Non-deconstruction | In-depth thinking on BIM workflow
Non-deconstruction | In-depth thinking on BIM workflow
Official Account: Non-Deconstructive · Author: Zhou Wenqi (Venchy)
In the current architectural design industry, many practitioners or units are aware of the significance of BIM forward design to the architectural design industry. Through BIM, collaborative work among various disciplines such as architecture, structure, plumbing, heating, and electricity can be realized, and the linkage between disciplines can be improved.Many design units have also established corresponding departments such as BIM centers or digital design centers, trying to integrate BIM into the architectural design process and realize BIM forward design workflow.However, as far as the current industry status quo is concerned, there is little corresponding information on successfully using BIM forward design to improve the efficiency or quality of the design process.Just some time ago, some design institutes announced in an extremely high-profile manner that the efficiency of BIM forward design has improved to the same level as the design efficiency of the traditional design process. They considered this to be a milestone for them.The author doesn’t take this seriously. Since we have to strive for efficiency, the efficiency of BIM forward design has barely reached the same level as the traditional design process. So what value does BIM forward design have? We can just use the traditional design workflow.Why is it that everyone agrees on the value of BIM forward design, but the actual results are unsatisfactory?Is it possible that our understanding of BIM forward design has been misaligned from the beginning, leading to a certain deviation in how the entire industry uses BIM?
1.What is the use of BIM model?
(1) BIM’s innovation in design workflow At present, most BIM applications in the domestic architectural design industry mainly rely on their own BIM teams or specialized outsourcing BIM companies to perform mold reversal, and their main function is only to check design errors such as collisions.Related mold-reversing companies and mold-reversing software are also emerging.However, in the eyes of many colleagues, this is an approach that puts the cart before the horse.It is simply based on the design results of the traditional design process, generating a building information model that can only be used to check collisions.Not only does it not help improve the efficiency of the traditional design process, but it adds a burden of time and labor costs to the traditional design process.Adding so much workload to check for collisions is a very cost-effective workflow.Based on this, is it possible to have such an idea to optimize the traditional working method, and the designer creates the corresponding BIM model during the design stage, and the designer’s work object becomes the BIM model instead of the traditional vertical section drawing.
When the author first started working, old engineers often taught young engineers that drawings are the language of engineers.In the traditional design workflow, faced with an entity in a three-dimensional space like a building, designers need to constantly translate various architectural information in the three-dimensional space into information on the two-dimensional plan, and express them through the two-dimensional plane.During the construction stage, the construction unit will convert the information on the two-dimensional plane into building entities in the real three-dimensional space.Similarly, the architectural design workflow itself also has to face the problem of mutual conversion between the languages of the architectural profession and the structural profession.Whether the language translation of these drawings is accurate is limited by the output level of the designer and also by the construction unit’s ability to read the drawings.The existence of many human factors often leads to the inevitable distortion of drawing information.From architectural design to construction units, the traditional two-dimensional work space is converted to three-dimensional, and design and construction are carried out from the perspective of three-dimensional space. It is self-evident to ensure the quality of design and construction. The role of BIM in design cannot be limited to the level of checking collisions.Introducing BIM into the design process also provides the possibility for the introduction of new design methods.The conversion of architectural design space from two-dimensional to three-dimensional space also makes it a reality to introduce VR/AR into the architectural design process.Through VR/AR, designers can have an immersive experience of the space, and this experience can help designers better adjust the design from the space.
In the traditional workflow, the dimensions of each major in the design process are independent of each other. Architectural design, as the leading major of the entire design workflow, has always been in the architectural design major to generate architectural design content. The structural major and equipment major generate structural design and equipment design content based on the architectural design content. Architectural design integrates the content of the structural and equipment majors and updates the architectural design content, and then feeds it back to the structure and equipment major.Repeat the cycle in sequence.Although each major works on the same building, their independent and enclosed work spaces consume a lot of labor costs and communication costs.Especially for the architectural profession, drawings from the structural and equipment professions need to be integrated.The consequence of separate closed workspaces is a large amount of duplication of work between disciplines.After various majors mutually fund each other, designers in each major still have to spend a lot of time transporting drawing information, translating or completely repeating the same work as other majors. This has also caused an increase in the current workload of designers.On the BIM platform, real-time feedback of drawing information between majors can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of drawing updates between majors. The application of BIM-based design workflow can also provide more ways to update architectural design methods.In the traditional workflow, architects need to establish their own calculation models in order to calculate indicators such as sunlight and fire protection, and structural engineers also need to establish corresponding finite element models in order to calculate the internal forces of the structure.These tasks are independent of each other, and each major needs to build a separate model and find corresponding software or compile corresponding algorithms to analyze relevant indicators.By introducing the BIM model, only one BIM model is needed to meet the needs of the architectural profession and the structural profession for calculating different building indicators.By extension, based on the same BIM model, as long as there are corresponding mature algorithms and data, designers can predict and analyze the performance and indicators of all aspects of the building, thereby achieving the purpose of optimizing the design results.For example, various performances such as sunlight, fire protection, streamlines, and noise in the architectural profession; internal forces and costs in the structural profession; plumbing, heating, and electricity in the equipment profession, can all be simulated based on the corresponding BIM model.The BIM model provides basic data for the promotion of algorithms in the field of architectural design, and the corresponding algorithms also provide a basis for the update of BIM models, and also improve the efficiency of BIM model regeneration.The simulation of various building indicators by various algorithms also provides a basis for the optimization of building performance.At the same time, the integration of BIM model data also provides a foundation for the development of technologies such as machine learning in the construction industry.
(2) Connection between BIM model and construction unit In the current digital construction or intelligent construction that construction companies have been advocating, replacing human labor with machinery is a very important focus.However, based on traditional industry workflow, it is difficult for mechanical equipment to read traditional two-dimensional floor plans.In comparison, BIM models provide enough digitized building information. When this information is enough that mechanical equipment can convert it into objects in actual three-dimensional space, it becomes possible to construct buildings through machinery. If the mechanical equipment of the construction unit can directly read the component materials and dimensions in the BIM model provided by the design unit through digital means, directly produce the corresponding building components, and then automatically assemble the components into the corresponding correct position through the positioning information in the BIM model.In such a process, BIM data is utilized to the greatest extent, human labor is replaced by machinery, and the current labor-intensive construction industry organization method is replaced by new work processes, which can greatly improve the construction efficiency of the building and at the same time reduce the overall labor cost and time cost of the entire industry.This is the value of the application of 3D printing and robotic arm construction technology in the construction industry. The prerequisite for using these two technologies, in addition to developing appropriate materials, is to use digital means to describe buildings and convert them into a language that machines can understand. It is also an important prerequisite.
VR/AR technology can also provide a basis for updating construction methods.Currently, some construction units are trying to use VR/AR technology to stake out the construction site. At the same time, some construction units are trying to use AR to carefully compare the BIM model with the actual constructed building, update the building components displayed in the current AR interface in real time based on the positioning coordinates, and compare them with the actual construction components to find errors in the construction process.This production method has abandoned the traditional production model of two-dimensional plan drawings. On-site engineers only need to use a mobile phone or tablet to control every detail of the construction. Of course, there are many problems with such a workflow. Traditional production objects in industries such as automobile manufacturing have a small scale in three-dimensional space, so the entire production process can be organized through an assembly line.Faced with a behemoth like a building, the cost of building such an assembly line on a construction site seems a bit too high.The building is broken down, and each component of the building is placed in a factory-like scenario for streamlined production, and then assembled on site.Such a workflow seems to be a solution that is relatively low-cost in all aspects and can also optimize resource allocation.This also explains why the country will vigorously promote prefabricated buildings and BIM technology at the same time.Because in the process of digital construction and intelligent construction, the traditional working mode of cast-in-situ concrete runs counter to the concept of industrial production, and an assembled production method must be adopted, and the BIM model is the basis for the digitalization of the entire production process.
(3) Application of BIM model in operation and maintenance stage There are currently many attempts to use BIM in the construction operation and maintenance stage, most of which are based on BIM to establish a virtual construction operation and maintenance system.Various parameters of the real-time operation of the building can be fed back to the BIM model in real time through various devices such as sensors. Then, through the calculation and evaluation of a series of algorithms in the BIM model, the judgment of maximizing the operating efficiency of one or more indicators of the building can be obtained, and the information can be fed back to the building integrated control system or transmitted to people. Through these means, the optimal configuration of the actual operation and maintenance phase of the building can be achieved.At the same time, if some system faults occur in the building itself, the BIM model can be used to easily find the problem, locate errors, and eliminate faults during the operation of the building. By extension, the BIM model is connected to the CIM model of the city’s overall operation, and each building model is individually defined as an individual CIM model. The various parameters in the interaction between the single building and the entire city’s operation and maintenance are digitally expressed, which can also provide basic data for the optimization and enrichment of the CIM model.
- How to express and describe the BIM model
Regarding the question of what BIM can do, if we expand it, there are actually infinite possibilities. As long as we use our imagination, its application scenarios are everywhere and run through every link of the entire construction industry chain.Many people have a deep understanding of the meaning of BIM, but the current objective reality is that the promotion of BIM technology seems to have encountered many obstacles, and it does not seem to have formed a broad consensus in the industry.So, where is the problem? According to the author’s understanding, the prerequisite for BIM to fully realize its value in the entire industry chain is standardized and open data.The core of BIM’s role is the utilization of data. However, the current industry status quo is only to build a BIM model in order to obtain a BIM model, rather than using BIM models to solve specific problems encountered in the construction engineering industry chain.There are various restrictions on objective conditions. (1) There is a standardization problem in the data exchange and interaction between majors and various links in the industrial chain. During the architectural design phase, guidelines for describing buildings vary between disciplines.For example, the architecture major describes the entire building from the dimensions of the building’s outer contour, building elevation, and partition walls, but for the structural major, the building is described from the dimensions of beams, plates, wall columns, and support.Although some of the content overlapped before, the differences in description systems between majors caused obstacles to data exchange between majors.In order for all majors in building structure and equipment to work under a set of BIM models, the criteria for building descriptions between various disciplines must be unified and seamlessly matched.This will inevitably conflict with the traditional definition of architecture in design thinking, but only by carrying out work in various disciplines within a framework can we achieve twice the result with half the effort. After the relevant designs are completed in the design phase, data interaction between design and construction becomes a crucial issue.If you want to realize the industrial production of building components, the data obtained by the mechanical equipment inside the factory is crucial.For the same mechanical equipment, it can only recognize one or certain data formats.Then, the data provided by the BIM model to the factory must meet the requirements for the operation of the relevant equipment.Just like in the current design process, designers use the flat method specified in the atlas to express construction drawings, and the construction unit then uses the flat method to build the corresponding building.Then in the digital process, a corresponding “atlas” is also needed between the BIM model and the processing equipment, but this “atlas” is integrated into the interoperable BIM standard. In general, if the data flow of BIM models is to flow smoothly throughout the entire industry chain, then all links in the industry chain need to be able to obtain and identify BIM model data and make use of it.First, the International Organization for Standardization released the ISO series of BIM model data standards. The China Building Standards Design Institute also edited the “Building Information Model Design Delivery Standard” GB/T51301-2018, “Architecture Engineering Design Information Model Drawing Standard” JGJ/T448-2018 and the “Building Information Model Classification and Coding Standard” GB/T51269-2017 and other specifications.It shows that the motivation for data standardization in the industry is actually very strong, but whether these standards and specifications are suitable for the entire industry still needs to be tested in practice.
(2) Lightweight BIM model definition system and open data issues At present, the most widely used software in the BIM field is Revit. In the first few years, some people even equated it with BIM.However, the author believes that Revit is not a good BIM platform. The main reason is that it is too cumbersome.The core of the BIM model definition system is to attach specialized building-related information to a series of three-dimensional components.Revit does this very well, but the price is high demand for system hardware resources and a huge amount of effort to build a family library.The time and labor costs required to build a BIM model based on the Revit platform are undoubtedly huge, so much so that many peers in the industry regard the internal family library of the unit as extremely valuable intellectual property, and naturally establish closed barriers.Even such a BIM platform can even hinder the promotion of BIM. In addition, although Revit currently provides SDK, allowing advanced users to have space for various APIs, the author still believes that Revit is a relatively closed software.Even though Revit opens an interface for secondary development, it is only available to a small number of designers with programming abilities.When the threshold for mastering the basic operations of software is already very high, how many designers will actually try to use it for secondary development?Therefore, for Revit, the threshold is still very high if you want to truly leverage the value of the data included in the BIM model it builds.As mentioned before, the value of a BIM model is reflected in how the data it contains is used. Whether the data in the BIM model can be easily obtained is a very important indicator to measure whether the BIM platform is excellent.In this regard, Revit has undoubtedly set a high threshold. Therefore, an excellent BIM platform should be lightweight and open.The so-called lightweight means that users can easily define a BIM model that meets the current professional and downstream professional needs at a relatively small cost, including time cost and hardware cost.At the same time, designers can also easily obtain relevant data from this BIM model and perform corresponding processing, analysis and interaction.
- Update of BIM thinking
What BIM brings is not only a change in the data form of design and construction data, but also a change in the production method throughout the entire industry chain.This change in production methods requires the updating of thinking in all aspects of the entire industrial chain. To give a very simple example, some design institutes are currently developing plug-ins for structural construction drawings based on BIM models.Generate two-dimensional planar drawings through BIM models.This is a step backwards to some extent.I already have a three-dimensional model, why should I use a two-dimensional one?There is no way. Drawing review requires the archiving of two-dimensional drawings, and the construction unit does not have BIM-related technical reserves. These objective realities force us to operate all links in the entire industry chain according to traditional design and construction thinking. This is undoubtedly a drag on the effectiveness of BIM.Although there are BIM models, the essential production method is still traditional. This is equivalent to a bicycle running on the highway. The highway can increase the speed of the bicycle, but the upper limit of the bicycle’s speed is still determined by human power. For BIM to truly be effective, the premise must be part of the industry chain, or even all links of the entire industry chain, abandon traditional two-dimensional thinking, and use BIM methods to solve various problems actually encountered in design and construction.With the design unit as the leader, a basic BIM model is established, and then this model is passed to the construction unit and operation and maintenance unit in turn, saving the time and cost of all parties in the industry chain as a whole.Of course, this process does not happen overnight. Changing concepts takes time and requires a lot of support.However, relevant opportunities are slowly emerging. For example, the currently promoted EPC model provides the basis for the transmission of BIM data in the design and construction process. The development of parametric design also provides more possibilities for the application of BIM model data.I believe that in the near future, the application of BIM will be as common as CAD today.
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