Welcome to my condensed four part series of Project Coventina. Through which I aim to show a summarized version of real-world workflows, complications and achievements using B.I.M implementation.
The objective of this project is to develop a center of engineering excellence in lifeboat construction for the RNLI. I will be summarizing through this four part, project series, my experience relating to design criteria and how the project has progressed over the last few months. The adoption of BIM for a landmark project can bring forward a range of experience/s that when openly discussed can be useful for professional industry wide.
When I first begun this scheme I had one thought buzzing through my mind; where do I start? The first step for me was breaking down the various modeling and project stages, then putting my BIM thinking cap on to tackle the tough questions. You need to ask yourself,what is the aim of this model? How much detail is required? Not to mention when its required to be completed. The key to success on any project is planning before you start. Take the time upfront to plan your B.I.M output, from views, drawings, details, required customized items and client needs. Every bit of planning counts, cutting time and increasing productivity.
One key thought to remember with all information models is that they should be fluid allowing changes with ease. This can help future expansion.
See below for the concept impression of the scheme.
Collaborative working was required for a project of this size, both internally and externally; Ellis Belk Associates teamed up with Ramboll and the RNLI. One thing to make sure of when commencing is to ensure you have a competent team ready to support both you and the project. I can happily say that the team at Ellis Belk is a joy to work with and are extremely talented making the process a whole lot easier. Work-share in Autodesk Revit became manageable due to our effective teamwork and was/is the key to completing the task.
Working collaboratively with Ramboll meant all stages would be subject to consultant and client co-ordination as well as clash detection using Navisworks for stakeholder progress meetings. This helps you prepare your model on a global scale, ensuring that custom objects are categorized efficiently (If not clash detection can be difficult).
These are some of the items that would cause difficulties in this scheme:
- Custom structural eave brackets
- Angled roof with curves in two locations
- Workflow strategies
- Extensive electrical and ducting preferences
- Size of build
