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A quick BIM questionnaire for my college course?


Pil

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Hi all,

 

Apologies if this isn't the best place to post this thread.

As part of my current college course I am undertaking a research project on "How BIM will affect different sized companies" and as such I was hoping to get your opinions.

 

If anyone could take the time to answer any of the questions below it would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to write as much or as little as you like.

 

Questions

 

1. In terms of employees, how large would you say the company you work for is?

- Small

- Medium

- Large

 

2. What is your current role at your firm?

 

3. What programs do you use to carry out your role?

 

4. Is your company currently complying with BIM?

- Yes

- No (skip to question 12.

 

5. If Yes, how long has your company been using BIM?

- XX Years

 

6. How long did it take to implement to an effective level?

- XX years

- Still implementing

 

7. How would you say it has affected:

a. Your own working process

b. Your company as a whole

 

8. Were you sent on a training course to learn the basics?

- Yes

- No

 

9. Has a BIM Manager been introduced at your company to aid and advise during the transition?

- Yes

- No

 

10. If any, in what way have you noticed BIM being advantageous to yourself or your company?

 

11. Could you please write a couple of lines on how easy or difficult the transition into BIM was for you?

 

12. Would you say implementing BIM would be easier for a smaller or larger company in terms of cost and efficiency?

 

13. What level of BIM are you currently using, or intending on using?

- Level 0 – CAD Drawings, lines, arcs, text etc

- Level 1 – 2D 3D Modelling, Objects

- Level 2 – Managed 3D Modelling, managed by resource planning software

- Level 3 – Fully integrated, 4D construction sequencing, 5 D cost information, 6D project lifecycle management

 

14. If No, are you aware of if or when your company intends to start implementing BIM?

 

15. How easy do you feel the implementation to BIM will be for the company you work for?

 

16. Do you feel working with BIM will make your job more difficult?

 

17. Have you had any previous experiences with BIM that you would like to share?

 

My reasoning for asking this thread is to try and get a decent amount of opinions from varied sources. I am also contacting ex employers and colleagues to get a nice varied amount of information.

 

Again, thank you for any input you can give. If you would like any more info about what I'm doing feel free to give me a shoul!

 

L.

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We've only just started and BIM hasn't really progressed beyond the models at the moment but I filled in 4-12 just to help you. Bin them if they don't help!

 

1. Medium

2. Architectural Technician/CAD Manager (untitled, unpaid, I just do it.)

3. Building Design Suite 2014 - Mostly AutoCAD and Revit 2014

4. Yes at a trial level

5. 3 Months

6. Still implementing

7. How would you say it has affected:

a. So far learning Revit and trying to work out how to implement the benefits to the company.

b. Resistant to change.

8. Yes but only for drawing and basic scheduling.

9. No

10. So far it is only benefiting the technical drawing department.

11. Difficult Picking up Revit wasn't entirely easy but 3 months in I am a lot more at home with its foibles. The difficulty mostly lays in convincing people that there is a benefit to working differently.

12. Smaller company if all involved are positive about the change.

13. Level 1

15. Quite difficult, there are a lot of people who don't like change.

16. More people asking me how to do things will take a lot of time. Unseen mistakes or ommisions will be more obvious with scheduling.

17. No, only just started.

Edited by Glen1980
Code Tags didn't help save space!
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We've only just started and BIM hasn't really progressed beyond the models at the moment but I filled in 4-12 just to help you. Bin them if they don't help!

 

1. Medium

2. Architectural Technician/CAD Manager (untitled, unpaid, I just do it.)

3. Building Design Suite 2014 - Mostly AutoCAD and Revit 2014

4. Yes at a trial level

5. 3 Months

6. Still implementing

7. How would you say it has affected:

a. So far learning Revit and trying to work out how to implement the benefits to the company.

b. Resistant to change.

8. Yes but only for drawing and basic scheduling.

9. No

10. So far it is only benefiting the technical drawing department.

11. Difficult Picking up Revit wasn't entirely easy but 3 months in I am a lot more at home with its foibles. The difficulty mostly lays in convincing people that there is a benefit to working differently.

12. Smaller company if all involved are positive about the change.

13. Level 1

15. Quite difficult, there are a lot of people who don't like change.

16. More people asking me how to do things will take a lot of time. Unseen mistakes or ommisions will be more obvious with scheduling.

17. No, only just started.

 

Thank you tzframpton and Glen1980, I really appreciate it!

 

Some of what you've written was what I first expected, I went on a training course in 2012 for revit but after which I barely used it, along with many others in the company who were not really a fan of changing. It definitely has its advantages for the technical teams, and at one point we had a couple of models that were synced between the architects and ourselves which worked well at times. I think the main reluctance comes from how daunting and complicated revit can seem from the outset.

 

As far as the different sized companies go, that’s actually a good point that I hadn't considered! I was more focusing on the cost and time effort’s, but the actual positivity of the users is an important factor also. Thanks for that!

 

Thanks for your input, I have a fair whack to consider there :)

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Some things about BIM need to be firmly grasped if you want to approach it correctly. "BIM" is a process. 3D coordinated models are a deliverable. The two obviously go hand in hand but aren't necessarily the same thing. I tend to give a Venn Diagram as an example of "BIM & 3D", where they share overlapping roles but have their separate uses.

 

BIM makes more sense in a design/build environment, rather than a design/bid/build. It especially makes more sense in a design/build environment where your engineering team "is" the contractor too. For instance, if your G.C. has an in house architect, and the G.C. hires a steel, mechanical, electrical, plumbing & fire protection contractor that also provide in-house engineering then the BIM process is in it's natural environment, and in very, very good hands because the individuals producing the 3D models/information/scheduling is also the ones putting it in.

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  • 4 weeks later...

BIM can simplify building protection by linking a building's mechanism their seller in sequence. Without these details, many companies turn to the internet to position resources without facts of their vendors-a situation that hinder vendor relations and can result in preferring less than ideal parts and resources.

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Hi all,

 

Apologies if this isn't the best place to post this thread.

As part of my current college course I am undertaking a research project on "How BIM will affect different sized companies" and as such I was hoping to get your opinions.

 

If anyone could take the time to answer any of the questions below it would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to write as much or as little as you like.

 

Questions

 

1. In terms of employees, how large would you say the company you work for is?

- Small

- Medium

- Large

 

2. What is your current role at your firm?

 

3. What programs do you use to carry out your role?

 

4. Is your company currently complying with BIM?

- Yes

- No (skip to question 12.

 

5. If Yes, how long has your company been using BIM?

- XX Years

 

6. How long did it take to implement to an effective level?

- XX years

- Still implementing

 

7. How would you say it has affected:

a. Your own working process

b. Your company as a whole

 

8. Were you sent on a training course to learn the basics?

- Yes

- No

 

9. Has a BIM Manager been introduced at your company to aid and advise during the transition?

- Yes

- No

 

10. If any, in what way have you noticed BIM being advantageous to yourself or your company?

 

11. Could you please write a couple of lines on how easy or difficult the transition into BIM was for you?

 

12. Would you say implementing BIM would be easier for a smaller or larger company in terms of cost and efficiency?

 

13. What level of BIM are you currently using, or intending on using?

- Level 0 – CAD Drawings, lines, arcs, text etc

- Level 1 – 2D 3D Modelling, Objects

- Level 2 – Managed 3D Modelling, managed by resource planning software

- Level 3 – Fully integrated, 4D construction sequencing, 5 D cost information, 6D project lifecycle management

 

14. If No, are you aware of if or when your company intends to start implementing BIM?

 

15. How easy do you feel the implementation to BIM will be for the company you work for?

 

16. Do you feel working with BIM will make your job more difficult?

 

17. Have you had any previous experiences with BIM that you would like to share?

 

My reasoning for asking this thread is to try and get a decent amount of opinions from varied sources. I am also contacting ex employers and colleagues to get a nice varied amount of information.

 

Again, thank you for any input you can give. If you would like any more info about what I'm doing feel free to give me a shoul!

 

L.

 

SORRY FOR LATE REPLY!

 

1. Large Main Contractor.

 

2. CAD Technician. Basically a Draughtsman.

 

3. AutoCAD mainly, with Revit and Civil3D when needed, though the latter particularly is something I don't have much experience with.

 

4. Yes.

 

5. This year. (May 2014)

 

6. Still implementing

 

7a. As BIM is still very much WIP here it hasn't affected my work so far, though the Senior CAD Tech. and IT are preparing for it by creating common families etc and similar Revit faculties.

 

7b. The company is still trying to get its systems in place. I can't really judge it on a whole yet.

 

8. Yes, quite recently. ( Less than ~1 month ago)

 

9. Yes, we have a BIM team with BIM Manager, which my department works in conjunction with.

 

10. I can see it benefiting the draughtsman and site teams, if the company does stick with it and get it up to speed.

 

11. As I only started working 2 years ago (From when I was 16! Now 19, by a day!) The transition hasn't been difficult for me as I'm still in a learning mindset.

 

12. I would wager it would be easier for a smaller company to implement it, so long they can cover the overhead. (Cost of software, hardware and time spent setting up sub-systems)

 

13. Level 2-3. Not sure but we're aiming for Level 3... I think.

 

14. N/A

 

15. I think it will take time for the company to adjust to the new way of working because it's a large change in mindset for engineers and draughtsman.

 

16. Initially it probably will be, but in time I think it will be OK.

 

17. N/A

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by PotGuy
More than a few days late!
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13. Level 2-3. Not sure but we're aiming for Level 3... I think.

 

From what I hear you'll be one of the first companies in the UK to do level 3. Everyone else is arguing about who takes responsibility/liability for shared models.

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From what I hear you'll be one of the first companies in the UK to do level 3. Everyone else is arguing about who takes responsibility/liability for shared models.

 

Generally speaking, with our Go To Subbies, we've ironed all those details, I think. I'm not really privvie to contracts and such.

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From what I hear you'll be one of the first companies in the UK to do level 3. Everyone else is arguing about who takes responsibility/liability for shared models.
I agree. Most people are at level 1. Rarely are people at level 2, and only the elite on the bleeding edge of the technology is at level 3.
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Realistically speaking, I suspect we'll be reaching Level 2, with Level 3 this mythical status we'll talk about but never quite manage as Temporary Works is a subject Revit really struggles to cover. It's easier to stick with AutoCAD for this, with Civil 3D used for Earthworks Calcs. ie: Volumes, etc.

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To me, the only entity that can reach level 2 or 3 would be the general contractor or the building owner's consultant. Whoever "owns" the project in its entirety can actually make this a reality, especially if you include 4D scheduling with Synchro, 5D and eventually 6D.

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To me, the only entity that can reach level 2 or 3 would be the general contractor or the building owner's consultant. Whoever "owns" the project in its entirety can actually make this a reality, especially if you include 4D scheduling with Synchro, 5D and eventually 6D.

 

As mentioned in my answered question, I'm part of a very large Main Cotractor in the UK, so this is why it's feasible for the company.

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Probably a little too late for your course, but here's my response:

 

Questions

 

1. In terms of employees, how large would you say the company you work for is?

 

This is a relative question. I work for the largest mechanical contractor in Kentucky. Our CAD group is pretty small, currently at 4 people. I consider it a small company.

 

2. What is your current role at your firm?

 

Mechanical Engineer. I do mechanical/plumbing/piping engineering and design, estimating, and "BIM Manager" on selective large coordination projects.

 

3. What programs do you use to carry out your role?

 

Primarily Revit and Navisworks Manage. I use AutoCAD when necessary.

 

Others in the office use AutoCAD MEP with East Coast and/or CADworx.

 

4. Is your company currently complying with BIM?

 

We participate in 3D coordination, which is called "BIM" by most contractors in the area.

 

5. If Yes, how long has your company been using BIM?

 

About 8 years. I've only been here 5+ years.

 

6. How long did it take to implement to an effective level?

 

Not sure we are there yet.

 

7. How would you say it has affected:

 

Personally, Revit forces me to really think through a design, and make sure every component required is in the model.

 

Our company prefabricates a lot of piping. Once a project is coordinated, pipe spools are created for the fab shop. We are still searching for a software that can handle the process from design through coordination to fabrication. We are considering trying SysQue.

 

8. Were you sent on a training course to learn the basics?

 

No. I'm a quick learner, with the help of Google, YouTube, and tzframpton.

 

9. Has a BIM Manager been introduced at your company to aid and advise during the transition?

 

No.

 

10. If any, in what way have you noticed BIM being advantageous to yourself or your company?

 

See answer to question 7.

 

11. Could you please write a couple of lines on how easy or difficult the transition into BIM was for you?

 

The transition to 3D coordination was relatively easy. The transition to Revit was much more difficult, but it's my goto design software now.

 

12. Would you say implementing BIM would be easier for a smaller or larger company in terms of cost and efficiency?

 

I would say smaller companies have the advantage of more interaction and less politics.

 

13. What level of BIM are you currently using, or intending on using?

- Level 0 – CAD Drawings, lines, arcs, text etc

- Level 1 – 2D 3D Modelling, Objects

- Level 2 – Managed 3D Modelling, managed by resource planning software

- Level 3 – Fully integrated, 4D construction sequencing, 5 D cost information, 6D project lifecycle management

 

We are somewhere between Level 1 and Level 2.

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