BIM EDITOR’S VIEW
Unlocking BIM E
veryone is talking about BIM, but how benefi cial is the software to building services engineers? At countless conferences, we
hear that the technology is set to deliver better- quality buildings at a lower cost through greater collaboration and earlier supplier engagement. That’s the ultimate goal, but MEP practitioners, now working on the integration of BIM into their workfl ows, don’t always fi nd the process straightforward. BIM coordinator Thomas Taggart has to build
two or three of his own models because the architect model is not complex enough for base load and thermal analysis (see page 39). The lack of services detail in BIM models is a
concern of Paddy Conaghan, of the CIBSE BIM Group (see page 36), who says government risks spending too much time focusing on process and delivery, rather than defi ning building services elements, which are fundamental to BIM. In Australia, the MEP-MEPAUS initiative
has focused on creating standard product templates for building services, allowing greater integration of a manufacturer’s product data into
MEP practitioners working on the
integration of BIM don’t always fi nd the process straightforward
the BIM model (see page 42). Working together to develop templates ensures contractors, consultants and suppliers’ requirements are taken into account, and development costs are shared. Our case study on the delivery of Heathrow
Terminal 2B (see page 40) illustrates how BIM workfl ows improved effi ciency and quality, and the addition of a timeline – BIM 4D – allowed the team to check for overlapping work zones and enabled prefabricated elements to be scheduled for delivery and installation around other works. BIM has changed how the contractor Balfour
Beatty design and procure buildings – it now creates BIM models on every bid to understand buildability – and anybody working with the big players needs to grasp the fundamentals of BIM to understand how their designs affect the project model. The impact of BIM is spreading through the
supply chain and the Journal will continue to highlight how the building services sector is responding to the challenge and making BIM work for them. Alex Smith, Editor
CONTENTS
36 SHOWING THE WAY CIBSE’s route to enlightenment
39 ON THE FRONTLINE The imperfect reality of working in BIM
46 40 SKY’S THE LIMIT
Grimshaw and Balfour Beatty embrace BIM at Heathrow Terminal 2B
46 SHARED GOALS 40
www.cibsejournal.com
Australia creates standardised BIM templates for building services
June 2013 CIBSE Journal
35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72