During project implementation, design changes frequently occur due to issues such as poor coordination between design and construction teams, as well as misalignment between the owner and the design unit. Leveraging the collaborative nature of BIM technology, the design, construction, and owner parties communicate and collaborate through the BIM platform to address design changes efficiently. This approach helps minimize delays and cost overruns caused by changes from the outset.
Furthermore, based on experience, the construction team can proactively identify common design change issues during the construction phase and initiate a targeted review of the model involving all three parties. If any problems arise, the design or construction team can promptly update and improve the model and related information. For example, if the reserved space for pipeline installation is insufficient, the original pipeline design must be adjusted. On the BIM platform, design change orders are shared with the design team and the owner. Once all parties agree and sign off, the change order is saved in the BIM information management platform’s database as the official record. This enables the implementation of design changes, while supervisors can regularly export reports summarizing design change statistics.
Specifically, BIM facilitates cloud-based change coordination and management, transforming the traditional approach and making workflows faster and more efficient. By enabling true collaborative modifications, BIM significantly reduces development costs and replaces the previous “partitioned” design approach, which relied heavily on manual coordination and segmented communication. BIM’s comprehensive coordination functions effectively resolve conflicts between design disciplines and between design and construction teams. Sharing BIM models and managing changes through the platform allows for dynamic, efficient control of design updates. Real-time data linking and remote management ensure that building information models reflect design changes instantly, minimizing the time needed for information exchange among designers, owners, managers, contractors, and suppliers. This capability supports orderly cost control and allows scanned data to be directly integrated into the model database.
Additionally, BIM-based design changes enable parameterized modifications to the model, allowing precise comparisons of components or building structures before and after changes. This approach also ensures full traceability of information, addressing many challenges traditionally faced in design change management.
After receiving the owner’s approval of revised drawings or design changes, the construction team integrates the updates into the BIM model. The updated model is then formally confirmed in writing by the professional design unit, under the supervision of the project’s oversight team. The construction team uploads this confirmation data into the platform’s database. Construction proceeds only once the design is verified to be error-free. Through this collaborative process involving the owner, supervisor, designer, and construction team, all tasks related to design change management are effectively completed.
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