6 BIM FAILURES Thedesigniscomplete,contractsarewritten,theprojectteamisassembledandreadytobuild.Optimismisatitspeak!Tomeettheowner’sperformancerequirementsandcompletetheprojectontimewithinthebudget,constructionfieldcrewswillneedspatiallycoordinatedinstallationdrawings.TheuseofBIMforspatialcoordinationisavitallinkintheconstructionprojectsupplychain,wherethebuildingiscreatedinthevirtualworldandsoftwareisusedtofindandresolvecross-systemconflictsthatwouldotherwiseimpacttheconstructionteam.WhentheBIMlinkfailsitallowsundiscovereddesignconflictstoshutdownfieldwork,whichleadstodelays,dissention,disputes,addedcostsandclaims.ThefollowingBasepinexperienceshelpusunderstandandtakeactiontoprevent6commoncausesforBIMfailures.

1

Non-ParticipatingTeamMembersBIMspatialcoordinationdependsonmodelingallbuildingsystems.Clashanalysiscannotseeproblemswhere3Delementsaremissingsowhenoneormoreparticipantsfailtoprovide3Dcontentitimpactstheentireteam.Whenstartinganewstatepolicecrimelabprojectonesubcontractordecidestosavemoneybynotmodelingtheirpipingsystems.AsrequiredbytheBIMExecutionPlantheysigncoordinationdocumentsnotedwith“subdidnotparticipate”.Theircrewsarriveinthefieldwithpre-fabricatedsystemstostartinstallingbutareputonholdbytheGC.TheirstrategytomoveiftheyblockothertradesisrejectedbytheGCandtheyarerequiredtowaituntilothersfinishandthentofittheirsystemsintoavailablespace.TheGCandothersubsproceededtoinstallwithoutconflicts.Thenon-participatingsubabsorbedfieldmodificationcostsexceeding4timesthemoneysavedbynotdoing3Dmodeling.

2

LackofBIMContent

BIMspatialcoordinationdependsonmodelingallbuildingsystemsaccuratelyintermsofsize,location,andorientation.Whensystemsaremodeledconceptuallyinsteadofasreal-worldcontentitimpactstheentireproject.TheMEPdesignmodelprovidedat100%CDlackedpipinginsulation.Themechanicalcontractormodeledpipewithinsulationwhichincreasedverticalspatialrequirementsby14”.Toavoidconflictsintightcorridorspipingsystemswereforcedbelowtheceiling.Ceilingswereloweredtoaccommodatemechanicalbutadequatespacewasnotavailableforelectricalconduits.Thisexposedanon-buildabledesign.Onthefirstlevelelectricalfeedersweremovedtobelowgradeincurringaddedcostsanddelays.Theproblempersistedonupperlevelswhichcausedadditionaldisputesandclaims.ThedesignteamandGCwereunabletonegotiatesolutionswhichledtotheownerterminatingtheGCandforcingthebondingcompanytakeovertheproject.Theprojectisheadedtowardlitigation.

3

BIMContentIncorrect

Creatinga“perfect”modeldoesnotguaranteeagoodBIMresultifpartsofthemodelareinaccurate.Amediacentershellandcoresteelmodelusedfortenantimprovementdesignhadparallelflangeroofbeams.ThebeamsslopedupwardtothepeakallowingroomforMEPFsystemstobeinstalledabovetheceiling.TheBIMcoordinationteamcompletedaclashfreefederatedmodelaheadofconstruction.Demolitionoftheceilingsrevealedanactualconditionofhorizontalbottomflanges.TheBIMteamcreatedanas-builtstructuralmodelthatrevealedMEPFclashesthroughouttheentireupperlevel.Thisrequiredaddedclashcoordinationandfieldmodificationstothesteelstructure.TheGCandsubssubmittedchangeordersfordelaysandaddedworkthatwerepaidbytheowner.

4

BIMClashesIgnoredClashreportscannothelptheteamiftheyareignored.Theshoringmodelforamixedusecommercialprojectreportedclashesbetweentie-backsandthecitysanitarysewersystem.TheGCsuperintendentsignedoffwith“thefieldwillexposeandverifysewerpipelocations”.Tosavetimeandcosttheexplorationwasnotcompletedandtie-backdrillingwentthroughthesewer.Groutwaspumpedintothecitymainwhereithardenedandblockedflowdeepbelowcitystreets.SignificantcostsanddelayswereincurredbytheGCtoreplacethecitymain.

5

LateArrivingBIMContent

Timecriticalinformationsuchasapprovedsubmittalsisneededtoproduceaccuratemodels.WhendesigndecisionsorapprovalsaredelayedtheBIMteammayhavetoproceedwithshopdrawingsusingpreliminaryinformation.Inthiscaseitisprudenttodocumentthesefactsshouldrelatedproblemsensueduringconstruction.Ahigh-risecourthousehad18floorswithexposedconcretedecksheatedwithin-slabpexpiping.Eachdeckhadakioskdirectoryboltedtotheslab.Locationsforthekioskswerenotapproveduntilafterthedeckswerepoured.Drilledinanchorsplacedbyfieldcrewspenetratedpexpipingonnearlyeveryfloor.Thedecksweresawcuttoexposeandrepairheatingpipeandthenre-poured.TheGCandsubssubmittedchangeordersfordelaysandaddedworkthatwerepaidbytheowner.

6

BIMSolutionsNotTransferredtoFieldDrawingsOncetheBIMteamhascreatedthe“perfect”modeltheirworkisnotdone.Theymustusethemodeltodevelopfullycoordinatedfieldinstallationdrawings.IfadisconnecthappensatthispointthemoneyspentonBIMiswastedandfieldcrewsarelefttodiscovertheconflicts.Itbecomeseveryoneforthemselvesandtraditionalchangeordersystemsarewieldedtorecovercosts.IftheownerpaidforawellwrittenBIMExecutionPlan,thentheconstructionteamisresponsibletomakeitright.IftheBEPdoesn’texistorispoorlywrittenallpartiesareexposedtoriskandpotentialdisputesandclaims.Thesprinklercontractormodeledandcoordinateda3storysciencebuilding100%clashfree.Theshopfabricatedpipeandtheybeganfieldinstallation.Withinacoupleofdays,theirsuperintendentapproachedtheGCclaiming“othertradesarehitting40%ofmypipe!”Investigationshowedthatjobsitecrewswereworkingwithnon-coordinatedpermitsetdrawings.AninterviewwiththemodelerrevealedthattherewasnointernalcommunicationbetweenBIMandthefieldgroup.Whenaskedwhytheyhadgonetotheexpenseof3Dmodelingtheyanswered“itwasacontractualrequirement”.Thesprinklermodelwasproducedasrequiredbycontractbutclashfreeroutingwasnotusedtoupdatethefieldconstructiondrawings.Thesubboreallcostsforfieldmodifications.

BIM technology is a great

advantage when used effectively.

Here are

3 ways that

Basepin Solutions

can create

BIM success:

1 EnabletheBIMTeamtoCreateaCollaborativeCultureBybringingprojectparticipantsintoonecentralsystem,ideasandsolutionsareshared,andallparticipantsbringvaluableknowledgeandexpertisetothebenefitofall.

Basepin’sapproachissimpleyetpowerful.

Basepinmethodologyandtechnologyempowersowners,designersandcontractorstobecometheprojectteam.Comingtogethercontractuallyandtechnologicallyhelpstheteamfocusoncollaborationandsuccess.BasepinprojectteamsworkwithinanintegratedBuildingInformationManagementSystemdesignedtomanageshareddigitalinformationandparticipantworkflow.

2 UseBIMtoSupportJobsiteClaimResolutionWiththeuseofBIMgeometricspaceisreservedforeachtradesysteminstallationasagreeduponthroughasignatureSuperplotprocess.Projectparticipantsareprotectedagainstanycontractorswhomdeviatefromtheagreeduponspace,ordonotparticipatefully,resultinginaBIMFailure.

Basepinkeepseveryoneontrack.

Collaboratewiththeowner,architectandcontractortodevelopprojectcentricagreementsthatclearlyspellouttheroles,responsibilities,anddeliverablesforallparticipantsoftheBIMcoordinationteam.ReplacetraditionalinefficientpaperbasedchangemanagementsystemswithBIMfriendlyrulessuchasAIAE203G201DigitalDataandG202BIMprotocols.

3 DriveBIMSuccessOutcomesBIMisapowerfultoolwiththepotentialtorevolutionizehowbuildingsarebuilt.Whenthingsdonotgoasexpectedwecanlearnandmakechangestofutureprojects.Basepin’sapproachistolookatallfactorsandcontinuallyimprovetheprocess.Thesearethecoreprinciplesthathavebeenimplementedonthemostsuccessfulprojects:

Basepinisretoolingtheindustry.

UseBIMtoolstoverifythatthedesigncanbebuiltspatiallypriortoprocurementofconstructioncontracts.DoingBIMwhilebuildingwillnotgetridofallimpactstothescheduleandmaystillincreasecostssincecontractsumshavebeenset.Varioussolutionscanbeusedtosupportthisgoalsuchas:

• productionofafullycoordinateddesignmodel• designteamassistsupportfromBIMcapableMEPF

contractors• blendeddesignteamofplanandspecconsultantsand

design-buildcontractors

Letusknowhowwecanhelpmeetyourrequirements!

Contactustodiscussyourprojectneedsorgetaquote.Basepin,Inc.Kenmore,WAinfo@basepin.com1.888.418.2224TollFreewww.basepin.com