INAURUGRAL FUNCTION

Prompt Engineering Consulting Service & Prompt Academy inaugural function on 28th September 2014 (Sunday), 09.45am.

Function was attended by Engineering Students, Working Class persons, Parents of aspirants and other delegates from Social and Political sector.

INAUGURAL & CAREER SEMINAR  INVITATION

BIM for existing buildings

        There have been attempts at creating a BIM for older, pre-existing facilities (Sydney Opera House being a fine example). These generally reference key indicators, such as the Facility Condition Index (FCI). However, the validity of these models needs to be monitored over time; trying to model an existing building would require numerous assumptions about design building standards and codes, construction methods and materials available at the time of construction; especially when considering conservation and old buildings.

    With the correct mix of technologies it is possible to create 3D models stored as dense cloud points. This makes it possible to scan rooms, and update the 3D and 4D models. Laser scanning also offers the ability to quickly validate construction work carried out in relation to what was expected or designed. This can obviously greatly increase quality as this validation will force contractors to ensure the construction is carried out as per the drawings as it will be noted in progress reports.

     It is clear that BIM and 4D scheduling has dramatic potential benefits to all stakeholders involved in the construction industry. However, it must be driven by the client or owner of the project and there must be a buy in to the process from all stakeholders involved, its implementation will offer considerable future challenges; primarily in the initial investment required. Hardware, software, education and training costs may slow this process considerably; without governmental support, BIM is unlikely to become the norm in the near future. Previously it was difficult to justify the use of full BIM on smaller scale projects. However, PAS 1192 is scalable so the process can now be used for big or small buildings. While smaller scale often implies less complex, a large warehouse in the middle of an industrial estate is not as complex as a small London town house extension; especially when location etc. is factored in. The level of expertise to use full BIM would require a certain physical number of professionals who were able to carry out the various tasks. In many cases, the physical numbers allocated to smaller projects would make this impossible.BIM as a construction management training and education tool is a very positive advancement. Colleges and Universities are already using it to give their students virtual problems which can help their understanding and give them experiences they can currently only learn on-site.

Prompt Academy

               Prompt Academy which is subsidiary of Prompt Engineering Consulting Services provides advanced training on Building Information Modeling (BIM) in MEP, Structure & Architectural. Our Training programs are tailor made to suit the requirements of the global construction industry. The training provided is divided over a span of 3 months covering software, specific disciple & Live International Project from Middle East/US/Europe/Australia. 

SNAPS FROM YES( Young Entrepeneurs Summt) EXIBITION  2014, KORATTY, KERALA

Benefits in civil design

The most immediate benefits of BIM in the case of road and highway design are better designs and increased efficiency and productivity. Because design and construction documentation are dynamically linked, the time needed to evaluate more alternatives, execute design changes and produce construction documentation is reduced significantly. This is particularly important for transportation agencies because it can shorten the time to contract letting, resulting in projects being completed sooner and within more predictable timetables.

Beyond efficiency and productivity, BIM facilitates roadway optimisation by including visualisation, simulation and analysis as part of the design process. Many criteria can be assessed to achieve an optimal roadway design, for example in terms of constructability, road safety and sustainability.

Constructability 

Civil engineers typically design for code compliance, not for constructability. But incorrect interpretations about design intent made in the field because of ambiguous documentation can lead to delayed schedules, change in orders and RFIs (requests for information) after construction begins.

Consider a typical new highway construction project with bridges and interchanges budgeted for $100 million. Typically, about seven to eight per cent of the investment will go into design development. Reducing the design spend by 35 per cent with a more productive process saves $2.6 million. But reducing the construction portion by 15 per cent by considering constructability during design saves nearly $14 million. These savings don’t take into account litigation that can result from mistakes in the field. Designing for constructability can help reduce these mistakes before they become a problem.

Road safety

Analysis to ensure safe stopping and passing sight distances is a key factor driving design decisions. Traditional sight distance analysis is based on mathematical equations applied to vertical curvature in the road profile. But this approach fails to take into account factors such as horizontal layout and visual obstructions. Integrating interactive visualisation and sight distance simulation into the design process allows the civil engineer to identify quickly whether the road geometry meets critical safety parameters related to sight distances, including grades, curvature, and visual obstructions such as barriers, berms and foliage.

Probably the most significant advantage of BIM compared with a drafting-centric process is the ability to extend the use of the information model beyond design, analysis and simulation into construction and, eventually, operations. For example, transportation agencies increasingly are using the 3-D model for operating construction equipment with GPs (global positioning system) machine guidance. Benefits include increased productivity and accuracy, reduced survey costs, lower equipment operating costs and an extended work day.

Sustainability

Sustainable design is gaining momentum with civil engineers, and it is quickly shifting to standard practice. BIM enables sustainable design for civil engineers by allowing them to evaluate more design alternatives and integrate analysis into the design process.

Using BIM software, civil engineers can more easily predict the outcome of their projects before they are built. By creating coordinated, reliable design information, civil engineers are able to respond to changes faster; optimise designs with analysis, simulation, and visualisation and deliver higher quality construction documentation. Starting with surveying and all the way through to supporting construction processes, BIM allows the extended civil engineering team to extract valuable data from the model to facilitate earlier decision making,more sustainable designs and faster, more economical project delivery.This approach is essential for sustainable design, which requires the integration, analysis and optimisation of environmental, social and economic factors for the life of a project. With traditional drafting-based design processes, the civil engineer often delivers the first design that meets code – but this is not necessarily the best design.

Storm water management

 The more sustainable storm water management practices minimise erosion, encourage natural infiltration and recharge aquifers. Employing best management practices (BMPs) such as permeable pavements, rain gardens, bio swales and infiltration basins is becoming standard practice. The integration of hydraulic and hydrologic analysis with civil engineering design models makes it much easier for civil engineers to evaluate the environmental impacts of BMPs and determine the most sustainable solutions. Steep slope protection: sustainable design for steep slope protection aims to minimise erosion, protect established habitats and reduce stress on natural water systems by preserving the natural and vegetated state of steep lopes. Using the geo-spatial analysis and mapping capabilities that are integrated with a design model, engineers can quickly query the surface data and visually display 

BIM and civil engineers

                    Implementing a BIM process for road and highway design starts with the creation of coordinated, reliable design information about the project. This results in an intelligent 3-D model of the roadway in which elements of the design are related to each other dynamically – not just points, surfaces, and alignments, but a rich set of information and the attributes associated with it.

For example, halfway through a roadway design project the profile may need adjustments to a vertical curve and the grades. By adjusting the profile, all of the related design elements update automatically, allowing the designer to instantly see the impact to cut and fill and right of way.

In this way, BIM facilitates evaluation of many more design alternatives. As part of the design process, civil engineers can leverage the information model to conduct simulation and analysis to optimise the design for constructability, sustainability and road safety. Finally, with a BIM process, design deliverable's can be created directly from the information model. Deliverable's include not only 2D construction documentation, but also the model itself and all the rich information it contains, which can be leveraged for quantity take-off, construction sequencing, as-built comparisons and even operations and maintenance. 

The use of modelling, 3-D visualisation and analysis is nothing new for road and highway design professionals, but with traditional drafting-centric approaches, design, analysis, and documentation become disconnected processes, making evaluation of what-if scenarios inefficient and cost prohibitive. By dynamically connecting design, analysis, and documentation in a BIM workflow, most of the effort in a roadway design project is shifted back into the detailed design phase when the ability to impact project performance is high and the cost of making design changes is low. This allows engineers to spend more time evaluating what-if scenarios to optimise the design and less time generating construction documentation.

BIM for MEP Contractors and Designers

                 Having already created 3D MEP (M&E) coordinated models for a number of years with non-BIM application, we have migrated to Revit BIM software seamlessly, providing customers with MEP (M&E) BIM models, complete with detailed schedules and manufacturing information.One of the key differences between modern BIM technology and traditional software is that BIM software is developed for the design of buildings and their components. The objects created within BIM models represent actual elements within a construction project and therefore this information becomes more useful to designers, installers and cost consultants.

                   As part of our BIM modelling service we also create BIM or family data for Revit Architecture and Revit MEP. This data encompasses physical and graphical elements as well as technical and manufacturer information for the element being modelled. Another key benefit of BIM models are the parametric properties and family properties assigned to models. Parametric modelling allows controlled and dynamic manipulation of models. This allows models to be changed quickly and easily within their range of parameters while also maintaining physical appearance and ‘model information’ within all areas automatically.

Autodesk Revit MEP: Support for Building Information Modeling

        Autodesk® Revit® software provides mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineers with the tools to design even the most complex building systems.

Support for Building Information Modeling

Revit supports Building Information Modeling (BIM), helping you drive accurate design, analysis, and documentation of more efficient building systems from concept through to construction. Use information-rich models to support building systems design throughout the building lifecycle.

Piping to Industry Standards with Routing Preferences

With Autodesk Revit and Revit MEP engineering software, you can design and route piping according to industry piping standards to help improve accuracy. Pipe material type and sizes are defined based on industry standards, making it easier to ensure designs meet project requirements.

HVAC/Electrical Design Room Color-Fill Plans

Communicate design intent visually with room color-fill plans. This functionality minimizes the need for deciphering spreadsheets and using colored pencils on printed plans.
Update all revisions and alterations to color-fill plans automatically across your model. Create any number of schemes, and maintain better consistency for the duration of your project. 3D modeling for ductwork and piping enables you to create HVAC systems that use color schemes for design airflow, actual airflow, and mechanical zones. Create electrical color schemes for power loads and lighting per area.

Piping & Electrical Content

Many types of electrical content—including communications, fire safety, data, and nurse call—are available from within Revit. Modeling capabilities for managing electrical and data cable trays and conduits are also available. Cable trays and conduits can be routed as individual runs with or without individual fittings placed between straight sections. Control panels and individual controls or devices can help you connect objects to their appropriate panels.

Sloped Piping

In Autodesk Revit and Revit MEP engineering software, sloped piping tools support enhanced productivity for piping design. Create pipe slope values and transfer from project to project for design efficiency. Define the rise over run and lay out your plumbing design more easily. Calculation is automatic and slope propagation is easier when you apply a slope to a run of multiple pipe selections through fittings. Tag invert elevations at the beginning or end of a pipe run, minimizing guesswork and manual calculations. Keep track of the current pipe elevation with dynamic on-screen tooltips while routing sloped piping. Connect between 2 points in space regardless of the slope required.