Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008 - (Page 15)

PARTICIPANTS M/E Roundtable Joel Londenberg Project Manager, Design West Engineering, San Bernardino, Calif Is BIM ready for prime time engineered systems? Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers have justifiably lagged behind architects and structural engineers in their use of building information modeling (BIM) software. Is it the right time for them to upgrade? BY MICHAEL IVANOVICH, Editor-in-Chief, PATRICK LYNCH, Associate Editor CSE: Explain why BIM is or is not ready fo r p rime time amo n g M E P d esig n firms. Robert Middlebrooks: Building Information Modeling is more than just software—it is an integrated design process built on coordinated, reliable information about a project from design through to construction and operation. Using BIM, engineers can generate and exchange information and create digital representations of all phases of the design process. The more appropriate question would be, is the MEP firm ready for BIM? We see many MEP engineering firms moving to BIM to meet requirements for sustainable design, 3-D coordination, visualization, simulation, and analysis. Firms transitioning must absorb learning curves, which will be minimal in comparison to the productivity increases possible with solutions specifically built for MEP firms. Joel Londenberg: BIM is about adding more information to the final product. Currently there are BIM software tools that are entirely useable for day-to-day design and documentation tasks. It takes more effort in part because we are adding more information than in previous design/documentation methods. Using this different method also requires a willingness to make some changes in the appearance of an engineer’s final product, construction documents, and willingness to spend the time to learn something new. Shreshth Nagpal: With regard to BIM tools, while information modeling for architectural and structural aspects has been evolving for almost a decade, MEP-BIM is relatively recent. In addition to modeling in lieu of drawing, BIM requires all relevant information about each individual component to be embedded into the model. MEP design involves more technical/ industrial components and connections when compared to architectural modeling. This brings a lot of concern regarding whether all component blocks and modules are readily available. Understandably, generating custom BIM blocks requires much more time and is more effort intensive than developing custom CAD blocks. As for the BIM process, the transition from how most MEP design firms perceive design currently is completely different from the way BIM envisions it to be. Much like the name, designs have to transcend from drawings (2-D or even 3-D) and get into information modeling. This entails more effort in putting together the building information model before the design drawings could be extracted out of it. Along with the time and effort required, there is a steep learning curve for designers to understand the information-modeling process, and most design firms are at the beginning of the curve. Kevin Settlemyre: BIM to me is the building Robert E. Middlebrooks, AIA Autodesk Industry Programs Manager Autodesk, Inc. Waltham, MA Shreshth Nagpal, LEED AP Sustainability Specialist Syska Hennessy Group Washington, D.C. Kevin Settlemyre Sustainability Consultant and Head of IES, North American Operations Integrated Environmental Solutions Boston Brad Workman Vice President of Building and Plant Solutions Bentley Exton, Penn. Consulting-Specifying Engineer • NOVEMBER 2008 15

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Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008 Contents Viewpoint News M/E Roundtable Comissioning Lighting Controls Prevent Plugholing: Smoke Control Done Right Commercial Geothermal Heating and Cooling System Design Codes &�Standards Case Study New Products Equipment Lifecycles Advertiser Index Green Space

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008

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