This project represents the seventh residential building in the XXX development by Luoyang XXX Co., Ltd. The construction site is situated at the intersection of Luhun Avenue and Liangcheng Road, Song County, Luoyang City. The building features commercial service outlets on the first and second floors, with residential units occupying the third through sixth floors. The building has a base area of 835.14 square meters, with commercial space covering 1,607 square meters and residential space totaling 1,560.18 square meters, resulting in a total floor area of 3,167.18 square meters. Structurally, it is a frame design with a 50-year design lifespan, a building height of 19.10 meters, seismic resistance rated at level six, fire resistance level two, classified as a small-scale project, roof waterproofing level two, and comprises 12 residential units in total.
Applying BIM Technology in Bidding Processes
1. Understanding the Drawings
The construction drawings are divided into five key sections: electrical, architectural, structural, water, and heating systems. Our primary focus is on the architectural and structural drawings.
Figure 1: CAD display of the -0.030 beam reinforcement diagram from the structural drawings of Residential Building No. 7.
Figure 2: CAD drawing of the first-floor plan for Residential Building No. 7.
2. Creating the Guanglian Da BIM Rebar Calculation Model
(1) Choosing the Modeling Software
3D engineering models can be created using Revit 2014, from which building and structural models can be exported as BIM files readable by Guanglian Da civil engineering calculation software via GFC for Revit. This allows direct conversion of Revit design files into computational files. Alternatively, modeling can be done directly within Guanglian Da BIM rebar calculation software based on CAD drawings. Our company prefers the professional Guanglian Da series BIM software and thus uses it directly for model creation.
(2) Step-by-Step Modeling Process
Start by opening the Guanglian Da BIM rebar measurement software and creating a new project named “Building 7.” Enter all relevant project details, preparation data, weight settings, and hook settings carefully. Note that steel bars with a diameter of 6 mm are currently unavailable on the market, so the diameter is adjusted from 6 to 6.5 mm with a specific gravity of 0.26.
Next, configure the floor levels and assign concrete grades per the structural design instructions for Building 7, then replicate these settings across other floors.
Figure 3: Floor and concrete grade configuration.
Access the drawing input interface and use Guanglian Da BIM rebar calculation software’s built-in CAD recognition function for rapid modeling, significantly improving drafting efficiency for cost estimators.
Figure 4: CAD drawing recognition feature within Guanglian Da BIM rebar calculation software.
Divide the model into floors based on CAD drawings. Identify and model grids, beams, slabs, columns, and their associated rebar for each floor. After completing the drawing, verify the load-bearing and negative reinforcement bars of slabs, correcting any errors highlighted in red. This process results in a preliminary 3D model.
Figure 5: Slab reinforcement modeled in Guanglian Da BIM rebar calculation software.
Detailed drawings of unique or anisotropic components—such as parapet roofs, sloping eaves, and cantilever slabs—can be refined by manually drawing reinforcement lines, enhancing the accuracy of the 3D model.
(a) Construction plan for irregular components (b) 3D view of irregular components
Figure 6: CAD cross-section and 3D visualization of special-shaped components using Guanglian Da BIM rebar calculation software.
After completing these detailed steps, the entire reinforcement drawing for Residential Building No. 7 is finished, resulting in an initial 3D rebar calculation model.
(3) Model Review
Once the rebar calculation model is established, it is sent to the BIM model review and training department for thorough validation. The review focuses on standardization, accuracy, and completeness of the model. Feedback is provided in writing to the modeling team for necessary corrections.
During the review, the following issues were identified:
- The foundation beneath the staircase column was overlooked due to modeling oversight.
- New employees lacked experience with custom line modeling, leading to missing templates for wire foot positioning.
- Overlapping floor reinforcement arrangements were detected, indicating insufficient cross-checking.
- Omission of restroom details in the model.
The modeling team then revised the model, addressing all comments before resubmitting it for review until it achieved accuracy and completeness. The finalized 3D rebar model is shown below:
Figure 7: 3D visualization of beams, slabs, columns, and their reinforcement in Residential Building No. 7.
After finalizing the model, quantities are summarized and calculated to generate the steel reinforcement bill of quantities as illustrated below:
Figure 8: Detailed reinforcement list for Residential Building No. 7.
For civil engineering calculations, the modeling process need not be repeated. The Guanglian Da steel bar calculation model can be directly imported into civil engineering calculation software to draft earthwork and finishing components, inspect completeness, and fill in any missing data as per the project’s actual conditions. The reviewed BIM model is then submitted to the BIM model review and training department for final approval, resulting in a standardized model as shown:
Figure 9: 3D BIM civil engineering quantity calculation model of Building 7 using Guanglian Da software.
Opening the report preview reveals detailed quantities for each component:
Figure 10: Partial engineering quantity report for walls generated by Guanglian Da BIM civil engineering calculation.
(4) Completing the Bidding Documents
Using the BIM bidding data, combined with the bill of quantities, the bidding quotation documents are prepared through Guanglian Da Cloud’s GCCP5.0 pricing platform.
Figure 11: Bid quotation document preparation for Residential Building No. 7 using the GCCP5.0 pricing platform on Guanglian Da Cloud.
The company’s BIM database plays a vital role in accelerating this process, providing easy access to inventory, quota, and pricing information through its cloud management platform.
Figure 12: Querying related databases.
After completing BIM bidding documents and combining technical and commercial bids, a comprehensive electronic bidding package is organized via Guanglian Da bidding software. Detailed explanation of this process is beyond the scope here.
(5) Archiving Data
All bidding-related information and files for this project are compiled, compressed, and submitted to the data management department, specifically the BIM application team, to facilitate easy future retrieval. Each document includes the project completer’s name and contact information to prevent data loss or misplacement due to staff changes.
Li Yashen (Henan University of Science and Technology)
For learning and communication purposes only. Copyright belongs to the original author. Please contact us for removal if there is any infringement.
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