An Indian Perspective on Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the Construction Industry 2013 Dr. G. S.

Kame, Professor, M H Saboo Siddik College of engineering, Byculla. Dr. S. K. Ukrande, Principal, Yadavrao Tasgaonkar Institutes of Engineering & Technology Abstract: An infrastructure project consist of a multifaceted set of relationships, between peoples with different professional backgrounds working together to accomplish a very intricate goal. The quality of information on which infrastructure project are based should be of the highest possible standard. Presently two dimensional drawings on which conventional construction is based is very much time taking and cumbersome. This is the source of some major shortcomings in the construction industry. By transforming the quality of information used in building industry, BIM aims to change construction practice completely. After describing and explaining these problems, the way in which BIM promises to provide solutions is examined in detail. Keywords: Construction. Introduction Building information modeling (BIM) is a latest development which involves generation and management of digital demonstrations of physical and functional characteristics of a building. The ensuing building information models turn into shared data source to support decisionmaking about construction of building from earliest conceptual stages, through design and construction, through its operational life and eventual demolition. It is a new approach to building design, construction, and management which has changed the way industry professionals worldwide think about how technology can be applied to building design, construction, and management. Building information modeling supports the continuous and immediate availability of project design scope, schedule, and cost information that is high quality, reliable, integrated, and fully coordinated. BIM allows to fully and truly construct a building virtually, and in detail. During the BIM-design phase the materials not only can be Building information modeling, BIM, Two dimensional, Infrastructure,

selected and placed to model the finished structure including concrete slabs, rebar, steel structure, wall and ceiling components, plumbing and electrical fittings but also can be tested for all such parts of conflicts (clash detection) to ensure everything completed together perfectly. BIM is, essentially, the intersection of two critical ideas: 1. Keeping critical design information in digital form makes it easier to update and share and more valuable to the firms creating and using it. 2. Creating real-time, consistent relationships between digital design data with innovative parametric building modeling technology can save significant amounts of time and money and increase project productivity and quality. The BIM concept The building information model is a project as well as a process simulation. BIM simulates the construction project in a virtual environment. A simulation has the advantage of taking place in a computer through the use of a software package. Virtual building implies that it is possible to practice construction, to experiment, and to make adjustments in the project before it is actualized. Virtual mistakes generally do not have serious consequences, provided that they are identified and addressed early enough that they can be avoided in the field (the actual construction of the project). When a project is planned and built virtually, most of its relevant aspects can be considered and communicated before the instructions for construction are finalized. The use of computer simulations in the building construction field is revolutionary. Various manufacturing industries have been very successfully applying simulation techniques for decades. Many construction companies have now also successfully applied similar techniques to their building projects, even though critics claim that simulations will only benefit repetitive production processes, and that construction is by definition unique. The nature of the building information model A building information model is a project simulation consisting of the 3D models of the project components with links to all the required information connected with the projects planning, construction or operation, and decommissioning. This section describes the 3D models, the information contained or attached to these models, and the nature of the links among the individual models, the components, and the information. The complications of this varied array of information containers can be daunting, and it is important to understand the basic nature of these concepts so that it becomes possible to plan and manage their organization well. (Figure 1)

The goal is not simply having a BIM, but it is the project understanding generated through the creation of the BIM, and the benefits of the use of the information that is available through the BIM.

Figure 1 Various types of information included to form (courtesy, NIBS) Virtual Models Virtual models generally fall into two distinct classes: surface models and solid models. Models that are only for visualization purposes may be made with surface modelers. The components of a surface model only contain information concerning the size, shape, location, etc., which facilitates the study of the visible parameters of a project. Surface modelers cannot create solid components, because components consist of surfaces only, and will look like a solid, but in fact be hollow (Figure 2) none of the surfaces have thickness or volume characteristics. A surface model is ideal for visual images of the project, and thus well suited for aesthetic design, planning, and marketing purposes. The surface modeling software tools are often simpler to use than other modeling tools and particularly effective for presentation and communication.

Figure 2 Surface modelers.

Models that contain more information than the surface models are often referred to as smart models and are typically generated with solid modelers. Virtual construction techniques primarily employ solid modelers because they allow the simulation of much more than merely the visual aspects of a building project. The nature and handling of building information in a simulation can take on a variety of forms. A solid model has the additional advantage of having the possibility to generate 2D views that can be developed into conventional construction documentation. This means that a solid model can first be used to develop the project concept and details, after which the views of this virtual project can be turned into the drawings required for the permitting and construction process. In theory a BIM should be able to communicate all project information so that no 2D drawings will be necessary; but in reality the software tools and permitting processes will have to develop further, before the need for 2D drawings can be eliminated. Parametric object modeling Parametric object modeling provides a powerful way to create and edit geometry. Without it, model generation and design would be extremely cumbersome and error-prone, as was found with disappointment by the mechanical engineering community after the initial development of solid modeling.

Figure 3 Parametric object modeling

Designing a building that contains a hundred thousand or more objects would be impractical without a system that allows for effective low-level automatic design editing. Figure 3, developed using Generative Components by Bentley, is an example custom parametric assembly. The example shows a curtain wall model whose main geometric attributes are defined and controlled parametrically. The model is defined by a structure of center lines dependent on few control points. Different layers of components are propagated on and around the center lines, adapting to global changes on the overall shape and subdivisions of the curtain wall. The parametric models were designed to allow a range of variations that were defined by the person defining the parametric model. It allows the different alternatives shown to be generated in close to real time. Model intelligence Model intelligence refers to the fact that information may be contained in a 3D virtual model. Some of this information is physical; in other words it will contain information about the nature of an object because it is a simulation of an actual object. This physical information includes the dimensions of the object (its size), the location of the object in relation to the location of the other objects in the model, the quantity of objects in the model, and other parametric (embedded) information about the object. Parametric information refers to the information that distinguishes one particular component from another one that is similar. This may refer to a wall, all walls have wall qualities in common, but each actual wall, although made with the same wall tool, may have different parametrics; its dimensions, or material makeup (wood or metal studs, type of sheetrock, etc.), or supplier information, etc., may vary. Each aspect of this type of information can be programmed into the specific wall object so that it accurately represents what the project requires. Since this information will be contained in each of the model components (or objects), it can also be retrieved and used, and thus constitutes a smart model. Solid modeling with parametric components is also called object-based modeling. Links Linking refers to the interconnection of different sources of information. This information may be part of the 3D model, or it could be contained in another format separate from the model file itself, such as in a schedule, a spreadsheet, a database, or as a text document. Model to information link

Parametric object information is information that is part of a specific object in the project model. The nature of the link is automatic; it is usually simple to edit the model object to reflect whatever changes are required in the information. Model-to-model link Another common link in BIM exists in the interoperability of various models that may have been created by different software tools. This is a very demanding area, and there is a large effort going into the development of standards to define interoperability between models. The International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) has created a uniform platformfile formatfor software developers; this is called the international foundation class (IFC) format. This means that for a model to be able to be compatible with models created by other software tools, it is necessary for all of them to be translatable into a uniform file format, so that all the objects information can be transferred correctly. In most cases it is a challenge for such a translation to retain all the information that the model contained in its original native file format. Project information Successful project management relies on access to information and its proper management. One of the chief advantages of a BIM is the fact that all the information related to a project can now be contained in, or linked to, the BIM. It is a challenge, however, to manage this complex array of information containers well. The processes of the BIM The processes related to the project simulation and the virtual 3D models of the project can be separated into, 1. The processes enabling the owner to develop an accurate understanding of the nature and needs of the purpose for the project 2. The processes enabling the design, development, and analysis of the project 3. The processes enabling the management of the construction of the project 4. The processes related to the management of the operations of the project during its actual use Such processes describe what happens with the information from the building information model to achieve our stated goals. The benefits of the BIM

Many of the benefits of the BIM will be viewed as direct benefits, although the largest benefits actually are the indirect benefits. Direct benefits are qualities such as the improved visualization and the centralization of (project) building information. The indirect benefits include the necessity for collaboration and the resulting better project understanding, and the reduction of project risk. Visualization, collaboration, and elimination are the three main headings under which the benefits of the BIM are organized. Visualization The clearest benefit from a 3D model is the improved ability to visualize (understand) what is being represented. Many persons have difficulty in understanding 2D drawings; yes, even those who pride themselves in this skill are sometimes surprised when, after studying drawings intently, something suddenly becomes clear. A 3D model, however, clearly represents the project and allows the visualization of many of its features, even with surprisingly few details. The human brain excels in its ability to abstract and to understand through the use of abstractions. Symbols are a powerful way to convey a lot of meaning with very minimal information.

Figure 4 An automated reinforcing details for precast concrete in Tekla Structures Collaboration The necessity to collaborate to employ simulation techniques in the construction industry is without doubt its greatest benefit. It has been shown repeatedly that early collaboration has large benefits for the planning and construction of a building project; thus the development of a virtual model is one of the best means of ensuring early and in-depth collaboration of the project team on most relevant planning, design, and construction issues. Elimination By virtue of the increased ability to visualize, communicate, evaluate, and coordinate through the use of a BIM, it becomes possible to speed up and improve understanding, coordination, material

use, etc., in the management of a building project. The BIM process helps to reduce construction conflicts, construction waste, and project risk (and thus likely also project cost). Conflicts can be identified more easily through the centralization of access to all information regarding the project. Conflicts in location, scheduling, etc., can be detected in the various views of the BIM. It is of course critical that all the sources of information that enable this process be synchronized in space, in time, and in format (see BIM planning). An Indian perspective BIM is next generation construction technology that is changing the face of design in the construction industry worldwide. Though relatively new to India, it is picking up rapidly and gaining popularity amongst architects and developers. The use of BIM is primarily being driven by practicing architects and consultants in the industry, who are rightly utilizing the technology to increase work efficiency, saving time and resources. Engineers and architects are also utilizing this tool to push the design envelope and explore newer concepts and techniques in structural services and MEP requirements, as project stakeholders increasingly use BIM for improved coordination through its design and virtual building capabilities. A key benefit of BIM is the creation of an atmosphere where clients, designers, material producers and construction companies can work together with the goal of achieving the best possible solution. BIM is not just a technological solution; it helps enable new ways of working together in a more collaborative and informed process. In India BIM is also known as VDC: virtual design and construction (VDC). India is an emerging market with an expanding construction market and huge potential for large scale residential and commercial development (because of population and economical growth). It has many qualified, trained and experienced BIM professionals who are implementing this technology in Indian construction projects and also assisting teams in the USA, Australia, UK, Middle East, Singapore and North Africa to design and deliver construction projects using BIM. Overview of the major BIM design platforms famous in India BIM platforms may be used in diverse ways in building construction: by the architect for design modeling and drawing production, by an engineer for structural or energy data management, by a contractor for developing a construction coordination model, for fabrication detailing or for facility management, for example; they include varying types of tool functionality. Some are

marketed to multiple types of user. The different marketing strategies lead to packages with different collections of functionality. In this review, the major BIM platforms are considered generically, from the perspective of its primary product, with references to other products running on the same platform. Autodesk systems (Revit) Revit is the best-known and current market leader for BIM in architectural design. It was introduced by Autodesk in 2002. Revit is a completely separate platform from AutoCAD, with a different code base and file structure. It runs on both 32- and 64-bit processors and versions of the OS. As a tool, Revit provides an easy-to-use interface. Revit has a very large set of product libraries, particularly its own Autodesk SEEK library for specification and design objects. It carries information for about 850 different companies, and about 13,750 different product lines (including over 750 light fixtures). The products are defined in a mixture of file types: RVA, DWG, DWF, DGN, GSM, SKP, IES, and TXT. As a platform: Revit, as the BIM market leader, has the largest set of associated applications. Some are direct links through Revits Open API and others are through IFC or other exchange formats. These are denoted (Dir) and (IFC), respectively. DWF is another interface for Revit, denoted (Dwf). Revit is an in-memory system that slows down significantly for projects larger than about 300 megabytes. It has a few limitations on parametric rules. Bentley systems Bentley Systems offers a wide range of related products for architecture, engineering, infrastructure, and construction. Their architectural BIM tool, Bentley Architecture, introduced in 2004, is an evolutionary descendant of Triforma, an earlier product. As a platform: Bentley Microstation platform applications are file-based systems, meaning that all actions are immediately written to a file and result in lower loads on memory. The system scales well. In addition to its base design modeling tools, Bentley has a large array of additional systems, many of which acquired in support of its civil engineering products. These include: RAM Structural System GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite RAM Steel RAM Frame RAM Connection RAM Foundation Bentley Building Electrical Systems V8i for AutoCAD Facility Information Management ConstructSim Bentley Building Mechanical Systems

RAM Concrete RAM Elements RAM Concept Bentley Rebar ProConcrete STAAD.Foundation STAAD.Pro

Bentley Tas Simulator Hevacomp Dynamic Simulation Hevacomp Mechanical Designer Bentley Speedikon Architectural Bentley PowerCivil Bentley PowerRebar

Some of these products were acquired by purchasing small third-party companies and have only limited compatibility with others within the same platform. Primavera and other scheduling systems can be imported and grouped with Bentley objects for 4D simulation. Bentley Architecture interfaces include: DWG, DXF, PDF, U3D, 3DS, Rhino 3DM, IGES, Parasolid, ACIS SAT, CGM, STEP AP203/AP214, STL, OBJ, VRML, Google Earth KML, SketchUp, Collada, and ESRI SHP.As an environment: Bentley offers a well-developed and popular multiproject server, called ProjectWise Bentley offers a very broad range of building modeling tools, dealing with almost all aspects of the AEC industry. Bentleys large product offerings are partially integrated, at the data consistency and user interface levels. It thus takes more time to learn and navigate. Its heterogeneous functional modules include different object behaviors, further adding to learning challenges. The weaknesses in the integration of its various applications reduce the value and breadth of support that these systems provide individually. ArchiCAD ArchiCAD is the oldest continuously marketed BIM application for architectural design. Graphisoft, The current version of ArchiCAD is Release 14.0. ArchiCAD supports the Mac platform in addition to Windows. ArchiCAD is a 32-bit application that runs on both 32- and 64bit versions of the Windows or the Mac Snow Leopard OS. As a tool, ArchiCADs user interface is well crafted, with smart cursors, drag-over operator hints, and context-sensitive operator menus. Drawing generation in ArchiCAD is automatically managed by the system; every edit of the model is automatically placed in document layouts; details, sections, and 3D image can be easily inserted into layouts. Drawings are treated as reports and are not bidirectional. As a parametric modeling tool, ArchiCAD incorporates a very broad range of predefined parametric objects. As a platform, ArchiCAD has links to multiple tools in different domains. Some are

direct links through GDL and others are through IFC. These are denoted (GDL) and (IFC), respectively: Structural: Tekla (If), Revit Structure (If), Scia Engineer (Dir) SAP & ETABS (IFC), Fem-Design (IFC), AxisVM (IFC) ArchiCAD version 14 has an intuitive interface and is relatively simple to use. It has large object libraries and a rich suite of supporting applications in design, building systems, and facility management. It has some minor limitations in its custom parametric modeling capabilities. While ArchiCAD is an in-memory system and can encounter scaling problems with large projects. Tekla structures Tekla Structures is offered by Tekla Corp., a Finnish company founded in 1966 with offices worldwide. Tekla has multiple divisions: Building and Construction, Infrastructure, and Energy. Its initial construction product was Xsteel, which was introduced in the mid-1990s and grew to be the most widely used steel detailing application throughout the world. It is largely fi le-based and scales well. It supports multiple users working on the same project model on a server. It does not currently support B-spline or NURBS surfaces. As a tool, Tekla includes precast concrete design and fabrication-level detailing for structural and architectural precast, steel, precast concrete, timber, reinforced concrete, and for structural engineering. Recently, it has added Construction Management capabilities. As a platform, Tekla offers interface support for a wide range of other applications: Table 1 Application programming interface Application Company SAP2000 Computers & Structures, Inc STAAD Bentley STRUDS SoftTech Capabilities Structural analysis Structural design and analysis Structural design and analysis

Tekla has an open application programming interface. It also supports a very broad range of exchange formats, some those native to other applications, as shown in Table 1. Table 2 Formats Supported by Tekla Format AUTOCAD (.dwg) AUTOCAD (.dxf) Microsoft project (.xml) Microstation (.dgn) Oracle Primavera p6 (.xml) SAP, Oracle, oDBC, etc. STAAD ASCii fi le (.std) in out Import X X X X X X Export X X X X X X X

Steel Detailing Neutral Format (.sdf, .sdnf) X X Steel12000 X X Tekla supports concurrent user access to the same project, allowing reservations at the object or higher aggregation of objects level. It carries object IDs and timestamps; supporting object-level management. It has versatile ability to model structures that incorporate a wide range of structural materials and detailing. While a powerful tool, its full functionality is quite complex to learn and fully utilize. Conclusion: Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be considered an important transition in design practice. Unlike CAD, which primarily automates aspects of traditional drawing production, BIM is a prototype change. By partially automating the detailing of construction-level building models, BIM redistributes the allocation of effort, placing more emphasis on conceptual design. Other direct benefits include easy methods guaranteeing consistency across all drawings and reports, automating spatial interference checking, providing a strong base for interfacing analysis/simulation/cost applications and enhancing visualization/communication at all scales and phases of the project. BIM is a new and promising approach in India which is gradually gaining acceptance by the owners, architects, engineers, and builders. The survey explores the BIM potentials when used in the field to better communicate and integrate construction information across different trades, allowing for efficient work processes and better decisions. More specifically, the study concentrated on the deployment of the model to support planning, scheduling and tracking of the job site operations in India. Training and deployment BIM is a new IT environment, requiring training, system configuration, library and document template setup, and adaptation of design review and approval procedures, often combined with new business practices. These need to be developed incrementally, side-by-side with existing production methods, so that learning problems do not endanger the completion of current projects. References: J. Vinoth Kumar and Mahua Mukherjee Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Review 2 (1) (2009) 165-169 H. Yan and P. Demian. Benefits and barriers of Building Information Modeling. 12th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, Beijing (2008).

Gallaher et al., M. Gallaher, A. OConnor, J. Bettbarn Jr. and L. Gilday, Cost Analysis of Inadequate Interoperability in the US Capital Facilities Industry (No. GCR 04-867): National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (2004). Khemlani, L. Top Criteria for BIM Solutions, AECbytes, October issue [WWW document] URL http://www.aecbytes.com, (November 22, 2007). Handbook of Research on Building Information Modeling and Construction Informatics: Concepts and Technologies Jason Underwood University of Salford, UK Umit Isikdag Beykent University, Turkey Building Information Modeling Planning and Managing Construction Projects with 4D CAD and Simulations Willem Kymmell McGraw-Hill NIBS (2008), The National Institute of Building Sciences, website: www.nibs.org http://www.buildinginformationmodelingindia.com/