BIM

I worked as a design review technician for 3D models and visualizations, and helped the CAD manager with the creation and adoption of BIM standards.

I worked in a CAD team in the role of a visualization technician. We were a team of CAD and GIS technicians responsible for the review of design consultants' project documentation deliverables. My job was to review Civil 3D models of the highway designs, and Civil 3D models of the designs of all the dry and wet utilities that accompany a major highway project. I also used to review clash detection of these utility models aggregated into a combined 3D model together with the model of the highway itself. Another major type of deliverable that I used to review were the 3D visualizations of these highway projects. I must've reviewed close to 200 of 3D models and visualizations for around 30 highway projects that were part of this programme.

Since BIM was only in the early stages of implementation at the Public Works Authority (PWA), which was our umbrella company in Qatar, the processes related to it were used independently of each other and not as a tied-in system, and the term BIM was used only vaguely. A systematic implementation of BIM has only started in the final year of my service at the PWA. Just around the time when I was leaving the company, PWA has subcontracted a team of people to work on a systematic implementation of BIM accross the entire organisation. But, it's much harder to implement BIM on such a long structure than on a building project. Civil 3D is crashing a lot, and the model is split up in a number of Civil 3D 'corridors', and even in a number of files with the use of 'data shortcuts'. This is much different from Revit where the entire model of a building is in one file. As well, Civil 3D is built on top of AutoCAD, unlike Revit, which brings a number of issues with it.

The BIM level of maturity at PWA was somewhere brtween Level 1 and Level 2, but closer to Level 2. It was still a far cry from 'Open BIM' and cloud computing. Level 2 means that each discipline has it's own 3D model, and the data is attached to the model, and in this case each discipline had it's own Civil 3D model. But it's not possible to attach all the Civil 3D models together because a PC and Civil 3D would not be able to handle the amount of data and would crash. Civil 3D models are parametric, and they contain all the paramatric design data in it. They can be updated, and the update affects the entire model. Each discipline had it's Civil 3D model in a separate file, and in many cases the model was split up in several files because of the size and complexity. There was also the model of the highway which was the most complex, and it was split up into ten or even more files. Hence, it's not possible to have entire BIM model of the highway and of all the disciplines opened at the same time in Civil 3D. BIM Level 3 is still an unattainable goal when it comes to road design, because there is no such software available yet that can handle an entire parametric model model of the road and all the utilities. Civil 3D is built on top of a CAD software AutoCAD, and that limits it. Civil 3D is no match for Revit.

Level of development (LOD) of the model was in most cases at the level LOD300. Sometimes at LOD400, but only in a few cases.

On the Exressway Programme, combined Navisworks models were submitted as deliverables as well, but then the model was not parametric anymore. The data from Civil 3D is attached to each object in Navisworks, but the objects loose its parametric nature, and it's not possible to update them anymore. Federated models in Navisworks can be used for clash detection, 4D simulations, and discussions, but they are not BIM models. Expressway Programme was not fully BIM-compliant by definition as it has not attained a pure Level 2 BIM. There were other problems plaguing Expressway Programme when it comes to BIM implementation. Civil 3D designers at each of the design consultant companies were at different levels of proficiency. Sometimes they were just learning, and the Civil 3D models they were submitting were far below the proscribed standards. During the numerous review cycles, I tried to enforce the PWA standards, but it was simply not possible because design consultants didn't have good qualified Civil 3D designers. In some cases they were just learning how to use Civil 3D. Civil 3D is a complex application, so no wonder that there aren't too many people outthere who can use it properly and efficiently.

Another problem on the Expressway Programme was that the submission of Civil 3D models has started late, when the concept designs have been already submitted, and we were already well into the detailed design phase. Concept designs were all in 2D and in many cases Civil 3D was not even used as the design tool, only AutoCAD. As a consequwnce of this, concept design that were being submitted were actually created based on the 2D design drawings, and it could not have any purpose with regards to BIM as the concept design phase was already over. In some cases even the detailed design Civil 3D model was submitted very late when the detailed design phase was almost at the end, and the construction phase was about to begin. Sometimes Civil 3D model was submitted even during the construction phase because it was a deliverable as per the contract, and the design consultant or the contractor were supposed to submit it. Thus, these models were basically and effectively as-built BIM models.

There was no real mechanism to enforce BIM on the Programme as the BIM was never explicitly mentioned as a requirement neither in the DBB nor in D&B contracts. The BIM implementation team that has been recruited by the PWA will be implementing BIM but only for the future projects. It will be a daunting task in the light of difficulties related to the highway design projects as I mentioned above. Implementing BIM with the already submitted Civil 3D models would be a monumental task given the enormous amount of data they would have to process, and the Civil 3D models created at different levels of quality and sometimes incomplete.

To summarize, I have an extensive knowledge and experience in BIM modeling, but not on the theoretical side of things. I have practical knowledge of the BIM components when viewed independently. I have not participated in the creation of a BIM model, but as a design reviewer I have influenced its shaping, and thus gained a great insight into the workings of it.

3D

During my work in the role of a visualization technician at this company, I reviewed many Civil 3D models, and gained an extensive working experience with Civil 3D which is a BIM application for the road design. Civil 3D is Revit's BIM equivalent for road design.
I was also reviewing animated 3D visualizations of highway projects, and 3DS Max models on which they were based. Visualizations are the 3D segment of BIM as well.

4D

Since we were a PMC, and not in the business of designing but just reviewing someone elses designs, there was no particular need for the creation of 4D simulations, which would be the 4D part of BIM, time management. Sometimes design consultants were creating them, but there was no specific clause in the contract that stipulated that implementation and use of BIM was a contractual obligation as part of the design process. BIM was not a requirement and it was never mentioned in the contracts.
Despite of all this, my experience with Navisworks is very extensive as I had to review many combined 3D models and clash detection tests. I created a couple of animations in Navisworks, and connect them to a time schedule, to show the construction of a project in phases, and that is very easy for me since animating in Navisworks in no different than in 3DS Max or After Effects, and I would feel comfortable creating 4D simulations.
I would also be able to import model to 3DS Max and create more appealing 4D simulations, but they would not be connected with the time schedule then. An example of a such animation is Substantial Completion which is showing transition from a road that has been open for traffic but not completed yet (beneficial use), to a fully completed project. This is though just one location on a road that is several kilometers long. It's not really possible to show the entire structure when it comes to road projects, but only individual locations. It's a different case with buildings as they are much smaller structures that can fit on one screen.

5D

5D would be the cost management as a part of BIM. As a design reviewer, I had to read DBB and D&B contracts that were signed with the design consultants, to check whether all the contractual obligations have been met with regards to the documentation deliverables, and also on occasions to briefly brush up on financial matters, but that was what the quantity survey team was tasked with.
On a few occasions, I used to create a quantity takeoff for the earthworks and materials in Civil 3D for certain highway projects when there was a need to check whether the figures in the design consultant's Bill of Quantities were accurate, and those were basically the only instances where I was involved with 5D dimension of BIM.

6D

I did not deal with 6D so much, which is the energy management. I was reviewing the street lighting and electrical distribution network 3D models as a part of the utility Civil 3D models though. I was reviewing also the telecom and ITS networks which are directly related to the consumption energy. Therefore, I may conclude that I was partly involved in work related to this segment of BIM.

7D

Never dealt direcly with 7D, which would be the facilities management. I did, as a design reviewer, do my best though to discipline the design consultants into delivering good quality Civil 3D models which would eventually be used for the operation and maintenance later on, once the construction has been completed.

8D

This part of BIM, logistics and supply chain, was out of scope of my work. This is in the hands of PWA which is taking care that all the highways are kept in good condition once the construction has been completed and the road has been open for traffic.

9D

Safety features of the road are also part of the 3D models which means that the information is already integrated since the start of the designing process, and as a 3D model reviewer, my responsibilty was to make sure all the road safety features are included in the model. Hence, I have a direct experience with this part of BIM. I also contributed in 9D by participating in the road safety audits, thus making the roads safer by making sure that safety facilities are adequate.

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Given my .NET programming skills, I would be able to create custom tools in Civil 3D, Navisworks and MS Office applications, that would help with the BIM modeling in the data aggregation into one tightly integrated BIM model. I would be able to use entire range of programming tools including MS SQL or MySQL database, create web applications, mobile and desktop applications that would all be accessing the same database, and even accessing the data in the 3D models and other sources.