5D modeling software making inroads into design, building process - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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So, what’s next? Five-dimensional buildingv informationmodel (BIM) software. This evolution adds into the planningf process the crucial factorof cost. The 5D software bega n rolling out in earnest about ayear ago, said Eric an information technology specialist with in Columbus, an accountinyg and business advisory firm. Wrighgt is bringing 5D to the attention ofhis architectural, contracto and engineering clients in its dedicatede construction services group. The Pittsburgh company has a 90-persom Columbus office.
Wright said many of his clients in Centra l Ohio still use2D drawings, althougg 3D modeling has become more But other areas of the country specifically out West in states such as Californias and Colorado – are movinv into 5D. Firms operating in one of the hottestr internationalconstruction markets, the Middle Eastern natiom of Dubai, also are leading the pack in 5D applications. The softwars visually links design, cost and schedule considerations into sets ofconstructionh tasks, according to Schneider Downs.
Each set contains information on the labor and materials required for each job alongwith real-time cost When the information is complete, the 5D system determines project costs – includinvg tax, risks and margins. Changes, such as the increasee cost of concrete, are factored into the “Construction is the only industry that asks its constituent s to create the end product with onlyone try. The buildinhg that you see on-site is both the prototype and thefinishefd product,” said Holly Allison, a spokeswoman for Colo.-based , which makes a 5D “virtuakl construction” product.
The advent of 5D allows design and preconstructio n teams to behave more like those in Allison said. “They get to build a prototypde on the computer to test design andconstruction feasibility,” she said. “The computer model also allowsd the construction team to logically optimize the flow of materialdand labor. And just as theie brethren in manufacturing, construction will opt to have more and more fabricatiohperformed off-site where quality can be tightlu monitored and the job site will morph into a highlhy economical assembly line.
” With 5D, all of the project information goes into a schedulingt application, where the system determines each job task’zs likely duration. Every calculation the program makexs is linked to costand design, as well as As a result, the contractor knows what effecyt every change can have. 5D systems show not only how a changde affects other sections ofthe project, but also what it will do to cost and It allows the planner to generate plan projects, catch errors, determine how long each step of a projectr will take and also develop more accurate cost projections earlier in the process. “Everything is in one bucket,” Wrightt said.
“This catches mistakes before they Savings canbe significant.” Wright said Vico Softwar e is one of the major developers of 5D technology. “You get to builc the building twice, once on the computerr and onceon site,” Allison said. “Thids practice run allows you to resolve any errors you iron out the placement of mechanical system and work together with the ownee to select building methods and materials that stay withinthe Also, she said the project team is now integrated.
Estimatorz and schedulers are no longer working in isolationj without the cooperation ofthe subcontractors, the design team or the She said the BIM becomes the focus for coordinationh and scheduling of meetings. The BIM doesn’tf look much different when it isin 3D, 4D or 5D, Alliso said. The look is 3D but when a user clickse on an element of the say a windowor wall, that’s when additionakl embedded information pops up. Accordin to ’s SmartMarket Report on BIM, contractors have reporte achieving up toa 1,000p percent ROI using BIM and expect greater returne once 4D and 5D capabilities become widel available.