5 application examples for BIM in the planning phase

Rapperswil, October 11, 2022 / by Christoph Degendorfer The AEC industry has started to introduce BIM technology.
In addition, more and more companies are generally using BIM in the various construction phases due to its many advantages.
This includes its use in the planning phase before construction begins, which is crucial for determining the total cost of a project and ensuring consensus between all parties involved before construction begins.
For example, BIM supports the project team in communication, cost estimation, clash detection, viewing the project model and object details.
Ultimately, it supports construction variants from the planning phase to project completion.
Below are the 5 most common BIM use cases in the planning phase that help lay the foundation for success.

1. BIM coordination

BIM coordination is the most commonly used BIM application and refers to multiple stakeholders contributing to the building model in the construction planning phase and beyond.
These include

• Architects designing a 3D model,
• Contractors to complete cost and time estimates for materials, installations and labor.
• Engineers and BIM coordinators can also create reports and perform analyses and enter these into the project model.

In addition, BIM coordination includes sending product updates to the stakeholders involved in the project.
This can range from announcing a change in shift schedules for construction workers to plan updates and delays.
Consistent communication saves time and contributes to a smoother project flow.
It provides project transparency so that everyone knows what is going on at all times, which in turn helps the team to avoid potential conflicts or problems.
BIM also enables everyone involved to create an interdisciplinary model.
This has several advantages:

• Firstly, the responsible project team can define rules for model checking and implement them in one place.
  This ensures that all software used for modeling is compatible with the IFC export of the interdisciplinary model.
• Secondly, bimspot enables its users to upload their models in a shared environment.
  Here they can check compatibility and errors.
  This significantly improves the planning phase.

With the help of the BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) from bimspot’s Requirement Fulfillment, project coordinators can assign specific tasks to team members.
This ensures that everyone knows what they are responsible for and what they have to do.

2. collision detection

Collision detection refers to an automated check that detects collisions during the construction planning phase.
In general, there are three types of clashes in a construction project:

• Hard collisions occur when two objects overlap.
• Soft collisions refer to distance tolerances between geometric objects (e.g. a parking bay may be too close to a watercourse)
• Workflow collisions include collisions with work plans and the procurement of materials.
  (Contractors can identify clashes manually, but this involves comparing documents. This takes a lot of time and can lead to errors).

Collision detection allows stakeholders to set specific rules for objects in the model.
It can notify users when objects overlap, allowing designers to identify potential problems before construction begins.
Finally, bimspot allows its users to perform quality and model checks with user-defined rule sets.
This allows planners to instantly check all systems to ensure there are no errors or overlaps.
The result is more accurate plans and higher model quality.

3. cost estimation and calculation

Another area of application for BIM in the planning phase is cost estimation and calculation.
This is of great importance as construction projects employ contractors, procure costly equipment and have a specific budget.
BIM cost estimating can provide reliable, accurate estimates of materials and labor.
This is because the model provides a visual representation of the scope of quantities required for the project.
In addition, BIM cost estimation can provide accurate quantities for the different phases of construction.
When the costs are inserted into the interdisciplinary 4D model, stakeholders can quickly create quantity costs to help with decision making.
In addition, 4D BIM models can produce cost estimation reports for project owners, enabling them to make informed decisions about material purchases within their budget.

4. 3D visualization

3D visualization in BIM has many advantages for all project participants and is perhaps the best-known element of BIM use.
Architects can create a digital 3D model that they can adjust and improve during the design phase.
Engineers can add certain variables to the model to avoid design conflicts before construction.
In addition, project investors can access a real-time 3D model of the finished project.
This gives them a complete visual representation of their investment and virtual tours, allowing stakeholders to get a full picture of what the finished project will look like.
In turn, they can adjust areas they are not happy with or find alternative materials or solutions to save costs if necessary.
A 3D model also improves communication between members of the project team.
They can easily share the model with subcontractors and give them an overview of the work.
And when a BIM coordinator adds time to the model (4D BIM), they can inform the project team about the progress of the project via the 4D model.
Investors can also follow the progress remotely.
Finally, bimspot has a viewer that allows users to visualize the 3D model and view the details of the project and other information about the objects.

5. construction variants

In the planning phase of a construction project, several participants create design variants that attempt to meet the requirements of the project.
In this way, everyone involved can use their specialist knowledge to help avoid problems in the design.
This leads to several variants of the project.
To agree on the progress of the project, the participants use the level of development (LOD).
They evaluate each variant according to its maturity with regard to the completion of the project using the LOD.
BIM can improve these processes through the IFC format.
Here, stakeholders can work in a common working platform while tracking their own building variants using the 4D model and BIM tools.
To illustrate: bimspot offers its users the ability to create KPIs for each variant in the project.
This means that those involved can track which variants work best and find the best solution.

Conclusion

The planning phase in the construction industry offers many potential uses for BIM.
It allows AEC experts to create a visual 3D model of the project.
With this model, they can use automatic clash detection and add time as a variable (4D).
This means that coordinators can submit work requests directly on the model and stakeholders can make cost estimates using quantities.
BIM also improves coordination between members of the project team.
They can receive updates and also determine which building variants are most suitable.
Ultimately, using BIM in the planning phase improves accuracy and coordination while avoiding errors and clashes.
Thus, it can lead to project success.