Will Building Information Modeling be beneficial For Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Projects?
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. [Wikipedia]
BIM for Civil Engineers? A large number of civil engineering companies are making ready to make wider use of BIM by taking the BIM capabilities. Initially, BIM was focusing in the architectural area, but since part of the advancement and adoption of different industries, the several BIM software is in regular advancement to address the needs of civil and structural engineers, offering better tools that increase its use in the field.
Why are Civil Engineers not embracing BIM? BIM for Civil Engineers would remain exactly like it is for the architectural or HVAC/MEP, apart from that we referring to the infrastructure beyond the building, including roads, carport, access walkways, surfaces, grading slopes, irrigation, and sewer, water, and storm drain utilities that hook up to building systems. Civil engineers haven't always recently been asked to participate in the overall BIM skill efforts.
Precisely what are the elements that controlled BIM for Civil? Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an intelligent 3D model-based process that equips structures, engineering, and construction specialists with the insight and tools to more successfully plan, design, construct and manage buildings and facilities. Nevertheless, civil engineers have not extensively used BIM unlike other services like HVAC, MEP, and Structures. There might have been specific reasons which may have kept civil engineering questioning BIM collaboration, such as:
- Is the BIM technology suitable for civil engineering?
- Is the civil engineering industry prepared for BIM?
- Are the clients requiring BIM?
- Are the civil engineers prepared with the training necessary to implement BIM?
- Will the industry get civil technicians and civil designers with the required skills?
BIM involves representing a design as combinations of objects that carry their geometry, relations, and related features.
Benefits of incorporating BIM for Civil Engineers:
Building information models let technicians, engineers and designers design, visualize, simulate, evaluate, document, and build tasks more proficiently, accurately, and competitively. Among the main great benefits associated with BIM for civil professional are productivity, coordination, and consistency of information, and improved visualization.
The most immediate benefits associated with BIM for road and highway designs are better designs and increased efficiency and productivity. Because design and construction documentation are dynamically linked, enough time needed to evaluate more alternatives, execute design changes, and produce construction documentation is reduced significantly. This is particularly important for transport agencies since it can cut short the time to deal to let, resulting in projects being completed quicker and within more expected timetables.
Presently there always must be a convincing factor for change. In the event that BIM is going to alter the way civil engineer conducts business, there must be some value to the effort. BIM integration can probably provide:
- Reduced costs
- Increased/enhanced cooperation
- Increased speed of delivery
- More accurate documentation
- Enhanced visual creativeness
- More useful and effective project delivery
- Improved visualizations and increased communication
- Client support and client relationship-building
- Enhanced value to the customer
- More accurate project cost estimations
- Improved project performance measurements
- Optimized design through BIM and BIM analysis
- Enhanced control of project heads between architect & engineering professional
- Improved productivity due to easy retrieval of info
- Increased coordination of construction documents
In addition to the above list, BIM helps in embedding and connecting of essential information such as vendors for specific materials, the location of details and quantities necessary for estimation and tendering. This is merely a brief set of the possible benefits that can be achieved through BIM integration for civil engineering industry experts.
BIM functions have also become a need for other engineering consultancies associated with highways design and other civil engineering tasks. Civil 3D is an outstanding BIM tool for civil engineers working on road design and infrastructure projects. Civil 3D engineering software provides engineering professionals with alternatives for a wide variety of infrastructure projects, including land development, transportation, and water projects. Civil 3D allows designers to quickly generate and evaluate alternatives to the undertaking. During the topographic survey stage, surveyors can use Civil 3D to automatically reduce data collected in the field to pre-engineering plans and existing surface models.
With Civil 3D, we have to work on Civil Engineering and Infrastructure projects the real BIM components lie in:
Moving data through the various phases of the infrastructure project procurement process.
Sharing data during individual project phases.
To summarize, it can be explained that BIM can be an integral part of the civil and structural projects and greatly improve the efficiency and development. Time will tell as to how BIM will change the face of civil engineering. Looking at how BIM has changed the lives of architects, MEP engineering and construction specialists in a very brief time, it could be anticipated, that great things are yet to come.
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