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BIM for true constructibility - Build better and faster

Constructible building information model of a building

Constructibility refers to ensuring in advance that a building or structure can be built efficiently, in terms of time, resources and money. Building Information Modelling, when sufficiently developed and therefore accurate, lets the industry achieve efficiency with information-rich, as-will-be-built models and find possible problems before starting to work, using or wasting real materials. These constructible models minimize costly surprises, RFI's (requests for information) and open the way for more profitable projects. 

If the question is "What is BIM?", constructibility should be a part of the answer. With Tekla, constructibility is the foundation of developing BIM software. Software must meet the needs of the industry, putting the “I” (information) in BIM - the more information a model includes, the more beneficial it is to all project parties.

Builder checking plans at a highrise building

Everyday constructibility

Constructibility is a practical, everyday issue for builders. Because construction works around a process,  software must support the whole workflow including the inevitable changes. As buildings comprise several materials, software should be able to handle the same.

Constructible, as-will-be-built models allow the industry to make informed decisions early in the process. Tekla Structures is made for creating, combining and distributing highly developed, accurate and information-rich structural models using any material. The data is accurate and ample as it accumulates, because what is entered at the beginning of the process stays with until the end. The builders can manage changes and avoid errors, find clashes and produce better quality with less time and waste.

We have seen cases where the costs have been reduced by 50 % when using BIM. Having constructibility issues sorted out before starting construction will inevitably lead to fewer errors. 

Charles Eastman, professor Georgia Tech College of Architecture

 

Bigger, better, cheaper, faster – now

Current trends in construction promote constructibility. The industry trend is towards increasingly complicated architecture, so designers and builders have to find ever more innovative solutions, and then realize these. The need to build successfully and safely is the reason why accurate information is necessary early in the design phase.

Cost pressure is ever-present. Using constructible models, the building process can become cheaper, better and faster. These processes can be planned and scheduled and possible mishaps in the design phase detected before starting construction. This leads to less ad-hoc problem solving on-site.  Less reworking and waste also helps improve the environmental credentials of a project.

Building off-site and assembling on-site is another trend that makes accurate information crucial. It is gaining ground as the industry heads towards savings and a higher level of automation. Even larger units, such as steel-roof assemblies and factory-built bathrooms, arrive prefabricated to the construction site to be installed just on time. Naturally, every such item needs to fit exactly and stay on the schedule while vast amounts of changing information must reach those who are working on the project. This process definitely calls for accurate, as-will-be-built, up-to-date information that is easily shared and found – sounds just like constructible models.

Read more about our open approach to BIM