How BIM Software Supports Construction Teams in the Field

Gaps between project design and field execution can cost a lot of money. Architects can create beautiful designs, but if the foreperson and trade crews don’t have access to the latest information, they’ll struggle to execute. This can cause communication breakdowns, inefficient work strategies and even costly rebuilds.

Building information modeling (BIM) software helps bridge the gap. It can provide design clarity and coordination on the ground, improve worker efficiency — and help teams avoid expensive mistakes.

What is BIM software?

BIM software is a platform that hosts BIM (Building Information Modeling), providing teams with easy access to view the digital model and the information contained within it. BIM software allows supervisors and superintendents to plan work more efficiently, see potential problems, reference new design changes in real-time, and view

BIM modeling software can also be useful to architects and VDC teams. It helps designers create 3D models with powerful simulation and building tools that are accessible from anywhere on smartphones and tablets.

Visualization

It provides realistic visualizations of the construction project, which helps stakeholders understand the design and identify potential issues early in the process.

Collaboration

BIM facilitates collaboration among architects, engineers, contractors and clients by providing a centralized platform where all stakeholders can access and update project information in real time.

Clash Detection

BIM clash detection software can identify clashes between different building systems (e.g., plumbing and electrical), allowing for resolution before construction begins, thus saving time and reducing costs.

Scheduling (4D BIM)

4D BIM is an animated construction schedule. This could be a video or a series of stills that show the project moving forward step by step. By adding time, scheduling and logistics data to the model, this added BIM dimension allows people to see and engage with the schedule in a new way.

Cost Estimation (5D BIM)

5D BIM, or cost estimation with BIM, helps in creating more accurate cost estimates by linking the 3D model with cost data, providing insights into the financial aspect of the project.

Facility Management

Post-construction, BIM models serve as valuable tools for facility management, offering detailed information about the building’s systems and components.

How Teams Use BIM on the Jobsite

BIM software helps employees at every level of operations work more efficiently. Superintendents, PMs and team supervisors leverage BIM to understand system layouts and verify installation details. This is especially helpful for representing detailed 3D models of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) components.

Project Planning

PMs use BIM to plan the construction process, ensuring that all components are correctly sequenced and that resources are allocated efficiently.

Risk Management

By utilizing BIM for clash detection and scenario planning, PMs can identify and mitigate potential risks before they impact the project timeline or budget.

Communication

BIM enhances communication among the project team and stakeholders by providing a clear and comprehensive visual representation of the project, facilitating better decision-making.

Progress Monitoring

PMs use BIM to track the progress of construction activities against the schedule, allowing for timely adjustments and ensuring the project stays on track.

Change Management

Any changes to the project design or schedule can be quickly updated in the BIM model, ensuring that all parties are working with the most current information.

Quality Control

BIM helps PMs maintain high quality standards by providing detailed specifications and ensuring that construction aligns with the design intent.

One of the clearest ways that BIM supports field teams may actually be the difference it makes during design and preconstruction. By laying out a 3D visualization of the project, any potential clashes can be identified and fixed. It takes some vision and experience for teams to recognize the difference it makes to avoid clashes. However, anticipating these challenges can help avoid very costly errors and rework from happening in the field. 

How BIM Software Improves Accuracy and Reduces Rework

BIM software reduces guesswork in the field by giving teams an easier way to verify correct placements before installation. It’s also a single platform that coordinates work between different trades, helping to avoid the kinds of overlaps and scheduling conflicts that can derail a construction timeline. These benefits collectively contribute to overall gains in accuracy and efficiency.im

Mobile Access: Bringing BIM to the Field in Real Time

BIM is powerful because it allows field teams to access real-time models. With a simple tablet and mobile app, a foreperson will be able to interact with models on site, view critical details at the point of installation and perform walkthroughs with visual aids to improve their assessments.

Plus, when somebody finds a problem, they can use BIM software on their phone to fix it while still in the field. This can save many trips back to the office by giving the whole team the tools it needs to collaborate effectively in real time.  

BIM provides a clear understanding to project managers and superintendents about exactly where progress stands. Teams track project progress not because the whole project has suddenly gone off the rails, but because there are always areas of projects that could be trending towards getting off track. 

Traditionally, managers would wait for pay applications to come in from trades to fully understand where the project stands. Using BIM, teams can walk the job site, identifying which tasks are done and which aren’t and compare that to a database, to get real-time data. Being able to accurately progress the project in a proactive manner allows the team to become more agile to course correct.

How Augmented Reality Boosts BIM Software's Field Capabilities

Pairing augmented reality (AR) with BIM is helping transform virtual design from a desk-bound activity to a dynamic, in-field experience.

This technology overlays digital information directly onto a user's real-world view. For example, pointing a phone at a wall can reveal existing installations alongside renderings of what still needs to be placed. Crews can visualize hidden elements, like ductwork behind a ceiling, by pulling data directly from the BIM.

Combining AR with BIM brings the detailed model directly into the field. Users instantly grasp design intent and planned installations. The AR overlay merges "as-built" conditions with future plans, providing a clear understanding of what needs to happen where.

Strengthening Collaboration Between Field and VDC Teams

Teams also leverage BIM software to improve communication between field teams and in-office designers. These platforms strengthen collaboration by:

• Allowing VDC teams to push real-time updates directly to field users
• Allowing field teams to report issues and provide input with no external communication requirements
• Speeding up the conflict resolution process by eliminating paper plans and email threads
• Creating an ongoing feedback loop that brings VDC teams and field staff closer together

BIM can be really advantageous for understanding and communicating necessary changes between field and office.

BIM helps individuals visualize and understand systems to better identify and communicate project changes and run a model of resulting cost implications. It can help people visualize the field better by translating 2D plans into 3D images, so they can digest required changes. BIM can also quickly highlight changes between two plans to get a fast and accurate idea of costs.

Empower field teams with the right BIM tools.

Investing in BIM technology can substantially improve job site efficiency. But not all platforms are equal: Some do a better job of helping teams leverage the benefits of this technology than others. For example, some BIM software solutions can integrate with the other business apps a team uses, which can reduce communication delays and turn the platform into a single source of truth.

Some teams also prioritize tools based on customer service and training resources. For example, a team may want to make sure it has access to 24/7 support from software experts or access to on-demand videos for training new employees.

Bringing BIM software's full power out to the jobsite was once far more difficult, facing hurdles from limited technology access to a scarcity of skilled users. Fortunately, these obstacles are quickly disappearing as more of the industry embraces technology. The real challenge now involves companies dedicating time to train field teams in new workflows that maximize BIM's potential — empowering them to succeed and creating more organized and efficient jobsites.

Written by