Prefabricated Construction: BIM Technology Implementation in the Liling Ceramic Exhibition Hall Project

Source: Hunan Construction BIM Center

1. Project Overview

The Liling Ceramic Exhibition Hall Project is a key strategic industrial initiative launched by the Liling Municipal Party Committee and Government to promote the development of a modern ceramic industry city rich in history and culture. Managed by Hunan Construction Group Sixth Company, the project is situated in the heart of the Liling Economic Development Zone, covering 198.6 acres with a total building area of 127,934.8 square meters.

Upon completion, this exhibition hall will serve as a comprehensive venue where citizens and tourists can deeply appreciate the historical and cultural significance of Liling ceramics. The project aims to drive the transformation and advancement of Liling’s ceramic industry, elevate its brand influence, and showcase the appeal of national ceramics on a global stage.

As a key project for the six companies, the BIM sub-center assigned two BIM engineers to the site to establish a mobile workstation. Working alongside the project’s technical, quality, safety, business, and data management teams, a fixed BIM workstation was also set up. Their primary responsibility is to leverage BIM technology to optimize technical solutions across multiple disciplines including civil engineering, installation, steel structure, and decoration. This collaboration enhances cross-disciplinary management and ensures project goals related to quality, cost, and schedule are met.

2. Model Building

During the modeling process, BIM was used to identify errors, omissions, conflicts, and deficiencies in the drawings ahead of time. These issues were promptly reported to the design institute for resolution, preventing project delays caused by drawing errors. Additionally, the comprehensive model files produced support BIM-related work in the construction phase, including detailed design, construction analysis, and assembly of construction models.

3. BIM Application in Steel Structure Construction

The above-ground main structure of the project features a steel frame column system, with a total steel consumption of 13,000 tons. The roof consists of steel trusses, with a maximum installation height of 19.15 meters and a maximum weight of 355 tons.

1. Node Deepening

Based on design drawings, detailed construction drawings—including layout, component, and part drawings—were generated using BIM software. These models and steel quantity statistics provide essential support for steel structure factory fabrication, on-site assembly, and later settlement.

2. Steel Truss Roof Construction

The steel truss roof of Exhibition Hall 3 spans 12,474 square meters, with each main truss extending 63 meters. The installation height of the trusses is 8.6 meters for Exhibition Halls 1 and 3, and 19.15 meters for Exhibition Hall 2. A single main truss weighs 31.5 tons, with the total roof weight of Exhibition Hall 2 reaching up to 285 tons—posing significant construction challenges.

BIM software was used to analyze and simulate different construction plans to optimize the process.

The chosen method was the synchronous hydraulic lifting of the large steel trusses, which accelerated construction progress while ensuring safety and improving quality.

3. 3D Technical Disclosure of Metal Roofing

The roof trusses in this project have a maximum span of 72 meters, making the roofing process complex. An advanced vertical locking edge mechanical interlocking method was used for fixing, eliminating the water leakage risks present with traditional bolt-penetration methods. Using BIM technology, the construction team visualized the roofing features and created installation animations during preparation to ensure smooth project execution.

4. BIM Application in Mechanical and Electrical Installation Construction

1. Pipeline Integration

After creating models for structural, architectural, electromechanical, and equipment systems, integration was performed to detect clashes. Following coordination with the design team, necessary drawing modifications were made. Early resolution of pipeline conflicts optimized the layout ensuring neat arrangement, reasonable spacing, clear hierarchy, and proper support types for easy maintenance.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

2. Net Height Optimization

The basement’s second-floor structure features a floor height of 3.9 meters, beam heights from 0.8 to 1 meter, ground leveling of 0.15 meters, and air ducts between 0.4 and 0.63 meters in height. The owner requires a minimum basement clearance of 2.35 meters, leaving only 0.5 meters for pipeline installation.

Through design coordination and on-site approval, the elevation and positioning of air ducts, cable trays, and water pipes were optimized to achieve the required 2.35-meter clearance in basement driving and parking areas.

Example 1:

By applying the principle of equal area replacement and considering the air duct aspect ratio, the original 2500 × 500 mm duct was replaced with two 1600 × 400 mm ducts. The fire sprinkler pipes and bridges were relocated, and the gravity waste pipe rerouted to avoid the air duct. This improved the clearance from 2.0 meters to 2.35 meters.

Example 2:

The gravity wastewater pipe was rerouted from scattered outdoor discharge to a designated collection well (#7) to bypass the air duct. The S-shaped air duct was resized to two 1600 × 400 mm ducts, and the L-shaped air duct to 2500 × 400 mm, optimizing clearance to 2.35 meters.

3. Equipment Room Layout

BIM modeling facilitated an optimized and rational layout of pipelines and equipment. This ensured that equipment pipelines were neatly arranged in rows with consistent component elevations and orientations.

4. Comprehensive Ceiling Fixture Layout

Using BIM software to integrate the ceiling installation model, potential appliance collisions were identified and resolved. This ensured appliances were aligned, spaced appropriately, and seamlessly integrated with the decorative ceiling surface. The image below shows the comprehensive ceiling layout in the negotiation room on the exhibition hall’s first floor.

5. Pipe Well Layout

Quality standards for pipe wells include neatly arranged pipes, complete and accurate markings, consistent support elevations, and firmly installed casings with uniform seams, standardized sealing, smooth surfaces, and precise root treatment. Following these standards, the project team used BIM software for comprehensive pipe well layout to ensure quality and standardized management.

6. Technical Disclosure and On-Site Construction

Based on the detailed construction model, the BIM team provided comprehensive construction drawings by floor and specialty. All drawings were distributed to the construction team, with weekly drawing disclosure and technical discussion meetings held every Wednesday for each installation and construction unit. All installation areas on site have been constructed fully in accordance with the BIM comprehensive drawings.

5. Application Summary

In the Liling Convention and Exhibition Center project, BIM technology was applied to deepen designs across civil engineering, steel structure, mechanical and electrical installation, and other specialties. By combining advanced technical tools with effective management methods, the team successfully resolved on-site technical issues, boosted efficiency, shortened the project timeline, enhanced quality, and reduced material waste. This approach earned widespread praise from project owners, supervisors, and designers alike.

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