Blog 3 - Future of BIM

Last week we were asked to predict where we thought BIM would be in 10 years. My opinion is very similar to the opinion of my groups. I believe BIM and more specifically programs such as Revit will continue to be a useful tool in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.

I think over the next few years the applications of BIM in construction will increase significantly. The integration between design and construction is becoming more common. With advancements in modeling it is easier to resolve many issues, that were in the past solved in the field, in the design phase. With the help of programs such as navisworks you are able to do clash detections and see conflicting elements. BIM also helps with constructibility, having the construction team involved early on in design by showing them the model they are able to input their opinions and help come up with solutions.

I believe that we are just getting started with the use of BIM and that there is so much more to come. One example of this is the use of applications and add ons such as dynamo to input information into models. Using coding as opposed to modeling elements and creating schedules individually helps to increase efficiency and accuracy. More add ons and programs are being integrated into Revit everyday. There continues to be improvements and modifications that not only make things quicker, but limits errors by not having information stored separately in two places. An example of this is using add-ons to integrate excel with Revit such as RushForth. When the excel file is directly linked to the Revit model the information contained in it tends to be more accurate. When the files are separate there is the constant need to export and update the information manually. I think in the next 10 years we will continue to see information being integrated into models.

Responses:

Jacklynn, I agree that the lack of integration between the new and old versions of Revit can be an issue. However there is a way around that by exporting the model to a different file format then importing it to the old version and converting, but similar to when you upgrade a model there is the risk of losing some information. Typically companies will keep all versions of Revit on company computers and will not upgrade models. This allows you to continue working on a project in an old version with out risking losing information.

Yicheng, I agree that lack of synergy and keeping up with the needs of BIM are two major problems that many companies still face. As the popularity of BIM continues to increase companies have to adapt to these changes. Many companies are now implementing BIM departments in addition the IT department. These employees are focused on keeping up with software updates and challenges. Creating a more collaborative environment would also be beneficial to these companies. When architects and engineers stop thinking about their components and building systems alone and think of the project as a whole when working to resolve issues such as clashes in the models things become a little bit easier.

Jenny, great point about how BIM helps both the client and sub contractors get a better idea of what the final product will look like and how you can accomplish building it. Walk through videos are a great presentation tool for showing the owner progress through out the design phase.