Building Information Modeling (BIM) has started to become a common practice in the architectural, engineering, construction, and facilities management industries. The benefits of BIM have been recognized in commercial and industrial development, but the potential of BIM technology to facilitate design/construction collaboration and to reduce the construction coordination costs, schedule, and RFIs in residential construction has yet to be achieved. Softwares available today are detailed and precise enough to create shop drawings directly from the model. There exists the opportunity to examine construction sequence and to produce housing that is less expensive, built faster, and be of a higher quality. Home design specialists attribute the shortfall to be related to the “I” in Building Information Modeling.
Whether you’re a designer, engineer, or a product manufacturer, you utilize software that works for your company’s needs. Designers use BIM software created for their industry to build virtual designs. They research what software is available and determine which one is best suited for both design and collaboration. When they start talking about building product manufacturers, the availability of information still lacks in residential construction.
The truss component manufacturers are beginning to “get it.” The truss industry has developed software for design and engineering. It is proprietary software that allows them to utilize their engineering methods and data to create 3D models of their product along with shop drawings and load calculations. In this aspect, they have been far ahead of the design community when it comes to adopting the technology. Especially 3D modeling.
However, as BIM evolves in residential construction, we’re finding there’s much more to it than a 3D model. While the truss industry is striving to provide BIM, sadly they are not, at least not entirely. The “I” in BIM is about collaboration and information exchange. When you work in single proprietary software, you are doing BIM, but you are doing “Silo” BIM where you and your internal team are the only ones coordinating.
The design community applauds the truss industry for their efforts but asks that they understand the designer’s desire to collaborate. Receiving a file that allows the designer to work the roof design with BIM authoring tools, such as Revit, ARCHICAD, and Tekla Structures, would allow for full integration of their product into the design model. Not just the top and bottom chords but the webs and plates would be the target. Data embedded such as callout tags, location, heel height, etc., would expedite the designer’s review of the trusses and clash detection analysis well before fabrication. The entire process would allow for the possibility of time and cost savings in a project. The key in this BIM revolution for residential design is collaboration in a neutral, open file format that allows all stakeholders access to the information exchange of the plan, engineering, and models.
How do we work together to accomplish such coordination? Discussion and solutions are in the works. For example, how do we assure a truss company that the home builder won’t steal the truss profiles and show this information to a competitor or construct job site trusses? A key factor may be knowing that objects exported from component software do not have to be “intelligent” or have any embedded data for the design professional to do their work. The solution is a coordinated technological movement motivated to employ systems of manufacturing and fabrication that are far more efficient than field assembled anything, whether they be trusses, stairs, or any other housing component.
Fortunately, the infiltration of BIM in residential construction is changing the culture. Instead of limiting the extent a company will share based on how much it can control or protect its respective interests, component manufacturers are seeking solutions. MiTek’s very measured approach to the development of “Sapphire” is one example. To have information included in the exchange that represents more than a 3D DWG file showing basic geometry is not only critical but possible. The goal is to have a homeowner who loves to arrive home to the product we have created, together.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the American Institute of Building Design.
About AIBD
The American Institute of Building Design is a nationally recognized association dedicated to building a profession, one residential designer at a time. The AIBD recognizes an immediate need in the residential construction industry for high level specialists in BIM and has created a specialized two-day training program. Upon completion, students are assessed on their understanding of the course curriculum, thus earning a “BIM-R®” credential. For more information, visit www.AIBD.org/BIM-R.
Contact: Steve Mickley
Steve.Mickley@AIBD.org
561.373.2537