Harnessing the power of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to deliver more value to the total project lifecycle led to development of an integrated 3D viewer that connects with asset management software. Adam was the project manager for the Owner – guiding the architect, engineer, contractor, and software vendors on a collaborative effort to bring all data and models together in one final system for facilities management use during occupancy. The software integration project took the efforts of an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team working on a $320 million, 640,000 sf new-build hospital and extended them into the realm of the building’s maintainers. Operational costs far outweigh design & construction costs in the longterm, so creating a better system to manage those lifelong costs is vital to facilities management staff.
The design & construction project used BIM as a contract document, complementary to drawings and specifications. Design was coordinated in 3D and construction layout was taken directly from the BIM via integrated field equipment. This all resulted in creating and maintaining a highly accurate 3D model that mirrored the as-built conditions of the building and was ready to be integrated with asset data. Concurrently, submittal data was gathered as equipment was purchased for building systems. Once sections of the building were finished and both models and data were in final versions, the software integration began. The models were refined to show a level of detail relevant to lifecycle maintenance and ease of navigation. Then all building system assets were tied to the corresponding locations in the 3D model via a bi-directional link. Using an automated import process for asset data saved the Owner more than 1,000 hours of labor and populated the asset management system for the building much closer to opening day than usual. Finally, the asset management software was tied to the 3D viewer, creating an integrated system that can be accessed both through the asset database or graphically through the model viewer.
