MDC Advisor
 
May 2015
Volume 56
 
   
 
In This Issue
--  Building Information Modeling (BIM): Boone or Bane
 
 
-- ABA Construction Forum Annual Meeting, Boca Raton, FL, April 16-18
 
 
-- Industry Current Events
(see list below)
 

 


Current Events


MDC® INDUSTRY EVENTS

Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) Boot Camp
Pittsburgh-Cranberry, PA

McCue 4 PDH Hours
Forensic Project Management
June 7, 8 and 9, 2015
 
More Info
 

 
2015 ASHRAE-Philadelphia Chapter Presentation
Philadelphia, PA
Connecting Green Building Outcomes to Enterprise Sustainability Programs,
May 14, 2015

Swann Distinguished Lecturer
More Info
 

 
AIA - Pittsburgh Chapter
Grow by Design
Pittsburgh, PA
Green Building Outcomes and Sustainability Programs
April 23, 2015
Swann Presenter/Lecturer
More Info
 
 

2015 ASHRAE-Birmingham Chapter Presentation
Birmingham, AL
Alternate Dispute Resolution in Construction, April 22
Swann Distinguished Lecturer
More Info
 


2015 ABA Construction Forum, Annual Meeting,
Boca Raton, FL
Construction Lawyer's Bucket List Conference
MDC® exhibited on April 16-18
More Info
 

Contact Us
 

MDCSystems® Headquarters
37 North Valley Road
3 Station Square, Suite 100
Paoli, PA 19301

Ph: 610.640.9600
Toll Free: 1.888.MDC.9977
Fax: 610.640.9609
 

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Building Information Modeling (BIM):
Boone or Bane?
Written by E. Mitchell Swann, PE, MDCSystems® Engineer
 
 
MDCSystems® is aware of numerous large projects exhibiting major problems despite the ‘spectacular’ abilities of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other project technologies. Some of these projects have been highlighted in recent industry publications and legal filings.  These issues often fall into several common areas which are summarized below.
 
• Implementation of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology

• Development of the base BIM model
• Failure to maintain the BIM model as work progresses
• The “irrational exuberance” of ‘computer-world’ accuracy (aka “false precision”)
• Insufficient data development (thin content or ‘dumb light’ models)
• Real to virtual drift - failure to as-built the model (reduces the effectiveness of the BIM model for life cycle asset management)
 
 
Any of the above cited areas can result in unexpected (and under budgeted) changes in the project resulting in a cascade of further uncoordinated changes in the field impacting construction efficiency, time and quality and ultimately cost in both “bricks and mortar” and operations (and sometimes hair or sleep).
 
 
MDC®’s experience with both Building Information Modeling (BIM) and “enhanced CAD” technologies is that just putting a new tool in the design-construct process toolbox is not enough. The mere existence of this new ‘tool’ does not change the basic requirement to perform a comprehensive conceptual design, coordinate the design elements prior to issuing IFC* drawings, review and input specific equipment selections and promptly recognize and process design developments and change orders that are part of every undertaking. These are all basic PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) project management tasks that must always be performed but are not necessarily visible to the casual observer.
 
Read More
 


MDCSystems® Attended the ABA Construction Forum's Annual Conference
Waldorf Astoria, Boca Raton, FL, April 16-18
 
MDCSystems® exhibited at the Construction Lawyer's Bucket List Conference in beautiful Boca Raton, FL, for the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association's Construction Forum. 
 
Thank you to everyone who stopped at our display to learn more about MDCSystems® and our professional capabilities.
 
A special congratulations to Matthew Gillies, Vice President/Senior Attorney with HNTB, who won our exhibit giveaway -- an MDC® cooler full of baseball and summer goodies.
 
Look for MDCSystems® at The Construction ADR Summit, October 8-9, 2015, in Austin, Texas.
 
Read More
 
         
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