If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics. The following collection of feature stories and case studies is based on the number of BDCnetwork.com readers who clicked on the article in the past 10 months. The topics range from BIM for facilities management applications to modular data centers to augmented reality.
1. “BIM Becomes VDC”
By John Tobin, LEED AP, Director of Architecture, EYP Architecture & Engineering
The disruptive growth of BIM has been largely due to the unanticipated interest contractors have taken in the technology. Contractors have grasped the power of BIM with far more vigor than designers. Contractors look at BIM models and immediately understand how they could be used for VDC tasks. www.BDCnetwork.com/vdc
2. “Augmented reality goes mainstream: 12 applications for design and construction firms”
By David Barista, Editor-in-Chief, BD+C
Thanks to inexpensive mobile devices and increasingly advanced software apps, Building Teams are finally able to bring their BIM models to life on the job site. This article offers a dozen distinct applications for augmented reality and profiles one of the nation’s largest AR implementations: the Oakland Medical Center Replacement. www.BDCnetwork.com/ar
3. “’My BIM Journey’ – 6 Lessons from a BIM/VDC Expert”
By Jared Krieger, AIA, LEED AP, Project Manager, Gensler
From applying the two-inch rule to simplifying the BIM execution plan, Gensler’s Jared Krieger offers valuable advice for taming BIM/VDC workflows based on his five-year journey with the technology. Krieger discusses how to prepare for virtual coordination meetings, work more effectively with subs on BIM-driven projects, and apply clash detection tools more effectively. www.BDCnetwork.com/mybim
4. “World’s tallest children’s hospital pushes BIM to the extreme”
By David Barista, BD+C
Learn how the Building Team for the 23-story Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago implemented an integrated BIM/VDC/IPD workflow. This report includes an in-depth look at the coordination of the tower’s 10th-floor mechanical space, which, according to the Building Team, could not have been built within the time frame and budget without the use of BIM and VDC. www.BDCnetwork.com/bimhospital
5. “Level of Development: Will a new standard bring clarity to BIM model detail?”
By Jeffrey Yoders, Contributing Editor, BD+C
This article breaks down the Levels of Development Specification developed by BIMForum. The document will allow Building Teams to specify and articulate with a high level of clarity the content and reliability of BIM models at various stages of development. www.BDCnetwork.com/levels
6. “BIM 2.0: AEC firms share their vision for the great leap forward in BIM/VDC implementation”
By David Barista, BD+C
For our 2013 Giants 300 Report, BD+C reached out to dozens of AEC firms that made our annual BIM Giants lists and asked one simple question: What does BIM 2.0 look like to you? What they had to offer ranged from augmented reality applications to “smart” job sites to BIM for O&M tasks. www.BDCnetwork.com/bim2.0
7. “5 tips for running a successful BIM coordination meeting”
By Jared Krieger, AIA, LEED AP, Project Manager, Gensler
BIM tools are great, but if you can’t run efficient, productive coordination meetings, the Building Team will never realize the benefits of true BIM coordination. The author offers helpful tips for making the most of BIM coordination meetings based on his experience working on BIM/VDC-driven projects. www.BDCnetwork.com/5tips
8. “Hospital project pioneers BIM/VDC-based integrated project delivery”
By Jeffrey Yoders, Contributing Editor, BD+C
Everyone talks about the need to bring together BIM/VDC and integrated project delivery in the design and construction of complex projects, but so far there have been few cases of true integration. Jeffrey Yoders profiles one of these rare projects: the Marlborough Hospital Cancer Pavilion. www.BDCnetwork.com/ipdhospital
9. “Electronic surveying improves accuracy on BIM-driven hospital project”
By Robert Cassidy, Editorial Director, BD+C
In the rapidly changing world of virtual design and construction, the MEP component of building information modeling has earned a reputation as something of a technology laggard. That negative perception is changing, as MEP engineers find new ways to put BIM to use. www.BDCnetwork.com/surveying
10. “BIM-driven prototype turns data centers into a kit of parts”
By Ryan Schultz and Timothy Connor, Architects, Sheehan Partners
Considering their predominantly functional and technical nature, data centers are becoming as much a product as they are a building. This article explores a BIM-designed data center prototype that takes advantage of mass customization of assemblies to achieve higher levels of efficiencies. www.BDCnetwork.com/bimdatacenters
11. “7 ways it pays to use BIM for data centers”
By David Barista, BD+C
Perhaps no other project type stands to benefit more from coordination using BIM and VDC than data centers. This article explores how AEC firms and owners are getting the most bang for the buck when using BIM/VDC on data centers. www.BDCnetwork.com/7ways
For more BIM articles, visit: www.BDCnetwork.com/bimit.
Related Stories
| Mar 12, 2014
New CannonDesign database allows users to track facility assets
The new software identifies critical failures of components and systems, code and ADA-compliance issues, and systematically justifies prudent expenditures.
| Mar 10, 2014
Meet Tally – the Revit app that calculates the environmental impact of building materials
Tally provides AEC professionals with insight into how materials-related decisions made during design influence a building’s overall ecological footprint.
| Mar 10, 2014
Field tested: Caterpillar’s Cat B15 rugged smartphone
The B15 is billed by Cat as “the most progressive, durable and rugged device available on the market today.”
| Mar 10, 2014
5 rugged mobile devices geared for construction pros
BD+C readers share their most trusted smartphone and tablet cases. The editors select some of their faves, too.
Sponsored | | Mar 6, 2014
Rombald Inc. improves profits by customizing reports and managing multiple projects
By replacing spreadsheets with BillQuick, this growing consulting firm has greater visibility into its project financials.
| Mar 6, 2014
Must see: Tour Seinfeld's apartment with virtual reality headset
Fans of the show can now explore a virtual 3D model of the iconic New York residence, thanks to one Web designer's painstaking effort.
| Feb 27, 2014
3 reasons to apply computational fluid dynamics on your next project
From right-sizing mechanical systems to understanding the impact of design alternatives, CFD offers a host of benefits for the Building Team.
| Feb 27, 2014
Bluebeam Software launches Revu 12 for better field-ready document management and project collaboration
The latest version of the company’s flagship solution better enables users in document-intensive industries to digitally collaborate on project documents and more easily connect the office to the field.
| Feb 27, 2014
PocketCake lunches CPU designed for virtual reality simulations
The company's Virtual Reality Simulation Converter Assembly is three times more powerful than the average high-performance computer and allows for up to eight people to experience a virtual reality simulation at the same time.
| Feb 26, 2014
Use this app to streamline safety inspections
Using the iAuditor app, one of our Skanska teams developed electronic reports that make safety inspections more efficient, and that make it easier to address any issues emerging from them.
