Building Information

Modelling

NAAN MUDHALVAN
(Upskilling program for Civil Engineering students)
COURSE: BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING
PROJECT 1: CLASH DETECTION OF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
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 Project report

BIM- Building Information Modelling

Project – Assessment 1

Clash detection of a Residential Building.

The project work for the student is to create

• Clash detection workflow and

• Clash detection report along with clash matrix index for the given residential building.

Along with the question students will be provided with a 3D Multistory Residential Building
model. The link to download the Autodesk Revit software (student version) is also provided in the
question. Click on the link, they will be redirected to the Autodesk website. Now create the
Autodesk account and sign in. Download and install the software.

Need for clash detection:

Clash detection via Building Information Modeling (BIM) helps in speeding up projects by
identifying clashes between several models during the design stage itself, helping architects and
contractors eliminate chances of multi-level design changes which can result into budget overshoot
and delay in project completion time. As all the things are taken care of during the design stage
itself, clash detection saves valuable time, effort, and money throughout the entire project.

Architects, Structural engineers, MEP engineers (HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing),

Environmental engineers and other professionals create design models, independent from each
other. Once all the models are integrated into the BIM modeling process, clash detection comes
into the picture.

SOLUTION:

Let us have a look at what is expected from the students in their answer for question.

STEP 1: The link for the 3D Multistory Residential Building model is given in the question. The
link contains Revit Architectural 3D model file, Structural 3D model file and utilities 3D model
file (have attached the screenshot of these models below for your reference). By opening this model

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students will get a visualization about how a 3D model will look. Students can explore the various
views like plan, section, elevation and 3D view. Students can also explore the electrical
connections, how pipes are laid and air condition units and lighting systems. The students will be
able to create a Federated model by linking the given Architectural, Structural and Utilities (MEP)
Revit files.

Have attached the screenshots of Architectural, Structural and Utilities Model for your reference.

Architectural model Structural model Utilities model

STEP 2: The generated Federated BIM Model has to be checked for Interference check and extract
the clash report. A Demo Video explaining the process of linking the model file, doing interference
check, extracting report is provided in the link ------------. The extracted clash report has been given
along with the answer key.

STEP 3: Then update the architectural model to clear the clashes. Now the clashes in the clash
report have to be classified for types of clashes i.e., Hard clash and Soft clash. After classifying
the clashes, now prepare a clash priority index matrix.

Types of clashes:

There are three types of clashes

1. Hard clash
2. Soft clash
3. Workflow clash

Hard Clash is when two items consume a similar space or cross with one another. For instance,
pipework through a steel pillar is an example of a hard clash.

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Soft Clash is when components or items are not given underlying or resistances that it requires,
or if the line of tolerance is penetrated. This can help with the support and security issues happening
in the MEP model.

Workflow Clash is when conflicts like booking needed of the workers for hire, conveyance of
hardware and materials and making a timetable of contentions. The clash happening, in this case,
can literally postpone a task or an activity and this is the reason why one can’t bear such a clash.

In this project all the clashes identified comes under soft clashes.

Please refer the clashes report for the clashes, the place where the clashes occur and individual id
for those clashes.

Clash Priority Matric Index:

After classifying the types of clashes, now we are able to build the so-called Clash Matrix. Usually,
we create such a matrix in the form of a table, e.g. in a spreadsheet.

It helps the model developers/ designers to make quick decisions on which elements of a particular
system should adapt to another system in clash cases.

A clash matrix shows which disciplines take precedence based on which ones are furthest to the
top and left of the matrix.

It is easy to see that the matrix reflects the system hierarchy. So, first of all, we have the
architectural and structural trades, then HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.

Clash Matrix

Architecture Structure Utilities

Wall RCC Wall Pipe Duct Cable tray

Architecture

Wall 20 1 1

Floor 4

RCC Wall
Structure

Structural Columns

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In this project, we are going to do the clash check for structural walls and floor against utilities
i.e., Pipe, duct and Cable tray. From the clash report, it is found that there are totally 26 clashes.

Out of 26 clashes

• 20 clashes are between wall and pipe

• 4 clashes are between floor and pipe.
• 1 clash between wall and duct.
• 1 clash between wall and cable tray.

Based on the above result of clash detection, it was found that clash between the walls of the
building and pipes of the plumbing system has the largest number of clashes.

color code Priority Count

high 20
medium 4
low 2

From the above table it is clear the red stands for high priority, yellow stands for medium priority
and green stands for very low priority.

Creating a clash matrix and such a visual representation of how we will check for collisions helps
the BIM Coordinator a lot in several ways:

Firstly, we may know which issues are a priority and which models we should fix first. Here the
first priority is for wall and pipe clashes which has highest number of clashes with high priority.
Secondly, the clash between floor and pipes followed by which are the clashes between wall and
duct, cable tray simultaneously.

Secondly, we don’t have to guess which branch is responsible for a given collision. Clash matrix
helps us with this. Each trade is responsible for all checks from its column. From the matrix it is
clear that architectural team and utilities team are responsible for all the clashes identified. So both
the team has to coordinate to analyse and clear away the clashes.

For example, the plumbing trade will be responsible for fixing clashes with architectural,
structural, and mechanical models as shown in this slide

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Third, by looking at the clash matrix, we know what checking rules we need to prepare in our
coordination programs.

STEP 4: The clash detection process workflow has to be prepared to show how the different
discipline models will get coordinated and clash checked to arrive at final design solution along
with a neat process flow diagram.

Clash Detection process workflow:

The below diagram shows the process flowchart for clash detection. the workflow is having three
rows, the centre row being the main process, the top row being the reference information and the
bottom row provides the information exchange details.

First and foremost step in process work flow is importing the given architectural, structural,
utitlities model as information exchange. Once we have the model from each discipline, we need
to federate all the models into one Federated model platform.

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At this stage it becomes the responsibility of the BIM manager along with the lead engineers to
work on the Federated model strategy in the sense that creating of volumes or spaces for all
disciplines to work on their elements so that majority of the clashes are avoided at the initial stage
itself. Once the teams of the project are aware of the volumes that are corridors to work on in the
project they can now complete the model to the design stage.

For the next step, this becomes the input in the form of information exchange that means the design
models of architectural, civil structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing models becomes the
input for the next step in the process.

These design models from all the disciplines are Federated as one Federated model. Before going
into the next step, it is important to look at the project deliverable requirements, the reason we
need to do this is, many times the rules that we set up for clash detection depends on up to what
level of requirements are we going to deliver on the project.

The next activity in this workflow is setting up the clash detection priority matrix which is the
responsibility of the BIM manager of the project.

In the next activity in the workflow, set up the clash rules. The reason is to eliminate false clashes
shown in the report. Rules like Ignore Items in the same layer, ignore items in the same composite
object, ignore items in the same file, Ignore Items in same group/block/cell.

Once the rules are set up the clash analysis/ interference check is done in the software to identify
the clashes in elements of the model.

Once the clash analysis is complete, through the interference check result, we can find how many
clashes are there in the model, however note that as BIM coordinator or BIM manager it is
important to analyse these clashes end act accordingly to resolve the clashes to make the model
clash free.

Based on the above three activities the final clash report of the model is generated. Once the clash
report has been generated we check if the model is clash free. If no, then again clashes has to
analysed and find the ways to make the project clash free.

After this the BIM manager will coordinate with BIM coordinators of all the discipline and assign
clashes to them to resolve it that means the individual disciplines will have to edit their models so

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as to move the clashes assigned to them to resolve are clear the clash and then the process begins
again from the Federated model stage.

This iteration keeps happening till we get zero clashes model that means it is a clash free model
now this is the end of the process.

Evaluation Criteria:

The mark allocation for the project will be as follows

• Total marks for the project are 50 marks. In which,

The clash report extracted after running Interference check will be for 20 marks.
The clash detection report has been given along with the answer key, based on which
the marks can be provided proportionately. If the student has identified only
▪ all clashes (26 clashes) provide – 20 marks
▪ wall vs pipe clashes - 10
▪ wall vs Duct - 2
▪ wall vs cable tray - 3
▪ floor vs pipe - 5
• The clash detection workflow will be for 15 marks.
The clash detection workflow explanation along with the workflow diagram will be
provided. Out of 15 – 10 marks for the workflow diagram and 5 marks for the workflow
explanation.
• The clash priority matrix index will be for 15 marks.
The types of clashes and the clash matrix index will be provided. Out of 15 – 5 marks
for the classification of clashes and 10 marks for the clash priority matrix index. Both
the matrix and classification should have their own self explanation. Based on the
students report the marks can be provided proportionately. If the student has identified
and explained
▪ The types of clashes for all clashes – 5 marks
▪ Only wall vs pipe clashes - 2
▪ Only wall vs Duct -1
▪ Only wall vs cable tray - 1

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 ▪ Only floor vs pipe - 1

If the student has identified the clashes and formed the clash detection matrix, based on comparing
the matrix with the answer key the faculty can provide mark proportionately.

▪ Matrix – 5
▪ Priority index – 2
▪ Explanation - 3

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