Creating BIM Content, Supporting Industry Change.

In today’s world, new technologies are developed and adopted at astounding rates. This rate of change in technology has never been more apparent than it has been in the built environment industry over the past 10 to 15 years. In an industry that constructed over $1.16 trillion worth of buildings and infrastructure in 2007* yet had 25%-50% waste due to poor coordination**, $15.6 billion in losses due to the lack of technology interoperability*** and $4-$12 billion in losses due to contract disputes****, rapid change is underway to improve upon how these projects are designed, built and operated.

*US Census Bureau, 2008; **Tolacz and Armistead, 2007; ***NIST, 2004; ****FFC, 2007

At the core of this change is Building Information Modeling (BIM). With the promise of streamlined workflows, greater coordination, reduction in waste and higher quality products, BIM has revolutionized the way we approach contracts, design, construction, operations and supply chains of our projects.

The Building Information Modelling (BIM) process (verb), at its most simple form, is the process in which technology is utilized to efficiently create, collect and leverage design, construction and operations data (and 3D geometry) amongst AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations) project stakeholders.

At the center of this process is the Building Information Model (BIM) (noun). A BIM is an object-based 3D virtual representation (or model) of the building project. Rather than the disjointed 2D line drawings and hard copy supporting project documentation of the past, the BIM is an intelligent 3D model comprised of objects (walls, windows, doors, FF&E, etc.) that contain both the geometry for physical representation as well as the appropriate building data required to design, build and operate the building. With construction drawings and specifications, etc. extracted along the way, this building information model is then continually developed and leveraged (via the BIM process) by all AECO project stakeholders throughout the design, construction, handover and facility operation project phases.

For another look at BIM, see the "What is BIM? Short and Simple" article here.

As you can imagine from the above, a building information model is only as useful as the accuracy and usefulness of the data and geometry of the objects that are leveraged to create it. The process of ensuring that these BIM objects contain the appropriate building information and are accurately represented geometrically starts with the product manufacturers who are making these products available to the AECO project teams. As AECO teams design, model and build their building models with the BIM objects provided by the product manufacturers, these BIM objects begin to establish the solid foundation of building information that a project will be built upon as well as work as virtual sales agents for the product manufacturer as product make, model, specification information, etc. is already included within each object.

At NELSON, we help product manufacturers collect, analyze and migrate the appropriate information from their production and marketing environments into these small, compact yet intelligent 3D BIM objects. NELSON, at our heart, is a design firm comprised of hundreds strong BIM users that use these BIM objects every day. We are well equipped from an AECO team player as well as a technical/subject matter expert standpoint to assist in determining the appropriate levels of information to be included in a manufacturer’s BIM objects as well as the level of detail of geometry necessary to ensure maximum value.

The approach we take with product manufacturers in developing and implementing a BIM strategy is simple, yet effective in practice:

1. Content Definition

Catalog Review

Firstly, a broad all-encompassing reviw of all products within a manufacturer’s catalog is performed to determine the level of effort and resources that may be required to develop BIM objects for products across all product lines.

Object Classification and Ecosystem Structure

With some organizations, the sheer quantity of products that an endeavor like would entail can be daunting. Based on the findings in the catalog review, an implementation strategy is be developed that will best take advantage of budget and time requirements while working to meet organizational goals. This strategy also outlines the most efficient way to structure object libraries as well as establish an ecosystem that is both incrementally implementable as well as scalable.

Information Collection

Through various reviews and exercises, relevant information is gathered from production, pricing and marketing materials to include in the BIM objects.

Parameter and Geometry Definition

Based on the findings during Information Collection, a common set of data parameters is be developed to be included in all BIM objects; parameters such as warranty information, contact information, costs, materials and configuration/size changes. In addition to product specific data, additional parameters may also be suggested based on industry trends and/or relevant design standards such as UniFormat/OmniClass classifications as well as COBie and IFMA/OSCRE/BOMA information.

The level of detail of the geometry is also key to ensuring that a delicate balance is struck between effectiveness of the physical representation of the product and the usefulness of the objects once loaded into BIM software. Many times objects are over modeled resulting in performance issues once loaded into a building information model.

The broad holistic, 'entire-catalog' approach taken ensures that all information collected, analyzed and ultimately included in the BIM content as well as appropriate geometry requirements are consistently distributed amongst all products.

2. Pre-Deliverables

Small Sample Base - Review and Revise

As the execution of the strategy begins, a small sample set of models is presented for review and approval. The visual representations of the models as well as their embedded information is reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure the best, accurate and consistent quality moving forward.

The Content Style Guide

Throughout the process so far, behind the scenes, all library structure, model data and geometry requirements have been continually documented and revised. Once the small sample set is approved, a “Content Style Guide” is produced that defines the workflow processes, data types and object classifications that has been established throughout the process. This is leveraged as a guide for delivering consistent BIM objects through the remainder of the strategy. Think of the Content Style Guide as the blueprint for the development of BIM content for all products.

3. Deliverables - Catalog Creation

Initial Product Line(s) Creation

Utilizing the Content Style Guide, the remainder of the product lines in the current phase of the strategy is created. Final deliverables can be delivered in a variety of formats and configurations to conform to requirements of an organization’s distribution methods (i.e. online via website, 3rd party distributor or app).

A Repeatable Process

Once the Content Definition and Pre-Deliverables phases are complete, additional product lines can be developed at a quicker pace as the information collection and analysis has already been completed and documented at a high level in the Content Style Guide.

4. Ongoing Support

After significant delivery, to ensure that the best value is received for the investment, services such as BIM object updates based on product design changes, software version upgrades, as well as conversion of measurement units (Imperial to Metric, vice versa) can be provided to create an on-going partnership.

What is BIM? Short and Simple.

BIM has revolutionized the Building Design, Construction and Operations industries through the power of 3D visualizations and embedded information. This evolution has allowed AEC professionals to become more productive and efficient in their processes.

Traditionally, the building design and construction process has been largely conducted via two-dimensional drawings (plans, elevations, sections, etc.). Building information modeling (BIM) extends beyond 2D and 3D drawing based design, augmenting the three primary spatial dimensions (width, height and depth) with time as the fourth dimension (4D) and cost as the fifth (5D), etc. Essentially, the building information modeling process builds a building virtually, complete with a 3D geometric representation and in-depth product and building material data, before it is physically built. This helps design and construction challenges be more likely to arise during digital design rather than in the field during construction.

A building information model is built as a compilation of "objects” that carry their geometry, relations and data attributes. Instead of creating a set of drawings to produce pages of a construction document set, with BIM, drawing views are extracted (think of digital snapshots) from the 3D model. Construction drawings are simply a bi-product of creating a digital building information model. These different drawing views are automatically consistent with each other, being based on a single definition of each object instance. BIM also defines objects parametrically; that is, the objects are defined as parameters and relationships to other objects, so that if a related object changes, dependent ones will automatically change as well.

For project teams, BIM enables a digital model to be handed from the design team (architects, civil, structural and building services engineers, etc.) to the general contractor and subcontractors and then on to the owner/operator; each professional adds discipline-specific data to the shared model(s). This reduces information losses that traditionally occurs when a new team takes 'ownership' of the project, and provides a very valuable and extensive wealth of information to owners of complex structures.

Smart Buildings - The Future of Building Technology

Looking at the bigger picture; a great look into what we are setting the foundation for with today's technology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCuPx9shWT0

Public BIM: Building Intelligence For All

I am currently reading the bim-bible (or at least one of the better ones) that should be in every uber BIM nerd's toolbox, "BIG BIM little bim." Yeah, I know, why has it taken you this long to read that, you ask? Two words: Kindle Fire. I'm lazy, and before I had my Kindle, I had no desire to haul around piles of annoyingly heavy, bulky books, so hence reading wasn't a dominant part of my daily activities. But the Kindle makes everything so darn convenient, so here I am. But I digress...

While reading through "BIG BIM little bim," I cam across what has been (so far) the most influential and thought provoking concept for me. It goes like this:

"You may not have realized how tightly integrated processes are in your world. When you bought your last airplane ticket, did you buy it on the Internet? If so, you interacted with a highly integrated system. Airline ticketing is tightly integrated. You go to a site and type in a few parameters - when, where, and how long - and hit enter. The system searches all available flights to your selected location and gives you the chance to fine-tune your trip. The system quotes the cost, takes your money, and courses your flight. Quickly and efficiently.

Behind the scenes, many systems tie together (integrate) to make this happen. You do not see the complexities of systems to track the thousands of planes. You do not see the systems to maintain the engines to keep the aircraft safe. You do not see the personnel tracking system to get the right pilot to the right plane in the right airport at the right time. All you see are the items critical to your current requirement. Thousands of systems integrate to let you book your ticket from the comfort of your home.

Such systems have become so widespread that it makes you question how the built environment fits into this world. What stops architects from embracing the process? What stops them from doing a better job of managing time and costs for their projects?"

With the birth of the tech boom and the rise of "big data," SOOO many things are integrated now-a-days. Grocery store inventory systems, distribution center and shipping/receiving, online movie theater ticketing systems, the list goes on.

So yeah, I ask myself the same question, "What stops US from embracing the process?" If the technology exists to integrate almost everything else in our lives, what's stopping us from integrating our offices, our homes, our schools or our grocery stores?

Now, I'm not talking about integrating just our design practices and facilties management, I'm talking about integrating processes and information throughout the ENTIRE building lifecycle. Bringing the benefits of intelligent building models to the masses. Public BIM.

From wayfinding for a fire fighter to 3D landscpe information for a groundskeeper;

Stub locations for a cable installer to live energy utilization data for energy companies;

3D models for city planning to real-time occupancy information for a city official;

Augmented reality maps for travelers to real-time people flow and traffic patterns for advertisers.

Like booking a flight online today, by submitting a few parameters, our future integrated systems will sift through the endless sea of building data and give us real-time information specific to our current requirements. The information will be there, it will just be a matter of how we receive and interpret it.

This brings me to my second most influential quote from the book:

"Someday, when integration is widespread in the building industry, these models will closely reflect real-time and real-world conditions. Today, we plant the seeds for that future."

And one day it will be. Just as the airline industry has revolutionized the way it operates, Building Information Modeling is poised to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us, and how the world interacts with us.

Today, we plant the seeds for that future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnRJaHZH9lo

 

BIM ROI and LOE

 

A great post from Rahul over at Revit Sticky Notes:

What is BIM ROI?

Google this and you will find plethora of material on this subject. I was asked this question very recently by a friend of mine whose employer is going through the initial days of researching about BIM and its implications on the business etc. As part of this process he has been asked to submit BIM ROI to the board. Really? I thought we have overcome this hurdle years ago.

As we all know, ROI in general is so subjective that it can be calculated and interpreted in many ways. I am going to look at this from "Level Of Engagement" (LOE), yes! another acronym in BIM world, point of view. In fact, this point of view can relate to any technology investment/implementation.

Read full article

Lifecycle BIM and FM Data Management: BIM and Facilities Management; Benefits of BIM Int...

Lifecycle BIM and FM Data Management: BIM and Facilities Management; Benefits of BIM Int...: Workflow:
1. Time and effort of finding related documents and information to perform repairs, inspections, and preventative maintenance of...

BIM Breakfast Club (BBC) Meeting - April 26, 2011 - AIA-MN Office: BIM in the Cloud

Aaaaaah cute, white, poofy clouds....

Ok, I'm not talking about the white fluffy ones. We're talking about the metaphorical "data cloud" - cloud computing. So what's the big deal about "The Cloud" and what does it mean for the AEC Industry? And is it here to stay or is it just another short lived fad? Let's take a closer look....

First, let's get a quick, simple, down and dirty overview of cloud computing to date:

In a short, one sentence summary, I think "The Cloud" can be summed as "instead of bringing the data to the user, bring the user to the data." Now, it's obviously a bit more complicated, but it's much like remote desktop on steroids.
In theory, The Cloud has been around for a long time - back to the mainframe computing of '60's, 70's and 80's up until the web server of the '90's brought the demise of the main frame. And recently in the form of Remote Desktop. But today with the dropping costs of bandwidth, server class work stations becoming more affordable and remote desktop technology performance greatly improving, The Cloud is now being pushed back into the mainstream.

Instead of 'typical' network architecture, where large amounts of data being stored on data servers is being called upon and transmitted via WAN to a local work station for processing, in a cloud environment, the data processing is done in the same location as it is stored. The only information that needs to be shipped via WAN and processed by your local work station is the graphic display or images (mouse movements, etc.) from the Data Center.

Virtual Storage Servers house the data and rack-mounted High Performance Graphic Workstations act as the virtual work stations running the applications and processing the data being called upon by the user using low cost access devices. WAN connections can either be dedicated private circuits or public internet access can be used. (See image below - from Advance2000)

Is the grass greener on the other side? (Or in the the clouds...? you know what I mean...)

So what's the big hooplah? Take the following into consideration:

Network Performance
Now, depending on how your current network is setup, this can go either way.

By centralizing the data and processing in one location, the only data being transmitted over the WAN is the streaming "video" the the applications running at the Data Center.

If your network is setup with the data located on local servers, there may not be much of a benefit here. But if your network is setup with all data centrally located at a corporate server, you will see network performance benefits because all that data is now being kept within the corporate server environment and the data you're broadcasting over your WAN is streaming "video" of the user interface.

Hardware
There will be a shift in hardware cost and maintenance concentration. The bulk of the IT effort will be focused on maintaining the Data Center - keeping processors, ram and graphics up to date and on the cutting edge. Because all the 'work' will be done at the Data Center, user-end hardware can be scaled back quite a bit - lower cost consumer grade machines and laptops can be used instead of expensive performance class work stations.

IT Management
Application deployments, licensing, and maintenance will be more easily handled with all entities in one location in the Data Center. Network administrators can allocate resources accordingly to users at various levels of production. More or less processing cores, more or less ram can be allocated to more efficiently utilize Data Center resources.

Mobility and Interoperability
One the coolest benefits of The Cloud is the opportunities for mobility. Imagine accessing real-time model information while on the job site, in a project meeting or while field measuring or while sitting on the beach in Cancun. With just an internet connection, the development of new mobile devices and cloud computing is making it possible to work just about anywhere.

With the data and application in one central location, firms with offices across the country (and quite possibly, or hopefully soon, the world) can access the same data and applications and work on the same projects without the worry of network slow down or hefty file transfers.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cloud computing - kind of a BIM Cloud in a nut shell. I hope to expand on these sub-topics and maybe at some point explore different cloud computing options and configurations. Look for more posts on BIM in the Cloud!

Mr. McCluskey's Method

I came across this nifty little short over at Revit3D.com, produced by Autodesk. This may be my new introduction for my training sessions.

It's sure to become an instant classic.

Interactive Web-Based Model Viewing - Part Tres

After over a year of sitting idle, I had been fiddling with this app a bit more today. It should be working in the live now in the second post in this series. It uses one of the sample projects from RAC 2011 - Check it out.

Note:
If you are unable to see the model in the window - try signing out of blogger an viewing it as anonymous - I have had a little trouble viewing when I am signed in but it works like a charm when I am not.

BIM Implementation, Adaptive Re-Use, Multi-Firm Collaboration and FM Prep - In 6-9 Months? I must be crazy!

I'm nuts. Is this even possible?! Well I'll let you know in 6-9 months!

I've been asked by a Fortune 500 Bio-Tech company in Minneapolis to implement BIM in their facilities department with the ultimate goal of a sustaining Facilities Management Program.

Here's the immediate ultimate goal:

In 6-9 months...

• Implement Revit - AutoCAD Standards conversion, staff training, etc.
• Survey and document existing conditions of 200,000 sq ft warehouse for an adaptive re-use project
• Assist in-house design team with design process
• Coordinate between in-house design team and architect of record's firm as well as design consultants
• Post-construction surveying and documentation
• Implement facilities management tools

In the coming weeks I'll expand on these goals as well as in the next few months I'll post my progressions (more likely my aggressions) as I go through this process.

Toodles!

Interactive Web-Based Model Viewing - Part Duex

This is an elaboration of my post 'Interactive Web Based Model Viewing - Part Uno' - it looks at using the Autodesk Seek Viewer to view Revit models online - here is the original post.

It was a little tricky to get this to embed into my blog but I think I got it workable. By now, you should have already been prompted to run the Autodesk Seek Viewer add on and you should be able to see the model in the viewing window. If not, here is the direct link to the Autodesk Seek Viewer; just extract the .zip file and run the .exe file.

This example is using one of the sample projects from RAC 2011. As you can see this can be quite a valuable and lightweight tool. Right click in the viewing window somewhere and you can view the various settings and tools you have to play with - I especially like the Interactive Slicer.

Go ahead - have at it! It works very similiar to Revit as in panning, zooming, etc.

Retro-Power Boost

In this day and age of Windows Vista, 64 Bit Operating Systems, and unlimited RAM utilization capabilities (fheww that was a couple of big words there) and Revit file size inflation, what happens to the little guys who still function using that age old fabled Windows XP or, heaven forbid, Windows... dare I say it?

...2000 or Me?

There I said it.

With our 4Gb of RAM slots but with only the 2Gb that the cotton-picken software will let us utilize and with file sizes inflating by the minute, no second, and programs requiring more and more RAM everytime we blink our eyes, it seems there's some sort of bail-out needed here.

Now, of course we can always install a 64bit OS on our 32bit machines but what's the point? 2 Gigs is 2 Gigs no matter what bit OS your working on if your still on a 32bit machine. But let's say you don't want to go out and buy that 64bit machine just yet and bask in the sweet, triumphant glow of unlmited RAM capabilites.

There's one more last ditch effort available, one "last line of defense" if you will...

The 3GB Switch...

dun dun dun... ...corney? Yeah I know.

The 3Gb switch will unlock that previously unreachable 3rd Gig of RAM for your computable gratification:

*This is and exerpt from guidelines and instructions published by Autodesk. For more information regarding the 3Gb Switch and Revit, visit the Autodesk website and search "The 3Gb Switch and Revit"

Before You Enable the 3GB Switch

You will need to verify that the paging file size is optimized for your system. The paging file should at least be the size that is recommended for Windows and at most the size should be two times the amount of installed RAM. Follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu (Windows), click Settings > Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
4. Under Performance, click Settings.
5. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
6. On the Advanced tab, under Virtual Memory, click Change.
7. I n the Virtual Memory dialog box, change the Initial and Max values to 4092 (2 * 2GB) for a 2GB machine.
8. Click Set.
9. Click OK to close each dialog box.

Enabling the 3GB Switch

1. Right-click My Computer. Click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.
4. In the Startup and Recovery dialog box, under System startup, click Edit. The Windows boot.ini file will be opened in Notepad.
5. Save a renamed copy of your boot.ini file somewhere on your computer in case you need to revert back to your original version of the file. Note: Boot.ini files may be different from computer to computer.
6. Highlight the following line in the boot.ini file:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect


7. Copy (Ctrl-C) and paste (Ctrl-V) the line just below the original. Note: Your exact text string may be different from the text string in this document. So be sure to copy the text string from your boot.ini file, not the text string shown here.
8. Modify the copied line to include “ /3GB”, as shown in the example below. Note: Do not overwrite any existing lines.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /3GB /fastdetect



9. Save the boot.ini file and close Notepad.
10. Click OK to close each dialog box.
11. Reboot your computer.
12. During startup, select the 3GB option. If you do not select the 3GB option, the system will default to the 2GB total memory setting.
If there are problems at startup, you may need to update some of your drivers.

Verifying that the 3GB switch is enabled

Start a Revit session, and then open the new journal text file that was created. The Journals folder can usually be found in the C:\Program Files\Autodesk Revit Building X\Journals directory. Note: Revit Building is used as an example. If you are using Revit Structure, the folder will be named "Revit Structure." If you are using Revit Systems, the folder will be named "Revit Systems." Near the beginning of the journal, check to make sure that the TotalVirtualMemorySize equals approximately 31456000.

Interactive Web-Based Model Viewing - Part Uno

You can use the Autodesk Seek Viewer plug-in as a viewer that is even lighter and easier to use than Design Review to view your Revit models (DWF versions) on the web:

1.) Once you have your Revit model published to a 3D DWF, go to the Autodesk Seek website and select a family to view 3D in the Autodesk Seek Viewer

2.) If you haven't been to the Autodesk Seek website before, download and install the plug-in - save the plug-in, you'll want it later.

3.) Once installed and viewing the family, right-click and select copy the source code to a blank notepad document.

4.) Sift through the code (there's not a whole lot to it) and replace the source location of the Autodesk Seek family with the location of your DWF. There are additional parameters for background color and gradient, initial camera view parameters such as pitch, roll, elevation and zoom factor you can play with.

5.) Save the file with the .html file extension

6.) Open the .html file in Internet Explorer and Voila! You now can view your Revit model in a simple, lightweight, easy to use viewer on the web with all the same amenities (render modes, interactive splicer, etc) as the Autodesk Seek website.

Anyone who has ever been to the Autodesk Seek website and installed the Autodesk Seek viewer plugin can view these right away; and what about the rest who have not? Well, you'll have to put a link on your website so they can install it on there machines; that's why I suggested to save the plug-in when downloading it from Autodesk. :D

This is a great tool for marketing a large multi-unit development where you could have an online Site Plan of the development and graphically link to an interactive 3D model of each unit. And it's simple enough that Joe-Shmo off the street can use it; a lot easier to use and less involved than Design Review.

BIM to the 4th Power!

BIM 1.0
Building Information Model - Authoring Tools

• Revit Architecture
• Revit Structure
• Revit MEP
• AutoCAD Civil 3D

BIM 2.0
Multi-Model Collaboration

• BIM 1.0 +
• Collaborative Model
• Clash Detection
• Information Sharing

BIM 3.0
Building Code, 4D, 5D, Energy Analysis and Specifications

• BIM 2.0 +
• Building Code Analysis - SMARTCodes
• Cost Analysis - Building Explorer, Innovaya to Timberline
• Construction Scheduling - Building Explorer, Navisworks to MS Project
• Energy Analysis - Ecotect, IES Virtual Environment
• Specifications - E-Specs

BIM 4.0
Facilities Management

• BIM 3.0 +
• Facilities Management - ArtrA by CADPipe

Revit Implementation Checklist

1.0 o Program
2.0 o Develop Implementation Milestones and Schedule
3.0 o Core Team Selection
4.0 o Core Team Training
5.0 o Core Team Develops Office Project Template (Test Project)
5.1.0 o Non-template Related Items
5.1.1 o Export layer text file
5.1.2 o Import line weights text file
5.1.3 o Shared parameters file
5.2.0 o Line Weights
5.2.1.1 o Annotation line weights
5.2.1.2 o Model line weights
5.2.1.3 o Color delineations
5.2.1.4 o Revit grey scale vs. traditional acad screen
5.2.1.5 o Phasing
5.2.1.6 o Patterns
5.2.1.7.0 o Linked DWG Files
5.2.1.7.1 o Linked drawings files
5.2.1.7.2 o Linked with colors preserved vs. colors as black
5.2.2.0 o Plotters
5.2.2.1 o Large format, full size
5.2.2.2 o Large format, half size
5.2.2.3 o 11x17
5.2.2.4 o 8 1/2 x 11
5.2.2.5 o Document printer settings
5.2.2.6 o Adjust line weights and grey scale as needed based on plots
5.2.2.7 o Plot to PDF and DWF send to plotter (identify any issues)
5.2.3.0 o Print Setups
5.2.3.1 o Create print setups in office template for all applicable plot styles
5.3.0 o Tags5.3.1 o Create all office standard tags and load into office template
5.4.0 o Patterns
5.4.1 o Base set of patterns
5.4.2 o Office process for creating new patterns
5.5.0 o View Markers5.5.1 o Elevation markers
5.5.2 o Section (building, and wall section markers, if different)
5.5.3 o Detail bubbles
5.5.4 o Callouts
5.5.5 o Match line callouts
5.6.0 o Leader Arrows
5.6.1 o Text leaders
5.6.2 o Tag leaders arrows
5.7.0 o Dimension types
5.8.0 o Text
5.8.1 o Create types in the office template
5.8.2 o Create text types in the families
(detail components, generic annotations, all tag families, etc.)
5.9.0 o Schedules
5.9.1 o Create working schedules
5.9.2 o Create plotting schedules for all schedules
5.10.0 o Views and Sheets5.10.1 o Create typical levels
5.10.2 o Create standard views
5.10.3 o Create office title blocks (include all variety sizes used)
5.10.4 o Create typical sheets
5.11.0 o Family creation (in template or in library?)5.11.1 o Establish minimal set of working families
5.11.2 o Establish a routine for migration of families from project to office library (See 6.3)
5.11.3 o Determine which families are to be pre-loaded into template and which families are to be loaded as needed from the libraries
6.0 o Establish Office Revit Protocols (Test Project)6.1 o File structure for projects (i.e. correspondence, consultant files, and reference files; usually mimics traditional project file structures)
6.2 o Work sharing protocol
6.3 o Family creation, storage and protocols
6.4 o Family transition from project to office library
6.5 o System family protocols (walls, floors, roofs, etc.)
6.6 o Material and Plant Library protocol
6.7 o Keyboard shortcuts
6.8 o File support paths (paths to Revit standards file)
6.9 o Software upgrading
6.10 o Project phases
6.11 o Project archiving
7.0 o Revisit Item 1.0 - Program
8.0 o Pilot Project Selection
9.0 o Pilot Project Team and Training
10.0 o Pilot Project Development
11.0 o Revisit Item 7.0 - Program
12.0 o Train Rest of Office on Project by Project Basis

1.0 Program
Define the end product. What are we trying to accomplish with BIM? Record existing process flows through the office. Also, identify problematic areas where the software process may conflict with the office processes. At this time, a test project and a pilot project will be selected and the scopes and schedules of these projects will be determined.


2.0 Develop Implementation Milestones
Use outline above as a starting point; identify key areas/milestones that need to be achieved that can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively along with a schedule of estimated completion of each milestone.

3.0 Core Team Selection

This team will ultimately be responsible for the success of the implementation. This group will also be responsible for finalizing the office standards and implementation. This group should consist of a diverse staff base as possible to ensure different perspectives are seen (i.e. principles, project architects, drafting technicians, etc.).

4.0 Core Team Training
Formal software training of the Core Team.

5.0 Core Team Develops Office Project Template (Test Model)

Use the outline above (section 5) to begin sorting out and creating the project template. The project template should be created in conjunction with the test model.

Test Model
A set of typical drawings, small 15-20% reproduced in Revit. Include an area that has both interior and exterior walls, stairs, restrooms and roof area. Recreate each sheet that it appears in the final set of drawings.

This process will get the majority of the bugs out of the template and protocols before they are put into production as well as assist in developing the office template and protocols.

6.0 Establish Office Revit Protocols
The office Revit protocols and libraries should be created in conjunction with the test model (see section 5).

7.0 Revisit Item 1.0 - Program
Revisit the problematic areas identified in the initial programming phase and identify the solutions to these issues. Also, identify any new areas that need to be addressed. Re-evaluate and if necessary, redefine your “end product statement,” or what solutions can help to get back on track towards achieving our end result?

8.0 Pilot Project Selection

Select a project that will produce billable hours to be produced in the software as a pilot project.

9.0 Pilot Project Team and Training
This project can be produced by either the Core Team or a new Pilot Project Team.

Having the Core Team produce the pilot project allows for an already trained team to create a working model that can be used as an example in training future users.

Selecting a new Pilot Project Team allows for new users the get trained and familiarized with the software, the template and Revit office procedures on billable hours, but lacks an example model for them to reference and also can be subject to more billable hours due to the learning curve.

If elected, formal training will begin for the new Pilot Project Team. Also, they will be given basic training by the Core Team on the office template, libraries and protocols.

10.0 Pilot Project Development
Pilot project is developed to put the templates, libraries and protocols fully to the test.

11.0 Revisit Item 7.0 - Program
Another look must be given to the programming phase prior to moving into full production of Revit.

· Was my “end product statement” achieved?
· Were any issues that conflicted with current office procedures addressed and resolved?

If any issues have not yet been resolved, they should be addressed and dealt with before rolling out the software to the rest of the office. This is the time to deal with these issues so new users can focus solely on learning the software rather than dealing with loop holes in office protocols.

12.0 Train Rest of Office on Project by Project BasisNow formal software training can begin on other staff members. Treat the first project for each team as a pilot project. Give them basic training on the office template, and Revit protocols. Also, give them time to learn from the experiences gained by the pilot project/team and to share their views on what is working/not working with the office template, libraries and protocols.