A fundamental change is underway in the construction industry, and according to Hannah George, Security Consultant, at Norman Disney & Young, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a primary catalyst for this transformation.
The construction industry has lagged behind other sectors in terms of productivity. A primary reason for this has been attributed to the design process which has remained relatively unchanged from the days of drafting and tracing. That said, BIM covers more than just architectural design.<br><br>The UK’s Chief Construction Advisor, Paul Morrell has suggested that use of BIM could become a mandatory requirement on Government projects over £5m value.<br>Governments in North America and Australia have been the driving force behind adoption of BIM in these areas. As owners and operators of the built assets the advantages are greatest here, but increasingly main contractors are finding positive returns from using BIM techniques.<br><br>BIM is a term we are hearing, and using, more often but what exactly is it?<br><br>BIM defined<br><br>Put simply, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of generating and managing information about a building during its entire life cycle. BIM is a virtual environment where all elements of the building design – architecture, structure and services including security systems – come together in a co-ordinated and visualised platform.<br><br>Although BIM is often identified as dealing with only 3D modelling, its scope is much broader. The real value of BIM is Structured Information versus Geometry. These models contain more information than a fly-through demonstrates of the geometry of the building, as the model also consolidates much of the information normally contained in specifications and schedules.<br><br>A detailed model therefore becomes a powerful tool in costing and tendering a design and BIM is used primarily for this critical task. Programme information can be loaded into the model, the construction process can be modelled and visualised.<br>Once the building is constructed, this final detailed information model becomes a powerful tool for managing the asset on an ongoing basis for both facility and security managers alike. Up to 80 per cent of the costs for a built asset are incurred during it’s operation, so BIM has an enormous potential to impact on the operational efficiencies over a building’s life cycle.<br><br>The possibilities for security<br><br>Accommodating security designs from the outset is an aspiration for all clients, security managers and security consultants. The enhanced visualisation capabilities make this much easier to achieve, and for building owners the end product easier to understand. <br>Enhanced co-ordination of all designs ensures that often unforseen obstructions, such as drain pipes in front of cameras are identified. An ability to ‘walk through’ the design enables security professionals to have a greater insight into potential weaknesses, and how these may impact the efficient operation of the site.<br><br>Some designers have been using 3D tools for some time; Norman Disney & Young (NDY) have been designing in 3D since 2001 moving to Revit as our BIM platform in 2009. And whilst not every BIM project will go to the level of detailing where all security cameras are located, designers will need to look at investing in computing power to make this possible. For those models which are designed to service the owner during operation, facilities managers are already starting to demand that all maintained items are identified in the model.<br><br>Manufacturers need to make their product data available to integrate into the building model, and whilst standardisation is still not fully achieved across software platforms and element classifications, this is an aspect which is steadily improving.<br>Until the construction industry is comfortable with the technology and measurably benefiting from improved productivity, it is the building owner which is facilitating the use of BIM on any given project.<br><br>The owner and their security and facility managers need to assess if they value having a building model for the life of the asset.<br><br>How much will it cost?<br><br>For the overall project delivery research points to lower costs for BIM, this is linked to reduced variations during construction which typically account for 10-15 per cent of cost. The McGraw-Hill market report ‘Business Value of BIM’ for North America was published in 2009 and for Western Europe, including the UK in 2010. Both reports clearly illustrate how an overwhelming majority of investors in BIM technology report a positive return. Perhaps most surprisingly, it is the principal contractors that have been reporting the greatest savings from BIM as well as increased cost certainty when tendering. <br><br>For construction team members there will be initial costs incurred when moving to BIM to cover new computing equipment, software and staff training. The main dilemma remains for those considering BIM integration: when, not if, should they integrate BIM into their design infrastructure. <br><br>From NDY’s own experience, designing in BIM costs no more to the designer provided this is full design rather than performance based. The 3D visualisation speeds up the design processes with other team members, clients and their user groups. We have been working on BIM projects since 2008 and continue to support this initiative.<br><br>Looking ahead<br><br>One of the most exciting aspects of BIM is that its full potential of BIM has not yet been realised. Increasingly, analysis tools are being developed and linked to the 3D model for energy modelling and fire strategy. Security professionals will have the ability to run scenario analysis on the models for emergency evacuation, biological agent release or any number of potential incidents. BIM has undoubtedly entrenched itself as the future for building construction and operation, bringing challenges but also great opportunities for the industry.<br><br>About the firm <br><br>Norman Disney & Young are consulting engineers with specialist security and ICT engineers based in 11 offices globally.
