Model design

Fewer people are using BIM correctly than are applying traditional 3D software to its full advantage, argues Daniel Pinheiro.

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In the age of pods, pads and tweets, it is hardly surprising that the technology boom has spread to the world of design and construction. The addition of a Building Information Modelling (BIM) category to this year’s Middle East Architect Awards is indicative of the impact of Revit by Autodesk, Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD and other BIM software. The award went to NAGA Architects and Engineers, whose Dubai office fully embraced BIM in 2008.

NAGA was lauded for its work on the Sawari Residences project, a large-scale housing scheme on the shores of Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, close to Bahrain. The judges noted that the project demonstrated a fully integrated use of BIM throughout all design phases and disciplines. Dr Ahmed Elkady, associate director, adds: “We have been using software for a long time, but three years ago we decided to switch to Revit. There are so many advantages.”

Diyane Koseoglu, Middle East sales manager for specialist consultant BIMES, elaborated on the fundamental benefits of the software.

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“The manufacturing industry has a waste factor of 26%, while the ratio in the construction industry is 57%, according to McGraw Hill. BIM allows users to follow the automotive industry by creating a prototype on your computer before doing it for real on the site – you can see all the problematic areas in advance and solve them earlier, before they incur a cost.”

She added that there is a common misconception on the role of BIM. “Most people think that you just use BIM to understand your design better and make 3D drawings for presentations, but this is not true. Your model should be smart and contain construction information. Previously, architects used to create 3D models for presentation purposes.

With BIM, you can define the materials you are using, such as brick and glass, as well as the U-values for energy analysis and project management information such as completion dates. All of this information can be extracted from the model.

“Once you have created the model, all of the drawings will be generated automatically and you can create sections and elevations. It really minimises the amount of manual drafting work. And if you make a design change, it will be updated on all the documentation.”

Koseoglu stated that BIM aids the coordination between different disciplines, such as architecture, structures and MEP.

“In many companies, the different departments have their own sets of drawings for the same project, and it is quite likely that they do not match. In BIM you can have all the parts on the same model, with different filters to view the different disciplines.

You can ask the software to detect collisions – if a pipe is going through a structural wall, then it will notify you. It is very easy for a human eye to miss details, and a typical project may have 3,000 clashes. If you discover these clashes on-site, then you will suffer extra costs and project delays.”

She added that the technology is being improved constantly, with many recent innovations. “Now there is a ‘shell’ tool to create freeform designs – it can be used for modelling a building in which it is difficult to define what is a wall, a slab or a roof.”

Another recent improvement is a system called a BIM server, which helps to counter the issue of large files sizes. Koseoglu continues: “With the old technology, the synchronisation of the files involved carrying the whole project from one computer to the main server, then back to the computer.

The problem with BIM is that the file sizes are huge. When consultants are busy, then they will not synchronise every day – it will be a weekly process. This means the design changes were not be seen by the other team members.

“Graphisoft recently developed Delta Server to overcome this problem. This server is intelligent enough to see a project by element, not as a file. When you make a change – for instance, you add new chairs – it only carries the relevant information, so it reduces the data transfer size from 100MB to 10kb to 20kb. The whole process has become much faster.”

Koseoglu also pointed out the recent development of a free app which allows users to import a simplified BIM model onto an iPad or iPhone. “There was a huge demand for such a device, and everybody is blown away. Now people are going round the site checking everything with their phones.”

According to a 2010 Middle East BIM repor, by buildingSMART, the percentage of construction professionals using BIM was found to be 49% in the US, 36% in Western Europe and 25% in the Middle East. Yet Daniel Pinheiro, general manager: BIMES ME, believed that 10% is a more realistic figure for the region. He added that even fewer are properly utilising the 3D software.

“We see a lot of people that have BIM tools, such as Revit and ArchiCAD, but they are not actually using them extensively and extracting information. They might use them for the conceptual design, and then carry on with the traditional 2D process. BIM goes a lot further than just doing a 3D building,” he commented.

The UAE is the most advanced GCC nation in terms of BIM awareness, according to Koseoglu. “In the UAE, there are not many people that are unaware of BIM, but when you go to places like Kuwait, Qatar and Oman it is still a secret,” she said.

When asked about the reason for the slow uptake of BIM in the region, Pinheiro replied: “In the Middle East, the lack of BIM skills is an issue, as is the large scale of the projects. The software is not really conducive to big project files, and people become frustrated with the tools.”

Koseoglu concurred: “In this region, the main issue is the availability of skilled users. For instance, if you are searching for an engineer with BIM knowledge, then you will not receive many CVs, and you will struggle to find any experts.”

A big obstacle for Gulf companies is the investment in BIM training. Koseoglu explained: “Many individuals come from regions where BIM is not common. Companies that want to implement BIM have to train people. Many companies want to avoid this – they do not know if the engineer will continue working with them for the next five years. They cannot feel the return in investment.”

NAGA’s Elkady conceded that the migration is not plain sailing. “The switch to BIM is very hard – companies have to be committed. Most engineers and architects are not trained in BIM, and it is a challenge to train everyone. The norm is AutoCAD – people do not want to change.”

Yet he insisted that the move was the correct decision, and added: “We use BIM throughout the whole design process. We are trying to push it to the limit, and we are discovering new things all the time.”

Majid Hamid Saleh, senior structural engineer, NAGA, agreed: “It was a great decision to go for BIM. It was difficult, due to the lack of expertise, but it was an investment. Our management felt that the future is BIM, and I believe that is the case. We had to put the obstacles aside. We now consider ourselves to be a pioneer of BIM in this region.”