Quality Information Modeling for Construction Using BIM Autodesk 360 Field
Maya Rana, Omran Jamal, Hassan Bassam Lecturer Tishreen University, Syria, Ass prof. Tishreen University, Syria, professor. Tishreen University, Syria
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[email protected] Parisa Ghodous Université de Lyon 1, LIRIS. UMR5205, France
[email protected] Abstract Building information modeling is a great visualization tool. This tool provides better understanding of what the final product will look like through virtual 3D design to the building. However, we propose in this paper to use BIM Autodesk 360 Field as a quality information modeling and management tool in construction. This is to be done by: easily tracking materials & equipment status, documentation work, resolving issues, visualizing construction activities, and improving communication and collaboration. A case study application of quality assurance & quality control (QA/QC) inspection checklists of the software has recorded 187 quality and safety issues. This is clear evidence that the manually following up executed activities and equipment for quality check, visual interfere , documentation, and reporting are becoming useless and proved to be inefficient. By using BIM 360 Field, we will reach to faster, accurate, easier, and productive project execution and quality products. Keywords: BIM Autodesk 360 Field, QA/QC inspection
1. Introduction Increasingly quality management was applied as a tool to solve quality problems and final costumer requirement (Hoonakker, 2010(. Application of quality management in job site proved to accelerate projects, increase profit and client satisfaction. Contractors saw obvious benefits for quality improvement; the most important benefits were costumer’s recurrence and reducing rework. Other contractors stated that quality management helped to improve schedule and relation with design firms (Kirschenman, 2000). Research showed (Dudgikar, 2102) that common software in construction management as MS-Project &
Primavera concern only to time and cost constraints in spite that quality is one of three fundamentals for project management but it was not considered in project management software. Also (Aouad,2000) mentioned that there appears to be a gap between the capabilities of 3D based visual information and its uses in spite of the fact that the area of information visualization has attracted great deal of attention in recent years. So Tom Huntington said “When walk in the job site ,each superintendent may pass a dozen major quality points a day .Without a checklist ,he has no record of good work done or the mistakes made. Good work goes unrecognized and defects compound. Some defects invariably grow into major headaches in the next phase, upon substantial completion or, worse, after handover. Bad quality is obvious after the fact (figure 1), but how obvious is it quality ahead of time? QA/QC checklists help confirm quality and raise issues early”. As a result, Quality control for workers, equipment, and materials is not enough. It is crucial to apply quality standards to all executed work and properly document results, consequently organizing and visualizing all the quality information related to standards, checks, materials tests, reports will need a software which can solve quality problems by easily help manage this huge amount of information during project execution. Though we suggest
Figure1. Quality is obvious ahead of time. Source: Tom Huntington, 2010
in this paper to use BIM Autodesk 360 Field as a quality information modeling and management tool and following we will explain its uses and findings through case study application.
Coordination, planning &logistics, Fabrication, Field management and handover.
2. Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Depending on (Tom Huntington, 2010) we here describe briefly the main features of the BIM Autodesk 360 Field. The software allows conducting QA/QC inspections and related field activity directly into a shared database for collaboration and review. It accessed through diversity of web enabled devices commonly tablet as the field team conduct QA/QC inspections at the point of construction. Issues and photos can be submitted soon to field manager and well documented for proper timely follow up. Inspection checklist: An inspection checklist is a list of quality observations to be made on jobsite .The quality manager should decide which set of quality checklists to be completed for each project. Also the software includes a sample library with hundreds of checklists which can be tailored by a quality manger to meet specific needs. Table 1 is an example from a concrete forming checklist. Field processes from the BIM 360 Field interface include commissioning ,handover, quality control, issue tracking, and materials tracking (figure3). This will support fast, accurate monitoring of construction activities and materials which will improve productivity and quality because visual documentation make it easier to review and control project progress. As a result, the model is used to enhance construction in the field, add field data to the model, and offer it as an value added deliverable to the owner. This includes: easily tracking materials and equipment status, documentation work, resolving issues, visualizing construction activities (figure4), and improving communication and collaboration.
Building information modeling is a great visualization tool (Saeed KIA, 2013) as it transformed the 2D views to 3D views .Thus it’s a three dimensional digital representation of a building and its characteristics. It is made of intelligent objects which include data attributes and parametric rules for each object. The visualization provides better understanding of what the final product will look like (Figure 2). BIM had many uses in construction which are: Visualization: through the virtual presentation of the building and all its components & systems, and generating a lot of 3D sections, shop drawing, etc. Cost Estimating: material quantities are automatically extracted and moreover they change when any changes are made to the model. Project control : through conflict detection and visual comparison and analysis as the different drawings can visually checked for interference and by generating 3D drawings any failure can easily been seen. Thus it can be used in the whole project lifecycle beginning from business development to quantification,
3. BIM Autodesk 360 Field
I want to provide visualization services to my client I need to conduct energy analysis early
I need to collaborate effectively
I need to document existing condition
I need to easily compare design alternatives
I need to manage space
I need accurate physical and analytical models
I need to produce accurate documentation Figure 2. How visualization provides better understanding. Source: Simon Gillis, 2013
Table1. An Example from a concrete forming checklist. Source: Tom Huntington, 2010
Figure3. BIM 360 Field interface. Source: Simon Gillis, 2013
Figure4.visualize construction activities Source: Simon Gillis, 2013
As a result the model is used to enhance construction in the field, add field data to the model, and offer it as value added deliverable to the owner. This includes: easily tracking materials and equipment status, documentation
4. BIM Autodesk 360 Field Application (case study) As it is the first Application to the software we have started it by using Quality checklists for the essential activities of the project case study (social offers building in Lattakia city in Syria), later on when the project team realize its benefits and results can grow up its use for other functions like equipment checklists , punch lists, and reports. We used four types of checklists as following: Quality assurance checklists Quality control checklists Safety checklists Inspection checklists The activities which we checked were: mobilization, surveying, excavation, foundation, formwork, and concrete. We uploaded four types of checklists for the completed and running activities during the research period (2013). The uploaded checklists were 64.The quality assurance checklist was applied before starting the activity the thing that helped to insure that all things were prepared as needed to be done. Then, we applied quality control checklist during and at the end of the activity this helped to assure the right execution to the standards set at the checklist that was helpful to explore quality problems and visualize them; it will facilitate make the correction easer before the issues raised to a supervisor who may refuse the work causing delays and costs. At the activity of submission inspection checklist was used and this was helpful in accurate detailed visual documentation. Last safety checklists were used, to insure safety conditions. The explored findings of proposed checklists application are 187 defects, safety issues are 126 and 61 issues related to quality.
Figure 5 shows a visual example and figure 6 shows its location on drawing. Examples of such issues were: Safety issues: No accidents and injuries records Ignoring protecting clothes Ignoring periodicity medical check No accidents daily report No safety inspectors Quality issues: Concert special protections in hot or cold weather not been provided Evidence of excessive rusting Unavailability of depression cone in site conflicts between structural and architectural drawings (the elevator walls were not reinforced in architectural drawing) Openings& inserts in formwork The previous application to BIM 360 Field shows how quality control at site (execution work) will be an easy ,organized, visual, well documented process. This technique, with its full other advantages like alarms and reports, shows to be effectively good guide to explore quality defaults on time though help avoid delays and over costs raised of rework or even claims.
Figure 5 .case study example of quality issue
Figure.6. Quality issue location in drawing
5. Conclusion
[2] Alpert Zulps, Take construction in hand. BIM in the field improves and accelerates construction as it happens. Autodesk Construction solution, Skanska USA, building.2013. [3] C. S. Dudgikar, M.B. Kumthekar, S.R.Khot, Development of ERP Module for Quality Management in Construction Industry, International Journal of Electronics and Communications, August 2012. [4] P. Hoonakkera, P. Carayona,b , T. Loushine, Barriers and benefits of quality management in the construction industry: An empirical study, Taylor & Francis ,Total Quality Management Vol. 21, No. 9, 953–969,September ,2010. [5] Tom Huntington, Stop the Insanity: Take control with field Quality Management, Vela systems, 2010.
Applying a set of quality assurance & quality control checklists of BIM 360 Field into case study project recorded 187 quality and safety issues, and sooner or later will cause delays, cost overruns, unsatisfied costumers and maybe claims. This is clear evidence that the manually following up executed activities and equipment for quality check, visual interfere and documentation, and reporting are becoming useless and proved to be inefficient. By using BIM 360 Field, we will reach faster, more accurate, easier, and productive project execution and quality products.
References
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[1] G.Aouad, M.Ormerod, M.sun, M.Sarshar, p.Barrett, M.Alshawi: Visualization of construction information: A process view. International Journal of Computer-integrated design and construction, Vol2, no 4, 2000, 206-214.
[6] McIntyre, C., & Kirschenman, Survey of TQM in construction industry in upper Midwest. Journal of Management in Engineering, 16(5), 67–70, 2000. [7] Simon Gillis, Autodesk Building Information Modeling, Autodesk Northern Europe, 2013. [8] Saeed KIA, Review of Building information modeling (BIM) Software Packages Based on Assets Management, Amirkabir University of Technology, 2013.
