The question: What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?
There are many answers to this question depending on who you ask. It is important to note the point of view: beginner, architect, engineer, technician, contractor, or client?
An article that caught my attention was an editorial by a registered architect, Kelvin Donaldson, titled "The Problem with Revit...", published in 2012 as an article on the Autodesk User Group International United Kingdom website (link here). His words are eloquent and to the point, he notes, "the following challenges are more general to the construction industry rather than to BIM practitioners, [...] they are much bigger than software or hardware problems and much harder to solve, but that doesn’t make them any less real" [1]. And this resonates with me because we automatically assume that problems have to come in terms of the software, the user experience and interface, the glitches and bugs, etc, at least that is how I initially felt before I read his points. In short summary, the challenges he sees with the adoption of Revit & BIM among architecture firms are: 1.) diminishing architectural fees don't allow for a model with enough detail, 2.) demands of the software rapidly outgrowing the computer capabilities in place in the office, and 3.) clients are still conservative in their willingness to try the BIM method of documentation.
In class our group discussed some of these - in particular the second point regarding the computer capabilities. We noticed just in our short experience that Revit & other BIM software either take a significant time to load as it is (10 minutes +), or they frequently freeze, or they completely crash the program and all your work. These are not infrequent and therefore cause real damage to productivity and efficiency. It may feel like we are saving all this time by using this incredibly powerful 3D model but what happens when it takes 5 minutes just to draw a wall in? Kevin Donaldson's point in the article is that some of this can be solved by upgrading the firm's computer hardware - new, faster computers, larger storage, increased network speeds - but if you are a small Architectural Firm with staff that you can count on two hands, then these sort of amenities simply do not exist. His other point was the incredible packages that Autodesk comes out with - he compared it to grocery shopping and there is a sale, 'Buy 3 for the Price of 2!' but in reality you could not even finish just one item before the expiration date. That is what he feels happens in Autodesk, especially in small firms that cannot fathom using these tools. In my opinion and experience, however, the more staff that is available, the more flexible everyone's time could be in trying and utilizing these features. I will note however, that even though I worked at a large firm for co-op, we continued to have computer crashing issues and AutoCAD version issues - to me the solution was that every machine needed to have both versions that we were working in 2013 and 2016, yet only a few machines had 2016 and they were still reluctant to give the whole office access because of the licensing costs.
If we look at a different perspective, perhaps a Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing designer perspective, we see the more technical aspect of the limitations. Although a little dated, this article by Beck Ireland, titled "Growing Pains", published in 2010 on the Electrical, Construction, & Maintenance website (link here), indicates that a challenge with BIM starts at the beginning, because everyone has to be involved. Many decisions are made upfront and way too many people are in the room at the same time trying to make these decisions. BIM is useful as a construction management tool if those are willing to utilize it, which can be difficult if not all the features are available. They note, "We're still working on this big project, but if we had done it in AutoCAD, we'd be finished already — and we'd have more detail on the drawings,” he says. “It's just the way it is right now” [2]. I think that this has improved greatly since 2010 - every day there are more contributor's making BIM better and more reliable with more detail, and each version that comes out is more user friendly and powerful than the next, but I imagine it can often leave much to be desired if the projects become so big it is hard to keep track of everying. This article further emphasizes that compared to systems like windows and appliances, the electrical engineers cannot simply find their equipment whether that is a switch or particular transformer. The database just is not there for them to really utilize BIM and particularly the 'information' part of it.
Both articles note that many large clients are now requiring BIM to be implemented in projects. This is an excellent way to further the advancement of technology and it looks like it is not going anywhere for a long time. With each project that finds barriers and limitations with BIM, there will be more solutions found.
References:
In class our group discussed some of these - in particular the second point regarding the computer capabilities. We noticed just in our short experience that Revit & other BIM software either take a significant time to load as it is (10 minutes +), or they frequently freeze, or they completely crash the program and all your work. These are not infrequent and therefore cause real damage to productivity and efficiency. It may feel like we are saving all this time by using this incredibly powerful 3D model but what happens when it takes 5 minutes just to draw a wall in? Kevin Donaldson's point in the article is that some of this can be solved by upgrading the firm's computer hardware - new, faster computers, larger storage, increased network speeds - but if you are a small Architectural Firm with staff that you can count on two hands, then these sort of amenities simply do not exist. His other point was the incredible packages that Autodesk comes out with - he compared it to grocery shopping and there is a sale, 'Buy 3 for the Price of 2!' but in reality you could not even finish just one item before the expiration date. That is what he feels happens in Autodesk, especially in small firms that cannot fathom using these tools. In my opinion and experience, however, the more staff that is available, the more flexible everyone's time could be in trying and utilizing these features. I will note however, that even though I worked at a large firm for co-op, we continued to have computer crashing issues and AutoCAD version issues - to me the solution was that every machine needed to have both versions that we were working in 2013 and 2016, yet only a few machines had 2016 and they were still reluctant to give the whole office access because of the licensing costs.
If we look at a different perspective, perhaps a Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing designer perspective, we see the more technical aspect of the limitations. Although a little dated, this article by Beck Ireland, titled "Growing Pains", published in 2010 on the Electrical, Construction, & Maintenance website (link here), indicates that a challenge with BIM starts at the beginning, because everyone has to be involved. Many decisions are made upfront and way too many people are in the room at the same time trying to make these decisions. BIM is useful as a construction management tool if those are willing to utilize it, which can be difficult if not all the features are available. They note, "We're still working on this big project, but if we had done it in AutoCAD, we'd be finished already — and we'd have more detail on the drawings,” he says. “It's just the way it is right now” [2]. I think that this has improved greatly since 2010 - every day there are more contributor's making BIM better and more reliable with more detail, and each version that comes out is more user friendly and powerful than the next, but I imagine it can often leave much to be desired if the projects become so big it is hard to keep track of everying. This article further emphasizes that compared to systems like windows and appliances, the electrical engineers cannot simply find their equipment whether that is a switch or particular transformer. The database just is not there for them to really utilize BIM and particularly the 'information' part of it.
Both articles note that many large clients are now requiring BIM to be implemented in projects. This is an excellent way to further the advancement of technology and it looks like it is not going anywhere for a long time. With each project that finds barriers and limitations with BIM, there will be more solutions found.
References:
[1] K. Donaldson, "The Problem with Revit...", Augiuk.co.uk, 2012.
Available: http://www.augiuk.co.uk/index.php/articles/17-articles/31-the-problem-with-revit.
[2] B. Ireland, "Growing Pains", EC&MWeb.com, 2010.
Available: http://ecmweb.com/design/growing-pains
Comments on Other Student Blogs:
Arthur McCloskey: I think the sad truth is that all of these computer capabilities is reducing our intellectual ability and spatial reasoning on our own. If Revit can become so good and tell you exactly where you should place XYZ components to maximize an architectural element or sun exposure (things like that), then are we really engineers, architects, and designers? If the programming becomes more efficient than the user, that ties in to the Artificial Intelligence component of it and can become a scary world if we think about it in that way. Maybe buildings will be designed and built by themselves... no user input? Only time outside of our lives can tell about that.
Ray Powell: Since I was looking at current disadvantages, I wanted to make sure I had a dose of positivity and read something related to the advantages! I see how it would benefit efficiency and quality of the engineering and bidding process. I think by this system of storing all the information it takes out the guessing work for the contractors and they can provide faster and more accurate bidding numbers, which makes them more attractive, which lends itself to more bidders. It is always a sad sight when there are not enough bidders and the project needs to be re-bid. Further, your point about design specifications and how it is almost like testing resonates with me, because what got me interested in this field was the idea that we could simulate a building digitally and figure out all its problems before it was constructed.
Hayley Seldon : I completely agree with you on the comparison between Revit and other programs. There are some overlaps and basic features but then there are places where the systems veer off from each other. The difference between modeling and drafting from Revit to AutoCAD is significant. Although I used AutoCAD over co-op for bridges, highways, roads, and transportation planning purposes, I cannot imagine making a building in AutoCAD without Revit. It just doesn't seem like the better option. In general, I do think that AutoCAD's topography may be more flexible than Revit's.. but here we are talking about buildings so, again, Revit to me has those capabilities beat. I think Sketchup compares more to AutoCAD than to Revit only because we are dealing with lines and areas as opposed to Revit's object oriented things (floors, walls, doors, modeled specifically). It is like this bizarre triangle of resources available in this modern age.
[2] B. Ireland, "Growing Pains", EC&MWeb.com, 2010.
Available: http://ecmweb.com/design/growing-pains
Comments on Other Student Blogs:
Arthur McCloskey: I think the sad truth is that all of these computer capabilities is reducing our intellectual ability and spatial reasoning on our own. If Revit can become so good and tell you exactly where you should place XYZ components to maximize an architectural element or sun exposure (things like that), then are we really engineers, architects, and designers? If the programming becomes more efficient than the user, that ties in to the Artificial Intelligence component of it and can become a scary world if we think about it in that way. Maybe buildings will be designed and built by themselves... no user input? Only time outside of our lives can tell about that.
Ray Powell: Since I was looking at current disadvantages, I wanted to make sure I had a dose of positivity and read something related to the advantages! I see how it would benefit efficiency and quality of the engineering and bidding process. I think by this system of storing all the information it takes out the guessing work for the contractors and they can provide faster and more accurate bidding numbers, which makes them more attractive, which lends itself to more bidders. It is always a sad sight when there are not enough bidders and the project needs to be re-bid. Further, your point about design specifications and how it is almost like testing resonates with me, because what got me interested in this field was the idea that we could simulate a building digitally and figure out all its problems before it was constructed.
Hayley Seldon : I completely agree with you on the comparison between Revit and other programs. There are some overlaps and basic features but then there are places where the systems veer off from each other. The difference between modeling and drafting from Revit to AutoCAD is significant. Although I used AutoCAD over co-op for bridges, highways, roads, and transportation planning purposes, I cannot imagine making a building in AutoCAD without Revit. It just doesn't seem like the better option. In general, I do think that AutoCAD's topography may be more flexible than Revit's.. but here we are talking about buildings so, again, Revit to me has those capabilities beat. I think Sketchup compares more to AutoCAD than to Revit only because we are dealing with lines and areas as opposed to Revit's object oriented things (floors, walls, doors, modeled specifically). It is like this bizarre triangle of resources available in this modern age.
Maria - Your points on the conservative nature of the construction field getting in the way of BIM implementation made a lot of sense to me. Often the people at the top of the totem pole have quite a few years of experience under their belt and may not be willing or interested in learning how to use new technology. This makes it very difficult for full technological implementation under their management and definitely does not provide a conducive environment for someone eager to learn as much as possible about BIM.
ReplyDeleteI agree that maybe the time it takes to learn Revit and the computer capabilities may be a downfall, but I also think, it is worth it to start advancing and integrating the program into the industry now. As other technology advances, it will be important to have programs that can match its capabilities and professionals that can use them.
ReplyDeleteagreed!
Delete