Starting your journey with BIM - LetsBuild

Page 1Starting your journey with BIM

How to create and organise your processes in a digital environment

Starting yourjourney with BIM


Content1. Introduction

2. The role of a BIM manager

The benefits of having a BIM manager in your project

3. The impact of BIM objects:

On planning

On construction

On facility management

4. Why the uptake of BIM goes through digital adoption

Start by digitising your processes

Standardise as you go

Turn data into real-time insight

5. Boosting construction efficiency with BIM

Clash detection

Information management

4D time management

5D cost management

6. Standard internal classifications equal success

7. A culture shift comes from the bottom up

8. How LetsBuild can help with BIM adoption


Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be a valuable tool in the hands of anyone who works in construction. Using BIM, you can break down silos that hinder collaborative engagement – thus, allowing information to flow seamlessly among different construction stakeholders.

To put it simply, BIM aims to make information accessible, instantly, across the board to all stakeholders. Because of this social-media like nature of BIM, everyone can access information, provide inputs, and eradicate potential conflicts – which could result in change orders and even, disputes and litigations.

In that sense, BIM refers to a collaborative method of working which is based on the generation and exchange of data and information between the various project parties.

Based on this information the full construction lifecycle, from conception to completion, can be managed, turning BIM to a vital component of the decision-making process.

Introduction

Collaboration, communication and a much more open approach to sharing of best practice are fundamental for our €10tn per year industry to take the leap ahead that it deserves.

Ulrik Branner, Executive and Board Member at LetsBuild

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https://geniebelt.com/blog/bim-maturity-levels


The role of a BIM managerA BIM manager is a civil engineer who implements all the procedures in BIM and Digital Construction during the design, construction, and handover of a project.

BIM managers can go from implementing and managing project support tasks to quality support, IT, and even coding. What they need to do during every project is to take all the necessary factors for project implementation and completion, categorise them, and use them to turn the BIM environment into a productive and collaborative ecosystem.

They do so by defining a BIM strategy, implementing systems for communication and data exchange, ensuring seamless collaboration, managing people and resources, monitoring the process for potential improvements, and implementing enabling tools for designing, developing, delivering, and maintaining a particular facility.

As a BIM manager, you have a chance to oversee all the stages in a construction project, from planning and design to construction and completion. You get to collaborate with project planners, designers, engineers, quality and quantity surveyors, and many other agents with the goal of sharing project information and making data-driven decisions.

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Task

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Project


The benefits of having a BIM manager in your projectBIM managers hold a decisive role in a construction project, as they are responsible for linking on-site activities to the project’s virtual model. In that sense, they are a fundamental part of your team. They continuously monitor the quality of the collected data and connect it to objects.

But that’s only one aspect of their contribution to the building process. In a nutshell, here are some of the main reasons why you should have an experienced BIM manager in your project:

✓ Better coordination and collaboration

✓ Better time management and fewer delays

✓ Reduced costs and higher ROI

✓ Increased productivity and faster delivery

✓ Reduced risk of information losses, which especially tend to occur when a new team takes over a project

✓ Improved maintenance and effective prevention of costly reparation

✓ Reduced energy consumption and better management of natural resources

✓ Enhanced stability and safety


BIM managers hold a decisive role in a construction project, as they are responsible for linking on-site activities to the project’s virtual model.

Project


The impact of BIM objects on the construction processBuilding an information-rich and construction-ready BIM model is far more difficult than building a pretty-looking design model for a client presentation.

The old adage, “GIGO – Garbage in, Garbage out” espouses the BIM philosophy quite well. In order to build a useful model that simulates the actual site conditions, you need to feed in accurate information from different stakeholders. Building a BIM model is a painstaking and iterative process.

BIM objects, which function as the building blocks of a BIM model, are data-rich, intelligent and have geometry.

Apart from visual and product data, BIM objects store functional data too. This allows BIM Objects to simulate actual product performance. If any construction stakeholder makes any change to a BIM object, this change is instantly reflected across the board.

Let’s have a look at the different areas that can benefit from BIM and BIM objects:

BIM managers can go from implementing and managing project

support tasks to quality support, IT, and even coding to turn the BIM

environment into a productive and collaborative ecosystem.


BIM objects can have a very positive impact on the planning of your construction project. Lifelike visualisation or virtual mock-ups give stakeholders and clients better insights into the planned sequencing.

When nascent and powerful technologies like drone mapping are integrated with BIM, the end result is a lifelike and accurate model. BIM Objects allow the creation of a realistic model without actually building one.

On top of that, BIM objects facilitate the simulation of real-time conditions in your model. In that way, the virtual testing of different scenarios becomes possible enabling subcontractors to detect and resolve clashes before they become a threat to the project.

Having such actionable insights beforehand will prevent design changes at a later date. And, when you use BIM objects, the quality of your data increases greatly.

However, BIM objects aren’t a magical solution on their own. It is important to highlight that data should always come before 3D. A 3D model of your built structure might look impressive but it’s only as good as the data used for its creation. In that aspect, user adoption should be seen as the number one priority for the success of this digital journey.

Today, information is too scattered for our building projects. And I think it’s really useful to have all the information that comes from quality controls, quality checks on the job site to linked to the BIM model so even in processes that come afterwards, we can have that information available in a very easy way.

Dieter Froyen, BIM Manager at Willemen

Planning:

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Implementing well-thought-out systems and processes is crucial for building an accurate BIM model. Without these systems, it is not possible to correctly simulate site conditions.

For starters, barcodes need to be attached to equipment and construction components for cataloging and tracking. The site manager needs to scan equipment when it arrives on site, and even when it is installed. Once you have this tracking system in place, other information like operation manuals, date of shipping, etc. can also be entered into the database.

Building an accurate BIM model also requires intensive and continuous subcontractor training. As a project manager, you need to establish uniform standards across the board. For instance, a common issue on the construction site is that different subcontractors end up using different reference points. Using BIM, such discrepancies can be eliminated from the get-go.

What we are now facing is really the challenge of making people adopting the same language. So the standardisation of data is for us the core of our collaboration around BIM. If I asked somebody on site to fill in a form that has no link to a BIM model, people will not see how integrated the procedure could be. And so the approach is not really relevant.

Having the forms linked to our BIM data will enable us from a BIM perspective to directly access the information that has been collected on site.

Juan Nolet, BIM Manager at Besix

Construction:

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In short, BIM objects could be beneficial for the following areas of construction work:

Construction designand detailing

Quantity takeoffs

Construction coordination Prefabrication

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MATERIALS

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Facility Management:

Apart from planning and the actual construction, BIM can drive efficiencies and cost savings in facilities management as well.

The first end use of a BIM model can be in maintenance – both preventive and emergency. Using BIM, you can link resources like training videos, project images and operating manuals to each component. When facility managers are dealing with a breakdown – they can easily access data at the click of a finger.

Greater control over Retrofits and Renovations is another strong reason for incorporating BIM into the workflow. For instance, let’s presume that a chemical plant needs to upgrade their boiler capacity from 5T to 25T. Now, in order to do so, they need to raise the elevation and strengthen the foundation. If the chemical plant was built using BIM, it would be simpler to execute this project.

By using BIM Objects, it would be easier to estimate quantities, assign costs and a timeline for the entire project.


People on the ground need to be able to report progress and update tasks with the click of a button on tools which behind the scenes are linked seamlessly to the BIM model. In that way, workers can focus on their tasks without any unnecessary interruptions.

BIM3D

Modeling

2DSchematics

Time Management

BudgetCalculations

LifecycleManagement


BIM objects store functional data too. This allows BIM Objects to simulate actual product performance. If any construction stakeholder makes any

change to a BIM object, this change is instantly reflected across the board.


Why the uptake of BIMgoes through digital adoptionBuilding Information Modeling is probably the most reliable data vehicle in construction. However, many stakeholders in the industry fail to see that unlocking digital adoption on the field is the basis for exploring the full potential of BIM.

That often stems from the assumption that Building Information Modeling is all about the 3D model, neglecting the effort that needs to be put in collecting, analysing and sharing the right data.

Data is a core value for Building Information Modeling given that a BIM model is only as good as the quality of the information added to it. It becomes evident that, data is the medium that will allow both field teams and teams in the office to monitor progress, foresee bottlenecks and add predictability to the construction process.

In that sense, user adoption is of paramount importance. At the end of the day, it is people on the site that need to contribute to the model in a consistent, trustworthy, and above all effortless manner. This is where the simplicity of the tools that your organisation uses comes into the picture.

Right now we see that, for instance, if I’m working as a technical office engineer in a container, that the BIM model will be widely used in the technical office.

But the step of having this 3D model accessed by the guy with mud on the shoes, it is not yet achieved. So really our bottleneck is making sure that the model can be used on site.


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People on the ground need to be able to report progress and update tasks with the click of a button on tools which behind the scenes are linked seamlessly to the BIM model. In that way, workers can focus on their tasks without any unnecessary interruptions.

Of course, the 3D representation of a built structure can be valuable for the stakeholders of the project. Nonetheless, there are different levels of transparency depending on someone’s role.

A BIM manager could use a well-visualised 3D model but the people on site can go on with their tasks just fine by using a simple, yet intuitive, 2D version of it. And that’s why simplicity for the user should be seen as a priority when we refer to digital adoption.

So at the end of the day, it’s not about the viewer, it’s about the mapping. That’s why construction needs to stop falling for the “nice and shiny” aspects of BIM and focus on data collection from people on the ground. That will be the main actor of change.


Start by digitising your processesIn order to run, you need first to walk and the same idea applies also to BIM implementation. So before you embark on your BIM journey, it is important that you take the transition from the hammer to the tablet step by step.

Like that, your teams will have time to adjust to the new reality and embrace a data-driven way of work. That is a long process which is inextricably connected to the entire culture of your organisation.

In that aspect, the first thing that construction companies need to do is to create a clear vision of how they believe that digital solutions will help them and the value that they can bring to the table.

For that reason, it is indispensable that they dedicate a lot of time and effort not only in researching the new technologies that exist out there but in envisioning how these solutions could change the way they operate on a day-to-day basis.

As suggested by McKinsey and Company, this approach can lead in the long run to a 14-15% productivity boost and a 4-6% cost reduction.

Data is the bedrock of learning and information and in that sense, it is of paramount importance that construction becomes data-driven.Ulrik Branner, Executive and Board Member at LetsBuild

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Gains from digitisation, McKinsey

15%↑

productivity6%↓

costs


This new approach toward digital technologies can have a very positive impact on bridging the gap between the boardroom and the field teams.

Standardise as you go

Once your digitalisation journey begins, it’s time to standardise and use the same systems and processes again and again on multiple projects. This could play a decisive role in the effort to increase predictability in construction and leave no for mistakes.

What is fantastic about that is they actually adopt technology. They start to have their iPad, their iPhone, their Samsung with them on a daily basis. And that’s great because that’s the beginning of data collection. That’s where you can start, provide real insights to the companies.Thomas Goubau, LetsBuild CRO

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We see more and more of our customers looking into digital tools to standardise their processes and see a vast amount of data that can be captured there that they could use in order to improve their processes or simply know when their project is on track or is going to be off-track using historical data to predict the future.Thomas Goubau, LetsBuild CRO

“

https://geniebelt.com/blog/how-to-connect-site-to-office-without-any-struggle


Turn data into real-time insight

Last but certainly not least, turning real-time data into valuable insight for ongoing and future projects is one of the main goals of this entire process. Only then, it will be able for organisations to add repeatability to their projects, improve their productivity rates and avoid latency risks.

Through this approach, construction companies can create a well-oiled machine that delivers projects on time and on budget. BIM can play a vital role in identifying gaps in their work processes and drive process improvements

That being said, data will help field teams navigate through multiple tasks and make sure that everything goes according to the plan. More importantly, it will pave the way for an open data-driven ecosystem where all project agents collaborate in harmony and share crucial updates on an efficient and timely manner.

Project

https://geniebelt.com/blog/construction-progress-tracking


Boosting construction efficiency with BIMBy now it becomes clear that Building Information Modeling can have a transformative effect on construction and introduce higher standards of productivity.

This radical change is the result of working on a Common Data Environment (CDE) where all project participants can deposit their data and collaborate better. The increased visibility across the supply chain can lock misunderstandings out of the building process and increase operational efficiency.

In brief, here are a few of the ways BIM can improve construction efficiency:

Clash detectionThe automation of the clash detection process can save your project both money and time. The virtual representation of the built structure allows project agents to remain one step ahead and prevent design conflicts before they emerge on site.

Thanks to Building Information Modeling, the resolution of design clashes and constructability issues can happen at an early stage and minimise the impact of a potential change on the project’s design and plan.

Information managemenWe have already referred to the importance of a Common Data Environment (CDE) and the value that it could bring to the management of a construction project. A BIM model contains a massive number of data as well as crucial information about every single area of the construction process ( eg. materials, furniture, mechanical equipment, etc).


There is a huge information need on construction site about what they have to build and what is a result you’re working to. And so we would like to give an answer to that information need. And I think that’s BIM, BIM models. And it is a good solution for that. It’s, on the one hand, visual, strong product that people can see what they have to construct.

But it also gives all the information they need about the product performances, and material, and quantities. All that information need is answered by a good BIM model.

Dieter Froyen, BIM Manager at Willemen

But it also gives all the information they need about the product performances, and material, and quantities. All that information need is answered by a good BIM model,” suggests Dieter Froyen, BIM Manager at Willemen.

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Thanks to BIM, all these precious bits of information can be stored in one place and remain accessible by all the involved parties. This element establishes a communication flow between the different project agents and protects the building process from costly misunderstandings and schedule delays.

At this point, it becomes also evident that data hold a much more prominent role than the 3D geometry because of their value at various stages of the building life cycle.

4D time managementThe fourth dimension of BIM, also known as construction sequencing, could be described as the process of adding an extra layer of scheduling data to a project information model. Like that, stakeholders are able to acquire a detailed overview of the entire process and stay on top of everything that happens (or is about to happen) on site.

In other words, 4D BIM facilitates the visualisation of each project stage and makes sures that construction activities are better planned.

The advent of 4D BIM doesn’t mean that planners are no longer a substantial part of the project. To the contrary, with the help of 4D BIM they can do their job with higher precision.

5D cost managementThe fifth dimension of BIM is dedicated to cost management. 5D makes it possible for project agents to work in a centralised data environment from day one. This new working approach eliminates the possibility of having people working in an isolated environment and prevents misunderstandings and costly reworks.

5D BIM allows also the faster processing of automatic generated quantities. The connection of data with specific components within the BIM model allows estimators to improve cost control throughout the entire project. Additionally, project agents can rely on the model to continuously update cost reports as the project moves forward.

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Coming up with a standardised specification protocol for on-site follow up can really make a difference on the way you collaborate and build. Every organisation that starts its BIM journey needs to define and use one set of classifications.

Of course, defining this protocol goes hand in hand with the standardisation of your systems and processes. Every class of objects will be combined with a specific quality check that needs to be conducted across all projects.

So next time the field team will need to check if the doors in a building have been placed correctly, they can just go back to the protocol and see what’s the right way to go about it.

Standard internal classifications equal success

What we are really hard working on is making sure that everything that has been done during the previous stage can be reused afterwards.


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It’s evident that construction has already entered a dynamic digital era where data

is the main focal point.

That’s extremely helpful if we consider that most construction companies work simultaneously on a number of projects. In many cases, this means that they have different types of classifications, too. What they need, though, is a unified protocol containing a certain set of standard internal classifications so they can link their ERP system to them.

By mapping BIM object classes to specific planned tasks, checklists, forms and teams you ensure that processes are standardised and automated to ease the workflows on site. For instance, the Health and Safety flow will be defined in the beginning and run automatically to the entire project. And with every task completed and check performed field data flows back to the BIM model.

With that in mind, it becomes clear that construction companies need a platform that will enable them to easily map different classification systems consistently across project types and locations ensuring a uniformed data environment.

https://geniebelt.com/blog/cdml-measuring-the-digital-future-of-construction



A culture shift comes from the bottom upBIM implementation and management isn’t a linear process. It takes heavy resource investment and a lot of hard work to drive strong results in construction.

To some extent that’s completely normal, as a groundbreaking culture shift like this requires time. However, it is important to remember that a BIM, and therefore a digital, culture can’t be “CEO-mandated”.

It should start from the bottom up. People on the site should understand why they need to change their working routine and be able to do so in a simple way. More importantly, it requires people who can couple theory with action. In simple words, data scientists who have experience of ground operations and vice versa. Because at the end of the day, a BIM culture is decision-making culture.

It’s evident that construction has alreadyentered a dynamic digital era where data is the main focal point. Those who are prepared to embrace innovative solutions and contribute to the creation of a digital ecosystem are those who will be able to deal effectively with client demands and eventually take over the industry.

https://geniebelt.com/blog/bim-implementation-and-management




How LetsBuild can help with BIM adoption Most companies in the construction industry are focusing on implementing BIM (Building Information Modeling) because of the benefits it offers to architects, engineers and clients alike. But how well is BIM being implemented on site where the actual construction activity is being carried out?

Responding to a rising need to deliver an all-in-one solution, LetsBuild has taken on the mission to deliver an end-to-end solution to the global construction industry. At the moment, there is a big gap between the office-based BIM model and the construction workers that need to enrich the model with data from the site. Workers are struggling to use BIM tools in their daily activities and that causes frustration, lack of focus and even errors.

LETSBUILD FEATURE

Bring your BIM model to the construction site. Bring your site data to the BIM model.

LEARN MORE

https://www.letsbuild.com/documents/bim


We believe that the core value of BIM is data collected during the construction process by connecting quality and compliance processes to the BIM model. This helps standardise on-site quality processes across teams and improves the project’s As-built documentation.

Our vision is to put BIM in the hands of the construction workers using digital tools they are familiar with but which behind the scenes are linked directly to the BIM model. In that way, workers can focus on their tasks, while at the same time contributing to the model.

As the BIM solution will be fully integrated with LetsBuild’s APROPLAN app, on-site quality and safety processes will be directly linked to the underlying BIM model. Based on the company’s quality protocol, set by the QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety & Environment) manager, BIM object classes can be linked to specific forms and checklists so that on-site checks are standardised across projects for the same class of objects. Linking BIM object classes to the physical construction work allows for seamless and transparent on-site workflows.

As an example, imagine that a fire-proof door needs to be installed. Using classification, the BIM object representing the door will be linked to certain forms in the LetsBuild app. This ensures that the correct door is installed correctly and also documents that it has been signed off on site. The forms triggered will depend on the type of project and object classifications, as different projects comply to different standards at different phases of the construction process.

The goal of our BIM integration is to easily gather all data in one place, standardise processes at company level, and allow project teams to map BIM objects to their specific projects and streamline their work processes. This enables on-site workers and teams to focus on project execution without having to work with a complicated BIM model.Thomas Goubau, LetsBuild CRO

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About LetsBuildFrom end to end, LetsBuild supports the construction phase. Site teams collaborate efficiently with clear communication and clear processes and real-time information is shared seamlessly between site and office.

LetsBuild aims to make BIM easy to use on site and across multiple projects while providing comprehensive data to enhance as-built documentation and learning.

LetsBuild, Aldersrogade 8, 2100København Ø, Denmark | letsbuild.com

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Starting your journey with BIM - LetsBuild