B2 - Ami Amegan - Chap 4 - BIM for Owners and Facility Managers -

BIM has changed the construction industry in so many ways. Nowadays, "most owners that have initiated or participated in BIM efforts are reaping advantages in the marketplaces through the delivery of higher value facilities and reduced operational cost". It has increased owners' involvement in the design process. Originally, owners were only resigned to construction project problems such as cost overruns, schedule delays, and quality issues. Over time, these owners have had a greater emphasis on the building delivery process and its impact on their business. They are involved in every step of the project, starting with a design assessment, in which owners work closely with their consultants to develop programs and requirements for the project using tools such as BIMStorm. Next, the owner can coordinate the infrastructure through 3D models of architectural and structural systems. 

Sustainability is one aspect of building that owners have been taking a lot more into consideration. Green building is leading owners to consider the energy efficiency of their buildings and the impact that they have on the environment. BIM processes have the availability to help reduce the energy consumption through energy analysis, improve operational productivity with simulation tools.

As we all know, cost is a very important subject to owners, whether it is the initial or operational cost. Often, they run into many issues such as overruns that could lead to stopping the project. But nowadays, some of these issues can be avoided by conducting more reliable cost estimate early in the design process by using BIM conceptual BIM estimating. When it comes to scheduling, BIM can help owners and consultants reduce the time to marker through of parametric tools and reduce schedule duration using 3D coordination and prefabrication. No owner wants a delayed project because that results in more money being spent. 

After reading this chapter, it is important to understand the wide range of BIM uses. BIM has developed a tool/software for each step of a project in order for owners to be involved. If an owner desires to implement BIM on a project, it is to be noted that there are problems that might rise; problems such as the market not being ready, the project is already financed and design is completed, training cost is too high etc. But nonetheless, BIM is a great and innovative way for owners to have not only partial involvement but total in the design and construction process.

Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook a Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, Second Edition. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

Response to Anthony Yau: 

Truth is, how accurate can those simulations be? From my experience on my second co-op, the owners have implemented the use of BIM software on the project, on so many levels, yet every now and then, there are cost changes that occur out of nowhere and there is a need for change order and such. In my opinion, there could never be enough preparation for changes when it comes to cost, because things change on the market all the time. For instance, what happens if while running those simulations, they used a specific type of product/manufacturer and while the project is ongoing, they encounter a situation where the product is off market or the manufacturer is no longer and they need to acquire a new product? Are there any BIM software that could have predicted that?

Response to Albaloushi:

In our chapter, it was mentioned that it will be very difficult to implemented all those changes into the modern processes of a project. I have learned from experience that obtaining 

BIM licenses for companies are very expensive and training is even more expensive. Also, many people are very old school and do not adapt to change easily. Do you see this changing soon? Do you see more companies implementing BIM into their design and construction process?