One of my childhood memories is that of my mother, an architecture technician who worked from home, in front of her big drawing table working on drawings. She used different pens for different line thicknesses, and templates for letters and furnishings. If she made a mistake, she used a razor blade to remove it. When she worked on structural drawings, I used to help her by colouring the walls using the code for different materials. Pink was used to indicate concrete.
While these are fond memories, there’s no doubt that the rise of CAD (computer-assisted design) technology has transformed the construction industry—for the better. Drawings can be rendered more quickly, changes are easier to make, copies can be made with the click of a mouse, and everything can be shared over the Internet. It’s a marvel!
Technology has indeed revolutionized our profession. And yet problems remain, including managing the latest version—Are you sure you’re working from the “right” drawings?—and the interaction between various disciplines. In recent years, a new method has emerged, with the potential to revolutionize the way the industry works: BIM.
Just what is BIM?
Some people think it’s a computer program, others see it as a 3D model that serves to “make things pretty so they appeal to the customer.” While there are many programs called “BIM XYZ software” and the 3D models they include are impressive, BIM is neither a program nor just a 3D model.
BIM, which stands for Building Information Modelling, is an integrated method of working on project design, execution and management. It’s a process for collaboration for those working on a single construction project, which makes it possible to design and work from a digital representation of the project.
The history of BIM
BIM has been around in various fields for 40 years and is still continually evolving. In the construction industry, BIM is increasingly popular. Large architectural and engineering firms started using it more than 10 years ago. But in the past two years, interest in BIM has soared and firms have started making much larger investments in this method.
In 2017, France will gradually be requiring digital models for public service contracts, with the hope that this will encouraged communities to follow suit. Closer to home, general contractors Pomerleau and EBC Inc. have started adopting BIM in their methods. Pomerleau is very active in promoting BIM in our industry, via BIM Can and BIM Quebec, and is also proactive within its company. Its hope for the future is to use the simultaneous or concurrent engineering method, a systematic approach to designing a product that takes into account all the elements in its lifecycle, from design to maintenance. BIM is a perfect example of this.
How is BIM being used in our industry?
In the rebar industry, BIM is beginning to make inroads, but we’re really only at the starting line! Everything still has to be created, considered, implemented and analyzed. This is an advantage, since currently everything has yet to be designed for our industry and our entry into the world of BIM in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
In introducing this new method and fine-tuning this new project management method, we will be able to follow and even lead this evolution, which is at our door. By modelling reinforcing steel in conjunction with other disciplines, such as HVAC and plumbing, we will be able to visualize nodes, areas of concentration and unworkables. Discrepancies, mistakes and omissions will be identified before materials arrive on site to prevent non-conformities and avoid the various requests for changes to be made by rebar workers on site. Follow-up and execution of internal coordination between the drafting room, production, delivery and erection will be improved and perfected.
