BLOG: From CAD to BIM to Claims

Al Morgan, P.Eng, presented "From CAD to BIM to Claims" at the VRCA Construction Learning Forum held at the Four Seasons in Whistler, British Columbia on May 26.

Morgan began by saying that BIM is a real red flag for contractors, and that rather than just jumping in they should take courses and familiarize themselves with the process. BIM is inevitable, but it pays to proceed with a measure of care.

Claims are a common part of construction, Morgan said, sometimes due to scope increase, and sometimes due to changed or unforeseen conditions.

Design changes and the impact of change orders can also lead to claims. BIM is all about design, Morgan said, but doesn’t account for changes, and so it is important to keep a record of changes if you’re involved in a BIM project.

Schedule delays, disruption and acceleration can also cause problems. Software makes it easier to prove one’s claims, but cause and effect are the key to claims, Morgan said, so always document the causes.

Loss of productivity is another major cause of claims. Change orders can be a cause of a change in scope and a loss in productivity.

Morgan said that BIM is good in concept, but it isn’t the way contractors normally work. At some point all management will have to understand how the software works, and we aren’t there yet.

Current and new conditions generating issues and disputes in construction include a reduced market lowering tender costs, the technological revolution changing the industry, and a generation gap in knowledge transfer. New methods of procurement will also cause disputes. There are also new, ad-hoc forms of contract and new legislation may also cause disruption.

Looking ahead, construction expenditures in non-residential construction means a slowing down until the world economic crisis subsides. In addition, there is a generation gap in knowledge transfer. There will be more people over 55 than under 55 by the 2016. Immigration may alleviate this somewhat, Morgan said.

Traditional applications of the industry were estimating software, scheduling and accounting software, and 2D CAD. New applications include an integration of AutoCAD, movies and games, along with wireless computing, project web site portals, 3D CAD, e-bidding, and GPS surveying.

Emerging applications include 4D CAD (3D + time), and 5D CAD (3D + cost).

BIM is catching on in the developing world, Morgan said, and Canada may in fact lag countries like China and regions like the Middle East in terms of BIM use.

Most new technology developments, such as planes or computers, took decades to develop. CAD took about 12 years, and BIM is estimated to take half that time.

BIM generates a 3D model, but the conundrum is that architects and engineers are strong on computer work, but not as familiar with construction. But BIM thinks like a contractor who does have construction knowledge and understands how to build the project.

The conundrum is that BIM focuses on computer design skills and technology but requires contractor collaboration.

That is the contractor’s ace in the hole, Morgan said. If a contractor can speak the language of BIM, they have the advantage.

BIM in Canada is emerging, though it isn’t developed to the level it is being used in the United States.

The world’s first BIM claim was made last year in the United States, involving a conflict between the architect and engineers who used BIM and the contractor, who said he had not been informed of a very specific installation necessary to make a certain module fit.

The main difference between 2D CAD and BIM is that Cad describes a building through independent 2D views, whereas BIM is an intelligent 3D representation of the building as an object or series of objects.

There are risks to upgrading software, including loss of data, and conversion problems between different standards.

There are also numerous BIM standards and interoperability can be a factor, Morgan said.

Productivity can also decrease from data re-entry, versioning and checking.

Collaboration may not actually deliver benefits, Morgan said. Ideally it does, but it isn’t a given.

One of the biggest technical basis of claims is poor detailing, and in theory BIM should eliminate this problem, but it hasn’t and Morgan feels it will still be with us in decades to come.

There can also be question of the ownership of BIM data and copyright protection, which can lead to legal risk. ..dAdditionally, one designer’s work can be changed by another designer, leading to questions as to where the design is finalized.

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