From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of
building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms
that are serious about building information modeling.
 |
| Gilbane invested $60,000 to acquire its first 3D laser scanner, the FARO Focus 3D. The price tag may seem steep, but it’s only about half the cost of previous-generation scanners. |
As building information modeling and virtual design and
construction continue to evolve the work processes of AEC firms, promising
technologies are being applied to take 3D coordination to the next level. Some
are new breakthroughs; others have been vastly improved in recent years.
Regardless, experts agree that the following BIM/VDC-related
technology trends will have a profound impact on the way Building Teams design,
build, and even operate buildings in the near future.
1. 3D laser scanning
is becoming affordable
The promise of enhancing BIM models with field-accurate
information is rapidly becoming reality on construction sites, thanks to
improved software importing capabilities and newer, less expensive
field-scanning technologies.
A “scan” is a powerful laser recording of a structure that
captures a site’s shape and appearance, and converts those conditions into a cloud
of data points that can be imported into a BIM model. The equipment can be
costly (the initial investment for a single scanner can reach $100,000), but
many AEC firms are able to justify the upfront cost with the gains in
efficiency on projects and additional consulting fees.
“We’ve found that laser scanning has a huge barrier to entry
in cost, but if you own it, you find uses for it you otherwise wouldn’t have
considered,” says John Tocci, Jr., Director of Virtual Design and Construction
with Gilbane, and a past BD+C “40 Under 40” honoree.
Last August, the firm purchased its first laser scanner—a
FARO Focus 3D—for roughly $60,000, including the software and training. It was
a far cry from the six-figure price tag of older-generation laser scanners, but
still a major investment for Gilbane. Tocci says the payback was almost
immediate.
 |
| Gilbane recouped its investment for the laser scanner within six months by employing it on five projects (one shown here). On one project alone, they identified $30,000 in cost avoidances using the scanner. |
“On a single project alone, 30 minutes of scan time in the
field and 30 minutes of post-processing and uploading the point cloud into a
Revit model saved $30,000,” he says.
Gilbane has seen both cost savings and field safety
improvements from importing laser scans into Revit models. Prefabrication and
coordination of MEP systems installation has saved rework costs on every
project on which the scanner has been employed. In particular, the
prefabrication of ductwork has greatly minimized, and even eliminated, field work,
especially related to rough-in activities.
“If someone is telling us from finished floor to underside
of beam we have 11 feet, 8 inches, we can tell them with complete confidence if
that number is accurate or not,” says Tocci.
Gilbane’s initial uses for the laser scanner—five projects
across the U.S., spanning higher education renovations to work for the National
Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C.—have generated such value that the
firm is planning to purchase a second laser scanner this year.
2. Designers can now
model energy performance on the fly
Energy modeling has been around for decades, but it remains
largely a time-consuming and costly exercise. Single-purpose models, such as
daylighting and airflow models, can take days or even weeks to build and run.
Often, specialists are required to perform this work, adding yet another layer
to the workflow process, budget, and schedule. All of this precludes design
teams from applying an iterative design process during the conceptual design
phase.
With new software tools, analysis performed during
conceptual design is no longer a fantasy. Autodesk, Sefaira, and even
the Department of Energy have developed applications that allow designers
to perform energy analysis of early concepts on the fly. By condensing the time
it takes to gather and crunch energy performance data from days to hours, it is
feasible for design teams to tweak their designs on the fly based on the
data.
 |
| Using tools like Sefaira (pictured) and Autodesk FormIt, designers can review basic performance data on their prototypes in a matter of minutes, allowing them to quickly optimize the scheme. This screen capture of Sefaira shows the simulated energy performance of several alternative building forms. |
“We often heard architects lamenting that by the time they
got simulation data it was too late to change decisions made in conceptual
design,” says Mads Jensen, CEO of Sefaira. “How can they put in shading devices
and spec them while also understanding the implications of the different
options available? How can they spec to balance the trade-offs between solar
heat gain and the risks of overheating in the summer?”
Architects and engineers have to be careful to not use wrong
approaches early on, Jensen adds. “We must learn how all the parts of a
building project interact based on rigorous, fundamental, science-based
analysis that comes from physics and shows how these different aspects of a
building work.”
Sefaira is an analysis tool that integrates real-time data,
including weather-station information, into the conceptual design process.
SketchUp and Revit plug-ins allow its early analysis information, such as solar
heat gain and airflow, to be used downstream by BIM authoring tools. Sefaira’s
dashboard provides users with numbers and graphic performance representations
of virtually any measurable energy usage prediction, including energy use
intensity and daylighting potential.
Another tool that is revolutionizing conceptual design with
real-time building performance data is Autodesk FormIt, a free Web- and
mobile-based design application introduced last year. FormIt’s latest version
comes with energy simulation features that enable users to gather instant
energy-performance feedback on early design decisions, such as building
orientation, thermal performance, and massing.
Eventually, users will be able to save conceptual FormIt
data to Revit and Navisworks for downstream parametric modeling, according to
Autodesk. In addition, the company is developing a real-time collaboration
environment that will allow designers to simultaneously work on FormIt models
and import the results into Revit.
3. Prefabrication
will transform building delivery
A growing number of Building Teams are using BIM processes
to collaborate with general contractors and construction managers to
prefabricate and install building components, such as mechanical equipment,
plumbing infrastructure, and even complete restroom pods.
DPR Construction began experimenting with the concept of
using BIM to perform drywall detailing a few years ago. DPR’s self-performing
drywall team would make decisions on how best to build in the field and then
represent those decisions on a spool sheet created directly from the
construction BIM model. These efforts started on the Sutter Health Castro
Valley (Calif.) Clinic project.
“People say modular and prefabrication means it has to
constrain the design,” says Nathan Wood, an Innovation Engineer at DPR. “The
message we’re trying to send is that BIM allows prefabrication to be flexible,
because no matter how unique and one-off the design is, as long as we know it
is constructible in the model we can prefabricate it and install it.”
On the Castro Valley project, using fully coordinated BIM
spool sheets allowed DPR’s drywall team to install all of the hospital’s post
and panel construction before the walls went up. This meant they could also
install the MEP equipment before the walls were built, eliminating the need to
snake infrastructure through a maze of walls and avoiding costly rework if
something did not fit as drawn.
When it came time to fabricate the hundreds of steel-framed
drywall panels, DPR had the light-gauge panel frames built in the quiet of a
nearby factory rather than on the often chaotic job site.
4. Data management
will play a more vital role in projects
Cloud-based collaboration continues to take over functions
that once ate up hard drive space on a designer or BIM/VDC manager’s computer.
As more data moves to the cloud, and more Building Team members begin to
interact with centralized 3D models, the need to manage, store, and share
project data becomes absolutely critical. Software companies like Assemble Systems
and Panzura have developed cloud-based tools for advanced data management.
With Assemble Systems, a team’s model data is published to
Assemble’s secure website, which includes tools for takeoffs and schedules, a
model viewer, model variance, and automated estimating. Any Revit, AutoCAD, or
Navisworks file can be uploaded to Assemble’s database and shared via the Web
with other Building Team members.
Panzura uses a proprietary hardware controller located in
the user’s office to offer secure access to project data. The Panzura Global
Cloud Storage System includes a Web-based operating system, file-sharing
system, and the hardware controller. The setup provides enterprise-class data
storage services, including consolidation, archiving, heightened access, and
security.
5. Computer-aided
manufacturing is on the horizon
As prefabrication and manufacturing processes such as Lean
construction begin to unlock savings and process efficiencies, the AEC industry
will be forced to adapt in much the same way computer-aided manufacturing
changed manufacturing.
CNC fabrication is no longer cutting-edge technology for
building components. For example, steel fabricator Banker Steel expanded one of
its Lynchburg, Va., facilities by 45,000 sf to create a workshop dedicated to
the fabrication of building modules for the $4.9 billion, 32-story B2 Atlantic
Yards project in Brooklyn. With 60% of construction completed off-site in a
factory, this project is relying on several CAM technologies, coupled with BIM
processes, to deliver ready-to-install modules. When completed, B2 will be the
tallest building in the world built using modular technology.
While traditional processes won’t be eclipsed any time soon,
just knowing what can be done with today’s BIM technologies will further push
adoption.
Source: BDCnetwork.com
No comments:
Post a Comment