Equal Construction Record

Rendering of the Georgia State University building

Although many architects and contractors today say they utilize Building Information Technology, what does this really mean?  Is BIM being used to its fullest capabilities or just as a marketing tool?  During McCarthy’s work on Georgia State University’s new $115 million Science Park project , McCarthy is showing that true BIM integration starts at the earliest stages of the project’s conception and does not complete until both the building and the model are handed over to the owner, something many contractors are not doing.

A Collaborative Approach

Right from the start, BIM was an important factor in deciding which partners to use in the design and construction of GSU’s new high-tech facility. The architect, HDR CUH2A, designed the building in 3-D and delivered the model of the new facility to McCarthy when the drawings were 65 percent complete. McCarthy then used this model to bid the project out to subcontractors with the requirement that all drawings had to be rendered in 3-D.  Some of the winning subcontractors had never utilized BIM on a project before. For these subcontractors, McCarthy provided the necessary training and mentoring to get them up to speed. The team knew that to fully benefit from the collaborative BIM approach, all members needed to participate.

Throughout preconstruction, McCarthy continued to manage the 3-D model, offering greater accuracy as well as faster response times for any RFI’s and changes. Every week, the owner, architect and all subcontractors met in McCarthy’s BIM meeting room in the jobsite trailer where McCarthy Assistant Superintendent Justis Brogan ran real-time weekly clash reports using BIM software. Half of the meeting was devoted to approving and signing off on the previous week’s clash report, and the other half of the meeting was reserved for reviewing current clashes. Notes from the meeting were recorded on a SMART Board and emailed out directly after the meeting to each participant.

This close collaboration resulted in tangible cost savings for the client. For example, during one of the weekly BIM meetings, McCarthy identified that the deaerator for the boiler in the mechanical penthouse was located where a diagonal steel cross brace was supposed to go. If this had been caught in the field, McCarthy would have had to move the location of the mechanical pad, reschedule a major crane logistics effort, and re-route the piping for the de-aerator. By discovering this during the BIM process, however, approximately $150,000 was saved by altering the drawings before any concrete was poured or structural steel was fabricated.

“I strongly believe that utilizing BIM on this project was just the right thing to do,” explained Paul Haugen, senior project manager with Inglett & Stubbs, LLC. the electrical subcontractor on the project . “McCarthy was committed to having all drawings rendered in 3-D, and we met every week to ensure that each component was being installed correctly.  This not only led to a more accurate building, but also to a greater sense of teamwork. It also led to greater efficiency with our labor forces, knowing that we could start early on tasks due to the work being fully coordinated.”

Early Input Brings Real Cost and Schedule Benefits

Clash detection is an important use of BIM technology. However, McCarthy is taking this technology to the next level, bringing further benefits to GSU. Many end-users have difficulty reading construction drawings to gain an understanding of their individual spaces. They wonder, “What will my laboratory really look like when it’s built?” To reduce the number of late end-user requested changes and the associated costs that go with these, McCarthy provided virtual tours to present casework models (including furniture and outlet locations) to the faculty, staff and professors. These virtual models allowed the end-users to get a real-life view of their personal classroom, laboratory and office spaces. As a result, minor modifications requested were made early in the process and cost and schedule impacts were greatly decreased.

For McCarthy, BIM, in the hands of a true builder, offers just one more tool to help deliver superior construction quality on a project. On the GSU project, McCarthy personnel walk the jobsite every day with a BIM-loaded tablet PC to verify that everything is installed according to the 3-D model.  The drawings in the model are updated in real time, so any issues in the field are immediately identified, communicated to relevant team members and corrected. Response times are significantly reduced because McCarthy can document issues electronically and email RFIs immediately to HDR CUH2A for a response.

Long-Term Benefits

It is the responsibility of the design and construction team to deliver a high quality facility that meets the client’s needs. Conventional wisdom, along with statistics, tells us that the life-cycle of a building is improved when it is properly maintained. A BIM model provides an important baseline of information to improve this maintenance. It also provides the owner with an efficient and simple way of storing facility and maintenance records.

At the conclusion of the GSU project, McCarthy will turn over the 3-D model, along with the tablet PC, to GSU. The university will then be in control of a “living model” of the facility and can update the model as renovations and maintenance occurs. McCarthy is working to ensure all systems are captured in BIM.  This will be a one-stop source for all equipment, valve and damper locations, in addition to being linked with documentation and drawings for each part. Maintenance workers will be trained to use the tool, which will increase efficiency and decrease problems associated with lack of maintenance documentation. In addition to increased efficiency, this is also a streamlined and environmentally-friendly solution as information is accessed on a tablet PC and not on hundreds of paper drawings.

McCarthy’s work with Georgia State University, HDR CUH2A and subcontractors on this project has proven that when BIM is utilized aggressively  and not just for coordination purposes, as most contractors use it, the project runs more smoothly, maintaining schedule and budget goals. Upon completion in 2010, the new 350,000-square-foot Science Park building will house GSU’s research and education programs in biology, chemistry, nursing, nutrition, physical and respiratory therapies.