Future of BIM

In the video of Bill Allen, he talked about the future of BIM in the following 10 years and showed us several BIM software that is changing the industry and our future career. As a software storing building data, BIM has already shown its significant strength in the construction process. It helps all departments involved in a project to better collaborate, reduce the conflicts and field changes, and improve productivity and efficiency.
As an architect, Bill Allen gave us some example of how this BIM software improve his working efficiency, such as using Parametricism plus BIM to create multiple iterations without remodeling buildings every time. For engineering, he mentioned several features that will change the construction industry in the future.
One of the features could be the application of AR/VR. BIM now is helping the owners to better understand the model of the designed building, with 3d models and walkthroughs. In the future, it is possible that we will use AR/VR plus BIM to give a better exhibition of the model to anyone that is not familiar with engineering drawings.
Another feature he mentioned is robotics, including machine robots that work in the field, 3d printing robots and drones. In the future, robotics will be developed more and will be more commonly used in construction process. As to 3d printing, it will be a significant improvement of productivity as long as the problem of material shortage is solved.
Another feature that I can think of is the sharing data repository. Because of the rich data stored and shared by BIM, not only contractors are able to see its interaction with other objects, other parties that does not involved in the construction process are able to backtrack and retrieve the data in order to design a future project around it. On the other hand, we can imagine a city will be constructed with a more detailed design considering how buildings will react to each other. It will also reduce the conflicts between existing infrastructure and new construction. This will create a more comfortable, more efficient, more intelligent and healthier urban environment.
Sources:
Allen, Bill. “The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think.” YouTube, uploaded by Autodesk University, 23 November 2016,   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6yKyauu-o

Comments:
Yidi Li,
I totally agree with you that AI development will speed up the drawing phases and provide multiple iterations without remodeling over and over again. Also, it is true that AutoCAD took about 20 years to become the mainstream but in my opinion BIM, such as Revit, will take less time than AutoCAD. It was a different era and the penetration of internet is not as strong as now. The whole industry is accepting new technology in order to prevent being knocked out by other competitors.

Matt Mullen,
I totally agree that BIM will give a lot of benefits to owners. They have the opportunity to get involved directly at the beginning of a project and supervise any problem arises during design and construction process. The development of BIM will create a better communication between owners and contractor, even subcontractors, that providing a more understandable model for owners.

Gabriel Grajewski,
It is interesting that the building industry will have a such high requirement of mathematical knowledge for people. In that case, it will need more than 10 years for data optimization becoming mainstream based on the learning curve. It will be really excited if data optimization could be used for major work in the future.

B3 Revit's Relation to Drafting Programs - Alkiviadis Tsitsios

Revit and AutoCAD are both Autodesk design softwares which are used to design a variety of components to a construction project. The main difference between the two is that AutoCAD is a computer-aided design drafting program. It is used for accurate drawings, both 2D and 3D. It has access to many industry toolsets. It is a more general drawing tool that can be applied to a large amount of projects with a broad application. Revit, on the other hand, is a building-specific design software. It offers documentation solution, and is used throughout all of the phases of a construction project. It can be used to plan, model, design, construct, and even manage infrastructure with the many tools that it contains. While the two softwares have different functions, their core purpose is the same. To help model and visualize the design of a certain project.
AutoCAD and Revit coincide and can be used together. 2D designs compiled in AutoCAD can be exported into Revit, to incorporate building designs and functions. Revit can then use its BIM capabilities, and create intelligent components of designs. AutoCAD is often the first step, while Revit steps in to provide BIM deliverables, enabling collaboration with other factions who may be using the design at hand. For example, in AutoCAD, ducts are often represented just as lines. The lines are indicators of the ducts with no additional information, unless it was labeled and detailed in a table elsewhere. With Revit, the AutoCAD data can be turned into components of a system. Not only that, the components can even have technical specifications, and proper materials can be assigned. AutoCAD has the capability of creating 3D models as well, but they are solely geometric with no component information. Revit models contain component information.
AutoCAD is the predecessor to Revit, launched in 1982. As it has been updating regularly, Revit launched in 2000. When Autodesk purchased Revit, the potential was very clear. Revit can be used to further develop AutoCAD drawings. As technology is improving and new buildings are erecting, building systems are improving as well. Revit fills that gap as AutoCAD is used for existing buildings and renovations projects regularly. Overall, the two go hand in hand as leading design softwares in the industry. CITATIONS Tobias, Michael. “How Do AutoCad and Revit Compare?” MEP Engineering & Design Consulting Firm, New York Engineers, 15 May 2018, www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-do-autocad-and-revit-compare. YIDI LI Great way to correlate BIM with the future of AI development. As AI technology improves, the importance for BIM becomes more relevant. Automation will increase. While AutoCAD is still primary as you said, BIM will become an important component of an engineer’s skill set regardless. As the technology improves, it is important to adapt with the times. WEIYI TANG Data optimization is in AEC’s future as you mentioned, I do not agree that it will take as long as you say though. It is true that Haste makes waste, but as the intelligent technology industry is growing exponentially, industries which are correlated must follow. Yes, it will not become true instantaneously, but I believe the transition will be more swift than you think. It is so easy to share information between programs in modern times, which will speed the transition. It is not like decades ago, where computer aided implementation was a groundbreaking difference. YICHENG LI I was intrigued by your problem 2, where IT departments will need to improve just as the technology does. The requirements rise, and departments will have to re educate themselves on the industry. Also, they will need to hire qualified personnel.

Group B Week 3 Thursday Group Discussion

We think that the AI BIM can be useful in the future. The engineers can still have input of the models but the AI can spit out options.

Although CNC machining parts of a building can cost a lot of time and money, simple parts can be done extremely quickly.

The price of machining complex parts can go down and the design of the parts can be done by AI in 10 years.

Interoperability will be better in 10 years. Softwares such as Revit, Dynamo, and Rhino can work together seamlessly.

Pushing for these changes can greatly influence the way students are taught architectural engineering in the future.

Group A - Week 3 discussion post

In general, we believe that while this technology is already extremely useful for designers, in particular, architects, it is going to take some time to be developed among architectural engineers. We believe that initially, automative technologies will augment engineering processes in small ways to speed up the drawing phases of modeling and accelerate repetitive processes. As these technologies become more utilized by the industry, we see them being utilized for bigger new projects that have unique challenges--not for small everyday projects. In the future, perhaps these technologies can be used to help make decisions such as material choice, geometry, etc. as they relate to life-cycle costs of structures.

BIM Interoperability

This assignment required students to read about BIM from the 2011 edition of the BIM Handbook found in the online library of Drexel University. Each group had a separate topic to explore. I will be reading and discussing about interoperability located in chapter 3 of the book.

In this instance, interoperability means the ability to exchange data between softwares almost seamlessly. This is going to be an important feature to have in softwares as we move forward because it will save time for design if different softwares that specialize in different aspects of building design can account for the other softwares usages.

My interpretation of the definition of interoperability would be something like the “effective communication between different accents within a language.” In this case, the language is BIM and the accents are softwares like Revit or SketchUp or eQuest. They are made by different companies and are used for different purposes but they can be used to simulate the performance of a building model. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand someone who is speaking the same language but in a different accent. Effective communication would be having users being able to move from one BIM software to another without losing any information along the way.

I may not have as much experience with BIM but a fellow student can explain the current state of BIM interoperability better. In Nick Maloney’s post, he explains that “during my co-op experience I have seen that REVIT’s family properties have become robust enough to take not only standard members but also custom trusses or girders and convert them into usable STAAD models, greatly improving efficiency in design” (Maloney 2019). What this tells me is that there is progress to increase interoperability between softwares. In this case, the structural design of a building can be modeled in Revit and STAAD and exchanged.

There are a few things that are promoting interoperability today. The National BIM Standard (BIMS) is establishing some standards for formatting data. Another effort is the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) which is a type of data organization method that “define[s] an extensible set of consistent data representations of building information for exchange between AEC software applications” (Eastman 2011). IFC may be used more frequently since it can exchange simple but adequate components of building data such as the properties of elements from groups. It may not be the complete package but it is useful for quick simulations. Even though the concept of interoperability seems like it is the way of the future, there are some obstacles that hinder interoperability.

In the post written by Christian Tait, there may be conflict between the companies or “it’s not in either company’s interest to make their products interoperable with their competitors” (Tait 2019). I agree that as we move forward, doing something as simple as exchanging data can be a problem if the capability exists but the business practice plays dirty. In the future, I think interoperability will be much more prevalent in softwares if the developers of the respective software were to work together from the start of coding, much like the integrated design of a building and sort out conflicts early on.

Source(s):
Eastman, Charles M. 2011. “Chapter 3: Interoperability.” BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live. 99-149.

Maloney, Nick. 2019. "B2 - Advantages And Challenges For Interoperability In BIM". Blog. AE-410/510 AY18-19 Student Work. https://ae-410-510-ay18-19.blogspot.com/2019/01/b2-advantages-and-challenges-for.html.

Tait, Christian. 2019. "B2 - BIM Interoperability". Blog. AE-410/510 AY18-19 Student Work. https://ae-410-510-ay18-19.blogspot.com/2019/01/b2-bim-interoperability.html.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:
Hailey Ihlow
I can see why even now, BIM isn’t fully adopted in the industry if there are specific methods for engineering design and code requirements. BIM is good for simulating building performance but is not a substitute for engineering calculations. We should not depend on computers to do the engineering if the engineer is the one who is liable if they don’t check it. It will be interesting to see if AI in the future will be able to have a human intuition as to whether something seems wrong even if the model has no conflicts.

Aaron Goldberg
I was also questioning why we can’t import files from one software to another if they attempt to do the same thing. Even opening an Excel spreadsheet in Google sheets will produce differences. It comes down to the coding and the way data is presented. My topic was interoperability, the ability to exchange BIM data between softwares. The problem is we can’t have identical product functionality in the coding or else there might be some copyright issues. But there are clear benefits to being able to have an in-house method of exchanging data like the way Kayleigh Houde described in her presentation during week 2.

Tyler Madden
I had always assumed that contractors weren’t up to the latest practices considering they have to work with construction workers who may not have had the best education. It would be worth spending time and money teaching and certifying contractors to be able to use BIM such as Revit to see what the final product would look like as they are constructing the building.

Chapter 5: BIM for Architects and Engineers

BIM software can be used in every stage of the construction process. They are commonly used for developing construction level information and the design and analysis of building structures. Another helpful service that BIM software provides is the ability to coordinate design integration. These three services are imperative to intelligent building design. Google Sketchup, IES, Vectorworks, and Revit are several of the most commonly used softwares to mass buildings, meet programming requirements, conduct environmental analyses, execute energy analysis, and create construction level documents.

Revit is often used as a link to other software to reduce redundant design. If a Revit model is constructed well, the amount of redundant data input required from auxiliary software is minimized. Add ons for other software are available to perform even more specific tasks. For example, Apache HVAC, is used by IES to complete HVAC plant calculations. This is an area that I have personally worked in.  The advantage that a central BIM model provides over traditional drawings is that it can be analyzed directly and offers an array of information that can be extrapolated for engineers efficiently. [1]

Structural analysis can also be completed from a central BIM model. By using RAM, structural engineers can ensure design integrity under a varying set of design conditions. BIM also allows for efficient building scheduling. Revit can be used to assign material properties which can be extrapolated into tables within the software. Additionally, construction phases and design sets can be used for different building options and phasing for construction.

Additional advantages that BIM has provided over the course of its life include the fabrication and design of unique parts which was traditionally impossible. However, using BIM models, fabricators can take a 3-D drawing and manufacture abstract shapes. Another advantage of BIM software is the ability to value engineer. Engineers can analyze and compare different building systems to provide the most economical solutions to their clients. Additionally, the ease of early exploration of building massing and programming ensures that architects create the best experience for clients in a building.

Sources:

[1] Sacks, Rafael. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Designers, Engineers, Contractors, and Facility Managers. Wiley, 2018.

Comments:
Adam Raifsnider:

 I have also noticed the lack of access to 3-D models by smaller contractors. I think for BIM to reach its full potential, it is imperative that all parties involved in the creation of a building have access to 3-D models. I also think with the emergence of AI and 3-D printing on construction sites, we will reduce the need for subcontractors, and the subcontractors who do remain will have the technology to allow them to see a real time 3-D model containing addendums and changes to the original design.

Alec Silverstone:

 In order for contractors to make less mistakes in construction design, and for engineers to produce plans that accurately reflect what contractors will actually build, there should be contractors present during the design process of a building. I think contractors and engineers have a responsibility to coordinate physical construction to meet client demands and occupant safety.

Christian Tate:

 It has been the responsibility of engineers and architects to produce an accurate set of plans that reflect industry standards. It is interesting to think about the possibility of this being translated to three dimensions as construction documents shift away from paper and towards building models. Hopefully, this improves as design professionals will have standards built into the software they use.

Blog Post 2: Chapter 4: BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

The title of the 4th Chapter of the BIM Handbook is BIM for Owners and Facility Managers. It starts off with a summary of all the reasons why owners and facility managers should utilize BIM. The sections that follow further explain why owners should care about BIM, how owners can use BIM, and what types of guides and tools are available. The text explains how to implement BIM into a project as well as barriers to its implementation, including risks and commons myths. Finally, guidelines and issues for owners to consider are addressed involving the adoption of BIM.  

The chapter covers all the points I would expect an owner to want to know about when researching whether or not to utilize BIM. After reading, you understand why you should care, what the exact benefits of using it are, how to implement it, and things to look out for. The text provides specific examples of newer project strategies and how essential BIM is in the process (Eastman, 2011, p. 153-154). One of the best benefits of using BIM on a project is modeling the building and all of its systems together in 3D space. This will point out clashes before construction so that they can be avoided. This saves a ton of money and keeps the project on schedule (Eastman, 2011, p. 169). There is a section that explains all of the tools that would improve the project in various ways. For example, the BIM estimating tools allow for faster and even automatic takeoffs so that the estimating process is quicker and more accurate (Eastman, 2011, p. 170).  

The owner benefits from BIM when a project utilizes the technology throughout the life of the project. Projects are more streamlined which means less problems and less change orders. This results in less delays during construction which keeps the project on schedule. At the end of the day, the most important things that an owner wants is for the project to be completed on time and there to be little to no change orders. BIM has been shown to produce these results so owners should definitely adopt BIM and be ready for upcoming technology which will benefit them in the future.

Source:

1. Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley; 2011. http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live. Accessed January 22, 2019.

Comments on Other Posts

1. Adam Raifsnider

I like that you used your real life experience to relate to the text that you read. There are some companies that are actually having a more difficult time using BIM because not everyone wants to adopt it. We know as young engineers how beneficial is it compared to traditional construction processes, but there are people who have been doing things the same way for a long time and do not like change. One of the only ways to get them to change is to make BIM technology mandatory for all contractors on your projects which has worked well for some companies that I have heard about.

2. Aaron Goldberg

This is an interesting topic that is discussed in Chapter 2. When we are working on projects and can't seem to export models to other programs we want, it's nice to understand why which many of us did not. Hopefully, we will get to a point where all software that we use can interact with each other easily.

3. Nana Lin Rasmussen

Interoperability is an important issue that we have to work with today and I have never known about the history of it. It would be great if every relevant program could work together with ease, but as you mentioned, it becomes increasingly difficult with more and more complex models in each program. Let's hope that Kayleigh and her team can streamline their own process and share it with the rest of the industry someday.

B2 - BIM for Architects and Engineers

Chapter 5 is dedicated to describing the ways BIM is beneficial to modern design.

A major takeaway from using BIM software as opposed to AutoCAD on projects is the collaboration aspect. Originally, clients would work with architects, engineers and contractors to produce multiple sets of drawings. In one project the sheet list would include the following sections: G- (general notes and details), ARCH- (architectural sheets), C- (civil engineering plans), E- (electrical plans), S- (structural engineering plans), and so on. Each of the disciplines would be in contact with one another to produce a final plan set that included everything and this would happen for 30% submission, 70% submission, and so on.

The disadvantage to working in separate teams in separate drawings like this is coordination and communication would have to run perfect to meet deadlines and avoid tension and stress. If one team did not relay its information to another, it could take weeks to get that information and then display it in another discipline. If the civil plans relied on the architectural plans but the architectural plans were not completed or had additional information added, this could set back the civil group. The BIM software allows perfect collaboration between teams. From my understanding, and what I’ve seen at coop and work, the teams have one basic model to work from. All disciplines can see each other’s information and everyone is held accountable. With BIM there is no need to wait a week to hear back from the structural group about the size of their columns, anyone a part of the team can go in and read the drawing information.

Another benefit to using BIM is its more intuitive than earlier software. BIM programs like Revit are programmed with rules and codes that fit the specifications and locations. BIM can “anticipate and consider the full range of expertise of the design team” [1]. In Revit it is possible to set the working parameters of the project from the beginning. The team can use the base model to derive certain designs based on these parameters.

Personally, I believe moving to BIM software is the next step for engineering and architecture firms. Our office is starting to have Revit training and lessons on how to properly utilize the software. As long as everyone uses the program correctly, it seems like a more cohesive way to work and make sure the entire team is on the same page. 

Sources:
[1] Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011.

Comments:

Jenny Fretta
This chapter seems to tie in well with Chapter 5. A big note in Chapter 5 is that BIM allows for great collaboration between disciplines to avoid hiccups later on down the road. It's interesting to piece them together to note that avoiding these issues is also time saving and cost beneficial to the client and owners. It seems that both the owners and engineers can benefit from using BIM software.

Julie Handsted Andersen
This chapter is interesting for design. Too often do architects and engineers clash because of unused space or odd shapes that are not structurally beneficial. It's interesting that the BIM software can still use any modern or unique shapes in building design while optimizing the space available. It's also amazing that it can pull from past designs to automatically factor in what does and doesn't work in a space.

Nana Lin Rasmussen
This section seems to tie in well with Chapter 5 as well. The ability of IFC to create different plans in different disciplines benefits everyone when working on a major project. The ease of exchange and compatibility will be the driving force for moving all firms to BIM.

B2 - BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

BIM, building informational Modeling, has been an indispensable process and tool for a project. It helps each department to be involved in every phase from design and construction. As a role of “building handbook”, BIM is a “living repository” that stores building data from multiple departments that involved in facility management. As to owners, BIM gives them a chance to be involved in the beginning of a project, which creates a lot of benefits. In Chapter 4, the BIM Handbook talks about the benefits that BIM will bring to owners and facility managers.
Owners can increase building value much more steadily than traditional facility management. According to Figure 4-1 in BIM Handbook, there is no loss for value of facility documentation due to handover, recreation of information with collaborative BIM-based delivery process in the design and construction phase. The owner is able to have a position in the planning phase that he can have a voice and control of types of equipment or right information and documents. This collaborative process reduces errors and field changes in future facility cycle and produce a more efficient delivery process.
On the other hand, BIM, as a living repository of rich building data, creates a benign delivery system that gives access to all involved departments with real-time and shared asset profiles. Therefore, the objects that are designed for the building is able to be analyzed with relational objects. Facility Manager is able to understand how these objects react to others in the building model, which avoids future field changes and extending the construction schedule. As to the owner, shorten project schedule is always a great benefit. Also, owners can reduce the charges for any field changes happened in the operation phase. BIM 3D models are able to show the location of all the assets in a building, such as HVAC equipment or wires behind the wall. It is more convenient and cheaper to make changes for the involved departments by seeing the 3D model instead of the 2D drawings.
One of another benefit for owners and facility managers will be to have a more accurate cost estimate. Since the owner gets a seat in planning table, he or she gets the chance to provide the feedback at the early phase of a project and therefore will get a more accurate cost estimate.

Source Cited:
Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzM2NDIzOV9fQU41?sid=bc728db5-ac2a-463a-be02-b1d1edcfc78a@pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_71&rid=0


Comments:
Jenny Fretta:
I totally agree that the conflict and collisions can be a problem between subcontractors in the field. In this respect, BIM helps the facility manager and owners to create a streamline working delivery process which will benefits the project.

Alec Silverstone:
You mentioned that BIM acts as the bridge that unites key contributors such as the designers, the architects, the engineers and contractors. It is also giving a position to the owners. It is true that BIM gives the facility management system a chance to collaborate in the design phase to eliminate the loss.

Julie Hansted Andersen:
I really like the examples you gave and the future you described for BIM parametric modelling. It is an indispensable tool in order to design an avant-garde building. As to owners, it is a great tool to estimate the energy efficiency and even accurate cost estimate. On the other hand, it is a tool that connect the architects, MEP engineers and other department in order to get the accurate measurements and a preliminary design and performance.

B2 – Chapter 3, Interoperability

When you look up the word interoperability in the dictionary it is defined as: ‘The ability for two or more software applications to work together with little effort from the user’.

To begin with (in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s) it was the exchange of formats that was limited the geometry. This was mainly the in 2D CAD geometry that there was the need for file exchange between applications. It is not only in the building industry that interoperability is used but also in the e-business industry. In the building industry the model and geometry exchange is more difficult. In the late 1980’s the 3D geometry and exchange of data grew. A reason for why the interoperability in the building industry is more difficult is that structural parts, energy analyses and constructions (pipes, concrete etc.) from different fabricants are now incorporated in the models making them more complex and there are many different BIM programs with different setups. Interoperability is therefore crucial for a more efficient work when different companies working together are using different programs – or if inside the company different programs are used for different analyses of the building model. E.g. IES models are conducted from a Revit model. The use of interoperability there makes the work go much faster.

IFC can create different schemes (architectural, mechanical and structural) that contain data from the different groups that can be exchanged between the different AEC software applications.

An example of the use of interoperability in real life practice is from a Danish company called MT Hoejgaard who works with VDC (Virtual Design and Construction). They used IFC models to create time schedules, quantity lists and procurement applications, just as it is described in chapter 3 in the BIM handbook.

As Kayleigh Houde talked about in class last Tuesday the 15^th of January (week#2) interoperability is a good tool that can help save a lot of time. She talked about how Rhino was used to convert the data from a Revit model and group it together to create parametric designs and save time.

Interoperability in the BIM sector is very important as 3D models gets more and more incorporated in the working environment.

Source:

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011

Comments to others posts:

Weiyi Tang:

I enjoyed reading about the IPD (Integrated Project Delivery). When architects and engineers are work on a large project together, it is important to have an integrated BIM model and work together on the project to avoid any overlaps in the design and construction. This will definitely save time and money. I know this from precious experience working in a firm where architects and engineers were working together on these large projects.

Harvin Bhandal:

BIM tools as Revit has a lot of complexity to it, so yes as the book says: “Designing a building that contains a hundred thousand or more objects would be impractical without a system that allows for effective low-level automatic design editing”. Imagine how much time we save by using these BIM tools. I agree, there is a lot of time to save from using BIM tools, and creating a 3D model definitely makes the communication between the different actors easier.

Jenny Fretta:

I see how owners and facility managers can also have benefits from using BIM tools. In the end every actor involved in the building process would like a process optimization to save money. The collaboration of all the MEP drawings, clashes and collisions to avoid extra time in the field is definitely a positive thing, which the owner also benefits from as they can move residents in earlier – and save construction costs.  

B2- Benefits for Contractors using BIM

Chapter 6 of the BIM Handbook was focused on the influence of BIM for contractors. Eastman first pointed out that the major advantages of using BIM technology in construction are saving time and money. These can be realized through the application of accurate building model and close contractor coordination by using BIM.

       From the chart “Construction Firms by Type Number and Percentage”. Eastman analyzed that a large number of contractors hire subcontractors for specialty services such as mechanical. electrical, and plumbing. The BIM can largely benefit on avoiding design errors and construction problems by the early integration of contractor and all subcontractors, especially in design-build firm when it responsible for both design and construction. Based on the close contractor coordination, subcontractors could integrate their own portions of work into one building model which provides a more direct way for clash detection. Instead of visually overlay 2D CAD layers to identify the potential conflicts in the construction, BIM-based clash detection could automatically check the conflicts based on the building model. It also “combined with semantic and rule-based clash analysis for identifying qualified and structured clashes” from Eastman’s expound. Home builders also take advantages from using BIM in design-build. If buyer change order, BIM can have a rapidly replay on quantity and cost change.

       In 2D or 3D CAD systems, contractors need to manually perform quantity takeoffs to provide the estimate cost and schedule, which waste a long period of time and could easily cost error. By using BIM, architects could provide design model in earlier stage, which contractors can use for estimating, construction planning, and so forth based on the detailed building information provided by architects. Contractors are also able to offer suggestions to contribute on the design when they could get involved in the design process. BIM software can easily use these information to track variance between budget and actual cost, and the project status.

       Eastman explained that “it is becoming more common for constrictors to fabricate components offsite to reduce labor costs and risks associated with onsite installation”. BIM can provide detailed component directly to fabricators, in contrast, it cost much longer time for contractor and fabricator to exchange information with 2D design, and the non-accurate information could highly rise the possibility of design error.

Reference:

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. 2011. http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzM2NDIzOV9fQU41?sid=2e33ff9c-0e60-47bb-98e7-5d58d37dc7a6@pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_263&rid=0

Comments:

Nick Maloney:

It is great to see that REVIT can provide standard members and customized models to improve the design efficiency. However, we can not deny that it is still restrictions when transforming models and drawings between platforms. Standardization is a necessary step to go through this process, and it will help to simplify the automates exchanges, and increase the exchange speed.

Weiyi Tang:

I totally agree with you that BIM technology can be used to reduce the information gaps and communication conflicts between architecture and contractor. Furthermore, it well-cooperate with design-build, and allows contractor to get involved in the design stage and make suggestions, which highly increases the work efficiency and reduces design errors.

Richard Kimball:

Your post about competitions between platforms is very interesting to me. It is great to know some historical stories about how technology get improved through competition and integration. This is just like the products on shelf, if you want a better sales volume, your product needs to be evolved with the advantages of others. People say that “Children choose from two, but adult get both”.

Blog 2: BIM and Interoperability

In the future of the AEC industry, program interoperability is a crucial property that has a large impact in the speed and ease of coordination and thus, construction. Interoperability is “... the ability to exchange data between applications…and for multiple applications to contribute to the work at hand.” With all of the different teams and disciplines working together to construct a building, numerous programs get used for different building tasks beyond the modeling of the structure in BIM. Interoperability is significant in order to exchange data between multiple programs, regardless of the developer.

Interoperability is also useful in automating the data exchange process. Without the interoperability, individuals have to manually copy data generated in one program, and transfer it to another. Manually transferring information leads to error and inconsistency and discourages iteration because of the time-consuming process of manually reproducing data in a new program. Furthermore, if iteration is discouraged, the design quality declines. Overall, the lack of interoperability results in a waste of time. For example without interoperability, if a lighting designer exchanged their model with the architect, with the placements of each of the fixtures and their properties, the architect would then have to manually input each of those fixtures.

The problem with interoperability in practice is the different exchange formats used by different developers. As part of their business model, BIM software developer companies limit interoperability with external programs to incentivize customers to use only the AEC software created by a specific developer. Different data modeling software model elements with different properties. Two applications can use different information and storage methods to describe the same object, leading to difficulties in transferring data between software. In an effort to standardize software and combat exchange format differences, under the ISO-STEP international standards effort and the National BIM Standard, “... data models were developed to support product and object model exchanges within different industries...” (pg. 100). The standardization aims to make specific data required for exchanges.

Developers typically offer packaged solutions to interoperability for their programs, while other software is not fully supported. For this third-party software not supported by the main vendors, 3D object exchange formats like IFC are used. The complications and complexities of data exchange for BIM software lie in the more complex nature of the data created with BIM. Instead of just a geometric shape, BIM data also contains attributes and properties for each of the elements. One exchange method being pushed is the Industry Foundation Class (IFC), a data organization type “...developed to define an extensible set of consistent data representations of building information for exchange between AEC software applications” (pg 114).

Eastman believes that “The BIM platform developers will continue to offer packaged solutions, while reliance on IFC will grow to provide workflows not well supported by the software vendors” (pg. 148). It should be noted that this handbook is already about 8 years old and, with each version, more and more data is interoperable via exchange methods like IFC and building model repositories, making complete interoperability more of a reality. In the future, companies committed to interoperability will make the complicated task of building projects more time and cost efficient.

Sources:

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live.

Comments:

Nick,

Good point about some of the information in the Handbook being outdated; it is definitely important to recognize what has been developed in the time between this handbook was published and now. It is honestly quite amazing how much progress has been made into specific facets of BIM like interoperability in what is a rather short amount of time. From my personal experience from co-ops, it does seem that the state of interoperability has been improved in REVIT with the implementation of REVIT add-ins to help with the exchange of data. BIM repositories are an interesting alternative to the program to program exchanges. Your point on how the objects in the repository will be updated and the unknown effect the update of one object could have on another is a valid concern. I think in the future, after the objects in the repositories have been properly developed, quality tested, and troubleshot, BIM repositories will be an extremely effective method of interoperability.

Christian,

It seems that the most immediate and significant benefits of interoperability is the automation of the data exchange process between multiple programs. The amount of time and money that could be saved without having to do a manual transfer of data between two programs would greatly impact the workforce and organization of a design team since some roles could potentially be removed. I also appreciate your addressment of the proprietary and business practice issues that definitely do not help the goal of a standard for interoperability. I think the bias that developers display in their own products are slowing down the transition into full interoperability.

Tyler,

Your point that a majority of contractors do not participate in the design process and thus have little use for BIM is very interesting, and is something I have not considered. Contractors could utilize BIM to improve the design with all of the coordination, estimating and scheduling features possible with BIM software. However, with the learning curve, the program may not be used to its maximum potential, and a lot of its beneficial tools may be wasted. This would make the use of BIM for smaller contractors a potential waste of time.

B2_Chapter 5_Scope of design services

  For Chapter 5, the author introduced the BIM (Building Information Modeling) for the architects and engineers.  Many experts of architectural, engineering and construction are currently using BIM tools for modeling. This design approach is evolving from simple warehouses to new complex buildings.  The BIM provides a virtual building model for the design teams (such as architects, surveyors, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers) to be delivered to the contractor/owner, who can add their professional information, update, and track at each stage. Change and maintain this standard, single model. The result is a desire to reduce the information gaps and communication conflicts that occur when the project provides and receives information between participants.

  Design-bid-build is a traditional project delivery process. In this process, architects and engineers will do the design work individually, so they will not cooperate with the constructor and fabricators. When there is litigation, since collaboration is not the architects’ responsibility, they may withhold the information for their design. Therefore, it is not efficient both for money and time. For the improvement, there is the design-build process. In order to involve in the larger projects and to deal with the capitalization, the large firms will cooperate with small firms. For design-build delivery, the efficiency raised, but I like the new option—Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). For IPD, the architects, engineers, constructors, fabricators, and the owners will come together to form a single cooperation unit. During the collaboration, the architect and the engineer can receive potential payment and benefits for their contribution for the design performance, such as the project can be finished before the deadline, the building sustainability, the energy use saving, and environmentally friendly improvements. The reason why I like IPD the most is that it can dramatically increase the efficiency of time. Because of the potentially lucrative rule, the architects and the engineers will push the effort to design a better building. On the other hand, the technic improvement for saving the environment and energy will happen during this process. Moreover, the collaboration will reduce the conflicts between the constructors/owners and the designers. Different from the traditional methods, architecture and engineering take important roles in IPD, so it also benefits the design services.



Work Cited:

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, 

Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live.

Comments:

Harvin Bhandal:
I agree that using BIM tools will save your time and your money, for example, when you finished a 2-D drawing on Revit, you can also get a 3-D model for your floor, and you can also use Revit to analysis the sunlight effects on your design. You mentioned in your article that you never used Revit before.  Don't need to worry, the processes for using it is not complicated, and you might also find fun from it because when you can put your thought from the brain on an actual 3-D model is very cool.

Alec Silverstone:
I agree with you. Because of designed-bid-build and designed-build, which are the two traditional procurement processes, the relationship between architects, engineers, and constructors is not close cooperation. Therefore, for many cases, the constructors will join into the project at the very late, so the conflicts are hard to avoid at that time.  This case will waste time and money.

Christian Tait:
I agree with you because when I use Sketchup and Revit, or other Autodesk related products, I suffered a lot because of their incompatibility. Formit is undoubtedly a great product, but for now, it is not as widely used as Sketchup. As well, for some function tools, such as the content library, Formit is not as developed as Sketchup, because the database of Formit is not as plentiful as that of Sketchup. Therefore, the different BIM products from different companies cannot perfectly match each other, which is a problem for BIM.

B2: Chapter 2: BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling - Harvin Bhandal

In chapter 2 of the BIM Handbook, Eastman delves into different BIM tools and aspects of parametric modeling. He begins with the evolution of parametric modeling and its shift from 2D drafting to 3D modeling using computer softwares. The chapter discusses the importance of both predefined and user-defined rules in the BIM process. An object’s behavior is defined as “how [it] updates itself as its context changes” (in relation to defined rules). Each parametric object has certain attributes which makes it a lot more efficient to create and modify geometries. For example, a building element, such as a wall or door, is first defined by a class or family with rules that govern its parameters. As better put by Eastman, “Designing a building that contains a hundred thousand or more objects would be impractical without a system that allows for effective low-level automatic design editing”. 

In BIM application, the predefined objects and rules are mostly correspondent to existing design standards. For example, the standard practice for steel design is based from the AISC handbook. Eastman discusses certain scenarios where the industry standards cannot be used in the design model, and a designer has to create new objects. These scenarios include specific design conditions, aesthetic criteria, and new technology that has not been standardized yet. 

The chapter also compares different BIM platforms and discusses each of their strengths and weaknesses. Revit is the market leader in BIM software, and it is known for having user-friendly interfaces along with many useful development tools and libraries. As of now, I have no experience with Revit and I was a little apprehensive about having to use it in this class. However, this chapter emphasizes that the use of BIM platforms exist to make design tasks a lot less time-consuming and less error-prone. BIM has the capability to detect design clashes, which can alert the designer where changes need to be made. While Eastman states that often times it takes months to use a BIM design application proficiently, they are still very powerful tools and is necessary to use in many design scenarios. As the models are rendered in 3D, all parties involved in the project will have an easier time understanding certain components that may be difficult to interpret from a 2D drawing. Since the publication of this book in 2011, it appears that BIM has been growing as predicted and has had huge impacts on the ACE industry, saving both time and money for everyone involved.

Sources: 

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzM2NDIzOV9fQU41?sid=bc728db5-ac2a-463a-be02-b1d1edcfc78a@pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_71&rid=0

Comments to others:

To Alec Silverstone:

Alec, you present very good points and I agree that contractors should be involved, or at least informed of the design process. By providing contractors access to the BIM models, they will be able to get a better understanding of the project and see it in a 3D view. It also definitely would save time and prevent any issues by BIM’s ability to detect clashes. While it would be ideal that a contractor is involved in the design process, unfortunately I feel like many times that does not happen. During my first co-op, I worked at a construction claims consulting firm, and it was apparent that a lot of the issues that contractors encountered during the construction process (which invevitably caused the project to be delayed) was due to unclear designs and miscommunication. I think BIM has the potential to lower the frequency of these issues and make for a smoother construction process, especially if contractors are involved. 

To Christian Tait:

Christian, you highlighted a major issue that business and money can hinder the development of using BIM across different platforms. During my co-op, I always found it frustrating that it was not as intuitive to use files from AutoCAD and Microstation in tandem. While it's obvious that a company would only operate within its best intesest; ie making the most money, it is frustrating as a user that many programs do not work well together. Even though companies would claim there is no reason to have to interchange between programs, clients may have special requests for certain platforms to be used. Furthermore, users may be more familiar and proficient operating under a certain platform.

To Albert Hanan:

Albert, you did a great job discussing the evolution of parametric modeling and how it evolved into today’s uses. As I discussed in my post, the development of 3D modeling was a huge advancement and expanded the limits for design. The combination of the two classic modeling methods to produce the modern method truly shows how it is important to understand a product’s history in order to improve it. In this case, the best aspects from the CSG and B-rep method were combined to make modern parametric modeling both modifiable and easy to use. 

Week 3 Post: Chapter 2: BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling

Chapter 2 started by describing, and more importantly explaining the reasons for, the evolution of early CAD to current BIM software. Essentially, basic 3D modeling evolved from creating objects from a combination of simple shapes to programs which helped the user create, place, and alter objects based on a set of rules. This kind of program allows for parametric design, which in turn allows much faster, less error-prone models, greatly reducing working time and change orders. After fully explaining the current use of parametric modeling, several modern BIM applications were introduced, compared, and contrasted. Emphasis was placed on the fact that there is not a “best option” but rather programs that are better fit to certain situations than others. Lastly, lightweight modeling applications were introduced before the chapter was brought to a conclusion.

Reading the chapter actually changed my perception of what BIM was supposed to be. I had been using Revit and expecting it to behave more like Inventor and I fought against its parametric capabilities instead of leaning into them and beginning to tap the program’s potential. Upon understanding BIM modeling more clearly, I’m interested to explore Revit, re-examine its functions, and see if I can leverage the program more effectively.

I hadn’t entirely misunderstood how BIM worked though; the chapter also deepened my past understanding of how BIM programs work and why they use parametric modeling so heavily. I found many terms that I picked while using Revit in the past. For example, I first encountered the concept of spaces/rooms as objects at co-op. I only used it to indicate room uses and wondered how it was different than simply labeling rooms with text. Upon learning the fully capabilities of the feature, it makes much more sense now. Again, while I understood what many of the errors I encountered in Revit meant, I now understand how these are detected. Similarly, I better understand how changing one object can cause changes to propagate throughout the rest of the model. I gained a new understanding of how BIM programs work, which helps me better appreciate them.

The authors’ narrative on the history of BIM helped build up my understanding so I could easily comprehend the complicated processes that control modern BIM programs. It also provided a useful background for the subsequent description of current programs. The entire chapter changed my perspective on program like Revit which encouraged me to rediscover them. Overall, the article put me in a good mindset where I could understand the capabilities of current technology and see how it could evolve in the future.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Christian Tait,

I found your reflection on BIM interoperability interesting. From what I understood interoperability offers another benefit: in the future there will only be a single file that represents all of a project and various programs would be able to update and use certain parts of the file for different tasks. This is certainly at odds with the present: project folders where I co-oped contain many hundreds if not thousands of files which needed to be meticulously maintained. The idea of setting BIM standards would be ideal, but I wonder how quickly these standards would be updated as technology advances.

Alec Silverstone,

My experience with contractors has been limited to a co-op where there was almost always an issue between the engineers and contractor, so I was intrigued by the possibilities that your post introduced. I think projects would run infinitely better if the contractor worked with the designers and owners of a project from the start. However, I wonder what the effect of this approach would be on how companies are structured. It would make sense to me that the contractor on the project would be very familiar with how the designers operate and vice versa, so I wonder if companies would prefer to start their own contracting branch to ensure smooth operation.

B2 - A brief history of Parametric Modeling

3D modeling has been in development since the 1960s. The need for 3D graphical representation was clear, and many potential fields were looking to benefit from it, including engineers, architects, filmmakers, and game designers. The first major step occurred in 1973 when the ability to create and edit solid 3D volumes was developed independently by various institutions. In the early stages of 3D modeling, two major forms competed for dominance: the boundary representation approach (B-rep) and Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG). B-rep represented shapes as a closed set of bounded surfaces which was set by the user, and built-in computational functions in place to allow these shapes to have dynamic dimensions. Commonly used shapes were built into the software (such as cylinders, cones, cubes, pyramids, etc.) but abstract shapes could be user-defined and then extruded or revolved. In CSG, a shape was represented as a set of functions combined through both algebraic and boolean expressions. The primary difference between CSG and B-rep is that CSG stored an algebraic expression to define a shape while B-rep stored the results of the user provided definition as a set of operations. While this may not seem like a significant difference on paper, because the methods had major differences in their back-end systems, they also had major differences in their capabilities. For example, in CSG elements could be edited and regenerated on command, while B-rep was better for computing mass properties of solids, rendering, and checking conflicts between objects.

Interestingly enough, it was eventually realized that these two methods should be combined allowing for editing within the CSG tree. By utilizing the editing capabilities of CSG and combining them with the visual benefits of the B-rep display interface, more complex designs could be made from compositions of basic shapes. Today, practically all parametric modeling tools use this combination for both editing and visualization. Without this innovation, modern parametric modeling would be impossible.

While seemingly unimportant, I think it is interesting to delve into the history of such a powerful design tool to help further our current understanding of the system and platform. Moreover, after knowing this information, I will surely keep it in mind and perhaps have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Revit as I begin utilizing and becoming more comfortable with the software over this term and in my upcoming co-op.

Comments:

Alec: Interesting post. I found your point about construction managers being involved in a BIM model and the design process before the build phase true to an extent, however, there is something to be said about why this isn't always the case. In AE 390, we learned about the "Integrated Design Process" which is a method building design wherein all major stakeholders and designers in a building (i.e. architects, MEP engineers, structural engineers, construction managers, contractors, owner) take part in the design process from day one. This is contrary to the traditional method of an architect being commissioned to design a building, drawing plans, handing them off to the engineers, etc. with little to no communication between these stakeholders. In general, it seems that the integrated design process yields more effective and efficient buildings as all systems are working in harmony, however, from people I've talked to in the industry, it seems that this method isn't always used because it slows down the design process significantly. Here's a video if you're interested in the integrated design process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIX-J83lmaI

Gabe: I enjoyed your reflection on the chapter--it was interesting to see another take on the same reading that I did. While I focused more on the history of BIM you seemed to write more about the functionality of BIM (ie how it works and how it detects errors). It also seems clear to me that learning about how BIM works enhanced your previous knowledge and experience with Revit, giving you newfound knowledge and a new perspective on a program you are already familiar with. As someone who does not have an extensive Revit background, I will make sure to keep your comments regarding the parametric capabilities of Revit in mind when learning and gaining experience.

Jenny: I liked your post. Your main point--that BIM can be used by managers to prevent collisions and/or construction issues before construction and thus save money--is one that is extremely important but could often be overlooked by engineers. Our peer, Alec Silverstone, brought up a similar point saying that using BIM for clash detection can not only save money, time, and effort, but also can keep managers and construction teams more involved and "in the know" on the design process, something that can help create a more efficient building and save money in the longrun. 

Sources:
[1] Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live.

B2 - Advantages and Challenges for Interoperability in BIM

Chapter 3 of the BIM Handbook was centered on the topic of interoperability. Eastman began the chapter by defining this idea broadly as “the ability to pass data between applications.” Essentially, it encompasses the ability of different programs and processes to translates data across the defined levels of tools, platforms, and environments within BIM. When this version was published, these ideas were still largely in development. Eastman claims that “extracting the stick and node model for a structural analysis and determining the relevant loads is not yet a common automated translation”, but during my co-op experience I have seen that REVIT’s family properties have become robust enough to take not only standard members but also custom trusses or girders and convert them into usable STAAD models, greatly improving efficiency in design. Platform to platform (REVIT to Structureworks for example) provide the most amount of hurdles because of the amount of data and properties used to describe objects, as well as the economic consequences to each of these companies for creating pathways to communicate with each other. These programs are each looking for different properties with unique syntax to describe the same objects that populate models. The National BIM Standard is working to standardize these processes in order to allow data to be exchanged easier between programs.

Eastman makes a point of identifying the streamlining of workflow as the next great leap for the construction industry. He proposes the idea of BIM repositories that function as a storage area for the actual objects that define a building (not the file types that are unique to applications). This automates exchanges and allow different stakeholders to pull down relevant information into their respective analysis software. In the near future, this is expected to be industry standard in project management. In the design stage, interoperability can lead to streamlining as well. Auto-fixing of systems in response to clash detection and auto-communicating between model, takeoff, and estimating services can free engineers from these tedious tasks.

However, the ushering in of interoperability has presented some issues as well that will need to be resolved before full implementation can occur. In a BIM repository scenario, the master model must be entirely complete, containing all of the data relevant to the different disciplines (down to structural connections, with complexity and precision adequate enough to be useful to Finite Element Models and other such processes). The ability to auto-update all models with a change made in one automatically to prevent confusion. Even in a situation where auto-updates occur, these can often have ripple effects that could go unnoticed and provide significant issues to a particular disciplines design (the movement of mechanical equipment changing the loading on a particular bay for example, leading to a scenario where perhaps members are not sized appropriately). It will also be necessary for designers to be involved in the process of developing interoperability tools – expertise is necessary for identifying and defining the parameters relevant for one program relative to another, as well as when these definitions can change (an exterior wall contains structural properties, as well as an assembly with a specified R value that impacts building energy performance).

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers,Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost,        ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db= nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live.

Comments:

Alec,
I enjoyed your qualification of BIM as  "bridge" that connects contractors to the design team. I think in addition to the practical cost-saving benefits of including contractors (to a degree) in the design process, there is also value in establishing trust between the project stakeholders as well. If everyone is included in the room from the outset, there will be a much deeper understanding of each party's interests and priorities, reducing the amount of frustration that can occur when the building actually goes under construction.

Harvin,
I think your chapter is really vital to understanding a lot of the benefits (and challenges) that exist with BIM software. Having an idea of the mechanics of BIM software (inputs, outputs, properties, etc.) can help to envision the various ways that BIM can be applied for different members of the project team. Your post was helpful to read in conjunction with the chapter that I was assigned to read on interoperability because many of the roadblocks that exist in that sphere revolve around differences in BIM programming structure. Focusing on streamlining the syntax and properties of objects in the BIM environments is a necessary step to improving project efficiency as a whole.

Christian,
I think that your reactions to Chapter 3 of Eastman were very similar to mine. It is interesting that you noted that many of the manual inputs to BIM will ultimately be automated with the advent of more robust interoperability capabilities. One of the recurring themes that I have thought about since the lecture that was given in class week is the impact that this will happen for traditional job roles in the industry. It appears that many of the responsibilities given to entry level engineers at firms prior to them gaining necessary experience to undertake their own projects will soon be automated. I think that this will make the transition from college to the workforce a much more intimidating one, and that a separate infrastructure (perhaps a stronger, defined mentorship program) will need to be developed to take its place.