BIM & Collaboration in the AEC Industry

120 Pages·2011·5.59 MB·English

by  Mats Thomassen

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BIM & Collaboration
in the AEC Industry

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Master of Science in Engineering - Management in the Building Industry
4th Semester
Mats Thomassen
Aalborg University
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Fibigerstraede 16
9220 Aalborg Oest
Tlf: 99407117
http://www.m-tech.aau.dk/
Thesis in
Master of Science in Engineering in Management in the Building Industry (Cand. Scient. Techn.),
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Synopsis
This project deals with the current situation in the architect,
engineering and construction industry, where use of virtual building
modelling affects the way buildings are designed and produced.
Building information modelling is a process which aims to control and
utilise the potentials from using digital software tools for collaboration
between every part of a design and construction team.
The present report analysis the current situation in the use of building
information modelling in the industry, and reflects on the processes
related to the use of these systems today. It evaluates the suitability
of today’s delivery process agreements, and how to be inspired from
modern design/process methods such as concurrent engineering.
Further, case interviews reflect the situation in Denmark, related to
the use of virtual building models, and investigates the collaboration
between operators in the industry.
There are some clear challenges in making building intelligence
modelling a time efficient and cost saving process, which the
product of this report aims to solve through some very specific
project management tools. They structure information and help to
clarify product, organisation and process for individual construction
projects.
Title
BIM and Collaboration in the AEC Industry
Project period
BL4, spring 2011
Author
Mats Thomassen
Supervisors
Kristian Birch Pedersen
Kjeld Svidt

Preface
The present report is a result of the research and work made in relation to my master thesis in
Master of Science in Engineering in Management in the Building Industry. Work is completed from
Marts to August 2011 at Aalborg University in Denmark.
The focus of this report is directed towards collaboration in the architect, engineering and
construction industry, when building information modelling and virtual building models are used in
design and construction.
All the persons which have been kind to devote time for the interviews in my research are presented
without name.
Aalborg, August 2011
Mats Thomassen
Acronyms
AEC Industry - Architect, Engineering and Construction Industry
AEC/O - Architect, Engineering, Constructors and Owners
AECS - Architect, Engineering, Constructors and Suppliers
AIA - American Institute of Architects
API - Application Programming Interface
BIM - Building Information Modelling
CE - Concurrent Engineering
ICT - Information & Communication Technology
IFC - Industry Foundation Classes
ISO - International Organization for Standardization
ISO/PAS - Publicly Available Specification
LOD - Level of Detail
POP - Product, Organisation and Process
RFID - Radio-frequency Identification
SWOT - Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
VBM - Virtual Building Model
Table of Content

1.1 Introduction 2
1.2 Readers’ Guide 3
1.3 Method 4
1.3.1 Contextual Design 4
1.3.2 Search - Find Potentials for Innovation 5
1.3.3 Select - How to Innovate 6
1.3.4 Implement - How to Make it Happen 6
1.3.5 Capture - How to Benefit from It 7

2.1 Building Information Modelling 10
2.1.1 What is BIM? 10
2.1.2 BIM as a Project Development Process 12
2.1.3 Level of Detail 15
2.1.4 Software Solutions 16
2.1.5 BIM of Today 18
2.1.6 Interoperability 19
2.1.7 Future of BIM 20
2.2 Delivery process agreements 22
2.2.1 Traditional vs. Collaborative Processes 22
2.2.2 Design-Bid-Build 22
2.2.3 Design-Build 23
2.2.4 Partnering 24
2.2.5 Public Private Partnership 25
2.2.6 Intergrated Project Delivery 26
2.2.7 Approach for BIM? 26
2.3 BIM Standards 28
2.3.1 C102 28
2.3.2 E202 30
2.3.3 Use of Standards 31
2.4 Concurrent Engineering 32
2.4.1 Activity Relations 33
2.4.2 Concurrent Engineering in the AEC Industry 33
2.5 Case Interviews 35
2.5.1 Interview with Owner 35
2.5.2 Interview with Client Advisor 38
2.5.3 Consolidation of Interviews 41
2.6 Consolidation of Search 42

3.1 Strategy 44
3.1.1 SWOT - Analysis 44
3.1.2 SWOT - Strategy Map 46
3.1.3 Strategy Discussion 47
3.1.4 Strategy 48
3.2 Problem 52
4.1 Prototype Specification 54
4.2 Product 56
4.2.1 Project Proposal 56
4.2.2 Model Structure 57
4.3 Organisation 60
4.3.1 Model Impact 60
4.3.2 Critical Assessment 61
4.2.3 Organisation Involvement 62

4.4 Process 65
4.4.1 Model Element Table 65
4.4.2 Activity Relations 67
4.5 Implementation Suggestion 69
5.1 Interview with BIM Coordinator 72

5.2 Evaluation 75
5.2.1 Project Proposal 75
5.2.2 Model Structure 75
5.2.3 Model Impact 76
5.2.4 Critical Assessment 76
5.2.5 Organisation Involvement 77
5.2.6 Model Element Table 77
5.2.7 Activity Relations 78
5.3 Implementation of Prototype 79
5.3.1 User Interface 79
5.3.2 Relations between Information 80
5.3.3 User Example 81

6.1 Project Conclusion 84