The latter half of chapter two in the BIM handbook explains the criteria by which different BIM platforms are evaluated. It then proceeds to evaluate the major platforms available on the market today. From this evaluation, I see that, although there are some clear front runners, the different platforms are designed to serve different purposes. While there will undoubtedly be some which will fail to compete and ultimately be overtaken by larger companies, I do not foresee there being one software which will be used universally. I instead expect there to be a small handful of platforms, each specially suited to the sectors they service.
I also read an article boasting the benefits of BIM for home builders in a struggling economy. “BIM for Builders” explains how the trade suffers great economic losses from material waste, change orders and design flaws. Builders have responded by cutting costs wherever possible. Incorporating BIM into design and construction can greatly increase the productivity and efficiency of the company. Recent advances in some of the available software have made it possible for suppliers to acquire necessary information directly from the BIM files available through online portals. This can eliminate the need for suppliers to rework designs and ensure accurate components are delivered to the site.
In this way BIM becomes a tool that assists in the Lean building process in which there is an overall reduction in waste and on-site storage of materials, a streamlining of scheduling to avoid unnecessary labor costs and the redoing of work. While it can be costly upfront for a company to switch over to BIM, start-up companies have the unique ability to incorporate BIM from the very beginning. When the economy returns, there will be a vacuum due to the large number of firms that simply could not weather the shortage of work, and new companies will spring up in their place. Between the construction companies’ desperation to keep costs low, and the new design firms’ ability to use BIM on a large scale, the market will soon be in a position to take great advantage of BIM.
It is an interesting observation to point out how BIM can reduce the amount of waste produced in the construction process. I had always thought about how BIM would reduce the amount of time wasted due to its ability to create detailed schedules so easily, but didn't think about how this could also be used to reduce the amount of material that is discarded. This makes me think of the example our guest lecturer gave where the sprinkler piping needed to be "bumped up" in order to go over a ventilation system. Instead of having to have the sprinkler piping redone (and therefor, throwing out a bunch of perfectly good piping), BIM software showed that the piping needed to be bumped up to allow room for other systems. Time and material, and therefor, a bunch of money, were saved because of this.
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