【 Pick 】 want 】This article presents an example of Luban BIM technology applied to a specific project. It provides a detailed introduction and analysis of model creation, quantity estimation, 3D comprehensive pipeline coordination, and simulation of key joint construction processes. The results demonstrate that using Luban BIM technology significantly enhances refined management levels in engineering projects, offering valuable insights for future BIM technology applications.
【 Keywords 】 】 : BIM technology, 3D model, refined management
1. Project Introduction
The Taihu Lake Science and Technology Center, Wuxi Zhengfangyuan Science and Technology Building, is located at the intersection of Gaolang Road and Huaqing Avenue. This high-end office building features two underground floors and 19 above ground, covering a total construction area of 44,224 m² with a building height of 88.6 m. The structure consists of a frame and shear wall system.
Image 1 – Rendering of the Technology Building
2. BIM Introduction
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is centered on creating a virtual 3D model within a computer system. It uses digital technology to establish a comprehensive and consistent database of building engineering information for the model. This database encompasses not only geometric data and professional attributes but also status information describing building components, along with non-component data such as spatial and temporal information.
Leveraging this detailed 3D model enriched with construction engineering data greatly improves the integration of information within construction projects. It provides a platform for information exchange and sharing among all stakeholders, serving as a crucial tool for refined project management.
3. Application of BIM Technology in the Technology Building Project
3.1 Model Establishment
Following the company’s development strategy, in August 2011, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed with Luban Consulting. The Technology Building was officially launched as a pilot project for Luban Software. By October, Luban Consulting had completed the BIM models for both civil engineering and mechanical and electrical engineering of the Technology Building.
3.2 Rapid Quantity Estimation
Traditional quantity estimation relies on manual measurement and calculations based on drawings, which is labor-intensive and prone to errors. In contrast, BIM utilizes a pre-established engineering information model supported by a rich database. This enables accurate and timely extraction of quantity information critical for project management. Using this platform, stakeholders can quickly perform statistical analyses of materials, ensuring consistency between quantities and design drawings.
3.3 3D Coordination of Pipeline Installation
As refined management advances, construction teams demand comprehensive coordination of mechanical and electrical pipelines. Traditionally, the mechanical and electrical general contractor leads pipeline coordination using overlapping 2D CAD drawings from different disciplines. Despite color differentiation, these overlapping drawings remain cluttered and difficult to coordinate efficiently, leading to low collaboration efficiency.
By employing BIM technology, each discipline independently creates a 3D model. Through 3D clash detection (as illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6), technicians can easily identify conflicts within a virtual 3D environment. This significantly enhances design accuracy and collaboration efficiency, enabling timely resolution of conflicts during construction, reducing rework rates, and controlling associated costs.
3.4 Precise Control of Construction Materials
Using the BIM database platform, precise quantities of construction materials can be quickly and accurately extracted. This provides reliable data to support procurement planning and ensures controlled material requisition on site (as shown in Figure 7). This approach reduces issues such as project delays, warehouse overstock, and capital lock-up caused by inaccurate material declarations. For large-scale projects, BIM technology can extract material quantities by region and floor, enabling direct unloading at designated material locations, minimizing secondary handling, and lowering related costs.
3.5 Quantitative Allocation of Construction Tasks
Traditional task allocation depends heavily on the extensive experience of construction managers, often without data support, making accurate labor consumption measurement difficult. By applying BIM, the information model partitions the project, extracting quantities and corresponding labor costs. Labor is allocated based on enterprise labor cost standards, enabling task distribution, schedule control, and performance evaluation in terms of safety, quality, and progress (as shown in Table 1). This significantly improves the scientific and refined management level.
Table 1 – Task Allocation for Layer Ventilation Sub-projects of the Technology Building
Team
Job Responsibilities
Work Quantity
Labor Force (persons)
Duration (days)
Labor Cost (yuan)
Basic Labor Cost (80%)
Safety Award (10%)
Quality Award (5%)
Progress Award (5%)
Labor Cost After Assessment
A Group
Duct Installation
326.5㎡
12
7
12,574
10,060
1,257
503
503
Fan Hoisting
4 persons
1,232
985.6
123
61.5
61.5
B Group
Duct Installation
112.8㎡
6
5
3,264
2,611.2
326
163
163
Fan Hoisting
2 persons
2,788
2,230.4
278.8
140
140
3.6 Simulation of Key Joint Construction Processes
BIM technology simulates the construction sequences, challenges, and critical nodes of the project. This 3D visualization provides technical briefings to the construction team, ensuring clarity for the briefing personnel and ease of understanding for operators. For example, the simulation of the waterproofing process in bathroom construction is shown in Table 2.
3.7 Efficient Collaboration Among Construction Stakeholders
By developing visualized 3D BIM models, project managers can analyze and demonstrate solutions effectively, promptly eliminate potential risks, shorten construction timelines, reduce costs, and enhance site productivity.
Establishing a centralized enterprise engineering database enables automatic data aggregation across various projects. Required data for different departments can be generated automatically, supporting informed decision-making. Additionally, it facilitates automatic analysis of personnel, materials, and machinery quantities, allows for multiple project comparisons, improves cost control, and enhances interdepartmental collaboration through shared resources.
4. Conclusion
As the project progresses, Luban BIM technology will extend its application to areas such as progress payment declarations, project completion settlements, planned maintenance, property management, building system energy consumption analysis, and disaster simulations. This technology greatly elevates the level of refined project management, playing a vital role in strengthening enterprise competitiveness and establishing brand reputation.
References
[1] Huang Haifeng. The Shanghai Jinhongqiao Project Utilizes Luban BIM to Improve Efficiency. New Luban, 2012, 12.
[2] Qiu Yongyun et al. Research on HVAC System Development Based on BIM CAD. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), 2011, 4.
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