Clearview North December 2013 - Issue 145 | Page 14

CLEARVIEW EXCLUSIVE

INDUSTRYNEWS

BIM IS THE WORD
There’s a buzz word in the glass
and fabrication industry. BIM, or
Building Information Modelling,
is nothing new. It’s been a hot
topic for a few years but only
recently have glaziers started
to realise the opportunities it
brings. But what does it actually
mean? Severn Partnership
explains it to Clearview…
“We have been at the forefront of BIM
for the last ten years, helping to develop
the process for industries as varied as
construction, rail and education. We have
seen for ourselves the impact that BIM is
starting to have on the glazing industry
and how it is driving efficiencies, not only
in terms of materials and resources, but in
the design stage too.
BIM is about collaboration and
sharing information. The most common
way of doing this is by creating a 3D
digital representation of a building.
This acts as a manageable database of
all the characteristics of a building and
its components, which can be accessed
by many stakeholders. We use 3D laser
scanning to capture data on existing
buildings for conversion to 3D models
used for BIM. Scanning is the rapid
automated collection of large volumes of
3D data. We then reuse this data through
our sister company, SEEABLE, to produce
interactive 3D models, which access the
information within the BIM. This provides
an accurate visualisation of a building and
can be viewed on a website, smartphone or
dedicated app.
While many are talking about it, very few
glazing companies in the UK are actually
using BIM, but this is set to change.
According to construction information
expert NBS, BIM adoption is growing.
From 1,350 polled professionals, 71%
said BIM represents the future of project
information while 39% confirmed they
were already using BIM. The report found
that 66% of contractors are increasingly
insisting on its use, and this includes those

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DEC 2013

in the glazing industry. More than half said
that they had improved productivity from
BIM due to the easy retrieval of information
and building specifications.
Where do glazing contractors fit into BIM
adoption? The fenestration and architecture
industries need to work together to ensure
all the performance characteristics of
a building; energy, security, structural,
are categorised and communicated in a
standardised manner. How glass contractors
gather and document this performance
information is necessary to make BIM
effective.
The days of blueprints are behind us.
Contractors no longer have time to undergo
an extensive workflow process but need to
complete projects much quicker than they
have before. By creating products in 3D
and making ‘as-built’ BIM model libraries
for future application, glaziers benefit from
a more simplified workflow. It also benefits
building products companies, providing
them with enhanced, more accurate
architectural specifications.
BIM acts as a go-between for glass
contractors and architects in the design
process. Instead of architects creating one

set of models and fabricators creating
another set from that, one set is being
made to meet the needs of both. Imagine
being able to provide your product range
free to download via your website or
through third parties such as BIMStore
of Revit City. Available components are
more likely to be used by architects in the
design stage process and if information on
type and manufacturer is clear within a
BIM, Facilities Managers are more likely
to replace them like for like. BIM brings
environmental benefits. Glass fabricators
can create virtual model catalogues, so
products work as BIM sub-models that
carry the manufacturer’s energy and carbon
footprint data. If glass manufacturers can
show the energy efficiency offset in the
production of glass, it can help to meet
environmental industry standards. BIM can
also access greater visibility of data useful
for glazing system suppliers and contract
glaziers; material requirements, finishes,
glass types, interlayer types, deflection
standards and thermal information.
There are many benefits to using BIM
in the glass industry and replicating some
of the advantages it is bringing to other
sectors. We’ve produced BIMs for historic
building like the RICS headquarters
to aid safety briefings and Brighton
Sussex University Hospital. The rail and
construction industries are no longer just
talking about BIM as we have helped them
to embrace and adopt it. It’s time for the
glass industry to do the same.”
Mark King is 3D M ?FV???r&??V7@???vW"B6WfW&?'F?W'6???B'F?W ?B4TT$?R???F?&VB??&R?f?6?Bwwr?6?V'f?Wr?V??6???