Exercise A on Perspectives

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook).

1. What is BIM and how does it differ from 3D modeling?
2. What are some of the significant problems associated with the use of 2D CAD, and how do they waste resources and time during both the design and construction phases as compared to BIM-enabled processes?
3. Why has the construction industry not been able to overcome the impact of these problems on field labor productivity, despite the many advances in construction technology?
4. What changes in the design and construction process are needed to enable productive use of BIM technology?
5. How do parametric rules associated with the objects in BIM improve the design and construction process?
6. What are the limitations that can be anticipated with the generic object libraries that come with BIM systems?
7. Why does the design-bid-build business process make it very difficult to achieve the full benefits that BIM provides during design or construction?
8. What kind of legal problems can be anticipated as a result of using BIM with an integrated project team?
9. What techniques are available for integrating design analysis applications with the building model developed by the architect?

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Exercise B on BIM tools and Parametic Modelling. Interoperbility.

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 2 "BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling"

1. Summarize the major functionalities that distinguish the capabilities of a BIM design tool from 3D CAD modeling tools.
2. Most BIM design tools support both 3D object models as : well as 2D drawn sections. What considerations should be made when determining the changeover level of detail, such us when to stop modeling in 3D and complete the drawings in 2D?
3. Why is it unlikely that a single integrated system will incorporate a unified parametric model of all of a building's systems? On the other hand, what would be the advantages if it could be achieved?
4. In what ways are some of the current popular design toois not BIM tools? Sketchup? 3D Max Viz? FormZ? Rhino?
5. What are the essential differences between a manufacturing parametric modeling tool, such as Autodesk Inventor, and a BIM design tool, such as Revit?
6. Do you think there may be additional manufacturing oriented parametric modeling tools used as a platform to develop BIM applications? What are the marketing costs and benefits? What are the technical issues?
7. Suppose you are a Chief Information Officer for a medium-sized architectural firm (with fewer than 25 employees). The firm specializes in school builings. Propose an outline structure for the firm's custom object library. Relate to the list of built-in objects in Table 2-1 when considering your answer.
8. You are part of a smail team of friends that has decided to start an integrated design-build firm comprised of both a small commercial contractor and two architects. Lay out a plan for selecting one or more BIM-model creation tools. Define the general criteria for the overall system environment.

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 3 "Interoparability"

1. What are the major differences between DXF as an exchange format and an object-based one like IFC?
2. Choose a design or engineering application that has no effecive interface with a BIM design tool you use. Identify the types of information the BIM design tool needs to send to this application.
3. Extend this to think what might be returned to the BIM design tool, as a result of running this application.
4. Take a simple design of some simple object, such as a Lego sculpture. Using IFC, define the IFC entities needed to represent the design. Check the description using an EXPRESS parser, such as the free EXPRESS-O checker available from the Sourceforge open website.
5. For one or more of the coordination activities below, identify the information that needs to be exchanged in both directions:
   1. building design that is informed by energy analysis of the building shell.
   2. building design that is informed by a structural analysis
   3. steel fabrication level model that coordinates with a shop scheduling and material tracking application
   4. cast-in-place concrete design that is informed by a modular formwork system
6. What are the distinguishing funcional capabilities by a Building Model Repository and database as compared to file-based system?
7. Explain why file exchange between design systems using IFC can result in errors. How would these errors be detected?

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Exercise C on BIM for owners and Facility Managers

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 4 "BIM for Owners and Facility Managers"

1. List three types of procurement methods and how these methods do or do not support the use of BIM technologies and processes.
2. Imagine you are an owner embarking on a new project and have attended several workshops discussing the benefits of BIM. Whot steps would you take to identify whether you should support and promote the use of BIM on your project?
3. If the owner did decide to adopt BIM, what types of decisions would be needed to ensure the project team's success in using BIM at each stage of the building life-cycle?
4. With respect to the application and benefits of BIM technologies and processes, what are the key differences between an owner who builds to sell the facility vs. an owner who builds to operate?
5. Imagine you are an owner developing a contract to procure a project using a collaborative approach through the use of BIM. What are some of the key provisions that the contract should include to promote team collaboration, the use of BIM, and project success?
6. List and discuss three risks associated with using BIM and how they con be mitigated.
7. List two or three processes or project factors that influence the success of BIM implementation.
8. Imagine you ore an owner building your first project and plan to own and occupy the facility for the next 15-20 years. You do not plan to build another facility and will outsource its design and construction. Should you consider BIM? If so, list two or three reasons why BIM would benefit your organization, and describe what steps you might toke to achieve the benefits you cite. If you believe that BIM would not benefit your project, explain why.
9. List three market trends that are influencing the adoption and use of BIM and how BIM enables owners to respond to those market trends

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Exercise D on BIM for Architects and Engineers

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 5 "BIM for Architects and Engineers"

1. Thinking about the level of information needed for cost estimation, scheduling and purchasing, outline your recommendation regarding the level of detail that should be defined in a design model. Consider and recommend what the role of designers should be in supporting these activities.
2. Other buildings built for the Beijing Olympics, beyond the Aquatic Center, used BIM. Much information is available on the Beijing Olympics and associated web sites. For any one of the other buildings, review and report how the design was carried out, and how information was carried for fabrication and construction.
3. Consider any specific type of building system, such as hung ceiling systems, or an off-the-shelf curtainwall system. For that system, identify how it could be supported by automation tools for its custom adaptation to a particular project. How could its fabrication be facilitated? Identify which levels of automation are practical today and which not.
4. Obtain the recommended set of details for installing a manufactured door, window or skylight. Examine and identify, using paper and pencil, the variations that might apply the detail. List these variations as a specification for what an automated parametric detailer needs to do.
5. Propose a new service for a design firm, based on the capabilities of BIM. Outline how the service would be of value to the owner. Also outline a fee structure and the logic behind that structure.
6. Conceptual design is often undertaken in such non-traditional BIMtools as formZ or Maya. Lay out the alternative design development process utilizing one of these tools, in comparison to one of the new BIM tools. Assess the costs and benefits of both development paths.

Exercise E on BIM during Construction

Se pages 241 - 242 in [1] BIM Handbook.

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Exercise F on Process Models

Use the questions below, and previous exercises, as stimulus to thoughts and ideas on how BIM models can support the building processes and its sub-processes.

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 7 "BIM for Subcontractors and Fabricators"

1. List three examples of engineered-to-order (ETO) compounents of buildings. Why do fabricators of ETO components prepare shop drawings?
2. What is the difference between made-to-stock and made-to-order components? Provide examples of each in the construction context.
3. How can BIM reduce the cycle-time for marketing, detailed design, fabrication, and erection of ETO components in construction? Select one type of component and use its process to llustrate your answers.
4. Why are pre-assembled integrated system modules, such as those described in Section 7.3.6, very difficult to provide using traditional CAD systems? How does BIM resolve the problems?
5. What are the ways in which BIM can facilitate lean construction?
6. What are the features of BIM systems that enable 'push of a button' changes to details of the kind shown in Figure 7.6?
7. Imagine that you ore assigned responsibility for the adoption of BIM in a company that fabricates and installs HVAC ducts in commercial and public buildings. The company employs six detailers who use 2D CAD. Discuss your key considerations for adoption and outline a coherent adoption plan, citing major goals and rnilestones.
8. What are the features of building information models, and what are the process benefits they bring, as opposed to 2D drawing practices, that make global procurement of ETO components possible and more economical?

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Exercise G on The Future

From the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook). Chapter 8 "The Future: Building with BIM"

1. What kinds of new architectural and construction services will the use of BIM enable?
2. How might the roles of architects, engineers, and contractors change as a result of BIM? What new educational requirements are needed for employees of architectural, engineering, and construction contracting firms to allow better utilization of BIM and support for the new roles?
3. How will building owners benefit from the use of BIM before and after the construction of a building?
4. What effect might BIM have on the potential for globalization of design and construction?
5. How can BIM facilitate lean design and construction practices? In your answer, cite possible effects of BIM on rework in design, cycle time, and levels of work-in-progress fabrication and construction.
6. How can building product manufacturers take advantage of BIM in the marketing and procurement of their products? What technological developments are needed in BIM and other support systems?
7. In your view, what are the three most important areas that require research and development to further advance the use of BIM technology? These may be technological, organizational, or practice oriented.

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Exercise H on Case studies analyses

Case studies described in the course literature [1] (The BIM Handbook, Chapter 9 "BIM Case Studies") and a few more examples referenced in the lecture notes, are analyzed with focus on BIM, and use of building product and process models.

You should try to structure/group the most important findings for example based on different uses of models and modeling activities. Findings can be expressed in terms of building process context, efficiency, effectivity, usability, needs, etc.

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Questions. Examples from lecture notes