Audience: Component Manufacturer

A National BIM Library. It’s Coming.

Posted on by wpengine

Imagine a firefighter rushing into a burning building wearing a virtual reality screen that shows a 3D model of the structure, so he can find doorways and windows in the thickest smoke.

 

Imagine that a remodeler is about to cut a large rough opening for a bay window.  But he’s able to log in, download the BIM model for the house, and know where the gas line, electrical line, and load-bearing king studs are located.

 

Does this sound like something out of science fiction?  Well, the future is already here… and it’s in the form of national BIM libraries that house BIM models of existing buildings.

 

But the U.S. is not leading the way.  As with soccer and ox tail soup, the Brits are out in front on this one.  Architecture magazine reported that “British government building contracts will require fully collaborative 3D BIM… The NBS National BIM library—yes, such a thing exists—already contains thousands of both generic and proprietary BIM objects… Singapore, Finland, and Norway also have national BIM standards, and China has one in the works.

 

For similar efforts to succeed in the US, the first step is establishing a BIM standard.  Jeffrey Ouellette is a leader of an effort to update the National BIM Standard–United States, “a consensus-based set of technical and practice specifications that could be adopted, in whole or in part, by everyone in the industry, from owners to architects to contractors.”

 

“Sadly, many…BIM standards don’t look any further than the design process, or are not open, requiring a single vendor-specific file format,” Ouellette observed.

 

The NBIMS-US hopes to correct that.

 

But even when standards are worked out for universally sharing of BIM models, issues of copyright and ownership remain before we see broad adoption. Who wants to design a building, or solve a tricky structural problem, only to post a proprietary solution that others might end up using for no compensation?

 

That said, if ownership can be resolved, imagine the supreme utility of a national BIM library.  For use by fire and rescue crews, as well as rehab, remodeling, retrofit, and utility work, a BIM image offers a behind-the-walls view of structures that could make work on them enormously more productive… and safer.

Best of all, when you visit a BIM library, there’s no one to say shhhhhhh. (bad joke.)

Tips from Your Truss and Wall Panel Component Manufacturer

Posted on by wpengine

New technology, including BIM and CAD software, makes integrating components into your building process easier than ever. But you may not know that your truss manufacturer – your collaborative partner in every project –  has some great tips to pass along.

 

First: Why not involve the component manufacturer (CM) early in the design process, even when you are designing your base models and before a sale? Sending your CM the CAD or BIM plans early can save you time and money when you need to accommodate changes down the road, especially if offering options is a regular part of your design and sales process.

 

In fact, collaborating early gives you more room for structural framing options. Plus, it’s also easier to meet code and create structural options adapted to your region’s seismic and wind patterns…if the CM has a look at the drawings.

 

Just send your CM your baseline plan, and they will input them into their truss design and layout software to come up with a virtual CAD or BIM that you can use to collaborate and make changes through the rest of the project. This is very often done as a regular part of their truss package.

 

Even if offering homebuyers design options wasn’t a part of your package before the downtown, there’s a good chance it is now. If not, the business is there for the taking.  By getting your CM involved in the process early, you can make sure you can respond to the demands for customization in a cost-efficient way…and add margins and profits to your bottom line in the process.