Contents

Building Information Modeling ........................................................................................... 2

1.1

What Is BIM? ............................................................................................................... 2

1.2

Why BIM? .................................................................................................................... 2

Structure Design, Construction Planning and Scheduling Using BIM ................................ 4

2.1

Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 4

2.2

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5

References ............................................................................................................................ 7

1 Building Information Modeling

1.1 What Is BIM?
Building Information Modeling is a digital representation of the physical and functional
characteristics of a facility. It is a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility,
forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life cycle, from earliest conception to
demolition. [1]
The National Building Information Modeling Standards Committee defines BIM as a digital
representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. A BIM is a shared
knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during
its life-cycle; defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition. A basic premise of BIM
is collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the life cycle of a facility to
insert, extract, update or modify information in the BIM to support and reflect the roles of that
stakeholder. [2]

1.2 Why BIM?

BIM can solve and eliminate several problems which have been considered a part of the nature
of the construction industry. The following part will explore the benefits and the solutions that
BIM may provide. [3]
Before an Owner hires an Architect, it is more relevant to make sure whether the
envisaged facility of certain size and quality level can be built within specific cost and
time limits. A macro model can be created and linked to a huge database that gives
answers similar questions; based on these answers the Owner may decide whether to
proceed with the design stage or not. It is wasteful to spend considerable time and effort
in design work before an estimate shows that the construction cost or time will exceed
the Owners budget.
Analysis and simulation tools applied to a schematic model allow for early and
careful assessment of building performance, functionality, quality, and sustainability
requirements before proceeding with a detailed model. Energy analysis tool may be
used at early design stage to evaluate energy use and efficiency and to allow for early
measures that go with regulations or design requirements. This practice is difficult to
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administer by 2D model at early design stages; having this advantage evades the late
drastic changes that imply cost and time losses.
When Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method is used, BIM can provide the
collaborative teams with prompt assistance in extracting the cost estimates as the design
develops. By gaining this benefit, the involved team in the project gets an early
understanding of the project without having to loose time in paper-based exchange of
information. At any stage of design, an accurate Bill of Quantities can be extracted.
The tools of parametric rules may be used to control the design objects in order to
produce a 3D model without geometry, alignment, or spatial coordination errors and to
manage design changes later. When design modifications are entered, consistent
changes to all design disciplines drawings are generated to enable extraction of updated
2D drawings for any specific view or objects at any time.
Several design disciplines can work in parallel on a 3D model. This kind of early
collaboration shortens design coordination time and clear coordination errors. When
used at early stage, it facilitates value engineering, selection among design alternatives,
design continuous improvement, and saves time and cost of late redesign modifications
when errors are discovered in a later stage.
At any stage of the design process, the 3D consistent model can be directly visualized
without having to generate it from multiple 2D views. The early BIM 3D model
facilitates examination of consistency to design intent. The model can quantify areas,
spaces, materials, and items to verify matching with requirements; the model also can
qualify deign space requirements and provide automatic evaluation.
BIM fabrication tool is a powerful measure of building objects 3D representation for
fabrication and construction. It allows the offsite and worldwide automated fabrication
through numerical control machinery. This allows more economic and faster production
without using a paper drawings that may carry drafting errors or may not updated.
Moreover, this tool overcomes the obstacle of the need to site physical measurements
or the need for larger storage areas.
BIM technology avoids the design discrepancies among 2D drawings of multiple
disciplines by having a one source of information which is a virtual 3D model. This
facility enables the detection of multisystem clashes, conflicts, and constructability
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problems before the start of construction phase and eliminates their consequences of
delays and legal disputes that create an environment of less conflict and smooth work
process.
Construction plan can be linked to 3D design objects using 4D CAD and construction
schedules. At any time point, the building site can be simulated to represent the
construction status including both permanent works and temporary constructions
(shoring, scaffolding, cranesetc.).This tool provides opportunity of using simulation
in evaluation of proposed execution methods, safety arrangements, scheduling
alternatives.
BIM provides precise definition of the design and material required for a particular
portion of work, an advantage by which multiple work trades and subcontractors work
teams can be called for in a well-coordinated manner to avoid resources waste of time.
The same logic applies for delivery of material and equipment based on just-in-time
arrival to implement lean construction principles.
The information related to the building installed material and systems may be linked to
building model objects and used for verification during the testing and commissioning
process. When linked to the objects, this information will be available for the Owner
use in operation and facility management as well.

2 Structure Design, Construction Planning and Scheduling Using

BIM
2.1 Abstract
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a developing software, widely used in architecture,
engineering and, construction industry (A/E/C) and its essential purpose is to fundamentally
improve the design, document and also communications between all the stakeholders including
in the project . In addition, designing and planning and scheduling are of the most important
aspects for the successful completion of a project. In this regard, the proper design, planning and
utilization of resources play a significant role in cost and time optimization. Nowadays a precise
design, scheduling, planning and process management of the project is highly demanded which

can enable the overall optimization of the cost, time and recourses. Traditional structural design,
progress control and scheduling methods such as bar charts and critical path method (CPM) or
even Precedence Diagram Method (PDM) no more can provide spatial analysis of construction
projects. In order to explain the status of the project, applying traditional system such as hand
calculation, AutoCAD 2D drawing (which is still used) along with the MS Project and
Primavera, are so time-consuming and to some extent so complicated which cannot be easily
understood by stakeholders. On the other hand considering this fact that clients and managers
might not be fluent with the graphical representations used in aforementioned software or
methods other ways should investigate and innovate. Therefore, recent researches lead to an
integration of the traditional methods of 2D CAD drawings and schedule sheets which can create
3D and 4D view of the project for optimization and real time monitoring of the project. In order
for this statement to be more elucidated, a case study in which software called Tekla-structures
SAP2000, and Autodesk Naviswork Simulate module are applied along with Microsoft Project
(MSP). Cement Mill structure of the Cement Complex Plant located at Mangas, Venezuela has
been selected for the present project. Eventually, after creating 3D model using Tekla and
designing the structure applying SAP2000, different stages of the construction process and
activities are generated in different IFC name using Tekla-Structures. Microsoft Project (MSP)
software are used for creation of the schedules and these are linked in Autodesk Naviswork
simulate to create a 4D model.

2.2 Introduction
Nowadays design and construction process especially in heavy and industrial building and
construction or infrastructures requires a highly accurate design procedure, planning, scheduling
and management to enable the overall optimization of the cost, time and resources. Growing
complexity of todays construction projects, increasing pressure to decrease project delivery
times, and new procurement practices led to increase in the number of commercially
computerized design and planning and scheduling tools available around the world. By proper
design, planning and utilization of recourses we can have a great optimization in cost and time.
One of the most challenging activities in the management and execution of construction projects
is construction planning, because it involves the definition of work tasks, the identification of
any interactions among the different work tasks, the choice of technology, and the estimation of

the required recourses and durations for individual tasks. Each project needs a plan for making it
a baseline to create the budget and schedule for work. Project scheduling refers to any attempt to
match the resources of materials, equipment and labor with project work tasks in whole the
project length. A well done project scheduling can not only eliminate problems due to reduction
bottlenecks; but also smooth the timely procurement of required materials and on the other hand,
assure the completion of a project due time. In contrast, poor scheduling can result in
considerable waste as laborers and equipment wait for the availability of needed resources or the
completion of preceding tasks. Delays in the completion of an entire project due to poor
scheduling can also lead to confusion of the owners who are willing to start using the constructed
facilities. Although, the traditional methods for design, scheduling and progress monitoring
techniques are still being used by the designers and project managers for planning, but these
approaches are serious disadvantages in the decision making process, because they are unable to
come up with a spatial analysis of aspects and data. These traditional approaches includes hand
calculation for design, and Critical Path Method (CPM), bar charts and Program Evaluation
Review technique (PERT) for planning and scheduling. The growing pressure on the engineering
managers and project managers to make the delivery time shorter, so the costs involved in the
process will be decreased without any loss in quality, inevitably necessitate them to use the
software such as SAP2000, Etabs, S-Frame Autodesk Navisworks Simulate, Tekla Structure and
all the design and project management tools which combines the spatial aspects. These kinds of
visual software allow all the involved stuffs with different backgrounds to accurately understand
the information of monitoring the activities.
Considering the nowadays increasing complexity of construction projects specially the
industrial ones, there is a growing pressure to shorten the project delivery times, increase the
number of commercially available computerized design and planning and scheduling tools [4].
Meanwhile the current scheduling and progress reporting tools seems to be apparently in need of
substantial improvements in efficiency and quality and in order to incorporate visualization into
this process lots of research efforts have been motivated to the failure of traditional approaches
to provide spatial analysis considering related information [5]. 4D simulation was the final
answer by the researchers for most effective resource allocation [6]. Bansal and Pal have
described the linking of the activities in a critical path schedule with the 3 Dimensional Model,
which makes the project sequence easier to understand [7]. Moreover, there is still lacks of
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features like generation and manipulation of a 3D modelling, design and 4D model within a
single program.

3 References

[1]

"Engineers Ireland," 2012. [Online]. [Accessed Feb. 2013].

[2]

"NBIMS," NBIMS, 2007. [Online]. [Accessed Feb. 2013].

[3]

Eastman, Building Information Modeling Handbook, Eastman, 2nd Edition,, 2011.

[4]

A. Retik, "Planning and monitoring of construction projects using," Proj. Manage, vol. 97, no. 1, pp. 2831, 1997.

[5]

B. k. a. Fischer, "Feasibility of 4D CAD in commercial," J. Constr. Eng. Manage., vol. 126, no. 4, pp. 251260, 2000.

[6]

M. Fischer, "Benefits of four-dimentional (4D) models for facility," Proc. 6th construction congress D.K.
Walsh ed., ASCE, Reston, pp. 990-995, 2000.

[7]

V. K. B. a. M. Pal, "Potential of geographic information systems in building cost estimation and

visualisation," Autom. Constr., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 311-322, 2007.