Continuity with BIM: Sligro renovations.

On Tuesday, February 6, the renovated #Sligro in Nieuwegein was festively opened and we contributed to this with our working method in BIM.

Sligro projects range from the 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. range: quite an area to remodel. This includes a significant portion of technical equipment for refrigerated workbenches, coolers, ovens, cold rooms and dishwashers.

Add to that the fact that they do not close during a renovation because the customers are hospitality and hotels, who do not easily move out to another city. The challenge is clear: remodel without closing. This is done by remodeling in a number of phases with all of Sligro’s departments remaining operational, but often in temporary setups. And it is precisely with all these temporary setups that our BIM comes into play: dit is solved by working in a number of phases with a temporary situation always providing operational continuity while construction takes place “behind the scenes.

In our design models, all those phases are created and coordinated. We work with a full BIM in the Cloud (Autodesk Construction Cloud / BIM360). All suppliers and construction partners are connected to the same models in the Cloud and work in them. So all project participants are working with the most recent and same data.

In a number of sprints, we develop the LayOut and design. After design approval, validation of the 3d design model, project participants are connected to the model. Cooperation with technical disciplines also takes place in the shared model: so construction, technical systems, refrigeration, everything is placed in the same 3d model. This also allows us to assess in 3D whether this is attuned to each other: is the cooling outlet in the right place under the cooling? With a clash check, we can see if components “clash. If they are modeled in the same place then they clash and so it is not manufacturable. We share those clashes in BIMcollab so that project participants can resolve the clashes. For example, we coordinate all installations with the consultants, suppliers and subcontractors until we virtually determine that it can be made. This prevents construction errors and thus leads to a lower risk of additional work.

For complex projects, the project manager has an extra form of assistance when working with a virtual design model: the BIM coordinator: the data manager of the project. The role of the BIM coordinator is to unlock the shared models and to detect and communicate the clashes. A clash is when objects are not properly modeled and would lead to a construction error. Usually when two objects touch, but it can also be a pipe mating too close to a structural edge. When clashing (with Autodesk Navisworks, for example), the BIM manager tracks down all problem points and communicates them back to the design and drawing disciplines.

In what way BIM can contribute to a better project result depends heavily on the task at hand.

The most important at Sligro are:

• visual support in design decision making
• detailed coordination of all phases and temporary situations
• better preparation due to clashes and less chance of construction errors in risk management
• through less chance of construction errors a better bid and better cost control
• and what we can already do but still need to implement: using the models to report on CO2 load per conversion