October 22, 2012

ACI explores BIM in Toronto

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

As Building Information Modeling (BIM) gains traction, the Ontario chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) has stepped up to the plate to deliver a session on advancements in the use of this technology at the institute’s upcoming fall convention in Toronto.

“The concrete industry, which tends to be very traditional, needs to catch up,” said session organizer Neb Erakovic, a principal in the structural engineering firm Yolles, a CH2M HILL company.

“It is light years behind the steel industry.”

Today’s session, the first such sponsored by the Ontario chapter, is intended to identify the key benefits to using BIM, recognize current challenges associated with BIM workflow, explain that BIM is a methodology that is all about communication, and outline how collaboration and sharing information with others will improve the quality and efficiency of the finished product.

Presentations will include examples of successful implementation on projects in Canada — the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment Research Institute dome project and a design-build mental health project undertaken by EllisDon.

Speakers include a mix of architects, engineers, contractors and university professors. Crispin Howes, an engineer at the Studio for Progressive Modelling at Yolles, will look at whether the concrete industry risks losing ground due to a slow uptake of BIM.

Other topics include BIM + robotic total station: field test for cast-in-place concrete construction; and development of an information delivery model for cast-in-place concrete.

Dan Neufeglise, general manager of virtual construction services at PCL Constructors Canada Inc., will speak on BIM and virtual construction at PCL.

In Canada, Erakovic said, most of the larger structural engineering firms are using BIM as are major contractors.

Many architectural firms are becoming proficient as well. Slowest to adopt the technology are mechanical and electrical engineers, forming contractors and rebar suppliers.

Yolles began implementing BIM 10 years ago and is now “100 per cent BIM,” Erakovic said.

“BIM is the only way to go on complex projects,” he said. “For simple projects, efficiency is significantly improved over standard delivery. Clash detection is vastly improved.”

Three years ago, the Michigan-headquartered ACI set up a technical committee on BIM of concrete structures.

At its spring 2010 convention, the institute subsequently broadcast a BIM session via webinar.

The 2012 fall convention takes place Oct. 21 to 25 at the Sheraton Centre.

For more information about the ACI fall convention in Toronto visit its website at www.concrete.org and you can follow it on Twitter at #aciconvention.

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