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Building design: from CAD to BIM
The view from Tekla
Computers have been used in the process of building design for over twenty years. When most people think of computers as they relate to architectural design they think of CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting or Computer-Aided Design). However, in recent years the concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged to take CAD to the next stage.
3D BIM is revolutionising the building industry. Architecture has become more ambitious in recent years as construction methods have improved. This has made the design process more complex than ever before and engineering companies are increasingly turning to 3D BIM software to help solve design and structural modelling challenges.
BIM offers a comprehensive approach to modelling and detailing, enabling closer collaboration between the different parties involved in a building project, including architects and designers, steel and concrete detailers and manufacturers, structural engineers as well as contractors. Consistent drawings and reports containing full structural information can be shared across the building project team for more efficient optimisation of structural solutions. Multi-user capabilities enable fast, efficient throughput and fluent collaboration with other parties involved in the project. This allows the eye-catching, complex designs of modern buildings to become a reality.
Many of today's modern building are uniquely designed and 3D BIM really comes into its own when solutions have to be customisable. It allows tailored building components to be modelled accurately to dramatically decrease potential errors on-site. Often, library components simply aren't sufficient and it is imperative that several tailored alternatives be created with accurate cost estimates. Not only does 3D BIM provide the production management and casting data from the model, it integrates the entire structural workflow from sales and conceptual design right through to detailing, manufacture and erection. Mapping a fully integrated drawing also ensures that, crucially, everything will fit together on the construction site.
One of the main activities of an architect has always been the need to communicate his or her design to the client, to the builder, or to the reviewing authorities. With BIM, this is no longer limited to the old, static views of plans, elevations and cross sections. BIM allows architects and their clients to look at their design from many viewpoints, to spin, flip and slice the model, and explore different arrangements of spaces and finishes as the design is developed. Because the design is based on a single virtual model, changes made in one view of the model instantly appear in every view, so the time previously devoted to coordinating one view with all the others may now be spent instead on making the design itself better. And when the final design is achieved, BIM can even be used to quantify the building materials and their costs.
Tekla was the first software developer to consolidate the design and engineering of the main structure of a building into a 3D building information model and has particular expertise in modelling for large and complex structures. Its Tekla Structures software is behind some of the most iconic modern buildings in cities around the world including London's Wembley Stadium and the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing.
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