How can BIM help construction managers?
Construction projects are complex and structured endeavors which has a lot of interconnected elements and people that need to be coordinated. The process of managing them is done by construction manager. They are responsible for planning, coordinating, budgeting and supervising construction projects from start to finish. This is a herculean task wherein they end up taking a variety of responsibilities like attending meetings, making phone calls, ensuring the products are delivered on time, writing reports etc. These tasks become extremely difficult when they have to rely on tools which are not specific to the construction industry like excel for tracking resources. Here, if Building Information Modelling is used it provides the construction manager an ease in coordination and management. BIM has all the tools which would lead to better tracking of resources, scheduling, workflows, costing etc. It could help them increase onsite safety of the construction of the workers.
In the current article we will be looking at the ways in which construction managers can benefit by using BIM Services.
Table of Contents
For better on-site construction process:
The very advantage of BIM is that it streamlines onsite construction process. It drastically reduces the chances of errors which makes things easier for construction managers. Its cloud-based collaboration system means that any changes made in the 3D model are instantly updated and visible for everyone to see. This means that all the stakeholders are aware and no errors arise out of miscommunication of information. Similarly, clash detection tools are essential to detect any hard, soft or workflow clash in the planning stage following which reports are generated and sent to the concerned person for resolution. Finally, a sanity check is done to ensure that the models are clash free and only then construction documents are extracted. All this ultimately ensures that that onsite construction goes smoothly and the construction manager will have to deal with less problems.
It can augment safety:
As stated above firstly by detecting clashes and avoiding onsite errors BIM significantly reduces miscalculations which could have adverse consequences and could bring the project to a standstill. Since the virtual 3D model can be used to check out variations on design and to conduct stress tests of building or machine it prevents any accidents. Similarly, the construction manager can use drone for surveillance and gain a more accurate understanding of the site condition from the comfort of his cabin. Since drones can cover ground faster it increases speed. Moreover, the data collected can be on the BIM and a realistic track of the construction process can be made.
Workflow Scheduling with BIM:
With BIM it is possible to link the 3D model with schedule or time related information. Moreover it allows incorporate the start and finish date for all the data regarding the supply and installation of materials and components. The construction manager can thus come to know when the exact time a given resource is going to arrive which removes the challenge that is generally associated with traditional scheduling. With Clash Detection Services and its tools like Navisworks it is also possible to detect a workflow clash. It is imperative that workflow clashes are avoided since even one missed clash could have a cascading effect which could jeopardize the whole construction timeline and cause a major hassle for the construction manager.
Track costs:
With 5D BIM the intelligent 3D model is linked to cost related information and also includes the generation of quantities. In the BIM model the exact quantities of building components are generated along with the purchasing rates ultimately leading to the final cost. Since the process is automated and linked to quantities any change will automatically reflect in the costing ensuring that the information remains consist with the design. Thus, the construction manager doesn’t have to constantly check if they are on budget and no human error can lead to drastic changes in
Conclusion:
Construction managers are in charge of a large number of tasks and they require all the help they can get to ensure that everything goes smooth. BIM methodology could be a possible way for them to increase their speed and bring more quality into their work.