B2-BIM Handbook Ch6-Jinhao Liang

In this week, our group was assigned to read the Chapter 6 of the BIM handbook which summarizes how BIM system serve for contractors and present clearly explanations of typical organization of a project team. This information would be fairly useful for my future’s job and to broaden my eyesight. It is known that the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is just a joint contract that requires that architects, designers, general contractor, and other contractors work together under the BIM system. This system retains the traditional organization but it ties these members in different department more tightly. It is tough to make clear the functions of each position and I spent lots of time on them. Based on the Figure 6-3, there are two primary branches including general contractors and architects.

Contractors are a group of people hired by owner, who are in charge of a variety of bid, a negotiated price, some engineer work, and hiring subcontractors. In addition, fabricators, as merchants, belong to subcontractors producing some specific steel, wood and other materials for the project. All their jobs would be finished after the project was completed. However, under the control of BIM, contractors probably have to think of the maintenance, management and turnover when the building begins to make profits. Furthermore, Home builders, who act as a significant role in a project, were also explained as all-powerful developers that are supposed to buy land, reform zone, construct infrastructure, design the building and sell it. Sometimes, a construction management will be hired by the owner of the project and give advice to owner and architects.

The BIM system generates significant effects in the construction progress due to the specialty that can share information to other department’s members more conveniently. In general, it is hard for contractors to be know the job has been done other groups until they finished the individual work. BIM makes up this defection and provide advantages that architects are able to know what happened in the schedule. Moreover, contractors are able to build model in advance that is used for acquiring information such as detailed building information, temporary components etc. Besides that, there is still much work to do for improving BIM. With those element mentioned above, each occupation, architects and contractors, could merge their finished job into an integrated model through submitting own individual part.

Another merit of BIM is an ability to connect 3D model to schedule. Accordingly, contractors and the team member can review or check the plan and the activities happened in any day. It make the schedule became more reliable and meaningful. The technique mentioned above is 4D model technique. This article also put a majority of words on 4D model, which is based on the 3D mole and the combination with schedule link. With the support of 4D, during the process of constructing, contractors are able to offer rapid feedback to architects department. Therefore, an accurate building model benefits whole project team. Increasingly improved BIM system afford smoother and better planned construction process that save time and reduce the potential errors and conflicts.

Refrence: Eastman, C. M. (2011). BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Comment to Hang Wang: After reading your post, I have a deeper understanding about the chapter 6 of the BIM Handbook, especially the content refers to the introduction about the increased small-scaled construction company. It is a wise way to provide adequate data supplement, which make us comprehend the prominent functions offered by BIM.  Additionally, I almost neglect this point that BIM can be an effective tool to ease the clashes among subcontractors and concentrate them into the project. It can be a supplement to my article.

Comment to Alex Nunes:

It is a good point that you shared your own experience in Brazilian school. I understand that most countries around the world are still sketching their blueprints by hand and some of these countries use a little bit Auto-CAD but not too much. As for now, BIM is an outstanding system, which make us engage in a new area of structure design in advance. It also have more intelligent functions especially the 4D technique that group members can share their plan and accomplished work  to the other group during the process.

Comment to Justin Hileman

Thanks, Hileman. For your article, I agree with the idea that BIM provides better service for saving time, cost and materials estimation. You have a clear understanding about contractors and the relationship with subcontractors. In addition, the illustration about Figure 6-4 in your third paragraph explained the how 3-D model build the connection for construction plan and schedule with BIM system.