to a comm on language th at can be un der stood by all auth or in g tools
Examples of common pr otocols in ever yda y life in clude JPEG for ph otogr aph ic an d oth er visual data, or HTML for web pages.
In con str uction , th e open stan dar d Industr y Foun dation Classes (IFC), is effecti vel y a n eutr al data for mat to descr ibe, ex ch ange and sh ar e in for mation between auth or ing tools IFC is own ed an d main tain ed by buildin gSMART and r egister ed with th e In tern ation al Stan dar disation Organ isation (ISO) as ISO16739
Next th er e is a n eed to br in g data togeth er into a common data model, for example com bin ing ar ch itectur al, structur al an d MEP design s in to a
single model; th is is a pr ocess common l y kn own as federation an d is n ecessar y t o coor din ate design disciplin es, analyse d esign con str uctabilit y and complian ce and extr act in terr elated data n eeds in application s such as COBie
Th er e ar e a number of tech n ologies th at allow fed er ation, but if tools fr om differ en t soft war e pr ovider s ar e used (as is most oft en th e case), th en IFC is again th e essen tial pr otocol.
Finally th er e h as to be a defin ed pr ocess t o con tr ol th e in for mation flow. Th is n eeds to addr ess r espon sibilities, levels of detail, fil e str uctur e, data r equir emen ts et c Th e list is exten sive, but in th e UK is cover ed in detail by th e afor em en tion ed Level 2 Legacy suit e.
Th er e is a level of con fusion in th e market r egarding th e ter ms ‘Validation ’ an d ‘Quality Assur an ce’.
Essen tially, VALIDATION is a pr ocess th at ch ecks data to a limited degr ee, for example, th e sour ce and complet en ess of th e data QUALITY ASSURANCE is a pr ocess th at ch ecks th e data is corr ect, th at is, both ver ifies and validat es.
Most of th e documen tation surr oun ding BIM r efer s to th e impor tan ce of validating model data and th er e ar e a number of fr ee t ools to do th is. But wh at is r eally n eed ed is quality checking of th e data an d th is is un der taken usin g pr opr ietar y tech n olog y.
To bett er un der stan d wh at is meant by Quality Assur an ce, Solibr i LLC (USA), pr oduced guidan ce n otes via a ser ies of BIM Use Cases.
Each BIM Use Case pr esen ts a r ange of differ ent n eeds. Wh at th ey all h ave in comm on is th e n eed t o ver ify an d validate th e data for th at par ticular r equir emen t Table 1 details some of th e cases th at h ave so far been iden tified. Th is is n ot an exh austive list, but it illustr ates th at quality assur in g th e model h as man y ben efits.
Table 1: BIM Use Cases – Solibri LLC (USA)
B IM Use C ase (F ocus) Program
Model Q A/QC C ompa n y/Pr oject R equir ement s
Owner O perations COB ie
Code C ompliance AutoC odes and AD A
Level of Development (LOD) LOD Guideli nes & R equir ement s
Construction Site Sa fety OSHA & C ontra ctor specific r equir ements
Owner Spa ce Audits Owner R equir ements (esp. Univer sities)
Coor dination Cla sh Detection, Spatial C oor dination
Gover nment Requir ements & Specifications
Risk Mana gement
BIM Va lidation
Solibri M odel Checker Role Capabilities
Check for C ompliance, Visualisation & Ver ification
Data Ver ification & Validation
Check for compliance, Verification & Va lidation
Visualisation, Verification & Va lidation
Check for C ompliance, Verification & Visualisation
Verification & Visualisation
C ompliance, Va lidation, Visualisation, R eporting, Work flow
Specific ru lesets to veri fy compliance with design specs or r equir ements (inter nal, compa n y or pr oject level)
Specific cu stom ruleset s to check a ccura cy, completeness and compliance. BI-dir ectional data and model element visualisation
Specific cu stom ruleset s to verify that the intent of code is met, as well as content (2012 IBC C h. 10 & 11)
Specific cu stom ruleset s to identify curr ent state vs required state of model elements B idirectional data and model visualisation – can also be a ssociated with pha ses
Specific cu stom ruleset s to identify compliance with sa fety-r elated design r equirements ( Parts 1910 & 1026) Fall Prot ection, Openings, Slab Edge, Site C onditions
Specific cu stom ruleset s to audit all spa ces, deter mine occupancy ( curr ent V possible), u sa ge and fea sibility
Specific cu stom rulesets to measure compliance, identify issues, manage issues via r eview pr ocess and workflow Also displays all related issu es
BIM Guideli nes & R equir ement s (G SA/VA)
Expanded BIM UsesRisk Mitigat ion
General D esign R equir ement s
Estimating Established Pr oces ses
Checks for C ompliance, Va lidation, Verification & Visualisation
Checks for Verification & Visualisation
Check for compliance, Validation & Visualisation
Check for collection, filtering, Ver ification, Visualisation, R eporting
Specific cu stom ruleset s to measure compliance, ver ify accuracy, validat e data.
Specific cu stom ruleset s to verify data a ccu ra cy and mea su re compliance
Specific ru lesets to mea sur e multiple ar eas of compliance, verify internal pr ocesses and establish consistent design per for mance
In forma tion Takeoff (IT O) Specific Rules to filter, steps to ver ify, bi -dir ectional visualisation between data and model elements, analyse and r eport
With br ief r efer en ce t o th e evolution of th e con str uction in dustr y, th is paper h as position ed BIM fr om a pr ocess r ath er than tech n olog y p er specti ve It h as put for war d th e argument th at BIM adoption is essen tial if industr y is t o meet th e mor e demanding cli en t r equir emen ts of lower cost an d car bon. In deed, for th e pr actition er, a failur e to effecti vel y implement th e pr ocess r epr esen ts a r eal thr eat to busin ess sur vival as success ful BIM ad opter s capitalise on inh er ent competiti ve advan tages.
By takin g th e lead with its sagaci ous BIM man date, th e UK gover n men t has made pr oper ly in tegr ated pr ocess a must, r ath er th an a th eor y
In dustr y h as been given a un ique oppor tun ity to r eth in k and r esh ape h ow th e con str uction pr ocess wor ks However, action must be tak en now to avoi d a loss of momentum and possibly a drift back to traditional methods.
Wh at is abun dan tly cl ear is th at th e techn olog y suppor ting in tegr ated pr ocess pr ovides mor e data th an befor e.
Appr opr iate exploitation of accurate data will affor d ben efits a cr oss disciplin es.
Con ver sel y i f data is inaccurate, th en th e n umber of poten tial pr oblems could r ise as expon en tially as th e amoun t of data In th at case th e busin ess argument for BIM would fail
Clear ly, data in tegr ity is a fun damen tal r equisite for success ful BIM Quality Assurance of th e data model h as to be con fir med before it is in tegr ated in to th e cor e wor kflow.
If in dustr y fails t o take th is on board, th en in the wor ds of Henr y For d “If you do what you ’ ve always done, you’ll get what you ’ ve always got” and B IM will not be able to deliver on its promise.
[1] E Simon , “Th e Placin g an d Managemen t of Buildin g Con tr acts,” 1944
[2] H Emmer son , “Sur vey of Pr obl ems Befor e the Con str uction Industries,” 1962
[3] H Ban well, “Th e Placin g an d Man agemen t of Con tr acts for Buildin g and Civil En gin eer ing Wor k,” 1964.
[4] M Lath am, “Con structin g th e Team,” HMSO, 1994.
[5] J. Egan, “Reth in kin g Con struction – Th e Egan
Rep or t,” Th e Con str uction Task For ce, 1998.
[6] A. Wolst enh olme, “Never Waste A Good Cr isis,” Con structin g Excell en ce, 2009
[7] “Gover n men t Con str uction Strateg y, ” Cabin et Office, 2011.
[8] “A r eport for th e Gover n ment Con struction Clien t Gr oup Buildin g In for mation Modelling (BIM) Wor kin g Par ty Str ategy Paper,” Depar tmen t of Busin ess, Inn ovation and Skills , 2011.
[9] H. M. Gover n men t, “Con struction 2025,” 2013.
[10] “BIM Task Gr oup Website” .
[11] M. Walpor t, “In tern et of Th ings: makin g th e most of th e Secon d Digital Revoluti on ,” Gover n ment Offi ce for Scien ce, 2014.
1Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism
1Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario
1meganbeange@cmail.carleton.ca
2S8 Incorporated
2Ottawa, Ontario
2susan.keenliside@gmail.com
Abstract The current approach to the development of a building information modelling (BIM) standard or guideline has catered to each specific authority in a unique way. There has been no universal ly standardized format, content or defined concepts employed in the document development from one organization or region to the next. In parallel, many regional authorities and organizations have pioneered the development of their own unique guides, having recognized the need for standardized methodologies in developing and deploying BIM capability. Though format and content vary widely according to the specific document scope and context, many published BIM guides around the world define the same or similar terms and concepts. The BIM guides project is the first attempt to leverage these existing publications within an open process of consensus standardization. In pursuit of harmonization of concepts and terms, their definitions and the framework of content delivery, this project endeavours to deliver the tools and cross -examination of current precedents necessary to move forward with standardized elements. Using a generic review template to capture common metadata fields, comparative source analysis, and keyword tracking, the project cross-examines each entered document within the project database. This database of BIM guide information can inform many real-world use cases, including industry requirements, academic research and regional development . The project platform delivers advance search and analysis function of the captured content, with a target audience of users applying, updating or creating BIM guidelines. It is believed that this structured approach to BIM guide development will deliver increased efficiency in the creation and implementation of future Guidelines and Standards, contributing to the adoption and standardization of BIM within industry and providing the much needed universal baseline from which the many user-types of BIM can effectively build their knowledge, skills and abilities.
Keywords - BIM Guidelines, Standardization, Industry BIM Adoption, Concept Definition , BIM Development, BIM Research
Around the world, many professional and educational groups are currently performing or outsourcing incredible amounts of work in the interest of BIM guide development. In many cases these clients, academics and professionals are expending significant amounts of time and effort reviewing pertinent and existing BIM guidelines, standards and supporting documentation in order to develop their own tailored version of a BIM guide applicable to their specific context and needs. From a universal or regional
perspective, th is process of reviewing, analyzing and drafting guide documents is extremely labor -intensive and often results in paralleled or duplicated efforts that add neither value nor forward achievement in the development of standard procedures or best practices. Recognizing th is flaw in the current process as an opportunity for greater efficiency, a group of experts working collaboratively under bui ldingSMART International launched the “BIM Guides Project” to determine if, and how, the development of standardized format and information could aid in improving the process of creating, implementing and using BIM Guide documentation.
At the time of its conception, the project sought to answer the following questions:
Can the plethora of global BIM Guides be reverseengineered down to a few pioneering documents?
What are the roots that fed today's plethora of guidance documentation foliage?
Can these roots be better exposed to better understand the current variety of documentation and benefit the future of BIM guidance documentation growth?
What published documents are used in popularity, and thus have become de- facto industry standards?
What are the common elements of BIM guidance documentation across the majority of publications?
Where are there gaps in existing BIM guidance documentation?
How can new concepts in standardized applications be used to the benefit of BIM guidance development?
As such, the goals of the project included:
supporting a common framework for BIM guides based on the results of the project;
promoting BIM guide content that employs open BIM based file exchanges and processes; and
delivering a product application of the database t ool for public consumption and use.
For the purposes of this project, "Guides" will refer to any documentation that has been published to support the en d-user in applying standardized processes, procedures or technical requirement s in Building Information Modeling[1] The term “heritage” will refer to the genealogical lineage of precedent documents or institutional/organizational development that were used in the creation of the present day BIM Guide document
The current process of developing BIM guidelines typically involves one or all of the following steps:
duplication, modification and/or addition of content to an existing guide;
compilation of existing content within a new organization of information (table of contents); and
development of original content.
It takes a lot of time for someone to get up to speed on all major guide publications, as they consider each for its content, framework, and scope. The results vary in quality, applicability to the ‘real-world’ and achievement of the client’s objectives.
Overall, most clients and consultants will agree with the adage of “not wanting to re-invent the wheel” when it comes to BIM standards and best practices. If this baseline of information were openly
available, the general consensus is that this content would be welcomed and leveraged for greater industry use. However with open accessibility to such foundational information , issues of intellectual property and, in some cases, a general dis-comfort when dealing with copy-right can develop, leading clients and/or consultants to continue developing guidelines and other standard or best practice documents independently (and often uniquely)
This project identifies a gap in the current ability to achieve consensus and consistency in BIM guide content. Th ough this gap varies from region to region , its existence remains noticeable by the amount and variety of guides publically available. With such a varied wealth of precedent knowledge remaining largely independent each of another, it was recognized that th e r igor of an academic research process could bring better results and more easily authenticated contributive value to both the methodology and produced analyses of the project. In tracing the lines of growth from foundational works to present day documents, tracking past -, current- and future BIM discourses, and delineating the “heritage” of key terms and concepts, the project’s database could reach a further depth of analysis and development that may better serve future growth of BIM guide documentation. Future work is anticipated and encouraged within academia in collaboration with this project team to bring best value to industry.
The BIM Guides Project developed from a recognized need during the delivery of the United States’ National BIM Standard Version 3.0 (NBIMS-USv3). At that time, there was little-to-no known literature available that provided a way to categorize or classify content for, and within, guides. Specific focus on comparing guidelines was first introduced by a work group within FIATECH, but limited in scope to focus only on the AutoCodes Project [2], and entrusted to this project to take further
The BIM Knowledge Content taxonomy (BKC) [3] has since been identified and should be reviewed for relevancy in the metadata fields captured within the database via the review template. Identification of the noteworthy BIM publications (NBP) concept and metrics [4] also provide opportunities to fine-tune the review template for accurate and useful metadata capture that can assist in supporting existing research areas and overall industry needs.
The International Standards Organization defined a standard as a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be
used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose [5] In order to provide its own elements of standardization, this project builds off of existing guide content to establish universal parts, methods and terms to support greater efficiency in BIM adoption and use. Recognizing that a guide document needs flexibility to achieve its purpose, and acknowledging that full standardization is neither useful n or realistic, the project has set its ultimate goal to achieving a framework utilizing precedent-, and simple-, language along with consensus terminology and concepts for easy population of content.
Prior to this project’s conception, there had been no known large-scale efforts to compare BIM guides for the purpose of harmonization , whether at a regional or international level. With such an extensive amount of guidance documentation available, the need to find common ground was logical. The project does not propose having a single, common international guideline, per se. However, through harmonization of content, levels of standardization can be accomplished (Fig. 1):
1. The first level is to harmonize or map the understanding of its field of application and aimed users. Human interpretation is required to elicit the required information for cataloging as metadata. The result is being able to query common elements across documents.
2. The second level is the mapping of content (mainly by chapters) to a common and generic table of contents. The result is the establi shment of a common structure or framework, either to aid in comparison or to use in the generation of new guides.
3. The third level is the harmonization and mapping of definitions. Also referred to as a “keyword search”, this level of analysis will result in the discovery of information and define gaps and overlaps. However, this level of analysis requires a significantly larger expenditure of effort to identify and harmonize terminology than did the first and second levels. All three levels will layer and contribute to the made-to-measure concept of developing BIM guide documentation with consistent or standard terms, definitions and structure.
The initial approach was to intuitively identify common categories of information type, based on expert experience within the project team, and to plot that content against an implementation level. Captured in Table 1: Guide Mapping Matrix, the hypothesis was that as content within existing standards and guidelines documentation was mapped to this matrix, awareness, consent and agreement on what (level of) content belongs where along the implementation continuum would begin to form thr ough interpretation of the results and recognizing trends or patterns.
A common goal of the project is to provide a publically accessed database and tool. It was determined that using a wiki would serve the database and public-access requirements best. The selection of XWiki as the project platform was based on two vital capabilities:
i) Its ability to create a searchable compendium of collected data; and
ii) Its suitability for use as an open -access platform for users from the worldwide BIM community.
It is important to note that this wiki does not yet host the source documents under review. A link is provided to the source document within the review, as well as to all referenced documents within the Concept Library and Reference Compendium. Some source documents may require purchase, or membership at the host website. The database at the metadata level can be used to query guides for items such as general scope an d audience, and including drilling down to specific topics (i.e. Level of Development, Project Execution Planning, COBie etc.)
With the entry of each new document review into the database, several layers of information capture are organized in to five (5) distinct sections:
Part A: Document Overview (Intended Use and Audience)
Section 1 – Document Details
Section 2 – Intended Use and Audience
Section 3 – Document position by type and content (see Table 2 above)
Part B: Document Content
Section 1 – Project Definition and Planning
Section 2 - Technical Specifications
Section 3 – Implementation Processes
Section 4 – Supporting Tools
Section 5 – Legal Aspects
Part C: Chapter Mapping
Part D: Key Terms and Concepts
Part E: Genealogy
Section 1 – Bibliography
Section 2 – References also in our Database
*Note: Parts C through E require the inputting of secondary information into the database for completion of their sections. See sub-sections c), d) and e) for further explanation.*
The project began by using a template approach as the key method to establishing a baseline of high -level
common elements, or metadata, for the majority of BIM guide documentation available globally (Parts A and B).
The review process for each guide document was not intended to be a labor -intensive or exhaustive exercise, but give a global picture and ability to begin to organize and compare content across the diversity of documents. In recognition of the wide range of use cases that current BIM guides capture, the intent was to capture overall scope and content areas from a universally generalized perspective As the project implementation matured, it was found that additional parts are required to identify key similarities, key terms and concepts, and the referenced sources of the document
Parts A through B are completed from drop-down menus, with a comment field at the end of each section for manual text entry at the reviewer’s discretion for additional information or specificity. Parts C through D offer suggested values for the reviewer to choose from, based on the results of the review and secondary information entries in the database. The last Part E is two-fold; a text field allows the entry of an appropriately cited bibliography, wh ile a check-box and suggested values field (based on guides already entered into the database) help the reviewer to identify if the current document has referenced any of the documents currently in the database.
In order to capture the information for entry into the database of each document with attention to both accuracy and authenticity, this project aims to have each document reviewed three (3) times. Ideally, the author or organization ’s representative should complete one of these reviews to ensure interpretational accuracy of their document Accuracy and authenticity are considered especially important for several project use-cases such as (but not limited to):
using the reviews to choose an appropriate guide for purchase (users would only want to purchase documents if they can see that they are applicable to their effort);
referencing this project within an academic paper and/or research work;
creating new guides based on or using existing content;
using the reviews and database to improve subsequent versions of those documents reviewed
Additional to the effort of trying to compare guides at a scope and audience level, is the opportunity to compare content at a section and subsection level . Mapping to a generic table of contents serves the function of drawing lines of similarity and suggesting
gaps in existing guides. This can aid in the generation or improvement of, a new or subsequent version of a BIM guidance document. By navigating the sections within the database that are r elevant to their organization, project or region, the BIM Guides
Project users could feasibly build a document framework much more efficiently and in parallel to many other successful documents contemporarily in use, with out reformatting an already implemented guide or series of guides
Drilling down further, the project captures key terms and concepts As each document is reviewed, the reviewer enters these key terms and concepts into the database, providing their reference locations with in the source document, as well as the definition given by the author. These individual document definitions are collected under concepts, where multiple definitions and similar terms or concepts can be cross-examined alongside each other (such as from the bSDD, other documents and alternate sources)
Each user -case (whether industry-, discipline-, academic- or education -related) will benefit from the ability to cross- examine and choose the most pertinent definition for their needs. Ideally, each key term or concept entered as part of the review process will be associated with a region, an institution, a discipline and the documents within which they appeared. This will also enable users t o navigate the Concept Library via any of these populated field queries and create a tailored glossary or collection of definitions.
The review process tracks document genealogy by capturing the referenced sources within the document. Th ese references are cited works; meaning that the document authority has incorporated or re-used key information, methodologies or tools from the sourced document
In addition to cited works, this document genealogy traces all institutions and works that contributed to the discussion or overall logic of the document. Tracing the lineage of individual document methodologies, logic, discourses and sources can contribute to validating and building from existing publications in a meaningful way. With emphasis on accurate referencing to source content within the project, tracking document genealogy supports the show-casing and re-use of popular BIM guidance document content at multiple scales of implementation and use in industry practice.
The third and final level of capture is the achievement of functionality and inter -connection throughout the database and with external platforms Intuitive navigation, advanced search functionality and the ability for a user to retain or record the knowledge or information being discovered and gathered have been identified as vital to having a useful industry or academic tool. This implies that all document-, and in turn database-, content is accessible and arranged in such a way as to be easily navigated by a variety of specified parameters (i e. keyword, region, discipline etc.)
To achieve this, several functions have been implemented within the XWiki platform. Keyword tagging is available for any page found on the platform, and can be searched using the generic search bar. A more advanced search function is also available to filter to a finer level of information detail within the database. An interactive map is accessible on the BIM Reference Map page, filterable by the very same parameters available for the database in addition to the mapping graphics of regions and points. Lastly, a user profile can be used to save collected information.
This tertiary level of analysis enables a very important part in any standards development or knowledge-based process: by allowing for user interpretation and self-guided discovery (via effective navigation and connection within the platform) , it provides a platform for consensus-based agreement on industry practice, industry needs and where standardized elements are desired to be achieved.
The usefulness of the BIM guides database can be applied to a tool that builds out an organization - or project-level guide document, specific to their needs but building off of standardized content. The madeto-measure concept is a logical extension of the collection made of:
i) standardized terms;
ii) a standardized structure; and
iii) access to existing content that can be used with accurate citation and genealogy.
The concept is to assemble a BIM guide from the user -collected and validated information discovered amongst the levels of captured content A tool like this could deliver greater industry efficiency in the development and use of guides, produce a more professional and linear format, as well as deliver an increased chance of standardized implementation across industry and geographies
The made-to-measure concept supports the need for client-specific content and presentation, yet supports the development of common content in a
common way, leaving even the most unique generated Guide Document extremely legible alongside the next.
As an example of precedence, this concept is already being leveraged in at least two (2) countries: buildingSMART Norway’s BIM Manual efforts and known activity through buildingSMART Korea. Both chapters have participants on this project team. The project does not necessarily have the goal to create another, similar tool if an existing tool can used to achieve the concept and project goals.
g) Copyright and Intellectual Property
A licensure letter and accompanying project prospectus document was identified as necessary to engage with document authors and authoring organization s on the subject of copyright. The goal of the project is to leverage existing content for mass consumption via a standardization process. It is imperative that authors maintain their IP over existing content. Therefore, a requirement within the project is to ensure that accurate referencing is enabled when content is re-used and that content authors understand and agree to how their content can provide benefit to industry adoption and the use of BIM.
h) Using the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) to Harmonize Terminology
The buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) stores concepts with associated definitions to house a common ontology for the building and construction industry [6]. The open international data dictionary is a service based on [the] IFD Standard (ISO 12006-3) which allows users, architects, engineers, consultants, owners and operators on one side and product manufacturers and suppliers on the other from all around the world to share and exchange essential product information [7] Although not the traditional use of the bSDD, the BIM Guides Project is currently exploring how the bSDD will be used to support this context.
i) ISO/TS 12911:2012 – Framework for Building Information Modelling (BIM) Guidance
ISO/TS 12911:2012 establishes a framework for providing specifications for the commissioning of building information modelling (BIM) [5] (Table 2) The design intent behind the technical specification is to deliver structured, computable and therefore testable requirements, including how these requirements cascade down the contractual chain. The contractibility and checking functionality is predicted to be the key to the next generation of the standard.
The concept is to provide a framework that stands above any guide, taking a generic view. It is more ambitous than just a table of contents. It is meant to be used to deliver documents small in size, aimed at one particular deliverable, with multiple documents put together into a handbook for any particular project. The clause layout makes them computable: 1. Applies; 2. Select; 3. Except; 4. Require.
Table 2: ISO/TS 12911 Framework Sections
Framework Section* Level of Responsibility Topic Description Application Example (UK)
Strategic Principals Outcomes (Outputs) Intended Deliverable from BIM
Employer Information Requirements (EIR)
Management Design Management Controls Management of BIM Project Execution Plan (PxP)
Implementation Design Team Inputs (Data) Operational Requirements Digital Plan of Work (DPoW)
*Table developed by author to harmonize content and verbal descriptions of content*
Under the three (3) framework sections, three (3) levels of guidance are to be established:
A. International
B. National or Regional
C. Project- or Facility-specific ISO/TS 12911 was not on the radar of any of the experts within the team when this project began. A goal within the project was to use the comparaitive analysis to inform a framework for BIM guidance at the international level. Currently, ISO/TS 12911 has been brought to the team’s attention as definition of said framework. The team continues to evaluate the applicability of ISO/TS 12911 to this body of work. Discussion includes accepting this body of work as a technical standard compared to the fundamental definition of what a guide is.
In addition to the challenges of copy right and standardization, relevancy is also an important concern. It is envisioned that by harnessing thirdparty application functionality and media, the project can continue to digest, and therefore retain and review, new BIM guidelines, standards and supporting documents in a consistent and reliable way. The project links to or has the potential to link to a hierarchy of resources as follows:
Primary Sources (the BIM Guidance Documents reviewed in the database);
Secondary Sources (supporting research, conference proceedings, and other sources of BIM discourse); and
Tertiary Media Sources (blog and social media posts from significant industry- and regionalleaders worldwide).
Third-party applications such as Evernote©, Pocket© and Instapaper © (amongst others) are being considered for their powerful “read-later” applications. Maintaining a library of the project content could be as simple as capturing one of its pages to carry over to the user chosen third party application.
Lastly, regardless of navigational ease within the XWiki platform itself, users should stumble across the project with relative ease from external access points. As the XWiki platform is maximized for common search engine parameters (ex. Google©), one external access point is already in place. It is planned to harness additional third-party applications such as reference managers (Mendeley©, RefWorks©, Zotero© etc.), peer-reviewed research databases (Google Scholar © , ScienceDirect© etc.) and social/researchmedia (ResearchGate©, Academia.edu©)
Harmonization of content (and concepts) when coupled with user consensus is a powerful tool to achieving standards and best practices that are authoritative, respected and used within industry practice. A single guide as a standard is unrealistic; instead there is great value potential to being able to coordinate and harmonize common content, as well as offer a tool available for creation of BIM guidance documentation based on standard terms and structure, with access to sample content referenced from existing sources and backed by the complexity of peer-review and comparative analysis. In doing so, a “standardized” approach can be taken to align all the various activities worldwide, producing meaningful results and recommendations
Within the construction and facilities industries, each client feels they do things differently. And they do – to a degree. However, doing things differently without attempting to identify commonalities and standard pieces does nothing to improve overall industry productivity. It is wasteful for practitioners to attempt to read and digest all the available material each time they wish to validate previous work accomplish ed. Likewise, it is unreasonable to expect those looking for guidelines for a specific purpose to adopt an existing document without assessing its suitability relative to ‘what is out there’.
Continued alignment to existing research cells, terminology groups and educational curriculum development helps to broaden the project’s reach and refine its implementation. Some of the broader advantages to the project are identified as such:
This project is a way of building up standard parts and best practices based on industry use and acceptance. However, it also serves to highlight BIM as a process. The purpose of guides is to direct and inform the end-user on tasks, deliverables, processes and practices. Through review of guide conten t and then building a purpose-specific guide, BIM as a process is visible
Client-specific needs are further supported by engaging directly with authoring organizations It is expected that this project will help to raise awareness, provide an educational role via guided resources, and be a guide or best practice itself for organizational and industry uptake and standardization around BIM terms, concepts, processes and frameworks.
It must be explicitly recognized that each client has specific needs. By providing consistency of framework, processes, concepts and definitions, the client is free to tailor their guide to their needs in a standardized way. As the project develops and we are better able to gauge industry uptake, there will be further opportunity to determine where specific value is being achieved (or not) and develop additional functionality accordingly.
Authors and authoring organizations in support of this project can expect the following benefits:
added visibility for their organization ;
significantly less labor -intensive guide(s) publication ;
contribution to and h armonization of content across BIM guides globally, including terms and definitions;
contribution to standards development; and
support for BIM adoption and standardized practice within the organization and industry at large
A guidance document has to be user -friendly; easy to understand, use, and apply A certain level of standardization as outlined in this project can help to produce guides that are more user -friendly and consistent Users typically have to follow a different BIM guide for every different client or even project. Having guides that follow a standardized structure, employ the same definition of terms, and built off of validated content would aid in the consistant delivery and quality of BIM deliverables across the board.
The project team has discussed and agreed that under the banner of buildingSMART International, “the home of open BIM”, showcasing the use of open
standard end-deliverables should take precedence to proprietary- focused guides. Whereas there is value in BIM guides with proprietary deliverables outlining important process changes and collaboration methods, there is also a need to recognize milestone versus final project deliverables in terms of open standards. It’s not always a clean cut, and it’s important to recognize that disparity continues to exist around the world on the functionality and usabilit y of Industry Foundation Class (IFC) deliverables without also including the originating platform files. Certainly, highlighting the uses of IFC as the final deliverable is needed to dispel the myth that IFC and open standards don’t work.
This project has been developed out of the work started in the US-NBIMS Planning Committee (Chris Moor, Former Chair of NBIMS), and specifically within the Product Development Subcommittee (Susan Keenliside, Former Chair of NBIMS-PDS), supported by Deke Smith (Former Executive Director, buildingSMART Alliance). The NBIMSPDS had already begun to do reviews using the template approach, and it was within the PDS that this work was recommended to be elevated to the bSI forum for international participation. The Process Room group adopted the methodology used by the NBIMS-PDS and agreement was made to move ahead with the guideline reviews and create a wiki to support it at the buildingSMART International Technical Summit Process Room meetings in Munich, Germany, in October 2013, and taken on by Sylvain Marie (VTREEM.com, France)
The current bSI BIM Guide Project team includes (alphabetical order by first name) Deke Smith (United States), Ghang Lee (Republic of Korea), Jan Karlshoej (Denmark), Mark Baldwin (Switzerland), Megan Beange (Canada) Neil Greenstreet (Australia), Nick Nisbet (United Kingdom), Steen Sunesen (Norway), Susan Keenliside (Canada), Sylvain Marie (France), and Tomi Henttinen (Finland).
Thanks to the NBIMS-US PDS members that contributed to the original project: Alan Redmond, Andrew Baranowski, Andy Smith, Chris Moor, Dominique Fernandez, Igor Starkov, Jason Reece, Jeffrey Ouellette, John Grady, John Messner and Monte Chapin.
Special thanks to those who participated independently or as past-members of the team: Ingo Kittel, and Zeynep Aydin.
[1] bSI BIM Guides Project Team, “Welcome to the BIM Guides Project (Home Page),” 2014. [Online]. Available: http://bimguides.vtreem.com/bin/view/Main/. [Accessed: 28-Jan -2015].
[2] FIATECH, “The Autocodes Project,” University of Texas at Austin, 2013. [Online]. Available: http://fiatech.org/the-autocodes-project. [Accessed: 14-Jul-2015].
[3] B. Succar, “Building Information Modelling : Conceptual Constructs and Performance Improvement Tools,” University of Newcastle, 2013.
[4] M. Kassem, B. Succar, and N. Dawood, “A proposed approach to comparing the BIM maturity of countries,” in CIB W78 2013: 30th International Conference , 2013.
[5] International Standards Organization, “Standards,” 2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards.htm. [Accessed: 12-Feb-2015].
[6] BuildingSMART International Ltd., “buildingSMART Data Dictionary,” 2014. [Online]. Available: http://bsdd.buildingsmart.org/. [Accessed: 27Jan-2015].
[7] BuildingSMART International Ltd., “Data Dictionary Services,” 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.buildingsmart.org/standards/standard s-library-tools-services/data-dictionary-services/. [Accessed: 27-Jan -2015].
1
Moore BIM Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.2&3School of Real Estate and Economics, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
E-mail: 1ro b@moorebim.com, 2barr ymcaule y@gmail.com and 3alan.ho re@dit.ie
Abstract The move from traditional 2 D Co mpute r Aided De sign (CAD) practices towards B uilding Infor mati on Modelling (B IM ) has witnesse d some practices trying to adopt and update their own in-house CAD standards. These standards are wholly inadequate for working in a collaborative B IM environment and mean that they repetitively create and recreate local, non-reusable, non-interoperable solutions t o the sa me proble ms, which leads to the e mployees potentially having to learn a new collaborative process every time th ey have to work with a new project team.
Collaborative standards help tea ms produce infor matio n through a standardise d process, so as t o ensure the sa me for m and quality to enable infor mation t o be used and reuse d without change or interpret ation. These standards per mit commo n ways of creating, storing, and accessing, excha nging and communicating built asset infor mation. This allows the supply chain to organise itself around defined roles and f urt her per mit s diverse project tea ms t o have a mutual under standing and trust with each other. This can therefore result in improve me nt across the board that include better teamwork, better scheduling, better risk manage me nt and better costs control.
This paper will present the case for companies t o move from e xisting in-house CAD Standards towards more rewarding collaborative Industry standards. The data colla tion met hodol ogy included an in-depth questionnaire that investigated the practice of using inhouse standards. The re sults have indicated that a more robust direction is to adopt a n industry standard in order t o ensure a more rewarding BIM process.
Keywords Buildin g in for mation modellin g, BIM Collabor ation Stan dards,
Th e AEC in dustr y is in th e midst of ch ange with th e adoption of BIM with in th e sector Compan ies that used to wor k in isolation n ow fin d th emselves wor kin g as par t of pr oject teams Th is new meth od of wor kin g r equires them to sh ar e large amounts of in for mation. To do this efficien tly th ey r equire a str uctur ed process for collabor ation. In -h ouse propr ietar y stan dards, alth ough they migh t for m par t of an I SO 9001 cer tification , ar e n o mor e than documen ted practices an d ar e un suitable for wor kin g collabor atively, a s di ffer en t compan ies will ha ve th eir own wa ys of wor king
Ph ilp (2014) has stated that UK BIM h as been on th e move in th e pr evious 12 mon ths, and th e ‘wh at’ and th e ‘wh y’ o f BIM have largely been r elegated an d r eplaced with th e ‘h ow’; th e a uth or s
believe th is ‘h ow’ n eed s to be for malised in to in dustr y stan dards [1]
Wor king to an industr y standar d seems to be th e most obvious wa y of compan ies a voidin g con tin uousl y ch an ging th e wa y th ey wor k for ever y pr oject th ey par ticipate in , but th e in dustr y seem slow to adopt th ese stand ards. Structur in g th is in for mation in a stan dar d for m will pr omote cer tain ty, quality an d trust with in th e project team
Collabor ative stan dards seek to h elp teams produce in for mation using standardised processes an d agr eed stan dards an d meth ods, to en sur e th e same for m and quality, en ablin g in for mation to be used an d r eused with out change or in terpr etation Colla bor ative stan dards r equire mutual under standin g an d tr ust
with in th e tea m an d a standardised pr ocess, if th e in for mation is to be pr oduced an d deliver ed in a consistent an d timely mann er Th e advantage of th is wa y of wor kin g in clude fewer delays a n d disputes with in th e team, better mana gemen t of project r isk an d better un der standin g of wh er e costs ar e bein g in curr ed [2].
BIM invol ves th e use of a set of process stan dards to provide a common wa y of cr eating, stor ing, accessing, exchangin g and commun icatin g built asset in for mation [3]. Pr ocess stan dards ar e associated with th e meth od an d organ isation of production activities In pr econstr uction practice for instan ce, process stan dards migh t r efer to th e str uctur ed wa ys of in ter action bet ween profession als involved in th e cr eation, storage and exchan ge of construction in for ma tion [ 4] BIM pr ocess stan dards ar e in cr easingly in fluen cin g and shapin g th e construction process. Such ch ange in th e process of construction could be ben eficial to ach ievin g efficien cies in con struct ion an d improve qua lity
Appropr iately dr afted sch ed ules of ser vice, BIM prot ocols, togeth er wi th wider adoption of existin g stan dards will provide a suppor t in fr astr uctur e to both pull an d push b y en abli n g th e construction client to clear ly an d consistently de fin e r equir ements wh ilst allowin g th e supply ch ain to organ ise itself around well-d efin ed roles [ 5]. Good stan dards provide clear r equir emen ts that set min imum con for mity sp ecifi cation s and strike th e r ight balan ce bet ween too man y an d too fe w var ieties. Wh ilst standards often defin e min imu m r equir ements, products ma y often exceed th ese r equir ements and offer enhan ced levels of per for man ce [6].
Th e transition fr om traditional draftin g to 3 D modellin g will r equire soft war e, train in g, and har d war e but effective use of BIM r equires th at ch anges be made to almost e ver y aspect o f a fir m’s busin ess [7] Process stan dards will r educe th e time an d cost of th ese ch an ges, as process stan dards ar e associated with th e meth od and organ isation of production activities [4] Standards n eed to be seen to be used b y th e top fir ms and sh ould ha ve suppor t fr om clients, in dustr y bodies an d governmen ts [8] Ho war d & Björ k believe th at stan dards d evelop men t sh ould be by exper ts fr om th e constr uction industr y [8].
In th e NBS BIM r epor t on ly 24% agr eed that th e curr en t level of standardisation is r ight, suggestin g that th e con str uction industr y n eeds to implemen t a gr eater degr ee of stan dardisation for BIM adoption to be successful [6] It appear s that th e in dustr y could ben efit fr om a clear set of guidelines
outlinin g an effective strateg y an d meth odolog y o f implemen tin g BIM at th e organisational level [ 9].
Stan dards facilitate collabor ation between tea ms involved in con str uction practice. BIM process stan dards allow en gin eer s to in tegrate in for mation to cr eate a single 3D digital object [4]; Howar d & Björ k believe stan dards ar e cr itical wh en commun ication is bet ween differ ent speciali sts, in terna tionally a n d over lon g per iods takes place, as diver se and chan gin g project tea ms depen d upon stan dards [8]
NBIMS-US discuss h ow th e danger of poor stan dards in collabor ation could lead to in dividuals in busin ess and in dividual project teams con tin uin g to r epetitivel y cr eate an d r e-cr eate local, n onr eusable, n on -interoper able solution s to th e same problems Bu sin esses will con tinue to take lon ger th an n ecessar y to get to mar ket with n ew products an d ser vices because it will take far lon ger tha n n ecessar y for par ties collabor ating on a project to shar e th eir ideas an d communicate specific r esults [10]
Con str uction pr ojects ar e becomin g in cr easin gly complicated in natur e, r equir ing mor e specialist disciplin e input, r esulting in a much gr eater volume of techn ical in for mation , wh ich in turn n eeds to be coordin ated an d kept up to date and r elevan t through th e life c ycl e of a pr oject. In such con texts con ven tion al project filin g systems an d in for mation wor k -flows ar e becomin g un manageable an d th er e appear s to be a n eed for user -fr ien dly pr actice guidelin es to supplemen t existin g standards [11].
Th e h ear t of BIM is in for mation Th e exten t to wh ich th e in for mation in a model is accur ate, con tent rich an d stan dardised r elates exactl y to h ow useful th e mod el will, or will n ot, be [ 6]. BIM process stan dards ar e used to str uctur e in for mationshar in g activities Empirical eviden ce suggests that BIM pr ocess stan dards enhan ce in ter active learn ing processes because th ey fa cilitate in terna l and external interaction s with sour ces of kn owledge [ 4].
Br itish Stan dards Institution (BSI) state that stan dards en cour age standardisation an d ar e focused on th e production , exchan ge and use of in for mation as a mean s of deliver in g impr oved per for man ce across th e wh ole life o f a building. Vast amoun ts of in for mation ar e cr eated durin g th e construction phase but much is lost or wa sted Th e in dustr y n eed s to safeguar d again st in formation loss an d start managin g and analysin g in for mation digitally BIM is n ot ar ch itect ur e, it is data management. By standardising th e in for mation with in objects, th ey can be compar ed an d an appropr iate selection for th e pr oject made [5].
BSI states th at th e ben efits of usin g standards can in clude fewer dela ys an d disputes with in th e team, better management of pr oject r isk and better un der stan ding of wh er e costs ar e bein g in curr ed Lookin g at th e ben efit of just implemen tin g stan dards, a National In stitute of Stan dards an d Techn olog y (NIST ) r epor t suggests th at 2% gr eater efficien cy could be ach ieved immediatel y an d 10% after a few c ycles [2] [12]. Th e gr eatest ben efit fr om BIM would accr ue o ver th e lifetime of th e buildin g [8]
Kh osr owsh ahi an d Ara yici believe th e Nation al CAD Stan dar d (NCS) Ver sion 4.0 will fur th er str ea mlin e communication amon g stakeh older s, th ey believe th is improved commun ica tion through this stan dar d is in ten ded to r educe error s an d lower cost s for all disciplin es [13].
Th e Br itish Governmen t believes th at level 2 BIM, wh ich is collabor ative BIM based on th e stan dar d PAS 1192-2, will a ddr ess th e problem of in for mation that is inaccur ate, in complete an d a mbiguous, wh ich r esults in unn ecessar y additional capital deliver y costs a moun ting to 20 –25% [2]. NBIMS-US state that with out stan dards mor e error s an d omission s than n ecessar y will be in corpor ated in to design s on ly to be discover ed dur in g construction, wh er e th ey ar e ver y costl y to corr ect. A Stan dar d Framewor k an d Guide to BS 1192 also sh ows that inaccur ate, in comp lete an d ambiguous production in for mation causes ma n y probl ems on site. Th e impacts on th e project ar e late deliver y a n d in cr eased cost, but th ey estimate h igh er than PAS 1192-2, with th e amount to be approximatel y 25 –30% of th e constr uction costs [3]
Th e main ben eficiar y of stand ards is th e client, follo wed b y th e facility manager s, but all in th e suppl y chain could ben efit [8] Constr uction projects ar e costing too much an d taking too l on g as a consequen ce of unn ecessar y omission s an d error s in pr oject documentation and sub-optimal coordination of design in for ma tion bet ween con sultant disciplin es, th ese issues can be addr essed b y process stan dards to improve th e project documen tation [11]
A lack of tr ust in th e in for mation mean s tha t quantity sur ve yor s/cost plann er s common ly use tradition al quantification meth ods, rath er than th e automated quantities capabilities of BIM models due to con cern s over th e accur acy o f th e in for mation in th e model [14]. Th e mistr ust is also descr ibed by NBS, wh er e th ey state that ever y time a differ ent pr actice applies th eir own ‘stan dard’ to th e upstream data, th ey ha ve to start aga in with tr ust of th e model, an d often it is th is that dr ives th e beh aviour s of th e QS pr actition er towards th e tr aditional paper-based outputs [6].
BIM models r equire th e in put of va st amoun ts of complex in for mation fr om a wide r ange of project
participan ts Th e quality, c ompr eh en siven ess and accur acy o f th is in for mation ar e cr ucial to th e successful use of th e mod el. Smith states that r esear ch has sh own that on e of th e major con cern s with BIM mod els is th e quality of th e model, an d if parties do n ot tr ust th e in for mation in th e model th en it has con sequen ces [13].
Maradza et al. state tha t par ticipants complain ed that clien ts wer e in con sisten t, resistan t to embr acin g BIM pr ocess stan dards and th ey ten ded to use th eir own process stan dards. Th is meant that th e fir m's emplo yees h ad to for get an d learn an ew each time th ey h ad to interact with a differ en t clien t. This limited th e fir m's ability to expl oit user and producer r elations This r eveals a deeper pr oblem wh ich stems fr om a limited un der stan din g of stan dards Even th ough th e fir m through th e BIM man ager con tributes to In dustr y stan dards, implementation in pr ojects is slow due to r esistan ce fr om project manager s This could also explain th e lack of consisten cy in th e implemen tation approach consider ed by th e wh ole fir m As a r esult, it ma y be impossible for th e stan dard to be full y exploited to suppor t interactive learn ing [4 ]
Th e application of stan dards is depen dent on man y often poor l y un der stood or ar ticulated factor s Th e matur ity model is used to iden tify wh er e stan dards and associated tools an d guides ar e applied to devel op a coh er en t solution to in for m th e deliver y process [5] Stan dards ar e gen er ally suppor ted but n ot applied rigorously Th ey ar e n ominally suppor ted; n o on e is a gainst th em but few appl y th em compr eh en sivel y. Officia l en dor sement, pr efer ably b y I SO, can give wide r ecogn ition [ 8].
Th e lack of compa tible systems, stan dards and protocols, an d th e differ ing r equir ements of clien ts an d lead design er s, has inh ibited widespr ead adoption of a techn ology in constr uction projects [15] Devel opin g un iver sal stan dards is essential for th e con str uction in dustr y An y ICT stan dards must en sur e collabor ation an d continuin g commitment a mon g th e par ticipants. E ffective management an d admin istration of th e ICT standar d roll -out is also n ecessar y for mar ketin g and for spr eadin g in for mation , so tha t th e standards become widel y kn own and accepted in th e in dustr y. Hor e an d West also state that th e ultimate goal is n ot on ly to h a ve ICT standards in place, but also to provide th e impetus to en sur e that as man y stakeh older s as possi ble use th em Ho w th is might be ach ieved is also par t of th e pr oject an d its success will be judged by th e exten t of th e adoption of th e stan dar d by th e in dustr y [16]
Th e auth or s found th at advan tages o f usin g process stan dards ar e man y but th er e is limited eviden ce of th ese in case studies. Th e liter atur e r eview sh ows th at standards facilita te collabor ation between tea ms an d allow for a mor e integrated team, with better pr oject execution , with impr oved management of pr oject r isk an d costs. Th e in for mation is cr itical to th e process stan dard; if th is in for mation is n ot stan dardised it can ca use tr ust issues
Th e auth or s’ pr imar y data collation meth odolog y involved mixed meth ods appr oach of both quantitative and q ualitative data collection techn iques. Th e two meth ods of in for mation gath er in g wer e:
1. In for ma l semi -structur ed focused in terviews: Question s wer e flexible an d open en ded, allowin g for a mor e complex r esponse with th e goal bein g to extract th eir tacit kn owledge on th is subject. A diver se selecti on of interviewees wer e ch osen th at in cluded r epr esen tatives fr om in terna tional an d domestic based profession als
2 On lin e question nair e with convenien ce sa mplin g: Th e questionnair e question s wer e develop ed fr om th e literar y r evi ew a nd th e r esponses fr om th e semi-str uctur ed explor ator y in terviews. As th e r esear ch wa s on internationa l stan dards it was felt th at a large con ven ien ce sa mple of r espon den ts with BIM exper ien ce wa s r equired In vites to th e questionnaire wer e publish ed on con str uction ind ustr y groups with BIM kn owled ge on th e social media sit e LinkedIn
Th e r esponses wer e triangulated th e auth or s develop ed an in tellect ual discussion of th e data through a h olistic approach of triangulatin g th e data fr om th e literatur e r eview, an d th e pr imar y r esear ch. This en abled th e testin g of r elation sh ips with data syn th esis to produce mor e in sigh tful secon dar y tren ds
Thr ee face-to-face semi-structur ed explorator y in terviews wer e con ducted to acquire a better kn owled ge of stan dards, in particular PAS 1192 -2 Th e appr oach wa s to ask two broad question s on stan dards an d PAS 1192, with ‘Wh at’ or ‘Wh y ’ subquestion s to obtain furth er detail [1 7]. Th e r esulting discussion was distilled in to two topics r elevant to th is paper, wh ich ar e summar ised in th e n ext sections.
Th e inter viewees wer e ch osen for th eir vast exper ien ce with BIM, in terviewee 1 is a lead project in for mation mana ger at a large inter national construction compan y His exper ien ce in cluded wor king on projects in both Australia and th e UK an d also h elpin g fir ms implement BIM meth odol ogies. In ter viewee 2 was a managin g partn er of an Ir ish ar ch itect ural BIM design h ouse th at provides ma naged BIM producti on , suppor t an d trainin g ser vices, th is pr actise h as been leading th e develop men t an d adoption of BIM in Ir elan d sin ce 2009. He is also th e chair man of th e RI AI pr actice committee for BI M, an d coor dinator of th e Con str uction IT Allian ce (CITA) BIM Group
Inter viewee 3 is th e director of BIM EMEA (Europe, th e Middle East an d Africa) at a large in ter national construction compan y a nd secon ded to th e Cabin et Office's E fficien c y a nd Refor m Group, wh er e h e is h ead of BIM implemen tation He is also Ch air of th e UK BIM Task Group, BIM2050 an d var ious BIM steer in g group s.
Inter viewee 1 warn ed that “stan dards ar e bor n e of malpractice” an d “a stan dar d sh ould on l y r epr esent th e lowest level of wh at’s r equired.” He added about th e danger of compan ies “in tegr atin g stan dards and n ot lettin g an ybod y kn o w wh er e differ en ces ar e” will cause do wn stream probl ems. He ela bor ated” it’s much wiser just to sta y transpar en t about it, even fr om an in ternal managemen t poin t of vi ew.”
Inter viewee 2 commen ted that compan ies “all come up with th eir own standard Wh at is n eeded is an in dustr y stan dard.” an d states th at compan ies “th ink th ey h a ve a stan dard of th eir own ,… if th ey ar e th e on ly on es usin g it it’s n ot a stan dar d ” Inter viewee added if “a stan dar d is based on consen sus…. that’s a standar d practice or a common pr actice by d efinition.” In ter viewee 3 believes that “ever ybod y with in th e sup ply ch ain sh ould be wor kin g to th e same standards.”
It is con sisten t through out th e inter views that ever yon e in th e in dustr y n eeds to be usin g an d adh erin g to th e sa me standar d Inter viewee 1 feels th at stan dards ar e th er e to stop people g oin g wron g an d th ey on l y n eed to specify min imu m r equir ements Interviewee 1 warn s of th e risk of merging industr y stan dard s into in -h ouse stan dards an d Inter viewee 2 also iden tifies that in -h ouse stan dards ar e n ot th e direction for th e industr y He believes th e in dustr y sh ould star t using common stan dards, an d that a univer sal standar d automaticall y strength en s th e stan dar d Inter viewee 2 believed th at an in dustr y stan dar d is n eeded, n ot use of in -h ouse standards
Inter viewee 1 stated th at “ultimatel y con sisten cy gives r ise to pr edictability, to transpar en cy to some degr ee, and if th er e ar e two th ings that ever y clien t wan ts on an y given project its cer tain ty a n d transpar en cy”. He stated th at “if you can make someth in g mor e pr edictable, make it mor e cer tain, th en that makes for a better r esult.”
On th e gen eral question on stan da rds Inter viewee 2 states th ey br in g “consisten cy, with a quality approach , so people kn ow wh at to expe ct, guidan ce and quality of infor mation an d, fina ll y, better un der stan din g.” He believed that “if you don ’t have con sisten cy you h ave confusion a nd misun der standin g, you have disputes an d proble ms.”
Inter viewee 2 stated tha t companies wa nt consisten cy, th ey wa nt a clear level of u nd e rst an di n g of wh at ha s to be provided an d wh en. Inter viewee 3 also stated that standards give con sisten cy o f approach , wh ich h e th in ks it is ver y impor tant that ever y compa n y is follo win g th e same process, a n d believes it h elps to take th e wa ste out of th e process
It is quite clear from all th e interviewees that consisten cy is wh at is wanted an d n eeded from a stan dard Inter viewee 1 an d In ter viewee 2 l ook for better outcomes by r eferr in g to better r esults an d r educed disputes and problems. In terviewee 1 wan ted pr edictability, tran spar en cy an d cer tain ty; Inter viewee 2 similar ly wan ted guidan ce, quality an d better un der stan din g of th e infor mation
Th e questionnair e con sisted of 10 questions, wh ich wa s piloted to 7 ind ustr y/academic collea gues. After th e pilot stud y wa s completed th e questionnair e was th en distributed on LinkedIn Th e purpose of th e sur ve y wa s to in vestigate industr y stan dards and th eir internation al con text, with data gath er ed on compan y l ocation s, typ es and mar kets Th er e wer e 140 internationa l r espon dents. Th e data was collected usin g google for ms and collated in excel with th e output graph s cr eated using pivot ch ar ts Th e followin g data ha s been extracted fr om th e questionnair e r esults to best suit th e subject of th is paper
i) Question 1: What sector of the construction industry do you work in?
Th e r esults sh ow a balan ced distribution of th e AE C sect or but th er e wa s a l ow r esponse for th e FM sect or
Fig 1: Wh at sector of th e constr uction in dustr y d o you wor k in ?
ii) Question 2: Currently wh at level of BIM is your company at?
Th e purpose of th is question wa s to investigate th e r espon den t’s BIM Maturity Level , as defin ed b y th e BIW Group [13], Fig 2 sh ows that 87% of th e sa mple h a ve in dicated that they ar e level 1 an d above With 16% state th ey a r e oper ating at level 3 but th is figur e is optimistic considerin g Level 3 BIM has on ly been r ecen tl y detailed in th e UK.
Fig. 2: Curr en tly wh at level of BIM is your compan y at?
iii) Question 3: What is the current Industry standard based on in your company?
This question asked th e r espon den ts to iden tify th e in dustr y stan dar d th at they a r e curr en tly appl yin g Th e r espon dents h ad a ch oice of var ious stan dards th at ar e available fr om aroun d th e wor ld and also had th e option to add a r esponse un der th e ‘Oth er ’ categor y. Responses un der ‘Oth er ’ wer e r eviewed an d filter ed to th eir most suitable r esponse.
Fig 3 sh ow th e r esults for on ly th e r espon den ts th at in dicated th ey ar e BIM Matur ity Level 1 and above i.e. that ar e r equired to be usin g an in dustr y stan dard. A large number, 48% of r espon dents in dicated that th ey use n o or ‘n on -stan dard’ industr y stan dards, e g ‘In House’ , th ese stan dards ar e in adequate for th em to ach ieve BIM Matur ity Level 1 and above.
Fig 4: In terms of in for mation, wh at ar eas ha ve been improved th rough In dustr y stan dards in your compan y? 1 Str ongly disagr ee, 2 Disagr ee, 3 Neith er /n or, 4 Agr ee an d 5 Str ongly Agr ee (Respon dent s that use an in dustr y standards)
Fig 3: Wh at is th e curr ent in dustr y stan dar d based on in your compan y?
v) Question 4: In terms of information, what areas have been improved through industry standards in your company?
Th e final question on th e q uestionnair e looked for th e r espon den t’s opinion on h ow in for mation is affected wh en in dustr y stan dards ar e applied with in a compan y. Th e r esults wer e then filter ed to r espon dents wh o ha ve in dicat ed th ey h ad adopted an in dustr y stan dard, as r epr esen ted in Fig 4 and Fig 5
Fig 5 excluded “Do n ot ha ve a BIM stan dard ”, “Pr evious CAD stan dards” and “In -h ouse stan dards”. This clear ly sh ows th at r espon den ts that use an ind ustr y stan dar d believed tha t th ey get better outcomes wh en using a stan dard.
It is eviden t in Fig 4 an d Fig 5 n ear ly all of th e same items appear for user s th at do n ot use in dustr y stan dards but in a differ en t order.
Alth ough th e question in Fig. 5 directl y r efer en ces in dustr y stan dards, r espon den ts that an swer ed th ey d o n ot use an industr y stan dar d also r espon ded h igh for some of th e elements Th e auth or s believe th is in dica tes that r espon den ts believed tha t in dustr y stan dards will improve in for mation even th ough th ey do n ot use th em.
Fig 5: In terms of in for mation, wh at ar eas ha ve been improved th rough In dustr y stan dards in your compan y? 1 Str ongly disagr ee, 2 Disagr ee, 3 Neith er /n or, 4 Agr ee an d 5 Str ongly Agr ee (Respon dent s that used n o ind ustr y stan dards)
To add rigour to th e r esear ch a final inter view wa s un dertaken with an Ir ish ind ustr y exper t wor king in th e BIM en vir onment. This was a str uctur ed in terview based on statements fr om th e fin dings fr om th e questionn air e and the inter views Inter viewee 4 is th e BIM ma nager for a large Ir ish con tractor. He has extensive exper ien ce in managin g large BIM pr ojects an d has been at th e for efron t of BIM in Ir elan d for sever al year s
Ho war d & Björ k state that standards ar e gen er all y suppor ted but n ot applied r igorousl y [8] This is sh own clear ly in th e questionn air e with on ly ha lf th e in dustr y applyin g standards an d with stan dards sh own to improve in for ma tion in all ar eas; even r espon dents wh o do n ot use a stan dar d r espon ded th at in for mation would be improved
Inter viewee 2 discuss h ow c ompa nies “h ave a stan dar d of th eir own” and r efer s that “if th ey ar e th e on ly on es usin g it it’s n ot a stan dard” Maradza et al. [4] state that clients wer e r esistan t to embr acin g BIM process stan dards an d th ey ten ded to use th eir own process stan dards This meant that th e fir m's emplo yees h ad to r eadjust th eir wa ys of wor kin g for ever y n ew client. NBIMS- US [10] state that poor stan dards in collabor ation could lead to in dividuals in busin ess and individua l project teams con tin uin g to r epetitivel y cr eate a n d r e-cr eate local, n onr eusable, n on -interoper able solution s to th e same problems
Inter viewee 2 believed th at an in dustr y stan dard is n eeded This call for th e use of stan dards wa s n ot eviden t in th e r esults of th e sur vey wh er e on ly 52% of th e industr y tha t is level 1 and above ar e usin g stan dards Inter viewee 4 add ed that inh ouse stan dards ar e n ot standards and won der s if companies r ealise th e ben efits of oper atin g with in an in dustr y stan dard
Inter viewee 1 stated th at “a standar d sh ould on ly r epr esen t th e lowest level of wh at’s r equired.” This is ech oed with NBS, wh o believe th at good stan dards provide clear r equir emen ts that set min imum con for mity speci fication s [6].
Inter viewee 3 believed th at “ever ybod y with in th e supply ch ain sh ould be workin g to th e same stan dards.” with Ho war d & Björ k believin g that all in th e suppl y ch ain could ben efit [8] Th is was fur th er ech oed b y BIW Group wh o state that good stan dards allows th e suppl y ch ain to organise itself better [5]
Th e top 5 value add ed ar eas in th e Questionnair e wer e in vestigated fur th er ; ‘Clarity’ , ‘Quality’ , ‘Accur acy’ , ‘Con sisten cy’ , “interoper ability”, with ‘Inte rope ra b ilit y ’ scor in g th e h ighest
Clarity is r eferr ed to in NBIMS [10] an d Smith [13] Inter viewee 4 str on gly agr eed with th is and lin ks it with accur acy, stating, “it is ach ieved to a high stan dard in” th e UK BIM in dustr y stan dard Quality wa s stated b y Mar adza et al. [ 4] and NBS [6] It wa s also stated in th e inter views b y Inter viewee 2 In ter viewee 4 fir mly a gr eed that a stan dar d allows a QAQC (Quality Assuran ce an d Quality Contr ol) procedur e.
Accuracy was stated to h elp with tr ust b y Smith [14], BSI [2] an d NBS [6]. Inter viewee 4 believed th is is “par ticular ly true in” th e UK BIM in dustr y stan dard
Con sisten cy was th e favour ite r esponse b y th e in terviewees for wh at standards achieve, with all thr ee statin g th is as th e most impor tant item in a stan dar d an d is r efer en ced in NBIMS. In ter viewee 4 agr ees emphatica lly, statin g “stan dards equals consisten cy.”
Interoper ability was also iden tified by NBIMSUS [10] an d Howar d and Björ k [ 8] Inter viewee 4 fir mly a gr eed with in teroper ability
It is clear tha t in dustr y stan dards will improve in for mation and ar e to th e companies’ advantage, as th ey will save time, r educe disputes an d improve pr oject outcomes. In for ma tion wh en produced with stan dar ds will be r eadil y available, r eusable, sear ch able an d interoper able Th e industr y is in agr eemen t with th is, as th e questionn air e h as highligh ted that all r espon den ts, even if th ey d o n ot use an in dustr y stan dard, un der stan d that in for mation will impr ove.
Ho we ver th e in dustr y is still not adoptin g th ese stan dards, as evident fr om th e primar y r esear ch If companies fail to move from in -h ouse standards, wh ich ar e n ow provin g inadequate for wor kin g collabor atively, th is ma y r esult in fur th er un cer tain ty an d r en der th em un competitive in th e n ew tea m cen tric constr uction projects
R E FE R E NC E S
[1] David Ph ilp (201 4) BIM Sh ow Li ve Con fer en ce 2014, Openin g addr ess, Man ch ester, UK.
[2] BSI (2013) PAS 1192 -2:2013 In cor por ating Corrigen d um No 1 Specification for in for mation man agement for th e capital/deliver y p h ase of con str uction projects using buildin g in for mation modellin g, BSI Group, Lon don
[3] BSI (2010) A Stan dar d Framewor k and Guide to BS 1192, BSI Group, Lon don
[4] Maradza, E, Wh yte, J an d Lar sen, G D (201 4) Interactive learnin g in UK constr uction pr actice: examin in g th e role of BIM process stan dards. In: Raiden, A (Ed.) and Aboag yeNimo, E (Ed ), Proceedings 30th Ann ual ARCOM Con fer en ce, 1-3 September 2014, Por tsmouth, UK, Association of Resear ch er s in Con str uction Management, 613 –22.
[5] BIW Group (2011). A Repor t for th e Govern men t Con str uction Clien t Group
Buildin g In for mation Modellin g (BIM) Wor king Par ty Strategy Paper 2011
[6] NBS (2014) National BIM Repor t, NBS.
[7] Eastman , C., Teich olz, P., Sa cks, R and Liston, K. (2011) BIM Han dbook: A Guide to BIM for Own er s, Manager s, Design er s, Engin eer s an d Con tractor s, 2n d edn , John Wiley an d Son s, New Jer se y.
[8] Ho ward, R., an d Björ k, B -C (2008) Building In for ma tion Modellin g – Experts’ views on Standardisation an d In dustr y Deplo ymen t, Ad van ced En gin eer ing In for matics, 22(2), 271280
[9] Bernstein, P. G., & Pittman, J. H. (2004). Barrier s to th e adoption of buildin g in for mation modelin g in th e building industr y. Autodesk buildin g solution s
[10] NBIMS-US(2014)V2
http://www nationa lbimstan dard org/
[11] Hooper, M , and Ekh olm, A (2010) A Pilot Stud y: To wards BIM Integration - An An alysis of Design In for mation Exchange & Coordination . Paper pr esen ted at th e CIB W78 2010, Cairo, 16 November 2010
[12] NIST (2004) Cost An alysis of I n adequate Interoper ability in th e U.S. Capital Facilities In dustr y, Nation al In stitute of Stan dards and Techn olog y.
[13] Kh osr owsh ahi, F., an d Ara yici, Y (2012) Road map for I mplemen tation of BIM in th e UK Con str uction In dustr y, E n gin eer in g, Con str uction an d Ar ch itect ur al Managemen t, 19(6), 610-635
[14] Smith, P (2014) BIM Imp lemen tation –Global Strategies, Procedia Engin eer ing, 85, 482-492
[15] CITA (2012) BIM Repor t 2012, CITA, Dublin
[16] Hor e, A V and West, R P (2008) CITAX: A Collabor ative ICT standards model for th e Irish construction in dustr y, 25th CIBW78 Con fer en ce, I mproving th e Man agement of Con str uction Pr ojects th rough IT Adoption, San tiago, Chile, 15th -17th July, Edited b y Risch moller, L., CRC Pr ess, Flor ida.
[17] Cr eswell, J (1994) Resear ch Design : Qualitative an d Quan titative Approach Sage, Th ousand Oaks, CA , CA
P io t r Nabzdyk Architekt (PNA) Poz n ań , Wielkopolska Pro vince, Po land
E-mail: 1off ice@pn a rc h .pl
Abstract The resea rc h objectives of this pa per a re t o prove that para me ters used b y creation of component with the use of BIM application, return the series of pro po rti o nally the same compon ent types wh ose ph ysical attributes depend on mathe matical for mulae (the more for mulae entered the higher the control of the component is)
The research meth odol og y con sists of two main pa r ts T he first one c o nce rns the c re ati o n of the sin gle window with assigned para me ters t o its ph ysical di men sion s The chan ge of para meters c reates the un ique component type. The second one co nce rns the c reating of t he dependencies bet ween para me ter s to obtain the ove rall control of creation of c ompo ne nt types The proportions of th ese can rely on mathe matical for mulae (e.g.: φ (golden ratio) = (a+b) : a = a : b) Once their ph ysical feature s a re bound with each other (with one indepe ndent para me ter left), they can chan ge pro port i onally.
Based on the results obtained, e.g the series of comp on ent types of the particular family, in which most of defined ph ysical features depen d on one indepe ndent value, one can ado pt similar approach towards creation of any mutually and propor tionally binded co mpo ne nts.
Mathe matical for mulae allow for in -depth re search of the depen dences bet w een pa r ticular pa ra me terized values (ph ysical dimen sion s) of any componen t That allows for creating a series of comp on ent types in prec is ely de scribed sh apes and propor tions bo und with the para me ters with n o need to model each type separately The results obtained prove this meth od to be the a ppropriate one. This re se arch also sh ows the prog ra mming possi bilities within the BIM envi ro nme nt
Keywords parameter, BIM, for mula, golden ratio, ar ch itectur e.
“BIM ( Buildin g In for ma tion Mod elling) is both a tool and a process, an d on e cann ot r ealistically exist with out th e oth er ” [1] It cr eates th e digital models of th e building objects in con jun ction with all th e oth er design bran ch es that ar e mutually coordinated an d linked It downsizes th e amoun t of th e design files (e.g. on e file p er on e design br an ch), eliminates error s and r eveals an y d esign collision s (e g bet ween th e br an ch es), even in th e pr eliminar y stage of th e project. “Th e process of BI M gen erates in for mation models an d th eir associated in for ma tion th at ar e used through out th e lifec ycle o f buildin g/in fr astructur e facilities or assets” [2]
An oth er defin ition of BIM is given b y National Institute of Buildin g Scien ces – it is defin ed as “a digital r epr esen tation of ph ysical an d fun ction al ch aracteristics of a facility” [3] that acts as a “shar ed kn owled ge r esour ce for infor mation about a facilit y for ming r eliable basis for decision s dur in g its life c ycle fr om in ception on ward” [4]. It is also th e design tool th at enables implementa tion of in for mation to progr ammable environ ment, descr ibin g in an unambiguous wa y th e digita l model (or its par t) wh ich is inter nally lin ked bet ween th e particular design views. Th e user can fur th er develop th e BIM en viron men t an d its para metr ic natur e through in troduction of th e math ematic for mulae in to th e programme compon ents that compr ise th e design con tent.
Th e r esear ch objectives th at r esult fr om th is elabor ation is to prove th at para meter s used by th e cr eation of th e compon ent with th e use of BIMbased application r eturn th e ser ies of t yp es of win dows with an ar ch whose h eight depen ds on a mathema tical for mula r elated to its gen er al ph ysica l dimen sion s.
I also put for ward th e h yp oth esis, that when parameter s depen d on each oth er, particular ly i f defin ed with th e use of math ematical for mulae (based on th e golden r atio), th ey can r eturn th e group of compon ents bein g propor tion ally th e same. I want to pr ove th at, th e mor e for mulae en ter ed, th e high er th e con trol of th e compon ent is
Sh ould th e r esults of th e r esear ch prove th e h ypoth esis is appropr iate, a similar approach to an y oth er con cepts cr eated in BIM-based progr ammes can th en be adopted.
Th e r esear ch meth odol og y consists of two parts
a) Th e fi rst par t
Th e fir st on e con cer n s constr uctin g a single win dow with th e ar ch Wh ile cr eatin g th e model of th is compon ent, th e para meter ized r efer en ce plan es ar e th e elemen ts to wh ich th e edges of th e win do w fr ame ar e attach ed an d locked (i.e. to which th e geometr y of th e win dow will follo w).
Th e win dow sh ould ha ve th e parameter s wh ich defin e its basic sizes as follows (para meter s' names in th e br ackets) :
- h eight (Heigh t)
- width (Width )
- win dow fr a me r ecess i e. towards th e plan e of th e exter nal elevation (Frame Recess)
- th e width of th e external cill (Ext Sill Width )
- th e h eight of th e win dow ar ch (Ar ch Heigh t).
To add th e par ameter s to th e dimen sion ed win do w, I pr ess th e Family Typ e tab (or pr ess “FT ”) in th e “Modify” tool in th e “proper ties” pan el.
Th e mea sur ed win dow is sh own in Fig 2
Th e Fa mily Types win dow op en s and I add th e parameter named Ar ch Height, r esponsible for ch angin g th e h eigh t of th e ar ch in win dow Adding th e parameter is sh own in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.
In order to bin d th e win dow extrusion (void) in th e wall with th e win dow fr ame, I in dicate th e edge of win dow open ing and then ch oose Edit Extrusion tab on th e con textual Mode pan el (Fig. 6).
With r efer en ce to th e diagra m in Fig 7 sh owing (dimen sion in g th e ar ch ) I assign th e parameter (defin ed ear lier ) to th e dimen sion of th e ar ch I select th e label “Ar ch Height” (Fig 8)
Th e sketch mode op ens Wh ile in sketch mode, I n eed to assign th e Ar ch Heigh t para meter to th e ar ch of th e win dow (dimen sion ed ear lier fr om th e tangen t of th e ar ch to th e lower en d of th e ar ch ).
Th e same wa y I a ssign th e par ameter s to th e oth er main dimen sion s of th e win dow ( Heigh t, Width, Default Sill Heigh t) Th e diagr am in Fig 9 sh ows th e win dow with th e assign ed par ameter s with th e ar ch h eight equa l to 300mm.
After th e parameter s ar e assign ed th e win dow r equir es analysis o f its beha viour wh en th e changes ar e applied to th e ar ch and oth er gen er al dimen sion s. After t ypin g “FT ” (Fa mily Typ e) th e progra mme is able to cr eate n ew win dow t ype s ( e g 150x150cm f=30cm or 200x200 f=40cm)
At th is stage n o for mulae ar e en ter ed, h owever th e par ameter s cr eated allow me to model an y win dow with th e ar ch of almost of a n y “f” value (h eight of th e ar ch )
b) Th e secon d part
Th e secon d part of the methodolog y con cern s th e cr eation of th e depen den cies between main parameter s (defin ed ear lier ) in order to obtain th e win dow t yp es of sp eci fic pr opor tions Th e propor tion s I inten d to apply for th e n ew win dow t yp es ar e based on th e gold en ratio for mula (φ), sh own in Fig. 11.
(a + b) / a = a / b = φ) (1) wh er e
a is a longer segmen t of a line
b is a sh or ter segment of a lin e
φ is a golden r atio
In equation (1) th e golden ratio (φ or ph i) is r epr esen ted as th e r elation between two un eq ual segmen ts (lon ger "a" an d sh or ter "b") of a lin e, in such a wa y tha t th e ratio of th e sum of "a" an d "b" to segmen t "a" is equal to ratio of segmen t "a" to th e "b" segmen t. Th e gr aphic r epr esen tation of φ is sh own on th e diagram in th e Fig 11
wh er e
sqr t - squar e root
digit in br ackets - th e number fr om which th e root is extracted
In this r esear ch "a" r epr esen ts half of th e width of a win dow ( “1/2 * Width” par ameter ) an d "b" r epr esen ts th e h eight of ar ch (“Ar ch Height” parameter) Th e h eight of th e ar ch is n ot to be excessive, th er efor e, it will be th e sh orter from th ose two an d depen dan t on half of th e width of th e win do w, with th e propor tion s ta ken fr om golden r atio I der ive th e math ema tical for mula for th e quotien t of 1/2 * Width an d Ar ch Height to obtain th e Ar ch Height value.
φ = (sqrt (5) + 1)/2 = 1/2 * Width / Ar ch Heigh t //*2 (sqr t (5) + 1) = Width / Ar ch Height //* Ar ch Heigh t (sqr t (5) + 1) * Ar ch Heigh t = Width //:(sqrt (5) +1)
Ar ch Height = Width / (sqr t (5) +1) (4)
Thus, such for mula sh ould be placed by "Ar ch Height" par ameter under "For mula" column as sh own in th e diagram in Fig. 1 2.
Th e golden ratio for mula can also be expr essed with th e use n umer ical va lues as sh own in th e followin g equation :
φ = (1 + √5) / 2 = 1 6180339887 (2)
Th e golden ratio can be wr itten as th e followin g for mula that can be used while designing in th e BIM programme.
φ = (sqrt (5) + 1)/2 (3)
After th e for mula is placed th e value (un der “Value” column ) for Ar ch h eight is chan ged automatically to 309mm
In order to ch eck wh eth er th e h eight of th e ar ch of th e win dow is dr iven by th e for mula sh own in Fig 12, I cr eated n ew Window t yp e 200x200cm (Refer en ce n o "1" on Fig 14), th en changed th e Value of Width parameter to 2000 (mm) (Refer en ce n o "2") while th e for mula of Ar ch Heigh t is still "Width / sqrt (5) +1)" (Refer en ce n o "3") Th e r esult wa s that Ar ch Heigh t is chan ged a utomaticall y accordin g to th e for mula (=618mm) wh ich is r epr esen ted in Fig. 14 (Refer en ce n o. “4”).
Fig 15: New window type 200x200cm; eleva ti on
So far, h owever, th e h eight of th e win dow (Height parameter ) wa s n ot associated with th e oth er parameter. I will lin k th e h eight of th e win dow with th e width (Width par ameter ) a s if th ey ar e r elated to each oth er I decided th e Height will be longer ("a" ) th an Width ("b") I der ive th e for mula for Heigh t fr om th e use of Width parameter and th e golden r atio (the Width parameter sta ys a s an indepen dent on e)
φ = (sqrt (5) + 1) / 2
(a+b) : a = a : b (5)
wh er e
“a” is a Heigh t para meter
“b” is a Width par ameter.
Th er efor e, (Height + Width ) / Height = Height / Width = (sqr t (5) + 1) / 2
Height / Width = (sqrt (5) + 1) / 2 //* Width
Height = 0.5 * (sqr t (5) +1) * Width (6)
Th e for mula sh ould be placed in th e "Heigh t" parameter under "Value" column ( Refer en ce n o “1”) as sh own in th e diagra m in Fig 16 Th e Height of th e win dow ch an ges to 1618mm – th er efore th e r ena min g of th e win dow is r equir ed – to 100x162cm
(Refer en ce n o “2”) Th e Ar ch Heigh t va lue does n ot ch ange - it r emain s th e same as in th e win dow 100x100cm
Th e gr aphic r epr esentation of th at win dow t
is sh own in Fig. 17 (elevation view):
Height values changed th em to 3236 1 (mm) and 618 (mm) accordingly. I chan ged th e win dow n ame to “200x324cm” as sh own in th e Fig 18
Th e h eight of th e win dow ( Heigh t) is depen dent on th e width parameter. Th e same r elation ship is a golden r atio and is sh own in th e equation (7)
Height = Width * φ (7)
Height = Width * (1 + √5) / 2 (8)
Th e r atio of th e two para meter s used for th e win dow in th e equation above in dicates that, for ever y in cr ease of 1cm of width of th e win dow, th e h eigh t propor tionally in cr ea ses b y 1, 62cm
In order to ch eck wh eth er th e h eigh t of th e arch an d h eight of th e win dow ar e dr iven b y th e for mulae sh own in Fig. 16, I cr eated a n ew Win dow of width of 200cm Th e for mulae in ser ted at Heigh t and Ar ch
Th e r esults of th is simple r esear ch will be th e achievemen t of a series of th e para meter ized win dow t ypes in wh ich th e h eigh t of th e win dow a nd h eight of th e ar ch will chan ge, depen ding on th e defin ed width of th e win dow Th e series of th e win dow t ypes will main tain constant propor tion s based on golden mean bet ween th e follo win g ph ysical values of th e win dow:
- half of width of win do w an d h eigh t of th e arch
- th e width an d th e h eigh t of th e win dow
Th e for mula can be based on an y r atio bet ween an y parameter s defin ed ear lier It must be n oted that for mulae used in th e design cann ot be mutually exclusive an d con tr adictor y
Th e r esults of th is simple r esear ch based on mathema tical for mulae allow for in -depth r esear ch of th e depen den cies between par ticular parameter ized values (ph ysical dimen sion s) of th e win do w. It allows th e design er to cr eate th e win do w t yp es in pr ecisel y descr ibed sh apes and propor tion s r elated to th e parameter s.
Th e r esults obtain ed in th e r esear ch prove th at th e meth od based on parameter s an d th eir mutua l depen den cies is an appr opr iate on e. It h elps th e design er to pr oduce th e entir e r ange of th e t ypes of th e compon en ts with out th e n ecessit y of modellin g each of th em separately.
Th er efor e, such a meth od can be used wh ile modellin g an y ph ysica l object with th e various t yp es of th e same compon en t. This r esear ch sh ows also th e programmin g possibilities within th e BIM envir on ment in r elation to an y design ed object.
[1] P Read, E Kr ygiel & J Van dezan de. Master in g Autodesk Revit Arch itecture, John Wiley & Sons, In c , In dian apolis, In diana, USA, 2012
[2] Br itish Standards In stitution . PAS 1192 -2:20 13 . Specifica ti on fo r in formatio n management for th e capital/deliver y phase of c onstr ucti on projects usin g building in form atio n m odelling, BSI Stan dards Limited 2013
[3] Nation al In stitute of Buildin g Scien ces, www. n ibs.org
[4] ditto.
E-mail: 1shawn.okeeffe@headcount.ie 2danu.bergin@headcount.ie
Abstract The authors have developed a novel system framework for a historic preservation system utilising open standards and open source tools. The framework enables the integration of open standard 3D models and GIS in a virtual environment (VE). It also allows the storage and harvesting of data via an open source web-based central repository, i.e. a B imServer. The framework is designed for bi-directional interoperability when utilised for monument tracking, preservation, conservation, re-excavation, etc. To date, no such system framework exists for the development and management of historic monuments using open standards e57 for terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data, the industry foundation classes (IFC) for 3D semantic rich models, and CityGML for integrating IFC and GIS in a VE. The convergence of a VE utilising CityGML and the B imServer can afford the bi-directional sharing of data. The web-based VE is accessed online from the B imServer and is intended for monitoring monument erosion, the movement and da mage to monuments by human activity or nature, etc. Furthermore, the authors envision that actors such as museum curators, historians, engineers, etc., will benefit greatly from open source sematic rich 3D models. Utilising IFC for historic monuments facilitates collaboration between different industry actors to share knowledge, experience, and expertise globally through a web-based repository.
In this paper the authors apply their system framework by converting TLS data of a heritage monument at the Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt into an IFC compliant model. Semantic data is embedded into the model and then stored in a web-based database repository. The IFC model can then be interoperable with the IFC GIS VE, via the webbased system user interface, for many purposes such as georeference data for tracking and excavation purposes. This framework can be employed to develop further open source systems that maximise efficiency and minimise risk during locating and excavating disturbed monuments.
Keywords BIM, IFC, laser scannin g, Open Source, CityGML, historic preservation
Re- establishing the location of and the preservation of heritage monuments after natural disasters and or war is a very time consuming and painstaking task. For example, imagine if the Valley of the Kings in Egypt was suddenly covered by sand, i.e. moving and altering monuments, and that traditional methods like the use of 2D drawings and topographical surveys were the only tools available to relocate and re-excavate all artefacts, buildings, monuments, etc. During the r e-excavation of these objects, som e may be har med and some may never be found at all. Heritage monuments and buildings around the world suffer from erosion and other types of decay or weathering that may erase these h eritage sites from existence. The research in this paper offers new opportunities for more efficient and
effective methods to address the deficits inherent where traditional practices fall short, thereby radically changing how technology can be utilised to preserve heritage monuments and buildings.
In this paper the authors focus on a single monument at the Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt A virtual semantic rich 3D model was created from the real monument utilisin g 3D imaging, i.e reality data capture, utilising open standards and tools to demonstrate the working constructs of a historic preservation system framework. Also discussed is embedding infor mation into the model and the storage of the model in a web- based repository for multi-actor collaboration. Further more, the benefits and implementation of a GIS and IFC VE is explained. The authors also investigate possible model validation techniques to verify necessary data
in the model and the continued monitoring of the real monuments utilising the virtual model.
The authors have designed an OpenBIM historic preservation system framework that allows historic preservationists to benefit from advanced technologies currently utilised by Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Facilities Management (AEC/FM) disciplines. Historic preservation of heritage monuments and buildings is deeply rooted in the AEC/FM and has become a huge area of interest. Therefore, it makes sense that both can benefit from the same technologies.
Open BIM refers to an open way of 3D infor mation modelling and exchanging project infor mation/data utilising open standards and schemas, e.g. the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) when implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM), in the AEC/FM The system framework herein encourages remote multi-actor collaboration on a global scale. Collaboration among actors is at the heart of the BIM process and should be able to be conducted by multiple actors from an ywhere in the world The framework demonstrated in this paper utilises the open standard IFC for seamless bidirectional BIM model data interoperability between a BimServer database and virtual environ ment, i.e. a web-based centralised repository and the Common Data Environment (CDE). Also, a novel method for converting Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) data into a semantic rich IFC BIM model for a preservation system is revealed.
TLS reality data capture is a common survey methodology widely used in the AEC/FM and it is becoming a surveying tool of choice for many historic preservationists in surveying topograph y, monuments, and buildings. Scan-to-BIM methods are utilised to convert captured reality data into semantic rich data models, which is a key component to initiate the system framework in practice. Scan -to-BIM is a common term in use for the converting of reality data capture point clouds, i.e. in this case terrestrial laser scan data versus unmanned aerial vehicles (UVA) or groundpenetrating radar (GPR), into 3D semantic rich IFC BIM m odels. Th e next step in the framework employs an open source web- based BimServer for collaboration among actors using the IFC models. The BimServer is the central repository for all data exchange/sharing and offers an infrastructure on which a CDE can live.
The framework shown later in section 4 promotes the utilisation of Cit yGML for the CDE due to the fact that CityGML allows the integration of GIS and IFC BIM models [1] The BimServer and
CityGML were chosen for the system framework because they are open source which means they are free to the public and can be freely modifi ed for specific practical applications. Utilising CityGML that enables IFC and GIS integration facilitates bidirectional interoperability which can be utilised for many different virtual-to-real and real-to-virtual scenarios. Bi-directional interoperability allows the communicating of like or different schemas, languages or files through utilisation of common semantic data during infor mation mapping, e.g. the IFC BIM model can locally communicate, via the BimServer, with the CDE during model infor mation validation and quality assurance methods, i.e. monitoring the real monument. It’s also important to mention now the requirement of utilising one BIM model for multiple purposes omits replication and ensures possible real-time bi-directional processes. The single IFC BIM model is the model visualised in the CDE, whilst also it is the model stored on the BimServer. In theor y, and system framework application, there is only one unique IFC BIM, i.e. virtual model, to represent each real object to reduce confusions commonly created by geometry and data replication in systems. Therefore, computational efficiency is optimized by reducing wasteful use of resources. These t ypes of operational constr aints encourage a leaner approach when implementing the system framework.
Current methods for surveying and documenting heritage monuments, i.e. traditional surveying to create 2D drawings for historical preservation produced by hand or in 2D CAD systems, are subjective, error prone, time consuming, and costl y In fact, it is not possible to use traditional techniques, theories, and tools for historic preservation due to the many irregular shapes of building and monument ch aracteristics [2] Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can be employed to reduce the subjectivity of tr aditional methods by capturing irregular shapes and providing near perfect measurement data, while also reducing the survey cost, manpower, and errors found in traditional data collection. Highly accurate 2D engineering documents can also be generated directly from the TLS data. The accurate data provides an effective medium to create 3D CAD “mesh” models from the TLS data. The mesh can then be converted into an IFC BIM model as discussed further and demonstrated later in this paper.
A BIM model is preferred over mesh model due to the fact these models can be uniquely identified from embedded Global Unique Identifiers (GUI D’S), and they are semantic rich and parametric based. For example 2D construction and engineering
documents can be extracted from the 3D BIM model that can also automate schedules which distinguish bet ween doors, windows, etc. In fact, many analyses can be conducted utilising the semantic content embedded in BIM m odels. Researchers have already demonstrated the creation of semantic 3D models from point clouds [3] [4] However, the results are not exact representations of what exist in the real world therefore the objects are not deemed suitable for historic preservation due to their subjectivity and inherent inaccuracies.
The archiving of archaeological datasets is also converting from traditional methods to open source web-based infor mation management data repositories for instant access to data by all actors globally [5]. Cultural heritage buildings and monuments have infor mation about them that goes beyond ph ysical characteristics. Prior research also proposes BIM to em bed infor mation/data into semantic rich 3D models of the building an d or monuments that must be preserved. Other research conducted does not focus on semantic models but rather the focus is known as what they call HBIM and the primary interest is on the benefits of parametric modeling in conjunction with TLS point clouds for engineering drawings and scheduling [6].
Historical preservationists can benefit greatly from BIM methods and processes, e.g. GIS integrated with semantic rich 3D BIM models [7] [8] Heritage values that need to be embedded into BIM models as critical infor mation/data include; architectural, cultural, historical, location -based, social, environmental, etc. These types of infor mation are critical to successful education, conservation, preservation, etc. Tracking and excavation of objects after natural disasters is also very problematic. There are very few systems for these purposes in existence. Researchers are exploring an array of options for monument tracking, that include infrared technolog y, digital cameras, range sensors, augmented reality, laser scanning technolog y, reverse modelling (similar to Scan -to-BIM), etc. [9][10][11]. Virtual excavation systems are very rare to find and most focus on the site after it has been excavated, such as the excavation system of [12] that links the excavation site with artefacts for visitor contextual awareness application within museum settings. The authors of this paper focus on utilising BIM models and a webbased platform that enables GIS methods to be employed for tracking objects, deterioration, and the re-excavation of buildings/monuments during or after natural erosion/disasters, and human destructions such as war.
a) Developing the Frame work
The philosophy suppl ying the theoretical basis for the system framework can be found in the nD BIM framework and ontology research and development conducted by [13]. The authors utilised the Integrated Definitions Method (IDEF) for the development of the framework. IDEF0 is implemented to show the working constructs of the framework. IDEF0 is part of the IDEF family For further infor mation on IDEF see http://www.idef.com/
Figure 1 shows the highest level, which is the First Level or phase 0 of the framework. In this case the phase 0 model can be thought of as a theoretical model upon which future historic systems can be built. IDEF0 uses an input, output, control, and mechanism methodology to include all necessary constructs. Herein, phase 0 shows the real world asis data capture upon entrance as the input construct. Once the input has entered, it then becomes integrated into the web- based centralised repository facilitated by the mechanism construct. The mechanism pertaining to this research must be an open system to ensure that the overall framework produces an open source system The authors of this paper used the BimServer as the open source tool of choice, which is also built on the open standard IFC as the language for the system platfor ms infrastructure. The control is open standards e57 for TLS data and IFC for the BIM model. The output is an IFC model, created from TLS data that is now located on the web- based BimServer and can be visualised and used for simulations in the counterpart open system, the CityGML IFC BIM VE. Once the semantic rich BIM model is to this stage, bi-directional interoperability can now take place bet ween the BIM model on the server and its virtual visualisation counterpart in the IFC BIM VE. Rem ember that the BIM model on the server and the BIM m odel being visualised are the same single model.
The theoretical model in figure 1 can be utilised by other researchers to replicate the process. However, it is not necessary for the control and mechanism to use the same open tools and standards, nor is it necessary to constrain other
developments to the use of CityGML. The phase 0 IDEF model for the historic preservation system is generic, i.e. a universal theoretical model.
Figure 2 shows the second level IDEF0 model for the OpenBIM Historic Preser vation System framework. The second level phase 1-5 model takes one within the theoretical framework to a space where one can now apply the theory to create a tangible system First, notice in phase 1-5 the controls and mechanisms change but remain within the constraints defined by the theoretical model. The open standards chosen by the author for the controls are e57, obj, IFC, and GML Second, notice the open source and Open BIM tools chosen by the authors that also change but maintain the openness. The exchangeability of the open controls and mechanisms is proof that the theoretical model is universal and future researchers do not need to use the same standards and tools as the authors, as long as the tools chosen are open ones. Prior research shows the utilisation of open standards and tools for a very similar open source system except the prior research does not enable the use of point clouds [14] The previous study was focused on LEED for energy assessment, which is also an open global standard, and utilised the open source Torque 3D Game Engine (T3D) for the VE versus the open source CityGML proposed herein.
into the web-based repositor y, which facilitates the ability to remotely query the model by multiple actors sententiousl y, e.g. museum curators, engineers, preservationists, conservationists, etc. Phase 5, the CityGML IFC and GIS VE, can then be accessed from the BimServer via the same method as provided in the research of [14] It is envisaged by the authors that in Phase 5 is where others can contribute most to the open source system framework by developing new methods, i.e. virtual tracking of monument movement and erosion, simulate excavation practices, etc.
A terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) was utilised to capture the r equired data from the site of interest. Laser scanning is contact free which is why it is recommended for use in historical preservation as the object will not be touched or damaged in the process. Laser scanners work by measuring three dimensional X, Y, and Z coordinates at high speed in a systematic manner, while also using an on -board camera to that takes high quality photos The images are then combined by the scanners embedded computer to create what is known as an xyzrgb file. These files allow photorealist point cloud data of high quality that looks much like a 3D model. However, it is not a 3D model. It is actually a digital 3D dataset of points in a given space.
Phase 1 in the framework is the reality data capture stage. The first step is to capture the built environ ment data one wants to historically preserve, e.g. the authors first had to capture data of the Abu Simbel Temple heritage monument. The data is registered, saved as e57, and cleaned accordingly not to omit any critical data that may be of inter est for preservation, conservation, excavation, etc. Phase 2 is the beginning of the Scan -to-BIM process where the authors converted the registered TLS data into a mesh model. CloudCompare, an open source point cloud data tool, was utilised during the integration of phases 1 and 2. It is important to note that MeshLab is an open source alternative to utilising CloudCompare in these regards. Phase 3 is the development of the semantic rich 3D IFC BIM model. During this stage the 3D mesh is converted into an IFC model and embed with semantic rich
Comprehensive data capture of the heritage monument object requires multiple scanner set ups, and possible use of UAVs and photogrammetr y, ensuring all data needed can be provided for complete and accurate point clouds. For this research the authors only utilised TLS data capturing methods. The TLS data is the foundation for the whole process so data of the highest quality and lowest tolerance of accuracy is imperative. Points per second, field of view, and range in meters are all factors to consider when choosing the TLS right for the job. If the scanner is positioned far away from the object, then the less points are taken over a known size grid and the more accuracy is compromised Since historical features are imperfect the accuracy cannot be compromised. Important details and features will be lost if the mesh model is created from inaccur ate data. In relation to the object modelled in this paper a loss in accuracy could result in point data such as facial features or hierogl yphics going unnoticed and being converted into a flat mesh during the modelling process.
TLS software is needed to process the data sets which can be billons of points, dependant on the area covered and setting chosen on the scanner. This
data. Phase 4 is where the IFC BIM model is loaded software can be specific to the brand of laser scanner
used or it can be open source. Most of the major TLS software have the export option of e57 file for mat which enables seamless interoperability with software packages. The authors used the open source CloudCompare software for creating the mesh model. If one uses CloudC ompare or MeshLab, then the mesh can be saved in a standard such as obj. Figure 3 shows the raw data after being processed and the mesh model created from the processed data. The authors recognise further research is need in the area of creating highly accurate virtual models from the processed real world data. It is very important to get highly accurate data for a historic preservation system that is foreseen to be utilised for monitoring deca y/erosion, preservation, conservation, excavation, etc.
The authors have developed a semantic rich IFC compliant model protot ype utilising the Geometric Description Language (GDL) and a unique Scan -toIFC BIM methodology designed specifi cally for historic monuments. First, the captured reality data must be pre-processed. The e57 pre-processed data is then converted into a mesh model utilising the CloudCompare software. The mesh model was then converted into an IFC BIM model using GDL in an Open BIM BIM authoring tool available from Graphisoft. The BIM authoring tool facilitates an IFC manger, and GDL script writer and viewer that can be used to embed data into the model. The model should be saved as IFC 2 X3 and round tripped to ensure data is not lost during interoperability with other IFC 2X3 compliant tools. Solibri was also utilised to check and validate the models IFC parameters.
c) Background to methods for embedding data into an IFC BIM model for historical preservation
[15] and [16] developed a method utilising GDL that was used to embed critical data into the model for LEED certification review in a virtual environ ment. Furthermore, then focused on embedding critical data into singular objects utilising GDL and IFC Property Set Configurations (Psets) for bi-directional interoperability of 6D energy infor matics. This background knowledge was utilised to create the novel model element of the Abu Simbel Temple monument used for the Open BIM historic preservation framework and system protot ype. [13] also provides a future vision for a nD dimensional domain for Archaeology utilising the created unified nD model framework and ontology for an as-is IFC BIM model of the Abu Simbel Temple in conjunction with recognition algorith ms to preserve the ancient structure by tracking deterioration taking
into account the variables materials and climate. This knowledge was taken into account when developing the 3D IFC BIM model in this paper. The prior knowledge was specifically utilised to prepare the model for interoperability and its potential future use via the web- based repository and within the VE.
The web- based repository was developed using the open source BimServer. The BimServer was chosen due to its high level of IFC compliance. In fact, the core of the BimServer was built utilising the IFC. This web-based repository enables models to be stored, versioned, queried, visualised, etc. Collaboration among actors takes place via the BimServer. Other databases and VE’s can be linked and accessed via the BimServer as shown in [14] The authors envision that CityGML, due to its GIS and IFC integration, is an optimal choice for a VE for historic preservation purposes.
The current protot ype includes one heritage monument that was laser scanned and converted into an IFC compliant BIM model, and a customised BimServer with VE that was used to test the IFC BIM model. The BimServer was utilised to query and store the IFC BIM model. Further more, the authors developed a VE linked to the BimServer for model visualisation and tested the current system remotel y. A fully functional system for historic preservation seems promising in the future based on the research conducted thus far. Also, CityGML has not fully been integrated into the current protot ype. Further research is under way to fully link a CityGML VE to the BimServer that allows bidirectional interoperability bet ween the IFC BIM model and GIS VE via the BimServer. The authors have not utilised the developed IFC BIM model for model tracking using IFC and GIS in a VE as of yet, nor are the authors able to conduct any virtual excavation. However, based on the conducted research, the authors are very confident in the feasibility of such techniques to be employed in the near future. The aim of this research is to ‘connect the dots’ and provide a system framework to allow
others to investigate and test similar ideas, and
develop their own systems or add to this one in the future. Once the authors have fully created a system with a stable software platform for historic preservation, the goal is to make it available to others as a free open source application.
IFC BIM Model Validation is critical to ensure the model created from TLS data is as accurate as the real world monument undergoing preservation. Two t ypes of m odel validation are coupled together in relation to model checking for historic preservation when modelling from point clouds have been identified: 1. The geometry must be accurately modelled and represent within a very low tolerance of 1mm for the tracking of erosion, or excavating the object if it has been covered by debris or soils, etc., and 2. The infor mation must be properly embedded into the model, i.e. the infor mation embedded must be in the appropriate IFC class, and this infor mation must be able to be freely harvested. All stakeholders must be able to have access to the data. The authors proposed method for data harvesting is the BimServer as shown in the framework in figure two in section four If there are not appropriate IFC classes for the data, then currently the authors create custom IFC Property Set Configuration (Pset) for the data as demonstrated by [16] The disadvantage to this methodology is that the classification of the data deviates from the certified schema, i.e. deviates from IFC 2X3, which makes harvesting of the data more difficult. If the data follows the schema verbatim, then IFC 2X3 compliant tools can immediately utilise the data, e.g. the user/stakeholder can query the IFC BIM model via the BimServer for historic preservation infor mation without needing to customise the current freely available BimServer. In [14] and [17] the researchers demonstrate how to query custom IFC Pset’s via an open source BimServer. The nD BIM system facilitates a web- based GUI for user queries via the IFC 2X3 sch ema and interaction and visualisation of the nD BIM via the “linked” virtual environ ment that was created using an open source game engine.
Currently, there is no IFC Model View Definition (MVD) to check the quality of data within an IFC BIM model for historic preservation purposes. MVD’s such as COBie for facilities management (FM) data interoperability and extraction is common practice in the AEC/FM [18], but in the case of historic preservation there are no MVD’s to assure the validity of infor mation exchanged. Furthermore, it is not clear what infor mation should be embedded into the model, nor whom shall collate the data and when should the infor mation be embedded, e.g. is it a granulated process similar to levels of detail? The author’s
believe this is a granulated process. Perhaps data collection begins upon excavation or the data already exist and is readily available in existing “open” systems, e.g. an open source such as data.europeana.eu. Conversel y, embedding the critical data in relation to the objects preservation begins on the “first day” the mesh model has been converted into an IFC model. The authors have derived this philosophy from their current AEC/FM integrated best practices, e.g. if you begin a project implementing the BIM process, then you should begin with IFC zones (ifcspace) and input relevant data early in the process. The reader should investigate more about the Vico Office software and the MVD COBie to see similar practices and approaches.
Model validation method ar e in high demand and the importance of integrating Scan -to-BIM and Scan -vs-BIM are highligh ted in [19] The authors propose that a technique similar to Scan -vs-BIM should be utilised for tracking erosion and damage of structures in the validation of the BIM m odel created from the point cloud [20][21][22]. The difference in our technique versus the latter is there is no model (Design BIM) ahead of time and we focus on the utilisation of an IFC BIM specifically However, it is the same exact theory that applies in our framework, i.e. we want to compare the BIM model to the TLS data capture to track differences and deviation. Our method requires reality data to be captured and converted into an IFC BIM model prior to implementing the full system framework. Overall, model validation plays a critical role in historic preservation utilising BIM methods and tools, and in the AEC/FM in general.
The authors have provided a roadmap for open standards in conjunction with open source tool s for historic preservation. It is believed the correct approach to preserving the built environ ment, e.g. monuments, etc., is to leverage off the rapidly growing integrated practice “BIM-approach” of the AEC/FM. The IFC schema can be utilised for the historic preservation BIM model and act as the “container” the models data should live. The authors demonstrate how to create open standard models using scan -to-IFC BIM methods, how to embed infor mation into these models, and how to utilise open source tools to store, share, harvest, quer y, etc. the IFC data model. A methodology and framework for creatin g IFC compliant models for historic preservation purposes is demonstrated in this paper. The next step is to deter mine what infor mation is the critical data to be em bedded into the model, by whom, when, etc.? This question has yet to be answered. The authors are aware of the need to
answer this question and are looking into the correct approach and methodology to solve these question by integrating an open solution into our framewor k Our current h ypothesis is that the data will come from international open source libraries and this library data will be m erged into the framework provided by this paper. The open europeana data model is a great example of where to begin thinking of how to integrate existing open libraries into an open historic preservation system.
It is also not clear who is qualified to deter mine what critical data to be embedded into the IFC model. Perhaps it will be an Archaeologist? Also, who will embed the infor mation into the model? Ma ybe it will be Architects or qualified Engineers. The extraction of the data (data harvesting) will be a key focus once these questions are answered. The correct approach in regards to data retrieval via IFC would be to create a new IFC subset schema, i.e. model view definition (MVD), for preservation and conservation. The MVD would allow precise access to the critical data using IFC models. Hopefully in the future the Open BIM system framework herein can be of great benefit for the AEC/FM in conjunction with the preservation of heritage buildings and monuments. The authors hope a new way of thinking and application can now be employed through the new methods provided by this research.
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1Headcount Engineering, Co. Dublin, Ireland
2Heriot-Watt University, Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, Edinburgh, Scotland
E-mail: 1shawn.okeeffe@headcount.ie 2f.n.bosche@hw.ac.uk
Abstract Two types of technologies that are rapidly (exponentially) impacting the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Facilities Management (AEC/FM) industry are: Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D imaging technologies. The latter is currently mainly represented by laser scanning, but is being rapidly complemented with photogrammetry (both terrestrial and aerial), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), as well as their integration with other technologies such as infrared imaging, GPS, and RFID. While these two types of technologies individually offer significant performance improvements in all parts of the sector, it is their integration that promises to provide the most benefits. Integrated, the two types of technologies would form a cyber-physical system that would deliver bi-directional interoperability, allowing seamless coordination between the virtual worlds captured in the B IM model and the real world constr uction. Yet, it is interesting to note there are very few software solutions that enable the joint visualisation and manipulation of 3D imaging and BIM data/information. Furthermore, none of those solutions are based on the combined use of open standards and tools, thereby limiting the extent to which researchers can develop and test new solutions to increase the value of both B IM and 3D imaging technologies. This clearly demonstrates the need for an open source software platform (based on open source standards and tools) supporting the management and processing of B IM and 3D imaging data, particularly point clouds, for facility lifecycle management.
The paper first builds a case for the need for such a solution, identifying critical Virtualto-Real, Real-to-Virtual and Virtual-vs-Real applications. A novel open, web-based core software platform is then proposed that utilises the open standards IFC and E57 for realtime bi-directional interoperability between B IM models and 3D imaging data (especially point clouds). Finally, it is revealed how such a system can be developed and grown over time from industry contributions through an open source initiative.
Keywords BIM, 3D Imaging, Open Source, Software
Effectively controlling a facility during its entire life cycle demands automated and rich infor mation flows. These flows require the establish ment of cyberph ysical systems delivering bi-directional interoperability bet ween the ph ysical facility and its counterpart virtual Building Infor mation Modelling (BIM) model [1, 2] For example, during the construction stage the provision of real-time quality control against the as-designed BIM model ensures smooth construction processes and increases the promise to the owner that what is constructed is what has been designed.
Already, research and practice have demonstrated the value of on -site mobile devices and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to provide a unique link bet ween ph ysical and virtual objects [3, 4]. Motamedi et al. [5] have shown tr acking of task and material during construction utilising RFID technology and open standard BIM models, i.e. Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) BIM m odels. In fact, current cyberph ysical systems rely heavily on RFID technology as it provides a valuable means of identification of ph ysical objects, that is creating the links bet ween the real objects and their virtual counter -parts. However, RFID does not per mit the acquisition of infor mation about those objects, such as their as-is geometr y. As a result much human intervention remains requir ed updatin g BIM models, e.g.
manually through mobile devices [6] Major advancements in reality capture technologies and new object recognition algorith ms are going to allow automated recognition of geometric properties of ph ysical objects and their comparison to their counter -part objects to in the virtual worlds (BIM models) via an object-based distributed relational database. These technologies could thus help address the limitations of current cyber -ph ysical systems. In fact, they would work even better in combination with RFID (and GPS), as already demonstrated in [7] [8].
Successful implementation of BIM requires the smooth, reliable, and fast exchange of digital data. The data may be produced and subsequently employed in various soft ware packages, which raises concerns regarding data interoperability, specifically the readability and corruption of data. In 2004, The US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) highlighted that the cost of inadequate interoperability in the US capital facilities industry amounted to an estimated $15.8 billion per year. This issue requires achieving industry- wide consensus on the development and usage of data for mats and exchange protocols that ensure lossless communication. This has been proving difficult due to the vested interests of various leading soft ware providers in their proprietary for mats that natively promote their own soft ware solutions. Nonetheless, some progress has been achieved in the establishment of open data and process for mats for BIM, e.g. the IFC and Construction Operations Building infor mation exchange (COBie) for mats. With respect to reality capture data for mats, several open for mats exist (e.g. XYZ, PTX). But, the main recent achievement is the e57 for mat [9] uniquely documented in the ASTM E2807 standard [10] that is an industry standard for the exchange of 3D imaging data.
This paper first shows how BIM and reality capture technologies are rapidly converging. It then argues that, an important vehicle to enable and accelerate this convergence is not only open for mats for data exchange, but an open and free software platform that integrate means to concurrently manage, visualize and process BIM and reality capture data. The paper then reports on early considerations on how such a platform could be developed using existing open solutions.
BIM is a n -dimensional (n D) integrated practice process for the Architectural, Engineering,
Construction and Facilities Management (AEC/FM) industries that consists of dimensional domains for all stakeholders to be part of the collective whole [11] A BIM model is utilised to digitally and collaboratively m odel and manage the entire construction project life-cycle from briefing through to design, construction, operation and maintenance, and finally renovation or demolition. More officially, the UK BSI in 2009 defines BIM as, “ a suit of technologies and processes that integrate to form the system, which is a component-based three dimensional (3D) representation of each building element”. BIM has been described to be ‘not an evolution, but a revolution’ to the AEC/FM industries. While the roots of BIM can be traced back to the 1970’s, it is only the development of powerful and ubiquitous personal computers (and now mobile devices) that has made the dream finally possible and the approach implementable in practice.
3D BIM affords users parametricity, semanticity, and unicity. The “I” in BIM is the crux of the process. Infor mation/data is embedded into the virtual model begins to defin e its parametricity BIM data models are designed to have entity relationships with other models of the same type or of different t ypes. These models are instances of well-defined parameters, i.e. IFC classes, which allow a systematic approach to classify all model object infor mation. The model’s semantic feature (semanticity) ensures that it can be queried to extr act valuable infor mation, e.g. how many doors of t ype A in this building? IFC Model View Definitions (MVD’s), like COBie for FM data handover, is an example of how each stakeholder extracts valuable distinct model semantics from parametric models.
BIM models are in fact virtual object-oriented representations of the actual unique products to be manufactured and installed utilising specifications derived from the parametric content within. The model’s unicity prevents errors resulting from duplication of data. A Global Unique Identifier (GUI D) is what makes Door A unique from Door B when they are the same propr ietor, size, shape, etc.
Semantically-rich BIM models accessible and populated by all project stakeholders underpins the collaborative process promoted by BIM The (semantic) parameters within ensure that any change to the BIM model is automatically taken into account in other portions of the BIM model that depend on it, e.g. removing a 3D door from the BIM model (IfcDoor class) also removes it from the schedule of doors and 2D construction document views. Further interoperability can also be employed like removing the 3D door is reflected in the (4D) schedule, and because the door is removed the (5D) cost and (6D) energy infor mation would also be
changed because of the IFC ‘parametric’ link within the background database. O’Keeffe et al. [12] discuss interoperability such as this in further detail.
Theoretically, the BIM model of a project is for gathering and structuring all data and infor mation relatin g to the asset over its entire life cycle. The BIM m odel should thus be a record of the state of the asset at each life stage. This leads to distinguishing the as-designed BIM model, i.e. the virtual representation of the asset after design and prior to construction, from the as-built BIM model (Fig. 1), i.e. the virtual representation of the asset after construction and prior operation, from the as-is BIM model (Fig. 2), i.e. the virtual representation of the asset during its operational stage. It is important to highlight that the wide majority of the developments in and uptake of BIM are in relation to the as-design BIM model, with some efforts in and only limited uptake of solutions in relation to generate as-built or as-is BIM models
for structuring and navigatin g all the other data contained in a BIM model. Further more, 3D data is undeniably central to many important activities surrounding the construction and operation of a built asset. For example, constructability often relates to accurate and reliable 3D design data, and structural analysis using finite element analysis also requires sufficiently accurate 3D data about the asset’s structure. Furthermore, construction works require sufficiently accurate detailed 3D data and are controlled through a wide range of dimen sional quality controls, and structural health monitoring also requires detailed geometric data about the as-is state of an asset to be compared with prior states.
Dimensional quality control and str uctural health monitoring require accurate and reliable 3D infor mation/data from the asset’s BIM m odel. They also require the capturing of accurate and complete as-is 3D data of the asset.
Traditional dimensional measurement methods employed in the AEC/FM sector have been so timeconsuming and resource-hungry that they have impeded sound operation of the applications above. This observation, along with technological progress, has led to the development and now rapidly increasing usage of new reality capture or 3D imaging solution s. These are literally revolutionizing dimensional surveying in the sector. Three technologies can be particularly highlighted and are rapidly presented in the following: laser scanning, photogrammetr y, and groun d-penetrating radar.
3D geometric data is at the core of BIM models (so much so that people have long thought that a 3D model was a BIM model). In fact, the (semantic) 3D geometric model typically acts as the main medium
Laser scanning, essentially terrestrial but also available in aerial setups, has been a significant step for ward from total stations. Contrary to total stations, laser scanners are not aimed at acquiring individual 3D points, but capturing the entire 3D (depth) geometry of the environ ment surrounding the scanner, from 0.5m away up to 2kms for certain scanners. The key transfor mation resulting from the introduction of laser scanning is that the speed, accuracy, and density of the measurements it provides is extending the practice of dimensional surveying from a process based on point measurement only, to a process based on both point and surface measurement. A limitation of laser scanners is that they can only acquire data with line of sight and perform best when it is stationar y. This means that the scanner has to be moved to numerous locations and the data subsequently co-registered. Car -mounted mobile laser scanners address this issue, but at the cost of inferior data accuracy. Another important limitation of laser scanning has been its cost that typically ranges from £25k to £80k for terrestrial scanners. Yet, the value of laser scanning is so significant that the market for laser
scanning services has been increasing exponentially over the last decade and is anticipated to reach $4 billion by 2018 [13]
While an older 3D imaging technolog y, photogrammetry has only recently been considered for wider application with in the AEC/FM sector. This is explained by the fact that digital cameras are now widely available, very portable, and relatively cheap. Photogrammetry enables 3D measurements from multiple pictures of a scene, employing the optical flow principle. The first systems delivered sparse 3D measurements, but new s ystems can now deliver high -quality dense 3D reconstructions, in the form of coloured 3D point clouds [14] The main advantage of photogrammetry over laser scanning is the hardware cost, i.e. cameras are relatively cheap. However, the output quality of photogrammetry is much less predictable as it varies with factors such as lighting conditions and the type of materials of reconstructed surfaces, e.g. shiny surfaces are challenging. Additionally, like laser scanning, photogrammetry only works with line of sight.
f) The value of integrating 3D as-planned and as-is Information/Data
BIM and 3D imaging technologies are rapidly penetrating the AEC/FM sector. In fact, the two technologies significantly overlap as 3D imaging is about the acquisition of 3D data, and BIM is built around a (semantic) 3D model that structures lifecycle infor mation about th e asset. This convergence, although theoretically obvious, is only slowly occurring in practice due to the fact that both technologies are quite new to the AEC/FM Two areas of convergence are distinguished: Scan-to-BIM and Scan-vs-BIM While AEC/FM actors have already developed interest in the for mer with solutions already commercialized, the latter is still emerging but has tremendous potential value.
Scan -to-BIM refers to the process of creatin g a semantic 3D BIM model from 3D point cloud data acquired through 3D imaging, i.e. laser scanning, photogrammetr y, GPR, etc. Since the almost entirety of the current built environment does not have any existing digital BIM model, the push for employing BIM for improving operation, renovation, or refurbish ment of these assets requires an initial step of acquiring its current 3D state and generating that semantic 3D (BIM) model from it, i.e. Scan -to-BIM This obvious need has led numerous researchers and now commercial organisations to develop and sell various solutions to semi-automatically generate semantic 3D BIM models from 3D data (mainly acquired through laser scanning). Examples of commercial solutions in clude: EdgeWise MEP by Clear Edge 3D, Kubit PointSense (now Faro), or Trimble Realworks. Research is also being conducted in academia that aims to further automate
current processes. Recent reviews of the state of the art in as-built modelling (i.e. Scan -to-BIM) can be found in [15, 16]
In contr ast, Scan -vs-BIM (Fig. 3 and 4) refers to the process of comparing 3D imaging data acquired from an existing asset or construction site to an already existing 3D BIM model of that environ ment [17] This process would nor mally be based on the registration, i.e. align ment, of the 3D imaging data within the coordinate system of the 3D BIM model. This need is arising from the fact that a growing number of new builds or renovations (in the future all of them) are designed with BIM, meaning that a 3D BIM model of the facility is available prior to construction and operation of that facility As a result, various construction activities related to dimensional data could be conducted far more effectively by leveraging the prior infor mation contained in the asset’s 3D BIM model. Such activities include: construction dimensional con trol [18, 19] progress control [20], structural health monitoring, and even as-built 3D modelling that is currently supported by Scan -to-BIM processes. The previous research mentioned does show the recent yet rapidly growing interest of the research community around this topic. There is little doubt that as the AEC/FM adopts BIM it will rapidly come to the realisation of the value of Scan -vs-BIM processes for improving perfor mance of various activities such as those mentioned above.
One of the most attractive benefits of open source application is that it is a highly cost effective solution, i.e. open source tools are free and industr y/academia contribute to the development. Due to the fact that open source soft ware is ‘free’, ever yone has access to the source code, thereby facilitatin g the needed infrastructure to add to what currently exists at freewill. Open source developments traditionally follow the “collective action”, a theoretical model where users of the program/system solve their own technical problems and reveal the solutions freely and immediately [21] But, the “private-collective” model may be considered instead, where the goal is to get the best of both worlds, e.g. just because the open source method is utilised, it does not stop an yone from using it to create commercial tools. In this case the correct licenses need to be utilised. Open source licensing in the majority of cases promote collaboration and sharing an d allow an yone to make modifications to the source code for implementation into their own projects. Also, open source licenses may ensure that altered programs source code must also be shared without charging a licensing fee for the altered new version. The authors recommend investigating further at http://www.gun.org for a deeper understanding of types of open source licenses
Laat and van Berlo have shown the value in open source tools and the significant role they have been playing in the AEC/FM industry, i.e. the BimServer [22]. In [22], they have converged the BIM and Geographic Information System (GIS) worlds (industries) via CityGML The integration of
new worlds allows an IFC compliant GeoBIM extension to facilitate the embedding semantic IFC data into a GIS context. [23] and [11] also demonstrate the importance of an IFC compliant open source web- based model server that allows AEC/FM stakeholders to collaborate remotely via a central repositor y. In fact, companies such as Autodesk and IBM have started to follow the open source route. For instance, Autodesk have made their IFC import/exporter for Revit open source to increase and enhance usage, quality, and productivity of development [25] IBM believes that open source and open standards is key to making our planet smarter by improving the way humans work and live their lives.
However, with respect to applications integrating Virtual and Real data/infor mation (Virtual-and-Real applications hereafter), it is clear from the literature above that the AEC/FM industry has not yet considered the benefits of integrating open reality capture and BIM models in a single open source environ ment, especially one that is built on top of an open infrastructure.
The authors are thus proposing an open Virtual-and-Real cyber -ph ysical software platform that affords these needs. Our appr oach (presented in Section 4) is similar to [22] in the sense that it aims to provide an open solution to a context where two new worlds, Real and Virtual, are beginning to converge. The authors argue that such a system is in fact almost necessar y. Indeed, the deployment of Level 2 BIM requirement in the UK and now elsewhere, and soon Level 3 BIM requirements (Digital Built Britain for 2025 [24]), increase the pressure on solving integrated project delivery in general, and interoperability in particular. The availability of an open Virtual-and-Real soft ware platform would afford the following benefits. First, it would enable the development of solutions that pass the test of time by compl ying with the BIM Level 3 proposals that clearly promote the use of open for mats and processes, e.g. IFC for mat. By being open, such a system would benefit from academic and industry institutions that will have the ability to add their own contributions to it In turn, ever yone globally would have access to utilise and add to the current, i.e. most recent, developments upon release by all individual third party developers. This is further detailed in the following section.
The authors envisaged from prior and current research that the integration of RFID, GPS, semantically-rich IFC BIM models, and reality capture can be converged into a single cyberph ysical system that would deliver bi-directional interoperability bet ween virtual and real worlds. Our
aim is to leverage prior knowledge and solutions delivered in the various sub-domains above and embed these into an open system where users and developers can benefit globally via a web-based open source solution where reality capture data (e.g. point clouds) and BIM models live hand-and-hand.
Earlier in this paper, we have shown that there is a clear need for a cyber -ph ysical system that converges virtual and real worlds When it comes to manage geometric data and infor mation, whether within Scan -to-BIM or Scan -vs-BIM contexts, it is surprising that, despite all comments about interoperability issues within the industr y, no open source framework an d soft ware platform exists that co-locates Real and counter -part Virtual data.
The authors are thus proposing the development of an open source framework and software platform for the convergence of BIM and 3D imaging. No such system exists and our main goal is the development of the soft ware platform that will be utilised as a catalyst for industry and academia to build upon. The authors promote the use of open source systems for this very reason. The initial contribution of the authors will be the software platform and its framework to be utilised by other developers in both industry and academia aiming to develop various Scan-to-BIM or Scan -vsBIM solutions.
The system and approach increases the efficiency of on -site methods, in -house design processes, reduces computational and ph ysical waste, and supports a leaner methodology in general. A cyber -ph ysical system process is foreseen that utilises less human interaction. This framework could for example be used for the development of a Scan -vs-BIM solution for dimensional quality control Such a solution would utilise algorith ms to automatically recognise real world objects in TLS data and correlate them with virtual BIM objects, i.e. a recipe for a cyber -ph ysical system [26] The matching of real to virtual objects would enable the automated application of various types of dimensional control procedures. The data acquired from the real object as well as the dimensional control results can then be recorded in a structured manner as semantic infor mation attached to the virtual BIM objects of interest.
The proposed system is to be built on an open source centralised repository where the users can upload and download the open standard files, i.e. IFC BIM models and e57 reality capture data In conjunction with the server, we aim to demonstrate an open source web-based virtual environ ment accessible from the Graphical User Interface (GUI), similar to the 6D BIM framework protot ype from [11] In this virtual environment the user will utilise algorithmic functions via the GUI to compute, using the power of cloud computing, results based on the
IFC BIM model and the TLS e57 point cloud
existing in the same environment. The authors’ vision can actually be achieved in many different wa ys due to various open source technologies being already available free to the public, e.g. Torque 3D Game Engine (T3D), BimServer .org, xBIM, CloudCompare, etc. At this current stage no final decision has been made on the virtual environment method that will be utilised to facilitate the IFC BIM model and e57 reality capture data via the web- based open source server. Yet, the authors have already gathered knowledge through the development of two protot ypes. The first is local and support e57 and IFC BIM models (and has been used to report the results in [28] for example). However, this system has not yet been embedded into the open source server. The second prototype utilises the T3D game engine as the virtual environment for BIM models [27], but does not support reality capture data in its current state. The authors are in the process of integrating the two protot ypes. IfcOpenShell, CloudCompare, and other open source tools are under consideration to be utilised as ingredients to the soft ware system framework.
Incentives such as the UK BIM mandate for 2016 aims to enforce accurate As-Built and As-Is BIM model as handover deliverables for FM and Operations and Maintenance (O&M). In reality the industry has much to learn to truly achieve this vision. The authors of this paper have a vision to increase the development of technologies to make ideas such as the UK mandate become a reality. Realistically speaking it is very time-consuming and difficult to track development during construction and assure what was design ed is actually being built on site. Many researchers are tr ying to solve these problems through various different methodologies, e.g. [1, 2] The authors believe that an open source solution is an essential key component for speeding up the process of truly accurate as-built/as-is BIM handover deliverables to owners in the AEC/FM The proposed methodology is centred around a free web-based open source soft ware platform that will act as base infrastructure on top of which solutions supporting future growth of such technologies can be added. The industry (academics and professionals) shall “drive” this proposed system, instead of using traditional proprietary methods that keep the consumers out of the development driver seat and high risk purchasing technologies that do not provide adequate solutions to their problems. Proprietary systems are very expensive and do not alwa ys facilitate the needs required. Open source systems allow the user to omit functions not needed in their business model and add at free will new
functions that dir ectly benefit their business model
to help ensure success at a lower cost. One of our goals is to reduce human interaction during the bidirectional flow of infor mation exchanged through integrated systems while also providing a platform for the direct implementation of novel technologies in the future.
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Robert K ane1, Barry McAuley2, Dr. Alan V Ho re3, and Simon Fra se r4
1Bruce Sha w, Hoban House, Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland
2 & 3School of Surveying and Construction Management, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
4Hussey Fraser Solicitors, 17 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, Ireland
E-mail: 1robert.kane@bruceshaw.com 2 barr ymcau ley@g mail.com 3alan.ho re@dit.ie
4sfraser@husse yfraser.co m
In Ireland, large and progressive contractors are claiming significant benefits in constructi on ma nage me nt efficiency through the i mple me ntation of B IM (B uilding Infor mati on M odelling). While these contractors note that the cost benefits to the project budget alone justify the i mplementation of B IM in the field, they are acutely aware that in 2011 the UK Governme nt has ma ndated the construction industry in the UK to use B IM on all public projects by 2016. In the Republic of Ireland howe ver, in 2007, the Governme nt introduced the Public Wor ks Contracts (PWC) suite for the procureme nt of all public sector works. After 8 years of working with the PWC suite of contracts, these contracts have now been widely identified as being unfairly balanced in favour of the Employer and as being a barrier influencing the prospect f or recovery of the c onst ruction industry in Ireland. A recent Irish Governme nt agency report recommended a review of the current contract for Public Wor ks by both Governme nt and Industry stakeholders with a view to i mpleme nting any changes required to ensure fair and reasonable ter ms for all parties involved. This review has called for the PWC to be revised to include a more collaborative a nd c o- operative approach. This paper will consider the experie nces of other jurisdictions in adopting collaborative constructi on contract practices through B IM and will propose how t he industry in Ireland can leverage B IM to create a more integrated and collaborative environme nt for t he purpose of delivering better project outcome s for the key stake holders invol ved in construction projects.
building information modelling (BIM), collaboration, professional relationships, public works contracts.
Th e Irish constr uction ind ustr y is curr en tly at a crossroads, faced with r educed fees, in cr eased r esponsibilities and h igh er client expectations All professi on als wor kin g in th is fra gmented broken in dustr y n eed to adapt th eir wor kin g procedur es in order for th e in dustr y to r etur n to prosper ity. [1] Th e construction in dustr y in Ir elan d is curr en tly in a state of r ecover y Th ose wh o ha ve n ot been for ced out of th e in dustr y dur in g th e r ecent r ecessi on n ow n eed to adopt lean er wor kin g practices. Th er e is a r en ewed optimism amon g th e con tractor s an d profession als wh o wer e for ced over th e past seven year s to oper ate with ver y lea n overh eads, br eakeven margin s an d in some cases op er atin g on a belo w cost basis. Th e Ir ish government r eplaced th e pr eviousl y used GDLA 1982 con tract with a n ew suite of PWCs
developed by th e Go vernmen t Constr uction
Con tracts Committee (GCCC) Th is for m of con tract promised “to br in g cost cer tain ty a n d value for mon ey” b y th e tran sfer of r isk on th e basis th at “a high level o f compr eh en sive quality in for mation sh ould allow for a h igh level of r isk to be tran sferr ed” (GCCC Guidan ce n otes, Apr il 2006) In man y cases this has n ot happen ed [2]
Th e ver y n atur e of th e Irish Con str uction
In dustr y is on e of ad ver sity a mon g its stakeh older s, wh er e in for ma tion is closel y guarded an d kn owled ge is seen as power Th is con frontation al beh a viour must come to a n en d if th e potential of BIM is to be full y r ealised, as open collabor ation amon g project tea ms is fun da mental to th e cor e un der stan ding of th e over all BIM solution for th e ind ustr y [1] Instead of th e tradition al “us an d th em” attitude bet ween th e client design team and th e con tractor s wh o ten d to
pull in differ ent direction s on a pr oject, a n ew wa y of wor kin g togeth er will have to be establish ed.
Th e over all purpose of this paper is to examin e if BIM can be incorpor ated into th e curr ent PWC suite of con tracts to improve collabor ation an d to ben efit all of th e vested par ties
Th e auth or s’ pr imar y data collation meth odolog y involved an extensive sur vey that wa s desi gn ed and distributed to both a pr ivate an d public sector sa mple, in order to gauge th e level of suppor t for th e in tr oduction of BIM to assist in offer in g a mor e r ewardin g and collabor ative approach of doing busin ess. An on lin e questionnair e was cr eated with seven question s, wh ich wa s or iginally piloted b y a n umber of ind ustr y an d academic BIM exper ts After a n umber of ch anges wer e in corpor ated, it wa s then distributed by email to a number of AE C r epr esentative in stitution s with in Ir eland This gen er ated r esponses fr om con sultants, clients and a mix of sma ll to large con tra cting en terprises. The r esponses to th e sur ve y will complement th e paper s r esear ch aim a s it provides a sn apsh ot of th e curr ent level of use an d capability of th e Irish AEC sector to embr ace BIM tech n ologies on public works projects This will provide th e platfor m for th e auth or s’ r ecommen dations on movin g towards a mor e collabor ative suite of con tracts, in order pr omote th e adoption of BIM. A n umber of in ter views wer e also con ducted in order validate th e r esults of th e sur vey.
In th e UK, r epor ts, such as th e Egan r epor t (1998) [3] iden tified th e traditional fragmen tation of th e in dustr y as th e cause of man y of th e in dustr y ’s problems. Eastman et al (2011) [4] high lighted that curr en tly th e facility deliver y process r emain s fr agmen ted and it depen ds on p aper based commun ication with error s and omission s in th ese documen ts causing dela ys, fin an cial burden s and fr iction between all parties in volved Won g an d Fan (2013) [5] estimated that th e cause an d effect of th is fr agmen tation h as ultima tel y lead to gr eater in efficien cies, mistakes an d delays wh ich ha ve accoun ted for $200 billion of th e $650 billion spent on construction in Amer ica annually Such alar ming figur es ha ve n ow r esulted in n ew devel op men ts in In for ma tion and Commun ication Techn olog y (ICT ) th at will fur th er impact on ever y level of construction in dustr y an d societ y in th e n ext ten to twen t y year s [6]. Gann on et al (2013) [7] outlin ed th at th e lack of construction productivit y ca n be over come th rough BIM an d Integrated Project Deliver y (I PD), as it offer s th e oppor tunity for positive ch an ges to be made dur in g all pha ses of th e pr oject lifecycle.
Haron , et al, (2009) [8] pointed out th at collabor ation and integr ation amon g th e project team member s and stakeh older s is n eeded in order to enhan ce value an d that integr ated practice in th e construction industr y is iden tified as on e of th e solution s th at could be used to min imi se th e problems a ssociated with fragmen tation in construction IPD seeks to improve pr oject outcomes through a collabor ative approach of align ing th e in cen tives and goals of th e pr oject tea m through shar ed risk an d r eward, ear ly in volvemen t of a ll parties, and a multi -party agr eemen t [9] Th e key to a successful IPD is assemblin g a team th at is committed to collabor ative processes a n d is capable of wor kin g togeth er effectivel y Th ough IPD an d BIM ar e differ en t con cepts, th er e ar e still gr eat syn ergies th at can be ach ieved by combin in g both processes. BIM is essen tial to efficien tly ach ieve th e collabor ation r equired for IPD, as th e combination of BIM an d integr ated teams allows th e project to be defin ed an d coordinated to a much high er level pr ior to construction start, ena bling mor e efficien t construction an d a sh orter constr uction per iod [10] This was detailed b y Gerber an d Kensek (2010) [9] in contracts, such as, th e ConsesusDOCS 300 Integr ated For m of Agr eement in order to facilitate th e effective collabor ation bet ween con struction pr oject participan ts wh o use BI M. Such con tracts offer th e oppor tun ity for th e Irish AEC Sector to see fir st -han d h ow a similar approach could possibl y be embr aced.
Th e adoption of BIM across th e global con str uction wor ld con tinues to gr ow with USA, Finlan d, Nor wa y, Den mar k, UK, Ger man y, Singapor e an d Kor ea all curr ently in th e process of devel opin g BIM guidelin es Large own er s, in cludin g th e Gen er al Ser vices Ad min istration (GSA) , th e U S. Ar my Corps of En gin eer s (USACE), r equire BIM deliver ables on all major pr ojects (GSA, 2006). VTT in Finlan d, Ra mbøll in Denmar k an d SINT EF in Nor wa y ar e th e major r esear ch or ganisation s in BIM in th ese coun tries, a s outlin ed by Won g et al (2009) . In Fin land, it is r equired for th e use of IFC BI M models on all its projects, with Nor wa y usin g th e Dir ector ate for Public Proper t y a nd Con struction Man agement for IFC BIM to facilitate th e flow o f in for mation through whole life cycle. Den mar k has a man dated use o f 3D/BIM for ten der an d, an electr on ic han dover of in for mation to th e clien t (Govern ment Con str uction Client Group, 2011)
BIM in Asia ha s sh own significant gr owth an d momen tum and sh ows n o sign s of slo win g down Th e main or ganisa tion govern in g th e con str uction in dustr y in Sin gapor e is th e Buildin g an d Con str uction Auth or ity (BCA). T h e BCA h a ve develop ed a r oadmap for BIM that pushes its
construction ind ustr y to be usin g BIM widel y b y 2015, wh ich in clude devel opin g BIM submission templates to ease th e transition for th e in dustr y fr om CAD to BIM [11] To in cen tivise ear ly BIM adopter s, it intr oduced a $6-million BIM Fund in Jun e 2010 to cover costs on train ing, con sultancy, soft war e, and har d war e with Sin gapor e un iver sities en cour agement.
Th e Dodge Data & Analytics Smar t Mar ket Repor t for th e Busin ess va lue of BIM in Ch ina (2015) pr edicts a 108% growth for con tractor s wh o will be doin g over 30% of th eir wor k in BIM. Th is r epor t also for ecasts a 200% in cr ease of ar ch itects at a h igh BIM implemen tation level in th e n ext two year s [12]
In Hon g Kon g, th e Gover nment attach es gr eat impor tan ce to sustain ability BIM h as been applied durin g various stages of buildin g develop ment. Th e Hon g Kon g Housin g Auth or ity ( HKHA) is on e o f th e BIM pi on eer s in Hon g Kong, Ma k (2011) of Housin g Dimension s states "Our goal is full implemen tation of BIM in all n ew HA projects by 2014/15 [13]. BIM in Australia is gain in g traction as r epor ted by McGo wan (2013) [14] with th e Nation al Buildin g In for mation Modelling In itiative (NBI) r epor t, commission ed b y th e Built Envir onment In dustr y Inn ovation Coun cil, and ha ve advocated th at both th e government an d th e in dustr y to begin to embr ace BIM.
Th e UK Governmen t is p ushin g ah ead with th e adoption of BIM an d, in order to deal with th e legal issues ar isin g, th e Con str uction In dustr y Coun cil (CIC) ha s produced a BIM Pr otocol (CIC/BIM Pr o 1st Edition 20 03) which has been dr afted to en able th e production of buildin g in for mation models at defin ed stages of a pr oject. Th e UK h as issued in tan dem with th eir level two BIM in itiative a suite of conn ected fr ameworks and guidelin es. This in cludes a n umber of PAS documents wh ich offer s best pr actice for in for mation management for th e capital/deliver y an d oper ation al phase of construction projects using BIM. CIC have also r eleased best pr actice guides th at deals with th ose aspects of BIM wh ich r elate to Professi on al In demnity in suran ce an d lega l fra mewor ks in order to facilitate an d pr omote th e use of BIM. Th ese documen ts ar e complimen ted by 11 Region al BIM hubs wh ose pr imar y focu s is to r aise a war en ess and facilitate th e ear ly adoption of BIM processes an d wor kin g meth ods through out th e UK’s con str uction in dustr y.
On e of th e most impor tan t documen ts is th e CIC BIM Pr otocol wh ich is inten ded to be expr essl y in corpor ated in to all direct con tracts bet ween th e emplo yer an d th e project team member s [2]. Th e
Protocol h as been drafted for use on all common construction con tracts an d suppor ts BIM wor kin g at Level 2. Th e Pr otocol iden tifies th e specific obligations, liabilities an d associated limitation s on th e use of th e models. It does th is by br eakin g th e documen t into eigh t clauses an d two appen dices. All parties involved in th e use, production or deliver y of Mod els on th e Pr oject (th e “Project Team Member s”) ar e r equired to h ave a BIM Protocol appen ded to th eir con tracts. This will en sur e that all parties pr oducing and deliver in g Models adopt any common stan dards or wa ys o f wor kin g descr ibed in th e Protocol an d that all parties usin g th e Models have a clear righ t to do so
Per haps from an Irish per spective th e fact that th e over ar ching r espon se fr om in sur er s has been th at th er e ar e n o issues with level 2 BIM wh ich ar e sufficiently ser ious as to r equire cover age r estriction s for consultan ts which use it, offer s en cour agement In examin in g th e UK Fr amewor k it is con cluded that in order to wor k at Level 2 th at little ch ange is r equired to th e fun damental buildin g bl ocks of cop yr igh t law, con tracts or in suran ce. This is en coura ging fr om an Irish per spective, as our curr en t contracting arrangemen ts ar e n ot consider abl y differ en t to th e UK despite th e curr ent suite of PWC for ms of con tacts n ot bein g design ed to en courage risk allocation or collabor at ion [15]
To assist in th e r ecover y of th e constr uction industr y h er e, th e For fás r epor t (2013) stated that in order to maintain competitiven ess, Ir ish con str uction fir ms must compl y with evol vin g buildin g/product r egulation s an d exceed in tern ational industr y stan dards, with th e use of BIM based in tegrated pr oject man agement. An action proposed by th e For fás wa s to wor k with industr y or ganisation s to promote th e use of BIM an d develop th e appropr iate techn ical skills amon gst Irish construction fir ms so th at th ey can successfull y compete in mar kets wh er e BIM is widel y adopted or is a r equir emen t. Deen ey et al (2013) explain that through r eplacing tradition al cumber some workin g practices with a vir tual model th at per for ms mor e efficien tly, deliver in g mor e valuable in for mation an d, most importantly, r educin g costs can h elp improve wor kin g procedur es th er efor e assistin g th e industr y to r eturn to prosper ity. Fr aser (2013) believes th at as a small, op en , inn ovative econ omy wi th a str on g ICT sector, th e adoption of a BIM approach in Ir elan d ma y stimulate th e Irish econ omy wh ile also fin ally en ablin g th e govern ment to r ealise th e ben efits or iginally pr omised b y th e PWC suite of con tracts.
Th e ben efits ar e clear but for th e adoption of BIM in Ir eland to move on , th e process n eeds leader ship At th e moment it is difficult for th e gover nment to
promote BIM an d prior itise a sect or wh ich is still seen a s on e of th e main culpr its of th e econ omy’s demise. Th er e is a n eed for th e in dustr y an d var ious governing bodies to r ealise that th er e’s in evitability about BIM [16] It’s impor tant that th e public sector r ecogn ises th e ben efits that BIM can br ing They sh ould take a str on g position, just like th ey h a ve taken in th e UK, wh ich would be immen sely ben eficia l to our econ omy a n d to th e companies wh o compete in in ternational markets that they h ave that capability [16]. McAuley et al (2013) state that by follo win g in th e UK’s footstep s an d imp lementin g BIM, it could h elp to cr eate a mor e interactive and in telligent Gover nmen t estate. Th e auth or s warn that th ough BIM will n ot an swer all of th e Ir ish governments con cer ns; it will offer a ch an ce for th e Ir ish AE C an d FM sector s to take a step in th e r ight direction towards a mor e sustainable futur e.
En terpr ise Ir eland has been particular ly proactive with its BIM implemen tation progr amme. This in cludes th e BIM Enable an d BIM I mplement fun ded programmes design ed to fin ancially suppor t En terpr ise Ir eland clien ts’ up skill in BIM Level 2 trainin g an d avail of exper t consultancy service to assist in strategic use of BIM in th eir busin esses.
In addition to th ese programmes, Enterpr ise Ir eland r ecen tly sough t ten der s in mid-2015 for th eir BIM Inn ova tion Capability Progra mme (BICP), wh ich BICP h as at its cor e a r equir emen t for th e pr eferr ed bidder to consult with both industr y and academia to gauge th e capability an d r eadin ess of th e ind ustr y to embr ace BI M. At th e time of wr iting this paper th e pr eferr ed bidder wa s n ot ann oun ced.
Complimen ting these oper ation al BIM in itiatives, En terpr ise Ir eland ar e seekin g to for m a BIM I mplementation Forum, wh ich will ha ve both public an d pr ivate r epr esentation to assist in th e develop men t of a strategic BIM progr amme for Ir eland.
Th e Constr uction IT Allian ce (CITA) r emain s ver y proactive in promotin g BIM, with its programme of domestic even ts, CITA BIM Gath er ing in terna tional con fer en ces, CITA Skilln et tr ainin g progra mme and CITA MSc in Con str uction In for matics. In mor e r ecen t mon th s th e in vitation by th e UK BIM 4 Commun ities group to join th e 11 UK Regi on al BIM hubs sa w th e for mation of r egion al BIM Hubs in th e east, south an d west of Ir elan d.
Ir ish educator s ar e curr en tly ver y active in th e deliver y of BIM progr ammes both at un dergr aduate an d post graduate level, with man y progra mmes suppor ted by th e Irish state through th e Spr ingboar d an d Skilln et ’s fun din g pr ogrammes.
Alth ough th e UK is at th e for efron t of BIM implemen tation in Eur ope, th e Ir ish an d UK mar kets
cann ot be directly compar ed simply due to th eir size differ en ce. Nor wa y, for exa mple, is similar in scale an d happen s to be well advan ced in implemen tin g BIM in both Public and Private sector s
Nor wa y is con sider ed on e of th e wor ld’s ear liest adopter s of BIM (accor ding to McGr a w Hill Con str uction ’s Th e Busin ess Value of BIM for Own er s Smar t Mar ket Repor t ) [17] Th e civil state client Statsbygg h as been in sistin g on th e use of BIM on its constr uction projects sin ce 2010. Th e Nor wegian Homebuilder s Association (NHA) ha s en cour aged th e ind ustr y to adopt BIM an d IFC A n umber of Nor wegian con tr actor s h ave spen t va st a moun ts of mon ey implemen tin g BIM systems a nd ICT in tegration suppor t for th eir production of a n umber of mixed -use r esiden tial units [18] SINTEF in Nor wa y is th e leadin g or ganisation con ducting r esear ch with in th e field of BIM. It is part of Erabuild which is a n etwor k of n ational R&D programmes, focusin g on sustain able tools to improve constr uction and th e oper ation s of buildin gs [19] Nor wa y i s a mon g th e fir st few countries to develop IFD (In ternational Fra mewor k for Diction ar ies) stan dar d in th e building construction r egime wh ich is an initiative for global application At pr esen t, 22% of AE C / FM entities through out Nor wa y h ave used or have full y implemen ted BIM or IFC -enabled BIM soft war e. [20]
In an attempt by th e Ir ish Governmen t to en sur e a gr eater cost cer tain ty on public works project a Capital Wor ks Managemen t Fr amewor k (CWMF) wa s in tr oduced in 2007. Th is is a ser ies o f documen ts wh ich collectivel y descr ibe th e oper atin g envir onmen t, procedur es an d processes to be follo wed for th e deliver y of ca pital works projects It in corpor ates con tractual provisions, guidan ce material and technica l procedur es cover ing th e public wor ks project lifec ycle fr om in ception to fin al pr oject d eliver y an d r eview T h e aim of th e CWMF is to en sur e th at th er e is an integr ated meth odolog y an d a con sistent approach to th e plannin g, managemen t and deliver y of public capital works pr ojects, with th e objectives o f gr eater cost cer tainty, better value for mon ey an d mor e efficien t project deliver y With in th e CWMF th e Ir ish government publish ed a new suite of pu blic sect or con tr acts (PWC). Th e n ew for ms sough t to r eflect th e latest th inkin g in project an d risk managemen t, an d, r ecogn ise th e devel op ment of n e w procur ement meth ods, such as design and build Th ese n ew for ms also aimed at suppor tin g th e cer tainty of out -come in ter ms of cost, q uality an d programme.
Th ough at th e beginnin g th ese con tracts met th e Govern men ts objectives, as th ey produced low ten der pr ices, th is wa s seen a s mor e of a r esult of th e diffi cult finan cial times that th e constr uction sect or foun d itself in In a r ecen t r eview of th ese con tracts it was foun d both employer s an d contractor s wer e forced to ad opt an over l y litigious approach . Oth er problems in cluded that th ese con tracts facilitates an adver sar ial approach, as well as an un fair tran sfer of r isk to con tractor s According to O’Br ien (2013), th e curr en t RI AI an d PWC con tracts do n ot wor k and cer tain ly do n ot curr ently en cour age collabor ative beh aviour [21]
Fr aser (2014) [2] is of th e opin ion that th e curr en t suite of PWC suite of con tracts wer e con ceived an d dr afted in a completel y differ ent econ omic envir onmen t compar ed to today, a n d th e adoption of BIM could n ow addr ess some o f th e diffi culties in flicted on th e ind ustr y an d th e Irish econ omy b y th ese con tracts Th e Ir ish Govern ment must become th e main driver if this process is to succeed an d must also r eview curr en t BIM initiatives an d barr ier s in public sect or procur emen t bodies in oth er countries [1]
In order to investigate if oth er pr ofession als with in th e public an d private sect or s sh ar ed th e auth or ’s views a sh or t sur vey was conducted , with th e r esults detailed in th e n ext section
Th e sh ort pilot sur vey was con ducted to r efin e per tin ent question s about th e cur r ent PWC public works con tract an d th e possible ch anges that could be made to it. Ten exper ts wer e ch osen fr om across th e AEC sector. At th e en d of th e sur ve y th ey wer e also given an oppor tun ity to suggest an d steer th e question s to en sur e th e sur ve y r eflected th e tr ue mood of th e in dustr y. Th e improved sur ve y was r educed to seven question s with th e oppor tunity to add per son al opinion to each an swer Initially fift y names wer e selected fr om across th e ind ustr y givin g a broad oppor tunity to Clien ts, Con sultants and Con tractor s opin ion s. A sample of fift y wer e in vited wh ich r esulted in 35 r esponses wer e r eceived, some providin g ver y detailed per son al opinions
Th e sa mple was a sked about th eir opin ion on wh eth er th e curr en t PWC public works c on tract h as brough t about gr eater cost cer tain ty on public sector pr ojects in Ir elan d. On ly on e r espon dent was un der th e impr ession that it had but at th e cost o f tran sferr in g th e risk on to th e con tractor wh ich would r emove th e on us on clien ts and consultants to be efficien t. Th e major it y h owever wer e n ot convin ced On e r espon dent commen ted th at th e PWC was providing a “false econ omy” as th e emplo yer
believes th e pr oject to be on e hun dr ed per cen t design ed and th er efor e completel y pr iced. In r eality th ough, th e design s ar e often wea k . Th e r espon den t con ten ded that this r esulted in man y gaps in th e design r esulting in uniden tified risk lead ing to claims and disputes A common thr ead fr om r espon dents r epor ted too man y post con tract var iation s and dela ys wh ich wer e leading to con ciliation costs procedur es to be activated
Th e auth or sought to deter min e wh eth er th e PWC public wor ks con tract provided value for mon ey Th e sa me issues arose with th e cost cer tain ty question an d th e over all an swer was n ega tive. Th e main poin ts of opin ion wer e again too man y var iations, claims an d th e fact th at con tr actor s wer e bu yin g out th e risk a t over in flated pr emiums On e r espon dent believed that th e client was ach ievin g value for mon ey but on ly a fter th e pr oject was comp lete an d all disputes r esol ved
Th e sa mple was a sked on wh eth er th e PWC public works con tract would ben efit fr om in clusion of a mor e collabor ative eth os to improve project outcomes. All of th e r espon den ts wer e in agr eemen t th at clear er collabor ative a pproach was r equired r ath er than an adver sarial on e. Th ey believed th is meth od would alwa ys produce better outcomes. Fur th er mor e, early con tractor engagemen t an d a n on -adver sar ial envir on ment, wh er e tea ms ar e wor kin g togeth er, r ath er th an against each oth er, wer e in fa vour Feedba ck suggested th at a change of attitudes fr om both sides is r equired and r ath er than r isk tran sfer, r isk sh ar ing wa s th e mor e pr efer able strategy to be ach ieved
d) BIM and Collaboration
Par ticipants wer e asked about wh eth er BIM would h elp achieve a mor e collabor ative outcome in an Ir ish con text It was felt b y th e sa mple that BIM on its own was n ot th e an swer , but that a collabor ative con tractual en vir onmen t will allow BIM to be used cor r ectly to optimise ben efits BIM provides a mor e IPD fr ien dly approach by its inh er ent natur e Th e sa mples wer e of th e opinion that an IPD an d Lean BIM approach would deliver significant capital savin gs.
e) Lessons from UK BIM Protocol
A question was p ut to th e sa mp le in light of th e UK auth or ities’ adoption of BIM by man datin g th e use of Level 2 BIM capability on all central govern ment in fr astr uctur e projects by Ma r ch 2016 and wh eth er th er e wer e lesson s for th e Ir ish Govern ment in h ow th ey could implemen t such a sch eme.
Some of th e r espon dents wer e suppor tive of adoptin g a “cop y exact” (PAS 1192) amendmen t that could be applied to th e public works con tract. It wa s n oted that th e UK h as th e best BIM fr amewor k in terna tionally.
All of th e r esear ch , lesson s learn ed, standards and guidan ce ar e available to th e Irish Gover n ment to simply pi ck up an d use. On e fear was that th e adoption of a BIM policy based on PAS 1192 would be adopted piecemeal. Fr om pr evious adoption s of UK in itiatives b y th e Ir ish Con struction industr y, th er e seems to be a r eluctan ce to take th e complete policy in its entir ety. Th e Con str uction Act is a pr ime exa mple of th is I t was on e r espon der s’ opinion that failur e to adopt th e UK model in its en tir et y is causing difficulties at pr esent
Wh en asked wh eth er th e govern ment sh ould modify th e existin g con tract with a BIM amend ment cla use or to dr aw up an entir ely n ew bespoke BIM con tract for public use, th e major it y opin ion of th e sample wa s in favour of a simple BIM a mend ment clause. On e r espon dent felt th at BIM protocol was d esign ed for stan dar d design and build con tracts, which th e PWC would fall into Th e oth er side consider ed th e n otion of cr eating a bespoke BIM con tract a wa ste of time and th at th e PWC con tr acts ar e un suitable for BIM an d would n ever en cour age collabor ation .
It was n oted h owever that r egardless of wh ich ever side th e r espon den ts fell in to, an y ch an ges to th e existin g contract, or th e develop men t of a n ew con tract in th e futur e, sh ould involve th e r elevan t an d r ecogn ised professi on al bodies.
Fin ally it wa s asked was th er e an oppor tunity for th e Ir ish public sect or con str uction clien ts to improve pr oject outcomes b y adoptin g a mor e coop er ative con tractual approach such as two stage op en book or IPD. Th e r espondents wer e largely of th e opinion th at con tracts wh er e r isk is fair ly allocated, wh er e r ewar d is proper ly assign ed, and shar ed across th e tea m th is will cr eate an envir on ment in wh ich collabor ation is mutually ben eficial Respon dents called for a mor e collabor ative envir onmen t compar ed to an adver sarial t ype con tract that curr en tly exists. Th ey called for a ch ange in th e min d-set by th e clien t to r ecogn ise that all par ties n eed to be involved ear ly in pr oject in cludin g th e con tractor . Th er e was also a call to p r omote consistent approaches across a ll project t ypes, so tha t th e in dustr y does n ot ha ve to r e-inven t itself for each government project an d also th e in tr oduction of Lean meth odol ogies. Th ey called for th e submittal an d acceptan ce of su b-econ omic ten der s to stop, as
th is practice on ly leads to h eavy claims durin g th e post con tract period.
This paper pr esen ted th e r equir emen t for a mor e collabor ative approach to th e public wor ks con tract an d also explor es th e possibilit y o f in cludin g a BIM a mendmen t clause similar to th at bein g implemen ted in th e Un ited Kingdom. Th e over all r esults of th e r esear ch carried out in pr eparing this paper indicate th e gen eral view o f th e Ir ish AE C sample is that th e curr en t p ublic works con tract is n ot providin g value for mon ey, an d due to in comp lete design at ten der stage, is n ot providin g cost cer tainty. Th e Irish Govern men t sh ould also consider implemen ting a mandate for BIM on public works con tracts over a cer tain value. Fur th er wor k is r equired to develop th e legal wordin g of a BIM a men dmen t to th e existin g Public Wor ks Con tr act and to deter min e con tract implication s and obligation s for th e Clien ts, Con sultants and Con tractor s invol ved ; h owever it would appear from th e exper ien ce in th e UK to date th at consider ation of th e CIC Protocol would be a good star ting point.
Th e auth or s ar e of th e opinion that a mor e sign ificant sample would r ender th e sa me r esults It is n ow time for th e Irish Govern ment to r espon d an d instigate a mor e collabor ative approach in th e deliver y of p ublic wor ks pr ojects in Ir eland It is impor tant the Ir ish Gover n ment ar e seen to r emain in step with th eir inter national peer s, in cludin g th e n eed to r espon d to European Un ion calls for use of Collabor ative BIM processes on p ublicl y fun ded pr ojects.
Th e r esear ch r epor ted in th is paper was con ducted a s part of th e BSc. (h ons.) Con struction Econ omics & Man agement progra mme at Dublin In stitute of Techn olog y
[1] B. McAuley, A. V. Hor e an d J. Deen ey, “Public / Private BIM: An Irish Per spective,” ARROW.DIT, Dublin, 2013
[2] S. Fraser, “Ho w BIM can be a dopted with in public works con tracts,” En gin eer sJournal ie, Dublin, 2014
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Management Process through the application ofBIM as a tool for managing the Irish Public Sector Estates," Corporate Real Estate Journal, val. 3, no. 2, pp. 119 -13 3, 2013.
1 &2 Lecturer, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineer ing, C ork Institut e of Technology, Cork
3 Res earch Co-ordinator, NIMBUS Centre for Emb edded Systems, Cork Institute of Technology, C ork
4Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univers ity C ollege Cork, Cork
E-ma il: 1 mary moloney@cit ie 2ted mc kenna@cit ie 3kevi n fitzgibbon@cit ie
4 e. mck eogh @u cc. ie
Abs trac t The re is a ne ed for change in the current decisi on making pr oce ss for inf ras truc ture pla nning and inve stment, movin g away from the historic ‘silo’-type mentali ty, where each project is e valua te d in isolation This paper proposes the development of a ‘Systems of Systems’ (SoS) me thodology for Ire la nd’s na tional i nfras tructure pl a nning and deli ve r y SoS s upports the development of holistic and sustai na ble infra s truc ture e vol uti o n founde d on e vide nce-based decision ma king; the approach involve s an inte gr ation and analysis of con stitue nt infras truc tu re ne twork s ystems, inc orpor ating input from bo t h [publi c-se ct or ] p olicy ma ke rs and [private -sec tor] decision ma kers Such an approach for infras tructure de cis ion- ma king is based on existing s pa tial and capacity data of each of the c ons tituent infra s truc ture ne tw orks ; and scenari o c omputa tion and analysis of al ter nati ve drivers eg. de mogra phic ch ange, economi c va ria bi lity and de ma nd/c a pa city cons trai nts The output fro m such an analysi s would provide valuable e vidence upon which policy ma kers an d decision ma ker s al ike could rel y, which has been lacking in historic inves tme nt decisi ons
The availability of a cc ura te infor mati on to infor m analysis and decisions is esse ntial. Infor mation can onl y be used for dyna mic modelli ng if the data is collected and used in up t o date ne twork mode ls Buil ding Infor ma tion M odelling (BIM) offers the methodologies an d technologies to de vel op the requi red di gital asset da ta bas e to best inform lifecycle decisi ons associated with conception, design, cons truc tion and operation of physica l infras tructure assets By developing the appropriate di gital asset dat a bas e , the de ma nd for ne w infrastruct ure can itse lf be tested, in a SoS methodol ogy, unde r va ri ous policy s ce nari os, t o provide evi dence for inve stme nt decisi ons Irel and has a poor level of national asset register s and data sets, the building blocks f or infras truc ture ne tw ork models So while thi s pape r proposes a SoS approach t o decision making, it also sugge sts data sets which are dee me d ne cess ar y to i mple ment such a methodology, and discusses the current l ack of, and poor quality and accessibility of, this infor mati on
Keywords Syste ms of s ystems; BIM; Irela nd; Infrastructure netw or k s
There can be little doubt tha t infrastructure qualit y and ca pacit y is linke d t o a countr y ’s economic health and growth [1-4] There is consi derable e vide n ce that public i nfrastructure invest ment increases a nati on’s economic output in both the short and long term, particularl y during periods of econ omic sla ck [5] So as Ireland emerges fr om a deep recession a nd financial bail out, and slowl y starts to invest on ce
more i n its physical infrastructure networks, it is imperative that the i nvestme nt is of the correct t yp e, capacit y a nd in the most appropriate locati on t o meet present and future needs Thi s poses man y ch alle n ges and ha s been the work of Molone y ’s rece nt the sis [6 ].
A spatia l investigati on of inve stme nt across the 34 l ocal authorities, and the ga p a nal ysis of the countr y ’s i nfrastructure networks, showed the clear need for cha nge in how Irish infrastructure projects
are currentl y i dentified and assessed [7, 8] Ireland has de vel oped man y plans, which will be di scusse d in this paper; howe ver current decision-making use s static appraisal, with e valuation based on a singl e project There is gr owing support for e vide n ce -base d decision maki ng, using a s yste ms appr oach, in particular a S yste ms of Systems (SoS) met hodol og y, for infrastructure decisi on making. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), in its recent report on the guidi ng principle s of asset mana ge me nt, i de ntifies the need for cross -s yste m re silience as one of the guidi ng principle s in t he effecti ve ma na geme nt of assets [9] The man y c odes and sta ndards deali n g with asset mana gement and BIM, e g PAS 1192, PAS 55 and ISO 55000, di scuss t he need for hi gh level decision-making at a cor porate policy le vel Howe ver neither PAS 1192 nor other similar standards deal with t he input necessar y t o de velop the strate gy, so as to quantify t he empl oye r’s ‘NEED’; in other wor ds, there is no guidance on how to conduct an e vidence based anal ysis which woul d qua ntify the ‘what, where, whe n and priority’ of potential infrastruct ure investme nt i n part icular assets of a netw ork
Whe n it comes t o ph ysical i nfrastructure, the que stion arise s as t o how hi gh-level detaile d speci ficati on decisi ons be ma de for one particular asset, identifyin g its required capacit y e tc., without havi ng carried out a full anal ysi s of that particular infrastructure s ystem and its interdepe ndent s yste ms Selected ele ments of a BIM t ype pr ocess are well suite d t o a nal ysi ng particular infrastructure asset s and networks Overl ying t he set of BIM-t ype models, a SoS a pproach woul d provi de t he hi gh-le ve l iterative anal ysis and output of the interde pende n cie s of the indi vi dual networks, to facilitate such a n approach. This should not be confused with Cer ovsek’s discussion on ‘BIM-S oS’ sche ma where he explores the alternati ve methods of sta ndarisi ng the approach to BIM. [10]
The pr opose d relati onship between SoS a nd BIM i s illustrated in Fi gure 1 below. The l ower half of t he figure illustrates what is traditi onall y c onsidered the first step in the BIM c ycle for the spe ci fication of i nfor mati on manage ment accordi ng t o e. g Fi gure 2 of PAS 1192-2. The upper half shows h o w a SoS a nal ysis would sit a bove a number of i ndi vidual BIM infrastructure a sset model s (all part of the one infrastructure s yste m and interdependent s ystems).
Figure 1 : The hierarchy of SoS and BIM, and their int errelat ionship [ 6, 11]
This paper ill ustrate s how Ireland has hist oricall y f or mulated infrastructure deli ver y plans, the issues that have ari sen as a result, and thus the nee d for cha nge in the current method of i nfr astru ct ure decision-making The use of the SoS dyna mic met hodol ogy i s discussed, including the merit s and potential issues of imple me nti ng such a SoS phil os oph y
The Oxford dictionar y defines Infrastruct ure as:
‘the basic physical and or ga ni zati onal stru ct ures and facilitie s (e g. buildi ngs, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or e nterpris e’ [Oxford 12]
In t he br oader sense, the term ‘infrastructure’ has generall y come to i nclude three main cate gories : pr oductive infrastructure which includes ph ysi cal networks of roads, water, wastewater, power and communicati ons; social infrastructure such as hospitals and schools; and economic infrastructure whic h would include research and i nnovati on instit uti ons
The Irish Governme nt has ‘rebranded’ the sect ors withi n these infrastructure cate gorie s ma ny times over the past deca de, t hus making it challenging t o compile a coherent set of investme nt fi gures i n e. g. pr oductive infrastructure Therefore to clarify: t he research prese nte d in this paper focuses on ‘ph ysi cal networks’ [13, 14], which appear under both produ cti ve and economic i nfrastructure These incl ud e : water; wastewater; transportati on; power; a nd communicat ion networks. In ve st ment figures anal yse d i n previ ous work b y Molone y and McKe ogh [7] wer e compile d base d on defining t he terms of t he sect ors included in ‘producti ve i nfra structure’ , ie ph ys ical net works
Ireland’s econom y has been t hrough a n extra ordinar y c ycle from b oom t o bust over t he study peri od of Molone y ’ s work (2 0 03 -2 009 ), resulting in an Internati onal Monetar y fund (IM F)
and European Union/Eur opean Ce ntral Ba nk (EU/ECB) bail out i n 2010 Ireland succe ss full y exited the bailout progra mme in late 2013, the 1st of the 4 baile d-out countrie s to do so. However, the fact remains that Irela nd’s GDP per capita re mains ver y high relati ve to some of its E uropea n counterpa rts
Kamps has demonstrate d t hat Irela nd underinveste d in its i nfrastruct ure networks between 1990 and 2000 [15, 16]. The le vel of investme nt incr ease d considerabl y over the peri od 2000 t o 2010 There are var yi ng opini ons on whether it investe d suffi cien tl y or in the ri ght assets duri ng this peri od, but what is clear is that Ireland has quite some distance to go, in terms of the actua l qualit y of its infrastructure An IMF pa per identified structural reform as a gap that needed t o be a ddressed, as far back a s 2010 [3 ]
Ireland continues t o perfor m poorl y i n the rati ngs and rankings of the Organisat ion for Economic Cooperation and De vel opme nt (OECD), IMF and the Worl d Economic Forum ( WEF), as previ ou sl y discussed. On the ot her hand, Mor genroth has illustrated that Ireland's investme nt of ge neral government gross fixed ca pital for mati on (GFCF) ha s been i n line as a percentage of its GDP with it s European counterparts [1]. So while the inve st ment in infrastructure was considerable, one has t o question wh y it did not improve t he countr y’s infr ast ru cture rating and ranking a s it shoul d have
Gramlich argues t hat the most important question in looking at i nfrastruct ural inve stment is not on whether there has been a shortage of investment, but rather whether governme nt polic y has been appr opriate, and t hus inve st ment of the correct t ype and i n the correct l ocation [17]. This paper argues t hat while Ireland ma y ha ve i nvested significantl y i n i t ph ysical infrastruct ure during the Celtic Tige r period, much of t he investme nt was waste d due t o a combi nati on of: inflate d construction costs; monie s investe d t o support vacant house s; oversizi ng of infrastructure; a nd invested in the incorrect locati on s [1, 18, 19]
C H AN G E
Gramlich discusses four drivers of infrast ru ct ure investme nt He ide ntifies these as: an engi n eeri ng assessment which i dentifies an infrastruct ure need; pol itical influence gra nting i nfrastructure to a particular area t o ensure wi nning vote s; an econ omi c measure or e valuati on on the rate of return; and econometric estimates of the possible pr odu cti vit y impacts of a piece of infrastructure [17] Mol one y and McKeogh ha ve argue d that Ireland’s e mpha si s was hea vil y ske wed, i e that certain dri ver s were given excessive wei ght; while little or no re gard wa s had for others, with the re sulti ng negati ve conseque nces of waste d invest ment i n particular [7 ]
Furthermore, while a cost-benefit anal ysis wa s selecti vel y use d in Ireland to help justify p artic ular inve stments, there is a growing qua ntit y of l iteratur e que sti oning how economic e valuati ons are bein g undertaken in the appraisal of infrastructure proje cts There are many assumpti ons a nd unknowns i n e valuating bot h the cost and the be nefits of a piece of infrastructure; not least the variabilit y on the use of t he discount rate, the e xpected life spa n of the asset and the estimati on of productivit y factors [17, 20 -23 ].
The Irish Government commissi one d a re view of planning le gislati on is 1997 This proce ss led t o the adoption of a national spatial planning met hodol o g y, cul minating in the first Nat ional Spatial Strate g y (NSS) in 2002 [24]; along with the Nat ional De velopme nt Plan (NDP) 2000, wit h a re view and update of t he NDP in 2006 [25-27] The visi on of t he NSS was t o focus de vel opment and growt h in particular towns and cities that were identified to bec ome Gatewa ys and Hubs It ai me d t o del iver more regi onall y balance d social and economic de vel op me nt
A hierarchy of Nati onal, Re gi onal and Local De velopme nt pla nning was set up, aimi ng to achie ve polic y consistency at all le vel s.
These were then accompa nie d b y ca pital pr ogrammes issued b y t he Departme nt of Fin an ce, primaril y [28-32] Howe ver, from the outset, the aspiration of the Governme nt to e mbrace a cohere nt national strategic planni ng approach was und ermined by wea k i mple me ntati on, political interference and vote-getti ng. The NSS plan was gi ven n o le gislati ve basis and was see n as merel y a fra mework document [33] To date it has not been re vise d or updated, de spi te the dra matic changes i n conditi ons in Ireland in the i ntervening peri od. Thi s lack of le gislati ve basis, al ong with the fact tha t it was ver y much a sta tic document, has led t o the belief that t he NSS was flawed. Targets were set in the plan, but no re gime was established t o e nsure ongoin g monitori ng a nd evaluati on of how each r egi on, gatewa y and hub was performing relative t o the target Thus, for example, an excessive a mount of la nd zoning a nd resulta nt de velopment went uncounted a nd unchecked Accordi ng t o Cusse n, 44, 000 hectares of land were zone d for resi de ntial de vel opment under the NSS b y 2009, as comp are d to the circa 12,000 hectares identified requireme nt [34 ]
In a ddition, the le gislati on outlining a hierar ch y of nati onal, regional and local de ve lopment pla ns met a legal challe nge in 2003, whe n the High Court adjudicated that l ocal authorities did not ha ve t o compl y with the re gulati ons, but merel y give them ‘reasonable consideration’. This ultimatel y le d to the
fl ood of land rezoning i dentified a bove [35], as elected local councill ors exercised their reserve d functions, frequentl y ignored their own executi ves ’ recommendations, and voted t o rezone land liberall y, often without a ny c onsiderati on of the wide r context or the i mplicati ons for infrastructure e xpendit ure
The National Spatial Strate gy was written in 2002 and has not ye t bee n replaced or revised. Such a stud y ca nnot remai n valid, as for e xa mple, demographics and economic circumsta nce s change over the Plan’s pr ojecte d 18 ye ars Previ ous work b y Mol one y et al [19] has identified how housi n g construction quickl y overshot pr ojected n umbers, but constructi on still continue d in specific t owns and regions Thi s led t o in exce ss of 2, 800 ghost estate s [36] during the economic d ownt urn Un fortu natel y man y of these houses ha ve been constructed in l ocati ons t hat are hi ghl y unlikel y t o attract a corresponding le vel of economic growth, and t hus will remain vaca nt; whi le at the sa me time h ousi n g shorta ge s are emerging in the large urba n centre s e.g. Dublin and Cork.
Howe ver, the need to de velop and/ or expa nd infrastructural assets is cle arl y interrelated with planni ng and developme nt a s illustrated in Fi gure 2. As land is zone d, and pla nni ng permissi ons are grante d for constructi on, the immediate i mplicati on is a need for infrastructure t o be pr ovided, i.e water, wastewater and transport li nks etc
priate location [1 ] The Comptroller a nd Audit or General, i n a re vie w of t he expenditure on the water services sector from 2002-2007, identified a lack of improve ment in the overall qualit y and per f or ma n ce of water, relati ve to the vast i nve stment by grant aid to l ocal authorities [37] He suggested that the Government shoul d ha ve had a separate bod y re sponsible for over vie wing the gra nts to local aut h orities, for ensuring tha t the expected impr ovement in water qualit y woul d be in line wit h Exchequer expectati ons, ensuri ng that prioritised schemes remai ned a priorit y, a nd that t here would be adequate maintenance of the i nfrastru cture.
Fl yvber g write s e xte nsivel y on the input and impact of political i nfluence i n decisi on making for infrastructural projects [38-40] He provi des clea r e vide nce of political influence ha ving ne ga ti ve impacts on the sizi ng and pricing of infr astru ctur e pr oject s. In Ireland, capital investment decisi ons ca n be subjecte d t o local and nati ona l political electi on c ycles, pote ntiall y e xposing infrastructure decisi on making t o short term politicall y-biase d c onsi derati ons a t sensiti ve poi nts i n the cycle i.e. i n the run-u p to electi ons
So while capital de velopme nt projects can ori gi nat e through a number of differe nt routes, there woul d appear to be a lack of ce ntralized thi nki ng an d mana geme nt of the se projects Ireland 's P ri me Mi nister chairs the Economic Subcommittee of cabinet ministers, which is the central coor dina tin g gr oup. Applications for ca pital invest me nt are e valuated in the Ce ntral Expenditure Valuati on Unit (CEEU), withi n the Departme nt of Publ i c Expe nditure and Refor m [41] Here the y are su bject to Ireland 's public spending code, de vel oped b y the Department of Finance, which outlines to eac h department how the y shoul d underta ke the identification and a ppraisal of pr oject s
Howe ver, what is of concern is that one project mi ght make financial se nse in itself whe n eva luate d usi ng these methodol ogies, and ma y give a good interna l rate of return or cos t to be nefit rati o; but such an anal ysi s fails to assess the impact or need, positi ve or negati ve on other syste ms with which it is interdependent [39 ]
The excepti onal e xtent of land zoning for d e vel opment, in the villa ges and towns of Ireland, has resulte d in items of infrastruct ure ha ving been oversized, and in many ca ses redundant Mor ge nr oth suggests that while at a nati onal le vel Ireland ma y have spent a considerable a mount of capital on i ts infrastructure over the 2002-2010 period, it ma y not have been of the correct t ype and in the most appr o-
In overall ter ms, the landscape for infrastru ct ur e inve stment decision making was hi ghl y fra gme nte d and lacking i n policy c onsi stency thr oughout the study peri od 2003-2009, and remains so.
Local authorities undert ook spatial planni ng on a count y b y count y le vel, as describe d a bove, wit hin an ineffective nati ona l pla nni ng fra mework. Mea n-
while, the governme nt moved to re gi onalise a nd centralise the ma nage me nt of the main r oa d network, through the Nati onal Roads Authorit y (NRA) whi ch was formall y e stablishe d as a n independent statut or y bod y in 1994.
Water and wastewater pr ovisi on remained a t l ocal aut horit y le vel, with ove rsi ght a nd grant aid for capital works from the De partment of Envir on ment, Communit y and Local Government (DoECLG). These water sect or assets ha ve now transferred to a new se mi-state compan y called Irish Water, in Januar y 2014, but will be operated and maintai ned b y the responsible local authorities under Ser vice Le vel Agree ments (SLAs) [42] The ori ginal visi on for Irish Water was that it would be a finan cia ll y independent organi sati on, raising funds thr ough the metering of domestic water and on the open bond market, t o carr y out a significant pr ogramme of capital i nvestme nt without adding t o the national debt Howe ver, in recent months the pr oposed d omestic water charging re gime met wi th e n or m ous social unre st, result ing in the Governme nt rowi ng back and i ntroducing a fi xed charge, independent of the number of people i n the house a nd the quantit y of water use d [43]. This cha nge of domestic water chargi ng polic y undermines the basis of Irish Water’s fina ncial pla n, since it consi derabl y reduces the amount and certaint y of thi s source of re ve nue Gramlich [17] would de scribe such a turn-around a s based on ‘vote getti n g’.
There are increasing calls for dyna mic an al ysi s in Irish infrastr uct ure decisi on maki ng, which woul d take account of spa tial distribution, var ying levels of economic cha nge, a nd de mand/capacit y in the various networ ks [9, 44, 45] In ‘Using Evidence t o In form Pol icy, a group of r esearchers i n Ir ela nd’s Econ omic and Social Rese arch Institute (ESRI) argue the merits of usi ng evidence in policy maki ng and the complexit y of the issues betwee n e viden c e and policy maki ng [46]. The y conclude tha t ‘good evidence is likely to result i n better poli cy making, but good policy cannot be deducted from good evide nce alone’ [47]
The y a dvocate the use of a ‘s yste m model’ between policy ma kers a nd evidence provi ders, such that there is a flow of informati on in both directi ons, with feed-back loops, thus leading to a s ystems approach wit h resear cher s/e vid en ce pr ovid ers ; pol ic y ma kers; and ke y stake holders, all engage d in the dynamic pr oce ss. The authors’ preferre d definiti on of ‘S yst em of S ystems’ neatl y captu re s this con ce pt :
‘Systems of systems are large-scale i nte grate d systems that are heterogene ous and indep en de ntl y
ope rable on their own, but are networke d toget he r for a common good’ Jamshidi [43]
Adopting a Syste ms of Systems decisi onmaking approach would overc ome the li mitati ons of the traditi onal static and sil o-t ype approach; a n d would i ncorporate the ke y re quirements of usi ng a d yna mic met hod to ta ke account of the comple xities of t he interdepe ndencie s between con stit uent s yste ms, as a dvocated by [47], for e xample
Such a process would need a ccurate, a vailable and dynamic data of the infrastructure assets, their usa ge and capacit y, i n sta ndardize d formats and models, to deve lop the nece ssary constituent s yste m models The advent and continue d de vel opment of BIM wit hi n i ndustr y gl oball y is critical to supporti n g such informa ti on requireme nts.
BIM ma y be defined as a set of intera cti n g policies, processes and technologies which enable effective mana gement of i nfor mati on in digital format thr oughout the life-cycle of an a sset
Fundamental to BIM is the fact that it requires effective di gital infor mat i on of an asset to be delivered and maintaine d in conjuncti on wit h the ph ysi cal asset Consequentl y, a “buildi ng Informati on Model (BIM) is a rich informati on model, consisting of potentially multiple dat a source s, elements of which can be shared across all stake holders and be maintai ned across the life of a building from inception to recycling (cradle t o cradle)” [48] The BS/PAS 1192 suite of standards were de vel oped in the UK t o support effective a sset information mana geme nt. The information deli ver y c ycle central to PAS 1192-2 commences with a strate gic phase to identify need and set out appropriate Employe r In formation Re quire me nts (EIR). This sta ge is informed b y feedback fr om existing informa ti on models Such a strategic pha se should dove tail effecti vel y int o a structured SoS approach, as illustrate d in Fi gure 1 pre vi ousl y
There is gr owing interest in the SoS approach t o national infrastructure pla nning, a nd indeed i n further using the model s and simulations t o acces s critical nationa l infrastruct ure [49-54] s yste ms.
The UK Infrastructure Transiti ons Re sear c h Consorti um (ITRC) is a 5 yea r research progra mme, led b y Oxford Universit y in partnership with 6 ot her Universitie s in t he UK and numer ous gover n me nt departments, organisati ons, pr ofessi onal bodie s, engineering consultant s a nd contract ors The y commence d t heir work i n 2011, and through colla borati on wit h policy ma kers and consultancies, ha ve de vel oped a number of discipline-specific t ools t o e valuate i mpact of e g future climate cha nge a nd t o assess the i mpact on critical infrastructure of e xtreme weat her e ve nts The y ha ve produced a numb er
of reports assessing UK infrastructure s ystems usi ng a SoS a ppr oa ch.
To de vel op a model of a network re quires data which is accurate bot h spati all y and wit h all elements/ node s included Thi s in itself woul d be the initial challenge, as Ireland has var ying degrees o f information a vailable on its different s yste ms To assess the viabilit y of preparing constituent s yste m model s, a proposed list of 116 different data sets/la ye rs was prepared after a literature review of current internati onal practice; and i nformati on wa s sought on the le vel of data that is currentl y a vaila ble and acce ssible [52, 55, 56] This pa per propose s t hat the foll owing s yste ms shoul d be modelled: water; wastewater; power; transport; and ICT This woul d obvi ousl y pre sent ma n y issues of data protection a nd privacy, which are important, but fall outside the scope of thi s paper. Likewise, data sharing acr os s various sta ke holders will be vital t o the success of a SoS approach; addressing t his issue will for m a ma jor compone nt of implementi ng such a met hodolog y
De mogr aphics : ge ospatial i nfor mati on on the populati on, a ge profile, land use, i ncome, househol d size, commuting patterns and lifest yle Thi s data is well recorded b y the Ce ntral Statistics office, but de pendent on t he year of the ce nsus
Water and was te water: water treatment plant l ocati on, capacit y; wa stewater treatme nt plant capa cit y b y pla nt and demand by user; network size, l ocati on a nd capacit y; ge ospa tial data on c onsu mption b y user t ype; power usa ge Irish Water are currentl y collecting this data, but some sour ce s would suggest that less tha n 40% of this infor mati on has been collate d, with much of the accurac y questi ona ble.
Energy: ge ospatial data on household and i ndustr y demand a nd usa ge b y fuel t ype; ener gy i nfr astru cture capacit y a nd de mand for ge neration and distribut ion b y fuel t ype. Nati onal usa ge is a va ilable ; howe ver consumpti on a nd ge odata is he ld b y individual utilit y pr ovi ders
Trans port: ge ospatial data of each of the tra nsp ort networks a nd capacities This informati on is primaril y hel d by governme nt and se mi-state age n cies
ICT: ge ospatial data on households and industr y b y usage t ype and capacit y; tier 1 connecti vit y l ocati on and capacit y; fi bre locati on and ca pacit y; vacant under ground duct s (thus possible future route s for fibre); capacit y a nd de mand of commu nicati on network for bot h fixed and wireless.
It i s ver y clear the initial challenge will be gat hering the asset data, and de vel oping the constitu ent s yste m models The adopti on of BIM f or asse t information management within a SoS approach wil l provide e vidence based De cisi on Support Tools
(DCT) t o enable effecti ve decisions for nati on al infrastru ct ure
The development and imple mentati on of a S ys tems of S yste ms approach to infrastructure decisi on making would provide evide nce for decision ma kers and policy makers ali ke
This t ype of a pproach is currentl y not i n operati on, wit h present decisions formula ted on static and ofte n outdate d information SoS woul d all ow iterati ons of alternati ve policies to be run, and the i mpact of one s yste m on anot her t o be evalu ate d. The use of BIM-t ype models for data collection an d collation would prove a valuable resource As Ireland starts to invest in it s infrastructure network s once a gain, it is cr ucial that this is done in a sustainable manner, with infrastructure a ssets de vel oped in the correct locati on, of su fficie nt capacit y and adaptable to future use and technological cha nge
The collecti on of the data to de vel op each of t he s yste m models will be t he first challe nge, along wit h the nee d t o pe rsuade government a gencies to shar e information with each other and a potential ‘infrastruct ure a ge n c y’.
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Ted McKenna1, Dr M ar y Mo lo ney 2 and Dr Mark G. Richardso n 3
1,2 Depart ment of Civ il St ruct ural & Environment al Eng in eering Cork Instit ut e of Tec hnol og y, C o rk
3 School of Civ il St ruct ural & Environment al Eng in eering Universit y Co llege Dublin, Dub lin
E-mail: 1t ed.mckenna@cit ie 2 mar y mo lone y@c it ie 3 m ar k. r ich ar dson@ ucd. ie
Abstract One of the pr ima ry objecti ves of Building Infor mation M odelling (BIM) is to ensure the effective management of inf or mation thr oughout the lifecycle of a facility or ph ysical asset If project or asset infor mation is systematically man aged then it is widely accepted th at more accurate and infor me d decisions are possible dur ing pr oject conception, feasibility assessmen t, design, constructi o n, operation and ultimately decommissioning or refurbishme nt. I mproved decision making will result i n optimised e xpenditure in both the capital and operation ph ases of a project, faster deli very t ime s, reduced waste and reduced carbon footprint. At present, w here a ‘ BIM approach’ is being adopted, it is typically applied to new building and infrastruc ture projec ts But wh at of existing infrastruct ure, can prev i ous e x perie nce infor m key project and asset manage me nt decisions by ad opting BIM meth odol ogies in con junction with the latest techn ological advances? The poten tial for the benefits of BIM application and the spectre of more efficient resource manage ment to improv e asset manage ment of existing inf r astruc ture h ave prompted this resear ch. Current meth od ol ogies an d poten tial issues with existing practice are in vestigated by i nte rv iew i ng a number of leading professio nals charged w it h the safe and efficient operation of rece nt ly c onstruc ted pr imary roa d assets in Irela nd. It is suggeste d that the original development of BIM h as resulted in Architects, Engi neers and Contrac tors taking a leading role in the elaboration of its function alities and dissemin ation. The participation of client and asset manage ment groups is less a ppar ent, con sequently the appr oach ad opted in th is research addresses th is issue. In pa r ticular, the obstacles resulting from deficient infor ma tion in managi ng Ireland’s existing pr i ma ry r oa d infr a struc ture ar e iden tified. To address such shortco mi ngs in infor mation availability and for mat for existing an d fut ure infra struc tur e, appr opriate application of BIM processes and sta ndar ds ar e pro pose d
Keywords Existing Road Infrastructure; B uildin g Infor mation M odelling; Asset Ma na ge m e nt
Wh ile Buildin g In for mation Modellin g (BIM) h as n o absolute legal defin ition, th e US Nation al Building In for mation Model Stan dar d Pr oject Committee states that “Buildin g Inform ati on Modellin g (BIM) is a digital represen tation of ph ysical an d functi on al ch ar acter istics of a facility A BIM is a shared knowledg e resource fo r i nf orma ti on about a facility forming a reliable basis fo r d ecision s durin g its life -cycle; defined as existing f rom earliest con ception to demolition ” [1]
A cor e objective of BIM is to invoke sta keh older collabor ation to en sur e th e effecti ve management of in for mation through out th e lifec ycle of a facility or ph ysical asset, th us allowin g data entr y, extraction, update or modification
A cr itical element of th e abo ve d efin ition is “ dur in g its life -cycle; defined as existin g f rom earliest con ception to dem olition ”. This provokes th e question , if a BIM approach wa s n ot adopted fr om “ear liest con ception ”, is it too late to appl y BIM meth odol ogies a nd techn ologies? Th is paper consider s this question in th e con text of existing road tr anspor t infrastr uctur e in Ir eland.
In Ir elan d, th e National Roa ds Auth ority (NRA) has r etain ed over all r espon sibility for th e planning an d supervision of works for th e construction, n etwor k mana gemen t and ma intenan ce of n ational roads sin ce 1994, wh ile local auth orities ar e th e own er s of th e roads [2]
Th er e ar e 5,415km of Nation al Roads in total wh ich compr ise 2,739km designated as National Pr imar y Road an d 2,676km designated as National Secon dar y Roads Approximately 1,224km of th e Nation al Road n etwor k is of mot or way/d ual carr iagewa y t yp e [3] Th e ma jor ity of th is elemen t of th e n et wor k wa s devel oped in th e past 15 year s In that time, th e meth od of procur emen t has ch anged fr om tradition al (i e. design, bid, build) to a curr en t situation wh er e th e major ity of con tr acts ar e completed as eith er ‘Design an d Build (DB)’ or ‘Public Pr ivate Partn er sh ip (PPP)’ sch emes. Of th e 1,224km of mot or wa y/dual carriagewa y n et wor k, 328km ar e maintain ed under existin g Public Pr ivate Par tn er ships (PPP), 744km ar e main tain ed dir ectly by th e NRA through Motor wa y Main tenan ce an d Ren ewals Con tracts (MMa RC), wh ile th e r emain ing 152km ar e main tain ed through local auth or ities.
Th er e ar e curr ently th r ee separate MMaRC sch emes compr isin g approximately 27% of Ir eland’s pr imar y road n etwor k All thr ee sch emes commen ced in 2012/2013, each is o f five year s duration with th e option of t wo additional on e year con tract extensions Lump sum activities (i e. excludin g r en ewal works) ar e approxima tely €18M per annum A key d eliver able of MMa RC sch emes is to provide, mana ge, maintain, an d use asset data with in an in ventor y management system [3] Conseq uently, th e MMa RC sch emes wer e selected as th e focus o f th is paper
Asset mana gement has gain ed in cr easin g sign ifican ce in r ecen t times. Tradition ally d eemed to be th e con cer n of en gin eer s from utility, p etroch emical, rail an d h igh wa ys sect or s, in r ecent times th is group ha s gr own to in clude such sector s a s government, local auth orities, health, proper t y, education, por ts, ban ks and oth er inter est groups But, wh at exactly does it en tail? Asset managemen t is defin ed a s th e "coor dinated activity o f an organization to r ealize value from a ssets" , wh ile an a sset is defin ed a s an “item, thin g or entity that has poten tial or actual value to an or ganization ” [4] Both th ese defin ition s ar e set out in ISO 55000 (2014), which combin ed with ISO 55001 an d ISO 55002, for m th e r ecen tly p ublish ed in ter nationa l stan dards for asset management. Th ese stan dards develop ed fr om th e success of PAS 55-1 an d PAS 55-2 wh ich wer e th e fir st p ublicly a vailable stan dards for optimised management of ph ysical assets [5] an d proved to be on e of th e most popular stan dards of all time accordin g to BSi [6]
BIM is defin ed in PAS 1192-2 as a “pr ocess of design ing, con structin g or oper atin g a buildin g or infrastr uct ure asset usin g electr onic objector iented infor mati on” [7] Such a process en ables effective collection an d use of in for mation through out th e lifec ycle o f a n asset, or asset system, in order to achieve optimum per for man ce. Th e improved in for mation management effected by a BIM approach compar ed with a tr adition al approach is illustrated in Figur e 1 Wh ile th er e will typicall y be an in for mation deficit of var yin g sign ifican ce usin g th e tradition al approach , th er e will also be a gr eater effor t r equir ed to maintain accur ate in for mation over th e lifec ycle of an asset.
MacLea my is cr edited with an illustr ated con cept of in cr eased effor t ear lier in a pr oject timelin e enablin g gr eater flexibility in decision s an d ach ievin g r educed costs dur ing th e Capital Expen ditur e (CAPEX) phase of a project [8]. Th e exten sion of th is con cept into th e Oper ational Expen ditur e (OPEX) ph ase is illustrated in Figur e 1 with sign ifican tly mor e effor t r equir ed durin g routin e maintenan ce, major ma intenan ce o ver hauls an d en d of life decommission in g or r efurbish ment for a traditiona l approach compar ed with th at of BIM. Integratin g th e man agement of in for mation bet ween th e sh or ter term asset r ealisation (or CAPEX) phase an d th e longer ter m a sset management (or OPEX) phase sh ould deliver sa vin gs due
to availability o f curr ent an d accur ate data, improved d ecision makin g and dynamic per for man ce evaluation [9].
Th e interaction between BIM an d asset management is illustr ated in Figur e 2, with explanator y diagrams fr om both PAS 55 an d PAS 1192-2 combin ed Mana gemen t of assets is t ypicall y con sider ed over two distin ct phases, namely th e CAPEX phase an d th e OPEX pha se. Th e BIM approach adopted in th e UK has r esulted in a suite of methodol ogies, protocols, stan dards and oth er suppor tin g in frastr uctur e bein g develop ed to en able effective in for mation collection a nd use. Th e BIM matur ity d escr ibed is Level 2 as defin ed by th e Be w Rich ards maturity mod el [9, 10].
For th e deliver y a n d oper ation pha ses of a project, th e BS/ PAS 1192 suite of stan dards provides th e fr amewor k for BIM to suppor t effective asset managemen t. For projects wh er e BIM h as been adopted, th is is typicall y ach ieved th rough a Common Data En vironmen t (CDE), which for ms th e basis for data collection and feder ated coor din ation ‘Supplier’s In for mation Exch ange’ occur s at var ious stages and infor ms decision s at each ‘Emp loyer’s Decision Poin t’ . It is cr ucial that th e data exchan ged at each sta ge provides th e appr opr iate ‘Level of Detail’ ( LOD) an d ‘Level o f Infor mation ’ ( LOI)
All elemen ts of such an approach exist within wh at is ter med th e In for mation Management Process (IMP), wh ich lin ks to oth er enterpr ise systems (e.g. En terprise Repor ting System, Finan cial System).
Th e IMP must be establish ed, documen ted, implemented an d main tain ed in accordan ce with PAS 1192-3 Th e IMP defin es h ow in for mation is attain ed, validated, stor ed, used an d shar ed with in th e Asset I n for mation Model (AI M). As part of th is, th e Asset In for mation Requir ements ( AIR) sh ould r equir e that th e data compl y with an appropr iate classification system for ease of in terrogation In addition, th e scope, for mat, and fr equen cy of data exchan ges must be specified with in th e AIR
For existin g assets, PAS 1192-3 ma y be implemented if a suitable busin ess case exists [9] Wh en a “tr igger -r elated even t (e g min or wor ks)” occur s durin g th e oper ation and en d of life p h ase of a n asset (i e. Digital Plan of Wor k (DPoW) Stage 7 an d n in Figur e 2), PAS 1192-3 ma y be adopted. In th e case of major wor ks on an existing asset, it would be appr opr iate to commen ce a t th e str ategic phase (DPoW Stage 0 in Figur e 2) an d pr ogr ess with adoption of PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3
A cr itical elemen t to enabling th e BIM process is effective tr an sfer of feder ated data an d in formation a s r equir ed thr ough out th e asset lifec ycle. Infor mation exchanges will t ypicall y in clude 3D object based models t ypically develop ed usin g propr ietar y soft war e, r elevant PDF documen ts, and n on-gr aphical data. In th e UK, th e n on -gr aphical data exchange schema is Construction Oper ation s Building infor ma tion exchan ge (COBie), as set out in BS 1192-4
Th e curr ent econ omic clima te in Ir elan d provides a major ch allen ge to th e NRA, an d oth er organ isations, r espon sible for man agin g Ir elan d’s nationa l in fr astructur e. Availability of th e ‘r ight’ infor mation , in th e ‘r igh t’ for mat and at th e ‘righ t’ time is crucial, th us management of data an d subsequen t in formation through out th e lifec ycle of th e in fr astr uctur e is cr itical to suppor t effective project and asset in for mation managemen t.
In providin g value for all stakeh older s, th e pr in ciples of ‘lean ’ sh ould alwa ys be applied to en sur e effecti ve expen ditur e of r esour ces [7]. Th e application of BIM to n ew pr ojects is widel y accepted to be a ‘lean ’ approach in ter ms of design , construction an d oper ation as it is a systematic meth od of elimin atin g waste with in th e r espective processes
This sh ould include elimination of wa steful activities such as wa iting and sear chin g for in for mation, defects th at r esult fr om poor coordin ation across th e dataset wh ich r equir e wor k, an d over -production of in for mation with n o defin ed use an d over -processin g of in for mation, simp ly because techn olog y ca n [7]
Ho we ver , elimin ation of wa steful activities can prove ch allen ging in th e con text of existin g in fr astructur e. Wh en consider in g such existing in frastr uctur e, th e infor mation a vailable to infor m effective decision ma kin g can be poor ly r ecorded an d for matted. Th e for mat of th e in for mation var ies sign ificantly fr om ar ch ive paper and digital files, to ageing databases
A sign ifican t propor tion of Ir elan d’s pr imar y road n etwor k was con str ucted in th e past 20 year s, un der var ious t ypes of con tract (i e. DB, PPP) Regardless of con tr act type h owever , th e meth ods adopted for infor mation management r emain ed lar gely traditional. Th is r esear ch in vestiga tes th e availability a n d usability of infor ma tion for such assets an d in par ticular th ose oper ated and mana ged un der th e MMaRC sch emes. Wh er e issues ar e eviden t, th e poten tial for a BIM approach to improve efficien cies is outlin ed.
Repor ted participation of clien t an d asset managemen t group s in th e elabor ation of BIM fun ction alities and dissemination is limited. Few r espon den ts to questionnair es used to establish th e level of BIM devel op ment an d adoption with in in dustr y ar e own er s or asset mana ger s in volved in in fr astructur e [12] Consequently, th e level o f BIM kn owled ge with in th e a sset mana gement fraternity r esponsible for Ir eland’s tr an spor t infr astructur e is of in ter est an d was th er efor e con sider ed Th e views of a n umber of profession als charged with th e safe a n d efficien t oper ation of r ecen tly constr ucted road in fr astructur e assets in Ir elan d wer e establish ed Structur ed interviews wer e con ducted with high managerial level per sonn el r epr esentin g a sset own er s, asset mana gemen t ser vice admin istr ator s an d asset management ser vice provider s participating in th e MMa RC sch emes. As th e n umber of in ter viewees wa s limited, th e q uality of th e interviewees was r ecogn ised as cr itical to this r esear ch activity Most par ticipants wer e Char ter ed Engin eer s with 15 to 35 year s of exper ien ce on civil engin eer in g projects
Existin g MMaRC documen tation in r elation to data and infor mation captur e, deliver y an d use wa s r eviewed. A ser ies of questi on s was devel oped to gain an un der stan ding of cur r en t meth ods adopted for th e managemen t of infor mation for th e curr en t MMaRC sch emes
Th e follo win g outlin es key fin dings r esultin g fr om th e str uctur ed inter views completed with ke y stakeh older s
Over all Effective nes s o f MMaRC
This for m of con tract appr oach is th e fir st for mal approach to an in for mation based managemen t, maintenan ce and r en ewal of existin g pr imar y road sch emes Opinion var ied on th e effecti ven ess in addr essing asset infor mation r equir ements of th e con tract in its curr en t for m It wa s n oted th at this for m of con tr act provides th e opp or tunity to acquir e data r elating to asset compon en ts and systems over a per iod of time an d th us en sur es such data r eflects th e asset con dition. Ho we ver, all r equir ed attr ibutes for th e var ious asset compon en ts ar e n ot bein g captur ed
Meth ods of data captur e typicall y compr ised as-built in for mation files of for mat suitable for tr an sfer, mobile veh icle camer a sur veys an d on -site inspection s usin g mobile tablet devices Th e application of mobile laser scanning h as facilitated speed y captur e of vast a mounts of data. Howe ver, sign ificant effor t is r equir ed to tran sfor m all such data into usable infor mation
Th e expen ditur e on data captur e is consider able but gen er ally n ot consider ed significant wh en compar ed with expen ditur e on maintenan ce and op er ations Ho wever, if th e in for mation curr ently bein g captur ed wer e available in a suitable for mat at th e commen cemen t of subsequen t con tr acts, sign ificant econ omic savings ar e possible. A dir ect savin g would accr ue fr om th e fact that data captur e will n ot be r equir ed However, a mor e sign ificant savin g could be r ealised if th e existing data is used to infor m r isk exposur e for futur e con tr acts.
If th er e wer e n o cost or tech nolog y constr aints, th en fur th er consideration should be given to th e cen tr al data mana gement system wh ich can absor b in for mation fr om th e Routin e Mainten an ce Man agement System ( RMMS) for each sch eme. This would en sur e that an ap propriate system is in place to facilitate futur e in terrogation and use of such data with out change. In addition, th e data managemen t system sh ould facilitate th e tr an sfer of in for mation with out loss of in tegr ity as th e MMaRC sch emes evol ve in th e futur e. Application of th e most appropriate techn olog y would suppor t efficien t r esour ce expen ditur e on data captur e.
Inter viewees consider ed that limited data on all compon en ts of th e a sset system wer e bein g captur ed Ho we ver, th e Level of Deta il (LOD) and Level o f Infor mation ( LOI) of captur ed data varied an d wer e in cer tain cases dictated b y th e particular RMMS used Wh ile data captur e capabilities ar e consider ed effective, mappin g capabilities could be improved In addition, th e service provider s state th at th e specification of th e RMMS c ould be mor e detailed to en sur e consistent for mat an d attr ibutes capture. Th er e is n o automated validation of corr ectn ess (accur acy) an d completen ess of in for mation Ho we ver, th e in clusion of a ‘digital date stamp ’ system a llows a utomatic validation of complian ce with r esponse time r equir emen ts set out b y th e E mplo yer. An effective gap analysis o f in ven tor y in for mation, r equir ed as par t of th e con tr act, is hin der ed b y th e limited availability an d quality of existin g infor mation
Sign ificant issues, in cluding inaccur acy an d file for mats, wer e en counter ed wh en populating th e RMMS with a vailable h istorical data. For older section s of th e MMa RC sch eme (i e. road assets wh ich ar e in excess of 20 year s old), 'as-built' an d 'as-is' in for mation ar e particular ly deficien t.
Existin g r equir ements of th e MMaRC ar e that data ar e transferr able in a r ecogn ised stan dar d for mat such as Amer ican Stan dar d Code for Infor ma tion Inter change or comma separ ated values (csv) files Issues of in teroper ability h ave been iden tified Such issues ha ve r esulted in a propr ietar y for mat (i e. ‘.gbd’ t ype file for mat) bein g r eq uir ed by th e E mplo yer Th e poten tial for issues to ar ise wh en major data tr ansfer occur s at th e en d/commen cement of MMa RC sch emes was r ecogn ised and is bein g addr essed
Thr ee separ ate an d differ en t RMMS’s ar e bein g used on th e r espective MMa RC sch emes. Th e RMMS is a centr al part of th e asset management system but is n ot th e on ly sour ce of data infor min g decisions Decision s ar e also infor med by exter nal entities such as weath er for ecastin g facilities for example. All sur ve y par ticipan ts con cur that a mor e detailed specification of th e RMMS would be ben eficial.
Date sta mping of in cidents/defects en ables a traffic light system to be adopted to mon itor progr ess an d en sur e complian ce with E mp lo yer r esponse time r equir emen ts Ho wever, an example of t ypical limita tion s is that per for man ce of en er gy usa ge on lightin g systems cann ot be automatically assessed at pr esent.
Th e for mat of in for mation tran sfer is con sistent with traditional processes an d consists pr edomin antly of 2D as-built dra win gs Exper ien ces in ter ms of data captur e ar e r esultin g in as-built in for mation for such r en ewal wor ks bein g mor e accur ate.
BIM approach ch ar acter istics ar e eviden t in ter ms of collabor ation . Th er e is mor e in put fr om asset lifec ycle sta keh older s as construction per sonn el in combin ation with asset managemen t an d mainten an ce per sonn el contribute at th e con cept an d design stage. This in put is con sider ed an d is in fluen cin g design and con str uction decisions
Fr om discussions, th e use of captur ed data to in for m futur e develop men t of th e asset portfolio would appear to be mor e applicable to th e Emplo yer At pr esent th e pr imar y focus of th e ser vice provider is to compl y with th e curr en t con tract and demon strate efficien c y and effectiven ess in doin g so
Th e followin g secti on s outlin e poten tial ben efits of adoptin g a BIM approach as part of MMa RC t yp e sch emes.
Over all Effective nes s o f MMaRC
Th e curr en t for m of th e MMaRC is n ot un iver sally consider ed by in ter viewees to be full y effective in data management. Howe ver, th e five to se ven year duration of such con tr acts is consider ed an improvement on th e tradition al approach that r elied on ann ual budgets, which r esulted in inefficien t expen ditur e at th e en d of each fiscal year [13]. Th e curr en t approach accommodates th e requir ed wor k bein g typ icall y executed at th e optimum time.
Lon ger contr act periods would allow ser vice provider s to in cr ease th e use of data to exer cise a pr even tative mainten an ce approach Conn ect Plus Ser vices was a warded th e contr act for th e managemen t of th e M25 in th e UK an d wer e five year s in to th e 30 year con tract befor e th e asset managemen t system tran sfor med in to an effective Decision Suppor t Tool (DST ) [14]
Recen t r esear ch would imp ly th at th er e is an ecdotal eviden ce of t wo str an ds of professi on als op en to discussin g BIM, with on e str and con sider ed to consist of profession als at th e ‘top’ in cluding compan y par tn er s an d dir ector s [15] Such professi on als con sider BIM to be techn olog y cen tric. If th e eq uiva len t mana gemen t professi on als op er atin g within Emplo yer organ isation s harbour a similar view of BIM, th ey will fail to r ecogn ise that a BIM approach can provide mor e consistent and accur ate data. If such data is tran sfor med in to in for mation, th en mor e effective an d in for med decision s will be an in evitable consequen ce.
Fun da mental to successful depl oymen t of a BIM approach is specification of th e E mplo yer ’s Infor mation Requir ements ( EIR). Simple ‘Plain Lan guage Q uesti o ns ’ ( PLQ) sh ould for m th e basis o f th e EIR to allow th e asset own er to ma ke decision s at key stages o ver th e lifec ycl e of an a sset [16] An exa mple o f t ypical PLQ’s, ar e th ose develop ed b y th e BIM Task Group for a UK Min istr y o f Justice pr oject [17] Wh en r eviewed, man y question s would apply r egardless of th e a pplication of a BIM approach . Howe ver, BIM h as th e advan tage of offer in g efficien t and expedien t use of data to en able testin g an d validation fun ction s [18]
Transfor ming th e volumes of data captur ed for assets in cluded with in th e MMaRC sch emes is extr emel y ch allengin g, both fr om a technical an d r esour ce viewpoin t. Th e capability o f techn olog y to automatically identify compon en ts fr om point cloud scan data would be of significan t ben efit. Wh ile r esear ch in th is ar ea is ongoin g [19-21], it ma y take consider able time to achieve appr opr iate in dustr y applications
Soft war e interoper ability is a significant ch allenge to BIM progr ession at pr esent. With sign ificant time an d r esour ces bein g expen ded on data captur e durin g this pha se of th e MMa RC, it is cr ucial that all captur ed data is in a for mat which will n ot impede futur e con tr act offer in gs. Conseq uently, th e stan dar dised BIM approach suppor ted by th e BS/PAS 1192 suite of stan dards would assist in providin g clarity in ter ms of th e EIR an d n ega te poten tial contr act interpretation issues
Th e LOD/LOI r equir emen ts for captur ed data ar e n ot extensivel y sp ecified with in th e curr ent con tract. An improved sp eci fication of LOD, LOI an d file for mats based on industr y BIM stan dards would en sur e that captur e and appr aisal of r elevan t in for mation is consistent across con tr acts an d that data integr ity at con tract r en ewal would be maintain ed Effective LOD/LOI sp eci fication would have been difficult to achieve at th e time of con tr act ten der an d appoin tment as n o in dustr y stan dar d existed. Ho wever, guidan ce on levels of model detail and model in for mation in Section 9.9 of PAS 1192-2 [7], th e draft publication of a US documen t en titled 2013 Level o f Devel opmen t Specifica ti o n documen t [22], and th e r elease in Ma y 2015 of th e ‘N B S BIM Too lkit’ [23] ma y n ow be used to assist in defin in g in for mation r equir emen ts In addition , in tegration of process an d for mat r equir ements for in for mation deliver y a s outlin ed in PAS 1192-2, PAS 1192-3 an d BS 1192-4 could facilitate an automated validation of corr ectn ess (accur acy) and completen ess of in for mation
Relevan t asset data an d information is tr adition ally supplied in two-dimen siona l (2D) dr awings [24] an d th is wa s t ypicall y th e case for th e MMaRC sch emes Data r etain ed in such for mats can be difficult to in terrogate, th er efor e h in der in g th e tran sfor mation of data to in for mation, and fr om in for mation to in telligen ce. In addition, infor mation can be in con sistent across datasets (e g specification s ar e n ot consisten t with as-built dra wings) To ensur e th at r eoccurr en ces of such issues ar e pr evented, infor mation sh ould be mana ged in accordan ce with PAS 1192-2, PAS 1192-3 and BS 1192-4.
Con sistent with similar internation al experien ces, th e LOD/LOI of captur ed data is n ot based on a common stan dard, th is r esults in variation s in in for mation accr ued fr om in dividual MMaRC sch emes [13] Th e curr ent MMaRC r equir es data to be tr an sferrable in a propr ietar y for mat a s a r esult of issues with ‘open ’ for mats Th e specification of COBie would accommodate a n approach that align s with r ecen tly r eleased in dustr y stan dards (e g BS1192-4) an d r emoves limitation s of propr ietar y for mats It is crucial that data and infor mation acquir ed over th e duration of th e curr en t MMaRC sch emes is tran sferr ed efficien tly a n d with full in tegrity at th e commen cemen t of subsequen t con tracts, in depen dent of ser vice provider and RMMS adopted. Th e specification of COBie could alleviate an y issues. Howe ver, some ind ustr y professi on als r ema in sceptical of COBie bein g successful in this ta sk for in fra str uctur e projects
Oper
Wh ile a clear er specification of th e RMMS ma y be consider ed ben eficial, if th e E mplo yer is over l y specific it ma y h in der industr y devel op ment of m or e effective systems wh ich ar e softwar e ven dor n eutral. Th e management of infor mation durin g oper ation an d maintenan ce sh ould be comp leted in accordan ce with PAS 1192-3 to ensur e consisten cy of approach an d deliver ables across th e var ious con tracts. Acq uir ed data ma y then be used to answer E mplo yer ’s PLQ’s to optimise oper ation al expen ditur e. Howe ver, challenges will exist in successfull y op er atin g a Common Data En vironmen t (CDE) across multiple MMa RC typ e sch emes.
Ren ewal Wor ks
Collabor ation of stakeh older s is fun da mental to effective BIM application on pr ojects Th e MMaRC sch emes ar e alr ead y facilitatin g a collabor ative approach with th e exper tise of construction an d asset op er ation an d maintenan ce per sonn el in for min g th e design an d deliver y of r en ewal wor ks In addition, th e management of in for mation durin g design and
construction sh ould be completed in accordan ce with PAS 1192-2 to ensur e con sisten cy o f approach and deliver ables across th e var ious con tr acts and min imise in for mation tran sfer issues at han dover . Supplier in for mation exchanges ma y be used to an swer emplo yer ’s PLQ’s an d infor m decision s at ke y stages in th e asset deliver y process
Future Develop men t o f th e A sset Por tfo lio
Wh ile this r esear ch paper focuses on th e MMaRC sch emes, th er e is poten tial to devel op th is t yp e of approach across much of Ir elan d ’s road and oth er h ar d in frastr uctur e. If a common approach to data managemen t wer e adopted for all sch emes (both local an d national), th e sign ifican t r esult would be that global data analysis would r esult in mor e in for med decision s an d optimum r isk management.
This r esear ch consider ed th e poten tial for BIM processes an d standards to be adopted for asset managemen t of Ir eland ’s existin g pr imar y roads in fr astructur e. Th e follo win g con clusion s accr ue:
• Th e veracity, accessi bility ( e g for mat), an d usability ( e g in teroper ability) of as-built in formation produced in accordan ce with traditional processes is n ot suitable for efficien t integration with in asset management syst ems.
• Sign ificant effor t is expen ded populating an ‘asis’ asset database fr om a s-built in for mation to suppor t a RMMS.
• Subsequen t MMaRC sch emes sh ould r ealise r educed costs as th e r equir ed a ttributes o f th e ‘asis’ in for mation for th e asset will be in place an d ma y be used to in for m decision s (e g r isk management)
• I mplementation of curr ent BIM stan dards to th e in for mation deliver y a n d exchan ge processes could provide a mor e robust specification of level of detail, level o f infor mation an d interoper able for mats, thus offer in g fur th er clarity to contract specification and poten tial stakeh older interpr etation.
• An ur gent n eed exists to standardise th e for mat of th e data in lin e with curr ent BIM stan dards to en sur e that th e time an d r esour ces expen ded d urin g th e curr en t MMa RC con tracts in populatin g an asset database ar e n ot wasted as a r esult of data for mat issues an d softwar e in teroper ability.
• T o implement BIM, significant kn owledge, for esight and effor t will be r equir ed to ch ange existin g wor k processes. Ho wever , chan ge is a lr eady un der wa y with th e ad ven t of th e MMa RC sch emes as th ey r ecogn ise th e importan ce of data in effecti ve asset mana gemen t In con clusion, curr en t BIM processes an d suppor ting stan dards sh ould in fluen ce management of Ir elan d ’s existin g pr imar y road in frastr uctur e assets
Th e vast major ity of th e motor wa y/dual carr iagewa y n etwor k was comp leted between 2005 and 2010 Th e management of such infra str uctur e assets is fur th er complicated wh en significant section s of th e asset systems simultan eousl y approach an en d-oflife state. Resol vin g such an issue can prove difficult [25] Con sequen tly, r esear ch is r equir ed to examin e h ow effective infor mation based managemen t, main tenan ce an d r en ewal of existin g pr imar y road sch emes can addr ess such issues
R E FE R E NC E S
[1] National BIM Stan dard-Un ited States (NBIMS- US) (2015, 2 Apr il) Freq ue ntl y Asked Question s About th e National BIM Standard-Un ited States. Available: http://www nationa lbimstan dard.org/faq.ph p#fa q1
[2] L Duffy, "Devel op ment of Eir span : Ir elan d's br idge management system," Proceedings of th e ICE - Bridge Engin eer ing, vol. 157, pp 139-146, September 2004 2004
[3] National Roads Auth or ity (2015, 1 April) Network Managemen t an d Main tenan ce - Road Main tenan ce. Availa ble: http://www nr a ie/n et wor k-mon itor ing-andmanagemen t/road-main tenan ce/
[4] BSi, "BS ISO 55000 Asset managementOver vie w, pr in ciples and ter min ology," ed UK: BSi, 2014c.
[5] Th e Woodh ouse Par tn er sh ip Ltd (2012-14, 13 Ma y) ISO 55000 Standards fo r Asset Managemen t. Availa ble: www.assetmana gementstan dards.com/
[6] Th e Br itish Stan dards Institution . (2015). ISO 55001 Asset Management supersedes PAS 55. Available: h ttp://www bsigroup.com/enGB/Asset -Managemen t/
[7] BSi, "PAS 1192-2 Specification for in for mation managemen t for th e capital/deliver y ph a se of construction projects using building in for mation modelling," UK: BSi, 2013a.
[8] Th e Amer ican In stitute of Ar ch itects ( AI A), "In tegr ated Pr oject Deliver y: A Guide," Ver sion 1 ed US: Th e Amer ican In stitute of Ar chitects (AI A), 2007
[9] BSi, "PAS 1192-3 Specification for in for mation managemen t for th e oper ation al phase of assets using building in for mation modellin g," UK: BSi, 2014a.
[10] BSi, "B/555 Roadmap - Design, Constr uction & Oper ation al Data & Process Management for th e Built En viron ment " , Jun e 2013 Update, UK: BSi, 2013
[11] Th e Institute of Asset Mana gement, "PAS 55-1 Asset Mana gement - Par t 1: Specification for th e optimized managemen t of ph ysical assets
" , ed UK: BSi, 2008a.
[12] R. Volk, J. Stengel, an d F. Sch ultmann, "Buildin g In for mation Mod elin g (BIM) for existin g buildin gs Literatur e r eview an d futur e n eeds," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 38, pp 109-127, 3// 2014
[13] A. Withington , "Mana gin g, maintain in g and upgr ading High wa ys England's Str uctur al Assets," pr esented at th e I CE Br idges 2015 Con fer en ce, Lon don, UK, 2015
[14] T Nich ollis, " Per for man ce Mana gemen t of Br idges on M25 DBFO " pr esen ted at th e I CE Br idges 2015 Confer en ce, Lon don, UK, 2015.
[15] J Deen ey, A Hor e, an d B McAuley, "Public / Pr ivate BIM: An Irish Per spective," in CITA BIM Gath ering, Ir elan d, 2013, pp 25-34
[16] Design in g Buildin gs Ltd (2015, 9 Jun e) Design in g Buildin gs Wiki - Plain langua ge question s (PLQ) Available: http://www.design ingbuildings co.uk/wiki/Plai n langua ge_question s PLQ
[17] NBS( UK). (2012, 9 Jun e). Plain Languag e Question s Available: http://www th en bs com/BIMTaskGroup Labs/q u estion s.h tml
[18] P Barn es an d N. Davies, BIM in Prin ciple an d in Pr actice, Fir st ed UK: ICE Publish ing, 2014.
[19] C. Dor e an d M. Murph y, "Laser Scan to BIMA New Approach for Gen eratin g As-Built Building In for mation Models fr om Point Cloud Data," in CITA BIM Gath ering, Ir elan d, 2013, pp 111-120
[20] X. Xiong, A Adan, B Akin ci, an d D. Huber, "Automatic cr eation of semantically r ich 3D buildin g models fr om la ser scann er data," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 31, pp 325337, 5// 2013
[21] F Bosch é, M Ahmed, Y Tur kan, C T Haas, an d R Haa s, "Th e value of in tegratin g Scan -toBIM an d Scan -vs- BIM tech niques for construction mon itor in g usin g laser scann ing an d BIM: Th e case of cylin dr ical MEP compon en ts," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 49, Par t B, pp 201-213, 1// 2015
[22] BIM For um, "Level o f Develop men t Specification , " US2013
[23] NBS( UK) (2015, 25 May) NBS BIM Toolkit (Beta Version ). Available: https://toolkit th en bs com/
[24] J. Goed er t an d P. Meadati, "In tegrating Con struction Process Documen tation into Building In for mation Modeling," ASCE Jour nal of Con str uction Engin eer in g an d Managemen t, vol. 134, pp 509-516, 2008
[25] R Thur lby, "Mana gin g th e a sset time bomb: a system d yna mics approach , " Proceedings of th e ICE - Foren sic Engin eer ing, vol. 166, pp. 134142, 2013
Mercury Engineering
E-mail: ciaran.mcmanus@mercuryeng.com
Abstract Since the adoption of building information modelling by Mercury Engineering the need to maintain a high level of technological expertise has been viewed as critical to both the successful delivery of required modelled outputs to prefabrication and to const ruction crews and ensure a best in class service is provided to our clients. In order to achieve a consistently high standard in this regard, the BIM department have made research and development of new applications, processes and workflows an intrinsic pa rt of our approach to model production. From striving to make improvements on a continual basis to all operations, to research and development of new data capture and integration techniques, these initiatives have allowed support staff to present the most useful data possible to BIM modellers in the most efficient and user-friendly fashion.
Keywords BIM, R&D, Laser Scanning, Progress Tracking, Software Integration
As an early adopter of building information modelling within the Irish trade contractor environment, Mercury Engineering have consistently tried to stay ahead of the curve with the modelling, information management and engineering techniques that we have employed to provide the best possible end product to our clients, both internal and external, across multiple sectors. Through integration of various software platforms, implementation of lean and right first time principles and the strong links forged with our industry and vendor partners, Mercury Engineering’s BIM department have driven internal workflows and standard operating procedures reinforced by continual research and development initiatives. Guided by a group dedication to developing innovative ways of working across the company as a whole, the objective of th ese R&D projects is to strive to develop state-of-the art applications and procedures to improve department output and enable prefabrication and construction teams to attain optimum performance targets.
Since its inception, the BIM R&D programme has led to the development of a number of processes and workflows which have allowed efficiencies to be enhanced within the department and have focused on meeting a specific requirement based on a predefined problem statement. These problem statements have emanated from various sources including technological need to meet client requirements, requests from the wider Mercury organisation and advancement of existing applications to state-of-the-art. To date, a number of key areas have been investi gated to answer questions fundamental to the successful implementation of desired company workflows. The research and development programme has looked at integration of modelling applications with business process software. This project had as its main aim the integration of a Cadworx database with SAP which enabled output of modelled data for procurement and logistics purposes. The running of the CITA Smart Challenge in 2014 provided the ideal backdrop to running a project to research the use of 3D point clouds as a virtual model. The necessity of the challenge to show
collaboration between industry and academia provided a unique opportunity to advance the use of laser scanning within the department. Our current project is looking at the methods for automatic progress tracking including data capture techniques suitable for a wide variety of project types and scales. These R&D projects have aimed to provide all support staff with the necessary tools to produce the information required by BIM modellers in a ‘Just In Time’ fashion in as efficient, integrated and sensible manner as possible. All projects have sought to use the expertise within the department in conjunction with that from our vendor partners to realise the necessary outcomes.
The uptake of building information modelling by Mercury Engineering required a period of restructuring to allow for the benefits to be gained from this new way of working to be realised. An essential phase of this initial start-up was the development and internal alignment of processes and procedural adjustment to integrate the new data sources into existing company procedures. The fundamental aspect of this was to establish a system to obtain accurate base data from SAP by the chosen modelling applicat ion, CADWorx, specification. This required a remapping of the defacto CADWorx specification linkage system to achieve the desired procurement, prefabrication and field outputs in line with Mercury departmental norms. The development of an appropriate process required significant experimentation with the linkage between local control systems and the CADWorx package. This also necessitated the ability to take an existing process piping design package and adapt it to conform to any given client’s BIM standards and norms. A number of technological uncertainties existed in the delivery of a fully functioning information management system which required a considerable degree of research to overcome, namely:
Integrating a modelling package with the procurement element of SAP;
Adaptation and linkage of the Autocad coordinate based system and a client’s local control, zonal description;
Customising the Autocad/ CADWorx user interface to service a pool of users working on different aspects of the BIM project;
Embedding custom data into CADWorx components
A number of activities were undertaken to provide solutions to the questions posed by the
technological uncertainties, with these activities further sub-divided to focus on workable sections of the project. An init ial period of review was undertaken to establish a baseline of performance and capability and to determine next steps. This review led into an experimentation phase which looked at reducing information processing times through the use of bespoke lisp routines. These routines looked to integrate methods of building control and were verified by the issuing of sample documents to the field. Once the experimentation stage had developed sufficient system capability a series of trials were undertaken, initially on a pilot basis but quickly moving into full deployment trials. The deployment trials made use of test teams to look at the processes and workflows established by the experimentation and pilot runs.
Both the experimentation and trial phases of the project were considered to be iterative; in that the recommendations and conclusions addressed any problems encountered and fed these back into the process to allow essential alterations be made. The problems encountered during initial investigation included the need to develop supporting documentation in the form of user guides to assist in the development of familiarity and provide a template for up-skilling of staff. Due to a number of software crashes, debugging of the code used to implement the lisp routines was necessary to effective running of the system. The designed iterative process gave rise to Beta works and revisions of the lisp routines and user interface and given ever -increasing familiarity with the applications, users requests for additional functionality enabled further fine tuning and arrival at a stable solution capable of all necessary tasks. The technological advancements gained from resolving the technological uncertainties via the research activities performed gave rise to a functional methodology and associated tools to link SAP and CADWorx. A best practice system and associated tools for linking a client’s local control system with CADWorx were also developed.
The realisation of a bespoke Mercury user interface to CADWorx adaptable to any a nd all client’s needs both in terms of BIM standards and data outputs was the final deployable outcome from the research work. The undertaking of the project gave BIM management staff the ability and knowledge on how to link and embed structured data sets to the CADWorx package and provide the necessary solutions to allow the realisation of the benefits of BIM.
Using BIM as a digital technology to enable risk free off-site prefabrication in complex environments requires accurate, complete and easily accessible field information as a fundamental background condition. The development of a spatially accurate model containing all essential semantic data to describe current field conditions is therefore vital to the production of Right First Time isometrics and related bills of materials (BOMs).
specification was written to direct surveying teams in the capture of field information. All expected outcomes from field work were descri bed allowing the necessary detail to be captured and ultimately presented in the required fashion. Next, the development of a data capture workflow, Figure 2, was considered to produce accurate and complete dimensional control capabilities within the BIM environment as per the specification.
And finally, the creation of a process workflow, Figure 3, to create a database driven, interoperable semantic point cloud was realised to allow the field information to be supplied to all personnel along the design, fabrication and construction chain.
In a BIM environment the traditional method of delivering background conditions in a retrofit project is to first carry out a 3D scan to capture all dimensional information for the existing facility and use this to develop a background model authored using BIM compatible software. This type of model suffers from a number of flaws which negate its usefulness and can cause difficulty with its implementation as an appropriate model of record. Given the nature of such a model, inaccuracies in location of elements extracted from the point cloud, missing original elements and failure to model newly installed items can occur frequently calling into question its suitability to enable risk-free prefabrication. In an effort to surpass these problems, continual field to BIM surveys must be carried out to capture deviations between the background model and the actual conditions experienced on site.
The nature of the solution to the problem as defined was in the development of improved surveying workflows and the applica tion of the captured data in the best way to assist in achieving the goal of the production of flawless isometrics to prefabrication. Given the nature of the problem, the solution took account of a number of different elements and combined them to produce a complete and dynamic solution adaptable to multiple project types and scales. Initially, a comprehensive BIM survey
This final step resulted in the development of a point cloud which contained semantic information related to the elements surveyed. This enabled the point cloud to be used in the same manner as a physical model, albeit with confidence that the all elements were present and correctly located.
The development of a BIM survey specification was deemed a vital step in developing an in -house laser scanning capability and in furthering the delivery of point clouds from thir d party suppliers. In the case of the specifications application to inhouse operations it set out the standard operating procedure to be adhered to by all staff tasked with
providing survey services to the BIM department. It also formed the basis for enga gement with third party suppliers allowing a comprehensive definition of the information delivery requirements to be observed. In short, the BIM survey specification developed was used by the Mercury Engineering BIM department to define the deliverables for all necessary survey works.
The specification defined the deliverables in the form of a number of fundamental requirements:
Level of detail (LOD) – considerable field testing was conducted to determine a set of LOD parameters to enable accurate and complete capture by laser scanner of varying component sizes in terms of resolution and quality ;
Data formats – the description of a the required data formats to be issued to the BIM department to allow use of the captured information;
Quality – this set out steps to be taken to ensure the quality of the information delivered and the methods of communicating this between parties;
In conjunction with these key areas, direction was also given on the expected standards to be adhered to; revision control; ownership and liability; archiving and procedures to protect intellectual property rights. It was envisaged that this document would be a ‘live’ document, easily adaptable to the specific requirements of individual projects and was created with this criteria in mind.
A data capture workflow was created to act as a guide to the practical application of the BIM survey specification for the Mercury survey staff. The process of creating this workflow first looked at the existing data capture processes which were in use and looked to streamline these by the application of appropriate lean techniques. A structured planning method, SWOT analysis, Figure 4, was used to assess the new workflow and establish its practical usefulness.
The main focus of the research project was to realise a semantic point cloud which could be used by modelling staff as a background conditions model. This looked to take 3D laser scan data, add the appropriate semantic information and make the data available in the draughting software for use in coordinating tasks. The development of this solution utilised the capability of point cloud processing software to geo-tag an element and which also allowed for this tag to be exported by way of an xml file. The xml file was subsequently converted to a csv file and a bespoke application was developed to allow the import of the information contained within the csv file to predefined attributed blocks in the software. Once the information was within the draughting environment, it was then possible to convert it to any necessary modelling format. The development of the necessary procedures and applications through the research and development process allowed for the implementation of a system of providing detailed, accurate and user-defined spatial information to meet the needs of the BIM modeller enabling better outputs.
The focus of the current R&D program looks at the problem of automating a progress tracking system to monitor and report on field progress. The current method of monitoring progress employs various techniques, none of which can easily allow for the automation of the process once initial data capture has been conducted. Following initial discussions, a problem statement was developed to give direction to the research and enable the formation of an array of potential solutions. Given the necessity to track temporal deviations in construction schedule and spatial deviations of installed elements, a single method of data capture which wou ld allow the analysis of both was considered to be desirable. Suitable methods to analyse the stated deviations were investigated to provide clear and easily actionable information which can be shared throughout project teams in a common format. It was decided to review the suitability of available free, open source software (FOSS) solutions to facilitate the greatest possible uptake of the developed methodologies and workflows across the group.
A large amount of research has been conducted on this topic; generally revolving around the use of 3D laser scanners to capture data, the subsequent development of an as-built solid model and comparing this against a design 4D model. While this style of solution has value and has
practical application within Mercury’s current projects, it is a solution with a particular focus on higher density projects with a large area and a budget which can afford the relatively high costs of 3D scanning deployment. With these parameters in mind the need to create a range of soluti ons to suit varying project types, sizes and budgets was required. In order to develop this range of solutions the overall process was first broken into three tiers; data capture, data analysis and data report. The data capture tier was subsequently subdivided into three levels, low, medium and high to take account of the various levels of projects with a common methodology envisaged for the analysis and reporting tiers.
While there are a number of proprietary solutions available to achieve the steps described, there are also open source solutions available which meet the requirements of the project. Determining the practicality and the robustness of these FOSS solutions to meet project needs was one of the key aspects of the research thus allowing the introduction of this form of progress tracking to be cost neutral in terms of site data capture and processing.
The starting point for investigation of p otential solutions started in the middle with a decision on the required format for output from the data capture tier in terms of the available options for analysis. To allow for the most robust solution, the output to a format with the high degree of interoperability was viewed as the most beneficial solution. In order to achieve this, a data handling application, iConstruct, used as an add-in to Autodesk Navisworks was investigated which would allow for the conversion of the data to the IFC format for fur ther use by analysis applications. The low tier looked to use standard digital cameras as the main tool for data capture with the subsequent images processed using a technique known as ‘Structure from Motion’. This technique provided a method of creating a file which in turn could be used to create a 3D mesh. This mesh, once completed could be exported in an *.obj file and appended to Navisworks. Alternatively, the point cloud developed from the structure from motion stage can be used directly in the analysis tier.
The medium level looked at the use of a handheld sensor as th e primary data capture device, which it was envisioned would give scope for data capture to a larger area than would be practical using a standard digital camera. The data captured with the handheld scanner can be processed using a similar approach and with the same software as discussed for the low level data. The third and final data capture method utilised is that of a 3D laser scanner, which is to be used only for larger areas where the speed of capture achievable with this technology is required to make the process feasible. Once the required data has been captured and processed the analysis for both temporal and spatial deviation can commence. At the start of this research, the method of spatial deviation analysis was a manual process, however this was time consuming and open to operator error. The use of suitable software to automate this analysis is currently under investigation to determine suitability with the reporting of results also a step to be considered. In tandem with the investigations discussed above, a 4D specification is also under development which will give structure to the required procedures, data formats and handling methods to allow project planners to interrogate the data to determine temporal deviations, progress and potential for risk.
Notwithstanding a departmental ethos of continual review of procedures and processes focusing on improvement of all aspects of model development, a need to set standards and a desire to meet or exceed the state-of-the-art in all aspects of BIM development and production exists within the Mercury Engineering BIM department. The goal of not merely reacting to technological challenges as they arise but seeking these challenges out ahead of time and establishing clear developmental procedures to provide a best in class service to our clients will feed into future R&D projects. The application of enhanced visualisation processes for retrofit projects with integration of augmented reality to assist design and in particular installation, along with the development of Big Data capabilities to enhance data integration into the model and subsequent handling techniques to improve usability across the entire organisation are just some of the areas that are currently of interest
within the department and are considered worthy of future work. All future R&D projects will at their core, strive to create more meaningful information from the data generated and empower greater engagement amongst stakeholders within the process, from clients through to installation crews.
The author would like to acknowledge the efforts of all contributors to Mercury R&D projects over the past number of years from both within the organisation and from academia and vendor partners who have contributed with their specia list expertise.
Robert Moore1 Barry McAuley2 and Alan Hore 3
1Moore BIM Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.
2&3School of Real Estate and Economics, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
E-mail: 1ro b@moorebim com, 2barr ymcaule y@gmail.com and 3alan.ho re@dit.ie
Abstract Forfás Ireland policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovati on have recently recommended that the Irish Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industr y should engage in more international work and in doing so have advised the industry t o work within a B uilding Inf or mati on M anagement (B IM ) environment, so as t o avoid the possibility of a competitive disadvantage in overseas mar ket s. According to Forfás B IM can help develop the appropriate technical skills a mongst Irish constructi on fir ms so that they can successfully compe te in mar kets where B IM is widely adopted or a require ment. More importantly they have encouraged the industry t o strive t o achieve and exceed international industry standards. Suc h a standard is the Publ ic Accessible Standard (PAS) 1192 -2, which is now becoming the preferred choice of industry standard regarding B IM collaboration within the United Kingdom (UK). The purpose of this standard is to offer guidelines to the UK in order to ensure they achieve t heir 2016 ma ndate.
This standard would see m t o be a natural fit for the Irish AEC sector, due to the fac t that the Irish Governme nt have previ ously followed cl osely behind the UK regarding re gulations, as well as been strongly linked through a high number of construction companies exporting their services to the UK. PAS 1192 - 2 will potentially become even more relevant in the future as it influence s the Inter national Organization for Standardization (ISO) in adopting accredited B IM standards. This may the refore not only limit Irish companies in t rading to the important UK mar ket but in also trading the rest of the world if they are not versed with its require me nts.
This paper will investigate the potential of adopting PAS 1192 -2 within the Irish AEC sector as the preferre d industry standard for B IM and how this c ould help c onstruction compa nies win international work. The data collation met hodol ogy included a number of interviews and an in-depth questi onnaire. The interviewees will consist of industr y leaders from Ire land, the UK and Australia. This will be compli me nted by an int ernational questionnaire that was dist ributed to asse ss what current standards are been used bot h within Ireland and abroad. The researc h findings have indicated that in order to en sure tha t the Irish AEC sector is rea dy to compete in overseas mar ket s, that they should adopt PAS 1192-2 in accordance with any future B IM governed proj ects.
Keywords - Building In for mation Modelling, BIM Collabor ation Stan dards, PAS 1192-2
Th e Irish AEC/FM industr y is beginn ing to sh ow sign s of r ecover y after on e of th e most ch allen gin g times in its h istor y in wh ich h as seen con str uction output r each alar mingly lo w levels. As a r esult of some of th e AE C Compan ies that have sur vived have become lean , innovative an d ar e capable of expan sion
Th e For fas r epor t wh ich details a strategic plan for Ir elan d movin g for war d states that th e Irish AEC in dustr y sh ould embr ace over seas markets in order to ma ximise th eir busin ess poten tial [1]
Th e UK market is gr owin g, in par ticular th e gr eater Lon don ar ea, wh ich is good for Ir ish companies as th e Irish /UK market has tradition ally had good in ter conn ectivit y, with companies competin g in both mar kets. Also Global Con str uction 2025 details th e global constr uction
market for ecast to gr ow b y o ver 70% by 2025 T his in terna tional wor k pr esen ts an oppor tunity for Ir ish companies movin g for war d [2].
Th er efor e Ir ish constr uction busin esses n eed to have th e right stan dards in place to ma ke sur e th at it is able to wor k e ffecti vel y a t h ome an d be r ead y to wor k in internation al mar kets, ah ead of th e competition Th e question r emains, is PAS 1192-2 th e stan dard that will aid in winning this wor k.
Th e literatur e r eview focuses in ternation al r efer en ces detailin g h ow BIM an d standards, in particular PAS 1192-2 can play in secur ing in terna tional wor k.
Th e construction industr y is an important elemen t of Ir eland ’s econ om y, a competitive an d d yna mic in dustr y an d proper ty mar ket for ms a cr ucial part of th e busin ess envir on ment and is a cr itical competitiven ess factor un derpinnin g en terpr ise investmen t and gr owth . Th e ind ustr y n eeds to build a competitive edge an d challenge fir ms to wor k with n ew mater ials, embr ace moder n meth ods of construction , a chieve a nd exceed in terna tional in dustr y stan dar ds an d become m or e efficien t an d productive e.g utilisin g BIM-based in tegr ated pr oject man agemen t. If con struction con tractor s and ser vice provider s ar e un able to wor k in a BIM envir onment they ar e likely to fin d th emselves at a serious competitive disad van tage, particular ly in over sea s mar kets [1]
Th e r evolution of BIM across th e in ter national construction wor ld con tinues to gr ow an d must r esult in Ir eland adoptin g a similar meth odol og y or face bein g left beh ind an d unable to compete in for eign mar kets. Ir elan d n eeds to follow th e exa mples of oth er coun tries exper ien ce and learn fr om th eir mistakes an d successes, wh ile en sur ing an adequate suppor t structur e is in place to accommodate th e change in cultur e an d processes with r egar d to h ow we e ffecti vel y d o busin ess [3].
For fás states that alon gside h igh -level capability, an adh er en ce to stan dards and a h igh degr ee of profession alism across th e boar d with in th e sect or is r equired to un der pin th e sector ’s abili t y to fulfil its impor tant role in meetin g econ omic an d social n eeds as th e econ omy r eturn s to a gr owth path [1]
Th ese r epor ts wer e complimen ted by a ser ies o f in dustr y wide discussi on wor ksh ops h osted b y th e Con str uction IT Allian ce (CITA) in 2012. Specificall y th e wor ksh ops aimed to liaise with oth er in terna tional BIM coun cils an d stan dards bodies an d to be r esponsible for th e develop men t of In dustr y stan dar d BIM execution plans, stan dards an d accr editation [4].
Th e CITA BIM Wor ksh op 4 focuses on achievin g adoption of in dustr y agr eed technical
Stan dards an d Protocols for BIM. A speaker at th e worksh op descr ibed a stan dar d as an un der standin g th at involves all parties wh o wish to see BIM adopted proper ly a n d also ha ve a vested inter est in seein g it wor k This wor ksh op summar ised that parties in volved in this process must be clear l y defin ed and assign ed r esp onsibilities, with th e ter min olog y an d scope for th ese stan dards clear ly establish ed, with set time deliver ables. It wa s added th at various govern men t bodies n eed to be h eavil y involved in th e discussion on stan dards in order to h elp set out wh at is to be deliver ed, h ow it will be deliver ed and wha t to do on ce it is deliver ed Th e cr eation of a stan dardised BIM approach can aid in biddin g for wor k within inter nation al ar en as an d can h elp in br ingin g costs do wn [4]
Developin g un iver sal stan dards is essen tial for th e con str uction in dustr y An y ICT stan dards must en sur e collabor ation an d continuin g commitment a mon g th e participants E ffective man agement and admin istration of th e ICT stan dard roll-out is also n ecessar y for mar ketin g and for spr eading in for mation , so tha t th e standards become widel y kn own an d accepted in th e ind ustr y [5]
For fás war n of lo w take-up of I CT (In for mation & Communication s Techn olog y) with in th e sector is an emergin g competitive disadvantage in project deliver y due to slo w adoption of process improvemen t (e g Lean) and productivity enhan cin g buildin g in for ma tion modellin g (BIM) systems. This is a disadvan tage to companies that ar e seekin g to build busin ess over seas a nd compete in th e d omestic con text wh er e th er e is in cr easin g likelih ood of competition fr om over seas a n d a mor e soph isticated client deman ding high er en vir onmen tal stan dards, in cr eased efficien cy an d lower costs [5]
This is ech oed b y CITA in th eir 2012 Annual BIM r epor t wh er e th ey stated th at a lack of compatible systems, stan dards and protocols, an d th e differ in g r equir ements of clien ts and lead design er s, has inh ibited widespread adoption of a techn olog y in construction projects [4] Officia l en dor sement, pr efer ably b y I SO, can give wide r ecogn ition [6].
Th e Ir ish Governmen t has pr eviousl y followed closel y beh in d th e UK system an d is also str on gly lin ked to th e UK through th e vast major it y of Ir ish AE C fir ms doin g busin ess in th e UK [3]. In order for th e UK to a ch ieve a Level 2 BIM stan dard, which is a BIM File-Based Collab or ation and Libr ar y Man agement, th er e is little chan ge r equired to th e fun damental buildin g blocks of cop yr igh t law, con tracts or in sur an ce. This is en cour agin g fr om an Ir ish per spective, as Irish curr en t con tractin g arrangemen ts ar e n ot con sider ably di ffer en t to th e UK.
PAS 1192-2:2013 is a standards documen t for collabor ation in th e design and build phase of a construction project. PAS 1192-2 starts at th e n eed
for th e pr oject an d goes step by step to th e han dover It builds on BS 1192 and r efer en ces CIC BIM protocol for its application , but it also r efer en ces oth er stan dards for oth er parts of th e asset life c ycle outside its scope [7] It is a compr eh ensive documen t th at is easy to follo w and ha s been produced with clear diagrams to h elp with its use. In th e summer of 2014 wor k to adopt PAS 1192 -2 as an ISO standar d star ted [8]
Fr aser stated th at th e in corpor ation of th e CI C Protocol ( or someth in g similar) in th e Ir ish Public Wor ks Contracts suite will allow th e contractual r isks to be allocated an d mana ged in a mor e r easonable mann er, wh ich in turn ma y assist in th e r ecover y of th e Ir ish Con str uction in dustr y and ma y give th e industr y a competitive ad vantage wh en competin g for internation al busin ess [9].
For fás r ecogn ised th e importan ce of BIM an d over seas wor k, an d iden tified an action for th e organ isation to wor k with in dustr y groups to promote th e use of BIM an d develop th e appropr iate techn ical skills a mon gst Ir ish constr uction fir ms so th at th ey ca n successfull y compete in mar kets wh er e BIM is widel y adopted or a r equir emen t [1]
In con clusion, PAS 1192 -2 is a compr eh ensive documen t that cover s th e r equir emen ts of a pr oject an d acts as a frame wor k with r efer en ce to oth er r equired documents. For fá s stated th at th e Irish AE C in dustr y is an importan t industr y to Ir elan d, th e in dustr y is been advised to look for wor k over seas, adopt n ew BIM processes an d adopt in dustr y stan dards to pr epar e itself for th e ch allen ge of winn in g this wor k. Th ese standards will n ot on ly aid with winnin g wor k th ey will br ing cost do wn [1]
Th e auth or s’ pr imar y data collation meth odolog y involved mixed meth ods appr oach of both quantitative an d q ualitative data collection techn iques. Th e two meth ods of in for mation gath er in g wer e:
1 In for ma l semi -structur ed focused in terviews: Question s wer e fl exible an d open en ded, allowin g for a mor e complex r esponse with th e goal bein g to extract th eir tacit kn owledge on th is subject. A diver se selecti on of in terviewee s wh er e ch osen that in cluded r epr esen tatives fr om In terna tional and domestic based professi on als
2 On lin e question nair e with conven ien ce sa mplin g: Th e question s wer e developed from th e liter atur e r eview an d th e r esponses fr om th e semi-str uctur ed explorator y in ter views. As th e r esear ch wa s on in tern ational stan dards it wa s felt th at a large con ven ien ce sa mple of r espon dents with BIM exper ien ce wa s r equired. Invites to th e questionn aire wer e
publish ed on con struction industr y groups with BIM kn owled ge on th e social media site
Th e r esponses wer e triangulated to facilitate a h olistic approach to en a ble th e testin g of r elation ships with data syn th esis to produce mor e insigh tful secon dar y common tren ds
Thr ee face-to-face semi -structur ed explor ator y in terviews wer e con ducted to acquire a better kn owled ge of stan dar ds, in par ticular PAS 1192-2
Th e appr oach wa s to ask two broad question s on stan dards and PAS 1192, with ‘Wh at’ or ‘Wh y ’ subquestion s to obtain fur th er detail (Cr eswell, 1994)[10] Th e r esulting discussion wa s distilled into thr ee topics r eleva nt to th is paper, wh ich ar e summar ised belo w
Th e inter viewees wer e ch osen for th eir vast exper ien ce with BIM, in terviewee 1 is a lead project in for mation mana ger at a large inter national construction compan y wh o wor ked on projects in both Australia an d th e UK, an d h as h elped fir ms
implemen t BIM meth odol ogies
Inter viewee 2 is a mana gin g par tn er of an Irish ar chitectural BIM design h ouse that provides managed BIM production , suppor t and train ing ser vices, this practise ha s been leading th e develop men t an d adoption of BIM in Ir eland sin ce 2009 He is also th e ch air man of th e RI AI practice committee for BIM, and coor din ator of th e Con str uction IT Allian ce (CITA) BIM Group.
Inter viewee 3 is th e director of BIM EME A (Europe, th e Middle East and Afr ica) at a large in terna tional constr uction compan y a n d secon ded to th e Cabin et Office's E fficien c y an d Refor m Group, wh er e h e is h ead of BIM implemen tation He is also Ch air of th e UK BIM Task Group, BIM2050 an d var ious BIM4 steer in g gr oups
i) PAS1192-2 as a standard
Inter viewee 1 was a sked about PAS 1192 -2. He h ad some kn owledge of th is stand ar d and defin ed it as a BIM stan dar d that “for malises and communicates th e process of better procur emen t of fa cilities, wh er e th at would be buildin gs or in fra str uctur e pr ojects Th e mantra of startin g with th e en d in min d is exhibited in th at stan dard.” It establish es “th e r equir ements up fron t, feedin g th em in to th e clien t process at th e star t and th en bein g able to iter ativel y ch eck to see eith er r equir emen ts or per for man ce all th e wa y.”
Inter viewee 2 ’s un der standin g of PAS 1192-2 is th at it is “an in for mation deliver y man ual” an d
“speci fication for th e process for production of buildin g in for mation into usin g th e BIM.” It is also “part of a suite of documen ts” an d “sets out th e process of h ow in for mation flows thr ough th e c ycles, h ow it star ts fr om th e ver y beginn ing at th e client in for mation r equir ements an d h ow that flows in to BIM execution plannin g, an d agr eein g wh o is goin g to do wh at,” usin g th e “Model Deliver y Pr oduction Table”, and th e process is ch ecked at differ ent stages through data drops It ch ecks “Wh at has been produced an d i f th e righ t level of in for mation bein g produced at each stage as set up by th e tea m”, at th e en d of th e project th er e is an oth er 1192 stan dard that picks up wh er e PAS 1192-2 leaves off
Inter viewee 2 outlin ed h ow PAS 1192-2 is differ ent to oth er standards: “Stan dards can be quite broad in tellin g you wh at you h a ve to do but does n ot sa y h ow Because PAS is star tin g to suggest h ow you migh t do it, h avin g th ese key elemen ts like EIR or BEP” wh ich give guidan ce on h ow in for mation is deliver ed. He th en state that “clients n eed to r ealise th at th ey ar e th e ver y star ting poin t of PAS 1192 Th e EIR is th e key document, if clien ts don ’t ask th e r ight kin d of question s at th e beginning, th ey ar e n ot goin g to get th e r ight r esults.”
Inter viewee 3 believes th at PAS 1192 -2 “sh ould be r ead in con jun ction with its companion documen ts PAS 1192 -3 and BS 1192 -4” and states, “it sh ouldn ’t be used in isolation ” an d it starts “with th e en d in min d.” He fur th er descr ibes PAS 1192 -2 as lookin g “at th e in for mation management dur ing th e capital expen ditur e stages, starting off with PAS 1192-3. PAS 1192-3 star ts to defin e organisation in for mation r equir emen ts and asset in for mation r equir ements, PAS 1192 -2 wh ich th en starts to implemen t th em through an emp loyer ’s in for ma tion r equir ement an d BIM execution plan. PAS 1192 -2 th en star ts to look at th e process a n d star ts to defin e in for mation r equir emen ts in ter ms of wh en is it, wh en is th e in for mation r equired, and in ter ms of wh o is r esponsible for th e in for mation That’s achieved through Task In for mation Deliver y Plan s. On e of th e ke y th ings of it is th e MIDP (th e Master In for ma tion Deliver y Plan ), wh ich sets out th e roles an d r esponsibilities but, mor e impor tan tly, th e level of defin ition s of th e model for ach ievement. It en sur es th e in for mation can flo w r ight through th e whole asset lifec ycle but in a common data envir onmen t.”
All inter viewees a gr eed that PAS 1192-2 is a compr eh en sive documen t and star ting “with th e en d in mind” is th e key element, this is achieved with th e EIR Th e MIDP h elps th e pr oject teams better manage th eir tasks by in for ming them wh at to expect by wh o an d wh en They also agr eed that PAS 11922 is a process for deliver ing a buildin g to th e clien t’s n eeds
Inter viewee 2 stated th at “lots of our r egulation s ar e based on th e Br itish stan dard.” He con tinues by stating that Ir elan d “does n ot have a stan dard” and does n ot h ave “r esour ces to pr oduce our own stan dards; man y compan ies in Ir elan d would wor k both in Nor th ern Ir elan d an d UK, h e did n ot see th e poin t in ha vin g differ en t standards.
He ela bor ated that th er e has been a “policy decision fr om th e RI AI to promote PAS 1192-2 as a stan dar d across in dustr y” wh ich “ha s been ann oun ced an d oth er institutes have been in for med of th e RI AI position.” He war n s that th e “wor st th ing th at could h appen is that ever ybod y g oes in differ ent directions”, an d believes “th e mor e and mor e people star t talking about th is standard, adopting it and using it and en cour agin g oth er s to use it th e better.”
Inter viewee 3 does “n ot thin k th er e sh ould be two stan dards” for th e UK a n d Ir elan d. He does n ot see “a n y r eason wh y Ir elan d sh ould n ot take PAS 1192-2 an d use it, as it can easily be lifted.” He ha s seen it used in Russia and lots of oth er countries
Inter viewee 1 speaks a bout a client that is lookin g to implement PAS 1192 -2 in New Zealan d an d they ha ve started to investigate its applicabil ity to Australia, statin g that h e an d colleagues approve of usin g PAS 1192 -2 in Austra lia/New Zealan d
Inter viewees 2 an d 3 con cur about th e impor tant aspects of PAS 1192 -2, that it is par t of a suite of documents and th e impor tant elements ar e th e BEP an d th e MIDP Th e MIDP con fir ms that th e r ight in for mation is deliver ed at th e righ t project stage and all project stakeh older s kn ow wh at th ey r equire an d wh at is r equired of th em. Inter viewee 4 also commen ts th at PAS 1192 -2 is a guide on h ow to deliver a pr oject.
Inter viewees 2 an d 3 agr eed that PAS 1192-2 can and sh ould be used in Ir elan d. Inter viewee 2 discusses th at th e UK a nd Ir ish in dustries ar e lin ked by compan ies workin g in both mar kets a n d states th at Irish in dustr y does n ot have th e capacit y or appetite to develop an Irish stan dard. He also states th e RI AI ha s adopted PAS1192 -2 an d advised oth er in dustr y bodies to do th e sa me, war nin g of th e danger of oth er s adopting oth er stan dards
Inter viewee 2 stated that “th e Br itish Governmen t ar e lookin g to an inter nation al standard” for PAS 1192-2, and h e is par t of an in terna tional “wor kin g group at th e moment that is tr yin g to h ar mon ise stan dards for BIM across Europe; on ce th e standards ar e har mon ised across Europe th en an EU state cann ot go off in a differ en t direction.”
Inter viewee 3 believed “th e UK stan dards ar e goin g to be th e basis for th e n ew ISO tha t’s goin g to be comin g out; th er e’s an internation al stan dar d bein g develop ed an d a lot of th at will be based aroun d th e UK stan dard PAS 1192-2 will be well adopted in lots of oth er countr ies,”
It is for ecast by all inter viewe es that PAS 11922 is on track to become an ISO stan dar d and will have widespr ead adoption acr oss Europe an d th e r est of th e wor ld.
Th e questionnair e con sisted of 10 questions, wh ich wa s piloted to 7 ind ustr y/academic collea gues. After th e pilot stud y wa s completed th e questionn air e was th en distributed on Lin kedIn Th e purpose of th e sur ve y wa s to in vestigate BI M stan dards and th er e in terna tional con text, with data gath er ed on compan y l ocation s, typ es and mar kets Th er e wer e 140 in ternation al r espon den ts which in cluded 58 r espon dents fr om Irish compan ies. Th e data wa s collected usin g google for ms an d collated in excel with th e output graph s cr eated using pivot ch ar ts
Th e followin g data ha s been extracted fr om th e questionnair e r esults to best suit th e subject of this paper
60% of Ir ish companies r espon ded that the y alr eady wor k in ternationally with a secon dar y market, Fig 1 illustrates th e location s of th is mar ket.
15% of Irish compan ies r espon ded that th er e pr imar y mar ket is outside Ir elan d, with th e major ity of th ese companies statin g that th is pr imar y mar ket is th e UK, th is accoun ts for th e 9% of Ir ish companies sh own Ir eland as th eir secon dar y mar ket.
Th e data also sh ows that 56% of Ir ish companies ar e lookin g for internation al wor k an d 29% of Ir ish compan ies ha ve a desire to expan d on to an inter nation al mar ket outside th e UK an d Europe.
This question sh ows th at a large a moun t of Ir ish compan ies alr eady wor k in tern ationally a n d also sh ows th at th e UK is th eir biggest mar ket. With th ese str on g lin ks to th e UK, it makes it an obvi ous ch oice to follo w th e UK’s standards.
Fig. 1: Wh at is your compa n y's secon dar y l ocation for wor k? (Ir elan d)
ii) Question 2: What is the current BIM standard based on in your company?
This question in vestigates wh at BIM stan dards ar e been used in an inter nationa l context and aims to identify th e leadin g stan dards. Th e r espon dent had a ch oice of var ious stan dards that ar e available fr om aroun d th e wor ld and also had th e option to add a r esponse un der ‘Oth er ’ Th e “Oth er ” r esponses wa s r ation alised with most r espon ses fallin g into a n ew “In -House” categor y.
Th e data sh own in Fig. 2, sh ows 28% of th e r espon dents ar e usin g PAS 1192 -2 with 16% usin g NBIMS. Of th e r espon dents th at use NBIMS, 86% of th em ar e located in th e US. PAS 1192-2 an d NBIMS wer e th e main industr y stan dards iden tified, with oth er in dustr y stan dards on ly pollin g 1% each Fig. 3, sh ows in Ir eland th e per cen tage of r espon dents tha t h ave adopted PAS 1192 -2 has r isen to 41%, NBIMS usage drops sign ifican tly to 2%, wh ile th e Nor wegian Association is also at 2%.
This data clearly sh ows th at internation ally PAS 1192-2 is th e most widel y used BIM stan dard, with NBIMS main ly been used with in th e US. Within Ir eland PAS 1192 -2 is n ear ly th e on l y in dustr y stan dar d bein g adopted, which gives a clea r sign al th at PAS 1192 -2 wor ks in an d is been used in th e Ir ish industr y
iii) Question 3: What country's BIM standard
Th e purpose of this question s is to investigate wh o is th e most in fluential coun tr y r egardin g BIM stan dards This will h elp identify wh er e companies believe th at BIM stan dards ar e str ongest. It wa s foun d as illustrated in Fig 4, which most organ isation s internation ally look to th e UK for guidan ce, with 60%.
Th e data sh ows that 91% of r espon dents in Ir ish companies in dicate that th e UK is th e most in fluen tial countr y r egarding BIM stan dards
This clear ly sh ows th at th e UK in ter nationall y is th e most in fluential coun tr y r egardin g BIM an d again as with BIM stan dards, Ir eland look’s towards th e UK for guidan ce
Fig 4: What coun tr y's BIM standar d most in fluen ces your compan y? (Inter nation al)
iii) Question 4: Ireland currently has no BIM standard.
Respon den ts fr om Ir ish companies wer e asked if “Ir eland does n ot n eed an y BIM stan dard”. 63% str on gly a gr ee or agr eed with this statement. Th is wa s fur th er explor ed by en quirin g if “Ir elan d sh ould adopt PAS 1192 -2 as advised by RI AI”. It wa s discover ed th at 72% str ongly agr ee or agr eed with th is statement. Finally 63% str ongly disa gr ee or disagr eed tha t “Ir elan d should star t fr om th e beginnin g with a BIM stan dard”. Th is r esults would in dicate that that PAS 1192-2 is th e pr eferr ed approach to BIM with in Ir elan d Irish r espon den ts claim th at PAS 1192 is th e pr eferr ed standar d to be used in dr ivin g th e BIM process.
A number of sour ces in th e literatur e r eview state th at standards will aid Ir ish compan ies in biddin g for wor k inter nationa lly [4][3] For fás state that Irish AE C companies sh ould pr epar e for in ternation al wor k in which th e UK con str uction 2025 r epor t for ecasts [1][2] Th e questionnair e a lso r eflects on 56% of Ir ish companies lookin g for inter n ationa l wor k an d 29% ar e looking outside Europe.
Ireland looks to th e UK for in fluen ce an d does most of its in ternation al busin ess in tha t market; th is is sh own in th e liter atur e r eview [4][3] and is ech oed in th e in ter views Also stated in th e inter views is that Ir ish r egulation s ar e t ypical ly bor n fr om Br itish r egulations. Fur th er eviden ce of th is is foun d in th e questionnair e with 91% statin g th e UK as th eir ch ief in fluen ce in r egards to BIM standards
PAS 1192-2 is a ver y compr eh en sive documen t for th e CAPX stage of a project an d items outside th e scop e of PAS 1192-2 e g th e BIM pr otocol, ar e r efer en ce b y th is standard Th e stan dards also fr om part of a suite o f documen ts that cover th e full life c ycle of an asset. Th e inter viewees descr ibed th e
elemen ts in detail an d th e EI R is con sider ed a ver y impor tant part of th is standar d. In ter viewee 2 r efer s to PAS 1192-2 as a “Ho w-to guide” - n ot just wh at is r equired to achieve th e standards Inter viewee 3 agr ees that all r equired elemen ts ar e pr esen t an d con tin ues that “it’s har d to fin d a h ole in PAS 11922.”
Th e Ir ish industr y is alr ead y usin g PAS 1192-2; th is is clear ly sh own with 42% of r espon dents usin g PAS 1192-2 Respon den ts a lso sh ow a desire to adopt PAS 1192 -2, as demon strated through th e h igh agr eemen t rate. Inter viewees 2 and 3 agr ee tha t PAS 1192-2 can and sh ould be used in Ir elan d
As discussed in th e literatur e r eview, PAS 1192-2 is to become an ISO in th e n ear futur e, wh ich will give it internation al status Ho war d an d Björ k state th at a stan dar d n eeds to h ave ISO [6] All of th e in terviewees discussed PAS 1192 -2 becomin g an ISO stan dard, th is sh ould give con fir mation that adoptin g PAS 1192-2 will n ot be a r ed un dant act.
Th e global constr uction mar ket is gr owin g as sh own in th e UK con str uction 2025 r epor t [2] Irish AEC companies that have survived th e r ecessi on ar e str on gly advised by For fa s to comp ete to pr ocur e wor k over seas.
Th e UK is Ir eland ’s largest in ternational mar ket an d th is has seen a number of traditional lin ks cr eated. Th e UK is sh own as th e most in fluential countr y r egar din g BIM stan dards wor ld wide a nd th e UK’s BI M in fluen ce with in Ir elan d is sh own to be particular ly str ong
PAS 1192-2 is sh own to be a compr eh en sive stan dar d cover ing all aspects in th e CAPX stage of an asset. Th e Ir ish industr y alr eady h ea vil y uses PAS 1192-2 as a standar d as it is a suitable standar d for th e Irish mar ket movin g for ward, as r egulati on s ar e similar bet ween both jur isdictions.
With PAS 1192-2 on its wa y to ISO adoption th is standar d would cor r ectl y position Ir ish companies in competin g for BIM g over n ed wor k in th e UK. Adoptin g this stan dar d will put Ir ish companies at an advantage in winning wor k over seas a n d in turn pr epar e them for th e UK mandate.
It ma y prove ad van tageous to adopt th e stan dard, as soon as possible, to h ave a wor kin g kn owled ge of it befor e it is r efer en ced in contract documen tation
In dustr y to 2025, Global Con str uction Per spectives.
[3] McAule y, B., Hor e, A. V., West, R., & Keh ily, D. (2012) Addr essing th e Need to Refor m Con str uction Public Procur ement in Ir eland through th e Implemen tation of Buildin g In for ma tion Modelling, Dublin In stitute of Techn olog y, Dublin.
[4] CITA (2012) BIM Repor t 2012, CITA, Dublin.
[5] Hor e, A V and West, R P (2008) CITAX: A Collabor ative ICT stan dards model for th e Irish construction in dustr y, 25th CIBW78 Con fer en ce, I mprovin g th e Man agement of Con str uction Pr ojects through IT Adoption, San tiago, Chile, 15th -17th July, Edited by Risch moller, L., CRC Pr ess, Flor ida.
[6] Ho ward, R., an d Björ k, B. -C. (2008) Buildin g In for ma tion Modellin g – Experts’ views on Stan dardisation an d Industr y Deplo ymen t, Ad van ced Engin eer in g In for matics, 22(2), 271280.
[7] BSI (2013) PAS 1192-2:2013 In cor por ating Corrigen d um No 1 Specification for in for mation managemen t for th e capital/deliver y p h ase of con str uction projects using buildin g in for mation modellin g, BSI Group, Lon don
[8] BIM Task Group (2014) http://www BIM Task Group.org/. [Accessed 05 Jun e 2014]
[9] Fr aser, S. (2013) Th e adoption of BIM with in th e Public Wor ks Con tracts (PWC) suite of construction con tracts in Ir elan d. Proceedings of th e CITA BIM Gath er ing, 1 59-162.
[10] Cr eswell, J (1994) Resear ch Design : Qualitative and Quan titative Approach Sage, Th ousand Oaks, CA
[1] For fás (2013) For fás Repor t: Ir elan d's Con str uction Sector : Outlook an d Strategic Plan to 2015, For fás, Dublin
[2] Oxfor d Econ omics (2013), Global Constr uctio n 2025: A Global For ecast for th e Con str uction
Cadventure Ltd
The Building Centre, Store Street, London
E-mail: hani.afendi@cad venture.co.uk
As of 2016, all centrally procured government constr ucti on projects must i mplement level 2 B IM . This case study will f ocus on B IM as a Process, and its first time adoption by a small practice for a new-build project.
Keywords Ar ch itectur e, BIM, 3D Model, Collabor ation
DUA Ar chitectur e ha s mor e than 25 year s’ exper ien ce wor kin g pr imar ily in Dor set and Ha mpsh ire, and h as wor ked on a wide var iet y of Pr ojects As a small practice (gen erally five sta ff member s or less), it offer s a per son al ser vice an d has a policy of constan tly explor in g new tech n ologies in both design an d constr uction to improve speed, quality an d ser vice for clien ts.
DUA Ar ch itectur e was appoin ted in Jun e 2011 to wor k with the Moor lan ds College in Chr istch ur ch . Wh ile Moor lan ds h as groun d numerically, th e buildin gs an d facilities ha ve not kept pace an d ar e in n eed of urgent r en ovation and exten sion Its curr en t buildin g project will in clude a n ew commun ity h ub, r eception ar ea an d con fer en ce facility, a multi -use cen tre providing two teach ing spaces an d a ch apel ar ea, wh ich can be combin ed to pr ovide a 350 - seat lectur e th eatre. This case stud y will focu s on th e con fer en ce facility
Th e practice h as been usin g Vector wor ks softwar e for man y year s Havin g atten d ed sever al seminar s on BIM, th e pr actice leader s decided to adopt th e process on th e Moor lan ds College project. Th ey h ad n o for ma l BIM train in g but un dertook sel f-paced learnin g essen tially th ey learn t by doin g
Th e design was in itially devel oped tradit ion ally in 2D, with 3D commen cin g at post-plann ing Th e pr actice felt th at it would be ben eficia l to begin in
Th e ar ch itect opted for a “Lon el y BIM” approach , in order to get th emselves upto speed with th e available modellin g techniques and th e process
Lon el y BIM r efer s to a process wh er e models ar e cr eated with n o in put from extern al con sultants an d ar e n ot sh ar ed through out th e pr oject team It is also r eferr ed to as Level 1 implemen tation accordin g to th e widely used BIM matur ity diagra m, or iginally publish ed by Mervyn Rich ar ds an d Mar k Bew in 2008 (see fig 2, pg 4) [1]
This descr ibes th e stages th at pr oject teams will go through as th ey move fr om traditional processes an d meth ods of dr a win g to implemen t fully open collabor ative BIM.
Th e governmen t’s 2016 target r equires th e implemen tation of level 2 BIM. Th is is wh er e each disciplin e cr eates its own mod el an d th ese ar e sh ar ed through out th e team, with all pr oject data shar ed electr on ically a s a common r esour ce. Th e eventual goal is level 3 BIM, a fully in tegr ated collabor ative process, wh er e model s ar e shar ed on a web-en abled BIM hub, in a for mat compliant with an in dustr ywide open data standard At this level, addition al layer s o f data ar e also embedded in th e model, in cludin g 4D constr uction sequen cin g and 5D cost.
DU A Ar ch itectur e set th emselves ultimatel y 4 goals;
3D for futur e projects Th e comp lex geometr y of th e 1. In cr ease field productivit y buildin g made th e prospect of modellin g it in 3D 2. In cr ease effectiven ess of design ver y attractive. Th ey began with th e steel fra me an d 3. Accurate 3D Model develop ed th e model fr om th er e (see fig 1, pg 4) 4. In cr ease effectiven ess of Sustain able goals
Th e practice foun d that 3D modelling was n ot over l y time con sumin g but paid gr eat dividen ds wh en cuttin g section s fr om th e model an d addin g a high level of 2D detail into th e sections Th ey felt it was a mor e effective wa y of wor king especiall y in han dlin g th e 3D geometr y of th e building
On e example is sh own on a dra win g sh owin g a section per spective (fig 3 p g. 5). Th e design in cluded quite complicated inter section s bet ween win dows, walls, th e steel fr ame an d roof, an d modellin g en abled th ese to be r efin ed at design stage and commun icated to oth er con sultants, client and con tractor
Mean wh ile, for th e roof, th e practice is usin g a stan dar d syst em but wan ted to taper th e verges an d eaves. This r equired car eful detailing with r egards, to suppor tin g steel wor k, wh ich th ey foun d was made easier in th e model. In gen er al th ey foun d th e model h elped th em to iden tify th e problematic ar ea s much earlier an d r esolved an y issues be for e r eachin g site.
Th e team also foun d BIM offer ed a gr eat advan tage wh en carr yin g out th e sunligh t an d shadin g analysis In th e pr oposal design for th e con fer en ce facilit y, th er e was a pr ojector scr een at th e back of th e stage. They wan ted to ma ke sur e that br igh t sunlight fr om th e high -level cler estor y win dow would n ot fall in th is ar ea at an y time of th e day through out th e year (see fig 4, pg. 5). Th ey also wan ted an y sh adin g solution to be “fit a nd for get”, which meant that accurate solar modelling wa s r equired
Or iginally th e design in cluded a modestl y sized scr een , which would be viewa ble to on ly par t of th e audien ce, with oth er scr een s provided elsewh ere. B y per for min g sunlight an imation s in th e Ren der wor ks soft war e, th e team foun d that th is could be sh aded by a fe w strategically placed “bann er s”, perpen dicular to th e win dows. Th ese bann er s could th en featur e ar twor k to comp limen t th e inter nal décor Howe ver, as th e project d evel oped, th e clien t r equested th at th e scr een at th e back of th e stage be made much larger, so traditional ver tical blin ds became th e most practical wa y of sh adin g it fr om th e sun Th e pr actice th en used solar modellin g to fin d th e optimal an gle at wh ich th e blin ds sh ould h ang, th us maintainin g th e fit-and forget natur e of th e solution
In exper ien ced in th e BIM process th e project tea m commen ced using on ly a sin gle file. This r apidly beca me ver y large, an d as th e project
progressed, it became n ecessar y for multiple design er s to have access simultan eousl y. To r esolve th is issue th ey r esear ch ed th e workgroup r efer en cin g featur e within Vector wor ks softwar e. This can provide consisten cy an d effi cien cy in pr oject files, especially in a large organisa tion wh er e a number of people ar e wor kin g on th e sa me project.
Refer en cin g allows dr a win g elements fr om on e file to be used with in an oth er Wh en th er e is a ch ange to a r efer en ced item in th e master file, this is r eflected in th e target file, an d vice ver sa. Updates to target files can be p er for med eith er automatically or manually r equested
Th e workgroup featur e allows th e cr eation of a workgroup en vir on ment with in which on e or mor e fold er s of con ten t files can be sh ar ed on a n etwor k. Th ese files ma y con tain con ten t r equired by all user s, such a s templates, symbols, expor t settin gs or workspaces, or con tent specific to di ffer ent projects Commun ica tion amon g tea m member s is essen tial wh en r efer en cin g an d/or wor kgroups ar e in use.
Th e pr actice foun d th at it took ver y little time to split th e master file down into in divid ual files, based on th e pr evious file’s la yer str uctur e. They th en r efer en ced all files into a n ew ma ster file called “complete” Th ey foun d th is to be a ver y efficien t wa y of working, because it enabled tea m member s to wor k on differ en t par ts of th e buildin g at th e same time, wh ile an oth er could set out dra win gs with in th e complete file.
Th ough th e tea m inten tionally kept th e BIM model in-h ouse, th ey did provide elemen ts of 3D in for mation to th e project engin eer s in th e for m of scr een sh ots (see belo w fig 5)
Th ey ha ve foun d that th e model made it easier to commun icate issues and r equests accur ately, because th ey could ver y q uickl y cut th e r equired section fr om th e model, ann otate an d send to th e r elevan t consultant (see fig 6, pg 6) with out attemptin g to
descr ibe it over th e ph on e or producing poten tially in accurate sketch es. As such th e clash detection process “ was done ‘live’ in the model while individual beams/columns etc. we re checked off on the hard copy of the steel fabricators drawing ”
Par tn er at DUA Ar ch itectur e, Martin Hammond commentated that th e 3D steel fra me model had dimen sion s mea sur ed and compar ed to “the steel fabricator model for accuracy It was perfect within fractions of millimete rs and was a great way of working to de-risk the construction.”
At th is poin t DUA sa w th e ben efits of adoptin g th is BIM process as Martin ad ded additional feedback statin g “What you may find interesting is that the steel fabricators model has now replaced our steel frame in the BIM model (so we ’ re slightly less ‘lonely’ with our BIM). We could then update all viewports and with it all drawings were updated Fantastic!”
Th e build is un der wa y an d th e steel frame ha s been er ected (see fig 7, pg. 7) [3]. Th e con tractor s did n ot en counter an y problems an d mor e impor tantly it is on time an d with in th e for ecasted budget.
DUA Ar ch itectur e con cen trated mor e on BIM as a process r ath er than th e data side. As a r esult they have n ot full y adh er ed to all r equir emen ts of Le vel 1 complian ce. For Level 1 to be ach ieved CAD stan dards n eed to be “man aged to BS 1192:2007” http://www.thenbs.com This gives you th e basis to achieve complete Level 1 maturity an d is th e foun dation built upon to ach ievin g Level 2 maturity Th e practise is n ot con sider ing BIM as data at th is stage as it is n ot impor tant as th eir approach is mor e design-led h owever wh en progr essin g with BIM
On th e n ext BIM project, th e practice ai ms to expor t IFC mod els r ath er than images. This would allow th e engin eer to analyse an d r eview 3D BI M models using on e man y fr ee on lin e down loadable IFC viewer s. They ar e lookin g to set th eir sigh ts in progr essin g fr om Lon ely BI M an d get on e step closer to ultimately h a vin g a feder ated model that is accessi ble via a CDE; Common Data En vir onment, accessi ble b y all involved in th e project deliver y
Over all, th e tea m foun d th eir fir st exper ien ce of a BIM process gave th em much gr eater con fiden ce in th e accur acy of th eir dr awin gs, and facilita ted gr eater speed an d efficien cy, and th er efor e productivity It en abled th em to spen d less time pr epar ing dr awin gs and mor e time analysin g design s an d r esolvin g issues, an d also to pr oduce a gr eater level of in for mation with which to go out to ten der
RE FE R E NC E S
[1] Mer vin Rich ards Diagram
[2] “managed to BS 1192:2007” http://www.th en bs.com/topics/ bim/ar ticles/bimlevels-explain ed.asp
[3] http://www moorlands.ac uk/categor y/news/
David Comiskey1, Mark McK ane 2, Eoin O’Shea3, John Hughes4 and Sean McNiff 5
1Belf ast School of Architecture, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
2School of The Built Environment, Ulster Universi ty, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
3PIM Smart, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
4Semple & McKillop Consulting Engineers, Belf ast, Northern Ireland
5 WDR & RT Taggart, Belf ast, Northern Ireland
E-mail: 1da comisk ey@u lst er ac.uk 2 m. mckane@ulst er ac.uk 3eos@pimsmart.com
4 johnhughes@semp lemckillop.com 5Sean.McNiff@wdr-rt -t aggart.com
Abstract “Knowledge and experience of B IM within the Irish AEC industry is in its infancy” [1]. Aside from the lack of governme nt ma ndate ( within the Republic of Ireland), the relatively low adopti on rate could be attributed to a number of factors including reluctance to change, invest me nt concerns and a skills short age due t o lack of promotion [2]. This would suggest t hat there is an industry need for a greater number of l ocal case studies to pro mote collaborati ve working practices, the B uilding Infor mation Modelling (B IM) process and the benefits and challenges associated with its use. This paper intends to assist in this regard by documenting t he outco me s from a 48 - hour B IM competition in which the a uthors participated. The brief for the multidisc iplinary team was t o deve lop an area of land along Newcastle’s Q uayside into a mixed- use development. Althoug h the project was hypot hetical, it allowed for c ollaborative working via a cloud based platfor m, simulating real world practice and many of the working methods required to deliver B IM Level 2. The outcome was an award-winning sche me, which encompassed conce ptua l ma ss modelling; architectural, mec hanical, electrical, and structural design developme nt; energy and structural analysis; landscape desig n and costing analysis, all federated and shared via a Common Data E nviron ment within the 48 hour timefra me. M ore importantl y, the process enabled those participating to gain a better appreciation of B IM working methods, team roles, model sharing and a host of related issues. The pap er will provide a detailed analysis of the process, outline the challenges the tea m faced and will conclude by highlighting the lessons learnt from the impleme ntation of B IM processes on this project.
Keywords - BIM, Collabor ation, Collabor ative Workin g
According to r ecen t r esear ch figur es fr om th e NBS, BIM a war en ess with in th e Un ited Kingdom (UK) construction sector is a lmost univer sal, with a quar ter of r espon den ts goin g as far a s to state that th ey con sider th e UK to be th e “wor ld leader in BIM” [3] Th e most r ecent Irish BIM sur ve y wh ich could be sour ced, un dertaken by Th e Ro yal In stitute of th e Ar chitects of Ir elan d (RI AI) in 2011, sh owed th at adoption in Ir elan d wa s at 16% [4]. Alth ough th is figur e is likely to h a ve in cr eased in r ecen t year s, an ecdotal eviden ce would suggest that adoption levels in gen eral ar e still some wa y o ff th at bein g exper ien ced with in th e UK mainlan d
Con str uction procur ement policy in Nor th ern Ir eland (NI) is a devolved matter That said, th e NI BIM policy broadly align s with th e ter ms of th e UK 2016 man date. It could be argued that NI is exper ien cing similar levels o f adoption to that of th e Repu blic o f Ir elan d Alth ough a study, albeit small scale, un dertaken b y Eadie et al [5] demon strated a gr owin g a war en ess that BIM will ha ve a major impact on th e con str uction sect or, adoption levels across th e coun tr y a s a wh ole would appear to be r elativel y lo w Howe ver, th ose fir ms in volved in th e design an d deliver y of cen tra l gover nmen t projects have r ealised th at BIM wor king processes ar e r equired and ha ve un der taken th e n ecessar y investment in trainin g, soft wa r e an d hardwar e to up
skill accordingly In deed man y ar e n ow r eaping th e ben efits of such in vestment through successful ten der s at a UK wide level.
Th e officia l n otification from th e Cen tral Procur ement Dir ector ate (CPD) in North ern Ir eland, issued in Januar y 2015, outlining that fr om 1st April 2016 all Centres of Procur ement Expertise (CoPE) cen trally procur ed constr uction projects above th e European Un ion (EU) thr esh old (curr en tly £4 35 million ) sh ould be deliver ed to BIM Level 2 ( wh er e th er e is potential for efficien c y sa vin gs) [6], h as also acceler ated change and ch allenged th ose in volved, or wan ting to be consider ed for such projects, to become competen t in BIM pr ocesses.
Th e sma ll population of NI, sligh tly over 1.8 million [7], and th e r ural makeup mean s that th e major ity of con struction r elated fir ms would be consider ed to be r elativel y small scale. In deed , a r ecen t Nor th ern Ir elan d Con str uction Bulletin publish ed b y th e Depar tmen t of Fin an ce an d Per sonn el [8], would suggest th at th e major ity would fall un der th e European Commission definition of a Micr o Enterpr ise, in ter ms of turn over [ 9] An ecdotal eviden ce would suggest that most ar e un likely to adopt BIM processes an d make th e associated investment unless th er e is a clien t deman d or th ey can see th e poten tial ben efits for th eir organisation This ech oes th e fin dings of a 2012 sur ve y un dertaken by th e Nationa l Federation of Builder s, wh ich stated that less th an 3% of SME con tractor s partakin g in th e sur vey un der stood "th e levels o f BIM" an d had "activel y con sider ed th e implication s for th eir pr oject s" [10] However, it sh ould also be poin ted out th at th e smaller organ isationa l size an d in tense competition for wor k th at exists between construction compan ies in NI mean s that fir ms ar e in a unique position to move quickl y in ter ms of up skillin g and th us lead the wa y in ter ms of BIM implemen tation.
A similar situation exists in th e Republic of Ir eland wh ich has a h igh er p opulation of just over 4.6 million [11] Irish fir ms involved in deliver in g pr ojects through out th e UK r ecogn ise that BIM competen ce is essen tial. Ho wever, th e lack of government man date in th e Repu blic of Ir elan d mean s that oth er s ar e delayin g th eir BIM implemen tation plan s and th er e is a view th at this is h oldin g back mor e widespr ead adoption [12] All th is despite For fas, th e for mer “policy ad visor y boar d for enterpr ise, trade, scien ce, techn olog y a n d inn ovation ” outlin ing th e key role of BIM in th e construction sector moving for war d [ 13].
Th er e is some excellen t wor k bein g un dertaken in Ir elan d to initiate debate an d discussion and gen er ally pr omote BIM. Th is has been main ly dr iven by th e Con str uction IT Allian ce (CITA) in th e Repu blic of Ir elan d and th e NI BIM Region Steer in g Group in Nor th ern Ir eland, ably suppor ted by th e leadin g BIM adopter s in th e constr uction sector.
Alon g with th is, in dividuals with in both fur th er an d high er education institution s ar e also at th e for efron t of BIM promotion , embeddin g BIM pr ocesses with in th eir programmes of stud y at both un dergr aduate an d postgraduate level. Within th e Ir ish sector th er e ha ve been some publication s providing r eal wor ld examples of BIM implemen ta tion and associat ed wor kin g practices [14], but th ese ar e few an d far between . In gen er al, th er e is a lack of pr oject in for mation outlinin g th e collabor ative pr oject workflow, in dividual roles with in th e BIM process an d issues en coun ter ed on specific projects fr om which learn ing can take place.
Thus, with an over all lack of kn owledge a nd promotion alread y outlin ed, it is impor tant that r egion al examples ar e r eadily available wh ich demonstrate BIM g ood pr actice an d poten tially en cour age oth er s to gain an appr eciation of th e ben efits and wor kin g processes of BIM.
This paper will aim to par tly fill th e kn owledge gap by providin g a detailed analysis of th e exper ien ces o f th e Nor th er n Ir elan d BIM Region tea m wh o par ticipated in th e Build Newcastle Li ve competition, exper ien cin g man y of th e challenges th ose in in dustr y will face in th eir BIM journ ey Th e paper will provide a detailed analysis of th e process, outlin e th e cha llenges th e team faced an d will con clude b y h ighlighting th e lesson s learnt fr om th e implemen tation of BIM processes on th is project.
Th e Nor th ern Ir eland BIM Region is on e of twel ve hubs tha t wer e establish ed by th e UK Constr uction In dustr y Coun cil with th e follo win g aim, “…to h elp en sur e that th e most up-to-date an d con sisten t in for mation on th e UK Governmen t Level 2 BIM programme wa s disseminated across th e UK an d allowin g for a local feedback mech anism to th e Governmen t BIM Task Group at a gr ass roots level” [15] Recen tly, th e good wor k bein g un dertaken in th e Rep ublic of Ir elan d was ackn owled ged with a n umber of additional r egion s a warded h on or ar y member ship.
Th e NI BIM Regi on Steerin g Group compr ises a ser ies of in dividuals r epr esen tin g a broad cr oss section of th e local constr uction supply ch ain It in cludes NI cen tral govern ment con struction procur emen t policy r epr esen tatives, ar ch itectural pr actices, quan tity sur ve yor s, civil an d str uctural engin eer ing r epr esentatives, mech anical and electrical en gin eer s, con str uction comp anies, specialist sub-con tractor s, high er education lectur er s an d train in g provider s, th e Con str uction In dustr y Group and th e Con str uction E mplo yer s Feder ation [16]
Th e steerin g group was initiated in August 2013 an d has met on mor e than a dozen occasion s to date. Member s ha ve contributed to var ious
professi on al and trade CPD even ts, deliver ed major kn owled ge dissemination even ts, spon sor ed oth er commer cial train in g events and con tributed to th e dr aftin g of a NI Cen tral Government BIM Procur ement Guidan ce Note ( PGN) for NI Govern men t Departments an d CoPES. Th e NI BIM Hu b also has a str on g social media pr esen ce, with well over 400 LinkedIn member s and close to 6 00 follo wer s on Twitter Th e steer ing group utilise th ese social media outlets to communicate with member s on BIM an d associated issues of local impor tan ce.
It was decid ed th at par ticipation in th e Build Ear th Live even t would be a positive collective exper ien ce to lear n mor e about th e use of Common Data Envir onmen ts an d to gen erally devel op BIM Level 2 implementation skills with in a safe envir onmen t. In accordan ce with th e aims of th e Region , th e lesson s learnt could be disseminated back to in ter ested parties for th e pr omotion of BIM implemen tation with NI un der th e BIM for commun ities‟ ch arter wh ich th e con tributin g parties to th is paper have committed to as par t of th e NI BIM Region Steer in g Group community [17]
Th e NI BIM Region an d Associates tea m took part inth e 48 -h our Build Newca stle Live (BNL) design collabor ation even t wh ich took place bet ween 12 n oon on 16th Mar ch 2015 and 12 n oon on 18th Mar ch 2015 Newcastle was on e of th e location s selected as par t of th e wor ldwide Build Earth Live ser ies of even ts [18] Th e for mat wa s broadly similar to that of th e BIMSt or m even ts [19], with th e aim of promotin g and developin g collabor ative wor kin g pr actices with in a r estricted t imescale Th e timin g wa s n ot ideal as it ran over a n ation al h olida y in Nor th ern Ir elan d wh ich impacted on th e team for mation as a n umber of p oten tial tea m member s wer e un able to participate. Each of th e six teams participating in th e competition wer e tasked with designin g a mixed -use developmen t capable o f inspir ing and nur tur ing en gin eer ing inn ovation in a r egen eration ar ea of Newca stle located alon g th e qua yside. Material r equired to be submitted via th e Common Data En vir onment ( CDE) at th e end of th e 48 h ours in cluded; co-ordin ated IFC files, feder ated BIM model, pr esen tation images, technical assessmen t and a sh or t movie (th is wa s optional)
a) The Team
Th e cor e NI BIM Regi on group located in Nor th ern Ir eland compr ised of th r ee Ar chitectural Techn ologists (Eóin O‟ Shea , Sean McNiff an d David Comiskey), a Quantity Sur ve yor (Mar k McKan e), an MEP Con sultin g En gin eer (Joh n Hugh es) an d two Str uctural Con sultan ts (La ur a La mont and Sh er vin Yousefz adeh ). Two of th e NI
BIM Regi on tea m member s wer e also academics at Ulster Un iver sit y Two r emote associates, a Lan dscape Ar chitect based in Oxfor d (Clair e Thir lwall) an d an Ar chitect based in Sheffield (Ah med Loua y) also par ticipated and completed th e tea m Whilst th e NI BIM Region tea m member s h ad a profession al a ssociation with each oth er, th e two associates wer e un kn own to each oth er. Th e associates wer e pair ed with NI BIM Region tea m a s part of th e even t orga n ise r ‟s pr e-competition processes, as man y competit or s h ad sign ed up as in divid uals. Five of th e team wer e in a position to commit to th e full 48 h our design competition per iod wh ilst th e oth er team member s con tributed as an d wh en th ey could aroun d oth er wor k commitmen ts
In advan ce of th e for mal 48-h our competition per iod, all teams had access to a walkthrough of a poin t cloud sur ve y in th e gen er al ar ea of th e site. Fr om th is sur ve y, th e tea m was able to ascer tain th e gen er al location (kn own as Spillers Qua y) an d obtain in for mation on lin e r egar din g Ne wca stl e‟s Lower Ouseburn r egen er ation plan in wh ich Spillers Qua y was situa ted Alth ough th e specific site could n ot be ascertain ed in advan ce, based on th e r egen eration plan, th e tea m pr edicted th at th e competition br ief would call for a mixed -use develop men t an d make some assu mp tion s and pre-emptive plann ing accordin gly
Pr epar ation for th e event involved a tea m br iefin g at wh ich co-location strateg y, progra mmes, scopin g con sider ations, deliver ables, in fr astructur e r equir ements an d soft war e to be used was discussed Th er e was also some in itial tr ain ing on th e use of th e CDE, to be used dur in g th e dur ation of th e competi tion .
A pre-con tract BIM Execution Plan (BEP) was devised to loosel y structur e th e team roles in advan ce o f th e br ief a lon g with th e develop men t of some template documen ts wh ich, it wa s h oped, would save time dur in g th e competition itself
Th e pre-r elease in for mation allowed th e lan dscape ar ch itect to develop backgroun d analysis on th e site an d make basic assumption s r egarding th e design. It also allowed for th e devel op ment of a n ear ly mass model to assess con ceptual for ms, access issues and impact of an y developmen t on th e existin g en vir onment.
Upon r elease of the br ief at th e start of th e 48h our design period, it became appar en t that th e pr edicted site loca tion wa s immediately adjacen t to th e actual site location which validated much of th e pre-emptive wor k an d allowed th e existin g con ceptual ma ss model to be quickl y r elocated an d assessed in its n ew sitin g Th e br ief wa s assessed an d discussed with in th e cor e group based at Ulster
Un iver sity a n d a con ceptual d efinition of th e design wa s mapped out on a wh iteboar d and captur ed by ca mera an d shar ed with th e wider team
On ce th e con ceptual design wa s agr eed, th e existin g ma ss model, wh ich had been prepar ed prior to th e competition, wa s amen ded to facilitate th e for m an d spaces identified in th e design defin ition. On ce th e mass model h ad been updated, it was th en publish ed to th e r est of th e team for develop men t of th e con sulting models an d ear ly cost a nd en er gy analyses.
in corpor ated into th e MEP model . Clash detection wa s run a gainst th e str uctural volume to en sur e th e routes wer e viable.
Basic sketch es of design con cepts for each floor an d th e groun d level la yout wer e also develop ed to communicate design in ten t to th e associates wh o wer e wor kin g r emotel y an d developin g th e landsca pin g design s an d un dergr ound car parking models. A secon dar y ma ss model wa s also gen er ated r emotely usin g Onuma soft war e for an alysis of th e site and analysis of h ow th e sch eme integr ated with th e surroun din g ar ea an d th e wider city con text.
Th e ma ss model wa s expor ted in an in teroper able file for mat, Gr een Building XML Sch ema (gbXML) file, to be impor ted in to separate en ergy ana lysis soft war e. Th e en ergy an alysis mod el wa s develop ed in par allel with th e ar ch itectur e; this mean t that design variation s wer e tested with in th e soft war e befor e bein g in corpor ated into th e building model. This workflo w mean t that sustainability dr iven design ch oices wer e embedd ed with in th e pr oject from th e outset of th e design . Th e pr oject br ief called for a zer o carbon building, which was con fir med through th e use of d yn amic simulation modellin g (DSM) of th e mass model an d high level con ceptual design s that had been mapped out by th e tea m Th e in itial MEP design in volved h igh level strategies proposed for th e h eating and power sour ces of th e buildin g to feed into th e en ergy an alysis Utilising th e T yn e River a s a h eat sour ce through th e use of water sour ce h eat pump s and ph otovoltaic pan els to produce r en ewable electricity wer e the two major compon en ts th at for med th e ear ly MEP design
As a r esult of th e limited human r esour ce allocation for th e MEP design , an d as MEP detailed design is gen erally r eaction ar y to th e ar ch itectur al layout of spaces, it was decid ed th at th e scope o f th e MEP model sh ould focu s on maximisin g th e ben efits of BIM in th e time a llowa ble, essen tially, establish ing th e r equired MEP volumes Th e MEP consultant th er efor e focused on deter min in g th e plant an d riser space r equirements Th e large items of mechan ical an d electrical plant wer e mod elled an d shar ed with th e team for coordin ation Th e main ser vice distribution routes wer e sh ar ed with th e ar chitect ural design tea m for viability an d th en
An extensive per iod of mod ellin g and analysis th en occurr ed in wh ich ea ch disciplin e wor ked in depen den tly to d evelop th eir con ten t. Alth ough th is wa s don e on an individual disciplin e basis, th e tea m con stan tly linked to each othe r ‟s con ten t, wh ich had been uploaded to th e CDE, for r efer en ce Wh er e on e disciplin e design clash ed with or inh ibited an oth er , solution s wer e quickly discussed, agr eed an d disseminated. Th e fin al models wer e feder ated and expor ted to Lumion wh er e ar chitectural visua lization con ten t was added and high quality r en der s develop ed
In th e last morn in g of th e competition , all team member s collabor ated to output var ious r epor ts, images and oth er con tent fr om th eir competition activity th at wa s con solidated an d shaped into th e deliver able documen tation r equired by th e competi tion brief
A for ma l pr esentation to a team of in dustr y professi on als took place 48 h our s a fter th e completion of th e project. Th is gave th e judges a timeframe in which to view an d an alyse th e submission s fr om each of th e tea ms A number of a wards wer e pr esen ted an d th e NI BIM Region an d Associates tea m wer e a warded th e prize for “Best Use o f BIM for Design Dra ma an d Excitement”. As well as par ticipatin g in th e
competition, a key par t of th e process was to learn fr om th e experien ce and pr esen t ana lysis th at could be useful to oth er s with in th e in dustr y Th e r emainder of th e paper will pr esent an alysis of th e tea m approach, outlin e th e challenges an d pr esent th e lesson s lear nt fr om th e process
deliver ables of th e competition which would ha ve been sign ificantly ea sier to ach ieve had mor e matur e EIR an d BEP document s been available a nd a dedicated per son r esponsible for mana ging adh er en ce to sa me Con sequently, th e role of monitor ing of project management and in ter -per son al tea m communication wa s effectivel y diluted across all of the team member s In addition to th e pr e-competition BEP, sever al temp late documen ts had also been devel oped by th e tea m for th e purposes o f d evel opin g th e submission documen tation quickly
As th e team wer e n ot a war e of th e deliver ables in advan ce, an d th e competition r an over a nation al h olida y, it wa s n ot possible to assemble th e full complement of p er sonn el th at would have been desir ed It was felt th at th e a vailability o f p er sonn el fr om a con tractor backgroun d, or oth er explicitly qualified pr oject management per sonn el, would ha ve aided immen sel y with th e managemen t of th e project an d its deliverables as th e tea m was mor e h ea vil y design or ien tated than con str uction focused
As such , managemen t of th e competition deliver ables in such a tigh t timefra me wa s a ch allenge given th e low number s involved an d th e absen ce of dedicated per sonn el to act in a managemen t capacity. Wh ilst each tea m member had th eir own competen cies as leader s with in th eir own disciplin e and in leadin g th e design , n o team member h ad outright pr oject management exper ien ce
Fur th er mor e, th e competition br ief (on r elease) lacked a defin itive E mp l oyer‟s I n for mation
Requir emen ts (EIR) documen t on which to str uctur e a BIM Execution Plan an d subsequen t clear wor kflow It wa s decided th at with in such a small tea m structur e, interpr eting an EIR fr om th e br ief an d accordingly r edefin in g th e existin g pr e-con tract BEP would h ave been too exha ustive on available r esour ces, especiall y with in th e tight timescale. Instead, th e BEP wa s simply updated to r eflect th e pr oject site in for mation
Th e decision to con tinue with in th e loose str uctur e of th e or iginal BEP was justified in ter ms of deliver in g th e project mod els on time within th e small team. However , th er e wer e certain
A ke y a spect d ur in g design d evelop men t wa s th e ear ly en gagemen t of th e cost -plann er and th e MEP an d structural con sultin g engin eer s for analysis purposes. Utilisin g th e same mass model as a common con text, this allowed for var ious an alyses to be con ducted alon gside th e design /modellin g activities, an d at stages actually lead th e design process.
In par ticular , as th e br ief called for a zer o carbon design, con stant feedba ck fr om th e consultant in th e con den sed pr oject per iod of th e competition was hugely successful. As th e MEP consultant wa s utilisin g th e sa me ma ss model in IESVE analysis soft war e and Revit MEP auth or in g soft ware, h e wa s able to clear ly communicate wh ich zon es r equir ed bespoke design featur es, such as exten sive glazin g or natur al ven tilation, as th e Ar chitectural T echn ologist was mod ellin g th e buildin g, th us in for ming th e buildin g design process
Similarly, live an alysis of th e developin g model in ter ms of cost plann ing wa s a huge success allowin g for quantities to be obtain ed quickly in Causewa y BIM measur e for pr icin g p urposes an d th e r esultant costs to be communicated back to th e design team accordin gly to fact or in as th ey completed th e design
Usin g th e ma ss model d evel op ed dur ing con ceptual design, th e str uctural engin eer wa s able to expor t th is spatial in for mation for ana lysis in SCI A softwar e, and gen er ate a quick str uctural solution ear ly in th e design process usin g Revit. As th e design process d evelop ed, th e ar chitectural an d str uctur al models wer e mutually co- ordinated to suit th e aesth etical r equir emen ts of th e for mer and th e str uctur al per for man ce r equiremen ts of th e latter .
Th e landscape ar ch itect ( wor kin g r emotel y) wa s also able to utilise th e mass model a lon g with th e in itial con cept sketch es to devel op a con ceptua l design for th e site an d shar e it via the CDE for team agr eemen t. As th e ar ch itectur al design develop ed , wh ich was fed by th e devel opin g con sultant in for mation an d models, it was con tinuousl y updated an d uploaded to th e CDE to in for m th e
lan dscape ar ch itect of th e location s of op en in gs etc. to co- ordin ate th e fin ish ed external lan dscape model , develop ed in AutoCAD, with sa me.
On e of th e ke y lear n in g outcomes for th e tea m was an alysin g h ow well th e var ious softwar e platfor ms bein g used would commun icate with each oth er with in th e tigh t deadlin e. Th e soft war e platfor ms used in cluded th e On uma syst em for initial site an alysis and integr ation , Revit (Ar chitectur al, Structur al, MEP an d Construction) , AutoCAD, Ar chiCAD, IESVE Softwar e (M&E) , SCI A (Structur al analysis) an d Ca usewa y BIM Measur e (Cost Plann ing)
Ke y in for mation exch anges wer e bet ween : Revit to IESVE for MEP analysis; Revit to DWF to Causewa y BIM mea sur e for cost plann ing; Revit to SCI A for str uctur al analysis; Revit mass model to IFC to Ar ch icad for devel op men t of th e un derground car-par k model; Revit ma ss mod el to IFC to AutoCAD for developmen t of th e Lan dscape mod el. All in dividual models wer e conver ted to IFC upon completion to be feder ated onlin e with in th e supplied CDE for submission purposes. As all of th e in divid ual models h ad been develop ed from th e sa me sour ce mass model devel oped dur ing con ceptual design , th er e wa s n o issue with th e coordin ation of th e models wh en feder ated in IFC for mat. As th e lan dscape mod el h ad been devel op ed in two-dimen siona l for m using AutoCAD (due to time con straints), it could n ot be feder ated with th e oth er IFC models Ho wever, it did successfull y coordin ate with th e oth er models wh en all wer e feder ated/lin ked with in th e Revit Ar chitectur al model.
Given th e small tea m size an d sh or t timefra me, th e in divid ual models gen er ated r ar ely ad van ced beyon d simple con ceptual gra phical conten t in ter ms of d esign in for mation As such, th er e was little opp or tunity to inp ut an d subsequen tly assess th e in teroper ability of in for mation populated with in th e models an d associated par ameter s across th e var ious soft war e platfor ms
Th e availability ear l y on of a poin t cloud an d IFC model of th e site b y th e competition o rga n ise r ‟s en sur ed for a common interoper able r efer en ce across each model a uth or and disciplin e r egardless of th e soft war e packa ge used
Some elemen ts of th e collabor ative wor kflo w as plann ed in th e pr e-competition BEP did n ot wor k an d provided some challenges to in teroper ability accordingly Wor k-sh ar ing was on e strategy for th e develop men t of th e lead model , in this case th e ar chitectural model, but th is did n ot wor k as plann ed due to techn ical complication s in mapping each user to th e shar ed drive in th e h ost location For tunatel y,
th e team was able to wor k aroun d man y issues such as th is wh ich arose dur ing th e pr oject.
Wor king with n ew people in such a sh ort competition time per iod r equired th e successful utilisation of effi cien t commun ication r esour ces. Th e cor e NI BIM Region group within th e competition team had pr eviousl y arr anged to collabor ate togeth er on th e pr oject in a shar ed location at Ulster Un iver sity. Th e r eason ing for th is wa s to maximise r esour ces an d shar ed learn ing, an d minimise an y poten tial commun ication issues. Ho we ver , at times member s of th e cor e group did wor k r emotel y a n d th e two asso ciate member s of th e tea m r elied entir ely on communication platfor ms to collabor ate with th e r est of th e team.
As pr eviousl y outlin ed, th e team had been granted access to th e CDE to be used in th e competition. Ho wever , alth ough some basic trainin g wa s provided in ad van ce, th e participants did n ot have su fficien t time to full y master th e platfor m befor e th e competition commen ced Conseq uentially, wh ilst th e CDE specified for th e competition had its own h osted processes for project commun ication , n o member of th e team had exten sive pr ior kn owledge of th e platfor m an d th us th is wa s n ot a faculty th at was uti lised effectivel y Commun ica tion bet ween th e cor e team, op er atin g at Ulster Un iver sity, a n d th e member s wor kin g r emotel y gen erally involved exten sive u se of email alon g with Skyp e vid eo an d instant messaging Email is all too oft en utilised as th e main commun ication tool in con str uction projects, but it is on ly wh en its use is analysed in a project such as th is that its limitation s and in efficien cies ar e highligh ted In a sh or t per iod of time, due to th e fr enz y of activit y associa ted with th e tight competi tion time-frame, multiple emails had in un dated each team me mbe r ‟s in boxes, wh ich led to communication un cer tainty an d indeed br eakdown at cer tain times.
In con trast, th e use of T wi tter through out th e competition, both with in an d between th e teams an d even t or gan izers, sh owcased h ow social media can feed con struction processes with vivid, con cise an d easil y accessed in for mation. Th e potential of social media " in th e pr ocess of building design and op eration " h as also been discussed b y oth er s elsewh er e [20].
In order to assist with r eflection on th e project as a whole, a self-a ssessmen t questionnair e was develop ed to r ecor d th e views of each of th e tea m member s. Th e questionnair e r espon ses in dicated that
tea m member s enhan ced th eir un der standin g of BIM through enga gemen t in th e competition
V RE C O M ME ND ATIONSWh ilst shar in g of th e „P ro je ct Delive ry‟ an d „Infor matio n Mana g er ‟ roles wor ked ver y well in th e spirit of th e competition, wh er e team member s wor ked in close proximity, i t ‟s ea sy to in fer h ow th is could lead to communication issues an d clar ity on pr ojects gen erally Dilution of such a key role can lead to th e adage of „ The Stor y of E ver ybod y, Somebod y, An ybod y a n d Nobod y ‟ th us Project an d In for ma tion Mana ger Rol es sh ould be clear ly defin ed in BIM pr ojects
Alth ough th e BNL approach would have un doubtedl y ben efitted fr om a dedicated pr oject manager role, a key learnin g outcome o f th e competition has been th e sh ar ed insight gain ed fr om wor kin g in close proximit y, an d un der standin g of th e in divid ual an d collective wor kflo ws wh ich allowed deliver y of a fed er ated design with in 48 h our s Thus, wh ilst n o team member h ad sufficien t outr ight pr oject exper ien ce goin g into th e competition to full y lead th e team approach , th e exper ien ce gain ed durin g th e competition left all member s that bit mor e con fiden t at managin g Buildin g In for mation
Mod ellin g goin g for ward Th e risk fr ee en vir onment of BIM competition s is th er efor e invaluable pr actice fodder for in for mation mana gemen t experien ce
Pre-pr epar ed templates an d tools ar e in valuable for efficien t project d eliver y. Wh ilst it was esp ecially useful to h a ve pr e-pr epar ed template documen ts ah ead of th e con densed competition period, th e pr in ciple applies to wider pr oject use also. Time is mon ey an d th e ability to quickl y produce and output in for mation with in a pr oject usin g pr e-pr epar ed con tent allows for mor e efficien t workflows
In ferrin g th is wider onto th e a dvan cement of BIM in th e in dustr y, as clien ts bec ome mor e BIG Data savvy, a n d consequen tly ten d er pr ices become e ven tighter and mor e competitive, oper atives with in th e in dustr y n eed to look at oth er mean s as to h ow th e y achieve profit. Streamlin ing and developin g lean in terna l processes with in or ganiza tion s allows for in dustr y supplier s to BIM pr ojects to save mon e y through th eir internal oper ation s wh ich will allow th em to become mor e competitive on pr ice in th eir external oper ations
As th e con str uction in dustr y strives to deliver better per for min g a ssets, especiall y for op er ation al costs, th e collabor ative d esign and analysis approach emplo yed in th e competition h igh ligh ts a mor e efficien t wa y of wor kin g an d demon strates th e
advan tages of m or e collabor ative workin g and ear ly engagemen t of con sultan ts In par ticular, th e exper ien ce of th e comp etition ha s h igh ligh ted th e ben efits of wor kin g n ot just collabor ativel y but „l ive co lla borati on ‟
In a traditional design project, th e ar chitectural design would gen erally be comp leted fir st an d th en r eleased to th e consultants to feedback r ecommen dations. Th is in evitabl y leads to time-con suming and costl y design alteration s un til it is capable of ach ievin g th e r equired per for man ce for MEP, is structurally ach ieva ble an d meets th e pr oject budget. As such, pr ojects with high per for man ce targets could ben efit gr eatly fr om a per iod of live d esign wh er e-by ke y con sultant per sonn el e g MEP if a h igh en er gy per for man ce is specified; str uctural if utilising existin g building etc., wor k in tandem with th e lead design er and cost plann er to defin e th e project design [dur in g th e Defin ition ph ase of th e In for mation Deliver y C ycle as iden tified in PAS: 1192-2] As well as en surin g efficien t design, th is process would allow th e cost plann er to mon itor th e over all design thus allowin g cost per for man ce in sigh t to in for m th e design process ear l y an d r educe oth er wise costl y re-modellin g to value-engin eer a pr oject design do wn to budget. In man y tr adition al projects th at have been design ed over budget, h igh-cost design elemen ts ar e often sacr ificed for sh ort -ter m gain Ho we ver, such decision s can ultimatel y lead to high er long-ter m costs, wh er e for exa mple, th e durability of th e h igh er-cost design elemen ts ma y preven t th e n eed for expensive an d disr uptive r eplacemen t of ch eaper mater ials in futur e.
Reflection of th e BNL approach would suggest th at a „live co llaborati o n‟ p er iod could be appr opr iate for pr ojects with high per for man ce targets This could be ach ieved through intr oduction of a Charr ette per iod to th e project workflo w wh er e ke y per sonn el wor k on th e project at th e same time in close con tact and effectivel y upload con ten t to th e Shar ed ar ea of th e CDE in q uicker fr equen cy than would gen erally occur in th e pr oject, outside of th is live per iod Alter natively, a n agr eement could be made allowin g each par ty to lin k each othe r ‟s WIP con tent for a sh or t per iod to facilitate mor e r apid an d efficien t design devel op men t. This per iod could be defin ed an d committed to by th e r elevant par ties with in th e BEP wh ich would for m par t of th e over all pr oject con tractual documen tation.
As a sh ar ed r esour ce, th e ma ss mod el proved to be a valuable aid to interoper ability an d over all design clarity across th e devel op ment of th e various design an d consultant models and soft war e platfor ms Th e ability to assess an d an alyse th e con ceptua l design as simple spaces with out an y additional clutter
ver ified th e a ge old adage that „less is mor e‟ This wa s especially impor tan t in simp lifyin g th e extraction of spatial infor mation for ear ly develop men t of th e MEP analysi s an d subsequen t zer o-carbon per for man ce in sight to feed both th e MEP and over all pr oject design
Access to th e IFC site model and a poin t cloud by th e site orga n ise r ‟s , as par t of th e br ief, wa s a h ugel y ben eficial a sset. Alth ough r efer en ce co-ordin ates, or igin s an d or ien tation s can be a gr eed an d r ecorded in th e BEP for all project per sonn el to adh er e to, a visual model for con text adds fur th er clarity Wh er e possible in pr ojects, it would be r ecommen ded that employer s, or th e e mp lo ye r ‟s r epresentatives, follow a similar approach an d r equest a site poin t cloud from biddin g supplier s with in th eir EIR Th is would be d eliver ed/develop ed by th e lead design er d urin g th e br ief/con cept stages, depen din g on wh eth er a site is kn own at project star t, an d would iden tify th e same r efer en ce or igin s an d or ien tation s as per th e BEP This poin t cloud would then ser ve as th e basis for all subsequen t design models upon wh ich each discipline would develop th eir own in dividual model. Th e ability to visually appr aise each design model again st th e site con text would also h elp each model auth or to identify clear er site constraints an d h ea lth an d sa fet y implication s a s th eir design progr esses, especially in tight urban sites
Th er e was in su fficien t time and r esour ces t o in put an d assess th e in teroper ability of populated in telligen ce and h igh ly d eta iled (LOD) graphical con tent with in th e models across th e various platfor ms Th e suitability of IFC for mat for consisten cy o f design in for mation is be yon d th e scope of th is paper, h owever, th e consisten cy o f th e graphical output that was produced dur ing th e competition did n ot appear to su ffer between each soft war e package usin g th e IFC 2x3 exch ange for mat.
Th e technical challenges faced dur ing th e competition process demonstr ate th e impor tan ce of th e Suppl y Cha in IT assessmen ts carried out to develop th e pr e-con tract BEP. A th orough review o f th e IT r esour ces available to each disciplin e and model con tributor will mor e efficien tly allo w for develop men t of a common gr oun d IT solution for a CDE an d also h elp iden tify a nd subseq uen tl y alleviate an y in teroper ability barrier s to same. Conseq uently, th is demon strates th e n eed for organ isation s with out dedicated IT per sonn el to upskill an d br idge th e IT /Con struction gap that BIM can poten tially intr oduce.
Such problem solvin g techniq ues wor ked largely in this project because th e team member s wer e comfor table with techn olog y an d had a decen t level of BIM exp er ien ce with in th eir own organ isation s. Ho wever, th er e could be sign ificant implication s accr ued if model auth or s in oth er
situation s wer e n ot as comfor table with th e soft war e. This h ighlights th e n eed to „fail -sa fe ‟ futur e projects an d put in place alternative plan s for collabor ation wh er e th e desir ed plan fails This also demonstrates a fun da mental r equir ement for pr oject tea ms to up skill collectivel y an d a wa y fr om th e „BIM Pe rs on ‟ approach which is consisten t at pr esen t in th e „early a dopte r ‟ ph ase of BI M implemen tation
Th e pr oject h ighligh ted that a clear and compr eh en sive commun icat ion strateg y is ver y impor tant. Due to time constraints an d lack of per sonn el to devel op a mor e effective strateg y, tea m member s had to r esor t to comfor table mea n s of commun ication This ultimately led to a r elian ce on email commun ication which was n ot mapped to activity In ferr ed on to th e wider industr y, th is highligh ts th e n eed for an effective a n d clear collective commun icat ion strategy fo r all on construction projects oth er wise in divid ual project member s will easil y slip back in to kn own pr actices in order to get their job don e Had th er e been mor e time an d exper tise available, th e hin dsight solution to th e competition would have been th e develop men t an d project wide publication of a tea m user guide for th e CDE which , in tan dem with an d/or in cor por ated into, th e BEP, clear ly sh owed user s h ow an d wh en to upload con tent, access con tent an d commen t gen er ally with in th e CDE This would h ave allowed commun ication to be mapped to th e r elevant project con tent an d mor e efficien tly processed. As Common Data Envir onmen t provider s an d syst ems ma y ch an ge fr om project to pr oject, this h ighlights th e impor tan ce of th e Suppl y Cha in Assessmen t process in un der stan din g th e level of IT comfor t across th e proposed pr oject team and shapin g an agr eed Process for Collabor ation an d In for mation Man agement with in th e subsequen t BEP This also highligh ts th e n eed for th e in dustr y to both gain for mal trainin g an d self-exper imen tation in usin g Common Data En vir onments and un der stan d h ow th ey wor k gen er ally a n d h ow th e y ca n be tailor ed for specific project n eeds
Alth ough BIM allows for mor e a dvan ced mean s of communication through shar ed 3D visualisation s an d better structur in g of data , th e clarity gain ed through face-to-face con tact cann ot be over looked In a pr oject wi th mor e ser ious r eper cussion s an d wh er e a clear audit trail is cr ucial, th e BEP and MIDP ar e essen tial documen ts to commun icate wor kflow roles an d r esponsibilities. With th e limited r esour ces in th e BNL competition, th ese documen ts wer e n ot full y defin ed and th e commun ication strateg y wa s n ot ideal h owe ver , th ose in volved wer e a war e of th is potential
sh ort-comin g in advan ce of th e competition an d th e decision to, for th e most part, wor k with in th e same shar ed location was an in valuable decisi on . Wor kin g ph ysicall y beside each oth er an d communicatin g design inten t and interoper ability issues face-to-face has given th e tea m a better under stan ding of each oth er ‟s n eeds a s mod el auth or s and interpr eter s Wh ilst this is n ot alwa ys ach ievable with in a r eal pr oject team d ue to geogr aph ical constraints, th er e is gr owin g impor tan ce for th e industr y to commun icate mor e fr equently to en h ance un der stan ding an d implemen tation of BIM. This is an especiall y impor tant lesson for th e NI BIM Region an d in dustr y bodies in gen er al to dissemin ate an d facilitate through even ts as th ey con tin ue to foster a collabor ative cultur e with in th e r egion
As pr eviousl y outlin ed, social media played a h uge part in th e project Bein g able to follo w th e competition and oth er tea m‟s progr ess on Twitter proved to be both a competitive dr iver and a mor ale booster As th e wider in dustry slo wl y gets to gr ip s with BIM and h ow it sh ould be objectivel y defin ed an d measur ed, th e value of a wider communit y discussion an d shar ed in for mation r esour ce is mor e per tin ent than ever Constr uction is traditionally ver y closed in natur e with ver y little cross-collabor ation . Open in g th e in dustr y to social media is h elpin g dispel much of th ese barr ier s
Th e Govern ment Con str uction Strateg y [21] publish ed in 2011 wh ich is driving Level 2 BIM implemen tation in th e UK is based on r eflect ion of th e failur es (or missed oppor tun ities) in th e industr y an d a logical legislative successor followin g on fr om th e Latha m [22] an d Egan [23 ] r epor ts BIM processes provide us with th e fra mewor k on which we ca n better measur e and under stan d constr uction .
As such, it was important for th e tea m to audit in divid ual and collective p er for man ce on th e BNL competition for self-lear nin g purposes an d for th e purposes of dissemin atin g best-pr actice in for mation as per th e teams r emit a s a BIM Region. Th is ha s proven to be a valuable process a n d in documen tin g th e competition process an d an alysis of sa me h as h elped th e key r ecommen dation s in this paper.
A n otewor th y poin t fr om th is self-r eflection wa s th at th e competition was a safe en vir onment to engage with BIM, and all member s un dertook th e competition on this basis kn owin g th er e wer e n o possi ble „ rea l life‟ pen alties. Th e Build Earth Live approach is a good mod el to follo w for th ose wan ting to devel op th eir competen cies in BIM processes as th e curr en t wider industr y cultur e does n ot gen er ally en cour age collabor ation with in disciplin es with out some inh er ent r i sk Er adicatin g th e con tractual an d design risk through a dumm y pr oject r emoves fear factor s and inhibitor s to
collabor ation Access to si milar ly str uctur ed competition s, events an d education cour ses would th er efor e be r ecommen ded as a catalyst through wh ich better collabor ation skills can be cultivated across th e industr y
Th e pr oject over all has been a fantastic t est groun d for BIM explor ation. On e importan t con clusion to take a wa y fr om th e competition is th at th e in dustr y sh ould focus on th e process an d n ot th e techn olog y Given th e small tea m n umber s an d time con strain ts, a full Level 2 BIM design , in cludin g populated model s an d COBie, was not feasi ble to d eliver with in th e competition period Each member wen t in to th e competition with an air of exper imentation an d self/team discover y a n d n ot n ecessar ily to deliver a BIM pr oject to th e n th degr ee Th e main goal of th e competition was to learn mor e about BIM implementation an d man agemen t, n ot to test in divid ual IT an d model ling skills. To that en d, th e competition ha s been an over wh elmin gly positive exper ien ce h ighligh ting th e ach ievemen ts wh ich can be made in a sh or t period wh en people wor k collabor ativel y. Despite some interoper ability issues, focusin g on followin g th e BIM Level 2 process as d efin ed in PAS: 1192-2, still allowed th e tea m to deliver five separ ate models th at coordinated with each oth er and produce all th e r equired competition delivera bles.
This is an impor tant message to take awa y for th ose wh o see BIM as complicated. BIM can be a con fusin g acron ym an d is a h igh ly subjective con cept with in th e industr y Ho we ver, on ce th e basic processes in volvin g collabor at ion and th e CDE ar e un der stood, th e per ceived complication s surroun din g BIM dissipate. Non eth eless, in dividuals an d tea ms will n ever fully under stan d wh at BIM is (r egardless of wh ich defin ition you subscr ibe t o) with out gettin g on with it an d exper imen ting Admittedly, it is easy to sa y th a t in th e context of th e safe envir on ment of th is project h owever, teams an d in divid uals can still sa fel y exper iment with BIM alon gside th e deliver y of tradition al projects
Th e pr oject has also highligh ted th e limitation s of wh at can be ach ieved wh er e th er e is un balan ce bet ween design an d management focus Th ese limitation s ha ve demon strated to th e pr oject team th e impor tan ce of plannin g an d enablin g managemen t r esour ces ear ly in th e process an d validated th e n eed for th e much discussed in for mation an d project deliver y manager roles proposed in PAS:1192:2 [24]
Gettin g th e cultur e r igh t for BIM is th e key ch allenge for th e wider in dustr y an d willin gn ess to shar e and collabor ate is at th e h ear t of th is issue. Havin g seen what collabor ation can ach ieve ea ch participating member can n ow build on that str on g
foun dation of collabor ative p rocesses (an d faith ) as th ey d evel op un der standin g an d implemen ta tion of wider BIM competen cies.
VII AC K N O WLE D G E ME N T S
This tea m would like to ackn owled ge Onuma for grantin g access to th eir platfor m through out th e pr oject.
RE FE R E NC E S
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[Accessed Jul y 2015]
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University of Salf ord, Salf ord, United Kingdom
E-mail: 1 m. machado@salfo rd.ac.uk 2j.underwoo d@salfo rd.ac.uk 3a.j.fleming @salfo rd.ac.uk
Abstract - Following the launch of the Govern ment Construction Strategy in 2011, the UK constructi on sector has witnesse d a signific ant increase in the awareness and adopti on of B uilding Infor mati on M odelling (B IM ). As recognised by the strategy, there are synergies between Lean Construction and B IM . B IM i mple ment ation demands changes in existing process and procedure s for design and c onstruction, representing a technolog y change but also a people and process change. Therefore, the implementation of B IM is a business decision that should be a ligned with a business strategy in ma king the organisation leaner.
This paper present s a B IM imple mentation project through a Knowl edge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Salford and Links, a design, manufact ure and fit-out SM E based in the UK. KTP is a government-f unded initiative to support businesse s improve me nts by accessing uni versities expertise. The project aims is t o i mpleme nt B IM as a catalyst for a lean transformati on, strea mlining proce ss and operations The research adopts a case study met hodol ogy on a B IM i mple mentation for Design for M anufacture and Asse mbly (DfM A) at Links through an approach of reviewing the organisational business process and workflows followed by exploring and implementing appropriate technologies that then enable the people and process transfor mation
The 30 months project is being delivered through 5 ke y stages. This paper pre sent s the findings f rom the first two stages that have been completed to date of 1. Establishing and consolidating best practice knowledge in B IM ; 2. Conducting a detailed review and analysis of the organisation’s current situati on, and the third, which is currently progressing, of 3. Developing a B IM-based collaborative strategy. The re maining stages will impleme nt a B IMbased collaborative strategy for DfM A through a pilot project before conducting a project review and evaluation.
Keywords Buildin g In for mation Modelling I mplemen tation, Lean Constr uction, Kn owledge Transfer Par tn er ship, Process I mprovement
Buildin g In for mation Modellin g (BIM) adoption an d a war en ess is gr owin g in th e UK construction sector Th e National BIM Repor t Sur vey [1] foun d that 95% of pr actition er s in th e UK ar e curr en t using or believe th at th ey will be usin g BIM with in th e n ext 5 year s Th er e h as been sign ificant in fluen ce of th e “p ush -pull” Govern ment Strategy for BIM th at will man date th e adoption of BIM in all centrally pu blic procur ed pr ojects fr om 2016, and a ‘feelin g’ of BIM bein g a n ew stan dar d
for pr oject in for mation , wh ich is tran sfor min g th e construction in dustr y lan dsca pe. In addition, th e UK construction in dustr y is r epr esented b y 99 7% of SMEs wh o ar e th er efor e vitally impor tan t in th e tran sfor mation of th e wh ole UK sector
BIM involves processes, people, techn ologies, an d tools applied to gen er ate an d manage in for mation about a building dur in g its life-cycle [2, 3] It utilises digital techn olog y to design on e or mor e accurate virtua l models that r epr esen t a buildin g befor e its con str ucti on , suppor tin g th e in ter action of th e differ en t stakeh older s aroun d th e models. Geometr y an d data to suppor t constr uction,
fabr ication , procur ement and oper ation s ar e in cluded in th e models, allowin g a better analyse s an d con tr ol compar ed to manual processe s [3]
In addition, BIM pr ojects involve h igh levels o f collabor ation bet ween player s and integr ated processes Mor eover, it deman ds changes in existin g process an d procedur es for design and con str uction [4]. BIM also r epr esents a techn olog y cha nge but also a process ch an ge [3], i.e th e r eason wh y th e application of Lean pr in ciples can ben efit a BIM implemen tation
Lean Pr in ciples ar e based on studies of th e car manufactur e Toyota, adapted over time to man ufa ctur e, constr uction and ser vices by sever al auth or s Th e cor e of lean is to deliver a pr oduct or ser vice maximizin g value (in th e customer per spective) an d min imizin g wa ste. Lean is process or iented, an d consider s th e use of tech n olog y on l y if it ser ves people an d processes. Lea n a lso offer s sets of t ools an d techn iques, h owever, Lean is n ot a set of tools, but a ph ilosoph y th at is “sh ar ed through out a value strea m” [5, 6]
Techn olog y alon e will n ot ma ke an y sign ifican t ch ange in a busin ess; th er efor e an effective BI M implemen tation strategy mu st be align ed to th e busin ess strategy, based on a r eview o f th e organ isation’s busin ess process an d workflo w, both in terna lly an d externally [4] Techn olog y sh ould fit organ isationa l in frastr uctur e and r ein for ce busin ess process. Fur th er mor e, th e emphasis sh ould be in managemen t an d organisational chan ges to suppor t th e implementation of in for mation techn olog y, and n ot th e con ver se in order for th e compan y to succeed in r ealizin g th e full ben efits of th e implemen ted in for mation techn olog y [7, 8]
Lean Con str uction and Building In for mation Mod ellin g ar e in depen dent con cepts th at can be applied on e with out the oth er, alth ough Sacks, Dave, Koskela & Owen [9] argue th at th er e ar e syn ergies bet ween th em, wh ile th e full potential for improvement in con str uction projects had been achieved b y th e adoption of both con cepts togeth er
Sack et a l. [10] argue that an y BIM implemen tation project should en sur e that th e process ch anges adopted ar e to make th e organ isationa l process lean er, stating that “BI M could be an enabler or catalyst for lean transformation”.
This paper pr esents a BIM imp lementation at Lin ks, a UK based compan y th at offer s design , manufactur e, supply and installation of quality fittin gs an d furn ish ings for student accommodation
Th e pr oject is bein g deliver ed through a Kn owledge Tr ansfer Par tn er ship (KT P) bet ween th e Un iver sity of Salfor d an d Lin ks. KT P is a program partly fun ded by Inn ovateUK with th e objective of
suppor tin g busin esses that want to in cr ement th eir per for man ce and competitiven ess with inn ovative solution s b y accessin g an d tran sferr in g th e kn owled ge an d exper tise of academia.
Th e aim of th e project is to implement BIM with in Lin ks en sur ing th e compa n y h as th e exper tise n eeded to op er ate in a BIM en vir onment and comp l y with th e BIM Level 2 man date. Links expect th at BIM will streamlin e th eir pr ocesses and oper ations; th er eb y con sequen tly in cr easin g profits Th e pr oject will en able th e tran sfor ma tion of th e or gan isation towards bein g BIM-ena bled through th e develop men t of a busin ess wid e BIM strategy, wh ich will be in itially rolled out for Design for Man ufactur e & Assembl y (DfMA) through th e proposed pr oject
Due to th e natur e of th e project, th e r esear ch adopts a case stud y meth odolog y Th e 30-mon th pr oject is compr ised of th e followin g 5 key stages an d associated objectives an d outputs:
Stage 1: Establish and consolidate best practice knowledge in BIM
State-of-th e-ar t best practice kn owledge in BIM an d for collabor ative DfMA
Stage 2: Detailed review and analysis of the organisation’ s current situation
Detailed an d validated curr en t process maps an d in for mation flows
IT syst ems, file for mats, in for mation exch anges r eview and r ecommen dation s
Stage 3: Develop BIM-based collaborative strategy
Mapped BIM-en abled processes an d practi ces
I mprovement ga in s analysis
IT systems and in for mation requir ements
Devel oped trainin g plan
Organ isation al BIM implementation stra tegy
DfMA BIM imp lemen tation str ateg y plan
Stage 4: Pilot implementation of BIM -based collaborative strategy for DfMA
Pilot implementation DfMA pr oject ident ified
IT system(s) selected , procur ed and in tegr a ted
Compon ent libr ar ies develop ed and impl emented
Tr ainin g plan implemented and rolled out
New processes an d practices embedded
Stage 5: Project review, evaluation, and di ssemination
I mplemen tation project impact assessmen t
Pr oject r eview and evaluation
Academic and in dustr y dissemin ation
Lin ks, th e case stud y compa n y, oper ates with 3 cor e ar eas: design, project management and suppor t
ser vices; manufactur in g – provided by a sister compan y based in Lithuan ia; an d th e fittin g an d installation
with teams based on sites across th e UK. This paper con cen trates on th e design ser vice an d its r elation with man ufactur in g and installation.
In 2014, in r esponse to mar ket deman ds, Links star ted offer in g full design ser vices for bedr ooms, kitch en s and common ar eas of studen t accommodation . In itially, all dr awin gs wer e outsour ced th er efor e th e depar tment is curr en tly developin g its capabilities an d tr yin g to addr ess th e lack of stan dardized processes, lack of in ternal capabilities an d lack of techn olog y to improve processes. Th e compan y is addr essin g this challen ge through th e implemen tation of BIM with suppor t of th e Un iver sity of Salford.
To date th e pr oject h as completed th e fir st thr ee ke y stages and is curr en tly enga ged in th e four th stage of th e project, pr epar ing th e compan y to run a pilot pr oject with BIM. Th e r esults of th e fir st thr ee stages ar e discussed belo w
Th e initial stage of th e implementation was to ben chmar k th e best pr actice of BIM in th e UK. Based on a state-of-th e-art r eview of literatur e, th e fin al r epor t of th is stage gives a br ief over view o f BIM implementation, an outlin e of th e UK Gover nment BIM Strategy, an overvi ew of BIM prot ocols an d data for mats, r elevan t r esults fr om r ecen t surve ys a bout BIM, and main con cepts of BIM for DfMA Next, based on pr ima r y data collected fr om semi-str uctur ed inter views with in dustr y key pla yer s, th e r epor t established th e state-of-th e-ar t of BIM implemen ta tion in th e UK cover in g th e key aspects to sh ape a BIM implementation : main dr iver s, steps for implementation , ch allenges r elated to people an d SMEs, an d mea sur emen ts A final discussion emphasizes cha llenges r elated to protocols, th e development of comp on en t libr ar ies, and th e oppor tun ities of BIM for SMEs.
Based on th e exper ien ce of BIM matur e co mpan ies in th e UK, th e stud y foun d tha t Links’ co mplex busin ess process, wh ich involves d esign, man ufactur in g and in stallation , could ben efit fr om BIM, especially r egardin g in for mation exchange, in tegr ation with th e supply ch ain an d Design for Manufa ctur e and Assembly Ho wever, in order to implement BIM su ccessfull y, a ch ange management plan wa s r ecommen ded to deal with r isks r elated to th e r esistan ce of people to chan ge an d th e amoun t of investment in train ing an d techn olog y
Dealin g with th e r esistan ce of people to ch an ge is on e of th e main cha llenges exper ien ced in implementin g BIM irr espective of th e compan y size or activity Th e wa y th e KT P tea m ha s foun d to overcome th is challenge was to demon strate th e value o f BIM through a war en ess and trainin g session s. For exa mple, r egular lun chtime seminar s ar e h eld to r aise th e a war en ess of BIM an d th e project with in th e organ isation. Dur ing these semin ar s, th e KT P Associate pr esents th e r esults of th e project, in formation about BIM in th e UK, in for mation about process improvemen t an d much mor e. Th e seminar s have had a positive impact on people’s engagemen t with BIM an d th e pr oject, cr eatin g th e r ight mindset for th e BIM implementation
AND
Th e par adigm of BIM compr ises people, pr ocess, in for ma tion an d technologies. Followin g th e approach of r evi ewin g th e organ isation’s business processes an d wor kflows, a nd th en exploitin g th e en ablin g techn olog y, th e aim of Stage 2 was to explor e Lin ks processes a n d un der stand their busin ess through mapping its busin ess process, IT systems an d in fra str uctur e, file for mats an d in for mation exchan ge, which would in for m th e decision s of th e en ablin g techn olog y in th e n ext stage of th e imp l ementation
Lin ks processes, wh ich had pr eviousl y been documen ted for purpose of attainin g th eir Quality Man agement Syst em ISO 9001, wer e out of date an d th e compan y was oper ating with processes th at ha ve n ot pr eviousl y been documen ted Through th e KTP pr oject th e organisation began mapping th eir processes fr om scr atch, wh ich wh ile an extr emely time consumin g exer cise, ha s sever al benefits on stabilisin g and stan dar dising th e organisation ’s processes an d oper ation
Th e meth odolog y adopted was a ser ies o f i nter views with each depar tment of th e or ganisation in order to captur e th e in for mation about th eir curr en t workflows Fr om th e inter view in for mation th e KT P tea m th en developed a ser ies of process map s usin g Busin ess Process Mod ellin g Notation (BPMN) as r ecommen ded to be used b y NBIMS [11] on BIM pr ojects. Finally, th e process maps wer e validated through wor ksh ops in volvin g Lin ks depar tmen ts an d managemen t teams
Th e process of mapping h ow Lin ks curr ently op er ate has ser ved to identify ar eas for improvement. Fur th er mor e, it clar ified th e vision on h ow th e compan y could in cr ea se effi cien c y with th e same r esour ce through th e r e-en gin eer ing of th eir existin g processes Th er efor e th e compan y have r ealised
wh at action s n eed to be taken in order to in cr ease profit and turn over
a) Current Process
Focusin g on th e Design t o Man ufactur e and Installation process, Figur e 1 r epr esents th e Design process in cluding inter faces with Customer and Man ufacture. Process steps ar e descr ibed below:
Design Pr eparation : ideas for th e space sketch ed by han d
Con cept Design : 2D layouts an d elevation s usin g (d wg), speci fica tion sh eet (doc), an d 3D visualization s (CGIs) on 3DMax.
Pr oject Plannin g & Procur ement : On ce th e client approves design , design outputs ar e sent to th eir manufactur er sister compan y.
Furn itur e detail Design: th e manufactur e devel op detail fur nitur e dra wings (dwg), wh ich ar e sent back to Lin ks for approval.
3D Models: Followin g dr a win gs sign off, 3D models (CAD) with all manufactur e in for mation ar e devel oped (by th e manufactur er sister compan y) to be inp ut into th eir CNC machin es for production In for mation is shar ed in pdf, n oneditable files
Furn itur e is manufactur ed an d sen d to site for fittin g/installation
b) Process Analysi s
Analysis of Lin ks’ design processes ha s iden tified various t ypes o f waste a s follows:
Over-production/duplication of information: cop yin g of th e sa me in for mation in multiple file for mats wh ich ar e n ot in teroper able,
with a lack of th e “sin gle ver sion of th e tr uth” in design projects Duplication of in for mation is consider ed a wa ste, wh ich can cause error s and excess of in ven tor y
Motion/waiting: unnecessar y in for ma tion movement between depar tmen ts due to th e lack of skills and techn olog y Wh en in for mation is moved fr om on e depar tmen t to oth ers, if n ot well plann ed, th e process can be dela yed by th e a vailability of th e n ext depar tmen t, and waiting is a fur th er
Over processing/defects: un clear communication an d th e lack of systematic pr ocedur es to captur e client r eq uir ements can cause misun der stan din gs, an d pr ojects can be devel oped th at do n ot confor m to clien t’s r equir emen ts, ultimately ca usin g r e-wor k
Skills: th e lack of kn owledge tran sfer through out th e compan y. For example, Lin ks ha s specialists in product devel op men t, man ufactur in g process, an d fitting; h owever, th ose skills an d kn owledge ar e n ot tran sferr ed to th e design depar tmen t. A fin al con sideration is th e lack of a clear d esign fr eeze moment in th e project. Th e clien t must have a clear under stan din g on wh en th e design n eed s to fr eeze because th e root causes of man y probl ems durin g pr ocur ement and in stallation ar e th e client n ot makin g decision s fr om design on time an d inad equate dr a win gs[12]. To enable manufactur in g, th e client ha ve to ackn owledge that th e design ha s to fr eeze ear lier for th e ben efit of all con cer n ed [13] Ho wever, consider ing th e Lean Project Deliver y Syst em, it is a lso impor tan t to consider sever al design alternatives an d fin d th e last responsible moment to fr eeze th e design [5].
Th e state-of-th e-art r eview a n d th e or gan isation ’s vision/busin ess strategy was brough t togeth er through focus gr oup meetings with th e key stakeh older group in order to establish an d r eview th e ar eas of poten tial improvemen t gain of a BIMen abled approach across th e busin ess alon g with also identifyin g th e poten tial r isks Table 1 pr esen ts a summar y of th e fin din gs.
Based on th e issues th at th e project iden tified, a set of KPI’s wer e proposed Th e KPI’s wer e establish ed b y appl yin g th e Balan ced Scor e Car d (BSC) meth odol og y, wh ich cover 4 a r eas of ever y organisation: Customer, Internal Process, Finan cial, an d Learn in g and Gr owth [14] Th e KPIs ar e to mea sur e mor e than th e processes but t o assess that th e compan y is movin g towards its strategic objectives. Fur th er mor e, such systema tic measuremen ts ser ve to also stimulate an d embed a process of con tin uous improvement with in th e organ isation
To get a compar ison of th e r esults of th e BIM implemen tation, a baselin e pr oject is goin g to be in itially measur ed follo wed by KPIs bein g captur ed on a BIM Pilot Pr oject. Table 2 descr ibes th e KPIs, th eir objectives an d proposed metr ics.
Th e developmen t of lon g ter m BIM Strategy for DfMA, en abled b y appropr iate soft war e alon g with con sider ing th e interoper ability of th e differ en t softwar e utilized in design into man ufactur e would elimin ate th e in for mation d uplication In addition , part of th e BIM i mplementation is th e develop men t of stan dar d compon en t libr ar ies with para metric models tha t will be used in con cept design an d sen d direct to man ufa ctur e after design approval. It is expected th at th e use of su ch compon en t-ba sed design will speed up th e d esign process, r educe error s and in cr ease man ufa ctur e efficien cy.
Based on th e data captur ed in th e fir st stages an d th e soft war e ch osen for th e organ isation, Table 3 compar es th e curr en t process with th e target process in r elation to estimatin g th e time sa vings Th e left table has th e 23 steps that Links curr en tly d o es fr om design to manufactur e. Th e right table h as th e target process, marked in r ed ar e a ction s that in corpor ate th e suggested chan ges with BIM.
Compar in g th e t wo tables it is possible to notice th at th e initial steps (1,2) r elated to design pr eparation r emain th e same, but in step 3 th e development of a 3D BIM Mod el make possi ble to extract plans, elevation s (step 4) and to use th e model as a base to produce CGI (step 5). That avoid duplication
of th e in for mation and unn ecessar y mot ion , possibl y savin g time an d improvin g in for mation consisten cy Th e use of BIM also can also speed up th e h an dover to estimator s, as all th e furn itur e quantities can be extracted automatic fr om th e model. Finally, in th e bottom of th e table ar e th e activities per for med b y th e manufactur e sister compan y In th e target pr ocess, th e idea is to in corpor ate on design stages 3D compon ent libr aries that ar e complian t with th e manufactur e r equir ements, th er efor e the BIM Model could poten tially dimin ish or eliminate th e n ecessit y of re-design for manufactur e purposes usin g CNC mach in es. Fur th er mor e, th e full BIM process could save time and in cr ease effi cien cies in th e over all design process Ho wever, for th e devel op men t of th e 3D Compon en t libr aries, th er e is th e n eed to build up design er ’s kn owledge about th e man ufactur in g dra wings r equir ements, wh ich can in cr ea se th e collabor ation between design and man ufactur e.
At th is stage, th e compan y h a ve decided on IT r equir ements for soft war e selection and pr ocur emen t consider in g th e wor kflow improvemen ts proposed
A trainin g plan wa s for mulated, in cludin g technical skills (softwar e), design to manufactur e skills to improve th e integration of th ese ar eas of th e compan y a n d change managemen t skills to suppor t th e tran sition to th e next stage of th e project.
Th e laun ch of th e UK Govern ment Constr uction Strategy in 2011 has witn essed a momentum build with in th e con str uction in dustr y wit h a sign ificant in cr ea se in th e a war en ess an d adoption of BIM follo win g th e man date for th e use of collabor ative BIM on all cen tr ally procur ed public pr ojects by 2016 Th e UK construction in dustr y is r epr esen ted by 99 7% of SME s; th er efor e, SMEs an d th e man ufactur in g commun ity ar e vitally i mpor tan t in th e whole UK sector ’s approach to BI M. Moreover, th e use of busin ess approach es such as process improvemen ts and kn owledge mana gemen t can in cr ementally r educe costs an d in cr ease competiven ess for SMEs.
This paper has pr esen ted th e fin din gs to date of a 30-mon th KT P pr oject in support of a BIM implementation with in a design, manufactur e an d fit-out SME based in th e UK. A KTP is a progr am par tly fun ded by In n ovateUK aimed at supporting busin esses in in cr easin g th eir perfor man ce an d compet itiven ess with inn ovative solution s b y accessin g an d tran sfer rin g th e kn owled ge an d exper tise of academia through to th e organisation .
Th e pr oject is bein g deliver ed through 5 key stages Th e paper h as pr esented th e fin dings to date of th e fir st thr ee sta ges that have been completed of establish ing and con solidatin g best practice kn owled ge in BIM followed by con ductin g a detailed r eview a n d analysis of th e or ganisation ’s curr en t situation, and th e thir d stage, which develop ed a BIM-based collabor ative strategy. Stage 2 mapped th e curr ent busin ess processes and various wa ste in th e process was id en tified through th eir
an alysis. Stage 3 establish ed and r eviewed th e ar eas of poten tial improvemen t gain of a BIM-en abled approach acr oss th e busin ess togeth er with th e poten tial r isks In addition , KPIs have been esta blish ed for systematically assessin g th e compan y movin g towards its strategic objectives an d in embeddin g a process of con tin uous improvemen t with in th e compan y Followin g th e completion of th e third stage, th e r emain in g stages will implemen t th e develop ed BIM- based collabor ative strateg y for DfMA through an identified pilot pr oject befor e con ducting a pr oject r evi ew an d evaluation lon g with fur th er dissemination of th e r esul ts.
In con clusion , th e fin dings from th e wor k to date suggest that th e proposed Lin ks BIM workflo w fr om design through to man ufactur e could r educe c ycle times in design fr om concept to sh op dra win gs, savin g time an d in cr easing Lin ks profits BIM can addr ess issues common foun d in th e design to manufactur e, suppor tin g a better integr ation between th e compan y ar eas, in cr easing pr edictability an d r educin g overproduction of dr a win gs
Ho we ver, for th e compan y t o in corpor ate th e strea mlin ed BIM workflo w th er e is a n eed to manage th e change an d get th e emp loyees in volved with BIM As h ighlighted b y th e r esults of th e stage 1 o f th is r esear ch, dealin g with th e r esistan ce of p eople to ch ange is crucial for th e success of a BIM Implementation Th er efor e, th e r esear ch r ecommen ds th e implemen tation of BIM focu ses on chan ge management, process stan dardisation , train ing an d metr ics; th er eb y cr eatin g th e r igh t en vir onment for con tinuous improvemen t in a learn ing organ isation
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[2] G. Lee, R. Sacks, and C. M. Eastman, "Specifyin g parametric building object beh avior ( BOB) for a buildin g in formation modelin g syst em," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 15, pp. 758 -776, 2006.
[3] C M. Eastman, BIM han dbook: a guide to buildin g in for mation model in g for own er s, manager s design er s, engin eer s, an d contractor s: John Wiley & Son s In c, 2011.
[4] D. K. Smith an d M. Tardif, Buildin g infor mation modelin g : a strategic impl ementation guide for ar chitects, engin eer s, constructor s, and r eal estate a sset mana ger s Hoboken , N J.: Hoboken , N J : John Wiley & Son s, 2009
[5] G Ballard, Y W Kim, J W Jang, an d M. Liu, "Road Map for Lean Implemen tation at th e Pr oject Level," vol. Resear ch Re-
por t 234-11, ed. Texas, USA: Constr uction Industr y In stitute, Bur eau of En gin eering Resear ch , Th e Un iver sity o f Texas at Austin, 2007, p. 426.
[6] J E. Diekmann, M. Kr ewedl, J Balonick, T Stewar t, and S. Won, "APPLICAT ION OF LE AN MANUFACT URING PRI NCIPLES TO CONST RUCT ION," ed. Austin, Texas: Th e Con str uction In dustr y Institute Th e Un iver sity of Texas at Austin, 2004
[7] L. J. Kosk ela and A. S. Kazi, In for ma tion techn olog y in constr uction : Ho w to r ea lise th e ben efits?: IGI Publish in g Her sh ey, 2003.
[8] R Sacks, L Koskela, B. A. Dave, an d R. Owen , "Interaction of Lean an d Buildin g In for ma tion Mod elin g in Constr uction," Journal of C onstr uction Engin eer in g and Man agement, vol. 136, pp 968 -980, 2010.
[9] R Sacks, B Da ve, L J Koskela, and R L. Owen , "Ana lysis fr amewor k for th e inter action bet ween lean con struction and buildin g in for mation mod elling," ed, 2009.
[10] R. Sacks, M. Radosavljevic, an d R. Barak, "Requir emen ts for buildin g in formation modelin g based lean production managemen t syst ems for constr uction," Automa tion in Con str uction , vol. 19, pp. 641-655, 8// 2010
[11] C M. Eastman, Y -S. Jeong, R Sacks, an d I. Kan er, "Exch an ge Model an d Exchange Object Con cepts for I mplemen tation of Nation al BIM Stan dards," ASCE Journ al of Comp uting in Civil Engin eer ing, vol. 24, pp. pp. 25-34, 2010.
[12] L Bildsten an d W Guan, "The Stud y of a Kitch en Assembl y Process in In dustrial Housing," pr esen ted at th e th Nordic Confer en ce of C on str uction Econ omics an d Organization , Copen hagen, Denmark, 2011.
[13] A G F Gibb an d F I sack, "Reengin eer ing through pr e-assembly: clien t expectation s and dr iver s," Building Resear ch \& In for mation, vol. 31, pp 146160, 2003
[14] R S. Kaplan an d D. P Nor ton , Th e ba lan ced scor ecard: translatin g strategy into action : Har var d Busin ess Review Pr ess, 1996.
Michael Minehane1, Kieran Ruane2, Barry
O’ Ke e ff e 3 , Ger O’Sullivan4, and Ted Mc Ke nna 5
1,2,5 Cork Institute of Tec hnol ogy, C o rk
1,2 RPS Consulting Engineers, Cork, Ire land
3 Murphy Surveys Ltd., Cork, Ire land
4 Datech Ireland, Cork, Ire land
E-mail: 1 michael minehane@rpsgroup.com 2k ier a n.r u ane@ r p sg roup. com
3 bok eeffe@ m u r p h ysu r v eys ie 4 ger.osu llivan@dat ech. ie 5ted. m ck enn a@ cit ie
Abstract: The Architecture, Eng ineeri ng an d Construction (AEC) secto r stri ves t o rehabilitate existing buildin gs and infr a struc ture as a means of respecti ng past feats of architecture and engi nee ri ng , as well as suppor ting a sustainable agenda The la ndmark Chetwynd viaduct in Cork is an exa mple of such an element of infr astruc ture. It for me d part of the Cork-Bandon railway infrastruc ture construc ted in 1850 and decommissioned in 1961 As with inf ra struc tur e of its type, few as-built records exist. Con sequen tly, the ge o metry, material properties and con dition of the existing struc ture are r equired t o infor m th e initia l feasibility assessment and subsequent design, construction and operation of this via duct asset This pa per in vestigates two approaches to completing work required dur ing the data ca pture stage. The first is a traditional a pproach, while the alternative in volves a Bridg e Infor mation M odelling (BrIM ) approach. A BrIM approach in vokes sta ke hol de r collaboration, suppor ted by p olicy and process fra mew orks, combined with inter o pera ble techn olog y, to man age infor mation and en able effective decision ma king thr oughout t he lifecycle of a bridge asset. Respecti ve approaches are outlined and compared in ter ms of time, expe rtise and techn ical issues The significant deliv era bles from the tradit i ona l appr oach are a 3D solid model and inde pende nt two dimen sion al (2D) drawings Si g ni fica nt deli ve rables achieved usin g a BrIM approach include an intelligent para me tr ic t hree dimen sional (3D) model and associated 2D drawings as well as inte grated datasets representative of the ‘as-is’ struc ture. This research is presently on going and the applicati o n of a BrIM approach from the feasibilit y stage through t o construction and eve nt ual operation will be co ns i dere d in the future. The application of BrIM for such stages is cons i dere d more stra ightforward as a sin gle model n ow exists and can be used an d d evel oped in accordance with current industry sta nda r ds Based on repor ted research the initial effort and time expended on model creation in particular will enable significant future be ne fits
Keywords Br idge Infor mation Modelling(Br IM); Historic Infra structur e.
Building In for mation Modellin g (BIM) is a data enr ich ed collabor ative process wh ich utilises in telligent, object-or ien tated, 3D parametr ic models to r ealise efficien cies through out th e lifec ycle o f a facility or asset. BIM awar en ess in th e global AE C sect or is in cr easin g sign ifican tly an d publish ed r esear ch on th e topic con tin ues to gr ow expon en tially BrIM is based on identical fun da menta ls to BIM, but is particular to br idges.
In r ecen t times, poten tial alternative uses o f disused h istor ical in fr astr uctur e have been promoted As with in frastructur e of its t ype, little infor mation
an d few a s-built r ecords of th e existin g str uctur e exist. Hist or ic str uctur es of var yin g scale a n d sign ifican ce wer e con ceived, design ed, constr ucted, op er ated and decommission ed well in advan ce of th e adven t of BrIM Conseq uen tly, what role, if a n y, could BrIM play in th e r efurbishmen t of such a structur e? Th e r esearch seeks to addr ess th is question at lea st in part.
Th e Cor k to Kinsale gr een wa y project is an exa mple of th e poten tial r eh abilitation of existin g disused r ailwa y in fr astr uctur e to pr ovide a n ew an d valuable ser vice to moder n societ y Th e proposed develop men t in cludes th e Ch etwyn d and Halfwa y viaducts, and Ir elan d’s longest r ailwa y tunn el at
Ballinha ssig Th e curr ent r esear ch focuses on th e icon ic Ch etwyn d viaduct wh ich was constr ucted in 1850 an d decommission ed in 1961. A view of th e existin g viaduct is sh own in Figur e 1, while a ph otogr aph of th e viad uct in ser vice is provided in Figur e 2 At th e time of wr iting, th e Cor k to Kinsale gr een wa y project wa s a waitin g approval to proceed to th e design sta ge. Conseq uen tly, th e focus of th is paper is on th e application of both a traditional, an d a BrIM approach , in th e captur e an d r epr esentation of as-is geometr y an d con dition in for mation for th e structur e. This will th en in for m th e fea sibility assessmen t and subseq uen t phases o f th e project. Recommen ded and alternative wor kflows ar e outlin ed and compar ed This r esear ch is pr esentl y ongoing Th e application of BrIM from th e feasibilit y a ssessmen t stage through to constr uction an d even tual oper ation will be consider ed an d r epor ted in th e futur e.
Th e viaduct was design ed by Ch arles Nixon , a for mer pupil of Isa mbar d Kingdom Br un el. Con tr actor s Fox, Hen der son & Co. completed th e con str uction bet ween 1849 and 1851 Measur ing 152.4m (500ft) fr om abutmen t to abutmen t, th e viaduct was consider ed to be th e lar gest of its kind in Ir eland at th e time of constr uction [2] Over time additional br acin g wa s in troduced at th e pier s to assist in pr even tin g vibr ation da mage, and r edbr ick section s wer e added on top of th e main pier s. [3].
Th e str uctur e suffer ed da ma ged durin g th e Ir ish Civil War in 1922 and wa s subseq uen tly r epair ed [1]. Th e rail lin e wa s officia lly closed on th e 31st Mar ch 1961. Th e en tir e deckin g an d par apets wer e subseq uen tly r emoved to pr eclude pedestr ian access
b) Descr iption of Str uct ure
Th e Cor k to Ban don an d South Coast railwa y lin e has r emain ed aban don ed for over 50 year s Cor k Coun ty Coun cil n ow proposes to r euse par t of th e aban don ed railwa y lin e as a 3 6km dedicated off-road c ycle a nd walkin g route fr om Cor k City to Kinsale. Th e gr een wa y will in corpor ate two major viaducts at Ch et wyn d and Halfwa y Ch etwyn d viaduct is a well-kn own land mar k located approximately 5k m south of C or k city an d traver ses both th e Glash een River valle y an d th e N71 n ation al pr imar y road bet ween Cor k cit y an d Ban don. It had for med a cr itical part of th e Cor k to Ban don and South Coast r ailwa y in fr astr uctur e for over 100 year s un til bein g decommission ed in 1961 Th e viaduct is listed on both th e Recor d of Monumen ts and Places (RMP) an d th e Recor d of Protected Str uctur es ( RPS).
Ch et wyn d Viad uct is a four -span cast iron un derar ch railwa y br idge suppor ted on tall cour sed a shlar limeston e pier s an d abutments Each span consists of four pr efabr icated cast iron ar ch ribs, cast on site in section s an d subsequen tly spliced an d lifted in to position Cast iron br acin g conn ected to th e top an d bottom flanges of th e ar ch r ibs provide later al r estraint an d tr an sfer win d and oth er tran sver se loadin g to th e abutmen ts. Pr efabr icated cast iron latticed span dr el walls compr isin g cr ucifor m-shaped struts suppor t th e deck fr om th e ar ch ribs Th e or iginal deck compr ised cast iron cover in g plates, flanged an d bolted togeth er and supported on cast iron tran sver se bea ms Wrough t iron tr an sver se tie-rods conn ect th e n ode poin ts of th e cast iron latticed span dr el walls at mid-h eight. This for m of h ybr id con str uction combin in g wrough t iron and cast iron compon en ts was common at th e time of constr uction as th e limited tensile capacity o f cast iron beca me r ecognised. Wrought iron , which possesses a much h igh er tensile str en gth than cast iron, was fr equently substituted as ten sion member s Th e ph otogr aph in Figur e 3 gives a view of th e br idge soffit, sh owin g th e pr imar y member s
In 2013, Cor k Coun ty Coun cil appoin ted RPS Consultin g En gin eer s to carr y out a feasibility stud y on th e proposed r euse of th e Ch etwyn d an d oth er structur es on th e proposed gr een wa y route. Th is commission in cluded inspections, str uctural assessmen ts, pr eliminar y r emedial works an d cost estimates
Th er e con tinue to be sign ificant develop men ts r elated to pr ocess and technical aspects of Buildin g Infor mation Modellin g (BIM) wh en applied to n ew buildin gs, an d to a lesser exten t new in fr astr uctur e pr ojects Ho we ver, th er e is a dear th of p ublish ed r esear ch in ter ms of BIM application in th e maintenan ce, r efurbish men t and deconstr uction of existin g buildin gs an d in fr astr uctur e. Th e scar city is due in par t to th e significan t effor t r equir ed to tran sfor m captur ed building data in to semantic BIM objects and th e managemen t of un cer tain data [4] This situation is even mor e pron oun ced for br idge in fr astructur e. However, befor e mod el develop men t is addr essed, data captur e is consider ed
Th er e ar e a h ost of tr adition al sur veyin g systems suitable for accur ate geometr ic data captur e of h istor ic br idge in fr astructur e. In addition , r ecen t develop men ts in 3D laser scann in g system capabilities mean that it is quickly becomin g th e in dustr y tool of ch oice for data captur e. Wh en compar ed with tradition al techniq ues, laser scann ing ma y be con sider ed cost proh ibitive due to equip ment costs an d processin g time in p articular Th e levels o f effor t at each stage of th e 3D laser scannin g process ar e illustrated in Figur e 4 Ho wever, laser scann ing t ypicall y provides a va stly super ior data r ich output, th er efor e discussi on of r etur n -on -investmen t (ROI) is mor e complex and application depen dent [5] It is wor th n oting that 3D laser scann ing is a supplement to th e tr aditional total station and n ot a r eplacement for same.
scann ing in these fields an d offer in g compar ison s with alternative for ms of data acquisition [6, 7]. A sa mple of oth er documen ted a pplication s in clude asbuilt r ecords of in frastr uctur e, da mage assessmen t, Structural Health Mon itor in g (SHM) and br idge inspection and assessment.
Curr ent ind ustr y tran sfor mation s in th e use of BIM pr esen t r emar kable oppor tun ities for clien ts and engin eer s to emp lo y th e use o f la ser sca nnin g in th e con text of h olistic, collabor ative wor kflows groun ded in thr ee-dimen sion al model-based design [8] Th e application of BIM in th e UK is r equir ed to be in accordan ce with th e BS/PAS 1192 suite of stan dards. In th e case of existin g assets for wh ich n o BIM exists, PAS 1192-3 ma y be implemen ted if a suitable busin ess case exists [9] Howe ver, th e r efurbishment of Ch etwyn d viaduct is con sider ed as major wor ks an d th er efor e th e application of PAS 1192-2 is appropriate.
As pr eviousl y men tion ed, pr ocessin g a data rich poin t cloud into an intelligen t 3D model is th e most on erous task in ter ms of time an d exper tise. Th er e ar e var ious r epor ted laser scan to BIM processes [5, 8, 10, 11]. Such approach es ha ve largely similar workflows an d in volve th e develop men t of 3D in telligent models b y r ever se en gin eerin g To addr ess th e labour in ten sive process of d evelopin g a BrIM from point cloud data, var ious approach es to automatin g th e process ha ve been consider ed [12, 13] Howe ver, sign ificant advan cements in r esear ch an d application of a utomated BrIM developmen t ar e r equir ed an d this ma y ta ke considerable time to r ealise.
Th er e is n o existin g Bridge Infor mation Model (BrIM) Consequen tly, as would be t ypical for a pr oject of this na tur e, th e geometr y, mater ial proper ties and con dition of th e existin g str uctur e ar e r equir ed to infor m th e in itial feasibility assessmen t an d subsequen t design , constr uction and oper ation of th e viaduct a sset. Wh eth er a stan dar d or BrIM approach is adopted, th e captur e of existin g in for mation commen ces with a desk stud y to r evie w in for mation fr om existin g documentation. A sur ve y of th e existin g str uctur e to establish geometr y an d con dition is th en completed . Th e differ en ce in approach es consider ed in this resear ch becomes mor e appar en t wh en consid erin g th e data captur e meth odol ogies an d r esulting outputs.
Laser scann ing ha s establish ed a sign ifican t and diver se r an ge of application s in ar eas in cludin g engin eer ing, constr uction , ar chitectur e and h er itage. Th er e ar e n umerous r epor ted studies h igh lightin g r ecen t and poten tial application s for 3D laser
Existin g in for mation of th e viaduct str uctur e wa s limited A desk stud y o f ava ilable in for mation was completed an d r etur n ed histor ical ar ch ive dra win gs of limited detail, as well a small number of h istor ical articles
Th e natur e of th e site ma de tr aditional sur ve y meth ods difficult, conseq uen tly 3D laser scann in g wa s successfull y un der taken to captur e data r elatin g to th e ‘as-is’ (at th e time of sur ve y) geometr y an d con dition Th e speed and detail of data captur e using laser scannin g techn olog y far exceeds that of alternative sur ve y techn ologies such as total station s an d GNSS [13]. A 3D terr estrial la ser scan of th e structur e wa s carried out using a Leica P20 pulse based terr estr ial laser scann er A total of 28 in dividual scan s wer e executed fr om various location s in th e immediate pr oximity of th e Viaduct. Each scan took approximatel y seven min utes to complete an d poin ts wer e sur ve yed at a r ate of approximately on e million p oints per secon d Th e h eight of th e viaduct is approximately 28 m above groun d level. Th e P20 Scann er has a ma ximum op er atin g ran ge of 120 m. Consequently, sufficien t detail of th e str uctur e could be safel y captur ed with out th e n eed to access th e deck level or to use Mobile Elevated Wor k Platfor ms (MEWPs) Th e accur acy of th e la ser scanner is given a s 3mm a t 50m, and decr eases to 6 mm wh en th e distan ce to th e structur e in cr eases to 100m Th e r ange fr om each scan set-up in this case n ever exceeded 50 m In addition to th e accuracy of th e scann er and processin g tools, all sca n position s wer e coordin ated usin g a Leica 1201+ Total Station in order to ensur e that th e gr eatest a ccuracy was ach ieved wh en r egister ing th e scan s Th e database wa s r efer en ced to Ir ish National Gr id an d Malin Head Datum On ce r egistered, th e scan s wer e colour ed using imager y obtain ed fr om a Nikon D200 camera mounted on a Nodal Nin ja br acket in order to cr eate high r esolution 360° pan oramic ima ges (Figur e 5) Th e data collected was th en processed usin g propr ietar y soft war e to cr eate thr ee dimension al (3D) models of th e str uctur e.
A visual inspection of Ch etwyn d Viad uct was carr ied out. Manual sur vey measur emen ts of th e geometr y of selected existin g elemen ts con fir med th e accur acy of th e 3D terr estrial laser scan Fr om th e visual inspection of th e structur e, it was deemed to be in good con dition con sider ing that it is approximatel y 165 year s old, an d has n ot r eceived main tenan ce for over 50 year s A number of pr imar y defects iden tified ar e as follows:
• Failur e of protective pain t wor k system ha s occurr ed;
• Numerous wrough t iron tr an sver se tie-rods ha ve failed and will r equir e r eplacing to adequately r estrain th e spandr el walls;
• Ph otogr aphic compar ison of th e structur e d urin g deck r emoval (cir ca 1960) and at th e time of inspection r eveals th at, in addition to th e deckin g an d parapets, a significant propor tion of th e or igin al ca st iron cross-br acin g was r emoved at that time. Such action compr omises th e str uctur e’s out-of-plan e stability (Figur e 6);
• Figur e 8 sh ows th e r epair ed section of th e str uctur e followin g th e damage sustain ed in th e Ir ish Civil War in 1922 Repair wor ks compr ise solid span dr el in fill plates, gusset plates and supplementar y plate stiffen er s (Figur e 7).
Expedient an d efficien t processin g of r a w sur ve y data into semantically enr ich ed 3D models is an impor tant con sideration n owa days [15] In all cases th e scan database wa s un ified, or gr idded, to 5mm in order to ma ke th e point cloud mor e r egular and th e database mor e mana geable This process was executed usin g Leica Cyclon e soft war e an d r educed th e poin t cloud fr om 3,633 million poin ts to 298 million poin ts Th e point cloud wa s edited and clean ed to r emove ‘n oise’ .
Usin g Leica Cyclon e and Cloud wor x for AutoCAD softwar e, a solid AutoCAD 3 D model in (i e. ‘ d wg’ for mat file) was gen er ated (Figur e 8) Th e Cloudwor x for AutoCAD plugin enables efficien t visualisation an d processin g of as- sur ve yed poin t cloud data with in AutoCAD. Th e well-defin ed plan es of Ch et wyn d Viaduct wer e an alysed an d modelled using a best fit with r espect to th e poin t cloud This is a sophisticated featur e of th e modellin g compon ent of Leica C yclon e Soft war e, which was used to cr eate a 3D AutoCAD model.
to adjust th e dimension s of th e solid if mor e r eliable in for mation exists All irr egular ities in th e str uctur e wer e mod elled in dividually as th er e wa s a degr ee of var iation across th e ke y member pieces Similar ly, th e masonr y pier s wer e foun d to be of var yin g sizes an d wer e also modelled in dividually.
Th e pr imar y outputs fr om th e tr adition al approach:
• Poin t cloud of th e existin g via duct str uctur e
• AutoCAD 3D solid model of th e geometr y
• Separ ate 2D dr awin gs (i e. not parametrically lin ked to th e 3D model)
Two wor kflows wer e consider ed to achieve th e desir ed output of a 3D intelligen t model in th e for m of a Revit model (i e. ‘.r vt’ for mat file)
In dividua l featur es with in th e database, such a s an ar ch rib, ar e isolated by th e modeller. Th e softwar e subseq uen tly an alyses th is por tion of th e poin t cloud an d cr eates a best-fit solid for expor t to AutoCAD. At this time th e modeller has th e oppor tun ity
Th e fir st approach was similar to th e pr eviousl y outlin ed tr aditional approach, but in this ca se th e Cloud wor x for Revit plug-in is used Th e Leica CloudWor x for Revit, an d its un der lyin g powerful Leica C yclon e poin t cloud engin e, enable th e BIM model to be cr eated efficien tly with in Revit wh ile r etain ing th e advanta ges of a h igh -per for man ce poin t cloud application. As both CloudWor x for Re vit an d Cyclon e ar e from a sin gle softwar e ven dor (i e. Leica), th e file for mats do n ot pose in teroper ability issue an d are of a r easonable size. Th e file for mat used is .imp, with a file size of 3GB. T o mod el th e elemen ts of th e str uctur e, Revit families wer e cr eated as appr opr iate A Revit Model for a bridge of th is t yp e has ver y fe w compon en ts compar ed to a typical buildin g project, ma king th e specification for deliver y mor e str aightfor ward Th e Revit Mod el is cr eated usin g th e gen er ic modellin g tools foun d with in Revit, an d uses th e externally r efer en ced poin t cloud as a template to ensur e dimen sional pr ecision Revit is n ot consider ed as flexible as AutoCAD wh en modellin g irr egular or cur ved featur es and h en ce processin g time will in cr ease b y up to 50% for particular ly detailed str uctur es
Th e secon d approach un dertaken utilised Autodesk ReCap soft war e. For data an d images collected fr om laser scann er s or digital camer as, th e ReCap fa mily o f products an d ser vices tr an slates th e r eality captur e data into mea nin gful and r eliable 3D in for mation that integr ates sea mlessly with oth er Autodesk soft war e. As th e laser scan data h ad alr eady been r egister ed an d clean ed using Leica C yclon e, ReCap wa s adopted to efficien tly use th e poin t cloud data with in Autodesk Revit. In th is ca se th e Leica C ycl on e data file wa s r equir ed to be output in a ‘.ptx’ for mat to enable it to be open ed usin g Autodesk Recap Th e .ptx file is 12GB compar ed with th e 3GB imp used for th e Leica soft war e. Autodesk ReCap wa s used to conver t th e ra w sca n files usin g a process called indexin g to a propr ietar y Realit y Captur e Scan for mat ( RCS) th at can be r ead by oth er Autodesk progr ams Th e r esulting file was th en linked in to a Revit project wh er e 3D views, plan s and section s wer e cr eated to facilitate th e modellin g process Th e structural member s wer e modelled usin g a combin ation of “out of th e box” parametric profiles for th e Tee and I-Bea m section s an d custom par ametr ic profiles for th e cr ucifor mshaped elemen ts. A custom parametric tr uss wa s develop ed wh ich allowed adjustmen t for th e in dividual span s an d th e profiles descr ibed pr eviousl y wer e applied to th e top, bottom ch ords an d diagon al webs Similar to th e traditional approach th e ma sonr y pier s wer e foun d to be of var yin g sizes, parameter s wer e applied to a single pier foun dation fa mily to allow in divid ual adjustmen t. A partial view of th e Revit mod el is provided in Figur e 9.
Th e pr imar y outputs fr om th e BrIM approach :
• Poin t cloud of th e existin g via duct struct u re
• Revit 3D object or iented model of geometr y an d appropr iate attr ibutes (e g material and section proper ties) thus for min g a ‘sin gle sour ce of tr uth ’ ver sion of th e ‘as-is’ structur e.
• Bi-dir ectional lin ked 2D drawin gs (i.e. par ametr ically linked to th e 3D Revit model)
Th e 3D AutoCAD solid model develop ed from th e laser scan data can be used to devel op 2D deliver ables, in cludin g design an d fabr ication dra wings. Wh ile a 3D model exists, futur e in for mation develop ment, tr an sfer an d ar ch ivin g will largel y be limited to 2D dr a wings, text based specification documen ts an d pr oprietar y d esign softwar e outp ut files
To complete th e r equir ed str uctural a ssessment an d design, th e 3D AutoCAD solid mod el ma y be impor ted (in .dxf for mat) into LUSAS Fin ite Element Softwar e r esultin g 3 D lin ear elastic model followin g min ima l post pr ocessing. It is wor th n otin g that this workflo w will allow for accur ate r epr esen tation of bo w imper fection s in th e str uctur al system wh ich can sign ifican tly affect bucklin g beh aviour. This approach should r ealise sign ificant time sa vin gs as th e geometr y of th e model will n ot r equir e tedious manual inp ut.
Both th e ‘Cloud wor x for Revit’ an d ‘RecCap an d Revit’ approach es allowed th e mod el to be develop ed based on best fit with r espect to th e poin t cloud Th e developed model in cludes mater ial proper ty data as illustrated in Figur e 10 Futur e r esear ch aims to demonstr ate h ow th e model cr eated as part of th is r esear ch will be devel oped in accordan ce with PAS 1192-2. Th e model will be stor ed with in a Common Data Environment (CDE) for interrogation an d devel opmen t durin g subseq uen t stages of th e project.
Th e 3D Revit Model will con stitute th e a s-sur veyed BrIM From th is, th e multi-disciplin ar y project team will devel op d omain specific models wh ich can th en be fed er ated at var ious stages durin g th e project deliver y to iden tify poten tial issues in cludin g clash r esolution Th e feder ated model will also for m a key commun ication tool to liaise with all stakeh older s in cludin g th e clien t and public.
O’Kee ffe [16] outlin es th e significant advanta ges to a BrIM approach dur in g con str uction Th e feder ated model can be devel oped by th e Contractor to assist 4D sequen cin g of works combin ed with sch edulin g and cost managemen t (5D) [17, 18].
As with th e Crusell Br idge pr oject in Fin land, th e ‘as-is’ existing and ‘as design ed ’ model can be in tegrated with th e fabr ication model to ensur e accur acy of pr efabr icated compon en ts [19] Th e application of BrIM r epor ted for th e San Fran ciscoOakland Bay br idge focused on constr uction sequen ce an d str uctur al steel fa br ication ben efits [20] Th e wor ld wide tr en d towar d s off-site con struction an d pr e-fabr ication, based on man ufactur ing an d lean con struction pr in ciples, is fur th er suppor ted b y adoptin g a BrIM approach Off-site con struction will also r educe th e significant h ealth an d safet y r isks posed b y th e n atur e of th e viaduct site.
Th e establishmen t and devel opmen t of an accur ate BrIM will also r ealise ben efits over th e oper ation lifec ycle o f th e viaduct. Br idge Man agemen t Systems ( BMS) play a cr ucial role in maintenan ce an d r eh abilitation decision s r elated to br idges [21] Like all br idge infra str uctur e, Ch et wyn d viaduct will be su bject to r egular inspection s to mon itor con dition an d per for man ce. Such wor k ma y be integr ated in to th e BrIM to maintain a single sour ce of accur ate data [22] r esultin g in r educed error s an d time sa vin gs for data en tr y an d processin g [14]
Regardless of wh eth er a tr adition al or BrIM approach was adopted for th e assessmen t of viad uct structur e, th e application of laser scann ing in th e captur e of infor ma tion was appr opr iate. Such an approach mitigated th e significant h ealth an d sa fet y r isks given th e topogr aph ical natur e of th e site, elevated na tur e of th e str uctur e, location over a national pr imar y road, and lack of suitable access over th e viaduct str uctur e. Ho wever, this is wh er e th e commonality cea ses a s a BrIM appr oach r esults in a 3D model, in cluding all r elevan t data, which can be r evie wed and devel oped with in a common data envir on ment (CDE) b y multi-disciplinar y project stakeh older s over th e lifec ycle of th e built asset.
Th e tr adition al approach allowed for a 3D AutoCAD solid model of th e existin g str uctur e to be develop ed. Such a model in cludes on l y geometr ic data intelligen ce. Wh en a Br IM compliant approach wa s un der ta ken, a 3D Revit data-centr ic model of th e existin g str uctur e was r ealised This r equir ed sign ificantly mor e time, effor t an d exper tise wh en compar ed with th e a for ementioned tr adition al approach as this model in cludes attr ibutes for material typ e and con dition , in addition to geometr ic in for mation Ho wever, th e most significan t ben efit of this is that a single model of th e ‘as-is' str uctur e is
n ow in place to in for m lifec ycle decisions Th is model will n ow fulfil a cen tr al role with in th e CDE outlin ed in PAS 1192, thus en abling sever al ben efits to accr ue in subseq uen t sta ges in cludin g design, construction and oper ation
Th e estimated r efurbishment cost for Ch et wyn d viaduct is in excess of €1 million Th er e is little differ en ce in ter ms of time an d exper tise for th e two pr eviousl y outlin ed BrIM approach es. Ho we ver , th e develop men t of an intelligent 3D model as par t of a BrIM appr oach will r equir e mor e time and expertise th an th e tr aditional approach At pr esen t, th er e is a per ceived sh or tage of exper ien ced tech nical profession als to develop mod els fr om poin t cloud data, and h en ce labour costs ar e sign ifican t. T o infor m this r esear ch, th e var ious outcomes wer e d eveloped in a collabor ative effor t b y th e a uth or s. If all of th e wor k in cluded in th is r esear ch wer e completed commercially, th e cost for th e tr adition al approach is estimated at 0.7% of th e estimated r efurbish ment cost, wh ile th e estimated cost for a BrIM appr oach is estimated at 1%. A BrIM approach could be up to 50% mor e expen sive, with th e addition al costs exacerbated b y th e fact th at th e structur e in this ca se consists lar gely of n on -standar d elemen ts Th e additional fee for a n intelligent 3D model r epr esen ts approximately 0.3% of th e r ehabilitation costs Repor ted savin gs by adopting a BIM/ Br IM approach durin g th e capital expen ditur e phase of a project var y bet ween 2% [24] an d 20% [23]. As additional expen ditur e for a BrIM appr oach is a fraction (1.5% to 15%) of poten tial savings, establish ing a Br IM sh ould en able sign ificant sa vin gs over th e lifec ycle of th e project to be r ealised
Wh ile some ma y question th e application of BrIM for h istorical listed br idge str uctur es, it is clear that such an approach is both possible an d advantageous wh en compar ed with a traditional approach. Th e poten tial for th e data r ich output fr om laser scannin g is on ly full y r ealised b y d evel opin g an associated in telligent 3D model. Adopting a BrIM eth os will allow stakeh older collabor ation to en able both fin an cial and technical ben efits
As iden tified in th e con clusion , th e key outcome of th e BrIM appr oach completed to date is an intelligent 3D model. Futur e devel opmen t of th e curr en t r esear ch will consider th e effects of a BrIM approach for subsequen t stages in th e lifec ycle of th e viaduct in cluding: con cept, design, defin ition, buildin g an d commission , han dover and closeout and op er ation s stages. Th e application of BrIM for such stages will be mor e str aightfor war d as a sin gle model n ow exists wh ich can be devel oped in accordan ce with establish ed industr y stan dards
[1] Ron ald Cox an d Mich ael Gould, Ireland’s Br idges Dublin , Ir elan d: Wolfh oun d Pr ess, 2003.
[2] Illustr ated Lon don News, Op enin g of th e Cor k an d Ban don Railwa y vol. XIX: Illustr ated Lon don News, 1851
[3] Her itage Un it of Cor k Coun t y C oun cil, Her itage Br idges of Coun ty C or k. Cork, Ir eland: Her itage Un it of Cor k Coun ty Coun cil, 2013
[4] R. Volk, J. Stengel, and F. Schultmann, "Buildin g In for mation Modelin g (BIM) for existin g buildin gs Literatur e r eview an d futur e n eeds," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 38, pp 109-127, 2014
[5] T Ran dall, " Clien t Guide to 3D Scann in g and Data Captur e," UK: Th e Buildin g In for mation Mod ellin g (BIM) Task Group, 2013.
[6] Z Zh u and I Br ilakis, "Compar ison of O ptical Sensor -Based Spatial Data Collection T echniques for Civil In frastr uctur e Modelin g," Jour nal of Computin g in Civil Engi neer i ng , vol. 23, pp 170-177, 2009
[7] D. K. Slatter y an d K. T Slatter y, "Evaluation of 3D Laser Sca nnin g for Constr uction Application," Illin ois Cen ter for Tr anspor tation South ern Illin ois Un iver sity Ed wardsville, US April 2010
[8] T. Ran dall, "Construction En gin eer in g Requir emen ts for In tegrating Laser Scannin g T echn olog y a nd Buildin g In for mation Mod eling," Journal of Constr ucti o n Engin eer ing & Management, vol. 137, pp 797805, 2011
[9] BSi, "PAS 1192-3 Specification for in for mation management for th e oper ational phase of assets usin g buildin g in for mation modellin g," UK: BSi, 2014a.
[10] J. Jung, S. Hong, S. Jeong, S. Kim, H. Ch o, S. Hong, et al., "Pr oductive mod elin g for develop men t of as- built BIM of existin g indoor structur es," Automation in Con struction, vol. 42, pp 68-77, 2014
[11] T. Wern er and D. Morr is, "3D Laser Sca nnin g for Masonr y Ar ch Br idges," pr esen ted at th e FIG Con gr ess 2010, Sydn e y, Australia, 2010
[12] X. Xion g, A. Adan, B. Akin ci, and D. Huber , "Automatic cr eation of seman tically r ich 3D buildin g models fr om laser scann er data," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 31, pp 325337, 2013.
[13] Con or Dor e an d M Murph y, "Semi-automa tic gen er ation of a s-built BIM façade geometr y fr om laser and ima ge data," Journal of Info rma ti o n Technolog y in Con struction, vol. 19, pp 20-46, 2014
[14] Mah er s Spor ts (2014, 3 Mar ch ) Ch etwyn d Viaduct.
Available: http://mah er soutdoor.blogspot ie/2010/12/ch et wyn d -viaduct.html
[15] N. Hichri, C Stefani, L De Luca, an d P Veron , "Revie w o f th e "as-built BIM" approach es," Int. Ar ch Photogr amm. Rem ote Sen s Spatial Inf. Sci , vol. XL-5/W1, pp 107112, 2013.
[16] A. O’Keeffe, "T h e State of th e Art of Br idge Infor mation Modellin g from Con ceptual Design Through to Oper ation , " in CITA BIM Gath ering, Ir elan d, 2013, pp 133-140
[17] M Marzouk, E Cair o Un iver sity, M Hi sha m, an d E Cair o Un iver sity, "Application s of Building In for ma tion Modeling in Cost Estimation of I nfra structur e Br idges," In ternational Journal of 3-D Infor mati o n Mod elin g (IJ3DIM), vol. 1, pp 17-29, 2015
[18] M. Mar zouk an d M. Hisham, "Implemen tin g earn ed value management using br idge in for mation modeling," Ksce Jour nal of Civil Engin eer ing, vol. 18, pp. 1302-1313, Jun e 2014
[19] Ch uck Eastman, Paul T eich olz, Rafael Sacks, an d K. Liston, "BIM Case Studies," in BI M Handbook: A Guide to Buildin g Infor mati o n Mod elin g fo r Own ers, Managers, Designers, Engin eer s and Contr actors, Secon d ed: Wiley, 2011, pp. 494-513.
[20] A H. Abbas (2011, Apr il 15) San Francisc oOaklan d Bay Br idge benefits from bri dge in form ati on modelin g Available: http://cen ews.com/article/8351/san fran cisco_ o aklan d_ba y_br idge_ben efits from_br idge in fo r mation modelin g
[21] M. M. Mar zouk and M. Hisha m, "Br idge Infor mation Modelin g in Sustainable Br idge Man agement," pr esen ted at th e Inter national Con fer en ce on Susta inable Design and Con struction (ICSDC) 2011, Kansas City, Missour i, US, 2011.
[22] S. Fir as A Al, Yelda Tur kan an d Simon La flamme, "BRIM Implemen tation for Documen tation of Br idge Con dition for Inspection, 2015," pr esented at th e 5th Internation al/11th Constr uction Specialty Con fer en ce, Van couver , Br itish Columbia, Canada, 2015.
[23] HM Gover n ment (UK), "Digital Built Br itainLevel 3 Buildin g In for mation Modellin gStrategic Plan , " HM Government (UK), UK, Febr uar y 2015 2015
[24] K. Barlish and K. Sullivan, "How to mea sur e th e ben efits of BIM A ca se stud y approach," Automation in Con str uction, vol. 24, pp 149159, 2012
Waterf ord Institute of Technology, Waterf ord, County Waterf ord
E-mail: 1rstubbs@wit.ie 2christ_bn@hot mail.com 3darrenmurphy91@hot mail.com
Abstract The adoption of intelligent virtual environments, or BIM, by the AECO industry continues to gather momentum. Much of this development has been based on the creation of new buildings. The adoption of B IM in this context has proven quite successful as the application of these innovative technologies and processes has resulted in quantifiable savings. B IM has allowed the construction sector to fully explore and simulate a building’s design, assembly and performance, prior to construction commencing. A similar approach to our historic building stock has not yet begun. Research in this area is evolving and there is an opportunity for the heritage sector to engage with this ever developing computer science. To date, the practice and implementation of computer simulation to existing buildings of historic interest has largely been shunned by the architectural conservation community Through the exploration of virtual environments, our existing knowledge base can be greatly enhanced. This paper discusses the findings of an on-going collaborative project where samples of buildings in Historic Waterford were recreated in a virtual environment. To assess the capabilities of a B IM methodol ogy a sample of building typologies was selected. Case Study A is Christ Church Cathedral, designed by renowned Georgian architect John Roberts and dates back to the 18th century, whilst Case Study B is an 18th century dwelling that contains a 15th century structure in parts. As the models are constructed as intelligent models they have been assembled with various levels of meta-data applied that has allowed for further interrogation by processing through a series of simulation programs to establish technical performance data relating to the fabric of the buildings. The paper than concludes with a brief outline of the future direction regarding this on-going project.
Keywords Intelligent Modelling, Built Heritage, Virtual Envir on men ts, HBIM, BIM
This on -going resear ch project was or iginally envisaged as a vehicle to examin e th e exten t an application of a BIM methodolog y could assist in furth er developing th e existin g knowledge base relating to th e built h eritage. Th e ch osen subject area of Waterford City was selected due to th e rich tapestry of ar chitectural historic artefacts from multiple strands of history th at exist in close pr oximity Th e area, kn own locally as th e Vikin g Triangle, is a compact, historic area located in the heart of Waterford City
As th e name suggests th is is th e area th at the Vikin gs first settled, and subsequen tly establish ed Irelan ds oldest City in 914 AD. This area has remain ed at the h eart of the City and it is on ly in more recent times th e City Authorities acknowledged this fact and indeed set about celebrating this legacy.
Th is paper will outlin e th e process of applyin g intelligen t modellin g techn iques, in th e guise of (H)BIM to furth er in terrogate artefacts of th e built h eritage located within th e Viking Trian gle. Section 2 will briefly explain th e curren t state of th e art and contemporary th in king on th e subject. Section 3 will defin e th e context in which th e
in formation was obtain ed from th e various stakeh olders. Section 4 will discuss th e two case studies, Christ Church Cath edral & No.1 & 2 Cath edral Square and explore to wh at extent intelligen t modellin g has played on th ese buildin gs. Section 5 will th en discuss th ese fin dings and examine the possible uses for the dissemin ation of this data. Finally Section 6 will outlin e furth er research into th is areas an d th e plan s to furth er develop the HBIM process in to the realm of intangible h eritage.
BIM r epresents a new paradigm within th e AECO sector, on e th at en courages integr ation of the roles of all stakeh older s on a pr oject. It has th e poten tial to pr omote greater efficien cy an d harmony amon g players wh o, in th e past, saw themselves as adversaries (Azhar et al., 1) BIM also supports th e concept of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) wh ich is a n ovel pr oject delivery appr oach to integrate people, systems, busin ess structures and practices in to a collaborative process to reduce waste and optimize efficiency thr ough all ph ases of th e project life cycle (Glick and Guggemos2).
There are clear advantages to the BIM pr ocess as the BIM model is capable of producin g traditional 2D plan s, section s, elevation s, con struction details, pr oduct in for mation, sch edules and analysis. Th is allows all th e project in formation to be retrieved fr om one single source “th e federated model”. Th e pr ocess utilises intelligen t technologies to an alyse and quan tify all of a buildings compon ents prior to any onsite, or off-site, production .
Wh ilst th e main stream AECO in dustry has begun to embrace the virtues of BIM in a meaningful mann er, it has fun damentally focused on large scale, new build pr ojects. The application of BIM methodologies to historic buildin gs is n ot as prevalent. Research in th is area is steadily evolvin g Th e virtues of a BIM methodology are fun damentally th e ability to compile, manage and dissemin ate large data sets to multiple stakeh olders fr om one CDE (Common Data En vir onment) source. Projects con cern ing the built h eritage would ben efit hugely from such a mechanism of project implementation.
In the context of BIM an d HBIM, exploration into Virtual Cultural Heritage has been on -going for quite some time. However th e emphasis on pr ocedural semantic modelling began to evol ve in the mid 2000`s. Boulaassal et al. 3 devised a system to retrieve lin es of façades in laser point clouds th at allowed for th e dimen sion of openin gs within the walls. The case studies were quite simple façades where this method was
successful, however the lack of parametric architectural libr aries at th e time mean t it was quite limited. De Luca,4 an d Fuchs 5 investigated a technique of modelling fr om arch itectural rules and pattern books such as old treaties for ancient and classic styles. Th e case study pr oved quite successful however it was limited to int ernal architectural mouldings.
In contrast to this r esear ch, Chevrier & Perr in 6 took an altern ative appr oach By devisin g th e parametric model of th e building compon en t to create libraries based on historical data an d then alter th e parameters of th ese compon ents in relation to th e actual sur vey of th e building in an effort to create an efficien t wor kflow. A plugin for Maya was created, which allowed for this in formation to be inserted in to a parametric CAD model of a buildin g.
This approach was furth er developed with th e improvement in data acquisition techniques such as laser scanning and photogrammetric surveys by Chevrier, et al 7 Building on this early resear ch, De Luca, L. 8 developed parametric CAD objects which can be mapped directly onto th e primary sur vey Th e parametr ic primitives or objects can be modified to fit a range of geometry and texture requirements for virtual illustration of historic structures.
Inter estingly, the term historic buildin g in formation modelling (HBIM) was actually first coin ed by research ers in Dublin In stitute of Techn olog y and Trin ity College Du blin Murph y et al., 9 looked at a methodology for con str uctin g a library of in teractive parametric objects based on h ow historic ar chitectural data is presented using geometric descriptive language, GDL
As a multi-disciplin ary an d evol ving syst em, Histor ic Building Infor mation Modellin g (HBIM) has been developed to encapsulate the survey of existing structures using remote sensing followed by th e mapping of parametric and in formation rich objects on to a geometric framework based on the r emote sur vey data. The resultan t HBIM can th en be used for automatically producin g limited conservation documentation and analysis of h istoric str uctures in addition to visualisation . (Dore)10
Th e poten tial of HBIM is still in th e initial stages. Early investigators in th e field, such as the Fai11, Boeyk en s12, Or en i13 and oth ers have progressed th e applications of BIM into the conservation r ealm in various diverse direction s
The more con temporary research initiatives are case study based (modellin g of historic structures) using various remote sen sin g hardware and software syst ems and BIM software platfor ms. In th e early resear ch the pr oblem of buildin g parametric architectural libraries is main ly over come graphically as opposed to coding the
parametric objects. In contrast, HBIM is now being examin ed to allow for th e libraries to be used as stan d-alone or cr oss-platfor m. The syst ems used for mapping the objects onto point clouds or mesh models are based on manually aligning th e objects on to or th ographic pr ojects fr om the point cloud or mesh model.14
What is apparent is th e differ en t approaches in achieving a HBIM. Th ese differ en tiations are seemingly aligned to whichever sector the research er emanates from Th ere are essen tially two areas of r esearch which have focused on developin g the kn owledge base, Computers Sciences an d the AECO pr ofession s Th e reviewed literature to date high ligh ts that this in sigh t is based on how each of these strands of research predomin antly view th e “I” in BIM. For some, the “I” refers more to “intelligence” rather than “in for mation” , wh ilst others perceive the “I” as “in ter operability” between soft ware platforms.
Heter ogen eous data was obtain ed from th e local stakeholders in volved with the project. Both Case studies, wh ilst con trastin g building typologies, were appr oach ed in a similar fashion Th e Cath edral auth orities, local h istoric groups and the Local Government departments were quite willin g an d amenable to supply in for mation in both paper an d digital for mat. This in formation had to be ch ecked and cr oss r efer enced via multiple sources to en sure accuracy Multiple site visits were also conducted to en sure accuracy and isolated areas were subject to photogrammetry sur veys for model auth entication. It is important to stress that at this jun cture th e en tire buildin g, in th e case of the Cathedral, has not of yet been laser scanned.
Th e Cath edral was design ed by famed architect John Roberts and was completed in 1779. Set-out in th e Neo-Classical Georgian style, th e buildin g was consider ed by th e architectural historian, Mark Gir ouard, to be the fin est example of an 18th century ecclesiastical buildin g in Ireland. Inter estingly Roberts also design ed th e Cath olic Cath edral which lies in very close pr oximity Th is feat identifies Roberts as the only architect to design cath edrals for both th e Pr otestant an d Catholic faith s in th e same city.
A great deal of preparation and thought were given to the wor kflow on how the BIM would be created. Due consideration was given to the complexity of th e building and agreed LOD (Level of Detail) was decided upon prior to commencin g the con struction of the model. It was decided th e BIM would be developed in 4 Stages.
Stage 1 – Creating Families. Modelling families is an essen tial part of th e pr ocess as they pr ovide th e model with the distin ctive ch aracteristics and featur es of th e actual building. Par ametric Families within Revit are ultimately separate projects linked to the main pr oject, updatin g automatically as th ey are bein g created. By cr eating families for each building element, or component, it considerably h elps to speed up th e modelling pr ocess. On ce a family is created it can be placed within the model so it can be utilised as man y times as required
Windows. Th ere were seven differ ent window family’s created for the Christ Chur ch model. The fir st win dow modelled was th e main large first floor window To start modellin g th e win dow a n ew metric win dow family template is open ed in a separate project. The standard win dow template con sists of a wall at wh ich th e win dow is hosted. In a plan view th e wall has a central x,y axis. This is th e centre point fr om wh ich the modelled geometry is constr ained to. This pr ocess is carried by adding reference planes to the sketch and eith er locking th e dimensions to th e x,y axis or creating a parameter so the dimensions can be edited later in th e pr ocess. When th e referen ce planes that define the win dows height, width and at wh at depth it sits in th e wall are applied th e 3D geometry can be applied.
All of th e geometry created within th e win dow family is sketched in 2D planes and eith er sweeps ar oun d a path such as th e 18 win dow fr ame are extr uded along a sin gle axis such as glazing bars or glass creatin g th e win dow compon ent, on e small piece at a time Once the first window is cr eated it n ow becomes the base for the remaining win dows. Th e base is saved as an oth er file name an d simply edited to form th e n ext win dow and the pr ocess is repeated over again un til all th e win dow families are created.
Inter estingly, the n iche and bell opening on the tower were both cr eated as window families. Sin ce th e win dow template was best suited to their r equirements, which is to be a wall hosted compon ent and create opening cuts in the wall th ey are h osted to. Th e nich e and bell openin gs h ave similar reveals to the created win dow family’s wh ich meant th at time could be saved in th e modelling pr ocess, by n ot redoin g work already don e.
The external walls of th e belfr y were sketch ed in a 2D view over th e image un derlay (data fr om existin g sur vey). The tower core was divided in to four sections, the base section, second tier, third tier and roof, with each section stepping back as th e tower rises. Th e base walls extend up to a h eigh t of 14m before thinnin g out. Th is section of th e model has 2m thick solid limestone wall which has th e stairs to th e belfry in corporated within . The section also in corporates th e main entrance on the western facade.
The roof of th e belfry was cr eated by applying the blen d tool within Revit, which r equir es two separate 2D sketches. At the base of the r oof, a hexagon pr ofile was sketched before scalin g down th e pr ofile and tran sferrin g it to the peak reference plain, which th en blen ds to give the roofs sh ape. To apply th e roofs finish a 2D sketch was drawn in a section view and swept ar oun d th e blen ded profile. The circular features at the roofs base were created as metric roof based families as is in
keepin g with the method of trying to create as much of the model as possible from parametric family compon ents.
Stage 3- The Main Building
The n ext stage in th e creation of the model was th e body of th e cathedral i.e. walls, floors an d r oof It is important to create each building material within the compon ent accurately so that it r epresents the actual buildings ph ysical properties. By applyin g this method th e wall, floor or r oof with in th e model n ow become the source for th e stor ed data. This provides all th e wall, floor or roof metadata in one sin gle manageable file.
with a top lip that aligns with th e first floor win dow cills. Th e lip is created using a sweep syst em edited within th e wall typ e creation Differ en t par ameters can be set to con tr ol the h eigh t its offset or allow the sweep to break wh en objects are placed in the wall later in th e pr oject.
The external walls of th e Cathedral have a limestone plin th and a contin uous exposed limestone break between groun d floor level and first floor levels. At eaves level there is a second break similar to that at first floor level which also incorporates a decorative moulding at th e walls top. Th is required th e wall creation with in th e model to h ave multiple wall build-ups with constrain ts set to con tr ol wh at levels or h eights th e differen t build-ups would appear The walls were created as a stacked wall which is two separate walls modelled individually but fused togeth er to create a single wall. Any modifications to th e stacked wall after it is created must be made to the individual walls which automatically updates to the stacked wall.
The BIM created is a data rich repository that contain s multiple layers of r elevant information. In BIM Level 2 parlance, it has become the Asset In for mation Model (AIM) and th e outputs, both graph ical and n on -graphical, can populate the Common Data En vir onment (CDE)
For in stan ce, in terms of a buildin g management a series of sch edules could readily be extracted. Th is data is based on shar ed parameters that have already been en coded into families an d compon ents in the pr evious steps. The shar ed parameters cr eated for the model included, h eight, width, year of refur bishment, number of stan dar d and customised glazing pan es, alteration s made, last maintained, maintenance required and URL. Th is group of parameters would form th e str ucture of the sch edule alon g with standard default parameters such as description, level, keynotes, material, and glazing.
At approximately 800mm in depth , this section is finish ed in an exposed limestone soldier cour se
Once the sch edule is created, any ch anges made to the sch edule will automatically update
thr ough out th e entire pr oject due to th e parametric nature of th e data envir onment created. This data has multiple uses amongst a variety of stakeholder s In terms of Cultural Tourism th e in formation can be linked via a URL address th at is imbedded within th e family. In this example a one page website was created containing in formation r egarding th e history of one of the windows with in the model.
No.1 & 2 Cathedral Square is an altern ative building typolog y to Case Stud y A and would th erefor e direct the interr ogation of the BIM model in a more diverse wa y Complimentary resear ch by the Local Auth ority has dated elements of the building to the mid-15th centur y It is believed th at there has been a dwelling on this site since that time. To what extent th e curren t dwellin g reflects th e origin al footprin t is unkn own , however cur sory fin dings would suggest that th e basement composition an d elements of th e timber structure are indeed 15th centur y
An oth er option explored in volved usin g th e actual model to display infor mation using keynotes. Keynotes can be attached to an y element within the model either in 2D views or 3D views by lockin g th e 3D orientation. The process of using keyn otes starts with th e creation or editin g of exter nal text files to display wh at infor mation is required. Th e text files are loaded into Revit, which automatically updates th e keyn ote attached to each element.
Furth ermore, th e dwellin gs were also occupied by Mr. John Rober ts, the ar chitect of the aforemention ed Christ Chur ch Cath edral in th e late 18th centur y. Similar to the Cathedral, the dwellin gs form an in tegral part of th e social h istory of the area and in fluences the vernacular narrative of the Vikin g triangle.
Th e pur pose of th e r esear ch was to create virtual en vir onments that further ed our kn owledge base regar ding th e built h eritage. With that in min d th e decision was taken to utilise th is Case Study to interr ogate th e buildin g performan ce of h istoric structures through computer simulation of a BIM model. In terms of devel oping un derstan din g, th e challenge of the exercise was to evaluate through the process of HBIM, a more fact based un derstanding of livin g con ditions for the time period in question.
The above approach es are merely a sample of possible uses for the data. Th e list of stakeh olders ran ge fr om AECO pr ofessionals to Cultural Tourism r igh t through to on -goin g buildin g management.
Th e in formation for th e BIM was collated fr om various sources that in cluded existin g CAD drawin gs, visual sur veys, den dr ochr on ology reports an d sch olarly resear ch into th e livin g con ditions of th e mid-18th cen tury dwellings.
Stage 2 – Constructing the BIM
Th e BIM was constr ucted in Revit, similar to h ow a n ew build project may be approach ed. The data obtain ed in Stage 1 was pr ocessed an d information was duly en tered into Revit an d th e BIM was speedily created.
Stage 3 – Supplying the information
Much of th e metadata th at is r equired was secur ed from the var ious reports and accounts already un dertaken on this site by thir d parties. This provided all n ecessary in formation regardin g th e buildin gs fabric that would allow for environmen tal simulation .
isolation All data pertainin g to th is elemen t is clearly contained within the model, data such as wall str ucture, material, composition, R-value, Rvalue and thermal mass. Similar data is applied to oth er key parametric families such as windows, r oof and so on
Stage 4 – Interrogating the Information
Th e completed BIM was th en exported to Revit Con ceptual Analysis initially an d th en furth er into Revit Building En ergy An alysis. Th e resulting .gbXML file was th en exported to Autodesk Green Buildin g Studio for furth er testing. In addition Thermal Bridge Assessments were also conducted of the con str uction details to help furth er complete th e building per for man ce picture, through Th erm 5.2
The level of metadata associated with each material is an issue to be tackled in early pr eparatory meetings with each project assessed on a case by case basis. The aim of this task was to simulate an d evaluate the perfor mance of the buildin g.
The fin dings suggest str on gly, in a scien tific mann er, that th e buildin gs would h ave pr ovided quite poor living con dition s Regardless of th e con sumption of fuel th e building envelope lacked th e capacity to retain, or sufficien tly “lag” h eat loss in any meanin gful way. Essen tially th e heat would escape far faster than it could be retained once th e extern al temperature dropped bel ow a given thresh old. It sh ould be noted that this thr esh old fluctuated depending on th e wind speed and dir ection. The average internal temperature for the space was calculated at 11.1 ºC.
The Case Study was deemed a success in h elpin g to furth er un der stan d building per forman ce of that er a The gen erated model pr oved quite robust and was truly a parametric BIM model that contain ed real data that could be extrapolated for furth er use an d leveraged towar ds multiple enduser s
The key lesson learn ed fr om both Case Studies is quite clear. Essen tially if th e model h as not been built correctly fr om th e outset than th e in formation leveraged down stream will be insufficient, inaccurate and ultimately unusable. Clear guidan ce and r ules should be set in place prior to the commencement of the process similar to a BIM Implementation Plan and the corresponding LOD (Level of Detail) as required for th e given project
Using Autodesk Revit to create 3D models for th e documentation of h istorical data requires th e modeller to be high ly skilled with sufficien t knowledge of architectural histor y Th e creation of the model can be quite a tedious pr ocess as it can require individual compon ents to be modelled separately
For instan ce, if the “walls” are considered in
As alluded to previousl y, research into HBIM is still evolvin g Th ere are multiple streams waitin g to be developed an d pur sued thr ough academic inquir y. In th e AECO sector the BIM emphasis has been placed on 2016 and the digital switch in terms of Level 2 compliance. In essence, BIM has diverged between BIM Theory/Pr actices and indeed BIM technologies. In th e context of HBIM this is also occurring. Many view HBIM as a form of capturin g an d cataloguing physical data and inventin g streamlin ed processes for this workflow. This has gen erated n ew wor kflows for charting an d documenting the ph ysical or “tangible” built h eritage Th e ph ysical, or tan gible qualities of a building/place are only a part of the legacy, th e embedded in tan gible fabric is of equal, if not greater virtue.
Future research will establish if th e HBIM pr ocess can deliver a r obust meth odology to allow for a more multi-faceted understanding of the built heritage
[1] S Azhar, et al. “Building Information Modeling (BIM):no w and beyond” Austalasian journ al of con struction Econ omics and Buildin g,12(4)1528, 2012
[2] S. Glick, A Guggemos. 'IPD and BIM: Benefits and Opportunities for Regulatory Agencies' Proceedings of the 45th ASC Nation al Conferen ce, Gain esville, Florida, April 2-4, 2009
[3] H. Boulaassal, et al., 'Automatic Extraction of Planar Clusters and their Contours on Building Façades Recorded by Terrestrial Laser Scanner' Proceedings of the 14th Internation al Conferen ce on Virtual Systems and Multimedia: VSMM 2008, Limassol, Cypr us, pp 8-15, 2008
[4] L. De Luca, et al., 'A Generic Formalism for the Semantic Modeling and Representation of Architectural Elements', The Visual Computer, 23 (3): pp 181-205, 2007
[5] A. Fuchs, 'Outils numériques pour le relevé architectural et la restitution archéologique', PhD th esis, Un iversité Henri Poin caré, Nan cy, Fran ce. CAAD Futures, 2006.
[6] C. Ch evrier, an d J.P. Perrin, 'Interactive Parametric Modelling: POG a Tool the Cultural Heritage Monument 3D reconstruction' CAADRIA con fer en ce, Ch iang Mai, Thailan d, pp 487-493, 2008
[7] C. Ch evrier, et al, 'Parametric documenting of built heritage: 3d virtual reconstruction of architectural details', IJAC, vol. 08 n o 2, pp 131-45, 2010.
[8] L De Luca, C Busarayat, C Stefani, N Renaudin, M Flor enzan o, P. Véron, 'An Iconography-Based Modeling Approach for the Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Architectural Heritage. In: Shape Modeling', International Con fer en ce (SMI '10) Washington , USA, pp. 78-89, 2010
[9] M Mur ph y, E M Gover n & S Pavia. 'Historic Building Information Modelling – adding intelligence to laser and image based surveys of European classical architecture' ISPRS Journal of Ph otogrammetry and remote sen sin g, vol. ISSN 0924-2716, 2013
[10] C Dor e, M Murph y, S McCarth y, F Brechin, C Casidy & E Dirix ‘Structural Simulations and Conservation Analysis -Historic Building Information Model (HBIM)’ , confer en ce paper, 3D-ARCH 2015 – 3D Virtual Reconstr uction and Visualization of Complex Ar chitectures, Avila, Spain, 2015
[11] S Fai, K Grah am, T Duckworth, N Wood & R Attar 'Building Information Modelling and Heritage Documentation'. Paper pr esented at th e XXIII CIPA International Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic, 2011.
[12] S Boeyken s, C Himpe, B Marten s. 'A Case Study of Using BIM in Historical Reconstruction - The Vinohrady synagogue in Prague'. Conference Paper, 30th International Confer en ce on Education and Research in CAAD in Europe, Pr ague, Czech Republic, 2012.
[13] D Or eni, R. Brumana, S Della Torre, F Banfi, L Barazzetti & M Previtali Survey turned into HBIM: the restoration and the work involved concerning the Basilica di Collemaggio after the earthquake (L'Aquila), ISPRS 2014.
[14] C Dore, M Mur ph y, ‘Semi-Automatic Generation of As-Built BIM Facade Geometry from Laser and Image Data’ , Journal of In for mation Techn ology in Construction, vol. 19, pp 20-46 2014
1Barry
McAuley, 2Dr. Alan Hore and 3Prof. Roger P. West 1 & 2School of Real Estate and Economics, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland3Department of Civil,
Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College , College Green, Dublin 2, IrelandE-mail: 1barry,mcauley@dit.ie
2alan.hore@dit.ie 3rwest@tcd.ie
Abstract Governments across the globe are now recognising the need to take steps to better manage their property portfolios due to the escalating costs of operating these buildings over their lifetime. This has seen them turn towards innovative work practices and technologies offered by Building Information Modelling (BIM). It is now becom ing increasingly evident that BIM can bring significant added value to the design, construction and most importantly to the operational life of a public sector development project. This experience has resulted in a number of governments moving towards implementing BIM for all public works projects. BIM allows the building to be designed collaboratively within a unique integrated environment which aims to produce a more rewarding and cost efficient building for the end-user. Despite enhanced Facilities Management (FM) being the goal of this collaborative BIM approach, there is still a reluctance and a lack of perceived benefits of having the Facility Manager involved earlier in the design phase. Some of the reasons for this is a clear lack of metrics to quantify the contribution that the Facility Manager can provide at the early design phase. This paper will detail a new process, in which the Facilities Manager will operate as a key professional at an early stage and further suggest a unique set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of their contribution. The data collation methodology includes the use of data from a number of public sector pilot projects and extensive surveys that have been scientifically analysed through thematic analysis to establish common themes and trends. These common themes represent some of the key areas where the Facilities Manager can have the greatest effect when introduced into the construction team. It is hoped that the research findings will support the business case for the adoption of a more robust FM process for the public sector, facilitated by the use of a suite of unique KPIs.
Keywords Building Information Modelling, Facilities Management, Facilities Manager, Key Performance Indicators, Public Works, Ireland
Public sector bodies are responsible for diverse, expensive but capital intensive assets, which require the adaption to all changes taking place in their environment, as well as anticipa tion of future challenges [1] One of the biggest threats faced by international governments in delivering greater efficiency on public works is the need for the public sector to have an enhanced physical environment to operate from. The physical environment can either enhance or impede worker productivity, therefore
contributing to its bottom line profits and success of the organisation [2]. A poorly designed public building can now significantly impact on an international government’s monetary budget. With 85% of the life cycle cost of a facility occurring after construction is completed, this demonstrates that the information needs of the Facilities Manager far outweigh those of the design and construction professionals [3] Liu and Issa noted that the largest building cost component over its life-cycle is maintenance which can be ignored in the design phase [4]. This was reinforced by
Kassem et al who reported a $15.8 billion loss caused by interoperability inefficiencies, with $10.6 billion attributed to the operations and maintenance phase of a building [5]
These reported losses have seen a number of governments turn towards Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in order to explore new ways of getting improved productivity and cost savings from public sector construction projects. The primary objective for this approach is to seek a pre-construction digital representation of all the required information [6] The ICT tool increasingly being chosen is BIM [7]. Samso et al., observed that public owners and operators are increasingly focusing on implementing BIM, to support the FM and operations phase of their facilities [8]. Governments around the world have recognised the inefficiencies affecting the construction industry in general, and have either recommended or mandated the use of BIM as a strategy for addressing declining productivity [5]
The 2014 McGraw Hill Smart Market Report asserts that BIM usage is gaining powerful momentum, with major private and government owners now utilising the benefits of a faster, more certain project delivery, and more reliable quality and cost. [10]. The application of BIM can be used by FM departments for renovations, space planning, and maintenance operations, as well as to perform forensically a graphical analysis that can highlight possible failures, maintenance defects, etc. [11]. In specific relation to public estates BIM can attempt to streamline this process, as it can be used to digitise a detailed description of the building and the important elements that contribute to its ongoing O&M, as well as describing how each element is linked [7]
Volk et al. also acknowledge that there are significant additional benefits for BIM that include valuable ‘as-built’ documentation, maintenance of warranty and service information, quality control, assessment and monitoring, energy and space management, emergency management and using structured up-to date building information to reduce errors with regards to deconstruction or retrofitting [12]
For Facility Managers, BIM Software can be a powerful new tool to enhance a building’s performance and manage O&M activit ies more rewardingly throughout a building’s life. The model can help to automate the creation of inventory lists for equipment, populate current FM systems and reduce redundancy in the maintenance of facility
data for FM activities [13]. With BIM, the Facility Manager will be better equipped to perform an interrogation of the reported problem which will save time and effort that would have been otherwise wasted looking for relevant and accurate information [14]. Despite the promise of enhanced FM through the use of BIM, there is still a reluctance to involve the Facility Manager earlier in the design process.
The Facilities Manager can play a significant role in ensuring the most functional and practical structure can be realised. The Facilities Manager can help ensure that the most relevant data is embedded into the model that will be of most benefit when it comes to the operation of the building [15]. BIM will offer a new dimension of maintenance, as it will offer a platform for the building’s lifecycle, it will also allow the Facility Manager to challenge the model in respect to the impact on operational cost or maintenance [16] [5].
The Facilities Manager can help advice the design team of the client’s overall needs and should be engaged by the client at early design stage to assist in evaluating the design from initial concepts onwards. They can further help co-ordinate the thoughts of the designer with the end-user [17]. BIM brings Facilities Managers closer to project conceptualization and pre-construction stages than they were in traditional processes of project development. BIM will only add value to the FM process where modellers or designers are able to share facilities managers’ values right from the very early stages of project life [18]. Facility Managers have traditionally been included in the building lifecycle in a very limited way, which has resulted in different design decisions not usually challenged for their impact on operational cost or maintenance. BIM in FM will facilitate the future involvement of Facility Managers at a much earlier design stage, in order to convey their input and influence on the design and construction of a building. [5].
Despite the claims made by a number of authors with regards to early Facility Manager involvement in the BIM process, it is still not a common or established procedure. Wang et al., has outlined that little research is evident in investigating the benefit of integrating FM in the early design stage [19]. Kelly et al further highlight a number of procedural and cultural mind-set issues as to why BIM for FM is not readily adopted, which includes the need for Facility Managers to be involved earlier instead of at a very late phase in the project [9].
A number of significant developments ha ve attempted to include the end-user in the BIMgoverned construction processes. These include the UK Government Soft Landings (GSL) in where the end-user has been brought in to help refine the design in half day workshops [20]. The General Services Administration (GSA) has used building managers to help define essential FM data [21]. In Penn State the Facility Managers h ave access to the latest attribute information and geometric data [22]. Despite the con tributions made here by the end-user as a group or the Facility Manager in a number of cases, their involvement has been unstructured and is dependent to a large extent on the open mindedness of the design team.
In order to justify their inclusion the authors sought to develop KPIs to translate their specific contribution.
Sarkar et al. sought to identify the KPIs that affe cts the usage of BIM as a FM tool. Through the use of a questionnaire aimed at the Indian AEC/FM sector they established 15 KPIs from 69 responses that where further grouped into five different components as detailed in Table 1.
The above table details some areas where using the BIM model for FM purposes is of most benefit and identifies the potential KPIs to measure these The framework as intended is generic in nature and is intended to offer guidance on how to use the model. These KPIs do not offer any guidance of how the Facilities Manager can play a role in the construction process and focuses more on the technical aspects of FM, not the strategic relevance [23].
Zadeh et al. detailed a BIM quality assessment approach for FM where they detailed three critical areas that must be represented in the model from a FM perspective, in order to avoid significant quality issues, including inaccurate, incomplete, or unnecessary information. The three detailed areas of FM include asset information, MEP systems and spaces. The authors advocate the use of this research to be deployed by owners to create suitable BIM-quality strategies and assure the quality of required information for the operations, in the early phases of the project. These areas could be possible categories in which early deployment of the Facilities Manager could assist [24].
The UK GSL strategy has made some strid es within this area with earlier involvement been utilised in a number of projects. The GSL is measured through the following key areas from the early stage of design into post occupancy, as they pass through the whole BIM process
• Environmental: The mea surement of energy usage pre and post occupancy.
• Financial Management: The Operational expenditure.
• FM and Commissioning, Training & Handover: Establishing a process and making sure the right people are brought on at the right time.
• Functionality and Effectiveness: What was achieved at the end of the whole process and for what purpose.
There has been some positive results in recent UK pilots that include Shonks Mill and Liverpool Prison. However the KPIs are extremely generic and do not provide a focus or any particular guidance of where the Facilities Managers expertise can be best realised. The KPIs are at most a guidance to help measure generic areas of benefit which early FM could possibly contribute. The results range from involvement in workshops and structured questions in face to face meetings. The strong majority of the case studies involved post occupancy evaluation and showed little
involvement in the actual BIM design process. [20].
The area of performance management with regards to FM is still an ongoing and an active research area, with leading academics still voicing the need for further investigation. More concerning is the lack of a measurement matrix or indicators with regards to the performance of the Facility Manager within the BIM govern ed design and construction. Without these important performance indicators there is no method to efficiently calculate or understand if the Facility Manager can enhance the design and construction process. This is the overreaching aim of the authors’ research.
The author’s research to-date has sought to identify the KPI’s that would be of most benefit in quantif ying early Facilities Manager involvement in the BIM process on publically funded projects. This has involved a research approach that has encompassed both quantitative and qualitative data. In order to further validate this data before final testing in the field it was decided to perform an extensive scientific analysis of all qualitative data recorded to date. The purpose of this was to ensure that there was a high level of rigor and analysis placed on the r esults, as so to justify the KPIs to be tested before final r efinement of the results. This involved the thematic analysis of all qualitative data from three public sector BIM projects and two exten sive surveys. A total of 104 sources are repr esented in the results However this has been reduced to 19, as each survey has been designated as a single source despite having multiple respon ses to open ended question from a number of pr ofessionals. Each in terview was treated as a separate source.
Thematic Analysis can be described as a method for identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data. Braun and Clarke describe a six phase process to thematic analysis which has now become the predominant approach [25]. These phases have been followed by the authors in the analysis of the data. The authors choose to adopt Nvivo software for the thematic analysis as it less labour intensive than manually assigning and an alysing codes though paper transcripts.
The first phase involved interrogating the research and generating nodes within each piece of primary research. This involved manually scrolling through all the data and systemically coding lines of text to the relevant nodes. The second phase involved developing categories in which consisted in the collating of codes into themes. This involved going through each of the nodes and then organising them
into categories. The third phase involved reviewing the categories to ensure the coded themes work in relation to the extracts. This in volved reviewing the categories and breaking down the now restru ctured categories into sub-categories to offer a more in depth understanding. The next phase of the th ematic analysis involved defining and naming themes and the reduction of data. This produced 3 key themes that had a total of 69 nodes. Memos where further linked to the analysis as this enabled one to record the ideas, insights, interpretations or growing understanding of the material in the pr oject. Important aspects of the interview or data where recorded through ann otations. This permits the recording of comments, reminders or observations about specific content in a source or node.
The following key themes have emerged as detailed in Table 3:
1. Management of Irish Public Sector Assets
2. Role in the Design and Construction Stage.
3. Key Performance Areas
Table 2: Key Themes (SC = Sources Coded i.e. a total of 19 different elements of primary research were coded.SC represents how many elements of primary research this theme was coded in within this figure. CC= Citations coded i.e. how many times this theme was coded within all of the primary research . A theme could be coded multiple times within one element of primary research )
In establishing any criteria that will be used as a basis for early Facilities Manager involvement it was paramount that current problems within the Irish estate are assessed. This involved breaking theme one into four distinct nodes, as detailed in Table 4. Each node within Table 4 was further broken down into its further sub themes.
The theme of “Management of Irish Public Assets” aimed to establish prevalent themes with regards to the operating of public sector assets. It was disco vered that the most prevailing themes with regards to public sector estate problems involved the improper use of the building, lack of documentation and staffing concerns due to a lack of knowledge in the operating of the building. It was discovered that public sector buildings, apart from third level institutions, do not have Facility Managers as defined by traditional standards but instead use district inspectors and accommodation officers. This results in these professionals contacting the property maintenance division through a helpdesk that has ultimately r esulted in a reactive based maintenance division that has cost substantial monies in Dublin alone. This is despite the use of Measured Term Maintenance (MTM) contracts to provide reactive and planned maintenance services for Government offices in the Dublin Region.
The concept of FM is not lost on the Irish public sector as seen through recent initiatives, such as the Public Sector Reform Plan (PSRP) and its commitment to adopting current European FM stan dards, with a focus on maximising workstation spaces. The public sector has also sought to commission a number of BIM public works governed projects such as the Greystones Coastal project . BIM adoption on publically funded projects in Ireland is slow but i ncremental adoption within the public sector design process has occurred with the overall goal of pr oviding an enhanced FM solution. This is where concerns begin to surface in regards to the poor Int egrated Project Delivery (IPD) system in place within the public sector due to its fragmented nature.
Despite BIM being advocated as one of the greatest benefit to the public sector from an FM per spective, the property maintenance sector is not engaging with BIM. If a strategic FM consultation is required the normal process is to deflect to the M&E department, who at present are not in the positon to contribute sufficiently to the model.
Early FM input during design and construction is usually restricted to the district inspector or a ccommodation officer. When consulted they usually operate as a clerk of works and have little oppor tunity to contribute to the construction process. The property maintenance division is usually over looked, as they are not viewed as possessing any additional knowledge to that of the architect or M&E engineer.
The Office of Public Work (OPW) who are charged with the operation and maintenance of many public buildings in Ireland are excluding the people who will be responsible for operating the building and
have confined them to an operational contribution in targeting reactive maintenance i ssues.
The results derived from the Irish Public Sector Estate theme are in direct conflict to literature reviewed by the authors[15] [17] [26]. While the overreaching aim of introducing BIM into the public works is to offer a more rewarding FM practice, it has been discovered that the FM discipline as a whole is not viewed as a contributing factor to this. The inclusion of the Facilities Manager in the construction process is not a concept that is practised on publically funded Irish projects.
It was important to create a theme to investigate the role of the Facility Manager in the construction process. This would permit the coding of all rel evant data to this theme node and enable the r esearcher to establish the key themes within this area. This involved breaking the theme two into three distinct nodes, as detailed in Table 5. Each node within Table 5 was further broken down into its var ious sub themes.
The node of “Role in the Design and Construction Process” aimed to establish the prevalent themes with regards to the best place for the Facility Manager to occupy within the overall BIM governed design and construction process. The most prevailing theme was that they should be involved within the initial design, as they can assist the design team due to their in-depth understanding of how the building will be used. They are viewed as being able to offer a different perspective and in some cases possibly inputting or deciding data to go into the model.
On further exploration it was revealed that the role best suited to achieve this was a maintenance and plant / M&E consultant. It was suggested that these persons could provide feedback to the design team with regards to maintenance related issues. Their knowledge of what M&E systems and parts work most efficiently is significant.
As already highlighted in the first theme, the M&E department is viewed as the strategic arm of the pu blic sector when it comes to plant related items. It will be hard for the Facility Manager to justify a contr ibution within this area.
Other areas of contribution that were prevalent include that of an energy consultant. Another prevai ling theme that has been revealed is that of the Facil ities Manager in assisting with life cycle costs. They can provide the QS with a more accurate life cycle figure based on their knowledge of existing O&M criteria. This will help provide different costing a lternatives for the client. A number of barriers to their involvement still exists as evident from the analysis. These included a fear that their presence would r esult in additional con sultant fees and a lack of understanding with regards to the construction process. There was also a concern that they do not have the knowledge required to add to the construction pr ocess which in turn will slow the design down due to it becoming too con gested.
Th e first two themes have analysed the current state of the Irish public sector and its management. It has found that the Facility Manager is not viewed as a strategic partner in the construction process. Despite this the public sector tentatively pushes for ward with BIM despite no FM involvement except for the M&E arm of the state. The application of BIM in partnership with early Facil ity Manager involvement has been voiced as part of a solution that will more effectively address common public sector problem s. The purpose of the next node is to thematically an alyse the contribution of the Facilties Manager within each of these areas.
This again involved breaking the theme down into distinct nodes, as detailed in Table 6. Each node within Table 6 was further broken down into further sub themes.
The node of “Key Performance Areas” aimed to establish the prevalent themes with regards to where the contribution of the Facility Manager in the early BIM process would be of most benefit. The most prevailing theme is that they can have the greatest influence with regards to maintenance related issues. This is aligned with the findings of theme two, where it was discovered that one of their most beneficial roles is that of a maintenance consultant. They can use their knowledge of oper ational efficiency as a skillset in helping to reduce operational costs by using their knowledge to specify equipment with minimal maintenance requir ements. This will ultimately reduce future costs. This will ensure more focus is placed on the oper ational expenditure and not on the capital cost. They can also reduce the functionality risk by providing an in depth analysis of how the building will be r equired to function on a daily basis. They can make more certain that systems installed are not only fun ctional but are easily maintained and accessible from a maintenance perspective.
Other strong themes include their contribution from an M&E perspective, where, they can use their skillset to reduce operational costs. They can ensure that the systems installed are not only fun ctional but are easily maintained therefore avoiding plant down time. They can assist in specifying heating systems, as they will have an in depth understanding of how the building will be used and can contribute to the layout of the plant room, so as to ensure ease of access for maintenance purposes. They can help reduce power consumption by specifying equipment with low energy demand. However, as previously analysed given that the public sector already has a strategic M&E department these expectations may need to be managed.
Within theme two there was a recognition that the Facility Manager can assist in the role of an energy consultant. As seen with the maintenance and M&E sub theme the Facility Manager by default through selection of environmentally friendly systems can help in reducing energy usage. They can specify equipment that is functional but also energy con scious. This is important as the operational costs as previously detailed by Aguilar and Ashcraft, can be as much as 85% of the complete li fe cycle cost [3]. The Facility Managers can provide professional advice on energy performance based on previous sustainability strategies from similar buildings.
Other sub themes that developed included their early introduction in contributing their pra ctical knowledge for the floor layout in regards to the better utilization of the work space and more pra c-
tical layout of the office from a services point of view. The correct utilisation of space can increase worker productivity. Their intimate knowledge of occupant behaviour can assist with com municating the needs of the end-user to the design team ther efore ensuring the building can be tailored to the exact requirements of the occupant. Their knowledge of occupant behaviour and their working habits, as well as end-user feedback can ensure that a more accurate model is produced, as well as more accurate energy analysis.
A further sub theme that also developed was within the area of the Facility Manager assisting the QS in producing a more focused life c ycle cost by providing a greater focus on the operational cost. Other sub themes include the Facility Manager validating the model from an FM perspective with regards to specifying the type of information and the level of detail they want in the model. There was also evidence that they may be able to assist in materials selection by illustrating how the selection of high -quality mater ials may result in less replacement costs.
The purpose of this thematic analysis was to en sure the proposed KPIs for early Facility Manager involvement address some of the key concerns now faced by the Irish public sector estate, so that a combination of BIM and early Facility Manager involvement could be justified as a valid approach. This involved analysing current public sector problems and the current management role of the Faci lity Manager.
It was ultimately found that the most prevailing themes in regards to public sector estate problems involved improper use of the building, lack of documentation and staff concerns with regards to the operation of the building. The analysis also showed that the Facility Manager and their team are confined to an operational role that respond through a helpdesk system to reactive maintenance requests.
FM involvement, as seen through the analysis, is a fundamental ingredient in the design of a building in regards to reducing the operational spend. The ana lysis further showed that the Facility Manager could have an important role in the BIM process during the design.
The dominant theme included the operational efficiency skillset of facility managers in helping to reduce operational costs and provide important information on the daily function of the building, therefore reducing the associated functionality risk.
Facility managers can work with the design team to ensure they design for safe maintenance and accessibility. They can further assist in the layout and selection of M&E plant for both accessibility and efficiency related criteria. Their knowledge of occupants and their working habits can be fed to the design team who can translate these concerns into the model. They can further assist in working with the QS to provide more realistic life cycle cost estimates
While the Facility Manager can have an impact on some of the current estate problems other areas will need to be addressed from a staffing viewpoint. Buildings designed for a set purpose are being further impacted on by not having the correct staff to operate them. It can be argued that early FM involvement and the production of a valid asset information model will position the building in a better position for emergency preparedness and therefore continued business continuity. The early involvement of the Facility Manager can assist in a more rounded handover, therefore avoi ding some of the issues associated with poor completion of works.
The scientific analysis of the data collated by the authors has assisted in the establishment of a set of KPIs that will be further validated in the field.
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1Barry
McAuley,2
Dr. Louis Gunnigan, 3Dr. Alan Horeand
4Prof. Roger P. West1 & 3School of Surveying and Construction Management, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
2 Campus Planning Office, Dublin Institute of Technolog y, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7
4Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College , College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
E-mail: 1barry,mcauley@dit.ie 3louis.gunnigan@dit.ie 3alan.hore@dit.ie
4rwest@tcd.ie
Abstract The Grangegorman Development Project is the largest single development of 3rd level education accommodation in the history of the Irish State. Planned for completion in 2023, it will relocate all of Dublin Institute of Technology’s (DIT) activities from their current 39 locations to a single campus. This is a once-off opportunity for DIT and it is therefore critical that the campus is designed to meet end-users’ needs. As part of the strategy to achieve this, it has been specified that all work packages within the campus must use Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the design, construction and the planning of the operation of the buildings. This approach has highlighted the growing importance of BIM in Irish Public Sector projects. To maximize the benefits of BIM, it is vital that the end-users of the campus are fully engaged in the design process and that their needs are fully appreciated. This paper will detail a new process, in which the end-user will operate as an integral part of the design process, as witnessed in the most recent p rocurement phase of the campus. The data collation methodology will involve the review of existing procedures in place to communicate the needs of the end-users. This will be achieved through interviews and analysis of existing Facilities Management (FM) documents. The findings from this case study suggest that the application of BIM can serve as an enhanced communication tool to improve relations between the design te am and the end-user.
Keywords Building Information Modelling, Facilities Management, End-Users, Grangegorman, Public Works, Ireland
The Irish Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector has shown a strong increase in construction output to €11bn in 2014 This is expected to rise to €12.5bn in 2015 and €15.3bn in 2016 [1]. A warning comes with this increase in that there are still a number of challenges for the sector to overcome. These challenges will need to be addressed to ensure the construction sector can meet the demands made on it over the coming years. Some of these challenges include access to finance, resolution of the mortgage arrears issues, existing planning regulations and ensuring the industry has the skilled workforce to undertake the expected pipeline of work to the highest standards. [2]. A
solution to some of these problems as advocated in recent reports such as the Forfás Report 2013, is to promote the use of BIM and develop the associated technical skills amongst Irish construction firms, so that they can successfully compete in markets where BIM is widely adopted or a regulatory requirement [3]. The Construction 2020 report, which is a strategy for a renewed construction sector prepared by the Irish Government echoes this sentiment. It is suggested that adoption of BIM can increase the attractiveness for the sector for young professionals. The strategy champions BIM as a tool that can drive efficiencies and increased productivity in construction [4]. In 2014 Deeney et al. suggested that despite the fact that BIM could be the catalyst for Irish construction, the
Government would not agree to a BIM mandate while the country was being funded by Europe [5]. The Irish Government at present still remains sceptical about BIM, as evidenced by recent announcements made by the Irish Government Chief Procurement Officer for the Public Service. The Public Service is not proposing that BIM be a requirement to qualify for Irish public works contracts, unlike the situation that pertains in the UK. They are reluctant to impose BIM as a requirement on the lower end of the market place, as there is a nervousness in small businesses about the need to invest in the software and expertise [6].
Recently there have been encouraging signs of BIM being used on elements of public works projects. These include the Grangegorman Development Project and the proposed new Children’s Hospital which is to be primarily located on the city centre site of the existing St James Hospital.
The Grangegorman Development Project r epresents the largest single development of 3rd level education accommodation in the history of the State. Planned for completion in 2023, it will relocate all of Dublin Institute of Technology’s (DIT) activities from their current 39 locations to a single campus. Figure 1 illustrates the current geographic disparity of the nine separate major buildings that as a collective make up DIT.
With the development of such a campus it is critical that it is designed to meet end-users’ needs The Grangegorman project represented an opportunity to review existing procedures to communicate the needs of the end-users and observe how BIM is been applied to enhance this process.
understanding of the nature, scale and history to date of the delivery of the project. This r eview is documented in section III of the paper. The second aspect of the methodology involved collection of data on the management of the delivery of the project to date. To achieve this a total of five interviews were conducted, four with members of the DIT Campus Planning Team (DITCP) with the purpose of documenting current practices. These interviewees included the Head of Campus Planning and the Team Leaders for the College of Arts and Tourism, Engineering and Built Environment and Sciences and Health. The inter viewees where all involved in the end- user consultation with the design team. The fifth interview was conducted with a senior member of the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) to validate the findings from DITCP. The findings, presented in the following sections of the paper, conclude that the proper application of BIM can be used in the future to better communicate the enduser needs The results are presented as a process map later in the paper.
The Grangegorman site is an area of approximately 73 acres located in the Arran Quay Ward of Dublin in the district of Grangegorman. Part of th e development of the site will include the relocation of all of DIT facilities and a student body of up to 22,000 students. This new campus will have a state of the art sports facilities with an all-weather pitch, tennis court, jogging track, sports track, swimming pool and fitness studio. DIT Grangegorman will eventually have 2,000 student accommodation spaces on th e campus. The total investment in developing this site represents a spend of over €1 billion, the largest single investment in higher education in the history of the state. DIT will occupy 280,000m² of the eventual 380,000 m² of floor area to be provided on campus. The remainder of the accommodation will be occupied by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Education and Skills (DOEs) [7].
The aim of this paper is to examine the issues involved in communicating the needs of end-user to the design team. The paper will also suggest how BIM can be used as a medium for more effective communication. The methodology employed was twofold. Firstly, the extensive documentation available on the project was reviewed to gain an
The first tranche of 1000 students arrived on campus in September 2014 occupying refurbished listed buildings on site. They will be joined in 2017/18 by a further 9000 students from thirteen of DIT’s Schools who will relocate from existing locations at Kevin Street, Cathal Brugha Street, Rathmines and Chatham Row.
In July 2012, the Irish Government announced a €2.25bn Stimulus Package to promote employment and economic activity in the Irish Economy. Using Public Private Partnership (PPP) as a primary procurement vehicle, a series of projects were to be
delivered over the following years. Since the Grangegorman Strategic Plan had a number of “jobs rich and shovel ready” projects available – all of which were approved under the Grangegorman Strategic Development Zone planning permission of 2011. €200 million was allocated to Grangegorman to deliver 50,000m² of floor space procured via a PPP [8].
The buildings identified for development of this element of the project are designated as Central and East Quads. The Central Quad will provide the primary facilities for students and staff in technical and scientific disciplines in the Sciences, Health, Tourism, Food, Computing, and some Engineering disciplines. The East Quad is to be a centre of excellence for Creative Arts, Music and Drama, Social Sciences, and Languages. The East Quad forms part of the wider ‘Social and Cultural Heart’ of the campus.
A distinctive feature of DIT education is a parti cular emphasis on practical and discipline specific skills. To provide this type of educational experience both Quads comprise of diverse specialist spaces such as laboratories, workshops, kitchens, performance spaces, Information Technology (IT) rich classrooms and variety of distributed learning spaces.
The DIT Grangegorman campus represents a unique design approach in which the Client team has played an active hands-on role throughout the planning, design and construction processes with the specific purpose of ensuring the needs of the end-user are realised. Though BIM is still at an early stage of deployment in Ireland, there is an established view that it can enhance end user understanding of the building process. The development of the campus provided an opportunity to test this.
Before 2002 project management expertise devoted to PPP projects available to the Government was spread across several government departments. As each PPP project was completed, the related project team disbanded. As a result valuable PPP project expertise was consistently lost to the State. The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) was established in January 2003 in accordance with the National Development Finance Agency Act 2002 [9] and in 2006 it was given full responsibility for the procurement and delivery of PPP projects in all sectors other than in transport and water/waste water. The NDFA performs its functions through the
National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) [10]. Non-PPP works packages on the Grangegorman project are procured by the GDA on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills whilst the NDFA has the dual role of procuring the PPP elements and acting for and on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills as the financial adviser for all work packages valued above €20 million. The PPP pr oject is managed through the NDFA by a project board and a project team, which included representation from DIT and the GDA. All decisions for the project are reviewed by the project team and major issues are referred to the board.
The GDA is a statutory agency established in 2006 by the Irish Government under the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 to redevelop the former St. Brendan’s Hospital grounds in Grangegorman near Dublin City Centre [11]. Its function is to accept the site, consult with stakeholders, prepare all necessary plans and strategies documentation and to procure and manage all developments. In addition the GDA will dispose of DIT properties and return new facilities to DIT, HSE or other bodies as appropriate. The GDA acts as a project manager with full responsibility for the planning and delivery of the construction projects [12].
The GDA representative stated that they worked in parallel with the NDFA in delivering the PPP project. They noted that at the earliest stages the GDA had the lead on the delivery of the two buildings that comprise the projects. The NDFA took over a leading role once the Technical Advisors (TAs) had been procured for the project.
The DIT Campus Planning Team (DITCP) is a group of DIT staff, seconded to the project from a cross-section of areas in DIT. The role of the Team is to liaise between end-users, agencies involved in procurement and TA teams. A significant aspect of this role involved setting up and managing enduser consultation in the planning delivery of the new campus. In the earlier stages of the project t he team was required to develop, refine and test strategic briefs for each element of the new campus and present these to the senior leadership team for approval. The team engaged with designers/consultants/GDA to ensure that the needs of DIT were met and that fitness of purpose of the campus is achieved. Thus, it was the role of the DITCP to address the functional risk aspect of the development
An appreciation of the interaction between NDFA/GDA/DITCP was formed during the interviews described below. The text presented in italics in the following sections are direct quotations from the interviewees and are credited accordingly. It was necessary for DITCP to “work very closely with the GDA to avoid an extra layer of removal because the PPP project by its nature places the NDFA between you and the tendering bodies” (DITCP) DITCP became “the interface who provided information to the GDA who give that information to the NDFA, who give that information to the preferred tenderer, who passes it down to his sub-contractor, etc. ”(DITCP)
To better understand and communicate the end-user requirements a number of building groups where established in each of the 13 schools that would occupy the new facilities. This approach was based on advice received from consultation with equivalent bodies in the University of Limerick and elsewhere from whom advice had been sought at the outset of the project. “The Building Groups were further simplified by having a single point of contact within a school that conveyed the needs of the end-users for that school” (DITCP). Once details are agreed with individual schools the overall proposals were presented and ratified by the DIT Senior Leadership team and the DIT Governing Body. All final decisions involved a collaborative process with the project team and board with advice from the TAs
A team of TAs were appointed by the GDA and the NDFA to prepare for the PPP bidding process following an international procurement competition. The team of TAs acted as the NDFA’s Architects, Engineers and other professional consultant s, led by a specialist project management company. Their role was to work alongside the NDFA in preparing the specifications for the Central and East Quads, to be developed through the PPP.
DITCP wor ked alongside the TA teams who fed back design concerns to the NDFA. This ultimately resulted in the “technical advisors becoming a middleman” (DITCP). Figure 2 details the hierarchy of the project in where DIT worked with the GDA, TAs and school building groups to realise the best design for the end-user before final sign-off by the NDFA.
In order for the end-users’ needs to be translated there was a need to create and document an FM strategy that would encompass their requirements
The key objective of pr oducing an FM strategy was the identification and implementation of the most appropriate FM service delivery model which maximises value for money for DIT in the context of the Grangegorman PPP. Ongoing negotiations took place between all parties to establish clearly defined and well understood service boundaries and interfaces between the PPP and non -PPP elements of the campus. This involved establishing where written procedures were in place and refinement of these in terms of what was required in a PPP contract. “Where written procedures did not exist, DIT was required to develop such procedures and to produce a written description of the procedure in a format required for a PPP contract” (DITCP)
The FM strategy was divided into soft and hard FM. Hard FM involved Building and Asset Maintenance, Lifecycle Replacement, Security, Health and Safety Management, and Energy and Utilities Management. Soft FM services consisted of Cleaning, Waste Management, Pest Control and Caretaking. Three selected areas consisting of hard and soft FM requirements are detailed below to demonstrate the high level of communication required between the DITCP, GDA, NDFA and the TAs:
Information Technology: After careful analysis and previous experience it was decided that it would be best to keep the IT in house, as it was too difficult to confidently price a state of the art system over the lifecycle of the project. Since the infrastructure required to support this equipment had to be hard wired into the building, the PPP Company (PPP Co) were required to provide and install all of the ducting to facilitate a DIT fit out of the cabling. In respect of the Audio Visual (AV) facilities, it was decided that DIT would specify the AV system which the PPP Co would purchase, install and commission DIT would then take ownership of the system and be responsible for
its operation for the duration of the PPP contract. The handover would include a demonstration of the AV system in full working mode.
Cleaning: It was decided the most pra ctical solution was to include cleaning services within the scope of the PPP scheme. However some issues still had to be negotiated, such as the cleaning in particular areas i.e. the cleaning of food surfaces and food preparation was very specific. To ameliorate risk, it was agreed that the selected PPP Co clean the floors and the walls, but DIT staff would clean the pots, the pans and th e surfaces that food is cooked in.
Caretaking: The r esponsibility for the building and asset maintenance is with the PPP Co There is an agreed predetermined level of services provided to DIT and the PPP Co has a clearly defined level of risk and contractual responsibility. Some elements would remain the responsibility of DIT e.g. grounds maintenance, as there would be a potential for dispute of the boundaries at which the responsibilities transferred. DIT also have technical staff who are responsible for items such as gas and chemical deliveries. It was decided to continue to do this, as it made no sense to outsource.
The DITCP encountered a number of difficulties in communicating the needs of the end-users. These were in part due to issues with presentation of technical information to non-specialists. Such presentation s occurred at scheduled times and often did not allow for sufficient scope to tease out issues of concern to end-users. The chosen medium of 2D based drawings was also difficult. The problems encountered are outlined below.
It was difficult in some instances in documenting the key criteria covered in some of the meetings. “This was a complex process and in some instances resulted in a loop of communication between all parties without progress been made This happened as the TAs were working within a very tight timeframe and the short turnaround in time for production of drawings resulted in many cases in which drawings where being presented during the meeting rather than being reviewed. The meetings were actually being used for feedback, as well as for design”. (DITCP).
The extensive list of over 66,000 items of furniture, fittings and equipment (FFE) also caused difficulty. Again, the review of this list went through several iterations. “Before the technical advisors took responsibility for this, the GDA hired external architects to produce a FFE schedule” (GDA). This
process produced a database that was refined using Excel, from which spreadsheets were used to populate a specialist software programme to produce room datasheets. A data input problem arose in this process, resulting in confusion when end users set about verifying the information provided to them on the room data sheets. Confusion turned to frustration with some end users as it took several iterations to correct.
It was also difficult to demonstrate the FFE needs and limitations to the end-users through the use of 2D drawings and other non 3D based formats. There was a fear amongst the end-users of underresourcing and as a result end-user FFE requirements in some cases became over specified and ultimately could not fit into the allocated space provided.
The Strategic Plan for the development of the campus provided information for the production of several strategic building bri efs, including briefs for the Central and East Quads. In these documents the schedule of accommodation was provided for the entire building based on the specialist space need of each of the schools. Exemplar designs were used to illustrate this in which were eventually fully worked up to architectural drawings. “To achieve this, the design team had a lot of interface with the individual schools and their users. They discussed and documented the needs of each room. This enabled the room data sheets to be worked through in detail and a shared understanding of the spaces to be realised ” (DITCP). Having a strategic plan in place enabled the DITCP to negotiate with the end-users as “it is essential to have an agreed starting point for spatial requirements if you need to seek compromise. Without this, it’s very hard to argue in favour or against any suggestion for amendment” (DITCP) The end-users are the specialists in their own area and have a set requirements of what space is required to efficiently run their school. ”Communicating these spatial requirements involved using concepts about how the building would work. This would establish the adjacencies of the spaces required for the building to function, thereby addressing the Functionality Risk that was being borne by DIT” (DITCP)
The funding provided in the stimulus package for 2012 was not sufficient to build both of the quads to the extent defined in the strategic brief for each building. Following cost estimation exercises it was established that consequently, the space originally allocated to each school had to be reduced. This resulted in a rationalising of space through the production of a revised schedule of accommodation. This was a len gthy and difficult
process that involved extensive negotiation between DITCP and the end-users. The TAs had to find out how these spaces relate to each other and how these spaces inter connected on a school by school basis e.g. keep all of the heavy labs together, because they would require a certain type of vent ilation. The TA architects began the process by using massing diagrams to lay out how all of this would work. After a number of iterations they eventually began to develop floor plans. Issues arose from this exercise as a result of trying to fit the maximum amount of functional space in to a tight envelope. “This exercise was difficult as the TAs had to rely on non-design specialists to provide them with an understanding of the functionality of the space. For example, a room that is long and narrow might function perfectly for one school, much better than a square one, whereas for another one the square room is optimal (DITCP).
DITCP is compr ised of a mix of people, some whom were academic members that were not all based in construction related disciplines. This meant that some of the team were new to the construction process. One such DITCP member, felt that “as a non-specialist, it was sometimes difficult to understand the construction process and I was at a disadvantage during the technical meetings. This was often due to the use of 2D drawings as a means to communicating 3D concepts and trying to visualise the details of these concepts” He further commented that it takes some time as a nonspecialist to reach the required level of those who have been professionally operating with the sector. “The translation effect between a non-specialist and the specialist people, takes a while to get up to speed with the language, the programming style, the legislation, all of those things take some time” (DITCP) Despite some of these problems, he found that his involvement was absolutely essential, as the TAs would find it too difficult to try to accommodate input for a number of different schools without a structured focal point.
The NDFA is responsible for ensuring that the best possible deal for the State in relation to value Control of costs is part of this responsibility. As a result, the NDFA sought to ensure that cost was controlled within the affordability cap of the project. “The PPP market in Ireland has been fairly fraught over the last number of years, where there were a lot of cancellation of competitions e.g. Prison Service. The NDFA had to ensure that the preferred bidder could deliver the project and meet the requirements and so therefore were mindful that the stated deliverables were realistic. This required an intimate working arrangement with the GDA i n order to ensure this” (GDA)
DITCP found it difficult in some instances to u se 2D drawings to illustrate spatial needs to the different building groups using the chosen medium There is a healthy competition between schools that serves in incentivising the different departments. With each school there is a need to justify why one department is assigned more space that the other. This takes very careful negotiation and can be a problem. The inclusion of the DITCP in negotiating this aspect was crucial, as they are familiar with the end processes and therefore can confidently interact with the Building Group” (DITCP. ) It was found that unless drawings where presented with full annotations with room areas, scales, gridlines or colour coding to show one school from another, it would result in a lack of clarity of which school occupies what.
There was also a lack of appreciation of the difficulty that specific non -technical people had understanding technical information. “In one case a musician looked at a set of plans and stated that his lack of ability to make sense of them would probably be similar to my lack of ability to hear the tune when looking at a page of musical notations” (DITCP).
As stated DITCP performed an internal space planning exercise prior to the outset of the project. School members visited similar facilities in order to help them visualise the various options for the layout of their designated spaces. This provided an understanding of shared spaces where adjoining rooms could be designed to serve a number of departments to cater for peak and low demand as dictated by the CAO offering. As different departments will require larger spaces at different times it was important that these space were designed to be flexible. Despite these exercises it was still a difficult process for the end-user In some instances “the end-users where basing their brief on how they operate currently with no understanding that they have a clean slate and they have an “opportunity to design this from scratch” (GDA) The end users to this effect tried to contribute to spaces to ensure they were being designed to be flexible. The medium of 2D drawings made this process difficult. A 3D representation would be much more useful.
Figure 3 illustrates the core difficulties detailed within the original process, as explained throughout this section. This included the face-toface meetings with the TAs in which it was difficult on occasion to translate the requirements of the end-user through current practices alone. Other difficulties mapped in the figure include data input problems to the specialist software. This led
to frustration from the end users who already had difficulties in visualising the FFE limitations through the format used. Further difficulties are acknowledged in this process through the application of 2D drawings to explain the functionality of spaces. The next section will advocate BIM as a solution in offering a more rewarding methodology in regards to the detailed difficulties in figure 3.
After all of the information was collected from the process detailed above, a set of tender documents were drafted by the TAs, with extensive input from GDA and DIT. Part of the tender requirements was the mandating of the development and presentation of a fully populated Building Information Model
Such a model had not been developed in the pretender stage and for future pre-tender stakeholder interaction it was acknowledged that it would be important for the TAs to produce a 3D model. “In addition, the NDFA were conscious of the growing need for BIM and were keen to incorporate the latest technology into this project in order to promote greater value through the use of BIM on publicly funded projects generally.” (GDA)
Despite a BIM model and its associated processes not been adopted before the tender stage, th ere is a strong awareness of its capabilities within Grangegorman. This was further validated by a number of the DITCP and GDA personnel taking the BIM Training modules offered by the DIT accredited MSc in Applied BIM an d Management programme in the 2014/15 academic session.
One area noted by the majority of interviewees as
being crucial to the stakeholder consultation process is the understanding of the dimension of spaces. A scaled model of the building was used
with different coloured pieces to indicate the sizes of the allocated spaces. This was useful, as it gave people an understanding of where they would be in the building. A virtual model would have significantly expedited this process. The model could be used to visualise the room sizes through a virtual walk through instead of explaining that “a particular space is five times bigger than another By having a BIM model it would probably allay some fears. So it certainly would smooth the process, give more confidence in the process” (DITCP) Similar initiatives have been demonstrated, as seen at the CITA Technology Challenge Conference in 2014, where Waterford Institute of Technology used a combination of BIM and Oculus Rift to demonstrate to the end-users the proposed changes to an existing railway station [13]. A model could have helped the designer understand the area of functionality from an educational perspective more easily. “A room that is long and narrow might function perfectly for one school, much better than a square one, whereas for another one the square room is best. An example of this was in the case of a laboratory that required 80 sq. of space, a 20m long by 4m wide room was suggested. Despite the brief being realised this suggested laboratory was not practical due to the fac t that such a lab is usually a square, so as to accommodate a combination of the students and large lab equipment (DITCP) The use of a BIM model would have reduced people’s fears and ultimately helped in the stakeholder consultation process. “It would make them feel more of a sense of engagement with the designers I think” (DITCP) A model if used from the start would have made things easier for everyone. It would have saved a lot of time on the overall scope of the project. There was a strong belief that the use of BIM technologies could have made interaction with all parties a more easier and rewarding process.
There was also a consensus that the use of BIM would have provided an understanding for the enduser in regards to the FFE. “As the FFE was presented in a spreadsheet that is hundreds of pages in length, it was difficult to work with. If a model was used to visually inspect the furniture within the room it would prov ide an instant understanding for the end-user” (GDA).
The option of Cloud BIM technology could have provided the real time monitoring of construction progress, clash detection and data sharing amongst the construction team [14]. This would have ensured that the end-users and TAs could interact on the same model to progress the suggested design changes. Mark ups could have be en carried out online and design changes could be implemented faster and more effectively. Figure 4 illustrates how the previous pr ocess detailed in Figure 3 could have been enhanced through BIM.
The Grangegorman PPP is unique in that it has an end-user focused team involved from the beginning who are dedicated to executing and ensuring the best interests of the end-user. This team in order to keep focus on the end-user requirements have to operate through a number of channels in order to serve the best interests of the end-users. The GDA acknowledged that it is important to have the end-user involved and th at they buy into the solution. Their involvement is helpful from the designer’s point of view, as th ey get to sit down with the end-users and ensure the design meets their needs. As the end-users are not trained as designer s it is very difficult for them to actually picture the optimum solution. This results in the end-users going back to the way they were originally operating. Exemplar designs were shown to the end-user to help overcome this. This
still resulted in the insistence of impractical FFE requirements within the allocated spaces.
Though BIM will play a key part during construction there was no provision for it to be used at the pretender stage. This repr esented a lost opportunity and would have provided a tool that could have been used as a more rewarding and practical medium. A BIM model can offer the opportunity to visualise space easily, therefore improving an understanding of underutilised spaces, as well as performing exercises in space management that are not possible in traditional FM software packages BIM can be used by the whole team to further collaboration techniques, as it helps offer an easier way of understanding the project requirements Collaboration was key in the Grangegorman process and the use of 2D drawings created difficulties for those not familiar with them. BIM could be the tool that h elps non specialised end-users in the construction process to contribute more effectively.
The stakeholder engagement process using BIM in Figure 4 suggests an enhanced method for space planning and for the planning of installation of FFE. The or iginal process as detailed in Figure 3 was fraught with difficulties, as it was weak on collaboration and it did not maximise the opportunities for promoting an understanding of the developing design. The GDA, TAs and DITCP can work through a BIM medium in order to realise a more rewarding pre-ender process. The interactive capabilities offered by BIM can result in the design teams working from a synchronised model within a common data environment in the sharing and recording of information. This in turn should reduce the need for face-to-face to meetings and can offer a more efficient way to implement, record and track design changes. The model can be used with BIM room scheduling software to ensure that the FFE output is realised through the correct medium. The model can assist in ensuring the TAs and DITCP can work with the end-users to visualise spaces and their connection to each other. This can help in maximising the functionality of these spaces and ensuring they are flexible to meet future demands.
It is the aspiration of the DITCP, NDFA and GDA to use BIM within the pre-tender stage, although this is somewhat restricted by the costs associated with realising this ambition and technical barriers in the industry. It will be interesting to follow the progress of this project and to record the extent to which this aspiration will be achieved.
[1] DKM Economic Consultants Ltd (2015) “Irish Construction Prospects to 2016”, Society Chartered Surveyors Ireland.
[2] Taylor, C. (2015) Building sector outstrips growth across Europe, Irish Times, available at< http://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/b uilding-sector -outstrips-growth -across-europe1.2250558> accessed (11/09/2015)
[3] Forfas Report (2013) Ireland's Construction Sector: Outlook and Strategic Plan to 2015, Forfas
[4] Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore (2014) Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, The Stationery Office
[5] Deeney, J., Hore, A.V. and McAuley, B. (2014) Public / Private BIM: An Irish Perspective, International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, Vol 3, Iss 1, pp 16-28
[6] Quinn, P. (2015) The Reformer, Irish Building Magazine, Issue 2, pp 6-7
[7] GDA (2011) GDA Strategic PLAN 2011, available at<http://ggda.ie/strategic-plan> accessed (06/10/2015)
[8] DIT (2012) Plans for Grangegorman campus accelerate, available at http://www.dit.ie/news/archive2012/plansforgrang egormancampusaccelerate/ accessed (06/10/2015)
[9] Irish Government (2002) ,National Development Finance Agency Act 2002, available at http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2002/act/29/enac ted/en/html accessed (06/10/2015)
[10]NDFA (2015) About the NDFA, available at < http://www.ndfa.ie/about -the-n dfa/>accessed (05/10/2015)
[11] Hand, M. (2014) Grangegorman Campus in Goof Hands, Irish Construction Industry Magazine, December , pp 7-11.
[12] Irish Government (2005) Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005, available at http://ggda.ie/assets/GDA.Act_.2005.pdf accessed (06/10/2015)
CITA (2014) BIM Buds, CITA Technology Challenge, presentation available at< http://cita091-public.sharepoint.com/conferencevideos> accessed (07/10/2015)
[14] Burcin, B., Farrokh, J., Nan, L. and Gulben, C. (2011), “Application areas and data requirement for BIM enabled Facility Management”, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 137, pp. 698-706.
- The authors would like to acknowledge their grateful thanks to the DIT Foundation and the Arup Scholarship Trust for their support for
this research. The purpose of this scholarship is to support research at DIT, so as to ensure that all students can reach their potential and get the most from their DIT research experience
E-mail: 1gar y.nixon@iesve com 2sarah.graham@iesve co m
Increasingly the true value of B IM is becoming clearer to the industry, in that the ultimate outc o me is not 3D CAD and coordinated services design, it’s t he creation, capture, analysis and sharing of infor mation throughout design, construct ion and operation of an asset
Embodied Carbon and Capital Cost are highlighted within the UK B IM Task Group’s missi on state ment to reduce waste in the c onstructi on and operation of our built environment. The introducti on of B IM level 2 will enable this goal to be achieved and it is widely perceived that this will be the start of savings a nd increased efficiency within the industry. As a result, a clear definition of a client’s aspirations in ter ms of performance are crucial for a project and ultimately a buildings success.
At the recent B RE/B uildingSM ART B IM prospects event in London, AECOM s David Philp – a leading light in the imple mentation of the UK Governme nts B IM strategy suggested that the Soft Landing s fra mework coupled with the Government B IM strategy is a ‘golden thread’ linking data created during design with the operational phase of buildings. In order to better manage building s with a view to reducing cost and carbon, we need to better understand their design intent and how they are being operated in reality. It is esti mated that 80% of cost lies beyond the construction tea m involve ment.
Historically it’s been challenging to validate how buildings perfor m in real -ter ms, and to compare that with the expectation that may e xist at the design sta ge. A very simple exa mple of this is when we compa re a buildings Ener gy Performance Certificate (EPC) against its e nergy bills and Display Energy Certificate (DEC). This has resulted in what ma ny refer to as a Performa nce Gap. This paper will discuss the perfor mance gap, and how a B IM enabled proc ess can help to close the gap.
A B IM enabled approach i s not only about technol og y, process is key as is the mind set of t hose involved in order to f ully e xploit a B IM enabled workflow. This is recognised more and more as the UK Construction industry moves along the adoption curve.
Using real industry exa mples from UK fir ms that are successfully i mpleme nting a B IM enabled approach t o design, this paper will aim to demonstrate the benefits experience d by those with a good understanding of the B IM process and technology.
Keywords BIM, Per for man ce Gap, En ergy Mana gement, En er gy Modellin g, Per for man ce Analysis,
Recen tl y th er e ha s been an en couragin g sh ift in Buildin g In for mation Modellin g (BIM) un der stan ding with in th e UK. Th e tr ue value of BIM is becomin g clear er to a larger per cen tage of th e mar ketplace, in that th e ultimate outcome of BIM sh ould n ot just be 3D CAD an d coordin ated ser vices design . BIM today is about th e cr eation, captur e, analysis an d shar in g of in for ma tion through out design, con struction and oper ation of an asset.
BIM in th e Un ited Kin gdom ( UK) is h igh on th e Governmen t’s a genda [1] T h e 2016 deadlin e for man dator y BIM Level 2 [2] complian ce for all con str uction companies ten der in g for Gover nmen t wor k is loomin g Th e in dustr y is r ush ing to get r ea dy, and despite in itial r esistan ce, BIM n o w seems to be gain ing suppor t ever y day
BIM Level 2 [2] focuses on shar in g in for mation in a collabor ative envir onment. Th e r eality o f th is is th at various models ar e h eld in separ ate disciplin e specific to ols with data attach ed instead of a single sh ar ed model.
Th e n ext level up is BIM Level 3 T he defin ition of Level 3 is still in con sultation but is an ticipated to be, in effect, an in tegr ated data base of all in for ma tion per tainin g to a pr oject an d the use of open data exch ange lan guages to inte rac t with that data. Th e UK is aimin g for adoption of BIM Level 3 for gover nment pr ojects by 2019 [3].
"Collabor ative wor king aroun d a wellorganized common data set, usin g techn olog y to r educe re-wor k an d inefficien c y, han din g o ver in for mation to asset own er s th at will help consultants optimize per for man ce if you strip a wa y th e ‘BIM’ label, it all makes per fect se nse, " said Rich ar d Sh ennan, a division al director and BIM cha mpion at Lon don -ba sed engine eri n g consultant Mott MacDon ald wh en speakin g to ACE's on lin e ma gazin e In fr astr uctur e Intell i genc e [4].
At th e r ecen t BRE/Buildin gSMART BIM prospects even t, AECOMs Da vid Ph ilp – a leadin g light in th e imp lemen tation of th e UK Govern men ts BIM strategy suggested tha t th e Soft Lan din gs framewor k coupled with th e Govern ment BIM strategy is a ‘golden thr ead’ linkin g data cr eated durin g design with th e oper ational phase o f buildin gs In order to better manage buildin gs with a view to r educing cost an d carbon , we n eed to better un der stand th eir design in tent an d h ow th ey ar e bein g oper ated in r eality. It is estimated that 80% of cost lies be yon d th e constr uction tea m involvemen t.
So, h ow do we look at en er gy mana gemen t d urin g op er ation usin g our Buildin g In for mation Model?
Th e fir st step is to set up an Employer s In for mation Requir emen ts r epor t (EIR) befor e an y d esign is carr ied out. Per for man ce against th ose r equir ements can be ch ecked an d eviden ced as design progr esses.
Th e UK Govern men t Strateg y sets per for man ce metr ics a s cost, carbon , an d value. Th er e ma y also be pr oject specific g oals set such as BREE AM Excellen t, a particular EPC ratin g an d target runnin g cost.
Histor ically it’s been challen gin g to validate h ow buildin gs per for m in r eal-ter ms, and to compar e that with th e expectation that ma y exist a t th e design stage. A ver y simple exa mple of this is wh en we compar e a buildings En er gy Per for man ce Cer tificate (EPC) against its en ergy bills an d Display En ergy Cer tificate (DEC). This h as r esulted in wh at man y r efer to as a Per for man ce Gap, but in fact th e EPC would n ever r eflect th e r eal building en ergy consumption as it doesn ’t take in to accoun t unr egulated en er gy en d uses, out-of-h our s oper ation, or special fun ction s with in th e building.
CIBSE Technical M e mora ndu m 54
publish ed in August 2013 pr ovides a meth odolog y for mor e accur ate en ergy pr ediction at design stage. Th e document advocates th e use of Dyn a mic Simulation Soft war e an d cr eation of a ‘Design ’ model a lon gside th e ‘Complian ce’ model wh ich utilises best estimates for loads, occupan cy an d lightin g patter ns etc.
IES can take th is a step fur ther by linking r eal building data to th e simulation model for accur ate, direct comparison. Thus h elping design er s, own er s, oper ator s to ‘close th e gap’ .
Th e EIR is set out at th e Strategy stage of a project. Plain language question s r elate to strategies for providing electricity, ga s and water Even befor e a model h as been cr eated, th e design er s can r espon d to question s r elated to availability of r esour ces on th e site an d climate considerations.
Movin g through to Br iefin g an d Con cept Design stages, a basic building model will be develop ed an d th e per for man ce with r espect to En ergy/carbon , da yligh ting, comfor t, wa ter consumption, LZCT, materials envir onmen tal impact (LCA), capital and r unn ing cost as well as lifec ycle costin g ar e eva luated We migh t ch oose to produce pr eliminar y Par t L Complian ce an d EPC cer tificates at th ese ear ly stages to en sur e that th e design is on track
As design progr esses, th e la yout of th e buildin g will chan ge on a r egular basis Constr uction elemen ts might also ch an ge and r egular twea kin g an d re-eva luation of per for man ce is carr ied out. Th e Fin al EPC, BREEAM, and Part L cer tificates ar e produced dur ing th e Design phase.
In th e Build an d Commission phase, a Con str uction model is devel oped an d th e construction process is un der wa y Aga in th er e ma y be a n eed to r e-visit th e per for man ce metr ics if ch anges ar e made to th e design – differ en t win dows, an alternative claddin g system. On ce th e buildin g an d syst ems ar e assembled we can carr y out Enhan ced Commissionin g, we can pull meter ed data fr om th e buildin g back in to th e simulation softwar e to compar e th e Design with th e As Built scen ario.
In lin e with th e Govern ments Soft Lan din gs fra mewor k at Han dover , eviden ce with r espect to en ergy/carbon , cost, visual and th er ma l comfor t, con tr ols strategy is cr eated an d captur ed Durin g Oper ation and Maintenan ce we can cr eate a feedback loop, capturing meter ed data, compar in g with th e design scenar io an d feedin g in for mation in to subseq uent design s. At a futur e date wh en th er e is a change of use or proposed r efurbishmen t of th e buildin g an assessmen t can be made based on th e data gath er ed over time as to what th e most cost
effective improvemen t measur es would be.
Mod el Level of Deta il (LOD) appr opr iate to th e design stage is cr itical. Th e techn olog y for th is ha s been around for some time n ow an d is con tinuall y evolvin g. Ho we ver techn olog y on its own does n ot provide a BIM solution Process an d th e min d -set of people involved in th e process n eeds to ch ange in order to fully exploit a BIM en abled workflo w Th is is startin g to h appen mor e an d mor e as th e in dustr y moves alon g th e adoption cur ve. At IES our exper ien ce is tha t customer s wh o get th e pr ocess r igh t see th e techn olog y fit togeth er much better This wa s evident at our r ecen t BIM facult y even t wh er e we had guest speaker s fr om th e in dustr y speak about th eir experien ces of a BIM en abled workflo w and successful BIM Interoper ability
Th e followin g ca se studies demon strate th e ben efits exper ien ced b y th ose th at ha ve a good un der stan din g of th e BIM process and techn ology
a) Integrating Open BIM and Energy Modell ing [4]
How B IM and dyna mic energy modelling were combined t o help HLM design a residential development to meet London’s Part L carbon e mission reduction targets [Fig. 1].
wa s able to expor t th eir design model fr om Ar chicad in to th e en er gy modellin g softwar e to per for m th e r equired calculation s. IESVE also en abled HLM to cr eate a link between differ en t design packages so
th ey would n’t ha ve to re-inp ut geometr y data [Fig. 2].
HLM Ar chitects decided to use Gr aph isoft’s Ar chicad Open BIM so ftwar e an d IESVE to a ssess wh eth er th eir design would meet p er for man ce targets set out in th e Gr eater Lon don Auth or ity’s (GLA) Lon don Plan for a major 350-unit r esiden tial develop men t.
GLA’s targets in clude a 35% r eduction on Par t L Carbon E mission s, with out th e n eed for r en ewable en er gy sour ces or carbon offset pa yme n ts. To ach ieve th is target HLM h ad to develop a robust integr ated design strategy
Usin g IESVE ’s IFC expor t fun ction HLM
IES’ IFC impor t is con tinually bein g develop ed an d will be fur th er enhan ced on ce th e n ext ver sion of IFC has been r elea sed. HLM assessed passive buildin g fabr ic efficien cy an d Low/Zer o Ca rbon Syst ems such as combin ed h eat and power, compar in g th e use of th e Stan dar d Assessment Procedur e (SAP) ver sus th e use of Dyn amic Simulation Modellin g (DSM) DSM is t ypicall y used for commer cial buildin gs th ough th e approach is adopted for large-scale r esiden tial bl ocks as well.
SAP tools in th e main ar e used for producin g SAP cer tificates but wh er e we wan t to look at th e wh ole buildin g en ergy strategy we would use DSM to better under stand h ow th e buildin g an d syst ems per for m an d what th e most appropr iate combin ation of systems in corpor ating LZCT would be.
Th e DSM meth od proved to be th e most efficien t an d th e most effective wa y to dr ive an d ver ify in tegrated solution s an d meet complian ce with th e Lon don Plan targets [Fig. 3] Also, in a direct comparison , th e DSM calculation sh owed an aver aged space h eatin g r equir emen t of 6.5 kWh /m2/yr, corr espon ding to 80% less th an that calculated usin g SAP
Th e case stud y demon strates th e ben efit of DSM in mor e accur atel y p r edicting en ergy usage wh ich is a fun ction of multiple factor s Th er e is value in producing DSM calculation s for r esiden tial buildin gs on appropr iate pr ojects – wh er e th e aim is to in tr oduce mor e passive techn ologies an d to min imise en ergy consump tion
Havin g this mor e detailed un der stan ding of th e en er gy pattern s allowed HLM to wor k with its Buildin g Ser vices Design Con sultants MTT to design significantly mor e efficien t and appropriate envir onmen tal con trol systems
Usin g IESVE to per for m DSM gave th e ar chitects a much mor e compr eh en sive pictur e of th e in tegr ation of differ en t design solution s
It also provided an exact un der standin g of th e local con dition s an d perfor man ce allowin g for r esponsive design and efficien t allocation of r esour ces such as addin g in sulation or solar con tr ol on ly wh er e n ecessar y a n d effective. Th e key consider ation is th at th is meth odol og y demonstrates th at th e per for man ce of th e wh ole syst em is consider abl y h igh er than th e cumulative per for man ces of th e sin gle par ts [Fig. 4].
• Passive design
• Wh ole h ouse MVHR
• In tegrated win ter garden s
• In door envir onmen tal q uality/con tr ols
• Community Syst em – CHP
b) BIM Analysis and Interoperability at CB G [5]
Buildin g ser vices con sultan cy CBG Con sultan ts, with thr ee offices across Oxfor d an d Lon don, ha s four en gin eer s usin g IESVE full -time for th er mal, da yligh t an d CFD modellin g. It also has a dedicated BIM mod elling team. ‘Typi cally, we would use Sketch Up an d ModelIT for th e buildin g geometr y, but as BIM has become mor e pr evalen t, we ha ve star ted usin g Autodesk’s Re vit,’ sa ys Zah id Ash raf, pr in cipal sustainability an d en ergy en gin eer at CBG.
‘Most ar ch itects ar e n ow d evel opin g Revit models, so we h ave started conver tin g th ese in to IES.’ CBG has carr ied out two case studies that h ighlight both th e challenges and th e ben efits of th e BIM process
Thrayle House is a large apartment building in Br ixton, south Lon don [Fig. 5]. CBG look ed to impor t Revit models – including details of th e apa rt me n ts ’ balcon ies – into IESVE, to carr y out over h eating and shadin g an alysis, an d to wor k out ideal r oom volumes for th e apar tmen ts
Fig. 3: Simulation sh ows h ow ever y par t of the buildin g is per for min g, h elp s iden tify cr itical areas an d aspects an d optimise design and cost.
HLM’s in tegr ated design strategies in cluded:
‘What we wer e r eally tr yin g to ach ieve wer e th e positives th at come fr om optimisin g this
process: th e integration bet ween softwar e to get th in gs r unnin g mor e quickly a n d smooth ly; an d gettin g th e in for mation between our inter nal BIM an d IES teams flowing better, to in cr ease kn owledge bet ween th e two disciplin es – wh ich can on ly be a good th ing,’ sa ys Ross T h ompson, sen ior sustainability an d en ergy engin eer at CBG.
Th e team ca me across on e immediate ch allenge: th e ar chitect had cr eated th e sh ell of th e apar tmen t block in on e Revit model, with each flat r epr esented in separate models, r efer en ced to th e sh ell. ‘Th er e wa s a h uge amoun t of detail in in divid ual apar tments - too much detail – so, ideally, th at would be simplified,’ sa ys T h ompson ‘Also, th e balcon ies didn ’t expor t. We would take th ose in to IES as an obstr uction.’ Also, wh en th e Revit model wa s expor ted, room volumes wer e taken as too small.
‘That’s down to th e wa y spaces ar e set up in Revit,’ sa ys Th ompson ‘Some wer e attach ed to th e ceilin g and some wer e atta ch ed to th e floor level, so we h ad to make sur e that each space was tagged to th e floor level in Re vit to r esolve th e issue ’ Internal walls wer e n ot quite touch in g th e floor slab, eith er, so th ose had to be closed down [Fig 6]
To do this, th e data in Revit would, ideally, come in to IES with separ ate ar eas for th e glazin g and louvr es. ‘Th e distin ction bet wee n win dows and louvr es in Revit r equires furth er investigation,’ sa ys Th ompson ‘You n eed to work closel y with th e ar ch itect to make sur e th ings ar e set up proper ly, so ever yth in g wor k s smooth ly whe n you expor t it.’
With separ ate BIM and IES an alysts with in th e compa n y, CBG ha s foun d it easier to educate its Revit engin eer s, ‘givin g th em an insight in to th e kind of models th at ar e r equired for IES,’ sa ys Th ompson
Ultimately, th ough, th e process offer s substantial time sa vin gs over buildin g your own geometr y ‘B y expor tin g th e Revit model, you’ve alr eady g ot room names, for exa mple,’ sa ys Th ompson ‘It soun ds in sign ifican t, but if you’r e wor kin g on a huge project in IES an d have to en ter th e names for hun dr eds of rooms, th at can take consider able time ’
Thoma s Gainsboroug h Scho ol
CBG Con sultants has examin ed th e process in pr actice at Th omas Gain sborough Sch ool, in Sudbur y, Su ffolk [Fig 7] This is a large building in wh ich structur al open in gs ha ve a fixed glazed pan el n ext to a louvr e providin g ventilation to rooms. CBG wa s usin g IES to look at ventilation flo wr ates and possi ble over h eating issues in th e school.
Over all th e key a n d r eal ‘Golden Thr ead’ , as David Ph ilp of AE COM put it, is th e linkin g of data cr eated durin g th e design stage with th e oper ation al ph ase of buildin gs to close th e per for man ce gap Clear ly, th er e ar e some issues at th e inter faces bet ween packa ges, but fir ms tacklin g th e ch allenges n ow ar e fin din g that th e effor t is r epaid with improved productivi ty o ver time. Th ose fir ms that ar e ma king pr ogr ess ar e best placed to take mar ket advan tage wh en BIM r eally takes off –an d it’s n ot just about th e big fir ms. Th e larger companies ar e at th e leading edge, drivin g th e process through th eir organisa tion an d supply ch ain, but we ar e seein g man y small, specialist practices rolling up th eir sleeves an d seein g th e ben efits. Th er e is still some wa y to go in r each in g th e UK Government 2016 man date, h owever. Accordin g to a r ecen t sur vey con ducted by Con str uction Week an d BRE, thr ee quarter s of construction profession als do n ot believe th e in dustr y is r ead y to meet man dator y BIM Le vel 2 r equir ements b y 2016. Just over 74 per cen t of r espon dents thin k th e ind ustr y will fall sh or t of this
target but mor e en cour agingly 85% of people str on gly believe th e ben efits to adoptin g BIM [7] As exemplified in th e case studies in th is paper, BIM can be successfull y implemen ted on projects fr om th e ear liest stages of design through to oper ation , an d organisa tion s ar e seein g th e ben efits. Th e an swer is simple: th e techn olog y an d skills ar e th er e, th e r eal r equirements ar e a ch ange in mind set an d process or some companies could r isk gettin g left beh ind
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University College Dublin, Dublin, Co. Dublin
E-mail: 1sergio.p inheiro @ucdconnect. ie 2edward.corry@ucd. ie 3paul.kenny@ucd.ie 4 james.odonnell@ucd. ie
Abstract – Very often, building managers face the challenge of having to operate a building in the absence of the appropriate information about how it should function. This problem is one of the many reasons why buildings operate inefficiently and tend to consume excessive amounts of energy. B uilding Information Modelling (B IM) is an emerging technology which addresses the management of information throughout the Building Life-Cycle (BLC). Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) is a non-proprietary data model of B IM that enables effective data integration over the BLC IFC is a rich data model which may represent the entire building, however most applications are interested in a subset of this model. Hence, it is necessary to filter the information exchange between different applications and Model View Definitions (MVD) is the methodology to define such subsets. This paper presents the development of a MVD for environmental and energy performance assessment to support building managers during operation.
Keywords – MVD, IFC, BIM, En vir onmental an d Energy Assessment.
It is widely acknowledged by industry and research organisation s that buildings operate inefficiently [1]. They consume nearly 40% of the total pr imary en ergy in the world and are responsible for around 30% of the total global CO2 emissions [2]. Some studies also show an expected in crease of 50% in energy demand in buildings between 2010 an d 2050 in a business as usual scenar io. However, following an energy efficient and low car bon pathways could lead to 25% reduction in total energy use compar ed to business as usual [3]. Reduction in energy con sumption in th e building sector is vital to an y long term strategies. Legislation, envir onmental concerns, finan cial issues also in fluence organisation s to reduce their energy use [4].
Mor e than half of th e curren t building stock is expected to still be operation al in 2050. Considering th e lifespan of buildings, action s cannot be limited to tighter con tr ols on n ew constr uctions [3]. In creasing demand for building ser vices and comfort levels, togeth er with the rise in time spent inside buildings, assure the upward tr end in en ergy demand will con tinue into the futur e [5].
For most buildings, the major ity of en ergy use is in the operational phase an d energy con ser vation effor ts h ave appr opriately focused on reducing this energy use thr ough smarter design and impr oved building technology [6].
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an advanced infor mation technology that is becoming widely adopted in the AEC/FM (Ar chitecture, En gineering, Con str uction and Facility Management) industr y BIM is a process for managing the in for mation pr oduced during the design stage thr oughout th e Building Life-Cycle (BLC), in a common for mat, in order to enable the best and most efficient use of the in formation [7]. The In dustry Foundation Classes (IFC) is the most widely adopted common data format in the BIM en vironment.
IFC uses an object or iented description to ensure consistent data exch ange an d interoper ability between several application s. It enables sh aring of pr operties of building elements to support decision making in differen t stages of the BLC Most modern BIM authoring platfor ms support the import and/or export of IFC model data. Th is flow of infor mation is critical for collaboration and inter operability because it connects differen t downstr eam applications, such as
The IFC sch ema can be used to model all building compon ents, h owever most stakeholders and their application s have an interest in a limited area (subschema) of this complex schema. Hen ce, the exch ange of in for mation between applications must be tailor ed accordin g to domain specific Model View Definition s (MVD). Tradition ally MVD was used to define an exchan ge of IFC data that would meet the end user ’s need and implement methods of exch angin g data between software application s.
The MVD pr oposed for this paper contains the exch ange r equirements necessary for envir onmental and energy perfor mance assessment. This exch ange of infor mation should pr ovide clear and con sistent in for mation to building managers, to enable mor e in for med decision s The final goal of this work is to suppor t the effor ts of the building manager at differ ent stages of the BLC in the reduction of building en ergy consumption, with out compromising en vironmental performance. This meth odolog y also suppor ts the building manager to deter mine the most effective building operation strategy. The following section explain s what a MVD is an d how to define on e Section III defin es the exch ange r equirements necessary to perform en vir onmental and energy assessment. These r equirements are used in the process to develop a MVD for per formance assessmen t, as described in Section IV. Finally,
Section V discusses the limitations en counter ed in the process, while Section VI con cludes the pr esented work.
Building managers often face the issue of mod el exch anges bein g in complete or error pron e due to the lack of semantic definitions within IFC [8]. IFC is a rich pr oduct modelling sch ema, offer ing multiple ways to define objects, relations and attributes [8]. These differ ent ways of defining the same data led to the development of domain specific MVD to d efine pr ecisely how building model exch an ges should be expressed usin g IFC.
The first MVD developed by buildingSMART is known as Coor dination View The main purpose of this view is to allow sharing of building models between the major disciplines of ar chitectur e, structural engineerin g and building ser vices (mechanical) [9].
An MVD is considered a subschema of the IFC specification. The purpose of this subsch ema is to select and specify the appropriate infor mation entities from a schema, their attributes an d r ules that govern their possible values for particular uses [10]. The selected entities that defin e a MVD ar e a subset of all those in the original IFC sch ema.
The fir st step of the pr ocess in definin g a MVD is to identify the scope of th e in for mation exchange between on e or mor e stakeholders. For each set of in for mation, the functional r equirements to be exch anged are defined as Exchange Requirements (ER). These ER are later structur ed into an Information Delivery Man ual (IDM) representing a stan dar dised methodolog y th at provides a universal, repeatable and ver ifiable meth od for creating in for mation exchange.
The ER defined in one or mor e IDMs is organised into a set of infor mation modules, named as MVD Con cepts MVDs ar e usually represented diagrammatically, as shown in Fig. 1. The ER shar e the same IFC indepen dent requirement definitions for mat with MVD. This makes it easy to merge sever al ERs (wh ich define data exchange between stakeholders) into one MVD (which defines data exch ange between soft war e applications).
The development of MVDs follows guidelines pr ovided by buildingSMART International [11]. The basic structur e of a MVD in cludes a set of con cepts, wh ich r efer en ce a specific IFC entity. Each con cept defines a graph of entities an d attributes, with constraints and par ameters set for particular attributes and instance types. Con cepts are backed up by templates to uniquely describe the compon ents of a MVD [12].
The format for MVD diagrams and configur ation is defin ed by an XML schema, kn own as mvdXML. This schema makes extensive use of two gen eral ideas: Definitions and Con figuration s, wh ich combined create one MVD. Definition s capture a range of con cepts and represents them and their relation ship in the con text of the diagram, while Configur ation s captur e how th ose concepts are used in a specific case (Fig. 2). Configuration ‘N’
without having to change the model itself. They pr ovide flexibility for th e model thr ough the application of differ ent sets of r ules to the same in for mation model. A practical example of a BR might be: “the h umidity of an office must be less than 70% an d greater than 30%” [13]. In this for m, wh en applied to a concept, a logical assimilation is associated with the mann er in wh ich the attribute/property is created.
mvdXML refers to an electr onic for mat for representing MVD. It is a gen eric structure that is applied to the IFC data sch ema. Accor ding to [12], this format ser ves several purposes:
- To support automated validation of IFC datasets
- To gen erate documentation for specific MVD
- To support soft war e vendors pr oviding filterin g of IFC data based on model views
- To limit the scope of IFC for par ticular business process
In order to pr ovide consistent and a computerinter pretable definition of MVD, buildingSMART International cr eated the IfcDoc tool [14]. Th is tool is based on the mvdXML sch ema wh ich aligns to IFC EXPRESS schema. The IfcDoc tool is used to gen erate documentation of th e IFC specification itself and the baseline MVD con cept templates. It allows it to quickly expand the gen eric MVD concepts to cover the specific r equirements and business r ules that are introduced by a set of exch ange requirements.
In recent year s, the en vironmental an d en ergy perfor mance of a building has emerged as an important topic in the AEC/FM industr y The peak
load and electricity demand of buildin gs are increasingly scr utinised in order to r educe fossil fuels consumption and satisfy legislative r equirements[15].
Tools such as Building Management Systems (BMS) that contr ol systems operating status and Energy Management Systems (EMS) that display energy consumption help building managers to safely and efficiently operate the building. However, the
This type of r epr esentation allows one single MVD to con tain all the exchan ge r equirements within scope, with th e advan tage to choose which of them are necessary to satisfy a particular business process reducin g the scope of it An other approach to reduce the scope of a MVD is the application of Business Rules (BR)
For example, BR can be used to vary the r esult of using an information model (e.g. IFC data model)
in for mation pr ovided by these tools is not as reliable as it should be [4], thus an absence of str uctur ed in for mation in the pr ovision of optimally perfor ming buildings is present durin g operation .
Ideally, building managers require a set of perfor mance specifications that r epresent building perfor mance. This type of in for mation is created durin g the design stage and is known as design intent. The design intent con tain s all the perfor mance specifications of the building and ser ve as a baseline for future per formance assessment. New pr actices use energy pr ediction modelling to check building
Fig. 3: Collaborative process for information exchange between stakeholders to define optimum operation
perfor mance efficiency, thus enablin g building managers to compar e actual perfor mance again st expected design in tent.
The gathering of specific perfor mance specification s is a time consuming process for building managers, wh ere in many cases the in for mation r equested was lost dur ing the handover process or was not well documented. Unavailable, unreliable an d inaccurate in formation is a major cause for in efficient building operation [16].
Building operation r equir es managers to understand a building’s fun ction, defin ed as a con tr olled en vironment for a predefin ed purpose [16]. For this reason, building function is of paramount importance for most performance analysis and is therefore a pr iority for building managers.
Existing tools an d techniques for mon itoring building perfor mance fail to demon strate the relation ship between building function, en ergy consumption and associated en vironment impact in a mann er that allows building managers to make actionable decision s [4]. A n ew appr oach to solve this pr oblem is the integration of BIM with pr edictive modelling tools such as EnergyPlus or with Buildin g Management Syst ems.
BIM supports building manager s, pr oviding direct access to the in formation they require to make mor e in formed decisions. BIM en ables collaborative wor king pr ocesses (Fig. 3) and acts as the central data repository from wh ich all pr oject stakeholder s can have access to the same information at the same time. BIM can r epr esent very large data sets, however, only
par t of this data is applicable to performance analysis. The choice of specific data fr om BIM focuses on two main aspects of building perfor mance: en vir onmental conditions and energy con sumption
Maintaining constant th ermal con dition s durin g operation is one of the main tasks facing building manager s. Even minor deviation s fr om static comfort levels may be stressful and affect an occupan t’s perfor mance and safet y. Furthermor e, temperature pr efer ences can var y amon g individuals and ther e is no temper atur e that can satisfy everyon e. Adaptive comfort models deal with the h uman behaviour taking into consideration that people will gener ally ch an ge their beh aviour accor dingly to the chan ges in the thermal en vir onmental
Extensive laborator y an d field data have been collected, wh ich pr ovided the n ecessary statistical data to define conditions that a specified percentage of occupants will find thermally comfortable such as Pr edicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Pr edicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD). According to [17], there ar e six primary factors that must be addressed wh en defining conditions for thermal comfort:
- Metabolic rate (M)
- Clothing in sulation (clo)
- Air temper ature (⁰C)
- Radiant temperatur e (⁰C)
- Air speed (m/s)
- Humidity (%)
The failur e to meet the recommen ded th ermal comfort levels can have n egative consequences on occupant pr oductivity [18]. Since per sonn el costs dominate all others related to building operation by two orders of magn itude, a comfortable workplace is of the utmost importance for the economic success of companies [19]
Thermal comfort has a sign ificant in fluen ce in determining the en ergy con sumption of a build in g’s en vironmental syst em [20].
Typically building manager s expend a minimal amount of time focusing on impr oving energy consumption due to loss of data and fragmentation of in for mation [4] Building manager’s requirements consist of a set of con tr ol par ameters that ar e used in the operation strategy of the building. Usually these par ameters come fr om pr escr iptive code compliance, energy performance guidelines, en ergy simulation models an d per for mance benchmar ks
The Eur opean Commission published in 2002, the first Energy Per for mance of Buildin gs Directive (EPBD) [21], with a further revision published in 2010. This Directive has the potential to be an important instr ument in motivating all EU member
states to achieve h igh er building energy per for mance. The EPBD establish ed a set of minimum requirements to perform energy assessment in n ew and existing buildings. However, en ergy perfor mance from a building manager per spective cover s much mor e infor mation than the on e establish ed by EPBD, such as:
- HVAC schematics, specifications and sch edules
- Design intent
- Building Management Systems (BMS) specifications
- Operational & Maintenan ce man uals
- BMS alarm r ecords
- Building per formance h istor y, etc.
A complete list of the building manager requirements are described in [4].
These r equir ements take into account the gen eral indoor climate condition s, in order to avoid possible n egative effects such as inadequate ven tilation, poor envir onmental con ditions and designated fun ction. The gr ouping of these requirements defines the Exchange Requirements (ER) for en vironmental and energy perfor mance analysis. The requirements described above are the minimum par ameter s, but an alysis is not limited to them.
Durin g operation building managers suffer fr om the lack of a specific set of p er for mance r equirements to efficently op erate buildings A need to explicitly capture the exchange requirements is the main motivation for the development of a MVD for perfor mance assessment.
By d oing so, building managers can easily retrieve the r equired in formation to conduct their analysis. This appr oach r educes the time that building managers spend tr yin g to fin d and extract the requir ed in for mation. It also helps building manager s to focus on impr oving building perfor mance reach ing optimum oper ation
The pr oposed MVD for assessment defin es th e exch ange r equirements required by building managers to assess operation al perfor mance It represents the in for mation to be exch anged bet ween two or mor e stakeholders in support of a particular business pr ocess at a specific stage of the BLC, as shown in (Fig. 4). It is important to understand that these r equirements come fr om the end user’s need and the pr imary r ole of the IFC model view is to en sure IFC implemen tation supports these r equirements.
The first step in the creation of a MVD is to map the ER to IFC entities. This process r equir es a deep knowledge of the IFC schema. The IFC documentation, available in the buildin gSMART website [22] helps the mappin g process. This document con tains the specification of the IFC stan dard and con sists of data schema, repr esented as EXPRESS and XML sch ema specification , and includes terms, concepts and data specification items as defin ed by the AEC/FM in dustr y.
After finishing the mapping process the n ext step is to use the IfcDoc tool [14] to create the MVD itself an d gener ate its documentation. Pr evious attempts at defining MVDs used templates to gen erate the diagr ams manually, but since IfcDoc was
publish ed all the documentation is automatically gen erated by this tool. The documentation gen erated is in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format and ser ves as the basis for vendors to implement export an d/or import function s in their software.
For instance, if a BIM softwar e has alr eady implemented a MVD to support a specific business process, the output IFC file will contain on ly the exch ange r equirements defin ed for that particular analysis r educing the amount of irr elevant in for mation . By providing building managers with this type of clean information, they can now start to focus on impr oving th e efficiency of the building. This approach, in th eor y, r educes the time necessary to collect the in formation fr om the pr evious stage of the BLC A small demon stration of the creation of a MVD is presen ted in the n ext section.
In order to reduce the level of complexity on ly on e set of exch ange requiremen ts is examined in this demon stration : that relatin g to indoor air temper atur e. Indoor air temperatur e is a key factor that n eeds to be monitor ed inside a space in order to maintain appr opriate envir onmental con ditions and is directly related to the energy con sumption due to th e HVAC and related systems. Spaces are occupied areas or volumes that pr ovide cer tain functions within a building. The mappin g of th e exchange r equirement “space” to IFC specification is IfcSpace.
For this demonstration the IfcDoc tool is used to create the instance diagr ams of a MVD. As shown in Fig. 5, th e entity IfcSpace can be defin ed in differ ent MVDs (highlighted in yellow). For each MVD a set of concepts (h ighlighted in green) are applied accor ding to th e exchange requirement of a particular process. Techn ically, con cepts are indepen dent of any IFC Model View Definition, wh ich makes it possible to r e-use th e same con cept even wh en the IFC model specification changes
This example is only on e entity and the final MVD for en vironmental and energy per for mance assessment will contain all the exchange requirements and their relation ships The main purpose of this MVD is to support building managers to assess the building during operation.
The IFC sch ema is the stan dard for information exch anges in BIM. It is a rich model that addresses the needs of differ ent disciplines and pr ovides a var iety of ways to defin e parts of a building. Hen ce the use of model views to explicitly define IFC implementation is requir ed. On e of the main issues with this meth odology is the possibility to duplicate pr evious in formation already defin ed in an oth er MVD. In this case, both MVDs sh ould be joint to create a new MVD with a large scope.
The intr oduction of MVD concepts to th e meth odology br ings mor e flexibility and modularity wh en dealing with MVDs.
On e of the main limitation s encounter ed by the auth or s of the paper is the lack of publication s and demon stration related to MVD. Alth ough many industry an d r esearch gr oups are developing MVDs for differ ent applications of th e AEC/FM in formation exch ange, only a few MVDs are available for referen ce
This paper presented a methodolog y to support building manager s in specifying and analysing building en vir onmental and en ergy per for mance. The idea behind this approach is to capture the building manager r equirements and address them using the MVD meth odolog y. This approach offers the oppor tun ity to export IFC files accor ding to the building manager’s r equirements defined in the MVD specific to perfor mance analysis.
The MVD pr esented in this paper is still at an early stage of development. A full demon stration of the potential of this meth odology is plann ed after the completion of the MVD for en vir onmental and energy an alysis. If the results from this test are as expected, th e MVD will be submitted to buildingSMART International to become an official MVD.
This work was supported by a Marie Curie FP7 Integr ation Grant with in the 7th European Union Framewor k Pr ogramme, pr oject title SuPer B, pr oject n umber 631617 and Con selho Nacion al de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecn ológico (CNPq) under the program Science With out Borders.
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Av ril Behan1 , Malachy Mathews2, K evin Furlo ng1, Ciara Ahern3, Una Beagon4, Peter Brennan2, Colin Conway5, Lee Corcoran2, Pi e rce Fahy2, Alan Ho re6, Barry McAuley1+6, and Trevor Woods2
1School of Multidisciplinary Technologies, 2Dublin School of Architecture, 3School of Mechanical & Design En gineering, 4School of Civil & Structural Engineeri ng, 5School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, 6School of Surveying & Construction Management, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin
Abstract This paper presents a case study of how the adopti on of B IM -based practices in the AECO industry is being reflected by cultural change in higher education in Ireland.
The silo- me ntality that has domi nated the AECO sector for more than a century has, despite numerous reorganisations, been replicated in the struct ures of educational institutions, including in Dublin Institute of Technology since the inception of its found ing colleges in the late 1800s.
Most AECO progra mme s must include content that is external to the progra mme’s specific discipline. Throug h the School struct ures of the Institute, delivery of such content is known as "service teaching " and is regarded by so me as being of lesser i mportance than core, discipline-specific cont ent. When new content needs to be fitted into a progra mme, such as B IM technologies, or when financial constraints reduc e contact hours, ‘serviced’ content is often easier to re move or re duce than discipline-specific content because it typically affects non- School staff.
Such reductions lead to reduced exposure of st udents t o compli mentary skill -sets held by other professionals in the AECO sector and increase d separation of disciplines. Wi thout deliberate instigation of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary project work, students are so metimes educated in isolation fro m the other disciplines with who m t hey will work during their professional lives. In extre me cases, graduates someti mes ha ve their first interactions with other professionals when they attend their first site meetings or design tea m me etings on real-world projects.
B IM processes re quire collaboration at all levels in AECO and it is imperative that current and fut ure st udent s are educated within a structure that equips the m with the necessary technical, business, and inter-personal skills.
The establishment of the School of M ultidisciplinary Te chnol ogies (SM DT) at the College of Engineering and B uilt Environment (CEB E) at DIT and the adoption of a college B IM Strategy are essential steps towards facilitating this new dimension of collaborative education. The School currently manages a suite of postgraduate and CPD , modules and progra mmes related to B IM and, althoug h some sta f f in the School teach B IM -related content on these programme s, the majority of teaching on SM DT progra mme s is provided by lecturers from the disciplines of Architectural Technol ogy, B uilding Services Engineering, Civil Engineering, Constr uction M anage ment, Electrical Services Engineering, Geomatics Engineeri ng, Q uantity Surveying, and Structural Engineering.
SM DT is also investing in physical infrastructure, e.g. a B ig B IM Room and lapt op lab, t o support e xisting activities but also to create the environme nt in which collaborative working between discipline s, structured initially around B IM practices but moving towards addressing Lean Constructi on, Sustainability, and N- ZEB agendas, become s the nor m for students as they progress towards graduation and entry into the professions.
Reflective of the industry, the individual staff me mbers cur rently invol ved in these progra mmes have e mbraced the multidisciplinary sett ing and operate as a cohesive unit driven to achieve the best learning outcome s for st udent s. Howev er, the supporting struct ures and infrastructure need to undergo significant cultural change to recognise and benefit from transfor ming to a leaner model of multidisc iplinary delivery.
Keywords Cultur al Ch ange; Lean Con struction ; Education; Multidiscip linar y.
Durin g th e 1980s a n umber of cour ses o ffer ed at th e Dublin Institute of Techn olog y in cluded an element of in tegrated pr oject wh er e dispar ate disciplin es wh o pr acticed within th e built envir on ment wor ked togeth er towards individua l, disciplin e-specific goals as well as towards a un ified en d-product. This could easil y be align ed with some of th e elemen ts of moder n -da y BIM collabor ation. In th e 1990s, th is pr oject falter ed par tly because of implemen tation diffi culties with in th e n ew Facult y Syst em (th e Bolton Street ca mpus beca me h ome to th e Faculty of th e Built En vir on ment while th e Facult y of Engin eer ing stretch ed bet ween th e Bolton Street an d Kevin Street ca mp uses). Educational and admin istrative devel op men ts, both at DIT and in terna tionally, in th e 2000s wh ich r eorgan ised academic year s and ter ms into semester s and subjects into modules, an d wh ich suppor ted wider adoption of wor k placement an d an in cr ea sed focus on in dividual dissertation s all r educed th e opp or tunities for th e in clusi on of in tegr ated pr oject wor k with in the alr ead y-packed curr iculum
At th e same time n ew pedagogies ( meth ods an d pr actice of education ) th at focussed on “lear nin g outcomes” r ath er than “cour se con tent” [1] an d on “probl em-ba sed learnin g” (PBL) by studen ts r ath er th an subject matter teach in g by lect ur er s [2], [3] began to gain footh old Th e for mer ch an ge empha sised wh at an in dividual studen t sh ould expect to, an d could be expected to, kn ow at th e en d of a given module/programme (th e ter m ‘programme’ r eplaced ‘cour se’) Module descr iptor s became th e documen t of con tracts bet ween th e in stitution and th e student, and th e en vir onmen t beca me mor e ‘learn er-centred’ Th e latter chan ge cr eated sign ificant oppor tunities for ‘real -worl d’ learn in g but t ypicall y, an d often because of ad min istrative r easons, probl ems wer e iden tified that r esided within in divid ual disciplin es rath er than between th em In DIT, PBL was ver y successfull y implemen ted in this isolated con text for Physics for Engin eer s [4], Optics for Scien ce [5], Pr oject Man agement for Proper ty Econ omics [6]. Martin et al. [ 7] r epor ted on applyin g PBL as a meth od of en a blin g students on a Geomatics programme to br in g togeth er th e learn ing fr om th e specialist ar eas of Geod etic Sur ve yin g an d
Remote Sen sin g but time pr essur es in th e Remote Sen sing specialism caused by th e intr oduction of 3 mon ths of wor k placement on to th e 4 -year, h on our s degr ee programme lead to th e scalin g back of th e PBL for mat in to a single specialism, i.e. Geodeti c Sur veyin g [8]
Despite th e obvi ous poten tial of PBL as an en abler of in terdisciplinar y co- oper ation , it was r ar ely depl oyed in th at con text and man y students n ever engaged with an y studen ts fr om outside of th eir cor e disciplin e over th e duration of th eir education . This was particular ly th e case for students on programmes with out wor k placemen t.
Into th is en vir on ment in th e late 2000s and ear ly 2010s h as come th e n ew par adigm of th e BIM collabor ative process an d its a ssociated meth ods and techn iques. This cultural ch ange for th e con str uction sect or n eeded to be accommodated with in th e education of un der - an d post-gr aduate studen ts in built en vir onment-r elated progra mmes, but h ow?
Section II exa min es th e curr ent set -up of th e College of En gin eer in g & Built En vir onmen t (CEBE) in DIT in r elation to th ese programmes It also gives an overview o f th e organ isation of Sch ools, progra mmes, finan ces, an d student data r esour ces. Section III iden tifies some of th e limitation s of th e existing structur es in r elation to achievin g collabor ation bet ween programmes an d disciplin es. Section IV discusses th e cultur e of BI M an d h ow it, placed with in CEBE’s Sch ool of Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies (SMDT ), h as been position ed to assist with interdisciplinar y collabor ation at all levels. Secti on V pr esen ts th e curr en t status of th e implementation . Section VI proposes a futur e path for BIM-driven chan ge an d h ow th is is alr ead y expan ding to in clude ben eficiaries such as Lean Construction and Near ly Zer o En er gy & Sustainability education.
Th e College of Engin eer in g & Built Envir onment (CEBE) was set up in 2013 as on e of four colleges in th e Dublin In stitute of Techn olog y Almost all of th e division s in th e n ew College wer e pr eviousl y based in eith er th e Faculty o f E n gineerin g or th e Faculty of th e Built En vir on ment. An impor tan t con cept dur in g
th e r eorganisation of th e in stit ute was to r educe th e duplication ca used b y isolated education of studen ts an d segr egated oper ation of r esear ch er s within specific disciplin es, through th e adoption of crosscuttin g th emes. Th e organ isation al str uctur e focussed on sch ools, rath er than on depar tmen ts, as th e oper ation al units While th is has cr eated some diffi culties, par ticular ly for less h igh -profile disciplin es, it has also cr eated oppor tun ities for in ter action across broader disciplin e groupin gs than would pr eviously have been typical.
CEBE exten ded th e con cept of cross-cuttin g th emes b y settin g up a Sch ool of Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies (SMDT ) Th e r emit of th e Sch ool is to suppor t and facilitate th e devel op men t of commonality bet ween th e oth er six disciplin e-based sch ools (Figur e 1). Most of th e Sch ool’s staff specialises in teach in g outside of th eir or iginal disciplin e and th ey h ave expertise in ar eas of maths, scien ce, an d computing, par ticular ly for engin eer s
r ate to an oth er sch ool to pr ovide a staff member to deliver that module. This ha s th e advan tage of givin g access to exper tise fr om across th e en tire Institute. Ho we ver, this typ e of teach in g is r egarded by some as bein g of lesser impor tan ce th an discipline -specific con tent.
It is possible for students to take modules fr om oth er programmes in oth er sch ools an d colleges. Ho we ver, th e uptake of th is option is small, partly because of th e str ingent accr editation r equir emen ts of man y en gin eer in g an d built envir onmen t-r elated programmes, wh ich speci fy exactl y th e constituent elemen ts of a n approved qualification , and partly because of ad ministration (keepin g track of mar ks) an d timetablin g issues Wh er e studen ts have smaller wor kloads, e g visiting Erasmus students, such option s ar e fr equen tly taken .
Th e disciplin e-specific sch ools, as curr ently defin ed in th e College of En gin eerin g & Built En vir onment, ser ve th e mar ket r easonable well with in th eir specific domains
Th e Sch ool op er ates th e common level 7 an d level 8 En gin eer in g programmes fr om which studen ts can progr ess to eight or seven specific qualification s, r espectivel y It also r un s applied Engin eer ing Comp utin g pr ogrammes an d, most impor tantly h er e, took over th e mana gement of all multidisciplinar y BIM progr ammes fr om th e Dublin Sch ool of Ar chitectur e, wh er e th ey wer e or iginally based wh en initiated as Con tin uing Professi on al Develop men t option s in th e college
Alth ough th er e is some var iation, th e followin g is a descr iption of th e t ypical or ganisation of disciplin especific progr a mmes in CEBE. Curr ently, studen ts r egister on programmes an d programmes ar e linked to in dividual sch ools Sch ools ar e allocated fun din g on a per student basis Sch ools tr y to d eliver as much of th e con tent of th eir programmes as possi ble b y th eir own sch ool sta ff as th is is th e most fin an cia ll y efficien t model for th e Sch ool. Expertise fr om outside of th e Sch ool’s cor e disciplin e is accessed via a model of “ser vice teach in g”. This mean s th at th e Sch ool “own s” th e module, i.e r eceives th e
Ho we ver, in r elation to change on programmes, wh en n ew con tent n eeds to be fitted into a pr ogr amme or wh en con tact h our s n eed to be manipulated for educational or administrative r eason s, ‘ser viced ’ con ten t is often ea sier to r emove or r educe th an disciplin e-specific con ten t because it t ypicall y a ffects n on -Sch ool staff
Such r eduction s lead to r educed exposur e of studen ts to complimen tar y skill -sets h eld b y oth er professi on als in th e AECO sector an d in cr eased separ ation of disciplin es With out deliber ate instigation of multidisciplinar y an d interdisciplinar y pr oject wor k, studen ts ar e sometimes edu ca ted in isolation fr om th e oth er disciplin es with wh om th ey will wor k durin g th eir professi on al lives. In extr eme cases, graduates sometimes have th eir fir st in ter action s with oth er profession als wh en th ey atten d th eir fir st site meetin gs or design team meetin gs on r eal -wor ld projects.
Staff an d management ar e n ot curr en tl y in cen tivised to seek solution s that r educe oper ation al costs bet ween sch ools, i.e at College or Institutionwide levels. Some elemen ts of th e finan cial admin istration of th e In stitute appear to activel y discour age th e ver y con cep t of interdisciplinar y cooper ation that th e cross-cutting th emes of th e r eorganisation an d th e settin g up of th e Sch ool of Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies wer e instigated to achieve.
This mirror s, to some exten t, th e con text of th e construction / built en vir on ment sector without BIM, wh er e th e multitude of professi on als, con tractor s,
in come fr om th e students, an d they pa y an h our l y an d sub-con tractor s r equired to successfull y design
an d complete a large con str uction or in frastructur e pr oject oper ate separately a n d, sometimes con fron tationally, in order to secur e th eir portion of th e in come and/or profit.
This structur e is also h ighligh ts th e absen ce of ‘lean’ con cepts with people wa ste cr eated by “poor allocation of wor k to labour ” an d sometimes “poor disctibution of per sonn el” [9]
In th e constr uction sector, fir ms seek to utilise ch ange order s as a means of r ecover in g costs n ot adequatel y cover ed at ten der stage. In educa tion, n o exact par allel occur s but wh er e studen ts r eceive in adequate exposur e to oth er disciplin es wh en it might be appropr iate for th em to do so, e g ear ly in th eir programme befor e disciplin e biases h ave been develop ed, th e impact is felt later wh en students do n ot ha ve sufficien t foun da tion al kn owled ge to un der stan d and solve in ter disciplinar y problems
This cr eates uninten ded costs as studen ts ha ve to r eceive mor e suppor t than migh t oth er wise h ave been n ecessar y. Th er e is n o mean s by wh ich this cost can be r ecover ed with in DIT ’s financial model.
As with th e RIBA’s Digital Plan of Wor ks for BIM, th e in itial stage of cultur al ch ange began with th e adoption of a strategic direction as set out in th e College of En gin eer in g an d Built En vir onmen t BIM Strategy documen t [10] Th e strateg y r elated to un dergr aduate an d postgradua te provision , as well as staff an d space r esour cing
Th e co-ordin ator s of un dergraduate programmes wh er e BIM is r elevant agr eed to th e aim that studen ts learnin g pa th wa y align s with th e follo win g structur e (Figur e 2):
A: Introduction to BI M : disciplin e inde pe nd en t; deliver ed to multiple programmes in co mb i natio n
B : Discipline-specific BIM Technology / Tech n ol og ies ; in dpen dently del ive red
C: M ultidisciplinary B IM Coll a b or atio n
Figur e 2 CEBE BIM Strateg y for underg ra duate prog ra mme s
Th e In tr oduction module establish es th e con cepts of multidisciplin ar y collabor ation in design, constr uction, and man agement th at un derpin BIM. Th e techn ologies that enable collabor ation and th at ar e utilised by each disciplin e ar e also iden tified in over view. A small collabor ative pr oject, wh er e
studen ts undertake differ en t roles with in th e BIM tea m, n ot n ecessar ily th ose of th eir own professi on , for ms an in tegral par t of th e mod ule. Th e module is also design ed to demon strate th e r equir emen t that all construction professi on als n eed to un der stand each oth er ’s con tribution s to BIM, an d th e techn ologies an d processes that th ey use to achieve th is
In dividua l programmes make decision s about th e amoun t an d level of “l on el y” BIM th at they un dertake with th eir studen ts. Some progr ammes, such as Ar ch itectural Techn olog y an d Geomatics/Geogr aphic Scien ce [11], intr oduce BIM techn ologies d urin g th e fir st year an d develop studen ts kn owledge to a h igh degr ee of competen ce over subsequen t year s Typicall y th ese progr ammes in tegr ate th e BIM techn ologies with associated disciplin e-specific BIM pr ocesses with oth er mod ules, an d/or with integr ated projects. For exa mple, BIM is an integral elemen t of Ar ch itectur al Techn olog y ’s Technical Design Studio modules [12]
Depen ding on th e timin g an d dur ation of elemen ts such a s wor k placement and dissertation, studen ts un dertakin g th eir 5th or 6th semester s will be afforded th e oppor tunity to undertake a collabor ative multidisciplinar y project with student s fr om r elated programmes Th e dur ation an d level of th e project will depen d on th e capacity with in each programme but car eful management will be r equired to ensur e th at th e r elative effor t bet ween collabor ative tea m member s will be appr opr iate shar ed an d rewarded At Liverpool John Moor e’s Un iver sity, Diann e Mar sh r epor ted that a lack of con sisten cy of engagemen t and of standardisation of assessment in collabor ative pr ojects r un between AT, QS, Buildin g Sur veyin g, Buildin g Ser vices Engin eer ing, Civil Engin eer ing, an d Real Estate Mana gemen t studen ts lead to sign ificant problems in th e roll out of collabor ative BIM [13]. Th e option of utilisin g th e multidisciplinar y BIM projects as alter natives to wor k placemen t in special cir cumstan ces or as th e foun dation s of individual disser tation s also exists with in th e strategy
At postgr aduate level, curr en t deliver y focuses on in dividual CPD modules on th e techn ologies o f th e disciplin es of Ar chitectur e, Ar ch itectur al Techn olog y, Civil Engin eer ing, Constr uction Man agement, Electrical Ser vices E n gin eer in g, Geomatics Sur ve yin g/Engin eer ing, Mech anical Engin eer ing, Str uctural En gin eerin g, and Quan tity Sur veyin g, as well as collabor ative programmes at Postgraduate Cer tificate, Postgr aduate Diploma, and Master of Scien ce levels. T h ese build on CPD Diploma programmes wh ich began in 2012 as r apid upskillin g mechanisms for con struction professi on als a ffected b y th e econ omic down turn.
In th e tr ue spirit of BI M collabor ation, member s of sta ff fr om 6 of th e 7 Sch ools in th e College for med a pr oject team to develop and
th e MSc suite. As a r esult of th e r ange of exper tise available within th is project tea m, waste wa s r educed through r euse of con tent wh er e possi ble, an d th e competen ces o f in dividuals and professi on s wer e appropr iately r epr esen ted and adopted Again th is is r epr esen tative of th e value of BIM, wh er e all stake-h older s ar e engaged at an early stage in a pr oject, e.g. th e client an d/or Facilities Manager participate in Design Team meetin gs, thus r educin g th e occurr en ce of error s that might oth er wise n ot be n oticed un til han dover or an oth er similar ly- costl y stage.
As is fr equently mention ed, th e 2016 mandate in th e UK does n ot specify BIM. Rath er it states that: “Government as a client can der ive sign ifican t improvemen ts in cost, value and carbon per for man ce through th e use of op en sh arable asset in for mation ” [14] This pr in ciple can equally be applied to th e cultur al change r equired in education to facilitate BIM.
Un til n ow, th e major cultural chan ges that ha ve been ach ieved in CEBE via BIM have been enacted at postgr aduate level an d with deliver y outside th e stan dar d teach ing week of 9 -6, Mon da y to Friday Alth ough th e progra mme team for th e Applied Buildin g In for mation Modelling & Management MSc suite compr ises mainly cor e teach in g staff, much of th e deliver y is under taken by par t -time lectur er s wh o teach as a mean s of r eturn in g th e ben efit of wh at th ey h a ve learn ed into th e ind ustr y In order to ach ieve th e ben efits of BIM at un dergr aduate level, BIM processes an d techn ologies n eed to be adopted and taught on all r elevan t programmes by full -time, teach in g faculty
To suppor t this ch ange, Sch ool o f Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies h a s validated mod ules for th e deliver y o f elemen ts A and C of Figur e 2. It is also investin g in th e develop men t of a Big BIM Room, wh er e stud en ts will ha ve th e n ecessar y ph ysical space with in wh ich to collabor ate effectivel y in multidisciplinar y tea ms This room will also be of sign ificant ben efit for postgr aduate BIM education an d for oth er collabor ative learning
For example, in th e Un ited St ates, all final year, level -8-equivalent en gin eer in g studen ts must un dertake a team project. This is don e a s part of a 3year progra mme an d th e a vailability of th is facility could h elp with adoption of tech niques tha t would r esult in th e ed ucation of h igh quality en gin eer s at a faster rate than is curr en tly possi ble.
To en able students to un der take BIM education on a flexible, par t-time basis that fits ar oun d wor k an d oth er commitments, DIT enables studen ts to take modules over an extended period with exit qualification s after weeks, month s, or year s of stud y.
This is eq uivalen t to th e shar ing of a sset in for mation wh er e th e asset is BIM education and kn owledge. Th e new modules th at have been validated by Sch ool of Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies also in clude flexibility to in clude Lean Pr in ciples with in pr ojects As elucidated by Joh n Ffr en ch at a Lean Con str uction In stitute Ir elan d even t, BIM is th e en abler for th e process o f Lean Constr uction which makes it possible to r educe waste, ach ieve cost efficien cy, an d derive value in constr uction BIM implies Lean but is most effective wh en dr iven b y cha mpion s of lea n prin ciples.
Figur e 3 Th e link between cost e ffec t ive construction & built en vir onment oper ations, lean techn iques and BIM (cour tesy of Joh n Ffre nc h, Lean Con str uction Insti tu te)
Th e wor k of chan gin g th e cultur e of silo- based education ha s on ly begun . As th e mar ket changes, so too must th e educational en vir on men t, par ticular ly vocation ally-focussed education such as offer ed at DIT.
Th e transfor mation of th e DIT fr om an In stitute of Techn olog y in to a Techn ological Un iver sity follo win g merger with th e Institutes of Techn olog y in Tallaght an d Blan chardstown offer s a un ique opp or tunity for cultural change th at is n ot often available to an institution of th e scale of th e DIT
An agr eed foun din g prin ciple for th e str uctur e of th e Techn ological Un iver sit y is that Sch ools will be based aroun d disciplin es. Targets ma y be set for n umber s of studen ts an d in come gen er ation targets per sch ool. Th e futur e of th e Sch ool of Multidisciplinar y Techn ologies in that context is un cer tain but an arr angemen t such a s curr ently in place for th e Graduate Resear ch Sch ool, wh er e studen ts ar e r egister ed jointly bet ween th e GRS an d th e discipline-specific sch ool, ma y be n ecessar y to en able CEBE, and DIT, to deliver th e h igh -quality, collabor ative education th at is r equired by our graduates an d by ind ustr y.
XI ACK N O W LEDG EM EN T S
Th e auth or s wish to ackn owled ge th e par ticular effor ts of Malach y Math ews, Kevin Furlon g, Cor mac Allen, and Orna Han ley in r elation to BIM, an d of Br ian Clar e, Vin cent Gibson , Paul Ebbs, Garr ett Keena ghan, Ra y Turn er, David Kenn ed y, an d Ger Reilly in r espect of Lea n Constr uction , as leader s within th e College of En gin eer ing & Built Envir onmen t, DIT. Th e mana gemen t & staff of th e Sch ools of Ar chitectur e, Mech anical & Design Engin eer ing, Sur veyin g & Con str uction Man agement, and Electr ical & Electronic Engin eer ing have been ver y suppor tive of th e wor k of th e Sch ool of Multidiscip linar y Techn ologies in addin g th e collabor ative education al paradigm to existin g th eories an d disciplin e-specific learn in g & teach ing meth ods Ackn owledgemen t is also due to th e director s an d management of th e College of Engin eer ing & Built En vir onmen t; th eir vision an d suppor t facilitated th is wor k: Ger ar d Farr ell, Brian Bowe, Jun e Ph elan, Mike Murph y, an d Rich ar d Tobin Th e contribution s of a number of ke y in divid uals in DIT ’s cen tral Finance, Registration , an d Studen t Suppor t Ser vices ar e also r ecogn ised h er e.
[1]
B. Bowe an d M. Fitz maur ice, "Guide to Wr iting Learn ing Outcomes," Dublin Institute of Techn olog y, Dublin ,2008
[2] D. Boud an d G. Feletti, The challenge of problem based learning Lon don : Kogan Page, 1997
[3] W G Cunningham and P A Cordeiro, Educational leadership: a problem-based approach Bost on : Allyn an d Bacon , 2003.
[4] B. Bo we, C. Flynn , R. Ho ward, and S. Dal y, "Teachin g Ph ysics to Engin eer in g Studen ts Usin g Probl em-Based Learn in g," International Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 19, pp. 724746, 2003.
[5] B Bowe, S. Dal y, C Flynn, and R Ho ward, "Pr oblem-based learn in g: an approach to enhan cin g learn ing an d un der stan ding of optics for fir st - year studen ts," pr esen ted at th e OPTO Ir eland, Dublin, 2003
[6] E. Fallon and S. Walsh, "Repor t on Investment Por tfolio Man agement Pr oject," Dublin Institute of Techn olog y, Dublin, Ir elan d 2007
[7] A Martin, E. McGover n , an d K. Moon ey, "Pr oblem Based Lea rnin g in Spatial In for mation Scien ces – A Case Stud y," pr esented at th e ISPRS Techn ical Commission VI Symposium – E Learn in g an d th e Next Steps for
Education , Tok yo, Japan, 2006
[8] A Mar tin , E. McGover n , and K. Moon ey, "GeoLear n – Exploitin g New Education al Tools in th e Spatial In for mation Scien ces," pr esented at th e INTED2007 Internation al Techn olog y, Education an d Develop men t Con fer en ce., Valen cia, Spain, 2007.
[9] L. F. Alar con , Lean Con stru cti on . Rotterda m: A. A. Balkema, 1997.
[10] C Allen, "College of Engin eer ing & Built Envir onment: BIM Strategy," Dublin Institute of Techn olog y, Dublin, Ir eland 2014
[11]
E. McGover n, A Beh an, an d K. Furlong, " Geomatics and de velopme nts in B IM education in Ireland," pr esen ted at th e FIG CONGRESS 2014, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, 2014
[12]
M. Math ews, "BIM C ollabor ation in Student Ar chitectural Techn ologist Learn in g," Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 11, pp 190206, 2013
[13]
D. Mar sh "Th e adoption of cr oss sch ool collabor ative BIM: Lesson s learnt, ch anges made an d th e wa y for ward," pr esen ted at th e BIM Academic Forum, Un iver sity of Wessex, Lon don , UK, 2014.
[14] BIM In dustr y Wor kin g Group, "Strategy Paper for th e Govern ment Con struction Clien t Group," Her majest y's Govern men t, UK2011.
1Belf ast School of Architecture, Ulster University, Jordanstown, No rthern Ireland
2School of The Built Environment, Ulster Universi ty, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
3School of The Built Environment, University of Salf ord, Salf ord, UK
4Copenhagen School of Design & Technolog y, KEA, Copenhagen, Denmark
E-mail: 1da.comisk ey@u lst er.ac.uk 2t.mcler non@ulst er.ac.uk
3A.J.Fleming @salfo rd.ac.uk 4jmh@kea.dk
Abstract - De spite a mo me nt um shift in professi onal practice towards B IM ways of working and a collaborative approach to project delivery, collaborative working practices a mongst built environ ment students are still far from common practice within Higher Education Instituti ons (HEIs) in the UK and Ire land. Not only is this at odds with industry require me nts, in ter ms of beco ming fa miliar with collaborative working practices, but like ly to lead to inefficiencies within institutions. Such an approach goes against the grain of lean thinking, a proc ess itself closely aligned with the ethos of B IM. This paper investigates the link between collaborative educational delivery and the potential consequential efficiency savings to be achieved from ta king such an approach. To do this, a Kaizen analysis proce ss ha s been used to analyse a traditional built environ ment progra mme delivery model. The aim of the paper is two-fold: t o analyse if a mov e towards a more collabor ative approach t o educational delivery could, as well as promoting the ethos of collaborative working which is a key B IM philosophy, assist in achieving lean advantages in ter ms of developing a more efficient progra mme delivery structure at Level 4 (Year 1) and ma king better use of resources. To assist with the research, analysis of the educational delivery model e mpl oyed at Copenhagen School of Design and Tec hnology was undertaken to assess if good practice could be identified and imple mented. The research was also infor me d by observant par ticipation at Ulster Univer sity and by analysis of its internal policy and associated infor mation. The paper argues that taking a collaborative approach benefits the organisation in terms of a more efficient delivery process, and benefits the students by providing an educational experience bette r aligned with the collaborative working environme nt they will experience in professional life.
Keywords - Lea n, High er Education, BIM
In is ackn owled ged that in profession al practice collabor ative wor kin g is a key aspect of BIM implemen tation [1] This is also bein g r ecogn ised with in educational institutions, with a r ecen t stud y un dertaken at Ulster Un iver sity in dicatin g that con tent deliver y, in collaboration with oth er cour ses, is th e pr eferr ed approach for BIM r elated modules [2] With PAS1192-2 outlin ing th e r equ ir emen t for th e use of a Common Data En vir onmen t as a key aspect of BIM Level 2 project deliver y [3 ], such wor kin g practices will on l y gr ow in significan ce. Hen ce, it is imper ative th at th e n ext gen er ation of constr uction professi on al is educated in a wa y th at suppor ts collabor ative workin g
Th er e ar e man y defin itions for wh at is meant by collabor ation. It h as been descr ibed as, “wh er e two or
mor e in dividuals wor k togeth er to achieve mutually ben eficia l value, in th e spirit of tr ust and openn ess” [4] In th e constr uction sector, collabor ation could be seen as takin g a lean ap proach in th e deliver y of a specific task i.e. wor king togeth er to achieve value as opposed to wor kin g in isolation , leading to waste, in ter ms of duplica tion of e ffor t But wh at exactly does taking a lean approach mean ? Th e Lean Enterpr ise Institute [5] descr ibes it as, “cr eating mor e value for customer s with fewer r esour ces” In oth er words a lean industr y is on e in wh ich waste is min imised wh ile a t th e same time optimising output. Alth ough common ly th ough t of as a ter m that r elates solel y to large-scale in dustries such as manufacturin g, th is pr emise applies across all sect or s, in cludin g education , an d can be used to transfor m th e for tun es of organisation s b y scrutinisin g busin ess models,
er adicating wa ste and focusin g on people an d quality
Th e ear ly or igin s of lea n th inkin g can be traced as far back a s th e sixteen th centur y [6 ], but it is Henr y For d wh o is cr edited with ma kin g giant strides in lean production by r evolutionisin g th e car man ufactur in g process in th e ear ly twen tieth cen tur y T oyota, learnin g lesson s fr om th e For d r egime and oth er syst ems in oper ation in th e Un ited States [7 ], built on th is and th er eafter con ceived wh at could be consider ed th e most sign ificant progr ession in th e h istor y of lean production, th e To yota Production Syst em (T PS). Th e TPS essen tially focused on four main ar eas in its pur suit of lean Waste reduction was ke y, but it sat alon gside th e eth os o f h avin g an over all Philosophy an d focusin g on People and Partners and Problem
In ter ms of pr actically appl yin g lean pr in ciples, such a s a collabor ative wor king approach , a Kaizen an alysis process is on e meth od wh ich can be implemen ted This in volve s followin g a speci fic ser ies of step s [7, p 277] to evaluate curr ent processes. It can be used as a template for suggestin g improvemen ts an d outlin ing h ow th ey can be implemented to enhan ce productivit y an d ultimatel y r emove waste fr om th e wor kflow
This paper wi ll apply Kaizen with in an education al setting to r eview curr en t deliver y processes with in six of th e main un dergr aduate built envir onmen t r elated programme ar eas at Ulster
Un iver sity Th e two- fold aim is to an alyse if a move towards a mor e collabor ative approach to educational deliver y could, as well a s promotin g th e eth os o f collabor ative working wh ich is a key BIM ph ilosoph y, assist in achievin g lean a dvantages in ter ms of developin g a mor e efficien t progra mme deliver y str uctur e an d makin g better use of r esour ces Th e an alysis h as been loosel y based on deliver y meth ods emplo yed with in Level 4 (Year 1) modules It sh ould be stressed that th e un der lyin g purpose of th is stud y is to explor e ideas for curriculum design.
Through out th e mid to late twen tieth cen tur y it was widel y documen ted th at plannin g and deliver y of construction projects r equir ed major r econsider ation [8, p 2] Howe ver it could be argued that it wa s th e 1990 ‟s, with th e publication of th e Latham [9] and Egan [10] r epor ts, befor e lean thin kin g was truly highligh ted as a wa y of in vigor ating th e ailin g construction sector
Man y of th e “dr iver s of ch ange” outlin ed b y Egan bear close r esemblan ce to th e values of th e T PS, th us suggestin g tha t th ese pr in ciples wer e iden tified as ke y to tran sfor min g th e sector This is likely to be a r esult of Ega n ‟s automotive backgroun d as Chair man of Jaguar. Th e publication s provoked debate at th e time an d wer e h er alded as being game changer s Ho we ver, a 2009 r eport by Con structin g Excellen ce
[11], outlin ed that th e level of ch ange, sin ce th e publication of th e Egan Repor t, could n ot be viewed as tran sfor mation al. It is only in r ecen t times, sin ce th e publication of th e 2011 Governmen t Con str uction Strategy [12] , that th ose with in th e in dustr y h a ve ser iousl y begun to adopt lean prin ciples as a wa y of maximising r esour ces an d achievin g efficien cy ga in s. Th e UK govern men t clear ly believes in th e poten tial of BIM, wh ich shar es man y of th e lean prin ciples [13], an d its potential to assist th e con str uction in dustr y in ach ievin g th e efficien c y gain s r equired
If th e governmen t vision is to be r ealised an d th e efficien cy gain s targeted in th e Gover nment Con str uction Strateg y ar e to be ach ieved, all construction profession als will r equire an in -depth un der stan ding of BIM wor king meth ods, an appr eciation of th e eth os of collabor ative an d lean wor kin g an d con fiden ce in applyin g such meth ods an d processes in pr actice. In order for this to occur, it is imperative that th e h igh er education experien ce of th ose en rolled on constr uction r elated un dergr adua te degr ee progr ammes r eflects th is collabor ative mentality an d paves th e wa y for such wa ys o f wor kin g
Th er e h as been some pion eer in g wor k aimed at implemen tin g lean practices in th e education sector [14-15]; h owe ver this ha s n ot been exten sive. With in built en vir onmen t disciplin e ar eas th e curr en t str uctur e is widel y ch ar acter ised b y disciplin ar y compar tmentalisa tion [16]. Alth ough collabor ative wor kin g practices ha ve been implemen ted into th e curr iculums of some construction r elated programmes, traditional deliver y meth ods with little collabor ation bet ween studen ts on differ en t pr ogr ammes is still paramoun t [17 ] Th e model wh er eb y each programme has its own broad r ange of disciplin e specific modules is still in use. This is a far cr y fr om demonstratin g lean best practice.
As outlin ed b y Sch leich er [1 8], “ education al success is n o longer about r eproducin g con ten t kn owled ge, but about extr a polating fr om what we kn ow an d applyin g that kn owledge to n ovel situation s ” This cer tainly applies to th e built envir onmen t sector at pr esent in th e UK an d Ir elan d, an d th e sector could ben efit fr om lookin g at education al deliver y mod els in oth er coun tries in ter ms of seekin g a n ovel appr oach Lookin g to Scan dina via, an d in par ticular th e Danish model, th er e is a str on g empha sis on collabor ative wor kin g, that also leads to a lean er deliver y model. Th e followin g section will evalua te th e Danish approach, mor e specificall y, th e approach emplo yed at Copen hagen Sch ool of Design and T echn olog y, with a view to implemen tin g some of th e meth ods outlin ed in th e n ew deliver y mod el to be proposed.
Th e Bach elor of Ar chitectural Techn olog y a n d Con str uction Mana gemen t (AT CM) is a seven semester, 210 ECT S poin t cour se, offer ed with in th e Copenh agen Sch ool of Design an d Techn olog y (KEA) Th e fir st five semester s ar e all taught through pr oject based group wor k. Th e sixth semester is spen t on in tern ship an d th e final semester involves wr itin g a disser tation and procur in g a pr oject of th e stu den t ‟s own ch oosin g, wor kin g in divid ually [19] Pedagogicall y, th e cour se is str uctur ed through group wor k on project dr iven semester s. This is a huge ben efit in ter ms of ach ievin g collabor ative wor kin g pr actices. Th is appr oach is quite differ en t fr om tha t with in th e UK an d Ir elan d, both in ter ms of disciplin e str uctur e wh er e Ar ch itectural Techn olog y a n d Con str uction Managemen t ar e seen as t wo distin ct disciplin es which ar e in th e main ar e taught accordingly, and in ter ms of deliver y model, wh er e a mor e modular str uctur e is emp loyed
If th e pr imar y objective of education follo ws directl y fr om th e n atur e of professi on al wor k, th en project wor k moves th e discover y an d application to centre stage. It becomes th e application of kn owledge to ill-posed problems [20] In terdisciplinarity a n d problem based learn in g often rile again st traditional academia, wh er ea s somewhat ir onically, vocation al education s seem to embr ace th em wh olesomel y [21]. Such is th e ca se in Denmar k, wh er e Roskilde Un iver sity is on e of th e most radical refor m un iver sities in Europe [22] In th e seven ties, a number of n ew un iver sities promoted altern ative con cepts of teach ing (Inn ovative Stud ent -Cen tred Education ) wh er e r adical an d political r efor ms brought n ew teach ing techniques.
Pr oject wor k en deavour s to br in g a modern profile to in d epen den t ana lysis, probl em-sol vin g, trainin g in co-oper ation in volvin g comp lex issues, cr itical attitudes, political a war en ess, r esponsibility, professi on al commitmen t an d last but n ot least, over view [23 ] Learn ing and pr oblem-solvin g do n ot happen in a vacuum [24], mean ing th ey n eed a con text. Lear nin g b y doin g provides th is con text, wh ich is th e gr eat dictate fr om th e Chica go Sch ool [25] Teach ing and learn in g have, in common, an a mbition to combin e elements of pr oblem -solvin g and learnin g in a dialectic wa y If traditional lear ning desir es that th e student learns ever yth in g about a given subject, leading to subject matter abundance , then pr oject wor k desir es exemplarity, in learnin g by doing Wh ile project wor k can be th e veh icle for teach ing skills and kn owledge, it also provides a ver y impor tant latent mean s of devel opin g gen eral professi ona l skills an d attitudes [26]
Some see problem based learnin g as a pedagogical mean s of en sur in g con tin uity an d focus for th e lear n er That is, instead of bein g pr esented with ran dom pieces of in for mation, it poin ts out a defin ite direction for th e studen t. Ultima tely, in societal terms it educates cr itical techn ocr ats and problem crush er s wh o ar e n ot afr aid to defy disciplin ar y limits, because r eal problems do n ot r espect disciplin ar y limits [27]. As construction projects become mor e complex, solvin g th em r equir es mor e in ter action between man y people. This too n ecessitates cer tain skills and per sonal ch aracter istics, makin g th e participants mor e cr eative an d in depen den t [27] Indeed th e un cer tainty, complexity, instability, uniq uen ess an d value con flict th at occur s d urin g a project, question s th e ver y g oals th emselves [28]
Fur th er to project wor k an d problem based learnin g i s th e n otion of group wor k A common for m of group wor k is th e beeh ive, wh er e studen ts ha vin g differ ent skills have to co- oper ate to solve tasks [29] Within th e AT CM programme, each semester build s upon th e stude n ts ‟ skill sets, star tin g with a basic single family h ouse in fir st, r isin g to a complex commer cial building in four th wh ile fifth deals with r en ovation an d r efurbish men t Th e process gr ows in size and complexity with a dded deman ds to costs, con tractual matter s, fire r equirements, str uctur al and ser vicin g a ll th e time deliver in g su stainable, buildable solutions "Group wor k soun ds ver y appropr iate; it mirror s th e wor k place an d involves collabor ation But wh en a wh ole semester is based on th e sa me group, with inter -depen den cy for grades an d mar kin g, th e stakes ar e h igh, and th is r eflects in h ow ver y much mor e ser iousl y th e studen ts take th e matter " [30]
Within th e AT CM progr amme, exa mination s ar e or al r ath er th an written, broadly in complian ce with Roskilde U ni ve rs i ty‟s dogma [31]. A project based exa m, mean in g an or al exam, is supplemented with dra wings and documen tation pr esen ted t o th e teach er s, role-playin g also as clien ts, plann er s, con tractor s or user s. A meth od of digital pr esentation mean s th at th e groups pr esen t typicall y a Po wer Poin t pr esen tation with P D F‟s of documen ts an d dra win g inserted in to th e sh ow, wh ich ar e h yper linked to th e or iginal documen ts This allows th e ch eckin g of an y discr epan cies in th e wor k wh ile dispelling doubts in th e teach e rs ‟ min d s All exa min er s h a ve digital access to th e cen trally stor ed files
Group pr esentation s (four studen ts) take the str uctur e of 10 minutes per in dividual pr esen tation, 10-15 min utes for question in g an d th e r emainin g time deliberatin g a gr ade and a warding of sa me. In all an academic lectur e h our is used per group In this time th ey will pr esen t t wo con secutive wor k stages, usually
Develop ed Design an d Technical Design cover in g all procur emen t in dra win gs, documents, costin g, production and process In dividual wor k cover s a buildin g par t (exter nal wa ll, floor slab, gr een roof etc), wh er e dr a wings, specification , quan tities and sequen cin g/flow ar e pr esen ted This in cludes locating details, enumeratin g compon en ts and sequen cing assembl y, alon g with qua lity con tr ol, r esour ces and h ealth and sa fet y
Often , th er e is r esistan ce fr om traditional academia an d professi on s because o f a concer n that through group wor k, in divid uals cann ot be th orough ly examin ed, meanin g some might fr eeload an d slip un der th e scrutin y of th e exa min er s This is n ot so with in th e AT CM programme, as student peer pr essur e en sur es that gr ades ar e earn ed.
"It is wor th r epeating, tha t pedagogically th e cour se is str uctur ed through group wor k in a matr ix diagram on pr oject dr iven semester s It is pr actice or ientated an d uses problem-sol vin g meth ods. This is a h uge ben efit wh er e collabor ative wor k is involved , as in deed it is with BIM r elated deliver y. Th e wor k can be divided in to two par ts: on e wh er e a uth or ship is to th e for e an d th e oth er wh er e analysis is pr imo (Hardin , 2009). Auth or in g involves buildin g a digital in for mation model and developin g it thr ough th e var ious wor k stages of th e project. Analysis allows th e model to be ch ecked an d con tr olled so th at cer tainty is achieved, br inging projects on time and to budget (Eastman et al, 2008) Allowin g th e data gen er ated to be min ed an d tested is n ot n ew; it is in fact an integr al par t of th e plannin g process an d of gr ea t con cern to th e client."
[30]
Two ke y fin dings h a ve emerged fr om th is deliver y mod el: fir stly, studen ts appear ed mor e r elaxed prior to assessmen t. This was a r esult of th e group wor k wh ich allowed th em to collabor ativel y addr ess pr oblems in th e model in a timel y ma nn er and as part of a team Secon dly, commun ication skills wer e enhan ced. Pr eviousl y, comin g up to exams wa s a tense a ffair, with studen ts bein g stressed, panickin g an d un cer tain, owin g to unr esolved aspects o f th e design Wh ile th is is still possi ble students ar e better able to see an d addr ess th ese problems easier and ear lier than befor e.
Th e fin dings fr om KE A would suggest that th er e is much to gain fr om taking a collabor ative approach to education al deliver y Whilst it is ackn owledged th at th e programme with in KE A is on ly d ealing with two disciplin es, in ter ms of a UK an d Ir ish per spective, th e sa me pr in ciples could be applied on a wider scale to n ot on ly achieve a d eliver y model th at align s mor e closel y with professi on al life, but on e th at is lean er with less time spen t on administrative tasks and mor e time spen t with studen ts in th e classroom
Dra win g on th e lesson s learnt fr om th e model at KEA, th e r emain der of th e p aper will provide a case stud y wh ich looks at curr ent an d proposed futur e deliver y mod els with in a UK an d Ir ish con text. Befor e th e case stud y is pr esen ted, a con text to th e stud y will be provided
Wh ilst dra win g on th e man y positives fr om th e approach at KEA, it sh ould be outlin ed that th er e ar e still advan tages to a deliver y meth od wh er eb y each programme has its own broad range of disciplin e specific modules, on e of wh ich is en sur ing th e con ten t deliver ed is specific to an d tailor ed to suit th e particular disciplin e in question . Ho wever, such wor kin g meth ods offer minimal oppor tun ity for collabor ative an d multidisciplinar y wor kin g, certain ly compar ed to th ose outlin ed in th e model at KE A. As well as th e pedagogic disadvan tage, this meth od is in efficien t with duplication of r esour ces an d ma ter ials
This section will analyse wh at could be consider ed traditional construction r elated programmes in th e UK an d Ir eland , (Ar ch itectural Techn olog y, Buildin g Engin eer ing, Buildin g Sur veyin g, Civil Engin eer ing, Con str uction Engin eer ing and Quantity Sur ve yin g) an d deter min e h ow lean savings could be a ch ieved as a r esult of proposin g an alternative, mor e collabor ative, Level 4 (Year 1) pr ogr amme str uctur e Th e deliver y process has also been evaluated to determin e wh er e efficien cies could be made. Th e stud y could be descr ibed as illustrative, aimed at in vestigatin g th e ben efits an d ch allen ges ar ising fr om adoptin g a collabor ative approach to progr amme deliver y, compar ing th ese to th e existing process a n d open in g up th e wider debate on th e optimum delivery str ucture
Th e r esear ch was in for med by obser va nt participation in th e lead auth ors ‟ un iver sity a n d by th e an alysis of in ternal policy a n d associated in for mation . It was also sh aped by th e findin gs fr om th e workin g meth ods emplo yed at Copenh agen Sch ool of Design an d Techn olog y To iden tify wh er e efficien cies could be ach ieved an d improvemen ts made to th e deliver y model, th e Kaizen process, discussed in th e in tr oductor y section , wa s utilised A curr en t pr ocess map was cr eated for an alysis, follo wed b y a proposed deliver y model.
As alr ead y outlin ed, th e aim of th e ca se stud y is two-fold; to analyse if a move to wards a mor e collabor ative appr oach to education al deliver y could, as well as pr omotin g th e eth os of collabor ative wor kin g wh ich is a key BIM ph ilosoph y, assist in achievin g lean advantages in terms of devel opin g a mor e efficien t programme deliver y str uctur e at Level 4 (Year 1) an d makin g better use of r esour ces
To clar ify th e scale of th e pr oblem it sh ould be n oted that each of th e six progr ammes un der consider ation has th eir own mod ules, but man y ar e similar in con ten t to wh at is deliver ed with in th e oth er programmes.
It can be seen (Fig 1) that th e n umber of bespoke mod ules deliver ed bet ween th e six programmes an alysed is 38, with on ly 5 sh ar ed modules Ho wever , fur th er an alysis would in dicate that potentially, as man y as 25 of th e r emainin g mod ules deliver ed on an in divid ual programme basis could be combin ed with at least on e of th e oth er programmes. This pr esen ts an idea of th e scale of poten tial efficien cy savings
In order to begin a mor e detailed analysis of th e curr en t model th e Kaizen process wa s used Th is r equired anal ysis o f all of th e tasks associated with each module and programme, in cludin g th e admin istrative duties per for med.
Th e fir st stage in an y Kaiz en wor kflow is to identify th e customer In order to make th e comparison in th e application of th e Kaizen pr in ciples, th e studen t wa s id entified as the customer in this stud y. It is important that th er e is a balan ce str uck bet ween makin g cost savin gs b y strip pin g out in efficien cies, an d impactin g upon th e lear nin g exper ien ce and th us losin g th e iden tity o f a particular programme of stud y A process map (Fig 2) ha s been produced to clear ly dem onstrate th e existin g workflow with r egar d to pr epar ation an d actua l programme deliver y It sh ould be vi ewed alon gside th e analysis provided over th e comin g pages
Beginn in g with Pha se Zero, timetables ar e finalised for each progra mme an d individual module cod es cr eated Enrolmen t data is uploaded to cen tral comp uter syst em an d har d cop y files ar e cr eated for in divid ual studen ts on each of th e programmes.
(1) Th e issue with this process is th at separ ate cod es ar e cr eated for each module even th ough a number cover similar con ten t.
Module ar eas on th e on lin e learnin g management syst em ar e pr epar ed for each cour se an d h ard war e and soft war e is updated in th e teach ing rooms.
(2) Th e main issue with this process is that module ar eas ar e cr eated for academics teach in g on specific programmes As in phase zer o, quite a few modules have similar con ten t, th us duplication is takin g place in th e creation of th e module ar eas.
Phase Two Analysis
Progr amme booklets ar e pr epar ed for each cour se as well a s in dividual mod ule booklets Readin g lists ar e updated an d librar y books order ed Each academic produces a sch eme of wor k for his or h er par ticular mod ules a s well a s th e teach ing con tent. Cour sewor k br iefs ar e wr itten and exa mination paper s ar e pr epar ed an d in ternally ver ified befor e bein g sent to exter nal examin er s for approval. A n umber of issues wer e identified in this workflow:
(3) Module booklet pr eparation for in divid ual modules even th ough th e content for some m odules is broadl y similar.
(4) Pr epar ation of r eadin g lists wh ich ar e sen t to libr ar y staff for book order ing With a number of mod ules havin g similar lear ning outcomes, th er e is in evitable duplication in th e r eading lists sen t. Time is wa sted in sen din g this in for mation an d ch ecking th e libr ar y st ock
(5) T each ing mater ial pr epar ed by academic staff for mod ules that ar e broadly similar , r esultin g in duplication
(6) Cour sewor k an d examination paper s pr epar ed for mod ules th at ar e broadly similar Th ese r equire in terna l ver ification befor e bein g sent for extern al ver ifica tion
Phase Three Analysis
T each ing mater ial is deliver ed through out both semester s, with cour sewor k submission s r eceived, marked and feedback provided.
(7) Th e main issue with th is is th e duplication of teach ing r esour ces produced an d th e in efficien t use of teach ing spaces.
Phase Four Analysis
Academic staff member s per for m administration duties such as; th e election of student r epr esentatives in each programme and th e associated paper wor k, sch edulin g and r ecordin g th e outcomes of studies advice sessi ons, staff/student consultative committee meetin gs and var ious cour se committee meetin gs T wo ma in issues wer e iden tified with this process:
(8) Depen din g on th e number of studen ts, studies advice session s can be quite time in ten sive. Levelled production is also an issue as some programmes have a high er staff/studen t r atio than oth er s.
(9) Th e number of meetin gs through out th e year impacts on time that could be spen t on oth er productive activities such as r esear ch This is
especially probl ematic for academic staff th at teach across a range of progr ammes
Phase Five Analysis
Additional ad ministration d uties ar e n ecessar y a fter th e teachin g semester en ds T asks in volved in clude uploadin g of studen t mar ks; exam boar d atten dan ce an d pr eparation of r esit paper s Arr angin g stor age of cour sewor k is also r equired. Th e main issues identified h er e wer e:
(10) Mar k upload and exam boar d pr epar ation for each programme can be quite time intensive. Multiple data entr y of marks leads to duplication.
(11) Resit exa mination s and cour sewor k pr epar ed for mod ules with similar lear n in g outcomes a s alr ead y outlin ed
Analysi s of th e existin g programme str uctur e (Fig.1) an d curr ent process map (Fig 2) and would suggest th at th e key ar eas th at n eed to be addr essed ar e philosophy, waste reduction and people and tea mwork This align s with th e pr in ciples of th e T PS outlin ed ear lier . It is impor tant that studen ts ar e afforded th e oppor tun ity to wor k togeth er to mirror wh at will be r equired in practice. As such, a com mon philosoph y o f collabor ative, coordinat ed and multidisciplinar y wor kin g could be applied wh ich would n ot on ly h elp pr epar e th em for th e wor ld of wor k, but also h elp to rationa lise deliver y an d r educe in efficien cies in th e curr ent process Such a philosoph y would n eed to be embr aced b y th e en tire managemen t str uctur e an d filter ed down to staff an d subseq uen tly to studen ts to en sur e that ever yon e is wor kin g towards a common goal.
As well as th e n eed for a common ph ilosoph y, wa ste r eduction mea sur es ar e also r equired to improve th e deliver y process. For in stan ce, as alr ead y outlin ed, th e 38 bespoke modules curr en tly deliver ed bet ween th e programmes an alysed in th is paper is quite high. Simple waste r eduction measur es that could be in corpor ated in clude r ationalised deliver y o f mod ules, shar in g between programmes wh er e appr opriate and combin in g modules An alysis of th e existing deliver y process would suggest a common philosoph y of collabor ative, coordinated an d multidisciplinar y wor kin g, which in essen ce is also th e philosoph y of th e BIM wor k flow This could be a star ting poin t in th e move towards a lean er deliver y process. This philosoph y would na turally len d itself towards a mor e in tegr ated ap proach to cour se deliver y, an d thus solve man y of th e issues outlin ed. Combinin g modules bet ween progra mmes to allow common deliver y would n ot on ly allow for gr eater collabor ation and mutual un der stan ding between progr ammes, it would also len d itself to a lean er process of deliver y. In corpor ation of th e suggestion s outlin ed above would
also allow for in cr eased in teraction bet ween staff, wh ich in turn would h elp to cr eate a sense of collegiality an d th us h elp embed th e n ew ph ilosoph y
After un der taking analysis of th e existin g programme str uctur e (Fig.1) and process map (Fig 2) , a common fir st year for Ar chitectural T echn olog y, Buildin g En gin eer in g, Buildin g Sur ve yin g an d Con str uction En gin eer ing ( with a n ew collabor ative pr oject module in tr oduced t o in clude th e Quantity Sur veyin g) could be th e most appr opr iate meth od of achievin g a lean er wor kflow ( Fig.3). This would consist of six, twen ty cr edit point mod ules, and would also r educe th e number of in dividual modules fr om 38 in th e or igin al model to 11, thus substan tially in cr easing efficien cies. Th e above suggestion is based on th e fact that man y of th e cor e su bject ar eas cover ed in year on e ar e broadly similar and chan ges could be implemen ted wh ilst at th e sa me time r etain ing th e identity o f th e individ ual programmes. An oth er advan tage would be th at studen ts could change cour se at th e end of th eir fir st year if th ey fin d th ey h a ve ch osen th e wron g subject an d ar e mor e suited to on e of th e oth er disciplin e ar eas
Th e Civil Engin eer in g progr amme would r etain its in dividual identity, but collabor ation and sh ar ed mod ules would be in cr eased Th e suggested chan ges would better r eflect in dustr y pr actice an d move towards collabor ative wor king. Th e key con cepts emplo yed at Copen hagen Sch ool of Design and T echn olog y; project wor k, gr oup wor k and probl em based learnin g would be employed, but th e in dividual disciplin e ar ea s r etain ed T o guar d against an y poten tial loss o f iden tity, a collabor ative project h as been proposed in which th e differ in g progra mme ar eas can utilise th eir key skill sets an d r etain th eir un iq uen ess
Th er e is a balan ce to be struck between efficien c y o f sh ar ed module deliver y an d losing programme iden tity It is imp or tant th at th er e is some elemen t of bespok e module deliver y to r etain disciplin e iden tity Of cour se th er e is a ca veat with an y chan ges proposed , in so much as approval would be r equired fr om th e r elevant profession al bodies th at accr edit such pr ogra mmes Th e afor emen tion ed sh ould be r emember ed wh en r eading and analysin g th e suggestion s outlin ed.
Each of th e eleven issues iden tified in th e analysis of th e curr ent process will n ow be evaluated to deter min e if th e above proposals would h elp over come th e issues outlin ed, in cr ease efficien cies an d improve th e over all Level 4 exper ien ce
Th e fir st eight issues gen er ally r esulted fr om th e lar ge n umber of bespoke modules th at existed. To over come th is, th e T oyota Pr in ciple of waste reduction was used Th e proposed mod el (Fig 3) would r educe th e number of in dividual mod ules, thus r educin g th e a ssociated issues iden tified. It would also allow for equal division of studen ts, for stud y ad vice, a mongst academic staff This combin es th e pr in ciples of levelled production an d in cr eased tea m wor king an d would allow for a mor e efficien t studies advice process.
Issue n in e h ighlighted th e number of meetin gs h eld Alth ough this number would n ot n ecessar ily be r educed, th e con tent could be strea mlin ed due to th e in cr eased common deliver y T his would mean that academic staff sh ould n ot be r equired to atten d as man y meetin gs Oth er admin istrative duties such as th e election of studen t r epr esen tatives, an d associated paper wor k, would also be strea mlin ed due to th e common fir st year proposals. Th e final t wo issues focused on th e admin istrative duties surroun ding assessmen t. Th e proposed mod el would see efficien cies in ter ms of mar kin g and uploadin g of marks due to th e r educed number of mod ules. Th e common fir st year would also see on e mem ber of academic staff deal with th e processin g of th ese studen ts at th e exa m board Finally, a direct r esult of th e streamlin ed modules would be r eduction s in th e n umber of supplemen tar y examination paper s and cour sewor k templates bein g pr epar ed. This again assists with lean implemen tation , allowin g academic staff to spen d time on oth er tasks.
A key aspect of th e Kaizen process is to ha ve an implemen tation plan. In ter ms of implemen tin g lean, Radn or et al. [32] outline two meth ods, “full implemen tation of th e ph ilosoph y an d r apid improvement even ts ( RIE).” Resultantly, th e proposed ch anges outlin ed would depen d on a „to p dow n‟ approach , with senior staff member s pla yin g a leading role in en sur in g th e ph ilosoph y of collabor ative, coordinated an d multidisciplinar y wor kin g is embr aced by all. It is proposed that th is is achieved in a n umber of wa ys
Th e fir st step in implemen ting an y n ew workflo w would be to provide staff member s with th e opp or tunity t o see h ow a lean approach and a collabor ative mentality can a ctually wor k in practice. This could be ach ieved b y allo win g selected change agents to visit an in stitution , KEA, which has alr ead y
un dertaken a mor e collabor ative appr oach to education al deliver y Th ese in dividuals could th en disseminate fin dings back t o th eir collea gues. As outlin ed in th e paper , an y ch ange sh ould be gr adual, with Level 4 deliver y in itially bein g r eviewed. Process an d model change in oth er year s could th en be looked at if th e proposal is successful a nd momen tum for th e ph ilosoph y builds
A number of Rapid I mprovemen t Even ts could also be focused on to allow for „quick w ins ‟ . T h e fir st of th ese would be th e finan cial ben efit brough t about by th e n ew process For exa mp le, basic eva luation of th e curr ent deliver y of constr uction techn olog y r elated mod ules across th e programmes at th e lead auth ors‟ un iver sity sh ows that costs could poten tially be r educed in th e model proposed Analysis o f th e five separ ate con str uction technolog y r elated modules suggested th at deliver y costs could be r educed fr om £12,599 to £4,920.
Current M odel
5 (modules) x 42 (h our s) n otional teach in g r equir ement over th e semester = 210 (h our s) 210 (h our s) x £34 28 (n otional rate for comparison purposes) = £7,198.80
5 ( modules) x 12 ( weeks) x £90 (n otional cost of lectur e space, capacity 49, for half da y) = £5,400.00
T otal Figur e £12,598.80
Proposed M odel
1 (module) x 42 (h our s) n otional teach in g r equir ement over th e semester = 42 (h our s) 42 (h our s) x £34 28 (n otion al rate for compar ison purposes) = £1,439.76
1 ( module) x 12 ( weeks) x £290 (n otional cost o f lectur e space, capacity 250, for half da y) = £3,480.00
T otal Figur e £4,919.76
Alth ough these costs ar e an approxima tion , th ey demonstrate th at sign ificant savings could be made as well a s providin g a wor kflow mor e suited to professi on al practice. In deed th e above costs d o n ot even take into accou n t th e time saved in r educed admin istration an d teach in g pr eparation , which also sh ould be consider ed as quick win s for staff member s an d good for over all mor ale Of cour se th e above exa mple is h igh lightin g an ideal scen ario, it sh ould be r emember ed th at in stitution s might n ot have man y lectur e th eatr es of 250 capacity available for use.
Continuous Improvement
“Con tin uous I mprovemen t is based on th e idea th at it is mor e effective to make man y small ga in s over time th an to tr y to accomplish ma ssive gain s all at on ce”
[33] Th is is kn own as ev aluation in th e Kaizen process an d it is essen tial that this be un der taken if th e implemen tation of a n y n ew process is to be successful. It is also impor tant to be able to iden tify
wh er e th in gs have n ot wor ked out as plann ed, and put measur es in place to r ectify th ese issues Th e follo win g techniques could be implemented as par t of th e over all process
(1) Feedba ck fr om studen ts and academic staff allowin g good pr actice to be built upon and identifyin g processes that r equire r eviewin g
(2) Measurin g studen t per for man ce in modules and compar e to per for man ce in pr evious academic year s.
(3) Feedba ck from pr actition er s an d emplo yer s to deter min e if th e students exh ibit th e qualities r equired an d en sur e th e con tinued r elevan ce of m od ule con tent.
(4) Review meetin gs for staff to take commen ts and suggestion s on board
(5) Feed back fr om extern al examin er s an d professi on al bodies
(6) Review of wa ste in th e syst em with input fr om th e „cha nge age n ts ‟ to deter min e wh er e fur th er efficien cies can be made.
(7) Studen ts and staff fr om a ffected progra mmes to be consulted on a r egular basis to ensur e a loss of identity is n ot bein g felt.
(8) Ann ual fin an cial analysis t o iden tify i f cost sa vings identified ar e being ach ieved in practice.
Th e process of C on tinuous Impr ovemen t is key to th e success of th e proposed n ew workflo w an d th e above measur es ar e proposed to h elp en sur e that th e n ew model proposed in this r epor t is continually r evi ewed to ensur e r elevan ce to all stakeh older s
This sh ould be con sider ed as an intr oductor y paper It proposes a n ew workflow for Level 4 built envir onmen t un dergr aduate education, in fluen ced b y th e deliver y model at KEA, and open s this up for debate an d discussion Th e n ew workflow is based on a collabor ative approach, but also in tegrates lean, coordinated and multidisciplin ar y wor kin g that will be r equired within th e sector as BIM workin g pr actices become common place This process h as iden tified th e importan ce of con tin ual r eview in h elpin g to identify ar eas that can be impr oved an d is essen tial to en sur e complacen cy does n ot set in. A common ph ilosoph y is an oth er key trait that n eeds to be applied to ensur e that ever yon e with in th e organisation is wor kin g towards a common goal. On ce th ese approach es ar e applied, th e process of con tinuous improvemen t is th e final piece in th e jigsa w to en sur e that good pr actice is r ecognised an d built upon, an d that inefficien t practices ar e r ecogn ised an d r eviewed Th e above pr in ciples h ave been applied in this paper to propose a n ew workflo w, taking accoun t th e n eeds of th e organisation and th e „cus to me r ‟ it ser ves Th e process has identified a n umber of ben efits for both , and if implemented, could see addition al ben efits as th e prin ci ples ar e embedd ed within th e later yea r s of all programmes.
This paper has been devel oped from cour se wor k submitted to th e Un iver sity of Salfor d as part of th e MSc. BIM an d Integr ated Design programme.
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1Belf ast School of Architecture, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
2&3School of The Built Environment, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
4Stuckeman School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Pennsylva nia State University, USA
E-mail: 1da.comisk ey@u lst er.ac.uk 2 m. mckane@ulst er.ac.uk 3r.eadie@ulster.ac.uk
4dgoldberg@psu.edu
Abstract Collaboration is the top ranked driver for impleme nting B uilding Information M od elling (B IM ) [1]. It could be argued that this process, encompa ssing the use of Co mmon Data Environment s (CDEs) and the sharing of approved, up-to-the- minute i nfor mati on, has a ssisted with the globalisation of the construction industry. Indeed as collaborative working increase s, there will be a greater onus on those within the industry to beco me accust ome d t o working in “ multicultura l tea ms” [2 ]. This working met hod is already becoming a pparent at the design stages of the RIB A Plan of Wor k [3] ; Concept Design, Developed De sign and Technical Design, with specialist consultants able to view the latest approved data, contribute their e xpertise and share their infor mation via a cloud base d hosti ng platfor m, regardless of location. This is a process which is alien to many within the industry needing a paradig m shift in communication methods [4], as most are more fa miliar with traditional approaches such as e mail and sharing „ mar ke d u p ‟ hard copies of drawings. However, in the technology driven world in which we live and with an increasing numbe r of governments wanting to i mple ment B IM working methods, it is important that those entering the industry fr om t his point forward have a n appreciation of t his way of working. Therefore, the onus is on higher education establishme nts to properly pre pare graduates. This paper will provide an overview of a collaborative project which has been underta ken at Ulste r University to help undergraduate st udents on the Architectural Technology and M anage ment, Q uanti ty Surveying and Co mmercial M anagement and Civil Engineering progra mmes become fa miliar with this new way of working and communicating. The paper will firstly outline how Ulster students from the afore mentioned programmes worke d in multidisciplinary tea ms, via a Common Data Environment, on a hypothetical building project, before collaborating asynchronously with st udents fro m Pennsyl vania State University. The pa per will provide a detailed analysis of the project, outline the challenges faced and conclude by highlighti ng the lessons learnt.
Keywords - BIM, Education, Collabor ation, Collabor ative Wor kin g
Th e Belfast Sch ool of Ar chitectur e (BSA) an d th e Sch ool of th e Built En vir onmen t (SCOBE) sit with in th e Faculty o f Ar t, Design and th e Built Envir onmen t at Ulster Un iver sity ( UU) T h er e ar e a r ange of constr uction r elated un dergr aduate programmes situated with in both sch ools, in cludin g Ar chitectur al Techn olog y & Managemen t ( AT M) with in BSA an d both Civil Engin eer in g (CE) and Quantity Sur ve yin g and Commer cial Management (QSCM) within SCOBE. Within BSA th e implemen tation of BIM ideol og y i s most appar ent
on th e AT M progr amme. Ar chitectur al Techn olog y is a “r elativel y n ew professi on al disciplin e” [5], wh ich is constantly e volvin g It is likel y to evol ve fur th er over coming year s to meet th e r equir ements of BIM workin g meth ods [6] , an d play a ke y role in th e futur e deliver y of BIM pr ojects. T h e cor e education of Ar ch itectura l Techn ologists is “techn ical design ”, providin g a “skill set that allows th em to commun icate effectivel y with th e oth er design disciplin es to in effect provide a central poin t of co‐ ordin ation for buildin g in for mation ” [7]
Th er efor e, integration of BIM con cepts, pr in ciples an d processes ar e essen tial with in th e curriculum to
en sur e gr aduates ar e r eady t o meet th e ch allenges th ey will face in in dustr y
In con trast, Civil En gin eerin g is th e secon d oldest engin eer in g profession after militar y engin eer ing However, it also n eed s to move with th e advan ces in techn olog y as it deals with all aspects of th e built en vir on men t: structural design, envir onmen tal an d geotechn ica l aspects of construction, high wa ys a nd tr anspor tation, municipal engin eer ing in cludin g wa ste and clean water, materials and costal engin eerin g. In this en vir onment wh er e n umerous disciplin es inter sect an d in ter act, commun ication is vital to th e success o f a project
[8] Sacks an d Bar ak (2010) fur th er in dicate th at if BIM is n ot in troduced in to th e un dergraduate curr icula, gr aduate civil engin eer s will lack th e skills n eeded for expr ession and communication of design in ten t. Th er efor e communication of th e structur al design elements through collabor ative pr actice ar e a vital success factor in an y proje ct.
Within th e Quantity Sur ve yin g disciplin e, man y journ al ar ticles over th e past thr ee to four decades pr edicted that technological advan cements such as: th e develop men t of in telligen t soft war e syst ems like E LSIE in th e 1980s; widespr ead use of spr eadsh eets in accoun tan cy an d sur veyin g and database dr iven Bill of Quantity descr iption libr ar ies in th e 1990s; two-dimensional on scr een Quan tityTake-Off (QTO) in th e ear ly 2000s an d n ow BIM, would er adicate th e role of th e Quantity Sur ve yor in buildin g procur ement. Far fr om this bein g th e ca se, th e number of r egister ed Quantity Sur ve yor s in th e Un ited Kingdom (UK) has risen over th at period and it r emains by far th e largest r epr esentative group of sur ve yor s with in th e Ro ya l Institution of Ch ar ter ed Sur veyor s (RI CS) This is most likely d ue to emplo yer s through out th e industr y r ecogn ising:
Th e commer cial value of obtain ing th e corr ect commer cial advice an d match in g th e corr ect procur ement option s to th e clients n eeds
Th e ben efit of setting up th e con tract particular s to deliver th e outcomes th e clien t deman ds
Th e value of impar tial advice on th e validity o f claims for var iations, loss an d expense, exten sion s of time and agr eeing fin al accoun ts
Th e r equir emen t for similar (commer cially a ware) advice to con tr actor s and sub-con tractor s alike, r egardin g th e pr epar ation of ten der s, th eir fin an cia l r isk managemen t and en titlemen ts, maintain ing positive cash flo w, mon itor in g pr ofitability an d assisting in con tin gen cy plannin g to mitigate losses.
Th e r equir emen t for such profession al ser vices is un likel y to dissipate in th e n ear futur e, even if clients over come th eir a ver sion to In tegr ated Project Deliver y (IPD) appr oaches tha t BIM also cha mpions Th e profession sees BIM as an opp or tunity to access th e geometr ical data associated
with intelligent models mor e quickl y an d efficien tly, allowin g th e Pr ivate Quantity Sur ve yor (PQS) mor e time to con sider oth er imp or t aspects in cludin g better value engin eer ed design optimisation and en ablin g faster decision turn ar oun d, thus providin g a better ser vice. Th e challenge is n ot so much wh eth er th e QS sh ould embr ace BIM or if it sh ould be in tr oduced with in th e curriculum, but h ow it sh ould be taugh t and deliver ed with in a collabor ative approach to educational deliver y
This paper will focus spe cificall y on th e r elated pr ogrammes in th ese disciplin e ar eas an d highligh t collabor ative wor kin g practices th at ha ve been devel oped to aid un der stan din g of th e BIM process and pr oject workflo w It will fir stly provide an over view of a collabor ative project that was deliver ed to AT M an d QSCM studen ts in th e 2013/14 academic year, befor e bein g enhan ced in th e 2014/15 academic year to in clude CE studen ts at UU an d studen ts fr om Penn sylvan ia State Un iver sit y ( PSU) in th e Un ited States Thi s provided an internation al dimen sion and wa s facilitated via th e use of a lea din g in dustr y stan dar d Common Data En vir onmen t (CDE)
APP R OACH
Collabor ation is th e top ranked dr iver for implemen tin g BIM [1] Th e importan ce of collabor ation is suppor ted by fin dings fr om th e UK an d Ir ish Constr uction industr ies, with a small scale stud y, albeit explor ator y, sh owing that just over 80% of Ir ish constr uction in dustr y r espon den ts “felt that collabor ative approach es to management of th eir suppl y ch ain s wer e cr itical or importan t” [ 9] Th e stud y r eferr ed to similar r esear ch un der taken for th e UK constr uction ind ustr y [10] Th e r esult of wh ich wa s comparable, sh owin g that 90% of r espon den ts felt th at supply ch ain colla bor ation and mana gemen t wa s eith er “impor tan t or critical” to th eir busin ess.
Ho we ver, th er e is a feeling that educationa l institution s in gen eral ar e n ot adaptin g this collabor ative men tality with in th eir progr amme design and module con tent. Macdon ald [11], r eferrin g to oth er studies, (Becer ik-Gerber et al. 2011; Allen Con sultin g Group 2010 ; Forgues et al. 2011), outlined, “un iver sities ar e lagging beh ind th e construction industr y in ter ms of adoptin g BIM techn ologies and impr oved collabor ative working practices.” This view is suppor ted by th e fin dings of a stud y exa min ing BIM in tegr ation into th e curricula in th e USA an d elsewh er e [12], th e findin gs of wh ich h ighlighted, “most schools intr oduce BIM in on ly on e disciplin e (90%) an d few ar e tr yin g to simulate th e integrated practices: interdisciplinar y (7%) an d distan ce collabor ation (3%)” . Th er efor e, it would appear that even in coun tries such as th e USA, wh er e BIM implemen tation is gen erally
consider ed to be ah ead of th e UK an d Ir elan d, th er e seems to be a lack of collabor ation with in th e AE C curr iculum. This is a worr yin g tr en d, especiall y in light of th e suggestion by Kymmell (2008), as cited in Barrison & Santos [12], that, “th e fun damen tal BIM con cept to be taught and learn ed is collabor ation ”
Ho we ver, th er e ma y be g ood r eason for this lack of collabor ation In terms of BIM teach in g, th er e ar e still man y education al challen ges, such as; “lack of r efer en ce mater ials” [13], “difficulties in learnin g and using BIM softwar e; misun der standin g of th e BIM pr ocess a n d issues r elated to th e cir cumstan ces of th e aca demic envir onmen t ” Kymmell (2008) as cited in Bar ison & Santos [1 2]
Collabor ation can sometimes also be h a mper ed by th e hierar ch ical str uctur e with in high er education institutions. Ar ch itectural, Engin eer in g an d Con str uction (AEC) progra mmes ar e often situated with in differ ent sch ools, sometimes in differ ent ph ysical locations, ma king collabor ation mor e ch allengin g due to logistical an d timetabling issues.
Th er e is also th e debate a s to wh eth er institution s sh ould be teach in g specific BIM soft war e progra ms or developin g th e students un der stan ding of BIM th eor y an d process As it is in evitable th at soft war e programs will change and develop over time, th er e is a feelin g a mon g man y academics th at teachin g th e softwar e sh ould be secon dar y to in stillin g an un der stan din g of th e basic pr in ciples. In deed man y would argue th at th e teach ing of specific soft war e sh ould be outside of th e cor e curr iculum Ho wever, th is viewpoin t n eeds to be balan ced again st th e r equir ements of in dustr y. Un dergrad uate cour ses that in corpor ate a per iod of in dustrial placement r ely on pr actices offerin g placemen t position s to th eir studen ts Th ese practices expect studen ts to h ave a wor kin g kn owledge and un der stan ding of BIM soft war e progr ams. If th ey don‟t, it could poten tially lead to pr oblems in obtain in g r elevan t placemen t experien ce
Con trar y to th is, it appear s that man y institution s ar e over r elian t on teachin g BIM soft war e, wh ich in tur n can lead to a r eduction in time for collabor ation with oth er disciplin es All of th ese issues n eed to be d ebated an d addr essed befor e a full y collabor ative BIM education al plan can evolve an d be implemen ted in pr actice.
Th e “tran sition strategy” for implementin g BIM with in th e h igh er education sph er e in gen eral is still bein g debated [14], alon g with th e ideal deliver y for mat of BIM an d associated collabor ative wor kin g pr actices. Th er e ar e a n umber of possi ble approach es th at could be consider ed such as; collabor ation bet ween disciplin es with in th e same institution , collabor ation bet ween disciplin es in oth er
institution s (in cludin g inter n ational collabor ation ), collabor ation with industr y profession als to simulate r eal life projects or a combin ation of th e afor emention ed
Min dful that, “th e constr uction industr y wor ld wide is beginn in g to move towards collabor ative design pr actices as a mean s of improvin g project quality an d certain ty” [11], th e con cept of collabor ation n eeds to be given gr eater consider ation if h igh er education institution s ar e to best pr epar e students for th e r eal wor ld of wor k an d r eplicate r eal wor ld pr actice. This h as been fur th er highligh ted in a r ecen t stud y un dertaken by th e auth or s of th is paper from Ulster Un iver sity, wh ich on ce again outlin ed th e impor tan ce of collabor ation in BIM education [1 5]. It was against this backdrop th at a collabor ative project was in itiated to provide studen ts with an oppor tunity to wor k in a collabor ative mann er, th us enhan cin g th eir kn owled ge an d under standin g of BIM processes. At th e same time th e pr oject pr ovided th e academics involved with an oppor tun ity to deli ver a collabor ative pr oject and deter min e h ow th is could be best deliver ed at th eir institution
In th e 2013/14 academic year it wa s decided to implemen t a collabor ative pr oject, wh ich would in itially be d eliver ed to studen ts on both th e AT M an d QSCM programmes. With th e 2016 BIM mandate leadin g to a gr owin g appetite within th e local constr uction sector , it wa s felt th at th e develop men t of such a project wa s impor tant in en sur in g that studen ts about to un der tak e th eir per iod of in dustrial placemen t had an un der stan d ing of th e BIM process an d experien ce of collabor ative wor kin g. As th is was to be a pilot pr oject, it wa s decided th at small -scale collabor ation bet ween two programmes would wor k best. Deliver y at Level 5 (Year 2) wa s proposed; as th e module marks would n ot con tribute to th e stu den ts over all degr ee classification . With th e two progr ammes in volved bein g in differ en t sch ools, a n umber of logistical ch allenges had fir stly to be over come. Th ese in cl uded:
Sour cin g a suitable module on both progra mmes th at would allow collabor ation to take place (th e programmes did n ot have an y sh ar ed mod ules)
Sch eduling a time for th e collabor ative lesson s to take place that suited both coh orts
En surin g studen ts met up outside of sch eduled lectur es to wor k collabor ativel y in th eir teams, an d sour cin g a suitable space for th em to do so
Th e AT M studen ts outnumber in g th e QSCM studen ts by a r atio of 2:1
Ho we ver , th e most pr essing chal lenge was in developin g a project br ief th at would both link with an existin g module on both progra mmes and successfull y d eliver th e lear nin g outcomes r equired
It sh ould be n oted th at in pr evious academic year s th e studen ts had on ly p er for med disciplin e specific tasks with in th eir individ ual modules and had n ot wor ked in a collabor ative mann er
After a series of meetin gs between th e academics in volved, t wo mod ules wer e iden ti fied for wh ich it was th ough t, th e cour sewor k r equir ement s could be a men ded to in clude a collabor ative aspect with out un duly impactin g upon th e module learnin g outcomes. This wa s impor tan t, as on e of th e aims at th e project outset was t o demon strate h ow collabor ative wor kin g could be in tegrated into existin g programme deliver y qu ickl y with out th e n eed for complicated pr ogra mme or module r edesign. A br ief, fr amed aroun d th e lear n ing outcome g oals, wa s developed wh ich cen ter ed on a design and build bid team pr epar ing con tractor s proposals in r esponse to a clien ts in vitation t o ten der for a Spor ts Pavilion (to be l ocat ed on th e Un iver sit y ground s to aid pr oject r ealism).
Th e AT M studen ts used Autodesk Re vit to cr eate th eir ar ch itectural model (Fig 1)
r epositor y with th e basic structur es defin ed in BS119 2:2007 [17] and PAS1192-2:2013 [18]. In deed th e studen ts wer e en cour aged to use th e file naming con ven tion outlin ed in both documen ts through out th e d uration of th e pr oject.
Th e students used th e tools a n d processes, with stipulated ph a sed completion deadlin es, to sh ar e th eir initial models, pr epar e r equests for i n for mation an d an swer quer ies In itial ten der progra mmes an d budget costs wer e fed back t o AT M studen ts to facilitate optimised design s to meet th e br ief Th e studen ts th en pr esented th eir sch emes to th e „clie nt‟ at th e en d of th e semester. Th e pr oject r eceived excellen t feedback, gen er ating inter est both with in th e un iver sity an d fr om industr y, an d led to a leadin g constr uction con tractor offer in g to spon sor a pr ize for th e winn ing tea m.
Th e success of th e in itial pilot pr oject an d th e initial vision to expan d th e collabor ation led to an in vitation to participate to studen ts enrolled on th e CE pr ogramme at UU and th e Lan dscape Ar chitectur e programme at PSU. Th e academics associated wit h both programmes wer e pr esen ted with an over view of t h e in itial pr oject and wer e keen to par ticipate to fur th er th eir own un der stan ding and to provide th eir studen ts with a unique learn ing opp or tunity
Th e models wer e d evelop ed fr om a set o f twodimen sion al dra win gs, cr eated in Autodesk AutoCAD, in a semester on e module in which th e studen ts wer e r equired to consider buildin g con tr ol r equir emen ts and technical details for th e same sch eme. Th e QSCM studen ts utilised Causewa y BIM Measur e for 5D Quantity T ake Off an d Estimatin g, a s well as Naviswor ks for 4D Con str uction simulation s an d importin g Microsoft Pr oject programmes.
Th e collabor ative aspect ca me in th e for mation of project teams, with each tea m h avin g two AT M studen ts and on e QSCM stud en t, and in th e use of a CDE der ived fr om th e Vir tual Learnin g Envir on ment (VLE) used at UU [1 6] Collabor ative wor kin g practices wer e also d emonstrated in usin g Naviswor ks soft war e to sa ve views an d use th e r ed lin e mar k up tools to ask an d r espon d to quer ies. At th e time th e academics involved h ad n o exper ien ce of usin g a CDE, but based up on th eir un der stan din g of its purpose a n d str uctur e, customised th e Un iver sity's VLE to act a s a cloud based file
T o pr ovide th e studen ts with a mor e r ealistic pr oject exper ien ce, an d to build on th e progr ess made dur ing th e pilot project , a number of CDE ser vice provider s wer e ap pr oach ed to get involved with th e project. Asite (a lea din g provider of CDE platfor ms on man y ear l y adopter pr ojects) agr eed to allow th e use of th eir CDE platfor m to h ost con tent an d for studen ts to exper ien ce usin g th e full fun ctionality o f a BIM en abled CDE. Leica Geosyst ems also par ticipated an d carr ied out a point cloud sur ve y of th e proposed site with th e goal of allowin g th e AT M studen ts to use it to coordinate th eir design proposals with a ver y a ccur ate r epr esentation of th e existin g site constrain ts
Th e gen er al scenar io was similar to th e pr evious year , but th e br ief was a men ded sligh tly to r equest a n ew student r esiden tial block an d in cluded a n otional set of E m p lo ye r‟s In for mation Requir emen ts (EIRs) Th e tasks to be un der taken b y th e AT M and QSCM studen ts wer e broadly similar to th e pr evious year Th e fact tha t th e CE studen ts involved in th e project wer e Le vel 4 (Year 1) , an d had a lack of d etailed BI M process kn owled ge, mean t that th e exten t of their participation was limited to accessin g th e ar ch itectur al models via th e CDE an d calculating th e sizes of str uctur al member s to suppor t open in gs Ho wever , in volvemen t wa s still consider ed ben eficial, as it was an excellent
opp or tunity to become fa miliar with collabor ative wor kin g pr actices.
Involvemen t of th e PSU studen ts an d academics was cr itical in a ddin g an international dimen sion an d th e var ious challenges associated with this. Discussion s with th e academics at PSU took place via email and th e GoT oMeetin g videocon fer en ce facilit y Th is allowed specific project r equir ements an d outputs to be con fir med It wa s decided th at th e task of th e PSU studen ts would be to develop lan dscapin g proposa ls for in corpor ation in to the over all sch eme designs Ideally th e PSU studen ts would h ave been involved ear lier in th e process with mor e in put in to th e over all sch eme design, but due to logistical ch allenges an d th e fact th at th is a gain was a pilot project, it wa s felt to keep th e tasks r elativel y basic.
Befor e an y collabor ative wor kin g took place th e CDE provider provided tr ainin g to th e academic staff involved T wen ty-eigh t pr oject ar eas wer e also pr epar ed in accordan ce with th e basic BS1192:2007 an d PAS 1192-2:2013 folder str uctur es, settin g up th e access r igh ts for each student fr om th e four programmes involved. This would ha ve proved ver y difficult to ach ieve usin g th e Un iver sity's VLE a s wa s th e ca se in th e 2013/14 academic year
Th e pr oject logistics wer e quite difficult, as th e studen t r atios did n ot align Each group h ad 1 AT M studen t, 1 or 2 QSCM studen ts (depen din g on n umber s), 1 or 2 CE students and 1 landscape ar chitectur e student Due to limited PSU n umber s, each studen t was assign ed 5 or 6 groups an d un dertook on e gen eric site based landscape design, wh ich could be sh ar ed with ea ch group.
As per th e pr evious academic year , th e AT M studen ts used Autodesk Revit to develop th e ar chitectural models (Fig 2).
exported in to Excel spr ead sheets to cr eate elemental order of cost estimates, wh er e ben ch mar k rates wer e an alysed fr om th e Un iver sity' s on lin e BCIS database. Eith er Naviswor ks or th e CDE platfor m wa s th en used to mar k-up th e model with r equests for in for mation and answer s to an y quer ies posted. Microsoft Pr oject Gan tt ch ar ts wer e impor ted into Naviswor ks to cr eate th e 4D construction sequen cin g Th e Civil En gin eer ing studen ts used Revit and Master ser ies soft war e to lin k to th e n ative Re vit Ar chitectur al mod els for analysis purposes. Str uctur al elemen ts wer e expor ted fr om Revit into Master ser ies, design ed and sized and th e completed analysis r etur n ed into Revit. In ter ms of PSU in put, th e initial Revit models of th e buildin g an d a ver y basic site plan d evelop ed by th e AT M studen ts wer e made a vailable to th e PSU studen ts via th e „sha red a rea ‟ o f th e CDE This allowed th e PSU studen ts to devel op th eir landscapin g pr oposals in Revit. Some also sh ar ed th eir prop osals in oth er for mats such as Ph otosh op (Fig 3 ).
Ho we ver , th e pr oject br ief wa s amen ded fr om th e 2013/14 pr oject as th e n otion al BIM Execution Plan (BEP) r equir ed th e models to be expor ted as d wfx an d .ifc files for use in th e CDE an d for efficien t use on th e QSCM's Causewa y BIM Measur e Quan tit y T ake Off tool. Quan tities taken fr om th e model wer e
Again, th e AT M and QSCM studen ts used th e CDE to collabor ate in developin g th eir joint Po wer Poin t pr esen tation s, wh ich th ey pr esen ted a few da ys a fter submittin g th eir con tractor s prop osals.
As wa s th e case th e in itial pilot pr oject, studen t feedback was positive. Ho we ver ever yon e in volved, in cludin g th e academics, lea rn ed fr om issues that develop ed durin g th e project. Th ese in cluded:
1. Relian ce on Par ticipation
2 File for ma ts
3 CDE familiarity
4 Limitation s of poin t clouds
5 Need for common goals to en cour age mor e collabor ation
1 Relian ce on Par ticipation
All th e studen ts fr om th e collabor atin g progra mmes wer e d epen den t upon th e AT M students devel opin g th e design proposals as 3D digita l models. Most depen dant wer e th e QSCM studen ts wh o wer e n ot auth or in g an yth ing, but usin g th e models de vel op ed by oth er s for programme an d cost an alysis As th e studen t ratios wer e un equal, th is depen den ce beca me even mor e critical.
Mod el developmen t an d sh arin g via th e CDE became a pr omin ent issue in th e 2014/15 year as th er e was a h igh er than n ormal number of AT M studen ts pr esen ting with extenuatin g cir cumstan ces, th us r esulting in dela ys in models bein g shar ed This r esulted in in ter ven tion by th e academics wh o h ad to coordinate wh ich groups been h adn't provided with th e r equired deliver ables on programme and arrange for ma terial to be pr ovided for th e depen dant studen ts to wor k on Th is disr upted th e smooth progr ession of th e QSCM student tasks an d placed an additional un for eseen administr ation burden on th e academics Th e CE an d PSU studen ts wer e n ot impacted as much due to th e fact th at th e team for mation s wer e r esol ved by th e time th ey wer e un dertaking th eir specific tasks
Th e issue of r elian ce on par ticipation was even mor e appar en t with PSU studen ts as they wer e n ot r eceivin g a mar k for th eir con tribution s. Despite motivation fr om academics r egardin g th e lear nin g opp or tunity a nd inter nation al pr estige of th e project, n ot all studen ts en ga ged, or if th ey did, en gaged in a limited mann er
This wa s a valuable lesson wh ich demonstrated th at con sideration must be given to providin g studen ts with shar ed assignmen t goals th at ar e in terdepen den t to en sur e in cen tivised collabor ation
It is gen er ally r ecogn ised th at .d wfx is th e most common ly used file exch ange for mat in th e AEC sect or an d .ifc is th e standar d for interoper ability bein g champion ed b y Buildin gSmar t Allian ce Internation al an d th e UK BIM strategy Ho wever, it
is less well un der stood th at th e pr oper ties of th e file expor t n eed to be car efull y defin ed with th e do wn stream user s of th e data in min d (r eferr ed to as model defin ition settin gs)
Th e default settin gs for th ese expor t files fr om Revit r esulted in n umerous exa mp les of model compon en ts n ot per for min g as would be ex pected in do wn stream tools For example, th e geometr y of win dows was n ot accessible in Causewa ys BIM measur e, even th ough th e windows wer e visi ble an d selectable, th eir geometr y could n ot be extracted. Mor e car e will be r equired with in th e EIR to defin e model defin ition settin gs for futur e projects
Asite is a leading in dustr y CDE provider, used on man y h igh profile BIM ear ly adopter pr ojects, an d by leadin g companies. Wh ilst Asite did all that was asked of th em, and in deed mor e (in providin g trainin g an d administrative suppor t to h elp academics become fa miliar with th eir user in ter face, tools and fun ctionality), it beca me clear th at gettin g th e most out of th e system r equires a h igh degr ee of fa miliarity with th e syst em settin gs (hen ce on e of th e dr iver s for an In for mation Manager on BIM Level 2 pr ojects) Due to th e deman ds of th e academic calen dar th e staff invol ved did n ot h ave sufficient time to spen d familiarisin g th emselves with all of th e CDE settin gs an d h en ce did n ot use th e platfor m to its full poten tial Fur th er r efin emen t of th e settin gs will n eed to be consider ed for th e 2015/16 academic year, which will become ea sier to admin ister for th e academic staff with th e exper ien ce they ha ve gained in usin g th e CDE platfor m
Th e Leica point cloud is ver y accur ate, but n ot in teroper able in its native file for mat, so n eeds to be viewed an d wor ked upon with in Le ica ‟s database syst em C yclone. Alth ough a pts file can be expor ted fr om Cyclon e wh ich enables d ata to be used in oth er soft war e platfor ms, th is cr eates a ver y large file size. Hen ce, a plug-in such as CloudWor x is usually used Th e Un iver sity had on ly on e trial ver sion of th is soft war e, an d staff h ad n eith er th e time n or exper tise r equired to expor t th e poin t cloud in to a mor e in teroper able for mat to be used in Revit an d Naviswor ks. Th er efor e, th is part of th e p r oject was aban don ed Fur th er in vestiga tion into wor kflows to make th e poin t clouds mor e interoper able will be r equired to devel op th is option in to futur e projects Ho we ver, it sh ould be outlin ed that some of th e poin t cloud in for mation was utilised via th e use of Leica TruView soft war e, a “web-en abled pan ora mic poin t cloud viewer ”, b y th e PSU studen ts to view th e site and get a better un der standin g of its con text
in r elation to th e surroun ding un iver sity campus (Fig. 4).
in for m pr epar ation s for futur e projects, with con tin gen cies in cluded to cover some of th e cir cumstan ces en counter ed
5 Need for common goals to en cour a ge mor e collabor
Collabor ation and interdepen den cy was n ot un iver sally e viden t with in th e groups Th e assign ments and learnin g outcomes n ecessar ily had to be module specific an d th er efor e r etain ed str uctur al in depen den ce with in th e di ffer en t programmes, wh ich th e students r ealised As a r esult th e level of collabor ation , in all but th e best groups, wa s con fin ed to shar in g mod els, programmes, cost an alysis with in th e CDE with little in cen tive to act upon th e feedback This became eviden t d ur in g th e group pr esentations, which wer e gen erally poor l y coordinated.
For futur e projects, addition al plann in g will be r equired with PSU to en sur e th eir studen ts ar e involved ear lier in th e design process to deliver a mor e r ealistic IPD t yp e studio. An oth er impor tan t consider ation is th e actual p h ysical space available an d th e layout of classr ooms in facilitatin g collabor ative an d social learnin g. With th e move towards in tegr ated pr ojects with in man y built envir onmen t disciplin es, it is impor tant th at th er e ar e sufficient ar eas for students to in ter act and engage in a collabor ative mann er and it is impor tant th ese ar eas also h ave adequate technica l in fr astructur e to allow global inter action an d enga gement.
This feedback a n d analysis h as assisted with a n ew module proposal with in UU at Level 4 (Year 1) th at multidisciplinar y progra mmes ca n in corpor ate in to th eir str uctur e to p rovide similar, but enhan ced learnin g outcomes, wh ilst developin g common , in terdepen den t assignmen t based tasks, which can be differ en tiated b y disciplin e for assessmen t.
Both pr ojects un der taken over th e last two academic year s ha ve en coun ter ed man y un ique, challengin g an d unusua l problems, but proved to be ver y wor th wh ile, providin g essen tial learn in g for th e studen ts an d academics alike. Th e experien ces will
At Ulster Un iver sity, SCOBE is curr en tly wor king through a c ycle of revalidatin g progra mmes an d th e experien ce acquired from th ese projects and oth er r esear ch fin din gs ar e h elpin g to in for m th e design an d content of n ew BI M modules th at will be offer ed to an y willin g programme. They will be design ed to be flexible an d offer 10 an d 20 cr edit poin t ver sion s with sh ar ed elemen ts such a s lect ur es, tutorials an d interdisciplinar y assign ments, as well as bespoke BIM so ftwar e elemen ts to en courage maximum collabor ation an d consisten cy Modules will be devel oped for Levels 4, 5 an d 6 (Year s 1, 2 an d 4) of all undergraduate construction design programmes Th e fir st r end ition of th e level 4 mod ule h as been developed alr eady an d has been in corpor ated as a 20 cr edit poin t for ma t in to th e QSCM and Con struction Engin eer in g and Man agement programmes. A number of oth er programmes ha ve also exp r essed an in ter est in in corpor ating th e module with in th eir cour se str uctur e.
Th e full potential of th e CDE platfor m has n ot been r ealised yet, but both studen ts and academics alike ha ve foun d th e exposur e to it to be ver y ben eficia l. As ha s alr ead y been outlin ed in th e paper, th e use of a professi on al CDE platfor m in th e 2014/15 academic year wa s ver y ben eficial in ter ms of facilitatin g th e in tern ational collabor ation with PSU. Fr om an academic per spective, a useful featur e wa s th e ability to fi lter files within project ar eas. Files uploaded by in dividual students ( wh o didn‟t follo w instr uction s r equirin g copies of th eir wor k to be saved in th eir Wor k In Progr ess ar ea befor e sh arin g with a ssociated suitability a n d r evision codes) could be easil y sear ch ed
Th e pr ojects un dertaken over th e past two academic year s have proved inva luable in shapin g un der stan ding of th e poten tial for collabor ative wor kin g an d curriculum d evel op men t at Ulster Un iver sity Th e positive feedback r eceived from studen ts an d in dustr y ha s demon strated that collabor ative wor kin g is both achievable an d valuable in ter ms of curriculum design and deliver y
Thanks ar e expr essed to Asite an d Leica Geosyst ems for th eir involvemen t in th e collabor ative pr ojects outlin ed
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1School of Surveying and Construction Management
Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
2School of the Built Environment
University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
E-mail: 1dermot kehily@dit. ie 2j.underwood@salford.ac.uk
Abstract This paper discusses Building Information Modelling (BIM) in relation to proposing design science as a methodology for BIM research. The paper firstly outlines how BIM is changing construction work practices to a more collaborative and integrated set of procedures, facilitated through the application of modelling technologies. The use of traditional research methods for BIM research in the context of developing and subsequently evaluating a BIM process or technology is then questioned. The premise of thi s rationale is that BIM revolves around new practices and emerging technologies that propose to provide efficiency in delivering constructed assets in the built environment. Traditional academic research methods tend to focus on existing reality, which seeks to explain the existence of phenomenon in the built environment. However, BIM focuses on a new reality through a change in current work practices, thus, a methodology which facilitates an evaluation of this new reality is necessary. A practical approach to research is discussed whereby there is more participation in the research process by the researcher. Design science is a research methodology, which emanates from a practical research philosophy and outlines a formulated process for developing and eval uating a BIM technology or practice. This paper presents a four staged process to design sciences that could be implemented when developing and evaluating a BIM artifact.
Keywords BIM, building information modelling, design science, artifact, methodology
This paper describes how BIM is a new approach to construction procurement and a new way of working for construction stakeholders facilitated through virtual technologies [1, 3]. Traditional academic research focuses on describing phenomena in existing reality rather than prescribing a solution that could change this reality [4]. BIM is a different way of thinking, a cultural change and a new approach/transformation to project delivery [3], thus it requires a research design which can facilitate the proposal and evaluation of this new way of working
If BIM research entails developing a new BIM solution, be it through a process or technological change, a practical research design that enables the researcher to develop the BIM solution and then to evaluate it will be necessary A practical research design known as ‘design science’ is discussed and is
proposed here as a relevant methodology to carry out BIM research. Design science outlines a cyclical development and evaluation process which can firstly outline an issue in the built environment; propose th at a new process or technology could solve this issue and subsequently evaluate if the new solution is successful for its intended users and in its intended environment [5-7]
BIM has the potential to develop the way industry stakeholder s look at the whole building process from the initial design brief through construction and into the operational phase of the building [3, 8]. Fung, Salleh & Rahim [2] state this entails a change from traditional 2D working methods to one that promotes collaboration and integration across the construction supply chain. Eastman et al. [1] point out that BIM is an associated
set of procedures that have communication and information management at its core, facilitated with the application of modelling technologies.
Smith [9] and Taylor & Bailey [3] contend that BIM does not simply involve technology/software but rather a different way of thinking, a cultural change and a new approach to project delivery. BIM brings together participants in a collaborative, cooperative and proactive manner around a common source of information [10]. The focus on the model and modelling technology provide the means whereby there is a smooth flow of information throughout the design and construction life cycle, facilitating simultaneous work by multiple design disciplines on common platforms; whereby participants can share work seamlessly [9, 11, 12] Thus, BIM is both a process focused on information management among participants of the project and a technology representing a digital model, where information about the project can be stored and transferred [11, 13]
Developments in BIM revolve around an innovative technology and the information management process and cultural change that emanate from this new way of working and transformation . Research in BIM can entail a technological development or new piece of software and a methodology is needed to evaluate whether this new development is usable and can affect change in the environment to which it is introduced Traditional academic research methods deal with the description of an existing phenomena rather than the prescription of a new one, thus, a non -traditional research approach rooted in an applied philosophy is needed [4]
In the context of BIM research, a research approach is required that can be utilised to validate the technological change or process change to the BIM workflow. This paper presents an alternative methodology to traditional research strategies that allows researchers carrying out BIM research to develop and subsequently evaluate a solution to a fieldwork problem that could be addressed by BIM
Ontological arguments have revolved around whether ‘reality’ is external to individual influence and thought and is not dependent on the views or actions of the observer (‘realism’), or whether the cognitive process is part of the knowledge equation, (‘nominalism’) [14] It is necessary to discuss the essence of ontological assumptions when researching a specific discipline such as BIM, because these assumptions shape how knowledge is perceived and thus how it is obtained in that discipline [15]
Dawood & Underwood [16] state the failure of a great deal of research arises from the researcher
not firstly understanding their own philosophical assumptions. Cohen et al. [14] state that one of the reasons for this is that researchers automatically orientate themselves to a ‘realist’ view of the world because of its traditional dominance in scientific research, even if their research may be better served by a ‘nominalist’ approach [17, 18] This issue can be observed in the built environment where quantitative research is the prevalent methodology [19]
Once the researcher understands the deeper discussion of reality (ontology), they can go about discovering the nature of it (i.e. epistemology) [15]. Any researcher undertaking research will need to convincingly argue how their research contributes to knowledge in a given field [15, 19, 20] Epistemology deals with the nature of this knowledge and a firm understanding of how others in your field acquired their knowledge is necessary if you are to build upon it [21].
A ‘positivist’ epistemological position emanates from a realist ontological approach and is the prevailing research philosophy in built environment research [19]. Positivism as outlined in Fellows & Liu [22] and Suanders & Tosey [15] recognise only objects and patterns which can be observed and measured by an observer who remains uninfluenced by the observation and measurement. However, is this philosophy the most appropriate approach for research in BIM where proposing a new technology or different way of working may involve participation by the researcher in the research process?
Chynoweth [17] states that the built environment academic interdicipline and practices within the construction industry are based on relationships, multidiciplinary processes and artificial constructs. BIM is particularly applicable to this ideology as it is an associated set of procedures across the multidiscipline spectrum of the construction supply chain, facilitated with the application of modelling technologies [1] Fellows & Liu [22] state that understanding in the built environment is better facilitated through an ‘interpretative’ approach, which “reveals truth and reality through determining the perspectives of the participants in the process”. This is important from a BIM perspective because BIM brings together participants in a collaborative, cooperative and proactive manner through a common source of information [10] thus, ‘truth and reality’ of these relationships could not be revealed without some element of social research. However, in BIM, researchers may not be purely concerned with a descriptive interpretive approach which seeks to explain the existence of a phenomenon. They may wish to create new knowledge through the development of a modelling technology, which will require a more practical research approach that can
facilitate, firstly, the development of the new process or technology and then a means to evaluate its effectiveness Explaining a problem in the built environment through descriptive research is only part of the research equation for BIM researchers A research design is necessary that can account for a successful solution to the problem [4]
Voordijk [6] states there are a number of other epistemologies that expand the methodological base in favour of alternative more practical approaches. Notable epistemological positions in the context of practical research are outlined by Creswell [20, 23] as ‘advocacy/participatory’ and ‘pragmatism’. Creswell [23] proposes that researchers who hold these worldviews feel that positivism and interpretivism do not entirely fit with the goals of their research.
Creswell [23] outlines that an advocacy/participation position maintains that research should contain an action agenda for reform, that may change the lives of the participants. Robson [24] states that pragmatism focuses on “ what works”, combining elements of different methods from philosophical positions. However, in pragmatism the researcher is not aligned to one system of philosophy but rather uses multiple methods to best answer the research question [23].
Advocacy/participatory and pragmatism resonate with respect to BIM research because traditional approaches tend to study phenomena that have already occurred [25], while developments in BIM create a new reality in a practical setting Thus, an alternative practical approach to BIM research is worthy of consideration and these philosophies offer a route to develop solutions to fieldwork problems
Van Aken [4] and Susman and Evered [26] agree that there is a disconnection between academic research and their practical application. They state that this issue is rooted in the widening gap between sophisticated and complicated research methods in academia and the need for a quick solution in industry. Barrett & Barrett [27] explain that academics spend much of their tim e paying homage to research methodology, carrying out protracted research and writing up detailed and extensive reports. Barrett and Barrett [27] state that industry is impatient with this type of lengthy research and there is a desire for short solution orientated guides that are easily implemented into practice.
Van Aken [4] outlines an approach to improve the relevance of academic research. She advocates the use of Gibbons et al. [28] ‘mode 2 research products’, which she states, provides a framework for relevant academic research for practice. The difference between mode 1 and mode 2 research
products outlined by Kelemen & Bansal [29] and Voordijk [6] is that mode 1 follows traditional research practices in universities, where problems are defined by the intellectual interests and preoccupations of academics. In contrast, they outline that mode 2 research is driven by the practical applicability of knowledge which is outlined by issues that emerge in industry, in research centres, think-tanks, consultancies, government agencies, laboratories and companies.
Voordijk [6] states that mode 2 knowledge “is less concerned with discipline base but crucially concerned with knowledge as it works in practice in the context of application”. Aram & Salipante, Jr. [30] state that mode 2 knowledge production “results from a convergence of specialised disciplines often working in different institutions in the context of a defined problem”. If this statement is true, mode 2 knowledge production may work well in finding solutions to issues in the built environment interdiscipline thr ough a more integrated approach between disciplines. It may also provide a means where “practice in the context of application” [6] can be assessed and new knowledge presented as a validated solution.
An applicable use of mode 2 research is the approach of ‘design science’, which Van Aken [4] outlines as a core mission “to develop knowledge that can be used by professionals in the field to design solutions to their field problems”. Kuechler & Vaishnavi [31] state that design science is gaining prominence as an appropriate research method which can improve the relevance of academic research for practical use. Van Aken [4] and Hevner et al. [7] outline design science as a solution orientated research strategy with a focus on developing knowledge that can be used by professionals in practical contexts. Voordijk [6] also proposes that design science is a knowledge creating activity that corresponds to prescriptive research which he states has a focus on improving aspects of the built environment rather than a descriptive strategy which just explains phenomena in the built environment.
Johann enson & Perjons [5] state in design science a ‘solution ’ to a field problem takes the form of what is known as an artificial construct (‘artifact’), “which they describe as an artificial object made by humans to solve practical problems ”. Johannenson & Perjons [5] explain that artifacts are either physical entities (such as a hammer, a car or a hip-replacement) or they can be drawings, a set of guidelines or an ICT solution. Following this principle a BIM technology (ICT application) could be classified in design science as an ‘artifact’ . Herver et al. [7] cautions that an artifact is more
likely to be an idea, practice or partial product rather than a fully realised ready for business ICT solution and thus this is where the difference lies between an artifact and a piece of software.
Applying this principle to research in BIM, the research would not necessarily have to constitute a full y developed BIM interface but rather what Van Aken [4] describes as a ‘technological rule’, which outlines the procedures and workings of the proposed idea or partial system [7]. From this perspective it is a good fit for BIM academic research where the idea could be proposed by a research er and possibly be implemented by a software vendor in the future.
Johannenson & Perjons [5] and March & Smith [32] state that the research output in design science is not just the artifact itself, but also the affect the artifact has on the environment to which it has been introduced. This is what makes design science more than a usability evaluation of software, where the methodology facilitates introducing the artifact in the work environment or presenting it to potential users. This aligns with an interpretative approach where a new “reality is revealed through determining the perspectives of the participants ” [22] by exposing them to the artifact
Hevner et al. [7] states that when carrying out design science research it is important that the process is well defined and articulated, so that if the researcher is interested in developing a ‘means to an end’, ‘a solution’, that there is an explicit phased process to its development and evaluation.
Holmstrom et al. [33], Hervner et al. [7], March & Smith [32], Johannenson & Perjons [5] and Azhar et al. [25] all articulate similar frameworks, albeit using different terminology (Figure 1). These strategies outline four common phases; (a) diagnosing a problem; (b) proposing (developing) a solution; (c) implementing the solution & evaluating the process in action; and (d) specifying learning.
The following headings address in more detail the stages outlined in design sciences and comment on the similarities outlined by publications in the field.
Johannenson & Perjons [5] state that the starting point for the design science researcher is that “something is not quite right with the world and it has to be changed”. Holmstrom et al. [33] outline the first phase of design science is to address what is wrong, by “diagnosing the primary research problem”.
Johannenson & Perjons [5] suggest that there may be a need to carry out primary research at this phase to investigate and determine the nature and prevalence of the problem. Alternatively, Azhar et al. [25] state that the research issue could involve self-interpretation through reflection or an init ial literature review. Hevner et al. [7] also explains that diagnosing the problem can be achieved through the existing knowledge base by reviewing literature in the field such as academic papers, practice-based publications and industry reports. It may be the case, that th e problem has been well reported and published but that a solution has not been addressed An applicable example in BIM research is an investigation into current work practices where an issue is identified which could be made more efficient by a BIM approa ch to project delivery. Alternatively, a BIM technology (artifact) could be utilised to automate a process that is complex and long-winded in traditional 2D practices.
b) Proposing (developing a solution concept – ‘the artifact ’)
Voordijk [6] and Hervner et al. [7] propose the second step is to develop the ‘technological rule’ (artifact) which will address the practical problem. Hevner et al. [7] state that designing and building this artifact is the process of constructing a solution concept (method or system) for a specific purpose. Constructing a technological solution in design science demonstrates that the process can be automated and enables a change in current work practices [7] For the solution to be relevant from an academic perspective the process to develop the artifact must be transparent. This requires an explanation of the development process and the decisions that were made as the artifact evolved Johannenson & Perjons [5] outline that the requirements to develop an artifact are evidenced from the initial activity of diagnosing a problem.
Johannenson & Perjons [5] and Hevner et al. [7] pr opose that the development must be carried out in a cyclical process of generation, reflection and change. The theoretical context of this process in design science is what Schon [34] and Kolb’s [35] outline as ‘reflective practice’ The development process of the artifact should be rooted in a formulated approach which is conscious of this
grounding, thus a cyclical process of reflection and action is embedded in design science [4, 6, 7]. This cyclical process is required where the artifact needs to be developed through what Azhar et al. [25] calls self-interpretation. This is a speculative process, proposing a solution that the researcher believes will work prior to any validation by the users [5, 6]. Th is is not a methodology in itself but a practice that is utilised through this stage of the research pr ior to implementing the developed solution in action (workplace or simulated workplace). In proposing a BIM technology as a solution to a field problem, the researcher would need to not only outline the developed artifact, but how this artifact was developed and the reflective process/decisions made when developing the final solution . This is outlining the ‘technological rule’ behind the artifact. This process should give rise to a number of different demonstrated iterations as the solution/technology evol ves.
Sagor [36] stresses that this is where it must be determined what is accomplished by the change and to carry this out a mechanism for evaluation must be proposed. The utility, quality and efficiency of an artifact must be rigorously demonstrated via well executed evaluation methods [7]. Evaluation requires some way of determining how successful the proposed change is in its environment or simulated environment [5, 7]
Voordijk [37] states that evaluation should start with the development of measurers and criteria which represent the goals of the process, the artifact’s performance is subsequently evaluated against these criteria. Voordijk [37] states that the criteria are based on the ability to perform the intended task, the ability of actors and organisations to effectively use the method, its efficiency, its effectiveness, its ease of use and its impact on the work environment and its users. Nielsen [38] and Faulkner [39] outline these criteria as the ‘goals’ of the process which are determined by th e system’s usability.
Voordijk [6] states that methods used to carry out evaluation can be interviews, surveys, case studies and simulation (through empirical testing) with the intended users. Holmstrom et al. [33] and Johannenson & Perjons [5] state that one of the best evaluation methods is empirical evaluation. Through empirical evaluation the artifact can be evaluated to validate that it actually works for its intended users and in its intended environment. Nielsen [38] states that empirical evaluation can be carried out by simulating the process in a lab environment or evaluating the artifact in -use, in the workplace.
Other than stating that empirical evaluation can be used as a method in design science, there is little in design science publications that propose a formulated approach to empirical evaluation. Thus, usability evaluation procedures utilised in software development were investigated to determine if they could be used as an approach to evaluate the design science artifact
Schneiderman & Plaisant [40] state that design science pays attention to the affect human factors have on computer systems and the affect computer systems have on the user. The concept of Usability Engineering (UE) is an empirical evaluation tool which endeavours to addresses the usability of a system by proposing a process which ensures that the system is fit for purpose for which it was designed [38, 39] Nielsen [38] and Faulkner [39] outline what they call a ‘UE life cycle’ which starts with the evaluation of the user and the task that they will be carrying out and continues on through an iterative process of reflection, change and assessment. The formulated UE life cycle outlined by Faulkner and Nielsen is cognisant of the theoretical grounding in design science methodology, where the process is iterative and includes adherence to a design, evaluation and a redesign cycle.
Assessing a technological solution through usability evaluation is at the centre of the UE life cycle. The method that is proposed in this paper to evaluate a BIM artifact is a usability evaluation method known as Thinking Aloud (TA) [38, 41, 42] The TA method has a number of variants prescribed on the basis of the designer’s interaction with the user [43] A TA process that involves greater interaction between the researcher and the user is ‘cooperative evaluation’. ‘TA cooperative evaluation’ combines empirical usability evaluation with a qualitative research design by integrating interview type questions into the traditional TA method. This method involves interaction and collaboration, where the user and the evaluator can both ask questions while using th e artifact, but it also involves the evaluator steering the participant in the right direction while using the system or process [42]
The TA method is specifically suitable for BIM research as participants using a proposed new BIM interface may not have utilised a similar technology previously and thus will need to be guided on what to do. The objectives regarding the evaluation do not just specifically relate to the BIM product but also include questions on the overarching process of utilising a BIM approach and how this approach could provide efficiencies in their work practices Thus the method is both a usability evaluation and a research interview
d) Specify Learning
Johannenson & Perjons [5] and March & Smith [32] state that the research output in design science is not just the artifact, but also the affect the artifact has on the environment to which it has been introduced. This would instigate a process in BIM research that would entail evaluating a new BIM process or technology but also its ability to affect change and improve practice in a work setting . Herver et al. [7] notes that design science research should contribute to knowledge by a pplying knowledge in a new or innovative way. They state that this can be achieved on a number of fronts; the artifact/technology itself is demonstrated as a new and innovative product; an existing product is used to solve a practical problem in a differen t context to which it was designed; the research process can be defined as a ‘general rule’ that could be applied to a different problem and another situation and that the process and the artifact can affect change in its environment.
BIM research has the potential to satisfy a number of these criteria. The research may develop a new innovative technology to solve a practical problem or it may constitute an existing technology that is utilised in a manner it was not originally designed for. This gives researchers the potential to design their own solutions or work with existing ideas or technologies in an innovative way. What must be common to both approaches is that the artifact must be evaluated so that its ability to affect change within the environment it has been implemented can be addressed.
This paper outlines a research methodology known as design science and proposes it as a relevant research strategy for research in BIM. Design science emanates from an advocacy/participatory epistemology which resonate with researchers looking to participate in the research process with a view to affect change in a practical setting. Design science proposes a cyclical process of development and evaluation , where learning is specified though the development and evaluation of what is outlined in design science as a ‘technological rule’ It is noted that the technological rule does not have to be a fully operational piece of software but can be a concept that could be engrained in an existing platform or used to develop a new working interface. This is applicable to researchers whom wish to present innovative BIM solutions and evaluate them in a work setting. A formulated research process is presented that provides an outline framework for potential BIM researchers following a design science methodology.
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Department of Building and Civil Engineering
Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and RPS
E-mail: 1Mark.Kell y@gmit. ie 2Jim.OConno r@gmit. ie 3Mark.Costello@rpsgro up.com 4Gerard.Nicholson@rpsgroup.com
B uilding Infor mation M odelling or ‘B IM’ refers to a new collaborative work met hod used in today’s rapidly changing construction industry B IM places a digital model at the epicentre of the construction process. It is a shared knowledge resource forming a reliable basis for decisions during the life cycle of a facility from earl iest conception t o ultimate end- of -life. B IM processe s allow team me mber s to explore a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally before it is built, helping to deliver projects faster, more econo mically and with reduced environmental i mpact. The UK government will require fully collaborative 3D BIM (with all project and asset infor mation, doc umentati on and data being electronic) as a mini mum by 2016. Already in Ireland these same measures are being introduced throug h e mployer ’s require me nts in advance of 2016. While the move t o a ‘fully collaborative working B IM environme nt’ is a welcome developme nt it poses a number of challenges for the Irish construction sector that will require considerable up- skilling and training. The higher education se ctor can play a key role in developing appropriate learning opport unities, both for st udents and industry stakeholders.
Level 2 B IM require ments alter the entire way a project is procure d, designed, delivered and operated. It is both a process as well as a deliverable and mar ks a significant shift from traditional work methods we are accustome d to. This paper will chart the developme nt and integration of B IM processes and learning require ments into the curricul um a nd researc h activities in the Depart ment of B uilding and Civil Engineering at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology [ACADEM IC] over the last number of years infor me d by a close collaboration with RPS Group [INDUSTRY]. This academic -industry partnership ha s enabled the developme nt of a reciprocal learning fra mework where industry best practice, curriculum de velopme nt and research activities have been coordinated and utilised to address the educational challenges posed by the interdisciplinary nature of B IM.
This collaboration between GM IT and RPS has resul ted in the development of an industry orientated Higher Diploma in Engineering in B IM (Level 8 on the nati onal framework) to train designers to the highest standard to meet level 2 B IM require ments. The delivery of this Higher Diploma in Engineering in B IM to RPS staff on a pilot basis since 2013 has enabled GM IT to test, further develop and mea sure the impact of this progra mme on the delivery of large infrastructure and building projects in the UK and Ireland while working in a collaborative B IM environment.
Keywords - Buildin g In for mation Modellin g, BIM, Education, RPS, GMIT, Level 2
Th e UK Govern ment r equir emen t for full y
organ isationa l cultur e, ed ucation , train in g an d in for mation managemen t [ 1] Th e most r ecent NBS UK Nationa l BIM Sur vey1 [2] highligh ted some of co lla borativ e 3 D BIM o n the proc u re me nt o f all pu blic pr ojects by 2016 is fast appr oach ing This is posin g a ser ies of un ique challen ges for th e sector in r egar d to
1This is the fifth survey carried out by the NBS, which commenced in 2010. The 2015 surve y results were extrapolated from responses from nearly 900 building
th ese challen ges, in cluding: a lack of in -h ouse exper tise; a lack of trainin g; n o clien t deman d; cost; an d n o time to get up to speed In ter estingly, despite th ese per cei ved barr ier s, 92 per cen t of r espon dents stated th at ‘in thr ee year s’ time, we will use BIM’ . This align ed with th e vi ew th at BIM is th e futur e of construction in for mation (77% agr ee) Howe ver, a clear gap in un der stan din g wa s h ighlighted with 67 per cen t of r espon den ts a gr eein g tha t th e ‘ind ustr y is n ot clear en ough on what BI M is yet’ an d on ly 25 per cen t stating that ‘th ey tr ust what th ey h ear a bout BIM’ . Th ese fin din gs suggest that while con siderable progr ess ha s been made to date, th e sector is curr en tly at th e midpoin t in th e adoption cur ve2. An ecdotal eviden ce fr om th e con str uction sector in Ir elan d suggests th at while fully collabor ative BIM Level 2 implemen tation on projects is curr en tly r are, elemen ts3 ar e being in cluded in p ublic an d private con tracts even th ough th er e is n o r equir ement to do so
Traditionally, th e fra gmen ted and pr oject -specific approach involvin g multi -stakeh older s has led to a scattering of in for mation an d kn owled ge over differ ent processes, trades an d people with in an or ganisation. Th e implemen tation of full y collabor ative BIM aims to addr ess th ese issues (a mon gst oth er s) b y providin g a shar ed lifec ycle kn owledge an d in for mation r esour ce th at will enable complex d esign an d con struction an alysis (lea n con str uction prin ciples, whole lifec ycle costin g etc ) and facilitate close coop er ation of project stakeh older s. Th e aim of th is paper is to examin e h ow high er education can suppor t th e constr uction sector in th is transition by detailing h ow a close academicin dustr y collabor ation led to th e develop men t of a n ew in dustr y-focused th ir d-level programme in BIM.
Internation ally, th e role of h igh er education in movin g towards a BIM-en abled constr uction sector has develop ed in to a con tinuously e volvin g r esear ch topic with a number of studies examinin g th e transition fr om CAD to BIM [3 -10], th e impact on learnin g en vir onmen ts [11] an d inn ovative pedagogical approach es [ 12, 13 ] Th ese r esear ch effor ts demon strate that th e h igh er ed ucation sector
2 The NBS 2015 BIM Survey utilized the Everett Rogers’ standard adoption curve to categories BIM awareness usage from 2010 to 2015
3 Including: an Employers In formation Requirements (EIR) document to define all information required by the client; a supplier and supply chain capability assessment to assess competency; a BIM Execution Plan (BEP ) to define roles, standard, procedures and project milestones; using a Shared Common Data Environment to improve collaboration; utilisation of analysis soft ware on BIM models; and compliance with standards outlined in PAS 1192-2 and BS 1192
is cogn isant of th e key role th at BIM can play in a mor e efficien t, collabor ative and low impact construction sector Th e in clusion of BIM in construction -r elated programmes has gath er ed sign ificant pace over r ecen t year s [ 14] with Joannides, Olbina and Issa (2012) r eporting that over h alf of Amer ican ter tiar y education in stitution s claimed to h ave BIM dedicated cour ses or to have in cluded BIM con tent in to th eir existin g cour ses In addition, a number of coun tries (Australia, New Zealan d and th e UK) h ave devel oped common BIM education al framewor ks [16-18] In Australia, th e ‘Collabor ative Building Design Education usin g Buildin g In for mation Modelling (CodeBIM) ’ pr oject produced an d piloted4 a fr amewor k for collabor ative buildin g design teach in g usin g BIM entitled IMAC (Illustration , Man ipulation, Application and Collabor ation ) [ 18] In New Zealan d, th e Un iver sity of Aucklan d in par tn er ship with ind ustr y proposed a set of 18 learn in g outcomes th at embr aced vocation al train ing, un iver sity degr ee prog r ammes an d r esear ch activities [ 17]. Th e UK BIM Academic Forum (BAF) [19, 16] also proposed a set of learnin g outcomes to addr ess strategic, management an d techn ical in dustr y n eeds to facilitate kn owledge, un der stan ding, practical skills and tran sfer able skills
In addition, BAF produced a useful BIM teach in g impact matr ix, wh ich descr ibe four levels of engagemen t as follows [16]
Absen t – BIM sh ould n ot affect tea ch in g pr actice an d studen ts do n ot n eed to kn ow about BIM.
Awar e – BIM sh ould n ot a ffect teach in g pr actice but studen ts sh ould be a war e of it.
In fused – Studen ts sh ould under stand h ow BI M will a ffect th eir futur e an d be offer ed opp or tunities to engage with BIM in disciplin e an d multi-disciplin ar y con texts
Embedd ed – BIM is used as a cor e pedagogical tool in th e stude n ts ’ learn ing exper ien ce.
Oth er n otable nation al effor ts in clude th e US wh er e BIM education al initiatives wer e mor e specific to in dividual in stitution s an d wer e pr edominantly at un dergr aduate level [ 20] In Isr ael, th e Techn ion-Israel In stitute of Techn olog y en gaged in an exten sive con sultation with leadin g in terna tional pr actition er s an d in dustr y to develop 39 learnin g outcomes cover in g process, techn olog y a n d application s [9] Subsequent r esear ch in Australia [21] has built on th ese in itiatives to produce a Student Thr esh old Capability Fr amewor k 5 to be used in a curr iculum r edesign process to addr ess th e n eed for BIM to be seen as a meth odological r ath er than just a techn ological tool. Recen t r esear ch in UK
4 In the University of South Australia.
5 The Threshold Capability Framewor k covered five thematic areas: fundamental principles; technical skills; construction project management skills; strategic organizational behaviours; and global market context.
examin ing th e curr en t position of BIM education in th e UK [22] foun d that over all levels of BIM matur ity a war en ess wer e low wh en examin ed across th e full ran ge of progr ammes in th e Built Envir onmen t disciplin e6 In addition, curr ent education al develop men ts a ppear to be largely focused on th e most fun da mental a spects of BIM with a surprisin gly low level of en gagemen t with in dustr y Th is corr elates with th e fin din g that 66 per cen t of r espon den ts believed th at High er Education Institution s (HEIs) in th e UK ar e curr ently n ot keepin g pace with BIM skills r equir emen t and in dustr y kn owled ge demands [ 22]
In Ir eland, BIM educational initiatives to date have mirror ed th e US appr oach , in that they h ave been specific to in divid ual in stitution s [ 23-26] with some exa mples of in dustr y enga gement. Th e n ext section will provide an over view of on e such in itiative invol vin g an academic in stitution (GMIT ) an d an industr y partn er (RPS).
Sin ce fir st intr oducin g buildin g an d civil en gin eer in g studen ts to computin g in 1985, th e Departmen t of Buildin g an d Civil Engin eer in g at th e Gal way-Ma yo Institute of Techn olog y h a s been committed to pr ovidin g in for mation techn olog y educa tional opp or tunities that wer e dir ectl y r elevan t to th e construction sector. Over th e past 30 year s, th e depar tmen t ha s witn essed a gr adual progr ession fr om th e basic AutoCAD7 packages to Ar ch iCAD (2001 to 2005) to Autodesk Revit Ar ch itectur e (2005 on wards) Durin g th e develop men t of th e B.Sc. in Ar chitectur al Techn olog y in 2005, it wa s decided to full y embed 3D buildin g modellin g into th e programme in addition to r etain ing th e compr eh ensive deliver y of AutoCAD 2D an d 3D. This mode of deliver y h as enabled graduates to obtain emplo ymen t with a ran ge of diver se employer s in cludin g buildin g con tractor s, engin eerin g consultan ts, facilities managemen t specialists an d design teams This ha s en cour aged oth er programmes in th e Depar tment (civil en gin eering, quantity sur ve yin g an d construction managemen t) to integr ate th is mode of deliver y in to th eir existin g curricula. Although , this approach has pr imarily focused on th e techn ological aspect of BIM, some effor t has been made to in tegr ate oth er elemen ts r elated to constr uction process applications, con tractual and legal consider ations, collabor ative wor kin g en vir onments, in for mation management and lifec ycle an alysis. Th e curr en t level of BIM-r elated
6 Anal ysis also indicated that apart from the architecture and construction-related disciplines, low levels of interest were expressed in incorporating BIM into teaching across the built environment disciplines [22]
7 Starting with AutoCAD 10 in 1987
in tegr ation in th e Depar tment of Buildin g and Civil Engin eer ing at GMIT is as follows:
On e man dator y mod ule in each of th e four year s of th e B.Sc. in Ar chitectur al Techn olog y e.g. CAD 1, CAD 2/BIM, CAD 3/BIM an d BIM 4 Arc hitec tu re.
On e man dator y module in year s’ on e and two (CAD/BIM 1 an d 2) of th e B.Sc. in Con str uction Mana gement plus an elective mod ule ‘BIM 1 for Constr uction ’ in Year 2. BIM is also in cluded as a top ic cover ed as part of th e ‘Project Ma nage me nt’ mod ule in Year 4
On e man dator y module in year s’ on e and two (CAD and CAD/BIM) of th e B.Sc. in Civil Engin eer ing. BIM is also cover ed as a topic in two modules in Year 4, ‘Advan ced Civil Engin eer ing Soft war e’ and ‘En vir onmen tal and En ergy Sustainability’
On e man dator y module in year s’ on e an d two (BIM for Sur ve yor s 1 and 2 ) of th e B.Sc Quantity Sur veyin g an d Construction Econ omics. BIM is also cover ed as a topic as part of th e ‘In tegrated P ro j ect’ module in Year 4
A r eview o f this BIM-r elat ed curr iculum con tent does illustrate a r elativel y narrow disciplin e specific approach , wh ich ha s utilised existin g structur es to focus pr imar ily on th e fundamental techn ological application s of BIM. Th is is clear ly n ot sufficien t to meet th e curr en t n eeds of in dustr y to suppor t th eir move t owards a collabor ative BIM Level 2 wor kin g envir onmen t. In r ecogn ition of th is, th e Depar tment of Buildin g an d Civil En gin eer ing in th e GMIT has develop ed a Level 8 High er Diploma in BIM in collabor ation with an in dustr y par tn er, RPS Group Plc. RPS is a leadin g in ter nation al multi-disciplinar y consultan cy o fferin g a r an ge of integrated en gin eer in g, pr oject man agement, planning, scientific, envir onmen tal and commun ication ser vices on a cross-sect or al basis to both th e public and pr ivate sect or s RPS in tr oduced ‘Early BI M’ in to th eir wor kin g systems in 2007, wh er e BIM did n ot for m part of th e design process of d eliver ed pr ojects but wa s used to produce 3D visuals an d walk -through s to assist clien ts at an ear ly stage. Limited progr ess was bein g made at an organisation al level until 2012 , wh en a BIM wor king group was set up to addr ess th e in cr easing project r equiremen ts in th e civil, structural, mechanical ser vices an d in fr astructur al disciplin es BIM soft war e h ad been used on a n umber of projects to date but it wa s r ecogn ised that consider able upskillin g was r equired In Jun e 2013, a for mal r equest wa s made to th e Depar tmen t of Buildin g and Civil Engin eer ing in GMIT to devel op a n ew in dustr yor ientated multi-disciplinar y High er Diploma in BIM. Th e followin g suite of mod ules wa s devel oped:
BIM Virtual Modellin g Fun damen tals (M8)
BIM Ar ch itectur e (E 9)
8 M = Mandatory module.
BIM Str uctur e (E)
BIM In frastr uctur e (E)
BIM Mech anical, Electr ical and Plumbing (E)
BIM Collabor ation (M)
BIM Pr oject (M)
In September 2013, th e fir st of th ese mod ules (‘BIM Virtual Modelling Fundamen tals’) wa s piloted with eight Gal wa y-based RPS staff over a 12- week per iod. As a r esult of th e successful deliver y of th is mod ule, RPS expan ded this initiative, with trainin g commen cin g in th eir Dublin and Cor k offices in September 2014 This r esulted in th e upskilling of 60 RPS sta ff in BIM. Th e ‘BIM In frastr uctur e’ module deliver y h as commen ced in all thr ee office s an d will be completed b y sta ff at th e en d of 2015 . It is envisaged that par ticipants will complete th e r emainin g mandator y mod ules, ‘BIM Colla bor ation ’ an d ‘BIM Project’ to make th em eligible for th e Level 8 a ward
This academic-industr y par tn er sh ip has been a ke y dr iver in th e deliver y of th e RPS BIM Strategic Plan, wh ich ha s establish ed cor e BIM tea ms in Dublin, Cor k an d Gal wa y an d develop ed in -h ouse BIM prot ocols an d procedur es th at ar e bein g used through out th e design, constr uction and oper ation s pha ses of project s This has led to a r eth ink on h ow RPS projects ar e procur ed, deliver ed and constr ucted through th e: in corpor ation of full y co ordin ated design models; th e develop men t of a n ew BI M wor king en vir on ment across multiple interoper able design platfor ms; th e production of 4D ph asing and 5D costin g models; improved plann in g and coordination ; and th e min imisation of oper ational and con tra ctual con flict. This h as en abled RPS to offer profession al services on projects in th e UK and Europe r esulting in th e a war d of major high wa ys, water an d gas projects th at has r esulted in a 3 per cen t in cr ease in profitability. Th is, in tur n has r esulted in a sign ifican t in cr ease in staff with a par ticular focus emp lo yin g ‘BIM-capable’ graduates [27]
Th e Depar tment of Buildin g and Civil En gin eerin g had pr eviousl y provided an in dustr y-focused programme through th e Springboar d initiative. A Cer tificate in BIM was deliver ed to 19 par ticipants durin g th e 2012/2013 academic year 10 In addition , th e Depar tmen t for med a r esear ch partn er ship with a local buildin g con tractor, Car ey Develop men ts Ltd., in 2012 to investigate, via a Master ’s degr ee (by r esear ch ), th e application of BIM on small -scale constr uction pr ojects in Ir eland [28].
Due to th e success o f th ese in itiatives, th e Depar tmen t of Buildin g and Civil Engin eer in g n ow in ten ds to deliver th e Level 8 High er Diploma in BIM in a part-time mode fr om Sept ember 2015 It is envisaged that this will provide an oppor tunity to upskill oth er industr y stakeholder s such as buildin g
9 E = Elective module.
10The certi ficate evolved from the existing CAD/BIM 2 module from the B.Sc in Architectural Technology
con tractor s, quantity sur veyor s, pr oject mana ger s, subcon tractor s, design er s, facility mana ger s etc., as well as GMIT academic staff T h e flexible d eliver y o f th e programme (Figur e 1) consists of thr ee man dator y mod ules (BIM Vir tual Modellin g Fun damen tal, BIM Collabor ation, BIM Pr oject) and on e elective fr om th e four on offer (BIM Ar chitectur e, BIM In fra str uctur e, BIM Str uctur e, BIM Mech an ica l, Electr ical and Plumbin g) In addition , each module (excluding th e BIM pr oject) is also a vailable as in dividual min or a wards
Wh ile th e n ew High er Diploma in BIM offer s a mor e h olistic approach focusin g on use of 3D t ools to develop a BI M model that will enable th e collabor ative an d effective11 use of in for mation , it still is (fr om a pedagogical poin t of vi ew), a compar tmentalised disciplin e-specific approach (albeit utilisin g a n ew str uctur e). Th e Department of Buildin g an d Civil En gin eerin g r ecogn ises th e n eed to embed BIM as a meth odological tool [21] across th eir programmes an d will utilise th e High er Diploma as a veh icle to d o so In addition, th e curr ent lack of in terdisciplinar y or tran sdisciplinar y lear n ing exper ien ces for studen ts within th e curr en t programmes on offer does provide an oppor tun ity to develop a ser ies of initiatives that will foster deep engagemen t in collabor ative wor kin g en vir on men ts. Pr evious r esear ch [ 29-32, 25] h as foun d that alth ough in terdisciplinar y an d transdisciplinar y educa tional approach es pose ma n y ch allen ges, th er e is a clear n eed for th is applied appr oach to full y un der stand th e role an d applicability o f BIM in th e lifec ycle of th e built envir onmen t. To addr ess th ese gaps, th e auth or s propose th e use of a r ecipr ocal learnin g model as a tool to full y embed BIM acr oss all programmes in th e Depar tmen t.
Th e pr oposed r eciprocal learn ing model is based on th e utilisa tion of r eal -wor ld local constr uction projects (as case studies) to in for m th ir d-level curr iculum and
11 For example, using BIM to analyze time (4D), cost (5D) and facilities management (6D).
pedagogical develop men t, r esear ch activities and in dustr y best pr actice (Figur e 2).
2 an d 3 and a fin al-year multi-disciplinar y pr oject involvin g studen ts fr om all programmes.
It is proposed to pilot a multi-disciplinar y pr oject in 2016 with studen ts fr om the Ar chitectur al Techn olog y, Quan tity Sur ve yin g an d Con struction Mana gement progra mmes to explor e th e challenges an d oppor tunities that exist with th is for m of pedagogical approach This will in volve extensive ind ustr y participation through a series of guest lect ur es an d worksh ops an d will be based on on e of th e r esear ch case studies.
Th e model aims to build on existin g and develop n ew in dustr y partn er ship s to identify a ser ies of case studies that will in for m th e develop ment of curriculum con tent and facilitate th e discover y of r esear chin for med best pr actice. This will in volve a ser ies of capacity-buildin g exer cises in cludin g:
A Depar tment r eview of th e curr ent curriculum, learnin g outcomes a nd assessmen t strategies to deter min e th e level of BIM in tegration
An ana lysis o f curr ent attitudes to an d a war en ess of BIM with in th e Department. This will h elp iden tify a n y upskillin g or train in g n eeds as well a s an y si gn ificant barr ier s
A ser ies of explor ator y wor ksh ops to iden tify curr en t (an d possible futur e) in dustr y BI M r equir ements
Th e selection of suitable case studies to build on pr evious wor k of [ 28] and explor e th e applicability of BIM dur ing th e lifecycle of construction projects in th e Galwa y r egion This participator y action r esear ch approach will en able academic staff to en gage directl y with in dustr y stakeh older s, which will in tur n, in for m th e curriculum through th e devel op ment of a ser ies of lear n ing objects r esultin g fr om eviden ce-based r esear ch e g comp ar in g tradition al wa ste estimation techniques with BIM-en abled tools. Th ese learnin g objects i.e. Power Poin t slides, videos, podcasts etc. will th en be made available to all academic staff in th e Depar tmen t to allow for an in cr emental diffusi on of BIM-r elated con tent in to th e existin g progr amme str uctur es. Th e mandator y
‘BIM Pr oject’ module on th e High er Diploma will also be used as a veh icle to d evelop th ese learnin g objects with th e stud ents actin g a s coproducer s
A collabor ative wor kin g en vir onmen t theme will be embedded through out all progra mmes via multi-disciplinar y gr oup exer cises a s part of th e ‘Lear nin g an d Inn ova tion Skills’ mod ule in Year 1, th e ‘Integrated Pr oject’ modul es in Year s
Th ese in itiatives will in for m th e pr eparation of a BIM strategy and implemen tation plan for th e Depar tmen t, wh ich will be devel oped durin g th e 2015/2016 academic year. This h olistic approach will be in cr emental to allow for a BIM r ipple of diffusion, wh er e th e dissemination of eviden ce- based fin dings will enable an in clusi ve approach with in th e Depar tmen t.
Th e use of BIM r equires a par adigm sh ift in h ow we design, constr uct, deliver an d manage th e built envir onmen t over its wh ole lifec ycle. Th is pr esents an excitin g oppor tunity for th e h igh er educa tion sector to explor e inn ovative pedagogical approach es utilisin g BIM as a cor e meth odol ogical tool on all constr uctionr elated progr ammes. It a lso offer s a per fect collabor ative platfor m to engage with in dustr y stakeh older s to an alyse th e application s of BIM on r eal-wor ld projects an d allow for an explor ator y learnin g space to r eth ink th e wa y we d o th ings Th e tradition al fr agmentation of th e con struction supply ch ain is curr en tly a sign ifican t bar r ier to implemen tation in th e sector This is also eviden t in th e traditional structur e of constr uction -r elated programmes in h igh er education , wh er e th e compar tmentalisa tion of progr ammes in to disciplin especific silos does n ot allow for immer sive learn in g exper ien ces in a collabor ative envir on ment.
In Ir eland, th e high er education sector has r espon ded with th e develop men t of stan d -alon e and in tegr ated modules a nd programmes at both un dergr aduate and postgraduate level. Th e GMIT, through its close collabor ation with RPS, has made a sign ificant con tribution to th ese effor ts with th e develop men t of th e High er Diploma in BIM. Th e Depar tmen t of Buildin g and Civil Engin eer in g is keen to build on this good wor k to fur th er embed BIM as a pedagogical meth odolog y a cross all its programmes through con tinued collabor ation with in dustr y to facilitate multi - and tran sdisciplinar y auth entic learnin g experien ces for stud en ts, academic staff an d in dustr y stakeh older s Th er e is also a unique opp or tunity for th e h igh er education sector t o build on th eir good wor k to date to d evelop a n ation al BIM educational fra mewor k that will cultivate a
commun ity of pr actice12 that will demonstrate and shape BIM best pr actice and position Ir elan d as on e of th e international leader s in th is ar ea
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12 The CITA BIM Education Forum provides a perfect platform for the development of this communit y of practice.
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1Department of Construction Economics, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 2 and The Estates and Facilities Department, The University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
2Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
E-mail: 1 d12123482@mydit.ie 2 rwest@tcd.ie
Abstract: The need to control costs and spending has become paramount to government and state/semi-state bodies which must now embrace advanced technologies if they are to meet the pervasive economic challenges. By integrating one such advanced technology, Building Information Modelling (BIM), into the curriculum of built environment degree p rograms, such as architecture and engineering, and by supporting collaboration between different disciplines, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are embracing the required change to existing teaching methods. These new skills and knowledge will feed into both the public sector and private industry but for now this is proving to be slow to happen. The traditional fragmented methods of working within the construction industry have not always lent themselves kindly to encouraging collaboration and efficienci es in work practices. Not only is inter-company collaboration an issue, but the overall fragmentation of industry itself and traditional mindsets will prove challenging to overcome. This paper will examine how adopting BIM collaboratively in the academic a nd building services areas of HEIs could improve both existing teaching and research methods on the academic side and the support services, namely operations and facility management of campuses, on the other side, in a collaborative initiative in a univers ity or college. BIM implementation in national and international HEIs in both education and built infrastructure development and maintenance on campuses will be investigated in order to identify potential obstacles to and opportunities for change. This re search, which is on-going, will provide a strategy for successful adoption of BIM for use in digital asset management and live structural, energy and environmental laboratories within educational infrastructure, to the mutual benefit of both constituencies.
Keywords -Building Information Modelling, Implementation, Higher Education Institutes, Collaboration, Public Sector
Over recent years there has been much debate on the subject of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the potential benefits it has to offer with, in some cases, Return on Investment (ROI) being documented as being anywhere between 140 –39,900% and to values reaching US$1,995,000 (Azhar, Hein, and Sketo, 2011). But it simply would not be enough to presume that adopting BIM will inevitably lead to improvements in business performance. It has been said that industry can only
realise the full benefits of BIM once the business practices and information technology (IT ) used by all stakeholders make a co-ordinated transition to assist and improve data flow and exchange (Smith and Tardif, 2009). But for a Higher Education Institution (HEI) looking to adopt BIM now it may not be feasible to wait for industry to make the change. This is partly due to critical pressures on public expenditure {European Commission, 2014, Europe 2020 in Ireland} and to requirements for member states of the European Union (EU) to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 (European
Commission, 2009) {European Commission, 2009, Europe 2020 Targets: Climate Change and Energy} both of which have massive economic impacts. Although the Irish government deficit has been gradually falling since 2009 (Figure 1) it is vital that new technologies are embraced now to ensure Ireland’s economic recovery remains sustainable into the future.
In the United Kingdom BIM awareness is increasing (Figure 2) and the government has mandated a 20% reduction in public sector construction costs by utilising collaborative technologies such as BIM on all public sector construction projects by 2016 (UK Cabinet Office, 2011) with the possibility of making savings of £18b per annum (IBM, 2012). Thus, it is encouraging to see the Irish government including BIM in their recently published Construction 2020 Strategy (Government Publications, 2014). However, improving the entire AEC industry will not be achievable without facing some challenges and risks (Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), 2014).
It is clear that within the AEC industry, particularly within the UK, BIM adoption is growing (Figure 2). This BIM mandate on public sector construction projects by 2016 (UK Cabinet Office, 2011) does not force HEIs to do the same. However, it is vital for them to support this increasing adoption of BIM by introducing BIM onto the curriculum of architectural and engineering courses to support industry and provide graduates with the required knowledge and skills. Further to supporting industry, graduates from built environment courses who possess the required skills can help improve the financial performance and efficiencies of governments as they emerge from recent economic difficulties. As noted in the “National Strategy f or Higher Education to 2030” published by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in Ireland, HEI’s have contributed to and delivered positive change (Department of Education and Skills, 2011) so to continue to do so, it is the authors’ opinion that HEIs must introduce BIM and a more collaborative approach to learning and curricula.
As noted by Penttilä and Elger (2008) there are university architectural schools that have assigned teaching resources dedicated to support collaborative digital design while there are still some that have not. The shift to a more collaborative approach to teaching and learning methodologies, away from the traditional practices of segregated learning within a student’s chosen discipline, coupled with restrictions on available resources, will require academics to review existing practices and possibly test new ones with a view to implementing them in the future. There have already been examples of this within Ireland but HEI’s still need to move away from the traditional silos that exist in built environment education and develop the collaborative skills of students to prepare them for entry into the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry (Mathews, 2013). With this particular qualitative case study setting out to “explore
potential benefits for learning to students through the use of collaborative learning supported by a BIM application”, Mathews concludes that “the fact that groups of students can collaborate together, simultaneously on a BIM model adhering to a wellstructured brief, to propose a solution to a technical problem will give them practice that closely follows what they can expect in modern design construction workplaces”. Within the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), for example, a BIM Strategy has been set up (Mc Donald and Donoh oe, 2013) with objectives being stated as given in Table 1.
A number of multidisciplinary programmes currently being run in DIT, such as the Masters (MSc.) in “Construction Informatics”, the “Applied Building Information Modelling and Management”
Objective No. Objective
1 To ensure our graduates have the required skills, competences, knowledge and understanding to meet the needs and expectations of industry
2 To place College at forefront of BIM education in Ireland
3 To unlock the potential within the College to provide real interdisciplinary education
4 To provide education in BIM and related technologies at appropriate stages and at the appropriate NFQ level
5 To meet the needs and expectations of industry
6 BIM educational process, focusing on BIM as a whole business and interdisciplinary concept along with the adopted world standards
Survey Result - Does Your Institution Have a BIM Strategy?
Within 33% of the HEIs surveyed for a paper (Mc Donald and Donohoe, 2013), presented at the CITA BIM Gathering 2013, there are strategies in place for BIM and it’s possible adoption which, it could be argued, is being partly driven by the requirements of employers within industry who, when surveyed, responded with a majority opinion that graduates should possess BIM competencies upon graduating (Figure 3).
Survey Result – Do Employers Expect Graduates to have BIM Competencies?
Figure 3. How are Educational Institutes of Ireland Embracing the Paradigm Shift towards BIM? Source: (Mc Donald and Donohoe, 2013)
and the post-graduate diplomas in “Collaborative BIM” and “BIM Technologies” show that BIM is now firmly in place within their curricu la (DIT, 2014). Additional courses such as the “Certificate in BIM (Revit Architecture)”, offered at Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT), focus on the software training of students (LYIT, 2014)
Similarly, at The University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD), Ireland’s highest ranked University (TCD, 2013), it has been recognised that there is a need for a BIM module within the undergraduate curriculum of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering courses, introduced in 2013 for 4th year students (Kinnane and West, 2013) and to Masters students in 2014. Although the introduction of BIM into a particular module that is a standard engineering CAD and draft ing class (Kinnane and West, 2013) and not a dedicated BIM module in itself, still shows that there is recognition of the need to introduce this innovative technology for the good of its future
graduates.
Interestingly, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) took the decision to partake in an academicindustry BIM partnership in the form of running a student BIM project in the 2012-2013 academic year (Thomas et al., 2013). Recognising the future employment prospects of students enrolling in architectural technology courses, a decision was taken in 2010 to discontinue teaching Autodesk AutoCAD, a basic 2D and 3D design software tool, and concentrate on using Autodesk Revit, a BIM compatible software tool. As evidence that the student BIM project was considered a success, a decision to extend this partnership into subsequent academic years was taken.
Internationally BIM adoption within HEIs is gathering pace. A recent survey of ten universities and eight University Colleges in Sweden, which included architectural schools and civil engineering programs at Bachelor’s and Master’s level, found that the majority of existing construction related programs have adopted BIM into their curricula (Andersson, 2013). Not all studies have shown that BIM adoption, at the time of this research being undertaken, was at a level that would indicate large scale adoption was taking place.
Amongst the HEIs in the UK that are adopting BIM is Coventry University who have undertaken to integrate BIM within their undergraduate curriculum for Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building (CAB) department (Mc Gough, Ahmed, and Austin, 2013). The “BIM-Hub” project (Loughborough University, 2015) is a collaborative project between Coventry, Loughborough and Ryerson Universities where a forum will be created for a ‘lessons learned’ exercise to test the BIM mode of working, showing that inter -university collaboration is also taking place.
Similarly, Northumbria University formed a partnership with Ryder Architecture and established the BIM Academy (BIM Academy, 2015) to create a knowledge centre for BIM and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Northumbria University currently have a Masters course in “Building Design
Management and Building Information Modelling (BIM) which aims to develop student’s future needs for employment within the AEC industry. Middlesex University London runs a similar Masters which aims to give future practitioners a BIM qualification related to their particular discipline (Middlesex University London, 2015).
Further research indicates that many universities and colleges in the United States of America (USA) now have BIM dedicated c ourses within their curricula. Amongst these are the Purdue College of Technology “Construction Graphics Building Information Minor” course (Purdue College of Technology, 2014), The University of Southern California (USC) “Building Information Modeling and Integrated Practice: An Emerging Relationship” course (University of Southern California, 2014) and Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture “Computational Design” Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program (Carnegie Mellon University, 2014) to name a few.
The Western Michigan University (WMU) ran a project in 2010, the “BIM Bronco Initiative” (Buildapedia, 2010) to model almost 8 million square feet of 150 buildings and gain experience for their College of Engineering students and staff and to improve existing and future functions of their facility maintenance (FM) division. This has led to a plan to utilise BIM technologies on two future BIM delivered projects that began in 2011. WMU reported that there were several significant benefits from undertaking this initiative such as students and staff sharing the real life experiences encountered through the use of BIM, a clear indication that BIM implementation could be beneficial to both academic and administrative areas of a HEI.
Following the introduction of interdisciplinary BIM onto the curriculum at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) (Holland et al., 2009), students were surveyed with interesting responses and findings on the challenges encountered by student teams with BIM collaboration and workflows and students feelings towards how successful BIM implementation would support better quality design. (Table 2).
The commencement of their so-called “BIM Collaborative Studio” was with the assistance of a
private industry software company, which now sees BIM being used in both Architectural and Architectural Engineering programs at PSU (Messner, 2009). PSU findings were that in order to prepare students for AEC leadership roles of the future, hands on integrated BIM experiences were needed and this could be achieved by encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration across different programs (Holland et al., 2009)
Table 2: Findings of interest from the BIM Collaborative Studio BIM Technology Survey Source: (Holland et al., 2009)
No. Survey Finding
1 All teams found that the creation and sharing of a Building Information Model was somewhat challenging
2 Actual workflows turned out to be significantly different than the planned work flows (both of these responses likely due to relative lack of experience in collaborative BIM efforts)
3 All agreed that 3D Clash Detection was a powerful design tool
4 The connection between BIM and sustainable design was not as strong as anticipated (or should be) possibly due to workflow challenges encountered by the student teams
5 All felt that successful implementation of BIM would result in a better quality design
Evaluating challenges and risks related to successfully adopting or implementing BIM can be difficult as the uptake, particularly within education, has been relatively slow. This can be due to many different variables, such as the lack of staff that possess the required skills (Sacks and Barak, 2010) Traditionally, undergraduates have been educated within their own disciplines, away from closely related disciplines such as in the areas of architecture and engineering but a closer collaboration is needed for BIM adoption to be successful. Thomas et al. (2013) state that there is a particular challenge for undergraduate students because of the traditional practices of educating future AEC professionals in isolation from other disciplines, therefore
improvements to traditional practices will be required to help reduce the number and severi ty of problems associated with these traditional practices.
Cultural changes as well as the technical changes are an obvious challenge (Eastman et al., 2011). This cultural change can be an even greater challenge than the one a HEI might face with a technology change (Smith and Tardif, 2009). The adaption of existing curricula in an attempt to seamlessly integrate BIM into course and module structures (Mc Gough, Ahmed, and Austin, 2013) and scheduling different disciplines to allow close collaboration for undergraduates may also prove to be difficult.
As well as cultural challenges, physical challenges may also exist. Different departments or schools, located in separate locations but linked to the same university may not find close collaboration as easy as it could be if these different disciplines wer e located in proximity of each other (Thomas et al., 2013). Clearly a separate challenge is to provide spaces, in the form of open studios where students from different disciplines can interact closely and learn from each other. Both DIT and TCD, in their imminent infrastructural developments, should take note of this when planning their space needs.
Sourcing information on how the administrative and support areas of these same HEIs have embraced BIM is also ch allenging, but one shining example is the Penn State University’s “Computer Integrated Construction (CIC)” research program (The Pennsylvania State University Computer Integrated Construction (CIC), 2011) which has led to the publishing of a set of BIM documents and guidelines (Figure 4) to support BIM implementation within industry. These are currently being used by their ‘Office of Physical Plant’ and were utilised on the construction of two buildings on the Penn State University campus (Nulton and Gannon , 2013)
Closer to home, TCD is committed to using BIM (Level 2) on its new Trinity School of Business (TBC) and E3 (Engineering, Energy and
Environment Institute) developments and approaches are being made for an academic input into this as a case study. The authors also note that the Grangegorman Development Agency (GGDA) has empowered the contractors to use BIM for a new campus development for DIT and an opportunity exists there for students from the ‘MSc. Construction Informatics’ course, run by CITA, to be involved academically.
or college), but often can be playing catch -up on the latest capabilities in BIM due to a training and education deficit – which is paradoxical for an educational institution! Demands cannot be made of the appointed professional design team viz BIM unless the client knows what its capabilities and potential benefits are and at what cost to the client. Indeed, they need to see the business case for specifying its use.
Academics, on the other hand, are at the forefront of research into BIM and have a dearth of clients who are willing to invest time into supporting close monitoring of real -time case studies to achieve academic objectives, which, coincidentally, include education and training, demonstrating the business case and the potential benefit of collaborative work to clients and design teams, not to mention the long-term benefits to the client post occupancy.
Both of these needs can be met simultaneously if the traditional isolation of both parties can be overcome.
Source: (The Pennsylvania State University Computer Integrated Construction (CIC), 2011)
Some of the many challenges that exist and need to be overcome, as discussed above, such as traditional ways of teaching and administering within a HEI , will need to give rise to specific and defined strategies if BIM implementation is to be successful. There is a need to develop trust between all stakeholders (Smith and Tardif, 2009). The academic and administrative areas of HEIs are, in reality, business partners. Success is not just built on trust; there will always be suspicions from one business partner or the other as to what the other is doing but this cannot and should not stand in the way of progress – their objectives may be different but their goal is the same: delivery of a first -class research -led education to students.
Administrative areas in HEIs need to build at lowest cost for their business (that is, the university
The proposed mixed method research to evaluate and identify deficiencies in BIM implementation and to identify how deficiencies that may exist in one area can be made up for in another area will involve a live case study to demonstrate value for money and the potential return on investment on the design, construction and operation of the new Trinity Business School (TBS) with the possibility to use the new Engineering, Energy and Environment Institute (E3) development as a vehicle to test this hypothesis. The provision of latest research ideas to the administrators coupled with access to the design team for the academics to validate their research is a mutually beneficial and novel approach which is deserving of trial.
This paper is based around the hypothesis that the creation of a partnership and encouraging both the academic and administrative areas of a HEI in Ireland to collaborate to successfully adopt and implement Building Information Modelling (BIM) can lead to improvements in existing teaching methods and support services. This suggests a number of conclusions, namely:
1. There is a vital and urgent need to adopt BIM in Irish HEI both academically and in the administration of infrastructure
2. That it is possible for academic and administrative areas in an Irish HEIs to create a partnership and successfully adopt and implement BIM for mutual benefit
3. Successfully adopting and implementing BIM in an Irish HEI will lead to improvements in both constituencies, namely teaching and research, and support services
From research undertaken to date it appears that BIM implementation within academia is progressing while BIM implementation within administrative and support services of a HEI has been slower. It is planned to identify opportunities for those working within the administrative areas of a HEI to learn from the latest technologies being utilised within academia as well as take advantage of parallel opportunities for academia to work with administrative areas in HEIs as case studies for research. Research is on -going to gather the data to verify this hypothesis.
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