BIM Coordination Guidelines

Now BIM is being utilized as a team concept by establishing a common understanding of what has to go into the model when it shifts from the design team to the construction team. This feature of BIM will lead to huge cost and time saving. Besides building conflicts can be easily found & fully coordinated and highly efficient buildings can be produced at significant cost savings.

There are design-review tools with unequal BIM platforms that maintain strong teaming environments and share the project vision among all stakeholders. The result comprises less risk for the team, the client, and the authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), over and above safer, more effective structures for the owners and occupants.

In an integrated project delivery system the architect apply a BIM model; the (MEP) engineers contain a BIM model; and the structural engineer and other consultants may apply BIM as well. Then the contractor may utilize the model for phasing and sequencing the work. Major suppliers like the structural steel fabricator may utilize it to detail and fabricate building components. If possible, these “authoring tools” must be interconnected with the same applications or “flow” from the originating architect/engineer’s or owner’s BIM model.

Contractors and construction managers will have to assess the costs of various execution processes and deliver the results to owners and design teams in quantyfiable terms.

The 3D information should be distributed to the project team with accuracy. As for example if a designer presents an analysis model or 3D front wall rendering to supplement the design documents and the designer has stated that the analysis or rendering model cannot accurately show all aspects of the geometry, the designer should not be held liable in case a detailer pays no attention to the warning and supports the geometry on the supplemental model or rendering.

Design teams should allocate all available electronic information with the entire project team. Structural analysis models should be part of the design contract.

The designer should not compromise with the quality of the information. As for example, if the geometry or the load cases in a design model are partially inaccurate, this must be conveyed and documented with others. Additionally, the source of the correct information must be provided in the design documents.

To extend the most excellent process for the project team, the designers should appraise the submittal procedure and work with the rest of the project team. No extra liability should be put up on any single member by the project team and the communication should be smooth.

As the leaders of construction coordination, contractors and construction managers have a responsibility to encourage and facilitate the sharing and distribution of BIM technology on a project. They must also understand and convey the nature of the information that is being shared. Appropriate contract language that will foster the open sharing of BIM information must be developed. The contract language cannot alter the relationships of the project team members or change their responsibilities beyond their ability or what they are licensed to perform.

Design teams should assess the information required to execute code enforcement checks and permitting. All the project design and constructions are well-matched with community safety and smooth the progress of community development. The designers will always be in a position to accept new formats for demonstration of a project’s fulfillment with specified standards.

Owners should accept the responsibility of the costs related with BIM. Owners will have to be familiar with the additional deliverables (such as final as-built models) that constitutes added services.

Subcontractors convey the explanation of the design intent to the Design Team. Their work must be coordinated with that of other subcontractors by sharing the electronic information they have developed in file formats that can be utilized and combined with the work of others. They must support their software vendors to extend file formats to instantly exchange between the various trade subcontractors. Subcontractors also must ensure that all parties understand what they will supply as part of their contract and what will constitute additional work.

To get the full integrated BIM technology, software vendors will build up methods for the various project team to put in and maintain the data with regard to the specific characteristic of the project inside their responsibility. In a word the software industry should always contain the interoperability.

BIM should provide modification with the advancement of the design to incorporate the rising levels of detail characteristic of the various design stages—from schematic to construction documents at the suitable point in the design course.

Posted by Rajib Dey
Business Development
rajib@jobs2india.com
Global Associates (Pioneer Company in 3D modeling with BIM & Sketchup)