SNC Lavalin

Laura Kay Smith

Laura has been working in Technology Management with Architecture/Engineering for over 20 years. As both a business consultant and in-house expert, her focus is helping firms harness technology to create better design. Laura is a thought and technology leader working with design teams to transform technology and design challenges into opportunities for innovation and practice excellence. Laura has contributed to the advancement of BIM in Vancouver, BC by being a part of CanBIM, SmartBIM, conferences, and user groups. As the author of the blog, BIMFreak, and an e-book “How to Be a BIM Advocate” Laura provides a valuable resource for implementing and starting the BIM and the expertise to guide all levels of BIM users towards successful and future-proof technology solutions.

Emerging technologies, Big Data and BIM. A West coast Canada perspective.

BIM requires us to relearn and advance what we know. Alvin Toffler said “The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

BIM has evolved from the first concept in 1975 when Mr. Eastman composed an article in the AIA Journal(Eastman, 1975). Eastman describes a concept for BDS (Building Description System) where a team at Carnegie-Mellon University created software providing general element description models. Today’s BIM has matured significantly into robust data rich 3D models.

In the beginning the forward-thinking concept of BDS was a simple thought experiment in utilizing Computers to develop 3D models for basic design analytics. The late 70’s to early 80’s programs suffered from technological limitations on the available hardware and software. As hardware technology advanced so did 3D modeling software: created in 1982, ArchiC AD was the first 3D modeling software that could run on a personal computer. In today’s world the technology available allows 3D modeling software to advance well beyond those beginning efforts. Today’s 3D modeling products from the likes of Autodesk and Bentley products has given owners, designers, and constructors the technology to parametrically design information rich models.

The use of BIM has always meant better project information. Emerging technology uses that information to advance our understanding of the impacts of our design. The built environment encompasses all aspects of our lives: information is key to understanding effects and relationships with the environment, materials, energy and people. Aerial images photographed by drones gives designers a birds-eye view providing a better understanding of the asset’s environment. The connection to the Internet of Things (IoT) and elements within the parametric model gives feedback needed to create efficient designs, learning from the past. The ability to input exact specifications from materials and building components leads to leaner and energy efficient design.

As clients begin to understand the information within models can be harnessed to enable design optionerring, Energy modeling, construction simulations, environmental impacts and Digital twin development, BIM has become a requirement rather than a value addition. This information as creates extremely large data sets that can be used to analysis patterns, trends and associations, especially relating to the built environment.

We call this big data and this what is driving BIM to embrace emerging technologies to advance our built environment.

The current technological evolution has provided unlimited amounts of storage within the cloud environment. The ability to streamline collaboration within a Common Data Environment (CDE) provides a more open and fluid flow of information. With the emergence of cloud computing design teams using these tools for generative design, using AI and IoT for generating optimal solutions during design. 

The AI and IoT evolution provide design teams the ability to predict and understand the assets impact on the environment, community, and end users. Predicting an assets impact is key to understanding how the asset well impact the world around us. The impact of assets being designed and built today will be around for years to come.

This movement towards emerging technologies in the design industry is a challenge when it comes to all that required data. An example of data heavy use would be a 3D Point Clouds The solution of scanning existing assets in preparation for renovation or scanning assets throughout the construction process gives teams the ability to mitigate risks. The use of a 3D laser scanner rather than 5-8 people going on site, possibly multiple times, lowers the carbon footprint and risk of injury to team members and can segue to a Digital twin. This scanning requires vast amounts of storage, thanks to the emergence of unlimited cloud storage the data is always available.

The need to designing towards a more sustainable future is leading to the creation of Digital Twins. The technology to create a digital replication of an asset to understand impacts and great efficiencies has changed the industry. This disruption is using the Internet of Things (IoT) and experience to create a better future for our environment. The use of emerging technologies gives designers predictive options on energy usage, material usage, footprint optimization, and the ability to run thousands of design options in minutes limiting the impact to the environment and creating a more sustainable asset.

Standard documented project requirements are necessary to effectively use these technologies. These documents must outline the required input of information, the timeline of information input and the output of information. A project in today’s BIM world starts with collaborative meetings that bring together the owner, designers, and constructors. This change has prompted the use of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Alliance contracting for projects. Clients have started purchasing their own CDE hubs for storage. Certifications of Lean Design and sustainable development is becoming requirements on projects. The key to successful BIM has always been and will always be keeping the end in mind.