Current Advantages of Revit/BIM - Mridul Pareek

Building Information Modelling or BIM is a process of generating and analyzing digital models to make high cost decisions regarding the construction and safety of structures like bridges, skyscrapers, roads, tunnels and other such infrastructures. BIM started out as a concept around 1970, and over time gained immense popularity in the construction industry. There are various BIM software available now from various vendors. Revit is the one discussed here in detail.

Autodesk released Revit in 2000 and it is a BIM software for Engineers, Designers and Contractors. Currently, Revit is one of the most famous Autodesk software used by professionals in the industry. Revit has a variety of uses currently, with new updates coming out every year making it better with each iteration. Some of these uses are,
 
1)  Revit allows a team to cross physical limitations and collaborate over long distances. Members can use the software to design individual components and criticize each other's ideas using a visual cue of their thoughts, whereas previously, members had to physically get together which was harder if the project had members all over the world.

2) Revit allows quick changes to designs, and allows the user to save time on repetitive tasks using the variety of tools it has. Before BIM, hand-drawings took a large amount of time since each individual part had to be drawn, and errors needed to be manually fixed. With the emergence of BIM, a user can just copy and paste repetitive components and quickly repair errors which saves a lot of time for the designer.

3) Revit creates a library of building components, which can be reused later in other projects. New components created can be saved as well, making the library ever growing.

4)  Revit's contribution to analysis and estimation of costs is one of its defining feature. It can be used to accurately determine quantity of materials and estimate costs. It also produces high quality documents that can be used for future references.

Sources:
http://www.architecturalevangelist.com/tips-and-tricks/top-7-reasons-to-use-revit.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Revit

Comments:

Joe Dressel : I agree with your point of future possibilities of BIM being as expansive as human imagination. maybe before adding new features, it is a good idea to make it more efficient at its current uses like better quality documents, and large scale implications.
https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/dressel-b3-group-c.html

Ziyang Lin: I completely forgot about the auto-save aspect of BIM, and i cannot disagree of its importance in the industry. Also, having the entire project online saves the user the time to find the files manually.
https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-current-advantages-of-bim.html

Paulina Gavor: You did a great job explaining the biggest weakness of BIM, which is the amount of time and effort it takes to learn and become proficient at the software in the first place. However i feel like the pros heavily outweigh the cons, and maybe with time, it will become more user friendly.
https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/gawor-current-problems-with-bim.html

Gawor - Current Problems with BIM

Current Problems with BIM

Using BIM for project design requires more work upfront. The process inherently is more collaborative. It requires greater initial communication between designer, owner, and contractors. The effective use of BIM software is highly dependent on how it is implemented. Good use of software like Revit requires intimate knowledge of the program, establishing client needs, office standards, and new design practices. The use of BIM can require a great deal of licensing and training, and often requires hiring several individuals to oversee implementation of these programs and practices in office.

A lack of standards on how building models should perform is another issue. Drafted drawings were read as showing design intent, but now modelled buildings may be read as instruction for construction depending on their level of detail. Ensuring accuracy in a BIM model suggests maybe more risk than that of a drawing set. The ownership of the BIM model and its data are uncertain.

There is a learning curve with BIM, and smaller practices might not have the resources or time to invest in this new software, making for a longer learning curve and time of adaptation. The transition from drafting to modelling can take many months, even years. If a model is meant to be used long term to inform building operations, it will take more time and input from the owner to assure engineering teams this is something they want and will use.

The electrical industry is not very well represented in BIM. Most BIM software do not provide electrical elements out of box, nor have they developed the type of compatibility that is not built in to running piping or vents. There is no intelligent circuit design available. Other issues that need to be developed in BIM software include better representation of architectural planning processes, more intuitive user interfaces, integration with GIS systems, integration with energy modelling, connection to real world capture and feedback. [1] Developing the design for a building usually involves some amount of information collection and abstraction. Buildings are not born perfectly in the mind of a single architect, ready to be represented in highly detailed 3D but are a process of adjusting, elaborating and correcting upon a concept.

Resources

[1] http://usir.salford.ac.uk/12898/2/PaulCoatesLimitationsofBIMICSU.pdf

[2] http://www.caed.calpoly.edu/content/pdci/research-projects/simonian-10

Peer Comments

Taryn Francischetti

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/taryn-francischetti-team-blog-post-3.html

Taryn, I agree ownership of these BIM models and how they might be used post project construction is a big issue that is yet to be resolved. There is no benefit for the design team to share their model, as they might be held liable for discrepancies in the model post construction. Specialty contractors working on the model might want to maintain their rights to their details of design. Proprietary information left in the hands of an owner could find its way to a competitor. The desire to use the models for future repair and maintenance of the project will have to be balanced with liability issues.

Peter Dannemann

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b3-group-c-peter-dannemann.html

Peter, you are right geotechnical and site related work is underserved in existing Revit design.There is also minimal integration with GIS systems. The location of the project so greatly informs a project and its performance that it seems a ridiculous omission.

Hayley Selden

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/selden-b3-revit-vs-other-drafting.html

Hayley, with respect to your comparison of Revit and Sketchup you are completely right. Sketchup serves as a more intermediate design concept phase of a project, more than a platform for detailed design, especially when it comes to detailing or engineering systems. This ‘concept’ or planning part of the design process is not really built into Revit. You touch on the distinction between drafting and modelling. For me this is another interesting problem. Drafted drawings are read as showing design intent, but now modelled buildings may be read as instruction for construction depending on their level of detail. Ensuring accuracy in a BIM model suggests maybe more risk than that of a drawing set.

Alsaleem B3 - GroupC Future advantages of Revit

What are the possible future advantages of Revit/BIM?

One huge possible future advantage of BIM and Revit is improving the collaboration with models, simplifying many functions to enable several users to adjust on a complex project models and manage combination with other members and editors all at once.

Another predicted possible future advantage is an increase of simulation tools that would allow for designers to visualize sunlight during different times of the year throughout different seasons which will help calculate building energy performances.

Codes are predicted to also be introduced strongly in Revit and BIM. Several government departments, fire departments and other officials may use these programs to introduce the codes, and an option or icon of reviewing codes on models building projects can see if the building violates any codes and suggest some solution.

Cost estimating features will also be built in BIM software estimating. Costs of materials chosen for the building, interior and exterior. Material quantities are automatically obtained and updated when any changes are made in the model creating a table with details, where material is used in addition to its price and cost, that will help designers reduce costs on point and come up with more solutions.

Finally, because building information models are created to scale in 3D space, all major systems can be instantly and automatically checked for interferences with other material. As an example, this tool can help verify that piping does not intersect with steel beams, ducts, or walls and if does it will show a warning to the user and create solutions to adjust and overcome the problem.

Sources:

https://redshift.autodesk.com/building-information-modeling-top-10-benefits-of-bim/

http://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000127

Responses to peers:

Kerianne Vogler: I used all three programs you referred too and I agree with most differences between them that you pointed out. I also agree that Revit is easier than Sketchup. I faced a problem using Sketchup that it did not generate a list of properties designed and Revit as you mentioned automatically did that.

David Sanchez: Your post was well written and very straight forward with great points of comparison between Revit and AutoCAD and SolidWorks. I never used SolidWorks so I cannot talk from my point of view about that, but AutoCAD I used a lot and I can agree that it lacks the use of 3D modeling and that’s a big point in favor of Revit. I enjoyed your post and benefited from it.

Zhijing Zheng: I read your post about the issues in Revit nowadays and how it causes some difficulties in the way of designers and engineers. Out of the 4 problems you pointed out I estimated that 2 of them will be fixed and added as future tools in Revit, that gives me an idea that it is probably obvious for the Software team that engineers and designers want and need these tools so hopefully they are already working on them.  

B3 - Current Problems with BIM / Revit

BIM

BIM (Building Information Modeling) has definitely improved our professional lives. Visualizing, or trying to, is a different experience from being able to actually see a 3-Dimensional rendering of a concept. Projects, ideas, concepts are almost tangible nowadays, and that is all thanks to BIM Technology. Revit, in particular, is widely used in the engineering and architectural world as a tool of communication between different spheres / disciplines within the "building world". BIM has advanced widely in the last decade or so, and its advantages most definitely counterweight its setbacks. However, there are a few things worth mentioning regarding possible flaws in BIM and Revit, that engineers, architects, and even students encounter often enough for them to be considered as problems / disadvantages.

Following the class discussion on this topic [1] I am going to try to expand more on some of the major pointers that we were able to summarize last week. 
It seems that one of the main reasons people get frustrated about when it comes to Revit, is that when the file becomes too large (above a few MBs), significant lagging starts to occur. This might be directly related to how much power the computer and graphic card the model is trying to be run on, has. However, this is considered a design flaw, because there is other software out there who are able to compute a myriad of data in a few seconds, without displaying obvious lag or crashing.  
Another aspect in which Revit could use some improvement on, is a better incorporation of systems, done so in stages. There has been a demand for this feature for a few years now, and Revit developers were able to accommodate clients' needs by creating the "virtual cloud", as a way of storage for one single model to be saved on, and later on be accessed by different computers and users. The problem with that is that not a lot of people can work on the same model at the same time and be able to save all the changes by superimposing them.  Each user gets a notification if the file is already open on a different computer, and they can access it as view-only, without being able to save changes or modify the original model. 
Revit has also been described as very used-dependent. Each firm has a dedicated team of drafters, whose job is to draft or detail Revit models. However, there is an absolute need for basic knowledge of Revit by engineers and designers as well. The project proves to be more time-efficient if the designers know how to assemble different systems based on their design. Setting up an initial model is very time-consuming and its benefits aren't observed right away. However, taking the extra time to model or assemble the model correctly in the beginning, proves to be rewarding in later stages of the project, when modifications might be necessary. Going back to the idea of user-depended, I also wanted to point out that Revit is a very powerful tool. This is significant because a software's power is often related to its complexity, which might be a reason why not a lot of people are very "fluent" in Revit. The software could improve the user interface to make it easier for beginners to have a better experience. 
Generally speaking, our group also pointed out that electrical engineering is one of the slowest fields, in our experience, which has adapted BIM Technology. Converting 3-D models into 2-D plans often requires additional work, to better display overlapping and system interaction. This may counteract the initial purpose of using BIM, which is to manage tasks in a timely manner.

Resources

[1] Week 3 Class Discussion - Group B - Current Problems with Revit/BIM
https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/week-3-class-discussion-group-b-current.html

Peer Review Comments


Alexander Koo: I think it's interesting that you touched upon the legal aspect of BIM data. That's something that hadn't occurred to me. It must be extremely hard to keep track of which user implemented which feature throughout the lifetime of a project, which can vary from a few weeks, to months. As you mentioned, the "blurring" of responsibility can be dangerous. However, final plans are always reviewed and seen by many sets of eyes, and at the very end sealed by a professional engineer. This ensures careful consideration of every single feature and detail in the project. Finding the responsible party is necessary only when something goes very wrong and someone needs to be blamed, which will hopefully not be the case in future projects. 

Prahlad Singh: I agree with the points you made while comparing AutoCad to Revit. I just wanted to point out that in many cases, people try to compare AutoCad 3D to Revit, solely based on better three-dimensional capabilities that AutoCad 3D features. But as Professor Mitchell mentioned in class, AutoCad 3D is not considered very well-designed, therefore you don't hear of any architectural firms using it. As Pierre Derenoncourt eloquently put it, "with AutoCad you’re using lines to create basic geometry that represents real life objects, while with Revit you’re using geometry that’s equipped with real life information." [2]
[2] AutoCad or Revit - Where do you draw the line?
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/autocad-revit-draw-line/

Chris Sager: First and foremost, I appreciate your sense of humor. Second, thanks for providing those quantities; it helped me get a better idea of how much money you need to invest in order to get a decent computing power that can handle complex BIM. (it's outrageous!) I mentioned the high processing power needed to run Revit as a major design flaw in my blog post as well. I don't know how, but I am sure there is a way to optimize and improve Revit in that sense, and that could be an interesting subject of research for a computer science or IT major who wants to specialize in data synthetization. It's a problem, especially in work environments where more than 20 computers need to be upgraded in order to keep up with recent technologies.