Elevating Electrical Construction Through BIM and VDC Innovation

Introduction

I represent a large commercial Electrical Contractor and currently manage one of our regional BIM and VDC Departments. I also sit on the corporate BIM Committee, where we meet to develop internal BIM standards and practices. We seek out the latest tools and internally build custom scripts to make redundant or time-consuming daily tasks more efficient. We also review unique project challenges and apply experiences and lessons learned to find solutions, which often leads to the creation of an even better procedural tool.

BIM

In the case of this article, BIM will refer to Building Information Modeling. Through the BIM process, we develop an electrical 3-dimensional model of the objects that will have an impact on the available space. Upon completing this BIM process, the team will go into the “VDC” process or Virtual Design and Construction, evaluate the spatial coordination model, and further refine the model into constructable segments.

BIM has been the “go-to” process for construction preplanning, construction logistics, and execution for more than a decade now. The benefits and opportunities of the BIM process and Trade coordination activity have proven so valuable to the industry that it has become an expected activity in at least some part of every major building project now.

When I hear the term BIM related to a construction project, I think of Trade Coordination, methods of sharing models, and software.

Trade Coordination

Generally, on a building construction project, the electrical design drawings are diagrammatic and schematic. This electrical main power distribution is illustrated with single-line diagrams and panel schedules with no reference to how much actual space the conduit and wiring system may take up in a building or even where it would be located. This is not to oversimplify the electrical design; there is so much more to it, but only to indicate the need for planning with available space.

Electrical switchboards, panelboards, light fixtures, switches, receptacles, etc., with circuiting information are mainly what’s shown on a typical electrical design drawing set. The light fixtures, switches, receptacles, and other devices have less impact on the building and other trades. Larger equipment, panelboards, and conduit and wiring distribution methods have a larger impact.

On most buildings, the trades, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection, all must fit within the ceiling space of a building. What we often see from the design document set is a substantial layout of the pathways that Mechanical and plumbing systems are expected to take, so it becomes the task of the electrical BIM group to engineer a conduit system for wiring distribution that works around those trades, the building structure, and the constraints of the building itself.

Methods of sharing models

For those reasons, the Trade coordination process is necessary, especially on large and or very complex projects. The general contractor often takes the driver’s seat to set up an introduction to the trade representatives, and schedule and prioritize the building area coordination sequencing and method of digital file sharing. Autodesk BIM 360 has made file sharing the easiest. If the trades use the same software and their working files are hosted in a central location, we can link and reference each other’s models for real-time modeling and clash resolution. These coordination meeting events take place at the start of a project with the target of completing the effort before that construction area is scheduled to begin. Everyone aims to identify and solve constructability issues prior to spending labor costs.

Sometimes, solutions are difficult to find due to various reasons, so the general contractor is required to step in as the referee to avoid a stalemate. While stressful at times due to constraints and tight deadlines, I believe in this process and offer a big “thank you” to all the professionals I’ve worked with who’ve remained open-minded and flexible when it comes to creative problem-solving. For this process to work, it’s crucial for all share partners to be on board and participate.

Software

At my company, this department started in 1992 as the “Detailing” department, collecting information and hand drafting with a good old pencil, scale ruler, and lots of erasers. We advanced to using computers and AutoCAD and then AutoCAD MEP to develop our layouts and generate shop drawings. New software always takes time to adjust and identify best practices. With AutoCAD, we spent years developing processes, user guides, quick access tools, and a great project startup package. When Revit was introduced to the industry, it became more popular and inevitably became the preferred software; it was a true “disruptor.”

The Revit file is not just a holistic “model”, but every view is a live look at it, floor plans, Isometric plans, ceilings, sections, and elevation views. The sheets, schedules, libraries, and legends are all in one Revit file. Instead of managing many non-live files and references that can become disconnected, it’s all in one with Revit. Fully adopting this software took years. We had to completely revise our process, learn a whole new software, and build a library of components needed. Revit is a dynamic program driven by data, with every element having a relationship to the model and hosting a series of defining parameters that allow for bidirectional scheduling. The ability to write schedules to quantify elements and even filter down to type, level, or area was such an advantage that Revit forced us to rethink the whole process.

Challenge

Like most other industries, the construction industry tends to face challenges that cycle between economy, labor, commodities, and manufacturing. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, construction labor costs increased by 20 percent in the last two years. Construction materials have increased prices by an average of 30 percent in the past couple of years. In addition to elevating costs, material and equipment procurement has become ever increasingly difficult to predict. Availability and “on-time delivery” have become so tight in the supply chain that timing affects the commissioning and project completion dates.

Usually, the expected cost raises are built into estimates for projects constructed over long time frames, but these inflated increases and backups in manufacturing have had real impacts on the industry. Electrically speaking, large, project-specific, and custom-built equipment like switch gear and circuit breakers have become the biggest challenge for electrical contractors. Using our BIM tools and processes, we’ve explored a series of options related to each of these challenges. Can we substitute equipment or material? What would that look like? Can we adjust the construction sequence to accommodate available commodities and labor? What would that look like? I find that the ability to foresee the problem and the tools to visualize several possible solutions positively impact all stakeholders. I wonder what’s next and where “AI” might take us.