BIM in Modular construction

Modular buildings (sometimes referred to as volumetric construction, or prefabricated buildings, although strictly speaking, a prefabricated building need not be modular) are buildings made up of components manufactured on assembly lines in factories then assembled on site in a variety of arrangements.

Buildings can be constructed using modular ‘parts’ such as walls, frames, doors, ceilings, and windows, or a number of ‘complete’ prefabricated modular building units.

Modular construction refers to factory-built building units completely assembled or fabricated in a manufacturing plant away from the jobsite, then transported and assembled on site. Modular building normally consists of multiple rooms with three-dimensional units, which are constructed and pre-assembled complete with trim work, mechanical, electrical and plumbing components installed

Advantages of Modular construction

1) the reduction of overall project schedules,

2) the improvement of product quality,

3) increased onsite safety performance,

4) a reduction in the need for onsite skilled workers, and

5) a decrease in the negative environmental impact caused by construction operations

MEP Coordination and fabrication

Though modular construction has advantages , the coordination and fabrication of the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems in modular construction has always being one of the most challenging tasks encountered in the delivery process of modular constructions .

The MEP coordination and fabrication process involves defining the locations for components of building systems, in where are often congested spaces, to avoid interferences and to comply with diverse design and operations criteria. There are three primary reasons contributing to the challenges of MEP fabrication in modular construction

First, the process is highly fragmented between design and construction firms.

Second, the level of technology used in different coordination scenarios has historically varied significantly between engineers and construction contractors.

Third, historically the process did not provide a model for use by specialty contractors plan prefabrication

How BIM benefits in Modular construction

Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) to coordinate, document and fabricate MEP systems in modular constructions appears to be an effective approach to overcome these challenges.

BIM is commonly defined as the process of creating an intelligent and computable three-dimensional (3D) data set and sharing the data among the various types of professionals within the design and construction team. With BIM technology, an accurate virtual model of a building is constructed with precise geometry and relevant data needed to support the procurement, fabrication, on-site installation activities

1. The use of BIM technology allows for the creation of intelligent contextual semantic digital models in terms of building elements and systems, such as spaces, walls, beams, columns and MEP systems, whereas 3D CAD technology is limited to generating drawings in graphical entities in terms of lines, arcs and circles.

2. In addition, BIM technology allows for a creation of a model that contains information related to the building physical, functional and procurement information. For instance, the BIM model would contain data about the geometry, location, its supplier, operation and maintenance schedule, flow rates, and clearance requirements for an air-handling unit.

3. Using BIM technology allows designers, engineers, and construction contractors to visualize the entire scope of a building project in three dimensions. Therefore, BIM technology is not only defined by simply creating a 3-D data set for internal analysis.

4. BIM technology is also known as the process of using a 3-D model and associated data set to improve collaboration among project participants. Using this collaborative approach, designers and builders can plan, in precise detail, the location and clearances required for a complete and successful project.

Lupiter provides BIM services to the AECO sector across the globe. To know more about our services and technical know-how visit our website Lupiter Technologies