BIM technology for smart management of information in planning and construction processes enables coordination between systems at the click of a button
Shulamit House.
The project is constantly documented
Photography:
Imaging: Ron Arad Architects
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
What exactly is BIM, how much time and money can the system save for developers and contractors and how will it affect apartment prices for consumers?
The Israeli construction and real estate industry is slowly beginning to adopt the use of advanced technologies, but still not at a satisfactory pace and volume. One of the most prominent technologies in the field of construction and real estate is BIM - an acronym for Building Information Modeling.
BIM is an information management technology, designed to streamline the planning and construction process of construction projects, thus, at the end of the process, saving the developer a lot of time and costs.
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The BIM makes it possible to model the project virtually as a kind of preparation stage for actual construction.
Already at the early planning stage a computerized model of the project was built, which can be updated as the planning progresses, thus coordinating in advance between all the different systems and avoiding situations of collision and non-synchronization between the project components.
With intelligent use of the system it is possible to enter a lot of information, create bills of quantities, locate conflicts and build the schedules for the construction process.
In the residential housing market the BIM will most often lead to more efficient construction.
This makes it possible to launch coordinated projects, ensure a good fit of the execution details and ultimately also streamline the construction process and bring about a reduction in apartment prices for end consumers.
In the world, the use of BIM is gaining momentum, and so is Israel.
Already today some government ministries require the use of the BIM system as a condition for bidding in public tenders, as well as public bodies such as universities and colleges.
According to estimates by real estate industry sources, using BIM saves about 10% of the construction cost of the project and shortens the construction time by half. The savings can amount to hundreds of thousands of shekels and more, depending on the size and complexity of each project.
"We have identified the trend and started implementing BIM since 2016," says Ami Poren, CEO and co-owner of Poren Sharim, a company that specializes in project management, model management and systems coordination. In many construction projects in Israel.
It allows developers and public bodies that publish construction tenders to reach a higher level of planning than they were accustomed to just a few years ago, examine the outgoing tender and set standards for future contractors and engineering companies, while adopting technology, introducing excellence into work routines and economic feasibility and engineering.
Poren points out that the Israeli real estate market has not yet fully assimilated the use of BIM except for a few large companies in the industry. "It will slowly become a threshold condition for obtaining construction work in the private and public sectors.
A company that does not adopt the BIM will simply be left behind, "he emphasizes.
Accuracy and efficiency
The Ram Aderet Group is one of the companies using the BIM system.
Moran Felix, regional director at the company, who is in charge of building the Center for Cancer Research and Treatment - Beit Shulamit in Afula, explains: "The system warns at the push of a button of conflicts between the various systems, sorts them by areas and helps prevent them. "Electricity, or an air duct that is supposed to pass through a retaining wall. Such penetrations into the skeleton, if not detected in real time, can lead to inelegant improvisations that cost a great deal of time and money."
"The investment in the system pays off and pays for itself quickly," adds Felix.
"In a project like Beit Shulamit, the cost of setting up the system is around NIS 300,000-400,000, and we have a BIM consultant who updates the system once a week, so the current cost is about NIS 15,000-20,000 a month.
"The system saves us money, by helping us figure out exactly what quantities we need for everything and what work is required, so the payment is much more accurate and not done in a rough estimate. Its ability to alert in real time saves time and money on repairs, fines for construction delays and the like. "It is constantly documented and it is possible to follow the treatment of the various faults. This also saves costs, and for the end customer, it makes maintenance and future problems easier to handle."
The Best Group has also implemented the use of BIM in most projects.
"Only after you model the project can you get a clear picture of all levels," explains Adi Nasser, chief engineer at the Best Group.
"This is how you can identify problems in the first stages, get an accurate estimate of quantities and weigh costs. All the information a construction company needs, certainly in complex projects, is reflected. You can see what the structure will look like as part of the environment, where "True. Using the system involves costs, but if the savings are weighed against the prevention of delays and defects, the investment pays for itself and even saves the contractor."
The BIM system is used by everyone involved in the construction process - developers, planners, operators and supervisors, and comes to their aid throughout the life of the project - from the initial planning stage to the completion of construction and then the maintenance of the building.
It makes it possible to include in the model requests for changes of tenants and to examine in real time whether they are engineeringly possible, and even how much they will actually cost to carry out.
"I believe that in the coming years there will be no escape from a full transition to the use of BIM technology," concludes Ami Poren.
"Planning ministries, management ministries, government companies, developers, contractors and executing companies will be required to move to improve excellence in the construction industry. Over time, we will see an improvement in the quality of projects."
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements