Leveraging BIM (Building Information Modeling) via IPD (Integrated Project Delivery) for Design-Bid-Build success

“Technology is best when it brings people together”.

– Matt Mullenweg

The Challenges:

Considering current scenarios and future prospects, the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry is demanding inextricable linking of Technology and multidisciplinary Collaboration between all project stakeholders — including the owner, design team, and contractor—to ensure that the best practices are leveraged and critical information is exchanged at all phases of a building project.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a tool and technology enhances the transfer of information between stakeholders in a virtual environment thus avoiding miscommunication and misinterpretation of design intent during the construction phase, disassociation of cost parameters before the bidding phase, and maintaining data integrity for assets management post-occupancy.

 

The Opportunities:

To ensure lower project costs and higher-quality work, IPD(Integrated Project Delivery) or DBB (Design-Bid-Build) mindset can be developed as i) a project delivery method and ii) as a philosophy, leveraged by early involvement of key participants to facilitate a well-informed and streamlined decision-making process.

The key benefits include-

–  Better Communication and increased Transparency

–  Greater Innovation through a focused approach

–  Mitigating Project Risks

–  Enhanced Profits

–  Comprehensive As-Builts and Turnover Documentation

–  Efficient Buildings for Operations and Facility Management

–  Build a Competitive Advantage

What The AEC Associates can do:

The AEC Associates’ service offerings to establish IPD and DBB project delivery methods are itemized below.

–  As-Built 3D Modeling and Documentation to assess spatial or structural constraints

Providing Design Support Services to the project design teams in the form of existing building documentation is crucial. The same can be created by traversing through the data gathered through –

•  Multiple onsite surveys,
• Reviewing historical records, which include drawings and documents
• Point-cloud scans
• Site photographs
• Study of building systems to comply with current codes, solidifying the need for comprehensive upgrades.

 

 –Design Review and Assessments during the entire project life

• Design Coordination during the Design Development and Pre-Construction phases
• Pooling technical, operational, construction, and manufacturing knowledge to value engineer and optimize every stage of delivery and operation

 

 – Real-time quantification of materials and finishes

• Using intelligent Building Information Modeling to prepare cost estimates and take decisions about cost budgets
• Assessing design options with the help of cost estimates to inform the owner and contractor if the project costs are well within the planned budgets.

 

–  Achieving sustainability goals

•  Pre-Construction Phase: Analysis of building systems to analyze energy and water use
•  Construction Phase: Ensuring design and cost goals are being consistently met
•  Post-Construction Phase:
  • Refurbish or change the management and operation of existing assets to hone performance and meet new demand without building anything new
  • If new assets are essential, pursue options involving low-carbon construction materials and Lean construction principles

 

 – Construction sequencing and visualization

•  Design visualization for complex phases of construction involving multiple subcontractors.
•  Construction Animation to facilitate material procurement and on-site construction planning

The Promising Premise

Although the adoption has been slow initially, with increasing demand for digital transformation to energize project design evaluation and documentation, construction, and operations management, IPD/ DBB can be perceived as the future of the AEC industry. The combination of process innovation (IPD) and technical innovation (BIM) is extremely powerful and lucrative.

We, at The AEC Associates, stand by the philosophy “Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced” and continually work to bring about innovations with progressive forms of project deliveries to strengthen the AEC industry as design support service providers.