Printer-friendly version

BIM A0. Introduction to BIM

T2 From CAD to BIM
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

Author: Rafael Riera López

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This content was developed by ZIGURAT Global Institute of Technology and is
protected by the Spanish Intellectual Property Law, which may enforce penalties including, but not
limited to, financial compensation and/or imprisonment for inappropriate use. Commercial use of
this content is strictly prohibited: no individual or entity may copy, distribute, display, or create
derivative works hereof for commercial purposes. Please ensure appropriate and correct
acknowledgement and citation of the original author, ZIGURAT.

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology www.e-zigurat.com/en

 t
ra
gu
BIM A0. Introduction to BIM
T2 From CAD to BIM

zi
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

When it comes to working with BIM, you first need to know the benefits of BIM

t
ra

t
and the competitive advantages that it gives us over other professionals or

gu

ra
gu
zi
businesses that are still using traditional methods.

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
zi

g
zi
When a professional or a business fully understands the benefits of BIM and the steps that have to
t
ra

be taken to start using BIM, we begin to partake in an adventure in coordination. If some team

at
gu

members in the group are not convinced of the advantages of using BIM in solving project
ur
zi

t
g

ra
challenges, the transition from CAD to BIM will become an obstacle and potentially hinder the
zi

t
gu

ra
smooth functioning of the organization. It is thus important to have everyone involved to be on-

gu
zi

at
board and motivated to make the transition.

zi

g ur
Above all, it is important to note that the transformation from CAD to BIM is a technological and

zi
t
ra

cultural evolution of sorts. Throughout history, we find a number of technological advancements

gu

ra

that have made operations faster and simpler and that have changed the very fabric of society’s
gu
zi

at

industrial sectors in much the same way that BIM has changed, and continues to change, the
zi

ur

at
construction landscape across the world.
g

ur
zi

t
g

ra
zi

t
gu

ra
It´s not uncommon to hear professionals doubt that BIM will only further complicate their lives,

gu
zi
since it possesses so many programs with so many capabilities that will not fit into our conventional

zi
t

projects. Maybe the problem here is that some software providers sell this methodology so well
ra
gu

while explaining all of its potential, that it leaves us with an idea that only multinational engineering
t
ra
zi

companies or those executing large scale projects can handle and implement this technology, but
t
gu

ra

this couldn’t be further from the truth; to the contrary,

gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

BIM is a tool with which to simplify ra

gu
zi

zi

r
gu
work and enhance performance.
zi
t
ra

at
gu

r
gu
zi

t
ra

BIM BRINGS VERY REAL BENEFITS TO SMALL , MEDIUM AND LARGE COMPANIES, AND EVEN TO FREELANCE
zi

t
gu

ra

PROFESSIONALS . I TS BENEFITS ALSO EXTEND TO BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS,
gu
zi

RENOVATION PROJECTS AND CIVIL WORKS.

ra
zi

gu
zi

The transition from CAD to BIM is similar to the transition from drafting on paper to using PC and
zi
t

CAD. About 30 years ago, in the early 1980s, great technological developments in the field of
ra
gu

architecture were taking place, thanks to the rise of computers in the workplace. That said, many
t
ra
zi

professionals were skeptical of the capabilities of computers and CAD software and saw it as a costly
t
gu

ra

investment and a waste of time in unnecessary training and implementation.

gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi
t
ra

at
gu

r
gu
zi

at
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology. Commercial use is not allowed. You may not copy, distribute, display,
zi

perform the work and make derivative works thereof for commercial purposes. Always recognise and give the
original author prior written authorisation. (Rev.0)
t
 t
ra
gu
BIM A0. Introduction to BIM
T2 From CAD to BIM

zi
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

t
ra

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
zi

g
zi
t
ra

at
gu

ur
Figure 1. Transition from paper to computer with CAD systems.
zi

t
g

ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
Many of you will remember hearing

zi

g ur
zi
t
ra

questions from professionals such as:

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
 Throughout my professional career, all my projects have been executed to perfection on
zi

t
g

ra
paper, so why should I change my way of working?
zi

t
gu

ra
 If I’m working on a conventional building, why should I introduce a technology that is only

gu
zi
really used by large companies for complex projects?

zi
t
ra

 If the way I´m working now works, then why should I risk changing it?
gu

t
ra
zi

So, it was much the same as it is today. The companies who understood the benefits of doing
gu

ra
gu

projects on a computer and invested the necessary money and time into learning these new
zi

t
ra
zi

technologies had competitive advantages over the businesses who were still working with paper

t
gu

ra
because they were able to work in a way that was much more efficient and because of that, they
gu
zi

were able to offer their services at lower prices and/or be more productive. The companies who
zi

r
gu
were not early adopters of computers in the end had no other choice but to start implementing PCs

zi
t

with the relevant programs. For some, this happened some years later, after they had already lost
ra

at
gu

time, money, projects and quality. They finally invested in a time when it was safer to do so, but
r
gu
zi

missed the opportunity to see greater returns for their investment. In other words, they received a
t
ra
zi

very low Return on Investment (ROI) by the time they implemented computers.
gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

gu

Today, working on paper may seem nearly impossible, just as in a few years’ time,
zi

it might be unthinkable to work using 2D lines.

zi
t
ra
gu

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi
t
ra

at
gu

r
gu
zi

at

Figure 2. Transition from CAD systems to BIM systems.

zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology. Commercial use is not allowed. You may not copy, distribute, display,
zi

perform the work and make derivative works thereof for commercial purposes. Always recognise and give the
original author prior written authorisation. (Rev.0)
t
 t
ra
gu
BIM A0. Introduction to BIM
T2 From CAD to BIM

zi
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

t
ra

t
gu

ra
gu
zi
Evolution of the horse-drawn carriage

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
zi

g
zi
The evolution of the horse-drawn carriage is a good example of technological evolution in another
t
ra

sector, which offers insight into the potential magnitude of a small change – and the dangers of not

at
gu

ur
embracing technological advancements.
zi

t
g

ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
zi

g ur
zi
t
ra

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
zi

t
g

ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi
t
ra
gu

t
ra
zi

Figure 3. Transition of the horse-drawn carriage to a motorised truck.

gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
In the early 20th century, Mr. Gottlieb Daimler produced what is considered the first truck in the
gu
zi

history of the automotive industry. His motive was simple: to replace the horses with a motor. He
zi

r
gu
did this with a Phoenix engine of his own design, which had 1.06 litre capacity, two cylinders, four-

zi
t

horse power and could take gasoline, kerosene and lamp oil. From this period onwards, trucks began
ra

at
gu

to evolve at a rapid rate and necessitated the laying down of paved roads for greater speed,
r
gu
zi

improved surface resistance and driving comfort.

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

gu
zi

zi
t
ra
gu

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi
t
ra

at
gu

r
gu

Figure 4. The first truck in the history of the motor vehicle.

zi

at
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology. Commercial use is not allowed. You may not copy, distribute, display,
zi

perform the work and make derivative works thereof for commercial purposes. Always recognise and give the
original author prior written authorisation. (Rev.0)
t
 t
ra
gu
BIM A0. Introduction to BIM
T2 From CAD to BIM

zi
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

At this time, people involved in agriculture and rearing livestock had to distribute their goods at

t
nearby villages and fairs and used horse-drawn carts, which were considered a luxury at the time.

ra

t
The development of the truck was a logical evolution that sprung from the horse-drawn cart and

gu

ra
gu
allowed the user the ability to move bigger volumes of product faster and enjoy a much higher rate

zi

at
zi
of sale.

ur

at
g

ur
zi

g
This natural change is not dissimilar from the transition from paper to CAD and was not seen by

zi
everyone in the same way. As always, some skeptical people were saying:
t
ra

at
gu

 Why would I invest all of my money in a truck when I have a carriage that has worked great
ur
zi

with my horses all of my life?

t
g

ra
zi

t
 If all of my business is based on the distribution of my product to nearby villages and I can do

gu

ra
gu
it with my horse and carriage, why do I need a truck?

zi

at
 Isn´t the truck just another American invention to feed mass consumption?

zi

ur
 Trucks work better on paved roads (of which there are only three across the region), so

g
zi
t
ra

would it not be better to wait for perfect conditions until I buy one?
t
gu

ra

 Aren’t trucks only for very large distributors?

gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
While many pondered these questions without learning about the truck first hand, there were those
g

ur
zi

who spent all of the money they could afford (and some that they couldn´t afford) on a truck,

t
g

ra
zi

t
knowing that trucks were still evolving and it would be years before all of the roads were paved and

gu

ra
even longer before they would have optimal conditions for driving.

gu
zi

zi
t
ra

They knew that road conditions were not yet perfect for trucks and that it would take years for road
gu

t
ra

conditions to improve, but these “visionaries” who decided to invest not only traveled further,
zi

t
gu

ra

faster and with higher volumes of product, but they made bulk transport cheaper.
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
Returning to the comparison between
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi

r
both situations, we can say that trucks are

gu
zi
t
ra

at

the “new” BIM software programs and

gu

r
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

the roads are interoperability. And both

gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

will continue to evolve as the construction

gu
zi

zi
t

industry does the same.

ra
gu

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu

While BIM has not yet reached its highest level of interoperability, it is safe to say that today we
zi

t
ra
zi

already have the necessary technology to work at Level 2 according to the Royal Institute of British
t
gu

ra

Architects (RIBA) without difficulty.

gu
zi

zi

Working with BIM gives great benefits that make the work and coordination of a construction
t
ra

project much faster, more organized and rigorous than working with traditional processes,
at
gu

thereby making any organization more productive.

r
gu
zi

at
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology. Commercial use is not allowed. You may not copy, distribute, display,
zi

perform the work and make derivative works thereof for commercial purposes. Always recognise and give the
original author prior written authorisation. (Rev.0)
t
 t
ra
gu
BIM A0. Introduction to BIM
T2 From CAD to BIM

zi
C1 Cultural and Technological Evolution

We no longer need to ask if BIM is the

t
ra

t
gu

ra
methodology of the future, but how much

gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
longer it will take to be fully adopted.

ur
zi

g
zi
t

People who refused to buy a truck wasted invaluable time and money by staying out of the market
ra

at
gu

and therefore being uncompetitive. And while transition isn’t always dramatic, it is important to take
ur
the time to investigate new technology and to use it appropriately. In much the same way, with
zi

t
g

ra
zi
sound planning, implementation and training, any organization can effectively and efficiently adapt

t
gu

ra
to BIM.

gu
zi

at
zi

g ur
zi
t
ra

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

at
zi

ur

at
g

ur
zi

t
g

ra
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

zi
t

On the other hand, approaching BIM inauthentically is not the route to go either. Buying software
ra

licenses, sending one or two staff members on a basic BIM course or pretending to implement BIM
gu

t
ra

in response to the global demand for it will only have one result: failure.
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra

When these events do occur, companies tend to complete a project with traditional CAD systems in
zi

t
gu

ra
parallel with BIM systems for fear of representing their work on systems not yet mastered. This
gu
zi

generates a high level of insecurity and pressure on technicians and all the advantages that come
zi

r
with BIM will become diluted and may even pose a problem.

gu
zi
t
ra

It´s important to note that distributing your products by truck isn´t going to make your product any
at
gu

better, and you´re not going to sell your product simply because you´re distributing it by truck. The
gu
zi

t
ra

product, independent of the tools that we use to sell it, has to be good. In the same way, just
zi

t
gu

ra

because we do a project in BIM doesn´t mean it´s going to be complete and good quality. Working
gu
zi

with BIM does not mean completing a project in two clicks, nor does it signify any type of quality. In
ra
zi

gu

a BIM project, we encounter different levels of detail and development.

zi

zi

The success of our projects depends on

t
ra
gu

t
ra
zi

how much work and attention to detail

gu

ra
gu
zi

t
ra
zi

t
gu

ra

we put into them.

gu
zi

zi
t

In conclusion, it needs to be said that we shouldn´t be afraid of BIM. The systems are very intuitive
ra

at
gu

and once they are mastered, they help us to work in a way that saves us time through the reduction
r
gu
zi

of repetitive tasks and corrections.

at
zi

t
gu

ra
gu
zi

© Zigurat Global Institute of Technology. Commercial use is not allowed. You may not copy, distribute, display,
zi

perform the work and make derivative works thereof for commercial purposes. Always recognise and give the
original author prior written authorisation. (Rev.0)
t