BIMForum

Miami Meeting Explores The Human Side of BIM

Marisa Gerdano — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:41:21 +0000

“Without humans there is no BIM, despite the fact that you can’t get through a conversation about BIM without referencing the ever-popular 10% technology and 90% sociology (that BIM is), we spend most of our time and resources invested on the technology side. Therefore, we’re taking a different approach with this BIM Forum. We’re going to focus on helping users rather than using technology.” - Laura Handler, Director of VDC at Tocci Building Cos.

The BIMForum’s recent meeting at the Hilton Biscayne Bay in Miami was a departure from the organization’s previous conferences in that it not only investigated the Human Side of BIM, but also in that all of the presentations were held to a strict six slides over six minutes-and-forty-seconds format to allow the whole breadth of “Human BIM” to be investigated and discussed in just two days. The meeting drew 322 BIM AEC professionals to sunny South Florida.

“Technology is a platform for making changes in our firms and our business and the industry,” said Philip Bernstein, FAIA, vice president of strategic industry relations at Autodesk and a co-organizer of the Miami meeting with Handler. “This is about change, change in the people systems of the implementation of BIM. Whether it’s senior management, the leadership of individual projects, the planning and training necessities of a project, each of those things will be focused on in some detail in this BIM Forum. Let’s see how the wetware, the people, behind the software works.”

The presentations covered subjects such as “Green & Light Green: Is BIM the Catalyst for Experience,” “Building Intelligence: Cultural and Organizational Characteristics of Innovative AEC Firms” and “Principals are From Earth and BIM Managers are from Mars.”

While the presentations differed in content and style, all dealt with change management challenges that all AEC firms deal with. Some of the situations in the presentations included the significance of experience in both design and construction, the fact that human beings’ brains are prewired to fight change, and how to better communicate across generations.

“Culture is the byproduct of consistent behavior and consistent behaviors drive technology adoption,” said CASE co-founder Steve Sanderson who presented “Building Intelligence.”

Hard data on just who is performing BIM tasks came from Steve Jones, director of research at McGraw-Hill, who shared some of the data from his company’s latest BIM SmartMarket Report, research that was done on the behalf of the BIMForum as a research partner. Jones said that the age of BIM Champions at AEC firms surveyed in their ‘30s, more than 50% of them. While 95% of architects are now creating 3D models, more than 75% of structural, mechanical and electrical subcontractors are also creating models and there was improved adoption from subcontractors as well. CMs and GCs actually were not doing as much 3D modeling as mechanical, electrical and structural subcontractors as model authoring has started to further branch out in construction disciplines.

“The real heart of what we looked at was to try to correlate improved performance on BIM projects against this idea of team vs. individual responsibility/accountability performance measurement,” Jones said. “These numbers come from a question that said ‘on your most recent BIM project compared to all your other BIM projects, to what degree have you seen improvement on schedule performance, budget performance and overall performance? Clearly, everyone is saying it is getting better, the question is why? What are the elements that are making it better?”

The difference between teams and workgroups and the accountability, team goals vs. individual goals, was a main thrust of the questions in the survey. The greatest impact on performance was when designers and contractors both engaged in 3D modeling. 272 AEC professionals answered the survey in February and March of this year.

While the research and case studies provided a wealth of information for better understanding of communication and different ways of working among humans in BIM, one quote from presenter John Cannistraro of Massachusetts-based Mechanical/Electrical contractor Cannistraro stood out after his presentation on “Green & Light Green: Is BIM the Catalyst for Experience.”

“Respect between workers cannot come from anything but proficiency,” Cannistraro said.

Visit the BIMForum website for recordings of the presentations and to learn more about The Human Side of BIM.

LOD Specification Draft – released

Marisa Gerdano — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:09:14 +0000

The BIMForum has released the 2013 Model Development Specification. We are accepting comments until June 7th.

Download your copy of the draft here

Denver BIMForum 10/8-9, 2013 – Call for Presentations

Dmitri Alferieff — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:29:13 +0000

Prefabrication and Modular construction are showing tremendous promise for improving construction productivity, cost and efficiency. According to a recent McGraw-Hill study, their use is reducing construction schedules by four weeks or more, cutting project budgets by 6% or more, and reducing jobsite waste by 5% or more. As BIM’s use becomes more widespread and sophisticated, it is expected that prefab and modular construction will increase dramatically in the coming years.

For the Fall 2013 BIMForum, we would like to examine the issues, advantages, but most especially the challenges with using BIM for prefabricating building systems and constructing modular building sections. Specifically, we are interested in examples or answers to the following:

Designing for prefabrication: how does the use of prefab and modular building change design decisions and process?
Metrics of cost savings and productivity increases.
Do contracts adequately address the use of prefab and modular building?
Is there a real or perceived change in the standards of liability? If so, how can this be addressed?
The use of multiple trades on prefabricated systems or building modules.
Impact on jobsite safety
How do Prefabrication and Modular construction fit into lean a manufacturing workflow?

Proposals are due by June 19th, 2013. To submit a proposal go here.

Denver Sponsorship Opportunities and Exhibit Space reservations are now open.

McGraw-Hill releases updated BIM report

Dmitri Alferieff — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:40:26 +0000

McGraw Hill Construction has released their latest SmartMarket report on the “Business Value of BIM in North America”, sponsored by 14 industry-leading organizations including the BIMForum This year’s report builds on the past 5 years of extensive industry research of building information modeling and illustrates the cumulative data of a multi-year trend analysis. It also introduces the BIM Engagement index as a way to differentiate between respondents based on their experience, skill and level of BIM implementation. And, for the first time ever, there are User Ratings on over 50 specific BIM process and activities, ranked for frequency, value and difficulty. The report is rounded out by interviews with some of the founding leaders of BIM, as well as case studies of projects that represent emerging trends.

Download the full report here.

Miami BIMForum – Call For Presentations

Dmitri Alferieff — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:57:10 +0000

How many times have you heard someone start a presentation, conversation, or article with “BIM is 10% technology, 90% sociology?” (Source: Scott Simpson, FAIA, KlingStubbins) It may be becoming trite, but it is also very true. A BIM implementation is only as good as the capabilities of the people implementing it, and it is may even be more successful when team members collaborate. However, as often as we say it and as important as it is, our study of the “90%” tends to be less consistent and engaged than that of the “10%”until now. This conference will practically and deeply investigate the “90% Sociology”, the Human Side of BIM.

If you have experience researching or systemically implementing the Human Side of BIM, we are very interested in hearing from you. We’re interested in exploring the following topics, as they relate to BIM Adoption, or others you might find relevant:

Relevant Topics:

Behavioral Psychology
Applications of Motivational Theory
Change Management and Disruptive Innovation
Team Orientation and Formation
Team Development, Team Building
Developing BIM Skill versus BIM Will
Recruiting for Culture
Professional Development and Mentoring
Training Programs and Strategies

A few provocative presentations might include:

Applications of Motivational Theory: BIM-enabled IPD motivates stakeholder companies to act in the best interest of the project. But how can we motivate individuals to perform different in an IPD contract?

Team Composition: Building a team is historically perceived as an art and science, balancing technical capabilities with personalities. Some companies are attempting to minimize “the art” by using individual “personality profiles” to identify potential gaps, synergies, and conflicts.

Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development: In 1965, Bruce Tuckman developed the 4-stage model of group development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. How does that apply to AECO teams, and how can we benefit from knowing about it?

Assessing BIM Skill versus BIM Will: How one owner is using a management construct to rate BIM capabilities of potential project partners.

To submit a proposal, click here

San Antonio Presentations

Dmitri Alferieff — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:35:16 +0000

PowerPoints from the San Antonio BIMForum have been posted here. The presentations are free to all who attended the meeting. If you attended the BIMForum, you should have received a brief survey about the meeting. The password to the presentation is displayed at the end of the survey. If you attended the meeting but did not receive the survey please contact us here.

If you would like to see the videos from this and other BIMForums, become a BIMForum member.

Civil and Industrial Forum – VDC in a Horizontal World

Dmitri Alferieff — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:32:36 +0000

A half day Civil, Industrial, and Utilities VDC Forum was held on April 24th in conjunction with the April 25-26 BIMForum in San Antonio, Texas. This session featured implementations of VDC on Highway, Road, Bridge, Utility, Treatment Plants, and Power Distribution projects. This was the first of what will be a continued effort to explore the uses of BIM in Civil construction. The Civil and Industrial forum plans to meet again at the Fall BIMForum meeting.

San Antonio Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, April 24
1:00pm - 1:15pm	Introduction
1:15pm – 1:45pm	McGraw-Hill Research on BIM for Infrastructure Steve Jones, McGraw-Hill
1:45pm – 2:30pm	Small Business BIM/VDC Support of Large Transit Project Virginia McAllister, Iron Horse Architects
2:30pm – 3:15pm	Fort Worth’s 7th Street Bridge, a VDC case study Eric Cylwik, Sundt Construction
3:15pm – 4:00pm	BIM enabled Small and Mid-sized Utility Contractors: Ground Breaking Success in the Horizontal VDC World Will Ikerd, Ikerd Consulting
4:00pm – 4:45pm	Implementing VDC for Sitework John Prince, RFB Consulting
4:45pm – 5:00pm	Wrap-up

San Antonio BIMForum Schedule

Dmitri Alferieff — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:07:28 +0000

Tuesday, April 24
6:30pm – 8:00pm	Welcome Reception – sponsored by Get the Point
Wednesday, April 25
7:00am – 8:00am	Breakfast
8:00am – 8:30am	Introduction
8:30am – 9:00am	BIM for Concrete Precast Elements: rebar, formwork, production, assemblies and hoisting Marco Vidali, ICABIM
9:00am – 9:30am	Using BIM to Streamline Lifecycle Information at The Pennsylvania State University Murray Hestley and Eric Nulton, Penn State University
9:30am – 10:00am	Intelligent Trenching Eric Cylwik, Sundt Construction
10:00am – 10:15am	Break
10:15am – 10:45am	Leveraging Virtual Mock-Ups for Design Verification and Construction Understanding Brian Filkins, Mortenson Construction
10:45am – 11:15am	HiDef BIM and SEOR Supplied Shop Drawings Gregory P Luth, Ph.D., Gregory P Luth & Associates Inc.
11:15am – 11:45am	Discussion
11:45am – 12:00pm	Rapid-Fire Technology Demonstration – Assemble Systems
12:00pm – 1:15pm	Lunch – sponsored by Assemble Systems
1:15pm – 1:30pm	Rapid-Fire Technology Demonstration – Get the Point
1:30pm – 2:00pm	VDC Deliverables: Combining Analog and Digital Processes Jonathan Ammon and David Joslin, Gilbane Building Company
2:00pm – 2:30pm	How Integrated Process Consumes Deliverables Laura Handler and Pierce Reynoldson, Tocci Building Corporation
2:30pm – 3:00pm	Discussion
3:00pm – 3:15pm	Rapid-Fire Technology Demonstration – Trimble
3:15pm – 3:30pm	Break
3:30pm – 5:00pm	AIA Tap Awards
5:00pm – 5:45pm	Defining Level of Development Jim Bedrick, FAIA, AEC Process Engineering, and James Vandezande, AIA, HOK
6:00pm – 7:30pm	Reception
Thursday, April 26
7:00am – 8:00am	Breakfast
8:00am – 8:15am	Introduction
8:15am – 8:45am	From View Calculation to Fabrication – a Manhattan Residential Tower Sebastian Claussnitzer and Robert Yori, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
8:45am – 9:15am	Barclays Facade Design & Delivery John D. Cerone and Brian D. Sweeney, SHoP Construction Services LLC
9:15am – 9:45am	BIM-Enabled Set-Based Design for Net-Zero Energy Builders Andreas Phelps, Balfour Beatty Construction
9:45am – 10:00am	Break
10:00am – 10:15am	Rapid-Fire Technology Demonstration – C MiC
10:15am – 10:45am	Generative Design and Parametric Structures Joseph Burns, Jonatan Schumacher, and Robert K Otani, Thornton Tomasetti
10:45am – 11:15am	BIM for Owners John Messner, Penn State
11:15am – 11:45am	Discussion

Civil and Industrial Forum – Call For Proposals

Dmitri Alferieff — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:58:08 +0000

BIM and VDC in A Horizontal World
A half day Civil, Industrial, and Utilities VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) Forum will be held on April 24th in conjunction with the April 25-26 BIMForum in San Antonio, Texas. The BIMForum is looking for presentations on successful implementations of VDC on Highway, Road, Bridge, Utility, Treatment Plants, and Power Distribution projects. These projects have the potential to realize substantial financial and schedule savings. Presentations should focus on the use of VDC to enhance work flow, minimize schedules, increase safety, provide a better end product, or increase field productivity.

Some examples of worthy presentations include:

VDC within small companies: Small design and construction firms often find it difficult to justify the upfront cost of implementing VDC. Tell us how you have successfully implemented VDC technology on civil and industrial work and show your return on investment.

Successful implementation of VDC on horizontal projects: Companies are utilizing more and more technology in underground utility, excavating, grading, and paving operations. How has VDC helped your firm in these areas?

Water and power plants and distribution: The simplest plant and distribution projects are as difficult as the more complex vertical building projects. How has VDC helped in the design and / or construction?

Owner Deliverables: Does your local DOT have VDC deliverables? What are the deliverables? How and why were the deliverables created? Has your firm provided VDC deliverables to an owner / agency and how have they been utilized post construction?

Other VDC Uses:Any other use in the civil and industrial world that you find compelling and worthy of sharing.

Each proposal should include:

• Name or brief description of the VDC use and implementation;
• A brief overview of the implementing companies
• What was the driving force (the specific need or problem) that led to using VDC?
• What value did VDC provide to the project, project team, or implementing company?

Proposals are due by February 24th, 2012. To submit a proposal, Click here.

BIM Awards – Call For Entries

Dmitri Alferieff — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:02:46 +0000

The Building Information Model (BIM) Awards, given by AIA Technology in the Architectural Practice Knowledge Community (TAP), honors projects that highlight proven strategies and the latest trends in design and technology in the building industry.

Submissions

2012 Entries must be submitted before 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 17, 2012.

The submission deadline date will be strictly observed; no exceptions will be made. No entry fee will be refunded for entries that are disqualified, late, or not completed. Payments and submissions will only be accepted online.

Please review the 2012 AIA BIM Awards Walk Through and download the concealed ID forms before beginning your submission. When you are ready to submit, go to the Submission Web site.

The 2012 BIM Awards Program is open to all professionals (owners, architects, engineers, contractors, operators) and academic institutions. International submissions are welcome. Submissions will be for any and all categories. Each submission will be evaluated by the 2012 BIM Awards Jury in the following categories (as well as an option by the Jury to award “Jury’s Choice” as it deems appropriate):

Fees

Entry Fee for Categories A, B, or C is $300 per submission for members*
Entry Fee for Categories A, B, or C is $400 per submission for non members
Reduced Fee for Categories D & E is $100 per submission for members*
Reduced Fee for Categories D & E is $200 per submission for non members

*Members of the AIA, COAA and BIMForum

2012 Jury

Martin A. Fischer, Chair, Stanford University Stanford, CA
Boyd Emerson Black, University of Chicago, Chicago
Peggy Deamer, Yale School of Architecture, Brooklyn, NY
Daniel N. Russell, The Sundt Companies, Inc., Tucson
Tom Sawyer, McGraw-Hill Construction, New York City

Questions?

kcawards@aia.org
1735 New York Ave., NW
Washington DC, 20006
United States of America

Sponsor

The AIA Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community