What is the use of BIM? What exactly is BIM used for?
When someone asks you about BIM, you can share the following examples to demonstrate its practical applications.
1. Design Optimization
The Liaoyang East Road Vehicle Base of Qingdao Metro Line 2 used BIM technology to identify and resolve clashes and inconsistencies between architectural, structural, and electromechanical disciplines through model-based drawing reviews. This proactive approach helped avoid secondary drilling and rework during construction, ultimately saving time.
During the Gaojiaping Tunnel construction on the Zhengzhou Wanzhou high-speed railway, a BIM model revealed a clash between the secondary lining steel bars and transverse drainage pipes, exposing design flaws. The Guanglian Da 5D system was applied to manage safety, quality, progress, and collaboration among departments.
At the drawing review stage of a Guangzhou project, BIM technology was employed to overlay models from different disciplines, detecting collisions, omissions, and missing elements. The team promptly provided feedback to designers, enabling scheme optimization and reducing design changes and rework during construction.
2. Site Layout
The Liaoyang East Road Vehicle Base of Qingdao Metro Line 2 Phase I Project created a BIM model to simulate construction planning, including material storage yards, temporary site buildings, and transport routes. This allowed for efficient adjustments of construction machinery placement such as tower cranes and elevators.
During the Guangzhou Metro Knowledge City project, BIM was used to simulate on-site scenarios, facilitating safety planning and civilized construction management throughout the site.
The Shanghai Metro Line 17 project combined 3D scanning and BIM modeling to quickly build an evacuation platform model. This allowed real-time measurements and accurate retrieval of structural parameters. Using BIM output, a factory-customized evacuation platform was constructed and then assembled on-site.
3. Construction Simulation
At the Zhanghu Railway traction substation project, technicians utilized BIM to build a construction platform and simulate the construction process. This helped optimize the construction plan and sequence, improving process standards while ensuring quality.
The Changsha Zhuzhou Xiangtan Four Electric Integration Project used BIM models to plan cable layouts without cable supports, removing constraints regarding bracket placement in design drawings. This enabled flexible cable routing and sequence, achieving the most efficient cable design.
The Optics Valley Complex project leveraged BIM and virtual construction to integrate spatial and temporal data into a 4D visual model. This clearly represents the construction process of different building components, facilitates cross-disciplinary coordination, and ensures smooth project progress. By importing construction schedules into Navisworks and updating actual progress, the system simulates planned versus actual progress, including personnel, materials, and machinery, effectively guiding construction and reducing rework and costs.
4. Visual Disclosure
At the Liaoyang East Road Vehicle Base of Qingdao Metro Line 2 Phase I Project, before each construction phase, teams receive briefings on processes, technologies, and quality control points. BIM technology provides intuitive 3D visualizations, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of these briefings.
The water pier at position 156 of the Xijiang Extra Large Bridge in the Nansha Port Railway Project is complex and requires precise control. Using BIM for visual disclosure before construction helps workers fully understand the project details and processes, improving construction quality.
The first phase power supply project of Guangzhou Metro Line 13 used BIM’s visualization capabilities to provide simple 3D models for on-site disclosure. This approach reduced reliance on flat drawings, improved communication with operators, avoided rework caused by misunderstandings, and significantly enhanced on-site efficiency.
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