Using BIM 360 as a Single Source of Truth

In the recent podcast Not An Issue, Case Closed: BIM 360 Coordinate, the AEC Disruptors discussed Autodesk BIM 360 and the 21^st birthday of building information modeling (BIM). In this episode, host Christopher Riddell and guest Mr. Rabi Sidawi, AIA, of Applied Software dove into “how we can coordinate with each other.” See the article, Not An Issue, Case Closed, on the Applied Software website for a Q&A about the importance of promptly resolving design and construction issues on a project.

“Autodesk acquired Revit in the late 90s . . . and it’s approximately BIM’s 21^st birthday,” explained Mr. Sidawi. “We’re ready to take on bigger challenges, model coordination being one of them.” Riddell agreed: “We’ve really moved on to the next generation. BIM 360 is a module where clash detection has been around for a while, but we’re getting more sophisticated with how we do it.”

Using BIM 360 tools on a project helps reduce issues – for instance, clashes – so everyone involved on the project can be more confident that their work is being done using the most current, issue-free set of plans. The term “issue” was described in more of a design sense than a colloquial problem. On a project, Mr. Sidawi explained, “It’s either an issue or not an issue. An issue means that it needs follow-up by the end user. If it’s not an issue, then it’s ‘case closed’ and can be archived.” Several examples of non-issues are described in his blog.

“In the new workflow process with BIM 360 model coordination, there is a single source of truth for the project,” Mr. Sidawi said. “That makes the model coordination available to everyone, not just the elite few.” Taking care of issues as you go ensures that there is no mess to clean up afterward. “If you’re waiting to resolve ten thousand mechanical clashes by yourself, good luck with that. You’re not going to get very far,” he stressed.

BIM has come a long way since its inception. BIM model coordination, interference checking and clash detection result in some of the issues that can now be addressed and remedied long before they become cost overruns. Unlike Autodesk Navisworks, where clash detection is performed manually, BIM 360 Coordinate automates the clash detection process.

This makes every project much easier to manage and more profitable. BIM 360 is helping AEC professionals deliver clash-free BIM models as part of due diligence in multi-discipline coordination.

With BIM 360, resolving an issue can be as streamlined as hyperlinking to the model, then going in and “making a decision on what needs to be done next.” When a question involves something that really is a non-issue, it can be closed after being verified. “When you audit the whole thing at the end of the project, you want to make sure you’re not missing anything,” Mr. Sidawi explained, “so you don’t have a user who’s hiding columns under the carpet.”

Check out other episodes of the AEC Disruptors Podcast, where disruptions are regularly investigated. Disruption – the disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity or process – have continually shaped the AEC industry. The Disruptors invite you into the conversation, and this is your platform to help push the AEC industry forward. Make small changes. Have lasting impacts. And build long-lasting relationships.