Survival in todays highly competitive building and construction industry, particularly for small and medium businesses, requires some creative thinking and a bold, comprehensive long-term strategy.

Beyond streamlined business and operational systems, firms must find a way compete in a market with fewer project opportunities, lower profit margins and smaller staff. They must also make the shift to more collaborative and integrated project delivery methods, tools and techniques that likely include building information modeling (BIM) and virtual construction processes.

Enabling a comprehensive BIM and integrated project delivery workflow demands a comparable hardware implementation strategy that streamlines virtual connections, delivers mobile flexibility, facilitates cloud computing and offers the scalability to grow efficiently and affordably as business opportunities emerge.

A successful BIM hardware execution plan that includes the power, flexibility and scalability of desktop and mobile workstations likely begins with the way an AEC firm approaches the virtual building environment, specifically software selection.

Suite SuccessTodays BIM solutions require significant processing power, memory and storage with multi-processors, as well as a professional graphics card and network connections. Software developers like Autodesk are moving to more manageable, IT-friendly suite solutions to facilitate complex workflows such as managing a buildings lifecycle from design through construction and continuing into operations.

As an example, Autodesk recently introduced its Autodesk Building Design Suite, which combines design, engineering and visualization tools for building for a single price and available on a thumb drive. Built to provide building project teams with tools that address both CAD and BIM workflows, the Building Design Suite provides the flexibility to respond to changing project requirements.

Brian Haines, industry marketing manager for Building Industry Solutions for Autodesk, says, The new suite has been created to specifically address CAD and BIM workflows across the building design and construction lifecycle which can help building professionals design, visualize, analyze, document and build more effectively.

Providing all of the tools that building professionals need in a suite can help reduce training time and minimize support headaches for tools and methodologies. It can also, simplify software purchasing and licensing management challenges, allow IT managers to support extended project team members who deal with a proliferation of software packages and diverse file formats.

Specifically, the Autodesk Building Design Suite Premium edition is designed for architects and engineers who can benefit from an optimized set of tools including the Autodesk Revit family of products (Architecture, Structure and MEP), the AutoCAD family of products (AutoCAD, Architecture, MEP, Structural Detailing), Autodesk SketchBook Designer and Autodesk 3ds Max Design software and Autodesk Showcase.

The Ultimate edition includes the products above as well as Autodesk Navisworks Manage, Autodesk Quantity Takeoff, Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Building Design Suite Premium.

Autodesk system recommendations for the Premium integrated suite of products includes: Windows 7 on a 64-bit Quad Core CPU (such as a 3.0 GHz or Higher Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon Dual Core with SSE2 technology), 8GB of RAM, a display adapter capable of 24-bit color and 256 MB DirectX 10 capable graphics card with Shader Model 3. The system should also have 22 GB of free space.

Mano Gialusis, senior product marketing manager with Dell, says, Remember, these recommendations are just to run the applications at optimal performance. The biggest factor in hardware selection is likely the size of the models a firm expects to develop. Megabytes of BIM file size directly impact RAM requirements.

BIM and the High-Performance Workstation, Part 2Build back end performance to drive integrated project delivery workflow

The biggest factor in hardware selection is likely the size of the models a firm expects to develop. Megabytes of BIM files directly impact RAM requirements.

Mano Gialusis, senior product marketing manager for Dell

DesignGroup, a leading provider of BIM-driven design processes in the upper Midwest, learned this lesson early in its BIM adoption on one of its first projects.

Mobile BoostWhile working on the 233,000-sq-ft Butler Health Systems New Patient Tower project, the design team relied on Revit Architecture to consolidate the architectural, structural and MEP design models. The project team relied on Autodesk Navisworks products for clash detection of design models and subcontractor models, to coordinate the project throughout construction.

Brian Skripac, director of BIM for the DesignGroup says, We knew immediately that we needed greater power and more flexible system to continue forward. Managing multiple large file sizes for day-to-day modeling and design tasks became taxing, even generating renderings were difficult with our existing workstations which were running on a 32-bit platform.

For added mobility, the firm invested in Dell Precision M4500 mobile workstations which included a 15.6-in. screen, the Intel Core i7 processor, Windows 7 Professional, and NVIDIA QuadroFX 800M graphics and a 128GB high-speed, highly reliable solid-state drive (SSD), 8 GB DDR3 SDRAMall at about 6.0 lbs. The firm also uses docking stations with external 22-in. Dell UltraSharp widescreen flat panel displays to give staff a full desktop replacement experience when in the office.

For those who need fixed solutions, the Dell Precision workstations are designed for compute-intensive environments like 3D modeling, simulation and visualization. Designed for performance, reliability, and scalability in environments where space is at a premium, the Dell Precision T5500 fixed workstation incorporates a 64-bit multi-core Intel Xeon processors, impressive graphics, and exceptional memory capacity that work together in a compact chassis. For instance, the 32nm 6-core Intel Xeon Processor X5600 Series with Intel Quick Path Interconnect Technology provides high-speed interconnect between independent processing cores and increased performance with Intel Turbo Boost Technology.

Mobile MadnessIn general, more AEC firms are choosing mobile HPGWs to improve access to BIM models from the jobsite, remote work locations, and satellite offices. An increasingly mobile workforce depends on the power, flexibility and scalability of these workstations to maximize BIM. Mobile workstations are uniquely well-suited to collaborative workflows facilitated by BIM solutions such as Autodesks Building Design Suite 2012. Gialusis says, Designed for people who work in the BIM environment and similar computation intensive professions, mobile workstations have the same capabilities as some desktop workstations and far outpace standard desktops. Project teams including architects, engineers and contractors will have no problem pulling up large, complex models with speed and ease.

Dells M4600 and M6600 mobile workstations for instance offer creative power with optional Intel Core i7-2920XM Quad Core Extreme Edition processor and Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. The completely revamped Dell Precision M4600 offers four DIMM slots, which enables memory scalability up to 32 GB with 1333MHz or up to 16 GB with 1600MHz double data rate 3 (DDR3) memory for handling large data sets and a storage capacity up to almost 1 terabyteall for about 6 lbs. The system can be configured in RAID0 or RAID1 mode to operate with high performance or redundancy. The M6600 with 17-in. screen has similar capabilities with a larger screen and a storage capacity closer to 2 terabytes. Both systems incorporate graphics cards such as Nvidia Quadro & ATI FireProand multiple hard drives.

Both mobile workstations have a 128 GB solid-state mini card and easily ejectable full size 750 GB hard drive bay, says Gialusis. The solid-state drive is ideal for storing operating system and BIM applications while the ejectable drive stores customer-specific models, documents and related materials.

Dell Precision M4600 mobile workstation

Image courtesy of Dell

Dell Precision M6600 mobile workstation

Image courtesy of Dell

The solid-state drive [on new mobile workstations] is ideal for storing operating system and BIM applications while the ejectable drive stores customer-specific models, documents and related materials.

Mano Gialusis, senior product marketing manager for Dell

Dell Precision M4600 ejectable hard drive

Image courtesy of Dell

The Precision M4600 and M6600 mobile workstation incorporate Intel Turbo Boost Technology.

So what about the cloud? Will the shift to web-enabled computing reshape the need for high-end graphic workstations?

Clearing Up the CloudsOperating in the cloud refers to the use of remote servers to host applications and store data, leaving desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smart phones and other devices free to operate with greater speed and freedom. The servers can be owned by public cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services or Google, or by individual businesses.

As these cloud environments begin to emerge, they will also increase mobility for professionals. For instance, AutoCAD WS is a web and mobile application for Autodesks AutoCAD products that allows architects to view, edit and share DWG files anywhere, with anyone. With functionality focused on sharing and collaboration, using this app on an Apple iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch gives users the ability to upload DWG files directly

from AutoCAD software (via plug-in), review drawings in a web browser, invite other project team members to co-edit, and record a summary of the meeting with the chat feature.

Lynn Allen, an Autodesk Technical Evangelist, says, AutoCAD WS is not a replacement for a workstation but rather another step in the design collaboration process. Its another means of collaborating. It extends AutoCAD beyond the desktop and lets folks view, edit and share DWG files while onsite.

In another case, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, located in Charlotte, NC, built a private cloud using its high- performance graphics workstations. As an architectural and engineering firm, Little Diversified has heavy desktop computing needs that are similar to the gaming industry. Switching to a workstation cloud strategy allowed the firm to take advantage of todays advanced workstation capabilities while reducing hardware investment. As tablet and mobile devices become more powerful, industry professionals can expect to see cloud and mobile-based versions of BIM software, adding a new dimension of efficiency and interoperability to the BIM workflow.

Breaking Down the Basics of BIM Hardware Selection

Memory and CPU SpeedBIM platforms are demanding in terms of computation performance. Pentium 4 3.4 GHz processors or faster have been considered a minimum spec over the last two years. Firms have successfully used a higher clock rate (more clock cycles per second) than specified by the CPU manufacturer. Overclocking can be applied to processors, video cards, motherboard chipsets and random-access memory (RAM), by changing settings for the front side bus (FSB) and the CPU multiplier.

Dual-Core ProcessingThe use of multiple-core processors is recommended by experienced BIM users. BIM rendering engines are optimized for use with two to four CPUs, although only minor gains have been reported for using more than four processors. Benefits of multiple-processor systems include a performance boost up to 20% or more, in part due to reduced cycle use by other applications running concurrently. Many BIM users dedicate their computers to the BIM work only, with a second, lower-grade laptop or desktop used for email, Word, Excel and all other applications. Increasingly, BIM software supports the

multithreading of computing functions, where the threads are handled by a single core. For dual-core and multiple-core systems, multithreading can improve the utilization of a single core in the system. Recent releases of Revit, for example, provide for multithreading of wall join cleanup, hidden line removal, and print functions. For most dual-core systems, however, processors can actually lose performance due to multithreading. Also recommended in hardware choice are processors (or motherboards) with a Level 2 or L2 cache, part of a multilevel storage strategy that boosts computer performance. Up to three levels of cache (L1, L2 and L3) may be employed to improve interaction between the very fast CPU and the much slower RAM. Seasoned building teams note high-performance improvements using CPUs with L2 caches of 2MB or more.

RAMMemory use increases in direct proportion with building project complexity. Teams developing large structures and facilities simply need more memory available for BIM computing, based on file/project size. One rule of thumb is to have at least 1GB of RAM for workstations using BIM, though most seasoned BIM managers recommend 4GB or more. A growing number of users put the minimum for modeling-and-rendering workstations at 8GB, while recommending 12GB. Rendering engines in some BIM environments, for example, operate separately from the BIM application, so additional memory can speed the rendering process. In all situations, select workstations that allow room for adding more memory. To boost performance, BIM users recommend dedicating workstations to BIM aloneand closing inactive applications.

Hard DriveConsidered secondary to CPU performance and available RAM, the speed of a workstations hard drive is a factor in hardware selection. Faster drive speeds can enhance such functions as loading and saving models, and so some users have employed SCSI or SATA drives for use with BIM platforms. SAS are recommended where available and affordable. More important, say users, is maintaining the right settings and periodically defragmenting drives. For example, the operating system drive should be set to minimize Windows [Swap File Space]; a second drive can be dedicated solely to Windows Swap File.

Video Cards and Graphics CardsWhile the video card is an important consideration for basemodel hardware selection, many experienced companies report that its not a factor in BIM or system performance. In general, however,

Dell Precision M4600 with bottom panel removed

Image courtesy of Dell

specified video cards should (a) be designed for CAD or BIM applications; (b) use on-card memory rather than machine RAM (as in integrated video support); (c) be of sufficient quality for high-end graphics rendering; (d) provide for a good level of video RAM, such as 128 MB of video memory for Revit platforms.

Operating SystemMany companies experienced in using BIM contend that 64-bit operating systems are critical for effective BIM workflow support. A 64-bit operating system can handle large amounts of memory more efficiently than a 32-bit operating system. The existing limit on 32-bit Windows O/S is 2GB of memory. Windows XP with SP2, for example, allows only 2GB of available system memory, although the memory can be extended to 3GB by adjusting the system settings in the boot.ini file. Similarly, Windows Vista is also limited to 2GB, but has a switch that allows the system to use 3 GB, an approach used by many engineering, architecture and construction users. Typically, operating systems reserve about 1GB for running the operating system and associated hardware. The benefit of 64-bit operating systems is that they allow more memory than any typical BIM model or workflow requires.

BIM platform makers recommend 8GB of memory for the 64-bit Windows O/S environments. If using a 32-bit BIM platform with a 64-bit operating system (allowing at least 5GB of total memory), the BIM application will use up to 4GB of RAM. In some cases, users have reported better model stability and performance with 32-bit BIM platforms.

Storing and Maintaining FilesWhile file storage and maintenance may be considered an ancillary issue, it is important for success in a BIM environment. For example, the use of Storage Area Networks (SANs) and Network Attached Storage (NAS)two networked storage solutions that are increasingly prevalentis encouraged with auto-migration features, which may reduce BIM platform performance. The use of distributed caching, where clusters or caches are hosted at multiple locations, may be beneficial to BIM

platform efficiency. Whatever the solution, it must be considered for its ability to protect the integrity of BIM files. Document management and data management products used with BIM automatically protect data creation, simulation, and documentation processes. Examples include Newforma, ProjectWise, and Vault. A variety of static and dynamic archiving procedures can be used with BIM. Data servers for the central files of BIM applications should have hard drive speeds that are as fast as is economically practical, with multiple processors.

Network ConnectionsIn addition, the specs for the network should be considered. A gigabit-speed LANwith a gigabit available consistently throughout the networkis considered a minimum requirement. That means the network should have minimum category 5e or category 6 cabling, gigabit switches and routers, as well as matching Ethernet cards at the SAN or other storage device and at every desktop.

Wide-Area NetworkFor work within mobile communities and for interoperable collaboration with outside AEC and owner groups, WAN optimization is a key issue. This consideration has grown as more AEC project teams employ mobile workstations for use at jobsites as well as the home office or touchdown space.

WAN optimization for BIM is provided by a long list of reputable vendors, including Riverbed Steelhead, Cisco WAAS, Juniper Networks and GlobalScape. These vendors can help with a variety of issues (such as traffic optimization and acceleration) and implementation questions, but in all cases, bandwidth is the key currency. A second issue is network latency or response timethe time it takes for a packet of data to run a round trip from the sender to receiver and back is called the latency of the network.

Others are using BIM clouds to see if there are improvements to performance. So many design/construction teams are mobile today that the idea of bringing the model to the worksite is common and a realistic expectation.