Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the foundation of digital transformation in the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors, a process for creating and managing information on a construction project throughout its whole lifecycle. Saudi Projects spoke to Mohammed Dawood Aldawood, Senior Building Information Modeling Manager – Digital Delivery, at Red Sea Global (RSG) to find out more about this ubiquitous but often misunderstood topic.
Saudi Projects: How easy is BIM to implement in a human resources way, as the typical top-down organizational chart won’t work for BIM because more collaboration is required. Does this become a barrier because old practices die hard?
Mohammed Dawood Aldawood: BIM implementation requires process harmony in and across organizations. It is no different to any other digital transformation program. These initiatives are often disruptive to businesses because it requires a change from established ways of working, and pushes people from their comfort zone, resulting in fear and a slow-down in progress.
BIM implementation requires process harmony in and across organizations
However, transformation drivers should be supported by strategic leadership such as visible top management ‘buy-in’ to the vision, a coherent digital strategy, and the people skills improvement required, otherwise the BIM maturity in the organization won’t have the right catalysts to succeed. If this can be achieved, all parties in the organization can see the benefits for them personally as well as the overall project mission.
SP: What is the difference between 3D and BIM?
MDA: This is the most confusing part of the AEC industry! 3D is a subset of the overall BIM Framework.
Our largest platform is the Common Data Environment that we provide for all project stakeholders
The BIM framework:
- Assures business strategy to set scope expectations
Assures proper contractual engagement across the project participants, depending on the project procurement method - Provides clear direction on what data should be shared, when, to whom, and for what purpose
- Offers project information components integrity using information classification systems
Has defined level of information need in terms of 3D and information
The 3D model without the BIM framework would be just geometry. That alone cannot be leveraged to higher value BIM uses such as coordination, cost, scheduling, energy modelling, or sustainability advantages where high-quality BIM models are the gateway to unlock the data value.
I believe the specific challenge in Saudi Arabia is that we do not have a general authority of BIM to organize the national efforts in achieving BIM
SP: What are some of the benefits of BIM for RSG?
MDA: There are some inherent benefits in improved collaboration through sharing data globally and creating efficiencies through the alignment of processes in the supply chain.
But the main benefits we see are:
- Coordinated optimized designs
- Greater opportunity for early engagement in the supply chain
- Optimized material selection and usage thus reducing waste
- Higher quality information handover leading to reduced re-work and improved handover
- Automation of repetitive low-value tasks
- Improved data-driven decision making
- Greater transparency of progress in design and construction
- Improved safety and efficiency on-site through improved logistics and planning
SP: BIM can’t solve the climate crisis, but it can downsize the building industry’s carbon footprint. So, BIM fits in nicely with the whole RSG ethos?
MDA: BIM fits well as an organized source of information in RSG through the project lifecycle leading towards optimized material selection, iterative simulations to improve efficiency, and data to enable our environmental teams to make better-informed decisions.
Specifically, BIM has enabled the greater use of off-site manufacturing resulting in safer work in controlled environments that reduce waste and improve quality of product.
This is not enough though. The industry needs to push for more digital transformation in the manufacturing sector to define standardized information exchange and databases to connect with the BIM model. Such achievements would bring huge opportunities to optimize the equipment and material selection using BIM and energy simulation applications.
Improved technology interoperability would enable the tools to communicate in the same schema language, and is a matter that hundreds of organizations are working on currently under the leadership of building SMART. This is an important sustainable digital milestone that governments, clients, engineers, manufacturers and vendors should mandate and push forward to achieve an optimum interoperability exchange between applications.
Such achievements would allow innovators and climate change stewards to collaborate like never before to solve challenging climate problems.
SP: Most contractors appear to be utilizing BIM through ‘partial uses’ (virtual mock-ups, scope clarification etc.), which seem to be almost infinite. What are some of the uses of BIM at RSG? Can you give a couple of examples?
MDA: There are seemingly infinite opportunities to harness the value in the data, but it comes down to what you are trying to achieve on your projects, and really understanding what would provide value for you. Is it an acceleration of delivery, quality or reduced cost? What does the organizational strategy aim to achieve? How mature is your company and the supply chain you work with?
On our projects we are focused on:
- Coordination reviews
- Constructability reviews
- 3D walk-throughs focused on guest experience
- BIM construction scheduling and simulation
- Dynamic cost modeling for analysis and estimates
- Design for manufacture and assembly techniques, linking designs directly for manufacturers to use in their machines
- Handover of data between stages, specifically design to construction and construction to handover
The 3D model without the BIM framework would be just geometry
SP: What type of software are you using for BIM at RSG?
MDA: Our largest platform is the Common Data Environment that we provide for all project stakeholders. This platform allows all of our project partners to share data in a controlled manner, using a common language (ISO19650), and accelerates the design process. By providing this for all, it removes a barrier for our supply chain to work with us in a collaborative manner.
We also use design and visualization tools to identify, track and resolve design and constructability issues. This has been invaluable when working on a fast-track construction project as decision-makers can rapidly affect project outcomes with high-quality data.
SP: What is the biggest challenge in implementing BIM?
MDA: Globally, the biggest challenge is to achieve an integrated BIM framework that harmonizes some of the good practice work that is delivered by the best minds in our industry.
This would require strong foundations and human expertise that understand the challenges we all face and that can leverage digital opportunities to transform the work we all do.
There is also a skills shortage globally of talented BIM professionals that can really drive project outcomes, be innovative and manage the organizational change aspects of any transformation.
I believe the specific challenge in Saudi Arabia is that we do not have a general authority of BIM to organize the national efforts in achieving BIM.
This vacuum results in investment distraction in the supply chain, slowing down progress and limiting the BIM potential.
At RSG we have formed working groups with a number of external stakeholders to exchange knowledge and seek standardization opportunities both on process and technology. But this needs to accelerate to really have an impact on the delivery capacity and capability in the Kingdom. It would be great to see more organizations leaning in and helping us to deliver this vision.
A positive stand happened this year when Saudi Contractors Authority took leadership and organized several BIM exhibits and workshops bringing stakeholders together. Personally, I would love to see these efforts translate into BIM working groups represented by all SCA members to drive national BIM and information management standardization. This shift from ‘closed communities’ to ‘open communities’ to achieve a higher level of integration, collectively identifying common gaps and common approaches of resolutions would accelerate the adoption of a BIM framework and related technologies.
SP: Is BIM the future?
MDA: Regardless of the name, yes digitally transformed project delivery is the future. The future for believers in data-driven decisions. The future for believers in data for certain long-term decisions. The future for believers in data as the new digital economy.
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