TOPIC: building information modeling

Technology is transforming the way that buildings and infrastructure are designed, constructed, and operated. It’s helping improve decision-making and performance across the buildings and infrastructure lifecycle.

To learn more about how Autodesk’s Connected BIM processes go beyond design, leveraging the power of the cloud to help make possible practically anytime, anywhere, collaboration, data continuity across a project, and provide deep insight to help improve decision-making,

You can view the recording of all of the Connected BIM Webinar Series here.

Access your Project Data throughout the Building Construction Lifecycle

How do you collaborate and access project data throughout the building construction lifecycle? Review our previously recorded webinar to learn how Collaboration for Revit and the BIM 360 Team service from Autodesk can empower a project team to collaborate, those in the field to better anticipate and act, and those in the back office to optimize and manage all aspects of construction performance.

Integrated BIM Workflows across the Lifecycle of Buildings

Technology is radically disrupting the way buildings and infrastructure is designed, built, and used. As Physical and digital technology come together to create endless possibilities for designing, buildings, and operating buildings and infrastructure, it’s important to embrace BIM. Watch our webinar recording to learn how BIM will give you the opportunity to dramatically improve margins and resilience, capitalize on an increasingly globalized construction market, and deliver better outcomes for your clients.

Explore Infrastructure in the Era of Connection

Technology is radically disrupting the way buildings and infrastructure is designed, built, and used. Discover how Autodesk is connecting to the future with tightly connected BIM tools and processes for the buildings and infrastructure lifecycle.

Do you have any questions on how Autodesk’s Connected BIM processes can help you leverage the power of the cloud? Let us know how we can help.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a process for designing and collaborating using an intelligent 3D model that’s currently changing the way structural engineers, detailers, and fabricators are working together to design and deliver structural systems. However, there are common misconceptions surrounding BIM and we’re here to bust those myths.

MYTH #1. BIM IS ONLY FOR BIG FIRMS AND BIG PROJECTS.

Here’s the truth: No matter the size of the firm, BIM will help make smarter decisions and positively impact the overall project efficiency and quality. Users can make a change once and all documentation will be automatically updated.

With that being said, adopting BIM has benefited smaller firms in various ways, including:

• United Structural Design, LLC in Phoenix (with 2 employees) can now visualize end products more easily with 3D isometric views, as well as deliver projects without outsourcing drafting services.
• TSI Structures, LTD. in the United Kingdom (with 41 employees) has the ability to quickly design steel connections without having to recreate the design model and can use model-based collaboration with the structural engineers to streamline approvals.
• Steel Detailing Online, Inc. in Denver (with only 1 employee!) is able to automatically generate traditional deliverables (such as shop drawings, erection plans, CNC files and material lists), as well as work out the constructability of a design and quickly recheck complex spatial geometry.

MYTH #2. BIM PRODUCTS ARE EXPENSIVE.

Here’s the truth: Getting started with BIM doesn’t have to be costly! Regardless of the size of your business, Autodesk offers the flexibility to choose subscription options that best fit your business needs, including:

• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Annually
• Multi-Year Rental

For the world of structural design, detailing, and fabrication, this is a major value add as most competitive solutions can cost thousands of dollars. Check out our product page to learn more.

MYTH #3. LEARNING BIM IS TIME-CONSUMING.

Here’s the truth: BIM is a process—not a tool. So while there is definitely a learning curve to implementing BIM, we have many resources and training readily available to make learning BIM manageable for even the busiest firms. On average, it only takes 5 days to learn Autodesk Advance Steel Essentials. Not to mention, we have Autodesk Certified Training Labs  in all three of our locations –  New York,  Boston and Philadelphia – and also offer on-site training at your offices. Head to our training page or reach out to us directly to get started!

MYTH #4. PRODUCTIVITY SUFFERS DURING THE TRANSITION TO BIM.

Here’s the truth: Productivity gains achieved over time can outweigh the initial loss of time during training. Here’s a great example how transitioning to BIM helped a small firm in the United Kingdom mentioned earlier in this post.

TSI Structures, with 41 employees, transitioned to BIM to comply with recent mandates in the U.K. to collect, manage, and disseminate all relevant approved project documents. With Advance Steel soware’s ease of use, speed of modeling and connection design, and integrated design checks on the fly—combined with the ability to reuse the structural engineer’s Revit model—helped TSI Structures reduce their anticipated schedule time by 20%. Additionally, nearly 20% of users experience productivity gains of more than 100% and more than half of BIM users experience a 50% productivity gain in the long run.

Structural engineers can use Autodesk Advance Steel to help accelerate design, detailing, fabrication and construction. Built on the AutoCAD platform, Advance Steel enables you to automatically generate workshop and general arrangement drawings, bills of materials, and NC files directly from the 3D steel model.

So now that we’ve busted those four common myths, you may still be wondering: who will benefit from BIM? Not only the structural engineers and steel detailers, but the architects, fabricators, contractors, and building owners will all benefit since BIM uncovers all views of the same underlying information. Structural engineers and detailers can spend more time designing and be confident that their designs look good and perform as expected while fabricators and contractors can coordinate data, production, and installation accurately and communicate design intent to clients.

With support from a range of BIM solutions – starting with Advance Steel – transitioning to BIM has never been more accessible to structural engineering professionals, regardless of firm size. Contact us at Microsol Resources to get started with BIM today!

Very often, clients ask us: ‘We need to implement BIM on this project, what can you offer us not just in terms of getting off the ground, but for the entire life-cycle of the project?”

And very often we respond with a litany of products and services that are on the table. We cannot give specifics because we don’t know how the project is going to evolve and they don’t ask for specifics because sometimes they don’t know what to ask for. This approach works fine most of the time, and clients reach out to us as and when they need specialized consulting services.

Recently however, we needed to put together a menu of our offerings based on our past experiences in executing services across the entire life-cycle of a building project. It was an opportunity to reflect on what we had to offer in relation to what our clients do. The results were enlightening because the road-map we ended up with reinforced  our philosophy of helping our clients succeed and making sure that we are able to support them all the way. The chart above is a sampling of our services and product offerings based on a generic project workflow. Of course, we assume that you already own the software to get started with your project.