BIM integration and implementation are not new. I have been talking about it for some time and I can confidently say that this is slowly gaining a foothold in India. BIM is catching the eye of various construction firms and contractors, professionals, government bodies, educational institutes and so on. But the country still has a long way to go in the widespread adoption of BIM technology. Perhaps it will help if we take notes from other nations that are using it in various spheres.

Here are a few stellar examples of BIM technology in use by various nations and what we can learn from them:

UAE:

Expo 2020 is a stellar architectural contribution to UAE’s landscape. It is capturing the imagination of millions around the globe. A little bit of background for those of you who are hearing about it for the first time – it is a $6.8 billion project. It’s designed to welcome 270,000 visitors per day and the area enclosed will be 2,000,000 square meters with 2,400,000 square meters designated for various amenities and facilities. Over 80 percent of the site is going to be reused or repurposed.

Such a strategically important project is depending on a solid BIM strategy. It is based on the delivery of intelligent 3D models as well as Industry Foundation Classes data. BIM will be prominent throughout the project life cycle. This BIM application in construction will help all the stakeholders to understand, communicate, and manage coordination more effectively than ever. Additionally, it will offer a streamlined approach for all users. The various teams involved in the project log-in as well as navigate either the state-wide model or individual project models without having to go for extensive software installation and training requirements.

It is expected that with BIM there will be 24/7 model access and therefore, reduce dependency on manual as well as offline processes for sharing the information. Moreover, the design coordination, as well as clash detection, may have already helped in saving millions and in reducing scheduling delays.

That’s not all. BIM models integrated with specific cloud-based software has helped the project designers to analyze pedestrian behaviors or identify bottlenecks. It’s hard to believe that this would have been possible without BIM.

UK:

It is well-known that the UK is undergoing multiple transformations when it comes to the public transportation system. Among those is a project called High Speed 2, a high-speed railway that connects London to Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester, and possibly all the way to Scotland. This project is planned in two phases, including the 119-mile London to the West Midlands as Phase 1, and a Y-like connector to both Manchester and Leeds as Phase 2.

It is obvious that HS2 is a complex technical system. It involves communications, power, earthworks, tracks, structures, noise mitigations, and detailed control systems. As can be expected, the project has multiple stakeholders. A key consideration is the impact the construction will have on the cities as well as the countryside. Completing the project within the set deadlines and allotted budget is a formidable challenge, one that UK hopes to overcome by using BIM and allowing the project to collect, organize, and communicate the data using one of the most detailed visual models around. This has become a key element in the delivery effort. There’s a real sense that the building the model can be used to educate the stakeholders as well. The UK’s positive experience with leveraging BIM for saving time, effort, and money in public infrastructure projects is now common knowledge. I fully expect the HS2 to add to that set of BIM success stories.

Norway

In Oslo, Norway, the Gardermoen Terminal 2 is not only a major construction project with over 100 contractors but also works as a functioning international airport. The location is the main challenge because the builders need to take into consideration the safety, the airport security as well as smooth operations. Airport operations cannot be hampered even as the work goes on to double the floor area of the building. The project leverages BIM to provide a guiding model for the contractors. They also use BIM for accommodating the existing infrastructure into their plans. With accurate information about the existing structures, they aim to achieve a renovation that is easy, painless, and cost-efficient. They have used Open BIM and managed various changes using 3D models for creating an enhanced experience for the users. This suggests that BIM can be implemented and adopted even in the most complex of scenarios.

These are noteworthy projects leveraging BIM from three countries. But it doesn’t stop only at specific large projects and initiatives. The BIM adoption movement is picking up pace. France had decided as far back as 2014 that it would develop 500,000 houses in a tight deadline, and they chose to use BIM. The French government’s initiative also paid due consideration to sustainability in that decision. Driven by the value they expected; the French government also launched an R & D project to develop BIM standards for wider use. Spain, on the other hand, has a BIM Commission sponsored by the Ministry of Public Works for BIM to be applied in buildings in 2018 and in infrastructure in 2019.

There are many great examples out there. But where does India stand? To my mind, our nation is embracing a digital transformation in so many business areas. In that light, it is a given that BIM collaboration will also catch on. I believe that the first step to the widespread adoption of BIM in India will have to be making BIM usage mandatory in India’s public infrastructure projects -and I know we will get there eventually.

Building Information Modeling helps in generating an intelligent multi-dimensional digital representation of the functional and physical characteristics of a facility. It gives engineers, architects, and construction professionals/builders key insights for planning, designing, and building infrastructural facilities efficiently by facilitating seamless team collaboration. The successful implementation of BIM results in increased productivity, reduced wastage, cost control, and an improved ROI on the overall construction investment. But is that just what we say?

Well no. BIM application in construction has been transforming the construction industry ever since the mid-‘80s. Thirty years later, today, the world has taken to BIM technology to streamline and ease the infrastructural designing and execution. Countries around the world have benefited from BIM integration into their Construction Services Management.

As per a McGraw Hill report, two-thirds of the users of Architectural BIM Modeling have reported a positive ROI on their investments.

• 83% of the expert BIM users experienced a positive ROI
• 93% of the users strongly believed in the potential of gaining more value in the future

The report offers some great examples of construction projects across the globe that have benefitted from the use and implementation of BIM services. There are, of course, other such great examples too. Here are 15 stats that prove that BIM delivers value:

1. University of Colorado, Denver Health Sciences Centre

An 11-story bio-medical facility spread over 540,000 sq ft area with an expected budget of USD 201 million. BIM delivered:

• 74% reduction in construction Request for Information (RFI) during the foundation phase
• 47% reduction in construction RFI during the steel erection phase
• An overall decrease of 37% in the coordination of RFI
• The project progressed two months ahead of the scheduled completion timeline and six months ahead of another comparable project
• The project team estimated a reduction of 50% in both labour and in crashing of the work schedule

2. Sutter Health Medical Centre, Castro Valley

This is a notable project that implemented BIM. A USD 320 million project that reported a savings of over USD 1.2 million!

3. Department of Energy, US

A USD 100 million project spread over 45,000 sq ft area saved a whopping USD 10 million on the estimated project cost through the clash detection features of BIM. The team found about 500 serious problems that were rectified during the design stage driving the massive cost saving on the project.

4. Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn, Atlanta

An expansive project was constructed at an estimated budget of USD 46 million. The facility is spread over an area of 484,000 sq ft. It consisted of 14 stories, 242 hotel rooms, parking space for 700 vehicles, and a 25,00 sq ft retail space at the ground level. By using BIM at the design phase:

• 55 clashes were identified at early design development stage, helping in reducing the cost by USD 124,500
• Over the period of the entire design phase, more than 590 more clashes were detected
• The overall estimated cost savings on the project were USD 800,000

5. Nagpur Metro Rail Project, India

It is one of the major infrastructure development projects in India today. In this project, an elevated metro corridor, spanning over 38.2 km across the city with 36 stations and 2 depots is being constructed. The construction team has reported that with BIM:

• 12% of cost savings have been reported so far in terms of logistics and staff days. This is expected to rise to 15% by the end of the project
• The anticipated reduction in overhead costs by the end of the project is 5%
• An 8% cost saving is expected over the DPR projected costs
• An overall cost saving of 10% has been recorded so far which amounts to be INR 800 crore approximately

6.    Tata Consultancy (TCS) Mumbai, India

The Indian IT giant was duplicating an already built building at one of its campuses spread over an area of 74,000 sq ft. The biggest challenge the team faced was the unavailability of as-built data. The construction drawings that were available only available were substantially different from the actual building and no accurate as-built data was available. The team used BIM to build a model focussing on Clash Detection and Resolution (CDR).

• Estimated time-frame using conventional method for coordination was three months
• With BIM, the team completed this in one month which resulted in time-saving of around 66%

Of course, these savings in time, cost, effort, and improvement in construction quality is the norm rather than the exception when using BIM. And Mechanical Electrical Plumbing (MEP) and Building Services Engineering folks agree.

An elaborate survey to assess the many characteristics of BIM usage and implementation by Becerik-Gerber and Rice highlighted the following:

• 41% of the respondents realized an overall increase in project profitability
• 55% of respondents said that BIM helped in cutting project costs
• Out of that 55 %, 50% claimed a staggering 50% cut in the project costs
• 58% of respondents found a 50% reduction in the overall project duration

There is no longer any room for doubt. These stats prove the importance of BIM in delivering higher ROI from the investments made in construction. BIM achieves this through controlling costs, better planning, saved time and accurate estimations for raw material and time. It’s time for you to consider your own BIM Implementation Plan and BIM Execution strategy.

Waste” is never good. We are all becoming more conscious of our processes as well as the repercussions on the economy, people, and the environment. The same can be said of the construction industry too. I have been fascinated with the concept of Building Lean for a while and this blog is about that.

‘Building Lean’, means to eliminate and minimize waste over the construction process, thereby enhancing efficiency and conserving resources. This refers to waste generated by every process, from the ordering of excess materials to duplicating tasks within a workflow.

Why should we turn to Lean principles of building? Let me make a comparison, automation has driven a 3.6% spike in global labour productivity in manufacturing over the last 20 years. In contrast, the construction industry has only seen a 1% improvement in the same time frame.

How do we embrace the Lean Building approach? And can Building Information Modeling (BIM) help?

Efficiency is everything

The skillsets and expertise that go into each project are very diverse. Different kinds of professionals come together on each project. This can be an issue, especially when its without clear communication protocols. This can create conflict, delayed outcomes, errors, and miscommunication. This WILL reduce overall efficiency.

The Building Lean model shifts the focus from individual work and ownership to teamwork. Building Lean focuses on the overall efficiency of a project within individual work silos. To achieve this, BIM is a great way to go since your entire project is modeled and planned meticulously. Most issues and conflicts are identified and solved beforehand. Once construction begins, you have an agreed-upon model to follow as a single frame of reference. This eliminates the scope for disagreements or conflict. When everything is planned beforehand, putting it in place is a lot easier, making the entire project more efficient.

Using materials smarter

When it comes to Building Lean, the clear aim is to eliminate waste, and a very big contributor to waste is poor inventory management. Sometimes in construction, you may not require all of the materials for immediate use. Materials that are not needed in the now are considered excess inventory. This chokes the budget, takes up space and even depreciates in value over time. Poor planning results in over-ordering of specific materials or of ordering materials that may not be needed later.

With BIM in place, you can drive much better estimates of what is needed and order only what is needed, when it is needed. This, obviously, reduces waste.

Marked improvements in containing safety hazards

Better planning results in more transparency, better communication, and more accountability for safety. One of the grim sides of the construction business is the lives lost due to accidents or improperly provided safety measures or training. But when you’re Building Lean, all this is tackled at earlier stages.

BIM is a wonderful way to drive this value too since it involves the transparent mapping and planning of the project at every stage. One can foresee possible conflicts or hazards at different stages of the project and eliminate or be prepared for it. By staying one step ahead safety can be maintained.

The hidden costs of waste

An inefficient project will bleed losses in the form of time, resources, materials, and more. Waste inflates cost. In construction, waste is not limited to just the resource itself, but also the chain reaction of waste that takes place as a result.

For example, if you place an order for an incorrect material. You have wasted the human resource’s expertise and time, as they could have been more productive if they were sourcing the right materials. You are wasting the material itself, which comes at a cost. You will be wasting time in the process of returning the materials which will result in a drain of energy, expertise, and money. You will also expend unnecessary labour, which could have been used elsewhere. Wastage is a blackhole that draws money, time, and effort into its vortex.

Building ownership

Like any project in any field, ownership is very important. And the lean method of building strives to uplift the entire project by empowering and enabling independent teams to be more efficient. Collaboration on this scale is impossible without ownership, and that’s a big part of a successful lean building model.

Again, to sound a bit like a broken record but the best way to achieve this is by employing BIM. This will help teams work with synergy to create an accurate representation of the entire project. With this sort of blueprint in place, it makes it easier for teams to identify their roles and responsibilities and carry them out efficiently.

Bringing it all together with BIM

I guess it must be clear by now that I’m interested in Building Lean because of the potential to apply BIM. The sole objective of BIM is to build efficiently. All the software, processes, and expertise that go into formulating and following these models have efficiency at the heart. This means a marked reduction of waste, the safety of the workers, quicker project turnaround, and elimination of errors at early stages. And isn’t that what Building Lean is about too?

According to a survey by McGraw Hill Construction, 84% of construction companies stated that they witnessed better quality projects after making the switch to leaner methods of building. 80% of the surveyed companies said that they improved customer experiences and satisfaction. 77% saw a spike in productivity and improved safety on site. I believe it’s clear that Building Lean is much more than just a passing trend in construction. It is the natural evolution of the industry. This is why I am personally extremely excited to watch these trends unfold, and watch early adopters reap in the rewards!