AEC Tech News #188
31 Jan, 2007 By: Scott MacKenzieCreating a winning AEC team starts with basic training in new technology The AEC industry has created a new sport: BIM (building information modeling) training. Played worldwide and with millions of dollars at stake, BIM is a new drawing technique used to produce construction documents and presentation drawings. Transitioning to BIM requires the production team and the management team to change their workflow process. The old workflow process, known as CAD, is being phased out for the more realistic, more efficient approach that BIM provides. CAD games will soon be available on the AEC Classic Channel. The object of BIM training is to build the prowess of a production team in an AEC office to a level needed to produce high-quality construction documents within budget and on time. Success is determined by project performance. Performance is measured by whether or not teams can keep their consultants productive and their clients pacified. Instructor Versus Student Good trainers are in high demand and not everyone is good at training. Baseball players who can hit and pitch well produce victories for their teams. Well-trained BIM production teams will win work for their offices. Good trainers ultimately mean success for your team. “I have heard of firms being out-bid by firms who were able to propose a BIM approach,” says Nicole Shumaker, director of BIM market development at Applied Software. “And if they win, they are on the hook to deliver, and training absolutely becomes the linchpin. It is still relatively early in the game, and though few projects are being specified this way today, the momentum that we see could start to crest soon. We advise our clients to learn and understand and make the decision that is right for their firm for the time being -- no sense jumping in just because everyone else is. That being said, those who are ahead of the curve are sometimes able to influence the client and distinguish themselves from the pack.”Read more>> 1-2-3 Revit: BIM and the U.S. GSA By Rick Rundell In October 2006, the U.S. GSA (General Services Administration) -- the government agency that builds and manages federal facilities -- began requiring the delivery of BIMs for major federal building projects. For those of you unfamiliar with GSA, this is noteworthy because the agency is the U.S. government's "landlord" that meets office and other space requirements of the federal workforce. GSA owns, operates and manages more than 340 million square feet of space in approximately 8,700 owned and leased buildings across the United States. GSA properties include border stations, courthouses, office buildings, laboratories, data processing centers and notable facilities such as the White House. GSA hires and manages private-sector professionals (architects, engineers, contractors, etc.) to design, renovate and construct its properties. GSA's new rule for BIM delivery applies to all of its major projects receiving design funding in fiscal year 2007 and beyond. For architects and engineers working on one of these projects, this means that their concept design must be submitted to GSA in both the native format of the BIM authoring application and as an IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file. As the largest owner of commercial space in the country, GSA's mandate constitutes a watershed event for the acceptance of IFC as a data exchange standard in the building industry. This month, we take a closer look at the IFC standard and how GSA is using it to transmit building data. Read more>> Mark Your Calendar: AEC Events Webcast: Autodesk Civil 3D - Survey Webcast: Autodesk Revit Structure WinEstimator's 2007 User Conference For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here. Where's Your CAD Power? Get a T-Shirt, Win $100 |
