Building information modelling (BIM) has grown in popularity because it makes difficult AEC projects easier to create. The visualisation and documentation techniques used in BIM have virtually processed imaginative and sizable plans for high-profile projects.
Having assured the accuracy of data, the vivid simulation of construction sequences, improved AEC collaboration, and meticulous documentation of building information, BIM has been able to assist professionals in achieving these goals efficiently and effectively. Several of these features can be seen in the following 9 projects.
Oakland International Airport, United States of America
Turner Construction Company developed and built the central utility plant for the airport. The plant, an 8,300 square foot facility, required architectural improvements, increased interior space, and extensive MEP expert engagement to guarantee the plant operates with little disturbance. The effectiveness of this facility was crucial to the operation of the airport.
This construction needed to incorporate mechanical and mechanical equipment, including boilers, pumps, and a chiller plant. This required complexity. As a result, several subcontractors had to work together.
The airport’s intricate and large-scale HVAC network was therefore modelled using BIM. This meticulous project, like the Shanghai Tower, required a huge team of consultants to get the perfect results of the projects. BIM played a crucial role in helping the consultants and they asserted its importance throughout the entire project.
Shanghai Tower, China
Throughout history, China has evolved into a nation whose form is characteristic of Shanghai Tower. It is represented by its spiralling form. East Asia's leading financial center is also located in the tower. In a multi-stage design competition, this design was won by the Gensler Company.
Thousands of workers were engaged in the Shanghai Tower construction effort and BIM played a key role in the success of the project. The project had been commissioned by over 30 different consultants for the design, structure, MEP, and fire safety aspects of the project.
Aside from the foundations and machinery required for this project, dozens of professionals were also contracted. BIM brought together a large pool of human resources under a single goal. BIM played a crucial role in ensuring this project was completed on time and on budget.
WeWork
As a shared workspace, community, and service provider for freelancers, start-ups, and small businesses, WeWork was founded in 2010. In addition to renting out space to smaller companies, WeWork also rents out space to larger corporations. The nature of WeWork's work demands leasing spaces with inaccurate preexisting floorplans and smart spatial planning to accommodate its customers.
A large-scale interior and spatial planning theme, WeWork keeps repurposing its workspaces based on its users' animated needs. BIM's iterative design features and tools for interior space planning come in very handy at WeWork.
The point clouds that are generated from Scan To BIM are used by WeWork for documentation of their workspaces, with the point clouds containing rich 3D data. All the iterations then follow accordingly, making a purposeful output.
Alto Tower, USA
Due to its limited site space and higher built-up area requirements, this tower's design presented significant challenges. Parametric design processes were used by IF Architects using Grasshopper-Rhino tools, and BIM translated them into built products. Through a partnership with Autodesk, Permasteelisa the company that made the building uses the architects' design from conception to completion.
Parametric features and incremental floor plates with higher stories were the tower's theme, so its 3D evolution had to be tracked accurately using BIM. The level of the project was large and thus the project required many workers and other human resources which were possible with the use of BIM and the designing of the overall building was also made easy with the use of BIM.
Silver Oak Winery, USA
The original building of the Silver Oak Winery was met with a fire outbreak and was completely damaged. The regeneration of the project was made possible with the help of BIM, BIM was used to visualise the project from beginning to end.
BIM performed best on this project to prevent design or construction vulnerabilities to future fire outbreaks and envision a resilient winery campus. New proposals were designed and built using BIM 360 by the architect and contractors.
Whizdom 101, Thailand
Bangkok's urban area is home to this multipurpose commercial complex. Clients envisioned the building complex as a living example of large-scale, sustainable construction. By ensuring sustainable approaches are followed from design through construction and operation and maintenance, a 17-acre urban plot was transformed into a smart city model.
Using BIM and Autodesk software, the project was analyzed for energy efficiency and devised eco-friendly waste disposal systems. In addition, BIM helped in making decisions related to public transportation, bike paths, solar energy utilization, and an innovative pathway that converts pedestrian footsteps into power that lights up walkways at night.
HUS Bridge Hospital, Finland
There is a need for large, clear spaces and good air quality in hospitals. Additionally, the construction and services become more technically challenging if the hospital is large and has a comprehensive program. A composite frame supports the largest construction project in Helsinki's history, HUS Bridge Hospital.
To make one consistent unit, two pre-existing hospitals were merged into this one. Precast units accounted for more than 8000 of the project's components and more than 4000 tons of steel were needed. It was understandable that the technical requirements for HVAC, ICU units, x-ray units, and more were complex. So the role of BIM To make the work less complex played a very crucial role.
A collaboration between several consultants was made possible by BIM at the HUS Bridge Hospital. An important aspect of the construction was the visualisation of project documents on-site with portable devices running Open BIM. This feature was used by nearly 100 site workers every day.
Randselva Brigde, Norway
Randselva Bridge is known for its outstanding structural and technical prowess. Randselva Bru stretches 634 meters (m) close to the Norwegian capital and is built of concrete box girders. The main span of the bridge is 200 meters, and its six piers range in height from 5m to 42m. Geometrically complex bridges are constructed by using balance-cantilever methods.
For this bridge's design, the design team collaborated from four different locations, and BIM further outlined the project's technical complexity. There were no drawings made for this project, believe it or not. Seventy per cent of the project was designed using BIM's parametric features, which included over 200,000 rebars and 250 post-tensioning cables.