BIM for structure – A collaborative workflow

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a process that ideally aims to bring together all the players involved in a construction project around a digital model.

BIM is not a revolution, but an evolution that mobilizes all the players in the building and civil engineering sector, and impacts both the internal workings of construction companies and relations between the various parties involved in a given project.

The emergence of BIM is intimately linked to new technologies. Software, of course, but also hardware for capturing and transporting data. As a result, BIM is a constantly evolving concept and method.

BIM covers the entire lifecycle of a project. It is therefore necessary to describe the use of BIM and its benefits throughout the various phases of a project:

• design and costing ;

• execution studies ;

• manufacturing and the omnipresence of digital technology, historically used to automate production in steel construction and precast concrete construction;

• on-site construction and the impact of BIM on the design/build relationship. Information must flow in both directions. The construction site accesses data from the BIM model and can, among other things, provide the latter with information on the progress of structure assembly or concrete pouring phases.

BIM is aimed at everyone involved, at every stage.

It should be noted, however, that this article focuses solely on the structural part of a construction project. Consequently, it does not take into account other important aspects of digital mock-up. In fact, BIM is changing the way project owners work during the feasibility and design phases (construction deadlines, financial criteria, energy and environmental performance, building quality) and architects (compliance with current standards, management of modifications, visualization of the 3D model, collaboration). Once construction is complete, the 3D virtual model is transmitted to the building owner, along with all the information required for facility management, maintenance work and any modifications. The digital model is also useful during the deconstruction phase.

Asset management, but also land and infrastructure planning, are two examples that, together with project construction, perfectly illustrate the overall concept of BIM, beyond the content of this article dedicated to BIM for structure.

The description of a reference project illustrates a number of features specific to the use of a BIM process. From project owner to builder, from clients to subcontractors, a large...