Renovating or refurbishing a building or facility is often far more tedious than constructing a new one. Unlike a new construction where the required changes can be easily made in the plan, renovating or refurbishing has its limitations.

The renovation and refurbishment projects involve unique risks for contractors and builders alike. The challenge often is that the drawings for the original project differ, in some cases substantially, from the actual construction. Changes made on the fly to overcome clashes address challenges between the utilities and other teams, and custom requirements tend not to be reflected in the original drawings. A key task becomes the need to address the issues with the interface to the existing plan to rectify the errors and work within the limitations of the original plan.

BIM for Renovation and Refurbishment Projects

In the construction industry today, BIM services are used often for a new construction projects. But the potential application of BIM for renovation and refurbishment projects is perhaps under-utilized.

BIM services can be of great help during different stages of renovation projects. It can play a significant role in quality control, documentation, and energy & space management of a facility. BIM can be handy even during the demolition of a building. It provides holistic information regarding the structure. This allows the builders to minimise errors and risks through data management, cost calculation, and building a better demolition schedule.

The following five practices will help ensure the success of your renovation and refurbishment project:

1. Point Cloud and Laser Scanning

The point cloud to BIM services helps in creating an accurate model for the renovation and refurbishment projects. The point cloud modeling is done through 3D laser technology which is more precise than the traditional measurement tools and surveys. Such an accurate measurement of a facility helps in identifying and eliminating deviations and errors in the original plan.

2. Point Cloud to 3D Model

The data collected through laser scanning is imported and processed through software to create a 3D model – this process is called point cloud to the 3D model. The parametric data helps in creating an intelligent model that provides accurate information about the elevations, sections, and floor plans of the building. The collected information then helps in creating a renovation plan with minimal or no errors. The accuracy of the parametric data is vital in renovation or refurbishment projects. The point cloud to 3D model provides that, unlike the traditional methods which leave room for errors.

3. Scan to Construction Drawings

The scan to construction drawings helps in creating the as-built BIM model for renovation and refurbishment projects. The construction drawings provide an early insight into clash detection. The early identification allows the builders and architects to eliminate issues during the planning phase. It makes the execution simple and free of errors emerging due to a faulty design component.

4. Beneficial to the stakeholders

The laser scanning provides a holistic view of the facility. The plumbing and electrical fittings are among the major components to take into consideration while renovating or refurbishing a facility. The 3D laser scan provides accurate information regarding every construction aspect including these. This helps in understanding the current state of the utilities and in defining the changes that will be needed in the old facility.

5. Streamlined Data and Information

Using BIM services ensure that all the collected data and information regarding the project is streamlined and easily accessible to all the stakeholders. The availability of information is a crucial factor in getting rid of any discrepancies that occur during the execution of the plan -either at the time of the initial construction or while the renovation is underway. More often than not, errors in construction and renovation plans occur due to unorganised information. With BIM, that is taken addressed.

It’s clear that BIM can be a handy tool in renovation and refurbishment projects. It allows the owners and production team to carve out and execute a more comprehensive plan successfully. The 3D modeling helps in rectifying any errors during the planning phase. This helps in saving time and overall project cost. And isn’t that always worth the effort?

A smart building is defined as any structure or facility that uses automated processes to control the building’s operations. The key focus is on reduction in the use of non-renewable sources of energy and relying more on renewable sources of energy thereby reducing the impact on the environment. That apart, business benefits like optimized operations, better management, reduced operational costs, and less effort can accrue.

Though this definition encompasses various factors it is not restricted within these parameters. There is no single standard definition available to describe a smart building or structure in the construction and infrastructure industry. The common parameters amongst the smart structures are better resource utilization and reduced effort.

Constructing a smart building involves linking the core systems of the structure such as lighting, power meters, heating, cooling, pumps, fire alarms, and plants with sensors, and easily accessible integrated control systems.

The conventional structures remain just structures, unlike smart structures which could improve with time and external factors to provide more than just shelter and safety to its inhabitants.

Smart Buildings & Building Information Modelling

According to the experts, the future of the construction industry lies in building smart structures that will evolve with the ever-evolving technology. It is not technology alone that makes a structure smart. A smart structure is an amalgamation of technology, processes, and standards – the guiding force behind this paradigm shift in the construction and infrastructure industry today.

If smart structures are the future, then one cannot overstate the importance of BIM in this endeavor. Constructing a smart building involves the integration of several different aspects that go into the construction and BIM specializes in doing that.

BIM can be extremely vital in the initial stages of a project. The digital graphical representation of the facility helps in identifying and eliminating any shortcomings before beginning the construction of the facility. A building plan can be optimized with the assistance of the consolidated streamlining of data provided by the BIM software.

BIM can play a crucial role in the inception, execution, construction, and maintenance of these smart buildings. Here is how:

1.    Integrated Design

One of the highlights of the BIM approach is the integration of data that is easily accessible to architects, engineers, designers, and builders. Every change that is made in the design gets automatically updated across the project. This helps in avoiding conflicts and gets everyone on the same page.

2.    Digital Representation

The graphical representation of the design in the form of a 3D model helps in understanding and thereby eradicating conflicts in the design. This is done during the inception phase which helps in avoiding loss of time and curtailing costs during the construction phase. This assists in the smart utilization of resources and in reducing wastage of time as well as materials.

3.    Integrated Data

The digital platform of BIM helps in centralising the data for all the involved stakeholders. It provides a single source of truth. The availability of information to every party helps in eliminating errors of judgment and miscommunication that commonly happen during large-scale construction projects. Information regarding the quantities of the required material to be procured, and estimates of proposed and current usage help in keeping a lid on over-ordering and unbudgeted expenses.

4.    Security System

BIM software provides a base that can be leveraged for a comprehensive and cohesive security apparatus. This can be the foundation for consolidating and generating data points with the help of smart sensors and systems installed throughout the facility. The advanced security system is not targeted to be used by the inhabitants alone. It can ensure safety during the construction period as well, by restricting unwanted maneuvering on the project site, and by assisting the management team with an overview of the activities being carried out on the site.

5.    3D Modelling

3D modelling in BIM helps in understanding not just the construction plan for a facility that we can see but also the underground construction (unseen or buried). It provides useful information to the construction team regarding existing pipelines or fiber-optic cables. The information also helps in knowing how far to dig without causing any damage to the existing underground structure. Adding in the 5D, 6D, and 7D dimensions helps to map the scale, scope, and state of construction at various project stages with respect to critical cost parameters during construction and on an ongoing basis post-construction too. This provides invaluable information for planning, execution, and management of the building.

6.    Enhanced Project Visualization

BIM-modelling promotes enhanced and more accurate visualization of the facility post-construction. This can become the foundation for creating management plans for the facility. This is especially critical as it captures the as-built condition of the building including providing for the changes in the plan that would have been made during the construction phase. This becomes an essential foundation to build automation strategies on. It removes the guesswork from the automation strategy and helps create a better, more comprehensive, and more tightly-integrated plan.

The future is digital, and BIM is accelerating technological advancement and innovation in the construction industry. The journey to a Smart Building starts well before the construction starts – and BIM can drive that Smart journey from day one!

Every infrastructure construction project comprises different teams of varying sizes working together at any given point in time of the project. Coordination between the groups of architects, designers, engineers, contractors, and specialist contractors has always been a major challenge in the construction industry. Streamlining the work, especially in large-scale projects, is vital. Errors in judgment or execution can result in loss of time and money -both scarce commodities.

Let me paraphrase from a NICMAR report that I found. Studies across various construction projects in many different countries found that the major causes for delays in projects were:

• Design changes by the owners during construction
• Errors in the planning stages
• Poor site management
• Delay in producing design documents
• Lack of effective communication

And what’s the impact? The same study says that (at the time of the examination) 49.6% of the time in construction was devoted to wasteful activities.

A developing country like India cannot afford to lose out due to such preventable issues. Today, the country is undergoing significant public infrastructure development in every town and city. Over the next 5 years, India plans to turn a whopping 50 cities into smart cities, and infrastructure work for it has already begun.

The Nagpur Metro Rail Project is one such major infrastructure project undertaken by the Maharashtra Government. Under this project, an elevated metro corridor, spanning over 40 km across the city with 36 stations and 2 depots is being constructed. The project is well on the way to completion and trial runs have already begun. It’s fair to say that it is one of the fastest infrastructure projects being carried out in the country today.

Controlling cost in such largescale projects is a herculean task. The most effective way of managing cost is by planning and collaborating better and eliminating discrepancies in the design and estimated time and raw materials required for the completion of the project.

Nagpur Metro is also one of those major public infrastructure projects which have successfully used and implemented Building Information Modelling (BIM). I have been personally involved in this aspect of the project, and I am sure that BIM has allowed Nagpur Metro to reap benefits in the form of cost-cutting and time-saving.

Nagpur Metro Rail Project leveraged BIM to accelerate work and control costs. During a conference in Singapore in 2017, Mr. Brijesh Dixit – MD, Nagpur Metro Rail Project highlighted the following points:

•   Cost savings of around 12% has been achieved concerning logistics travel and staff days. It is expected to grow up to 15% by the end of the completion of the project.

•    Savings in time around 8% have been achieved which is likely to rise to 11% by the end of the project.

•   The end of the project anticipates a reduction of overhead costs from 5% to 3.5%.

•   Cost savings of around 8% is expected over the DPR projected costs.

How did BIM help in achieving this?

Just repeating that BIM is software that helps in generating a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. The 3D representation allows architects, engineers, and builders to plan, design, manage, and execute the project efficiently. The data related to the facility is saved in the form of digital files that is accessible to all the stakeholders in the project. This centralisation of data helps in eliminating duplication, thereby avoiding confusion during the execution phase. BIM uses six dimensions (6D) to create a holistic construction plan. These six dimensions are:

•   Width/Length

•   Depth/Breadth

•   Height

•   Time

•   Cost

•   As-built /Facilities management

The inclusion of the 4th and 5th dimension helps in making accurate projections about the time and estimation of costs required to complete the project. The 6th Dimension, As-Built/Facilities management helps in having accurate information of any updates during construction which will help with facilities management. Every infrastructure project evolves during construction, and it becomes difficult to keep track of these changes. The As-Built is the final drawing of the facility which incorporates every small little change that is made in the actual design during the construction process.  This becomes precious information for the ongoing maintenance of the project even after construction is completed.

Why make BIM Mandatory for Public Infrastructural Work?

Before answering the why, let’s look at the benefits of implementing BIM:

•   Helps in accelerating the completion of the project by facilitating better planning

•   Helps in saving and cutting down construction cost through clash detection

•   Helps in saving through construction process simulation

•   Helps in eliminating unbudgeted changes

•   Helps in reducing the request for information or missing information

•   Helps in reducing the time required to generate estimates

•   Helps in better collaboration between the various stakeholders

Think of all the extensive public infrastructure work going on in the country today. Now, think of executing those infrastructure projects with the help of BIM. BIM will not only help in cutting costs but will also help in driving faster project completion. UK made the use of BIM mandatory in public infrastructure projects a couple of years ago. Last year a report by PwC estimated that on a projected public infrastructure spend of GBP 31.7 Billion on 2018/19, public funds to the tune of GBP 429 Million could be saved. That’s in 1 year!

The Nagpur Metro Rail Project is an example of how effective BIM-driven construction can prove to be for public infrastructure projects. Today, the Metro work in Nagpur has been more than 40% complete. This has been achieved within 2 years.

To me the choice is clear, and it is inevitable, I appeal to the Government of India to make BIM mandatory for every public infrastructure project being carried out in the country today. It’s the need of the hour!

Reference:

https://www.nicmar.ac.in/pdf/2012/Oct-Dec%202012/07%20Communication%20II%20-%20Time%20Waste%20And%20Delays%20In%20Construction%20Projects.pdf