5D modeling software making inroads into design, building process - Business First of Columbus:

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So, what’s next? Five-dimensional building informationmodel software. This evolution adds into the planning process the cruciapl factorof cost. The 5D software began rollinb out in earnest about ayear ago, said Eric an information technology specialisft with in Columbus, an accountinh and business advisory firm. Wrighg is bringing 5D to the attention of his contractor and engineering clients in its dedicated constructiobservices group. The Pittsburgh company has a 90-person Columbus office. Wright said many of his clientds in Central Ohio still use2D drawings, althoughh 3D modeling has become more prevalent.
But othedr areas of the country – specifically out West in statea such as California andColorado – are movinbg into 5D. Firms operating in one of the hottesr internationalconstruction markets, the Middle Easternh nation of Dubai, also are leading the pack in 5D applications. The software visually linkes design, cost and schedule considerationws into sets of construction according toSchneider Downs. Each set contains information on the labor and materials required for each job alongwith real-timed cost data. When the information is the 5D system determines project costs including tax, risks and margins.
such as the increased cost of concrete, are factored into the “Construction is the only industry that asks its constituents to creatwe the end product with onlyone try. The buildinb that you see on-site is both the prototypse and thefinished product,” said Holly a spokeswoman for Boulder, Colo.-based , whichg makes a 5D “virtual construction” The advent of 5D allows designn and preconstruction teams to behave more like those in manufacturing, Allison “They get to build a prototype on the computetr to test design and construction feasibility,” she “The computer model also allows the construction team to logically optimize the flow of materials and And just as their brethren in construction will opt to have more and more fabricatio performed off-site where quality can be tightly monitorexd and the job site will morpn into a highly economical assembly With 5D, all of the project information goes into a schedulinf application, where the system determine each job task’s likely duration.
Every calculationm the program makes is linkee to costand design, as well as time. As a the contractor knows what effectt every changecan have. 5D systems show not only how a chang affects other sections ofthe project, but also what it will do to cost and It allows the plannedr to generate estimates, plan projects, catch determine how long each step of a project will take and also developp more accurate cost projections earlier in the process. “Everythingy is in one bucket,” Wright said. “Thix catches mistakes before they happen. Savings can be significant.
” Wrighg said Vico Software is one of the majo r developers of5D “You get to build the building twice, once on the computerr and once on site,” Allison said. “Thias practice run allows you to resolve any erroreyou find, iron out the placement of mechanical systemds and work together with the owner to select buildinhg methods and materials that stay withinb the budget.” Also, she said the projecy team is now integrated. Estimators and schedulers are no longer workingb in isolation without the cooperatio ofthe subcontractors, the design team or the superintendent. She said the BIM becomexs the focus for coordination and schedulingof meetings.
The BIM doesn’y look much different when it isin 3D, 4D or 5D, Allisojn said. The look is 3D but when a user clicksz on an element ofthe model, say a windowa or wall, that’s when additionak embedded information pops up. According to ’ s SmartMarket Report on BIM, contractors have reported achieving up toa 1,000 percent ROI usin g BIM and expect greater returnsx once 4D and 5D capabilities becomes widely available.