FOCUSON Buildinginformationmodelling 12infoworksQ12009 Asitdidinthe1980s, thearrivalofnew technologywillsplittheindustrybetween thosewhocanandthosewhocan't. To stayaheadofthegame, LaingO'Rourke hascommittedtoachievingBIMcapability onallitsprojectsby2012. ExploitedtoitsfullcapacityBIMcan enhancealmosteveryaspectofthedesign, manufacturing, constructionandfacilities managementprocesses- offeringadegree ofdetailandintegratedknowledgesharing neverbeforeavailable. FundamentallyBIMisasophisticated platformforcreatingandmanaging informationaboutabuilding. Moving beyondtraditionaldigitalprototyping, BIM modelsbringtogetherahostofinformation aboutafacility'sphysicalandfunctional featuresacrossitslifecycle. Asthebuilding evolvesanddataispassedthroughthe projectteam, themodelbecomesricher andmoredetailed. UsingBIM, everycomponent, materialor packageofworkscanbeisolatedand interrogatedagainstaninfiniterangeof criteria– and, byaddingtimeortime- plus-cost, aprojectcanbeviewedinfourorfive dimensionsrespectively. UnlikeCAD, BIMmodelsareembedded with3Dgeometricdata, allowingaproject teamto' buildbeforeitbuilds'. Allofthis enablestightercontrol, moreinformed decisionmakingandbetterplanning. ConstructingthefuturewithBIM ThereisnodoubtBIMisfastbecomingthe technologyofchoiceforcutting- edge constructioncompanies, anditsstrategic significancetothebusinessasanenabler ofengineeringexcellenceisintensifying. Tounlockitsvastpotential, LaingO'Rourke hasbroughttogetheradiversegroupof engineersunderthedirectionofMark Thompson, GroupBIMLeaderandPat Boyle, BusinessUnitLeader. " Ourgoalistocreateaworld- leadingBIM capability. Theonlythingthatlimitsusisour imaginationandabilitytoapplythis technologyonaglobalscale," saysMark. " BIMisnotasingleproject; itisan amalgamationofdifferentpartsofthe business- mostnotablyengineering, design, commercialplanningand manufacturing. Thereinliesthechallenge." Theteamiscurrentlydevelopinga collaborativeBIMmodelcapableof generatingreal- timereportssoproject leaderscantrackprogressandcostagainst programmeddeliverytimesandbudgets. It isalsoworkingtocreatemodelsthat incorporateprojectlogistics, 4Dplanning, technicaldesignreviewandclash detection. Andwithinthreeyears, the businesswillbewellonitswaytoproviding clientswithBIM- supportedasset management. " Wehavesomeexcitingplansonthe drawingboardwhichwilltransformtheway wedobusiness. Usingthistechnology, we canofferintelligentsolutionssuchas' rapid prototypingdesign'reviewedthrough immersivetechnology, highlyaccuratecost analysisandcontrol, andasset managementsolutions," saysMark. Asharedplatformforcollaboration Torealiseitsaspirations, theteamis workingwithdesignersandsoftware providerstoestablishcommonsoftwareto facilitatedatasharingthroughoutthedesign andconstructionprocesses. Makingvirtualconstructionareality NotsinceCADreplacedthepencilandthedraftingdeskasthearchitect'stoolsofchoicehasthe industrytakensuchagreatleapforward. Today, morethan20yearslater, buildinginformation modelling( BIM) isquiteliterallydrivingdesignandconstructionintoanewdimension. RoseberryPark( StLukes) hospital, services RoseberryPark( StLukes) hospital, services

FOCUSON Buildinginformationmodelling infoworksQ1200913 " BIMencouragescommonworking practices, whichareenhancedby increasedvisualisationofdesignand constructionproducts," explainsBIM Leaderforthenorthernregion, Sam Collard." Inourexperience, teamsthatwork inBIMaremorecohesiveandmakemore informeddecisionsearlierinthedesignand constructionprocess. " Agoodexampleofthisisprefabrication, whereopportunitiesareoftenmissed becausedesigninformationisnotreceived earlyenough. BIMmodelsallowusto visualisedesignformanufactureand assembly( DfMA) opportunitiesonaproject inawaywhichwasn'tpossiblewhenwe workedina2Denvironment. BIMand DfMAmodellingmutuallycoexistwithina project, withtheformeranessential precursortothelatter." ProjectLeader, AndyHurst, whohasdirect experienceofthetechnologysaid:" In-housecompanies, ExpandedandCrown House, arealreadyusingBIMtechnology andhavetheresourcesandexpertiseto supportourprojectdeliverystrategy. " Ifinditencouragingthatstructural engineersareusing3Dmodelsandlinking themtoFEA( finiteelementanalysis) packagesasastandardapproach. Weare seeingsimilarevidenceofanincreased uptakebyourarchitects". Trainingandeducation Whilethebusinessalreadyhasimpressive BIMcapability, SamCollardbelievesfurther trainingiskeytomobilisingthepowerof thistechnology. Thismeanseducating externalprojectteams, aswellasour ownpeople. " Wehavesomeexcellentpractitionersin theconstructionbusinesses, building servicesandoffsitemanufacturing– but thereisnopartoftheorganisationthatwill notbeaffectedbythistechnology," hesaid. " Tomakesurewearefittorunatfull capacity, wearerollingoutworkshopsled byourownBIMspecialists. Wehave recentlydesignedatrainingmodulein NavisWorkssoftware, whichweare deliveringtoallnewprojectsusingBIM." DirectorofEducation, PaddyO'Rourke, is sponsoringaninitiativetoensure constructionprofessionalsofthefutureare fullyconversantinBIMtechnology. InJuly, thecompanywillsponsoraseriesof awardsforstudentsatNorthumbria University'sBuiltEnvironmentSchool. Work isalsoongoingwiththeuniversityto developapost- graduatequalificationin BIM, withLaingO'Rourkeactingas industryadvisor. Componentlibraries JonHarris, DesignLeaderforConstruction South, isdevelopingBIMcomponent libraries, whichareessentialtothedelivery ofBIMandDfMAtothebusiness. These typicallyconsistof' smart'parametric componentssuchascladdingand structuralassemblies. Eachproductmodel containscostdataanddetailedtechnical designandmanufacturinginformation. " Ifassembledcorrectly, component informationcanbepassedthroughthe entiresupplychainwithoutlosingdata, therebyreducingdesignandmanufacturing leadtimes," saysJon." Forexample, the informationfromacomponentsuchasa windowcanbetakenfromanarchitectural Revitmodelandimportedbyabuilding servicesdesignerintothermalanalysis packageswithoutlossofintegrity." Mainimageandinsetimage: DurhamSciencelecture theatre NorthTeesmodel NorthTeesBIMmodel