BIM-Enabled IPD: A Win-Win for Owners and Project Stakeholders

22 December 2014

Kuldeep Bwail

The building and construction industry is faced with a multitude of challenges in areas, ranging from design planning, construction administration and budgeting, to scheduling and facilities management. To add to this, the demands from owners’ regards to timely completion, cost efficiency, constructability and energy performance are becoming increasingly stringent. As a result, multidisciplinary coordination between all the parties involved in an AEC project right from design planning through to on-site construction, administration is paramount to meet these demands.

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) framework, if implemented appropriately, can ensure ongoing collaboration between diverse stakeholders, including the client, the architect, the main contractor, the MEP designer and the MEP contractor at all the stages of the project from conception to completion. As defined by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a process that “collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all the participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.”

A crucial element of the IPD approach is the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) technology. Unlike traditional project delivery methods, the essence of BIM technology is the central parametric model that is developed using 3D input, often times separate BIM models, from different parties involved in an AEC project. By enabling greater collaboration and information-sharing between different participants, data-rich BIM models drive the IPD framework and improve decision-making ability that can positively impact the project’s outcome. Following are the compelling reasons as to why AEC project teams must employ a combination of IPD and BIM and how this approach delivers positive value propositions for all stakeholders:

The IPD contractual agreements establishes clarity and dismisses ambiguity amongst all the project stakeholders with regards to decision-making, detailed responsibilities of each party, and risk/reward-sharing mechanism for each task. As a result, major participants, including the architects, MEP engineers and main contractors are clear about their respective roles and timeframes.
Employing parametric BIM models structures the project team in a way that encourages clear, open, and horizontal communication. This facilitates diverse disciplines to seamlessly coordinate during the pre-construction design planning and construction phases.
IPD necessitates mapping out comprehensive workflows and protocols for developing, sharing and updating the digital BIM models. These plans clearly delineate procedures for intra-discipline as well as inter-discipline design data management and communication.
Due to an integrated design management structure facilitated by BIM and IPD, the cost and time benefits experienced by the primary project team members spill over to secondary chain participants, including fabricators, installation experts and facility managers.

So, if your firm operates in the AEC industry and is looking for a highly recommended IPD support services provider to handle initial consultation to complete project management, contact us.

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