\n\u2018BIM is a process for creating and managing all of the information on a project\u200a\u2014\u200abefore, during and after construction. The output of this process is the Building Information Model, the digital description of every aspect of the built asset.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
From a field person\u2019s perspective during the delivery phase, BIM should be the process of rendering a digital version of your road, bridge, tunnel or building at a near simultaneous rate with which the physical asset is being constructed in the field.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s zoom in on one word from Aconex\u2019s definition: \u2018during\u2019
\nAfter watching people at work as well as talking to them, I\u2019ve learned that the people who know the asset the best, the skilled craftspeople, engineers and site supervisors, are left out of the process and cannot contribute crucial information to the digital version of the asset.<\/p>\n
Information that asset owners and operators need after construction.<\/p>\n
Through the application of BIM technologies to date, strong benefits are being realised across the industry and now we have reached the Final Frontier\u200a\u2014\u200adelivery field crews.<\/p>\n
The day I met Scott, is when I realised that BIM is losing this battle.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: this article is less to do with BIM as a digital tool, and more to do with the engagement cliff between \u2018before\u2019 a construction project commences and \u2018after\u2019 the asset is opened and operational. I\u2019m also no BIM expert, although I have used some BIM tools while working as a construction engineer.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t![\"BIM](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/0_KhgFV9cKWm2owXTy.png\" "\\"BIM\\"")
<\/p>\n
Scott and I on site, Source: Personal<\/p>\n
Scott is a champion steel fixer, and we met 2 years ago when my team was building 30m\/98f long prestressed Super T bridge girders (shown above).<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s how Scott changed everything:<\/p>\n
Hey Hartley!<\/p>\n
Yeah mate, what\u2019s up?<\/p>\n
You see that section of fillet on the bottom of the girder, right over there next to the magnet?<\/p>\n
I see it, what about it?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s going to be an issue with cover to the stirrup during maintenance.<\/p>\n
What do you mean, I can see the spacer block!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the spacer block, it\u2019s the detail of the stirrup and the longitudinal bar.<\/p>\n
But we didn\u2019t get any non conformances on that one?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a non conformance, I just wouldn\u2019t have done it that way\u2026<\/p>\n
That got me thinking.<\/h3>\n
Sure, the designers can\u2019t know everything that happens on site.<\/p>\n
But the insights and knowledge of the field workers, people like Scott, which reveal true asset quality and durability\u200a\u2014\u200ajust get lost. All of the damn time!<\/p>\n
Wouldn\u2019t this information be useful for the maintenance crews that come in after us?<\/p>\n
The resounding answer, is yes.<\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s kind of a no brainer.<\/h3>\n
By plotting the three phases mentioned above we see the broken link:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Building](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/0_Nl-i6w80WgYIq4PD.png\" "\\"Building")
<\/p>\n
Flipping the order of the Aconex extract above<\/p>\n
From<\/p>\n
1. Before, 2. During and 3. After<\/p>\n
This battle story now goes<\/p>\n
3. After, 1. Before and 2. During.<\/p>\n
3. After
\nWhat do owners and developers want at project completion? (The Goal)<\/h3>\n\n- Minimised safety risk to personnel during maintenance procedures<\/li>\n
- Minimised capex costs for repair\/replacement of plant\/equipment<\/li>\n
- Minimised time spent maintaining the asset<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here\u2019s a civil infrastructure perspective that gives perfect concrete examples of the three points above, which I heard last month when speaking with a Project Manager from the government body\u200a\u2014\u200aRoads and Maritime Services (RMS):<\/p>\n
\u2018Our biggest interest in a digital asset is for records of installations to be accurate. For example, what type of asphaltic concrete was placed in what layer, or what the CCTV records look like for all drainage lines.\u2019<\/p>\n
In other words, all questions answered\u200a\u2014\u200athe ultimate knowledge of the asset.<\/p>\n
\u2018The benefit here is that we won\u2019t have to go back out to physically inspect the asset, or complete destructive investigation work such as core holes to check concrete compaction.<\/p>\n
The big push is to minimise safety risk through better design and information capture.\u2019<\/p>\n
1. Before
\nHow are we currently trying to get there? (The Plan)<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Clashmep](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Imageee.png\" "\\"Imageee\\"")
<\/p>\n
Example from ClashMEP, Source: BuildingSP.com<\/p>\n
The tools currently being used during concept and planning phase are nothing short of phenomenal.<\/p>\n
One example (shown above) is ClashMEP\u200a\u2014\u200aa Revit plugin that uses Machine Learning to detect component clashes in real-time, which I saw first-hand on Tuesday night via the Society for Construction Solutions.<\/p>\n
ARUP described these technological developments well:<\/p>\n
\u2018BIM can be thought of as a virtual prototype\u200a\u2014\u200awhether of a building, a site, an infrastructure system or a city.<\/p>\n
It allows any aspect of a design\u2019s performance to be simulated and assessed before it is built\u200a\u2014\u200ahelping us to understand the design more completely and much earlier.\u2019<\/p>\n
Current benefits:<\/p>\n
\n- Higher likelihood of detecting of component clashes<\/li>\n
- Greater certainty of project feasibility, cost and schedules<\/li>\n
- Quality information sharing between project stakeholders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To get an expert opinion, I spoke to Jennifer Macdonald.
\nJennifer is a designated BIM Researcher, Consultant and Lecturer in Construction Project Management at the University of Technology, Sydney with over 10 years dedicated to BIM.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Jennifer](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Image-hs.png\" "\\"Image-hs\\"")
<\/p>\n
First, Jennifer busted the most common myth:<\/p>\n
\u2018A lot of people think BIM is just about a 3D model, it\u2019s actually all about document management.\u2019<\/p>\n
Then she corrected the myth:<\/p>\n
\u2018BIM is a visual representation of data points. Every point must have a unique ID\u200a\u2014\u200ait\u2019s all about adding information as you go.\u2019<\/p>\n
And went into the benefits:<\/p>\n
\u2018There are claims of 10\u201320% project delivery time savings using BIM by upfront analysis. And from the client\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s about actually getting what you need.\u2019<\/p>\n
Again, the ultimate knowledge of the asset.<\/p>\n
2. During
\nWhat is happening at the moment? (The Challenge)<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"North](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/0_ma9UTXnv7lM9E7g6.jpg\" "\\"North")
<\/p>\n
The most talented people are left out of the process. People just like Scott, who know the most about the physical asset.<\/p>\n
Working as an engineer, I saw a lot of relevant information being created in the field and then lost. Information that could have been tracked, collated and then linked to the digital model before being transferred to the owner operator.<\/p>\n
Note: of course, not all information is should and would be transferred to the owner operator.<\/p>\n
The status quo is fighting back as BIM should be spreading into field platform integrations.
\nTechnological resistance at the Final Frontier comes in the form of legacy systems that are often lacking mobility and are typically built on outdated technology that doesn\u2019t support a link to the digital asset during project delivery (if they are even being used\u200a\u2014\u200aclick here to read more).<\/p>\n
Compounding this resistance is a misalignment in systems thinking between desired outputs at project completion and the daily habits of those who hold the information key to creating the desired outputs.<\/p>\n
Deconstructing 10 org charts from project\u2019s that I\u2019ve been involved in highlighted this misalignment. Going through person by person, identifying people who were and weren\u2019t involved in the digital asset during project delivery, led to the following result:<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/0_Azd0JkNHy_dVpZz4.png\" "\\"Construction")
<\/p>\n
The Result: 95% of People in Delivery Teams Aren\u2019t Engaged<\/h3>\n
We already have the technology to bridge this gap.<\/p>\n
But, it\u2019s not about the technology. It\u2019s about the people.<\/p>\n
Under the assumption that your project already has a virtual prototype, winning the battle at the Final Frontier can be achieved in 3 steps:<\/p>\n
???? Digital: equip women and men in your delivery teams with smartphones and data, and then throw out the site printers (save printing cash as well $$$).
\n\u2699\ufe0f Engage: switch on collaborative software that people want to use\u200a\u2014\u200apull don\u2019t push. This establishes multiple digital workspaces that are mapped to the natural communication networks across your projects (note the plural: there are many\u200a\u2014\u200aboth formal and informal!).
\n???? Link: use a plugin to link your virtual prototype with geolocated data from mobile devices to an approximate virtual coordinate, followed by pointing to specific digital components.
\nSpeculatory prediction: there will not be one overarching tool that can manage and control the digital model, as well as collect field data. Therefore, links between virtual prototypes and field tools will be required.<\/p>\n
We need a rethink\u200a\u2014\u200adown to the second.<\/h3>\n
Hours count, minutes count, seconds count.<\/p>\n
By changing micro habits, we will see macro impact.<\/p>\n
Habit formation will lead to adoption and engagement.<\/p>\n
And success follows adoption and engagement.<\/p>\n
Some products are available and have tried here, but we need to find data and ask ourselves, as an industry, are they really cutting through? Are the habits of those who matter changing for the better?<\/p>\n
Unless the outputs wanted by owners and developers align with the day to day inputs of field delivery teams, and this alignment helps people do their jobs better, the gap between \u2018before\u2019 and \u2018after\u2019 will never be bridged.<\/p>\n
However, linking back to the misalignment in systems thinking mentioned above, if the tools from the above Step 2\u200a\u2014\u200aEngage, are not improving the working lives of field delivery teams by helping them do their mission critical jobs better, then it is a waste of everyone\u2019s time and effort.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the unanswered question is<\/p>\n
How can the requirement to digitally record a project at a granular level be transformed into something that helps field teams?
\nI believe most people wrongly assume that no one in the field will want to be involved, and some probably won\u2019t, but what if some do?<\/p>\n
I knew at least one that did.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
J\u2019Onn: Where did you get this power?<\/em><\/p>\nSybok: The power was within you.<\/em><\/p>\nJ\u2019Onn: I feel\u2026 as if a weight has been lifted from my heart. How can I repay you for this miracle?<\/em><\/p>\nSpock: Join my quest.<\/em><\/p>\nJ\u2019Onn: What is it you seek?<\/em><\/p>\nSybok: What you seek. What all men and women have sought since time began. The ultimate knowledge.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/0_SCcdkYeAF_82YwAb.jpg\" "\\"USS")
<\/p>\n
Key Takeaway:<\/h2>\n
there is demand from owners and operators of assets such as roads, bridges, tunnels and buildings, to receive a digital asset upon construction completion. BIM tools are available and being used by office-based teams, however those that know the asset the best\u200a\u2014\u200aengineers and foremen in the field, aren\u2019t involved in supplying field information to the rendered digital asset. To win this battle we need to plugin and use APIs to point data back and forth between the live digital asset as it is being rendered and platforms used by field delivery teams.<\/p>\n
Sitemate is flexible project managament software which enables companies in the industries to streamline their projects, teams and forms – their way.<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTry the software for free
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more \u2192
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![\"BIM\"](\"https:\/\/sitemate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Cover.jpeg\" "\\"BIM\\"")
<\/p>\n