Bim 4d Construction Simulation
Su Strawderman
Site Logistics Model
Technically this is just another type of 3D model, and can be used in a project timeline simulation, but also can provide value by planning clear work areas looking for trade overlap as well as helping with on-site material storage coordination. These are topics we always covered with customers, but usually as part of a site preparedness guide buried in the detail of a long document. Raising these site coordination topics in a 3D form greatly improves awareness and communication.
Equipment model examples that include site logistics geometry representing clear work area requirements and on-site material storage needs.Site logistics models placed on a tower site help plan project sequencing, multiple deliveries, and on-site storage optimization.
Equipment Routing Animation
An equipment routing animation is by far the most valuable and common type of 4D simulation we have offered. It applies to anything that needs to move through a construction site and is only limited by what you can predict about the actual site condition when the installation takes place.
Revit is where we add objects that represent the areas we need on the construction site, outside of the final installed equipment location. This is stored in a template to be part of a separate 3D model and includes:
Revit family editing may be necessary to split objects that are not normally modeled in two pieces. At KONE, the best example of this is the escalator truss. The only extra geometry you may add using Revit are the key milestone indicators.
Navisworks is where all the coordination and simulation takes place. It is also important because of the integration with BIM 360 Glue. We have seen many projects use cloud-based coordination / model sharing tools and it saves us a lot of time in downloading and model updating. Regardless, the 4D tasks remain the same: extra models appended to the federated building information model whether that is local or through a central connected repository.
The site logistics models should be a requirement of any practical 4D simulation to clarify site readiness. It is also foundational for computational space planning for construction, optimizing on-site construction traffic, and supply chain.
For now, the model is static. Nothing is animated but Navisworks is still the best place to view, comment, and coordinate the space needed for clear work areas, on-site material storage, and staging or delivery areas. Usually this helps us point out the need for multiple deliveries as well as the topic of project sequencing.
We can, however, implement 4D coordination and simulation on real projects in a practical way. We are usually doing this with a very specific purpose. If a question is asked and a simulation can help provide an answer, we simulate. We ask an explicit question and simulate to solve. For instance:
If a customer wants to see a high-level animation of equipment being installed, even though it might not be a hardcore preconstruction planning use case, it still is a question that we can help explain through a model and animation.
On the other end of the spectrum is an overall digital representation of a construction site. Although the term 'digital twin' has many interpretations, digital twins of the construction site can be leveraged in the following two ways.
When the construction requirements for all trades can be represented digitally over time, there is an opportunity to plan the construction site computationally. Think of the generative / computational design tools available today applied to the shapes representing work areas, material storage, and egress areas during construction. The process could simulate iteratively showing the progress of different trades through the project and highlighting optimized adjacencies and overlap in similar logical engines.
1. The digital representation must exist as a representative of a real object, serving as a container for information about actual live conditions, along with other static properties such as model number, etc.
The digital twin is not just an accurate 3D representation of something real; it is alive with information and it changes with the real-world conditions over time. The goal of this type of digital twin for the construction site is to more easily consume large amounts of interconnected information about one or many assets. This could be useful to decision makers in order to better assess current conditions and make better future plans. The promise of sensor proliferation, reality capture, and AI object recognition gives us an answer as to what the future may hold for real-time construction site digital twins.
It could be argued that a 4D construction simulation cannot be complete without financially representing the work completed. In fact, the entire 4D simulation could be based on billing / payouts, or what is widely considered to be 5D construction cost integration.
In other words, by attaching models to specific payouts that happen over time (i.e., materials arrive on-site, machine room ready) or interdependent milestones to payouts (site readiness), then we are accomplishing a version of 5D, as a workflow of 4D. This would be most helpful for the owner, so that an easy comparison can be made with expected site conditions at specific payouts.
If you coordinate in 3D today, consider adding key site logistics modeling and large equipment routing to the scope of BIM work on your project in order to improve construction site efficiency. This is incredibly important to the future advancement of BIM use, the smart construction site, and the needed step change improvement to construction productivity. Consider construction site modeling and 4D simulation as foundational to enabling prefabrication and the future robotic methods of delivery and construction.
Ken Flannigan is a technology leader who works with KONE to guide BIM processes and research globally. Ken believes that there are great industry challenges afoot as benefits of BIM have gone mostly unrealized and industry-wide productivity has remained flat. Ken has led technology implementation efforts including BIM automation of configure, price, quote systems, and integrating BIM-centric workflows on an local and global scale. Ken serves on the BIMForum LOD Specification Committee and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
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we would find it extremely helpful if one could assign construction times to each element, and then being able to graphilcally visualize those objetct with colors for different construction status, like "finished" "in progress" etc, without the need of more Graphical overrides. We would just want to record the progress of every object in a certain week and generate a graphical report for the client and everyone involved.
This add-on is about 20 years old, and I don't recall much discussion of it since it was first introduced. Personally, I never tried it as it originally required using Microsoft Project, which I didn't own... but apparently you can now set up the Task List inside of Archicad without MS Project:
i can certainly see that a refined version of this tool (for example, a slider that allows you to see the progress on dilferent dates directcly on the 3d model, along with being able to modify the start dates and duration of activities, either future, present or past activities) could be extremely valuable for project managers.
I have seen many project managers and clients give up on 3d models because they are forced to work with revit and/or navisworks; A Linked Schedule to the 3d model that is easy to manipulate (like many things in archicad are) and linked to a bimx file would be a game changer to many people. Of course, right now there are very complex tools that can show you the model, some even linikig the model to vr glasses, but not everything has to be so spectacular and complicated. Sometimes simpler tools would do.
Have not used it in a couple of years, but was happily using it before. Very fast, and good for quick and concept planning, feasibility studies. With more detailed input, you get better results (duh! did I tell you that the water is wet?!?) and it is not a pain.
I have had better results in linking it to M$ Project once upon a time than more recently, and the internal schedule settings worked quite nicely.
Then, you have various 4D BIM packages that do this down to the last screw and rivet... but that is another topic.
2022 astragon Entertainment GmbH. 2022 weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH. Published and distributed by astragon Entertainment GmbH. Developed by weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH. Construction Simulator, astragon, astragon Entertainment and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of astragon Entertainment GmbH. weltenbauer., weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of weltenbauer. The machines in this game may be different from the actual products in shapes, colours and performance. All other intellectual property relating to the trucks, machines, construction equipment, associated brands and imagery (including trademarks and/or copyrighted materials) featured in the game are therefore the property of their respective companies. All rights reserved.
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