It is crucial to stay at the forefront of the competitive construction industry. One of the most potent tools that has transformed the way construction companies in North America approach their projects is Building Information Modeling (BIM). This process enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves coordination among stakeholders. At Hermosillo, we are committed to innovation and excellence. We have seen firsthand how BIM optimizes every phase of construction in Mexico.
Among BIM’s key advantages is its ability to provide accurate 3D models, which help visualize projects with greater precision. This technology empowers project managers to make data-driven decisions, streamline workflows, and mitigate risks before they arise on-site.
What is BIM, and Why is it Relevant?
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an innovative methodology that revolutionizes project management in the construction industry. It is not just design software; it is a comprehensive process that encompasses creating, managing, and using detailed digital information throughout a building or infrastructure’s life cycle.
One of BIM’s key strengths is its ability to generate accurate 3D models, facilitating visualization, coordination, and error detection before construction begins. This technology promotes integration across different trades, enabling seamless collaboration among architects, engineers, and the construction and production team (end users) on a centralized cloud-based platform from the preconstruction, design, and construction phases to the operation and maintenance stages of the project.
According to Autodesk, BIM facilitates multidisciplinary data management, allowing for the creation of precise digital representations that optimize decision-making, enhance sustainability, and reduce repetitive work and costs in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) projects. Additionally, by improving cost estimation and resource allocation, BIM contributes to more efficient budget management, ensuring financial predictability and minimizing unexpected expenses.
BIM Life Cycle in Construction
- Preconstruction: BIM uses advanced technology to collect, organize, and model accurate project data, from greenfield buildings to existing structures and their surroundings (brownfield projects). This provides a precise and detailed vision, facilitating decision-making and strategic project planning.
- Design: This phase includes conceptual design, analysis, detailing, and the project’s construction documents. BIM enhances interdisciplinary trade coordination and provides critical construction scheduling and logistics information.
- Construction: BIM optimizes the fabrication of structure elements and enhances the project execution by providing detailed specifications and precise logistical data. This improves efficiency, reduces errors, and ensures compliance with established deadlines.
- Operations and Maintenance: BIM-generated data remains helpful beyond the construction phase, facilitating efficient asset management. BIM helps plan renovations, optimize maintenance costs, and improve the building’s sustainability over time.
Key Benefits of BIM in Building Design and Construction
1. Improved Collaboration and Communication
BIM facilitates seamless collaboration among all teams, including architects, engineers, contractors, and final users (the owner). By working with a cloud-shared digital model, all participants can access the same real-time information, minimizing errors and misunderstandings. Additionally, interdisciplinary trade coordination is optimized, allowing for early conflict resolution and more accurate planning.
2. Cost and Construction Time Reduction
BIM’s ability to simulate the construction process and anticipate potential issues enables more efficient planning, reducing costs and execution times. Detailed visualizations and phase simulations help identify and address problems before they arise on-site, avoiding costly delays and modifications.
3. Project Visualization and Simulation
BIM enables the creation of realistic 3D visualizations and detailed building simulations. This facilitates design comprehension, energy performance evaluation, and space distribution optimization. It also allows for the generation of architectural renderings to support decision-making with clients and investors.
4. Higher Quality and Design Accuracy
BIM’s three-dimensional models significantly reduce errors commonly found in two-dimensional drawings, such as dimensional discrepancies or omissions. Additionally, having a 3D model enhances collaboration by integrating input from all project stakeholders, including end users. The software’s built-in analysis tools allow for performance evaluation in key areas such as energy efficiency and operational effectiveness, ensuring that the project meets high-quality standards and operational efficiency goals.
5. Optimized Cost Management
BIM provides detailed information on equipment and material specifications, quantities, and project costs, enabling precise budgeting and better expense control. By predicting problems before execution, rework and material waste are significantly reduced.
6. Increased Efficiency in Operations and Maintenance
BIM is beneficial during construction, operation, and maintenance. BIM models contain detailed information about building components, such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure. This allows for efficient maintenance management, with precise data access for planning repairs and preventive maintenance, extending the building’s lifespan and reducing operational costs.
Read our blog post “Maintenance, Efficiency, and Safety in Industrial Facilities: The Hermosillo Approach” to learn more about this topic.
7. Contribution to Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
BIM plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability in the construction industry. Its energy performance analysis tools allow for assessing a building’s environmental impact and exploring design options that minimize energy consumption and carbon emissions. This helps comply with environmental regulations and sustainability certifications.
Our Commitment to BIM
Since 2017, Hermosillo has embraced BIM as a fundamental tool in all its design and construction projects. Our in-house VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) team comprises certified professionals and experts in the field. We take pride in leveraging their expertise to achieve the highest quality standards and manage risks in complex projects.
Integrating BIM into the design phase allows our teams to collaborate more efficiently. This approach ensures that every detail is planned and optimized before construction begins, enhances coordination, reduces rework, and improves overall project execution.
BIM’s real-time capabilities allow all stakeholders to access up-to-date project data, facilitating better decision-making and quick adjustments when needed. Through detailed functional characteristics, we create precise digital models that help predict performance, improve sustainability, and optimize resources.
In collaboration with partners and academic institutions, we continuously work to expand BIM technology adoption nationwide, promoting innovative methodologies that benefit the entire construction industry in Mexico.
Wrapping Up
BIM is revolutionizing construction in North America, and its impact is undeniable. By adopting this methodology, companies can improve efficiency, reduce costs, enhance collaboration, and construct higher-quality buildings. At Hermosillo, we have been utilizing BIM in all our projects for over seven years, always betting on innovation, as we believe it is the key to the future of the construction sector.
Contact us to learn more about how BIM can benefit your next construction project. We are here to help you build the future!
If you’d like to explore this topic further, we invite you to read our blog post “BIM in the Construction Industry – How It Is Revolutionizing the Sector.”
