Are you wondering whether your company should invest in architectural BIM modeling services for construction projects? BIM technologies started to transform and improve the building and construction industry since they were first introduced back in the mid-80s. Thanks to their ability to assess risks, enhance residential project expertise, and offer control over project implementation.
Over three decades since its development, BIM is now used worldwide to ease and streamline the design and execution of infrastructures. Countries across the globe are starting to enjoy the benefits of integrating BIM into their construction business processes. But is BIM worth the hype? Should your company invest in architectural BIM modeling services for construction in the first place and join the latest trend?
Table of Contents
- Architectural BIM modeling services for construction explained in simple terms
- Importance of BIM
- What challenges do architectural BIM modeling services for construction solve?
- Uses and applications of architectural BIM modeling services for construction across the world
- Trends in the construction industry resulting from BIM technology implementation
- How Cad Crowd can help
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Architectural BIM modeling services for construction explained in simple terms
Building information modeling, or BIM, is the digital representation of an object’s functional and physical characteristics. It covers factors such as the manufacturer’s details, the design’s environmental impact, geography, and other pertinent data. But this definition doesn’t reflect the essence of the technology that managed to change the approach to building design and eliminate the common digital deadlocks in today’s construction industry.
BIM is a shared resource of knowledge to obtain data about a property. It is the basis for making sound decisions, from the initial concept to the demolition. With the help of a BIM designer, you can transfer virtual architectural data models from your development team consisting of architects, engineers, landscape architects, and others to the subcontractors, general contractors, and finally to the managers or owners.
Renowned construction companies and architects have long been working with and taking advantage of BIM through the years. For example, the formation of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Colorado in 2006, based on the plan of D. Libeskind, was proof of how BIM can speed up work several times, causing a significant cost reduction. The museum opened its doors a year earlier than planned, saving $400,000 in budget.
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Importance of BIM
BIM allows all architectural drawings to be combined into a comprehensive 3D model. It helps prevent unnecessary loss of information while allowing more educated data-based decisions. Here are the most notable benefits of BIM services:
- Produce precise bills of quantities (BOQ) straight from the model.
- It becomes easier to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.
- BIM allows the direct linking of data necessary for controlling procurement from the model, which optimizes the procurement process.
- Better decision-making and improved possibilities for repair and preventative maintenance are all possible.
- The enhanced efficiency helps lower the costs of the building lifecycle.
Most importantly, BIM technology offers more iterations of the engineering, structure, and architecture systems, resulting in an optimized and accurate building design. Based on statistics, when architectural modeling companies integrate BIM modeling services in the construction industry, it generally lowers costs by up to 10%. These services also reduce construction time by over 10% and the probability of budgeting errors by as much as 40%. With the help of BIM technologies, architects can reduce the time they spend working on a project by up to 10%. These technologies can also lower the technologists’ time off work by 20% and reduce the overall time to create a project by 20% to 50%.
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What challenges do architectural BIM modeling services for construction solve?
Here are some of the primary tasks that architectural BIM modeling services for construction can solve:
1. Allows predictive maintenance
BIM helps lessen unexpected outages and allows careful planning of maintenance cycles, and it offers improved precision in budgeting for facility management. Through this, the facility management team will never get caught out by unforeseen changes in equipment, and BIM technologies can predict all these pertinent data points.
2. Encourages better communication throughout the construction process
With the help of BIM technologies, all changes, including material availability, schedules, qualified specialist teams, schedules, and timings, can be coordinated with ease in real-time through mobile apps and digital apps to ensure that stakeholders are always informed and updated. Aside from this, 3D architectural AR/VR services and BIM technologies can also help control the entire construction process and limit the risk of mistakes.
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3. Helps control costs
BIM technologies can prevent the standard approach of fixing things in the field that often results in costs spiraling out of control. BIM allows the analysis and testing of the building’s first version. The design can also be evolved and iterated several times as needed. Through the process, every iteration becomes better than the previous one, resulting in a significantly improved building after digging the foundations.
4. Reduce carbon emissions
A quantity take-off, according to a 3D BIM model, offers more accurate results. It empowers contractors and architects better to define the precise quantities of required building materials. As long as this estimation is precise, it will help ensure that the pre-bid budget will remain closer to the final one, allowing a significant material waste reduction. Accurate predictions of the budget will have a direct impact on the required resources and energy, resulting in reduced carbon emissions.
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Uses and applications of architectural BIM modeling services for construction across the world
Only the wealthiest countries have intensively used architectural BIM modeling services in their construction industries for the past ten years. The rise of BIM has fundamentally shifted how engineers, architects, and other building experts interact.
Finland
Some of the first countries that used BIM technologies were the Scandinavian nations. For example, Finland started using BIM as early as 2002, and the country used the technology to develop complex infrastructures, including the Helsinki metro line. Architectural BIM modeling services also helped achieve high quality, volume, and speed of the construction process while allowing huge budget savings.
Regarding the new structure of the Museum of Art in Denver, for example, BIM was developed explicitly for organizing the interaction among subcontractors in charge of designing and constructing the reinforced concrete and metal used for the building frame. BIM was also used to develop and install electrical and plumbing systems. The project’s general contractor revealed that using BIM helped reduce the construction period by up to 14 minutes with approximate savings of $400,000 at the total $70 million estimated cost.
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France
Around 500,000 homes in France are designed with the help of BIM modeling services. The French government has been deploying BIM in the country’s housing sector since 2017 for half a million houses. The working group Le Plan Transition Numérique dans le Bâtiment spearheaded the French BIM strategy to reduce costs and promote sustainability.
Germany
The government of Germany also promotes BIM technology, focusing mainly on infrastructure projects involving residential and commercial buildings.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the first and the ultimate leader when it comes to BIM use. It became achievable with the assistance of the support given at the state level. The technology had a trial implementation on the Department of Justice’s project, which was the expansion of Kent’s Cookham Wood prison.
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USA
The General Services Administration in the US has been compiling a BIM program for public building maintenance projects ever since 2003. Around 72% of the country’s construction companies use BIM to generate substantial project cost savings. Some states, private organizations, and universities in the US also use BIM standards. Wisconsin state, for example, has made it compulsory to use BIM technology for government projects if their overall budget begins at $5 million.
Trends in the construction industry resulting from BIM technology implementation
BIM software is expected to be used by almost all construction sites and architecture organizations shortly. Those who still need to start using it must consider using BIM tools to prepare blueprints for construction projects. The following are some upcoming trends in the construction industry that resulted from the implementation of BIM technologies:
3D printing
More people worldwide are now using 3D printing design professionals to make buildings, and Chinese researchers could print and build ten houses using a 3D printer in a factory in just one day. This technique allows more space for enhanced architectural freedom since 3D printers can easily handle curved shapes that might be difficult to produce by hand.
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Artificial Intelligence
BIM technology can identify patterns and learn from data with the help of AI. They can come up with independent decisions for automating and improving building processes.
Digital Twins
Digital twins are the virtual models of buildings that acquire real-world data regarding the structure through drones, sensors, and other wireless technology.
AR and VR
Using augmented reality experts and virtual reality for construction projects is becoming more widespread. Despite the technical challenges, the construction industry is beginning to understand and see the benefits of using more advanced technologies like BIM.
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How Cad Crowd can help
A good BIM service partner understands your expectations and demonstrates professionalism throughout the project. Here at Cad Crowd, we have the necessary skills to tackle any challenge. Get in touch with our friendly representative, and we’ll align an expert in the field to review your project. Get a quote today.
