What Can Building Information Modeling Do for You?

By Sarah Hodges

It would be fair to say that the general public gives little thought to the mechanical systems behind the buildings in which they live and work. For example, how often does someone visit your home and comment on the efficient sloped piping system in your house? How often do you hear shoppers in a mall comment on the HVAC system (except perhaps that they think the building is too cold)? Yet the building systems are what breathe life into the buildings so many of us depend on, and society would be quick to notice if they were not designed to meet intent.

As buildings increase in complexity, and as the demands for efficiency increase, the sheer number of considerations a building systems engineer has to make during the design process increases. Accurate calculations must be performed, coordination with design teams to reduce conflicts must be managed, and, ultimately, constructability must be ensured. With so many elements to consider, many mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers and designers are continuing to look for ways to streamline their design processes, ensure accuracy, and gain efficiencies. One way to do this is through the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM).

BIM is an intelligent, model-based process that provides insight for creating building system projects faster, more economically, and with less environmental impact. BIM is already rapidly transforming the global architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and is helping firms to gain greater project insight before construction. Nearly half of the companies in the architecture, engineering, and constructionAEC industry in the U.S. have adopted BIM, according to the SmartMarket Report: The Business Value of BIM, published by McGraw-Hill Construction in 2009. The report also found that 42 percent of nonusers believe that BIM will be highly, or very highly, important in the coming years. This demonstrates the influence that BIM has on the industry today and the momentum that is expected to continue in the future.

In the U.S., the architectural community has spearheaded the adoption of BIM. Increasingly, owners are becoming aware of the benefits an intelligent, model-­based design approach provides and are beginning to specify BIM as a standard project requirement. As these demands continue, a shift in the industry is occurring, and engineers find themselves at a crossroads. In an industry that has historically used CAD-based solutions to design and document intent, MEP engineers are now faced with competitive pressures to move to BIM as their design team counterparts and project owners begin to demand it.
Those that decide to make the transition to BIM are finding themselves positioned to win more work as they actively promote themselves as a BIM-ready firm. As MEP engineers become increasingly aware of the benefits that BIM provides, it is expected that movement from CAD to BIM will continue to increase in this industry segment. For example, the 2009 McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report states that, over the next two years, the use of BIM by MEP engineers is expected to triple.

The MEP engineering industry has been accustomed to CAD software since the early 1980s, so what is it about BIM that is changing the way buildings are being designed and constructed? Unlike CAD, BIM facilitates a new way of working that creates designs with intelligent objects and keeps design information coordinated and consistent throughout the project lifecycle. The BIM process is based on information-rich, model–based designs. These models provide the foundation for more accurate analysis and simulation of designs and projects, helping MEP engineers to anticipate potential challenges and to better predict the success of their designs. Integrated analysis and simulation features support the MEP engineering design process, enabling engineers to more effectively design better-performing building systems from the earliest stages of the workflow.

Simply put, from concept through construction, BIM can help MEP engineers create better buildings with intelligent, model-based design, use integrated analysis to inform design and construction decisions, and produce compelling visualizations to help communicate and market ideas more successfully. A design can be simulated, results visualized, and behavior analyzed early on in the design process. As design changes are made, the model remains updated and consistent. When it comes to producing necessary construction documentation, errors are reduced, as documentation remains coordinated with design data. Even on the most complex of projects, BIM can help MEP engineers design and document accurately and efficiently.

Firms that have embraced BIM are benefiting from the use of intelligent models at every stage of the workflow. MEP professionals make better-informed decisions using analytical results, minimize the risk of errors, achieve sustainable design goals, and collaborate more effectively across the project team. For MEP engineers, BIM allows for greater accuracy during design. BIM also helps to improve efficiency, since engineers can design systems that better meet architectural intent by using the design model created by their counterparts as a foundation. Firms also can achieve sustainable design goals with integrated analysis tools that help to determine energy consumption with necessary calculations and analysis performed from the earliest stages of design. Intelligent information inherent in the model helps MEP engineers to more effectively and efficiently design and deliver building systems.

Consider that up to 80 percent of a building’s cost is incurred post-construction, during operations and maintenance, and imagine what impact that has on an increasingly cost-sensitive owner. At a time when efficiency is a top priority, consider the benefits a model-based design approach can provide to improve building energy performance, reduce water use, and help ensure a project is delivered on time and on budget. These are certainly attractive advantages to any owner concerned with gaining cost efficiencies and budgeting predictability over the life of their building. Add to that the ability to predict performance before construction and communicate intent through compelling visualizations, and it seems only logical that you should let BIM help you plan and execute your next project.

Sarah Hodges is the senior industry marketing manager, Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Autodesk.