BIM for Construction Management

From Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Abstract[edit | edit source]

In this book, we introduce methods that support this BIM-based and multi-tiered approach to construction management. Some of the methods build on traditional methods found in many construction management books, and some are new and more specific to BIM. Some of the methods rely on the support of other organizations, such as the owner and suppliers, and some are methods that the general contractor has full control over. Nevertheless all the methods are developed to ultimately help a general contractor achieve laminar flow by opening the work front of crews in a timely manner and by preventing a reverse workflow

Many construction project management books or sources speak either in the language of construction engineering or computer engineering. Construction engineers are often left without sufficient understanding of the logic and approaches of computer engineers, and vice versa. This gap is greater for a certain phase of a project’s lifecycle. While there are references that bridge this gap for designing, few references exist for bridging the gap for construction. The references helpful for construction are often either software-specific or briefly touch on the overarching and basic concepts of construction. Although this book will be useful for anyone in the industry at any phase, it is our intention to help the builders first—both Construction engineers and computer engineers involved in building. It is also an entry level book for people starting their career in this field. Its aim is to help civil engineers understand the fundamentals of construction and their relation to information modeling and management, and to help computer engineers understand the business rules of construction. The book prioritizes the needs of general contractors on medium to large projects, who can see the long-term value of developing a system that is holistic yet adaptable to differing project conditions. The book mainly presents concepts, terms, methods, and examples in the context of building construction (residential building, office tower, retail space, etc.), but similar or comparable concepts, terms, etc. exist in other construction sectors. Whenever comparing, benchmarking, or contrasting with the practices of other sectors is helpful, the book does so. If by the time you have finished reading this book, you cannot implement and adopt the methods we developed, then this book would’ve failed to achieve its goals. For ‘the great aim of education’ said Herbert Smith, ‘is not knowledge but action’.

Table of Contents[edit | edit source]