Architects and engineers are two of the most important focal points for project execution in construction. These two groups will be familiar with the concept of BIM which stands for Building Information Modeling. In our quarter of the world, BIM is often thought about only from a CAD perspective.
Any construction project has to at least have proper documentation; production and shop drawings that can be used by contractors on-site, BOQs and material schedules for reference and cost-keeping, artistic impressions and CAD renders, and so forth. And while it is easy to assume that these are enough for a typical low-scale construction project, what happens when the magnitude and complexity of the project increases?
Introducing Level-2 BIM
BIM is a collaborative process between ACE stakeholders in construction, i.e. Architects, Contractors, and Engineers (ACE) that allows for the planning, design, and construction of a structure with a single 3D model. The effect is to produce a more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable workflow that increases the productivity of each stakeholder.
3D BIM is all about visualization and documentation. This can be achieved by using a variety of CAD tools such as Revit and SketchUp for architecture, and ETABS or SAP for structural analysis. The idea is to generate file formats such as IFC files which can be shared across platforms and reproduced as CAD drawings.
Level 2 BIM and beyond is all about collaboration and the consideration of time-factored constraints. This may, for example, include the integration of 3D drawing software and survey technologies such as point clouds, LIDAR systems, and terrestrial laser scanners.
In Level 2 BIM, Central data repositories may also be created for the entire project and teams such as the architectural, structural, MEP, and construction designated infrastructure in the collaborative design environment. The effect is a vastly more efficient and superior system at which all points are working in synergy.
Ever wondered how the Chinese built those two massive hospitals in Wuhan in less than a week? Or why the Germans build with such nascent precision?
For a large or complex project spanning a significant period to complete, it is important to anticipate and factor in any changes during the design and construction processes as they happen. Proper control execution following the critical path requires that:
- accurate and essential information is relayed in real-time, i.e. real-time collaboration,
- construction simulations can be effected,
- that all schedules are optimized.
The whole point of going beyond simply working CAD models and drawings into Level 2 BIM is time savings which directly translates into reduced project costs.
With this in mind, questions abound about why projects in Kenya traditionally take too long to bring to a conclusion.
The Transition to BIM in Kenya
Anybody involved in the design, supply, and construction of the built environment has interacted with an element of BIM. The changing skylines of centers like Upper Hill and Westlands are evidence enough that architects and engineers in Kenya are skilled at their respective crafts.
However, how does one put into perspective Level-2 BIM which has a time integral? After all, public data on private construction projects including completion times are not available. The only sources we can cross-reference from are government policy and known data on public construction projects. None of these two have been documented in Kenya, therefore not available.
For the sake of comparison, let’s consider the UK which has a clear government policy on BIM adoption. All public construction projects need to be Level-2 BIM-compliant to access government funding. Some of the stipulations within the Level-2 BIM categorization include that all CAD data should ideally be shareable across various file systems or in various file formats and that a special Collaborative Data Environment (CDE) be created for the project.
While the regulations in the UK are only applicable to publicly-funded construction projects, one cannot help but see the influence that this has also on private sector projects. The average turnaround time for a construction project in the UK or China is expected to be far less than for a similar project in Kenya.
So, Where is Kenya in Terms of Integrating Advanced BIM in Construction?
With little to no data available from national authorities and corporations such as NHC, KeNHA, and the NCA, there is little way to measure Level-2 BIM adoption in Kenya. Some one-offs occur, such as the recent news that the Nairobi Expressway would be completed 6 months earlier than anticipated. The vast majority of construction projects in Kenya however have very little collaboration between ACE stakeholders other than CAD drawings.
Level-2 BIM isn’t just about producing working drawings and CAD files. It is a process that hinges on collaboration in which time is an asset and in which changes or challenges encountered in real-time are mitigated as they come collaboratively.
In Kenya, we are still miles behind from such a masterclass scenario.
