VDC Roundup

When I started writing this update, I was going to make it a quick one - I only had a few examples and articles from the team. I should have known that everyone was just too busy this week to email around images. I'm so glad that they got to it on Friday because this week includes some really exciting examples!

Model Quality Check
Courtesy of Dave Pilcher, APM

Dave was reviewing the 100% DD model in Navisworks before doing his steel takeoff and noticed something peculiar: discrepancies between the drawings and model. For example, the beam highlighted below is W24x55 in the model, but noted as W18x86.

Although its frustrating when design teams don't model perfectly for BIM Uses, we all need to understand that there is a crunch to get out drawings and sometimes things are faked. The important thing to is to check model quality before blindly using it - trust but verify. Our VDC team  does exactly that in our formal QAQC process (in fact, we caught the same error , but hadn't finalized the list to review with Dave yet). I'm more excited that as an APM, Dave is intuitively thinking exactly the way we do - this is a great small example of blurring the lines between VDC and operations.

Facade Study 
Courtesy of Kirsten Soderlund, VDC Modeler

Kirsten has been working with our client and Joe Ferolito, VP of Planning and Cost Engineering, on wrapping up finish selections, including design options for facde. Using the architect's current model, Kristen put together an analysis of facade areas, to help quantify the amount of materials associated with each option. (We'll have to report later how how the project budget is looking!)

'From Model to Reality' at Marlborough Hospital Cancer Pavilion 
Courtesy of Jeremy Garczynski, APM/VDC

This week, we removed the staging from the LINAC vault. Over the next week, we will be adding underground conduit and plumbing per our sketches, the electrician and Varian are reviewing the final layout. Attached is a photo of our “blank slate” before all the equipment arrives. We are standing 5’ below grade on the sub-slab, which is helpful in many ways, but here are 2: 

·         It supports the staging that holds up the roof while it is curing.
·         In an effort to be lean, provides a clean smooth surface for efficient underground work.

Model of LINAC vault

Scope Clarification at Peter W. Rodino Federal Office Building
Courtesy of Moises Berrun, VDC Modeler

Tocci/Driscoll used the model to clarify re: painted v galvanized v unfinished steel for the steel subcontractor. The model proved especially useful at interior-exterior connections. Moises' Geek specs: IFC model was colored in Navisworks.

Catwalk beam and outrigger in blue. Unfinished interior steel in red.

Steel Review
Courtesy of Pierce Reynoldson, VDC Manager

In Pierce's words, "This week, we got back our first approval updates from our steel fabricator. In the image below, each color indicates a different approval status:
SUBMITTED; APRROVED; APPROVED AS NOTED; REVISE & RESUBMIT; HOLD."

SketchUpdate
Courtesy of Pierce Reynoldson, VDC Manager

Pierce forwarded me SketchUp's official announcement of the Trimble deal:

Depending on your level of SketchUp obsessiveness, you may or may not have heard about our recent Trimblification. Around the beginning of June, SketchUp officially left Google to become a part of Trimble. All you really need to know is that this is unequivocally a good thing for everybody. SketchUp's future is brighter than it's ever been, amazing new things are on the way, and the team (almost all of which accompanied the product to Trimble) is doing great. Best of all, we're focused in a way we haven't been in years: on our users, on new features, and on helping SketchUp to become everything you -- and we-- have always wanted it to be.

Additionally, last week, Trimble announced integration between SketchUp and Trimble Field Link - basically, we could do total station layout from a SketchUp model (if it were accurate enough..).

Dr. Atul Gawande at It Again
Courtesy of Johann Palacious, Woodward Design-Build
The Checklist Manifesto author wrote a great piece in the New Yorker that made my brain swirl with thoughts of innovation, standards, systems, and quality for AEC. I haven't fully synthesized, but wanted to share the article anyway. Look forward to hearing anyone's thoughts!

So - what did you do this week!?