BIM use cases: A comprehensive insight

What is BIM?

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an innovative method that uses digital 3D models to represent the physical and functional characteristics of a building. These models contain information that is relevant for all phases of the building life cycle - from planning and construction to maintenance and demolition. BIM also improves collaboration between those involved in construction projects and ensures greater efficiency and accuracy in construction projects.

So far so good: but let's take a closer look at BIM in practice.

Core functions and advantages of BIM:

1. Visualization and planning: BIM enables architects, engineers and other professionals to visualize a building in a digital 3D environment. This facilitates communication and decision-making, as everyone involved receives a clear picture of the planned building.

2. Collaborative way of working: BIM encourages collaboration between all parties involved in a project, including architects, engineers, contractors and owners. By sharing a central BIM model, misunderstandings can be reduced and process efficiencies increased.

3. Collision checking: A key benefit of BIM is the ability to identify and resolve potential conflicts between different systems (e.g. heating, ventilation, electrics) at an early stage. This reduces the risk of costly errors and rework during the construction phase.

4. Cost and time management: BIM integrates time (4D) and cost (5D) information into the model. This enables accurate budgeting and scheduling as well as better control of project costs and times.

5. Lifecycle management: BIM models can be used throughout the lifecycle of a building to support operation and maintenance. This includes the management of maintenance schedules, inspections and renovations.

It all sounds great in theory. But how exactly does it work in practice? Let's take a look at the BIM use cases.

Use cases of BIM:

Here are the BIM use cases including standardized designation, description and an example to illustrate them in construction practice.

000 Fundamentals
Title: Basic information and guidelines on the use of BIM.
Description: Collection of general principles, requirements and definitions for the use of BIM in construction projects.
Practice: Definition of standards and protocols for the use of BIM in a construction company.

010 Inventory recording and modeling
Title: Inventory and modeling of existing buildings.
Description: Use of 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry to record and model existing buildings.
Practice: Creation of a digital model of a historic building for planning renovation work.

020 Demand planning
Title: Determining the needs and requirements of a construction project.
Description: Determination of the functional and spatial requirements as well as the objectives of the project.
Practice: Needs analysis for the construction of a new school building, based on pupil numbers and educational requirements.

030 Planning variants or preparation of budget justifying documents
Title: Development and evaluation of various planning options.
Description: Creation and analysis of different design options to find the optimal solution, taking into account budget and requirements.
Practice: Comparison of different façade materials and designs for an office building in order to weigh up costs and energy efficiency.

040 Visualization
Title: Creation of visualizations to support planning and decision-making.
Description: Use of 3D renderings and animations to visualize the building at different planning stages.
Practice: Creation of visualizations for the presentation of a new shopping center to investors and the public.

050 Coordination of the specialist trades
Title: Coordination of the various trades involved in a construction project.
Description: Synchronization and coordination of the work of architects, engineers and other specialist planners.
Practice: Use of a BIM model to coordinate the electrical, sanitary and ventilation installations in a hospital.

060 Planning progress control and quality inspection
Title: Monitoring of planning progress and quality inspection.
Description: Regular checking of plans and models for correctness and completeness.
Practice: Performing quality checks on the models of a high-rise project to ensure that all standards are met.

070 Design and verification
Title: Technical design and verification.
Description: Carrying out static calculations and verifications to ensure the load-bearing capacity and safety of the structure.
Practice: Calculation of the load-bearing capacity of a bridge structure in the BIM model.

080 Derivation of planning documents
Title: Creation of planning documents from the BIM model.
Description: Derivation of construction plans, sections and views from the digital model.
Practice: Creation of detailed construction plans for a residential building from the BIM model.

090 Approval process
Title: Supporting the approval process with BIM.
Description: Provision of the necessary documents and visualizations for building applications and approval procedures.
Practice: Use of a BIM model to visualize a construction project when applying for a building permit.

100 Quantity and cost calculation
Title: Quantity and cost determination based on the BIM model.
Description: Calculation of the required materials and costs based on the digital models.
Practice: Creation of a detailed cost plan for the construction of a bridge using 5D BIM.

110 Specifications, tendering, awarding
Title: Creation and management of specifications.
Description: Use of the BIM model to create detailed specifications for tenders and contract awards.
Practice: Creation of a bill of quantities for the tendering of construction services for a new school building.

120 Scheduling of the execution
Title: Scheduling and coordination of the construction work.
Description: Use of 4D BIM models to simulate and control the construction process.
Practice: Use of 4D BIM to plan and control the construction phases of an office building.

130 Logistics planning
Title: Planning of construction site logistics.
Description: Coordination of deliveries, storage and logistics on the construction site.
Practice: Planning the logistics for material deliveries and storage for a high-rise project.

140 Construction progress control
Title: Monitoring construction progress.
Description: Comparison of the actual construction progress with the planned schedule.
Practice: Monitoring construction work in real time and adjusting schedules in the event of deviations.

150 Change and supplement management
Title: Management of changes and supplements.
Description: Documentation and management of changes during the construction phase.
Practice: Recording and management of supplements and change requests in a construction project.

160 Billing of construction services
Title: Billing and documentation of construction services.
Description: Verification and invoicing of the construction work performed using the BIM model.
Practice: Use of the BIM model for the documentation and invoicing of construction services for a shopping center.

170 Acceptance and defect management
Title: Acceptance and defect management.
Description: Recording and management of defects during building acceptance.
Practice: Use of BIM to record and track defects during the acceptance of a new office building.

180 Commissioning management
Title: Preparation and management of commissioning.
Description: Organization and documentation of commissioning processes.
Practice: Preparation of a commissioning plan for a hospital, including staff training.

190 Project and building documentation
Title: Documentation of the building and project data.
Description: Recording of all relevant data and documents in the BIM model.
Practice: Creation of a complete digital building file for a new university building.

200 Use for operation and maintenance
Title: Use of the BIM model for operation and maintenance.
Description: Use of the model for the management and maintenance of the structure after completion.
Practice: Use of the BIM model to plan and carry out maintenance work on an office complex.

BIM in practice: insights and examples

Efficient planning and execution: In practice, BIM has revolutionized the way construction projects are planned and executed. A typical example is the planning of an office building, where architects and engineers work together on a central digital model. This model covers all aspects of the building, from architecture to building services and structural engineering. The ability to virtually walk through the building and run through various design scenarios means that potential problems can be identified and resolved at an early stage.

Collaborative working: BIM promotes collaboration between different project participants. Architects, engineers, construction companies and owners can all access the same model and track changes in real time. This leads to better coordination and reduces misunderstandings. For example, a hospital project that was realized with the help of BIM enabled those involved to coordinate the positioning of medical equipment, supply lines and walls in such a way that all requirements were optimally met.

Cost efficiency and sustainability: By integrating time and cost information into the BIM model (5D BIM), the financial aspects of a project can be better monitored and optimized. For example, material costs can be calculated accurately and delivery times can be better coordinated. BIM also supports sustainability by making it possible to compare different materials and construction methods in terms of their energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

Why BIM is not yet used everywhere:

Despite the clear advantages, there are several reasons why BIM is not yet widely used in all projects and regions:

1. High entry costs:

   Problem: The implementation of BIM requires considerable investment in software, hardware and training. This is a barrier, especially for smaller companies or projects with a limited budget.
   

2. Lack of expertise:

   Problem: BIM requires specific knowledge that many construction professionals do not yet have. Training and adapting to new work processes is often time-consuming and expensive.
   

3. Resistance to change:

   Problem: The introduction of BIM means a fundamental change in working methods. Many of those involved are familiar with traditional methods and are reluctant to adopt new technologies.
   

4. Insufficient standardization:

   Problem: Some regions lack uniform standards for the application of BIM, leading to confusion and compatibility issues.
   

5. Project size and complexity:

   Problem: In smaller or less complex projects, some designers and contractors may not see the added value of BIM.
   

6. Specific challenges of the BIM department:

   Problem: BIM often does not find its way to the construction site because the department does not know the requirements of the construction site. One example is the division of a building into four sections, which are not taken into account in the model. Requirements between the client and contractor are often unclear and there is a lack of contractual provisions and concrete objectives. The quality of the data in third-party models is often inadequate, which leads to a high workload during post-processing.

Advantages of specter as a solution to these challenges:

1. Cost-efficient solution:

   • Solution: specter offers an efficient software solution with flexible license models that even smaller companies and projects can use without high initial investments. Let specter calculate your cost savings for you.

2. User-friendly interface and training:

   • Solution: specter is characterized by an extremely user-friendly interface that requires little to no training. In addition, specter offers support and training materials in the Help Center to ease the transition. With a personal point of contact, your team is not alone and gets all the support they need.

3. Support for change:

   • Solution: specter helps to intuitively map familiar (analog) processes digitally, which reduces resistance to change. The software brings BIM directly to the construction manager and makes it easily accessible and useful. Furthermore, specter adapts to your processes and translates them digitally. Let us convince you.

4. Standardized use cases and compatibility:

   • Solution: specter supports standardized BIM use cases and ensures compatibility with common industry standards, which facilitates collaboration. Learn more about BIM use cases in specter in the next section.

5. Adaptability to project sizes:

   • Solution: specter is scalable and adaptable so that even smaller projects can benefit from the advantages of BIM. We work on a project basis and not by license per user. This allows you to conveniently invite all project participants with different rights to work in specter as a collaboration platform.

6. Solutions for BIM department-specific challenges:

   • Solution: specter makes it possible to improve the BIM model by providing functions to slice and dice the model tree, but without a complete merge. specter also helps to define clear goals and set new goals. The flexible grouping and assignment of tasks to components means that specter can work with all data, even if the data quality is not perfect. This ensures effective use of existing data even if only 90% of the data modeling is implemented, which is still better than no model-based way of working.

specter's construction site software is an essential tool for automating and increasing the efficiency of construction projects through the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Here are some specific BIM use cases (AwF) in which specter plays a central role as software for construction site management in 3D:

specter supports the use of 4D models in construction meetings by simulating the construction process and thus facilitating construction site management. Scheduling in a digital model (4D BIM) increases schedule reliability. The 3D visualization of the construction phases makes it possible to identify potential problems at an early stage, which simplifies communication and coordination on the construction site.

In this use case, specter helps with the planning and communication of logistics processes on the construction site. By overlaying construction site layout plans (BE plans) with the building model, deliveries and storage can be planned clearly. This prevents conflicts and optimizes the use of space.

specter offers tools for construction progress control with a time-based target/actual comparison. This includes the creation of a progress information model to visualize construction progress. This allows areas with delays to be identified and countermeasures to be initiated in good time. This helps to reduce missed deadlines and enables effective deadline controlling.

specter facilitates the invoicing of construction services by regularly documenting and checking the plausibility of the services provided in the model. This simplifies the checking and processing of partial invoices, which leads to an improved payment flow and increases auditability.

The digital building file, photo documentation and inspection reports are organized and managed by specter. This improves the retrievability of information and makes it easy to trace processes. Digital archiving ensures the long-term availability of the documentation and makes it easier to hand over to the client or operator.

specter is the ideal software solution for any construction project, as it offers comprehensive support in scheduling and logistics planning. The integration of 4D models improves schedule reliability and enables efficient construction site management. The software also facilitates the invoicing of construction services through automatic documentation and plausibility checks, resulting in a faster payment flow. Finally, specter ensures seamless project and construction documentation, guaranteeing transparency and traceability. These functions make specter the ideal choice for efficient and high-quality project management.

1. What are BIM use cases? BIM use cases refer to specific application scenarios in which Building Information Modeling (BIM) is used to plan, execute and manage construction projects.

2. What use cases are there in scheduling? BIM is used in scheduling (4D BIM) to simulate construction processes, increase schedule reliability and improve coordination on the construction site.

3. How does BIM support logistics planning? BIM helps with logistics planning by enabling construction site layout plans to be overlaid with the building model. This facilitates the organization of deliveries and the allocation of storage areas.

4. What is the role of BIM in construction progress control? BIM is used to monitor construction progress by performing a target/actual comparison and detecting delays at an early stage. This allows measures to be taken in good time to avoid missed deadlines.

5. How does BIM facilitate the invoicing of construction work? The automatic documentation and plausibility check of construction work simplifies invoicing. This leads to faster and more accurate invoicing.

6. What is the significance of digital building documentation in BIM? BIM enables comprehensive digital documentation, including photo documentation and inspection reports. This improves transparency and traceability and ensures the long-term availability of data.

7. Why are these use cases important? BIM use cases improve the efficiency, accuracy and quality of construction projects. They help to reduce costs, minimize risks and optimize collaboration between project participants.

8. How does specter integrate BIM into construction site operations? specter brings BIM directly to the construction site by providing a user-friendly platform that allows site managers to access BIM models. These models can be edited on site to better reflect specific site requirements, such as subdivision into construction stages. specter makes it easier to work with existing models and provides tools to customize and improve the model tree without the need for a full model merge.

9. Can specter work with different data sources and models? Yes, specter is designed to work flexibly with different data sources and model qualities. Even if the data quality in external models varies, specter enables effective use of this data. By flexibly grouping and assigning tasks to components, site managers can also work with incomplete or imperfectly modeled data. Specter ensures that existing data is used as efficiently as possible, which is particularly beneficial when working with external models.