Having no experience with BIM at all, the assigned reading article was a good introduction to the uses and benefits of the software, and a good background reading to help me better understand the other articles that I read. The next article I chose to read, Software Strategy: BIM Comparison, was also a good summary of BIM software, and gave overviews of several BIM software programs. From this article, I learned that some BIM software programs, like Autodesk Architecture Desktop, can be linked to drawing programs, in this case, AutoCAD, so that the two programs communicate. This is beneficial because someone who is proficient in CAD but not necessarily in BIM software programs can use CAD while still getting the benefits of BIM software. Changes made in the CAD drawings will update the BIM model, almost making CAD into a BIM program. Other programs, like Bentley, can be really powerful BIM software programs but can be very hard to learn. This means that modeling can take a long time and therefor cost firms more money to use. However, having a staff that is able to use a program like Bentley proficiently can be a huge asset, as it can be used to aid in the scheduling, cost analysis, and engineering analysis for the project.
This article was directly applicable to the second article I chose to read, BIM and the Structural Engineering Community. This article talks about how the implementation of BIM can be controversial in some areas of the field of structural engineering. For small firms where drafting and design are done by most of the same people, BIM seems to fit in pretty seamlessly. In larger firms where there is a designated drafting department, the place for BIM can be a little unclear: should the engineers be in charge of BIM modeling, of should the drafters? As discussed in the first article I read, this can also depend on who is trained in BIM modeling. If it is necessary for a company to have to learn how to use the software, its implementation into their design process may not be in their best interest. However, if it is mastered and used to its full potential, the software can be used to not just model but also in planning, estimating and analyzing a structure. Even still, this second article makes a good point that, no matter how powerful BIM software may be, it is only as useful as the user allows it to be.
Based on both of these readings, it seems that BIM is really an up-and-coming software in the field of structural engineering (as of the time these articles were written). But, it seems that what is stopping it from being completely accepted is the lack of training or experiencing in using the software. It appears that this is something that will change over time and that maybe years down the road, BIM software will be how the majority of structural design is performed.
It is true that BIM has a higher upfront cost in training, computing power, etc., but the long term costs will be less due to a more efficient design process. I agree that the switch to BIM is hard for some companies. The companies that switch sooner will be able to get ahead. I think that BIM use will increase rapidly and the time before it becomes an essential design tool is not many years away.
ReplyDeleteI think that BIM operators could present a new job market, but at the same time I think it is essential as engineers to become proficient for, as you say, the majority of design will be performed using BIM. I anticipate that many companies will be able to perform more design with less engineers. If the BIM is performed by someone other than the engineers, the effect is only exacerbated. As someone who would like job security for the rest of my life, I want to be valuable for both engineering design and the ability to use BIM software.
ReplyDeleteI think that is an interest point about the future of drafters and engineers, and how the use of BIM will impact their place in the industry. I have to think that increased use of BIM will benefit engineers more, and cause drafting positions to become obselete. The methodology of parametric modeling is more closely related to the tasks that engineers are responsible for in a construction project; knowing the limitations of the design, which measurements must be independant, and which are dependant on those (auto-updating...). Also, it seems likely to me that, as BIM continues to be used more and more, there will be a synthesis between BIM and programs like SAP/STAAD. Structural analysis will be conducted simultaneously as the geometry is defined and redefined. Engineers would need to analyze these outputs, not drafters. Essentially we would be cutting out the middleman, which is a trend that BIM seems to be fond of.
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