Entrant details
Role or Job Title on the Project
BIM Engineer
Employer
Sanfield (Management) Limited
Employer Role
Construction, Fabrication or Supply Chain Company
Are you or your employer a member of buildingSMART?
No
Submission details
Submitting Party Company Name
Sanfield (Management) Limited
Submitting Party Company Location
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Submitting Party Role on Project
BIM Manager/ Main Contractor
Full Project Name
Proposed Residential Development at Area 54, Siu Hong, Tuen Mun T.M.T.L. 483
Project Location (Country)
Hong Kong
Project Objectives
A new residential project consisting of 14 towers, 1 podium, and 2 basements on an irregular site with tight spacing conditions to develop around 4500 residential units with a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 195,000 m2. The construction work is to be carried out in 3 phases starting from 2019. The project is set to be completed by the starting of 2025. A new culture of OpenBIM has grown during this project leading to higher efficiency and better quality construction.
openBIM Achievements
This residential project helped promote OpenBIM in the proprietary-solution-dominated Hong Kong market by:
- Successfully introducing OpenBIM throughout the team for design transfer and coordination on a 195,000 m2 mega project.
- Overcoming attachment to legacy processes to adopt OpenBIM implementation in a region with limited understanding or practical experience of OpenBIM.
- Demonstrating superior benefits of OpenBIM approaches (IFC, MVD, BCF).
- Providing a pioneering example accelerating OpenBIM use in Hong Kong by implementing IFC-based workflows beginning in 2019.
- Convincing others of the value OpenBIM can achieve through this exemplary project.
- OpenBIM adoption has grown from 4% to 66% since 2019.
openBIM used
IFC 2x3, BCF, MVD
Software used
ArchiCAD, Altizure, Dalux, Grasshopper, MS Project, Autodesk Navisworks Manage, Realworks, Autodesk Revit, SAP2000, SimpleBIM, Solibri Model Checker, Synchro Pro, TAS Cubicost, Trimble Edgewise, Trimble Geospatial & Google Sketchup
Highlights
- Exemplary implementation of OpenBIM overcame resistance, achieved superior project outcomes, and converted sceptics to become OpenBIM supporters.
- Early engagement of all stakeholders supported identification and adoption of innovative construction approaches.
- Growth in BIM Adoption: As the project began in June 2019, only 4% of the Production Team supported OpenBIM. Open BIM adoption has increased by 4% to 5% each month; by July 2020 adoption had reached 66%.
- BIM Standard Development (BIM Guide and BIM Playbook) at Enterprise Level to ensure consistent BIM development and transparent roles/responsibilities assignment across all the projects.
- IFC-based Design Transfer Workflows ensured smooth integration of 500+ BIM files for Architecture, Structure, and MEP disciplines developed using 16+ BIM authoring and data manipulation tools since the project began in 2019. The combined models support visualizations of construction sequencing which would not have been otherwise possible, and resulted in an innovative new construction approach.
- IFC- & BCF-based Issue Identification and Tracking workflows ensured timely reporting, empowering the design team to quickly identify 2500+ issues, and expedite resolution.
- Customized MVDs (using SimpleBIM) reduced the size of IFC file transfers by more than 50%, optimizing information transfer to Quantity Surveyors and streamlining structural system Quantity Take-Off (QTO) processes.
- Faster BIM-based QTO leading to more than 45% time saving for QTO practice for Concreting, Formwork and Excavation & Lateral Support (ELS) activities.
- Early resolution of potential OpenBIM challenges before implementation of IFC for design transfer and design coordination, including data loss and unreliable data transfer, helped reduce occasions for mistrust of, or residence to, OpenBIM approaches.
- Executed 490,500 cubic meters of excavation activities for the mega project through the BIM-based planning.
Project and Stakeholder Logos (compiled into one .ppt/pptx file for upload)
Project Address
T.M.T.L. 483, Siu Hong, Area 54, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong
Project Type
Mixed-Use
Size of Project
Gross Floor Area (GFA) is 195,000 m2
Detailed description of the project
A new residential project consisting of 14 towers, a podium level serving multiple towers, and 2 basements with a total area of 195,000 m2 is in development by Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong. The total duration of the project is estimated to be ~6 years (2019-2025).
The project presents unusual challenges owing to the scale and complexity, the tight site constraints in a dense urban location, and unusual site topography requiring customized approaches to excavation, bracing, construction sequencing, staging, and materiel management.
The Developer was well-aware of the special challenges for this project, and that OpenBIM had the potential to overcome several challenges this project would encounter. They also realized that winning stakeholders over from traditional methods prevalent in the Hong Kong market to new practices involving OpenBIM would require detailed planning, patient implementation, and exemplary results from the outset. They embarked on a program featuring education, technical support, and acknowledgement of accomplshments, knowing only clear successes, ideally early in the project, would overcome market pressures against BIM adoption.
Beyond mandating the use of BIM to perform reliable analysis and coordination, the Developer chose to make OpenBIM a key factor of their formula to accommodate the diversity of project stakeholders, and the wide range of proprietary tools used to execute the project, promote cohesion, consistency, and information reliability.
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Strong Leadership Overcame OpenBIM Resistance
Only 3 out of 82 production team members supported OpenBIM when the project began in June 2019. The Hong Kong construction market had been slow to adopt BIM in general, and gravitated toward narrowly-focused proprietary solutions over OpenBIM where BIM was adopted. Through education and support, the Developer helped project stakeholders understand the benefits of OpenBIM, overcome barriers, and eventually embrace OpenBIM. The Developers strategies and follow-through are having dramatic results; most stakeholders have now embraced and eagerly adopted OpenBIM solutions.
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Relating OpenBIM to Business Objectives
The first effort in paving the road to OpenBIM adoption removed some of the practical barriers. The Developer helped the stakeholders understand how OpenBIM could be used to address specific problems of this project directly and reliably. BIM objectives, adoption plan and standards were developed from these tangible business considerations. This dispelled the perception of BIM as an increased project burden that squandered time and treasure in pursuit of abstract, unachievable conceptual goals, and put in place an understanding of how BIM would improve efficiency, project outcomes, and profitability.
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Education & Support
The Developer also collaborated with project stakeholders to ensure that teammates had access to appropriate training and support, for example targeted training on Synchro Pro to support construction planning and feasibility study. This helped overcome resistance that manifests when lack of understanding, or insecurity with new skills and competencies, threaten the viability and position of long-established project stakeholders. Comfort with the tools, and the assurance that measures were in place to support success, helped teammates take steps that would have seemed too risky working for a less supportive and enlightened developer.
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Demonstrating Practical Successes
The project teams engaged in Proof-of-Concept (PoC) demonstrations of OpenBIM exchanges to support collaborative, interdisciplinary analysis, design, and decision-making. Many of these are outlined in the Detailed Description of OpenBIM on the Project section below. Although some stakeholders had theoretical knowledge of the available OpenBIM Standards (IFC, BCF, MVD), they lacked practical exposure. These PoC efforts gave teams the opportunity to “work out the kinks” and confirm that the processes were viable. Beyond providing opportunities to perfect processes and develop skill sets, these comparatively low-risk efforts armed BIM adherents with practical, successful evidence to convince executives of OpenBIM’s business values.
Detailed description of openBIM on the project
OpenBIM played an essential role in the overall BIM Implementation for this large and complex project, facilitating reliable information and project coordination from design through construction planning. The team’s approach to BIM, along with the advantages OpenBIM provided for the team, were very effective in winning support for the adoption of collaborative BIM in a market that continues to be largely sceptical and resistive of BIM in any form. The team employed a wide variety of model uses to achieve productivity and quality enhancements:
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BIM Authoring
Each stakeholder developed and shared design information using BIM instead of the conventional 2D drawing approach. BIM became the single source of truth for all design information. OpenBIM (IFC-based approach) helped the five design teams share design information which they generated using 16+ BIM applications (ArchiCAD, Google Sketchup, Grasshopper, Revit, SAP2000, etc.). Ease of coordination and visualization encouraged the designers embrace BIM; even those who were not initially convinced. Designer involvement with BIM has increased since March 2020; the team is now planning to leverage BIM to support complex use cases such as Virtual Walkthroughs.
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Design Model Sharing
An IFC-based model transfer approach was implemented to share 500+ Design BIMs, ensuring that all the stakeholders could work on current and accurate models at all time. Even the landscape architects were motivated to use BIM for design development; this is uncommon in the Hong Kong Industry. Although some designers continued to use 2D drawings as a part of designing process, these were used to identify issues promptly by overlaying the drawings (using Dalux) with BIMs.
The team overcame several challenges:
Incorrect Data Export --> The Architecture team recognized that IFC exports showed incorrect floor thickness; they resolved this issue by including materials when exporting IFC models from ArchiCAD.
Data Loss --> Structural information for one whole floor went missing while importing the IFC into TAS Cubicost to carry out formwork QTO. The design team worked with Cubicost Development to rectify the issue, which is now resolved in a new version of the Cubicost plug-in.
Incorrect Data Mapping --> While exporting IFC from ArchiCAD, the wall elements were exported as generic IFC elements instead of IFCWALL type elements. The team was able to identify issue and is currently working on resolving the issue.
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Design Coordination
An IFC- and BCF-based approach helped timely identification and quick resolution of 2500+ issues such as clashes and proximity problems. Latency in generating the clash report was also reduced significantly from 1-2 months in December 2019 to around 2 weeks on June 2020. Seeing these benefits, sub-contractors were quick to adopt BIM-based coordination without additional fees. Solibri Model Checker (SMC), Dalux, and Navisworks Manage were some of the tools used to consolidate the BIMs from different disciplines for design coordination.
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Design Approvals
Combined Builder’s Work Drawings (CBWD) and Combined Services Drawings (CSD) were generated for Government Approvals. Conventional methods required 10-12 MEP coordinators plus draftsman to update and submit the drawings 5-7 times, a duration of 2.5-4 months. The BIM-based method was deployed to generate drawings requiring 7 MEP coordinators taking ~3 weeks, leading to 75% reduction in time spent. The iteration frequency was also reduced to 2-3 submissions only (instead of 5-7 submissions).
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Quantity Take-Off
BIM-based QTO was implemented to support different use cases including tendering, cost estimation, and construction planning. The conventional QTO approach was estimated to require 83 person days; the actual time spent on OpenBIM- & Manual-based QS was only 45 person days (more than 45% reduction).
Using SimpleBIM, stakeholders streamlined models to share only the information relevant for QTO. It also helped Architects to rectify the incorrect data mapping and data attributes to export correct IFCs. The resulting QTO model sizes were reduced by 50%.
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Construction Planning & Sequencing
OpenBIM helped in the early alignment of all the stakeholders along with the finalization of the construction sequence. A video showing the whole sequence is attached to the application.
Irregular site profile and tight spacing conditions posted challenges for Excavation and Lateral Support (ELS) construction that required a custom approach involving typically large quantities of temporary supports, machinery, materials, and major changes in excavation profile which were difficult to plan, communicate, and manage. IFC-based BIM federation and sequencing helped the designers to develop and demonstrate the complex construction sequence to all stakeholders, highlight potential issues, and engage the Project Management team for early intervention and resolution.
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4D Construction Feasibility
4D BIM developed by combining the exported construction program (in XML format from Microsoft Project) and 3D BIM helped the planners explore sequence alternatives and select the best program scenario considering site and logistics constraints.
4D BIM combined with BIM-based QTO helped the team confirm that the allowable site entry gate would be sufficient to handle peak traffic requirements (soil trucks, concrete trucks, etc.) for Excavation, Concreting, and precast installation tasks. The accessibility study also helped compare different construction program scenarios and identify the best scenario to carry out construction activities.
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Site Progress Monitoring
Two site progress tracking approaches were implemented to compare Planned vs. Actual Progress. PMs used weekly drone-based visual scans, converted to 3D aerial views using Altizure, and laser scans viewed using Revit and Navisworks.
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Visualization for Property Management
Walkthroughs help the Property Management Team fully understand the project to identify and clarify concerns.
BIM Standards
BIM Standards (BIM Guide and BIM Playbook) were developed at the Enterprise level to ensure consistent and accurate BIM development for all BIM use cases across all the projects. These outline the processes from Common Data Environment (CDE) Setup to Standard Approach for Modelling, including a Consistent BIM Naming Convention and System Assignments. They also clearly define the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders at each stage of the project to ensure everyone knows their role in the overall scheme of the project. A customized MDS also helps the project to get just-in-time and just-enough BIM to support various use cases without overloading the Designers and BIM developers.
Software ecosystem map
openBIM Supporting Evidence
Benefits from using openBIM
OpenBIM provided benefits in all stages of the project from the beginning (Design Stage) to the current stage (Construction). Key benefits include:
- Twice Efficient Issue Identification and Resolution Workflow: Identified and shared 2500+ issues using IFCs and BCFs. Latency in generating the clash report was also reduced significantly from 1-2 months in December 2019 to around 2 weeks on June 2020 (more than 50% reduction within 6 months).
- Single Source of Truth: Converted 500+ BIMs from different disciplines (Architectural, Structural, MEP, etc.), created with more than 16 BIM authoring tools into IFCs to serve as a single source of truth for drawing generation, Quantity Take-Off, tendering documents, etc.
- 45% Quicker QTO: Reduced the QTO practice time investment to 45 person-days (using IFCs and MVDs) when compared with that of the conventional approach (83 person-days) leading to a reduction is time investment of more than 45%.
- 75% Faster Design Approval: Only 2-3 iterations were required to get drawing approval using BIM when compared with 5-7 iterations using conventional approaches. This lead to reduction in time investment from 3-4 months to 3 weeks only (more than 75% reduction).
- Just Enough BIM: Helped to reduce the BIM file sizes by more than 50% by using MVDs for further sharing with the stakeholders (QS team, etc.).
- Standardized BIM Development: Improved the modelling approaches to ensure correct and complete data transfer using IFCs.
- Improved Design Understanding: Clearly illustrated aspects of the design requirements and complex resolutions early in the project for all stakeholders, promoting timely decisions.
- 18 Times increase in Stakeholder Involvement: Recorded a growth in number of BIM users from 3 to 50+ after the implementation of OpenBIM. Also ensured the involvement of Landscape Architects in BIM-based coordination (Not that common in Hong Kong Industry).
- Periodic Progress Monitoring: Helped team for periodic progress monitoring using laser scans comparison with design BIMs.
BIM Uses were defined on the project
I agree to be contacted about the project BIM uses outside of this awards program.
Stakeholders
Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong,
https://www.shkp.com, Client, Mr. Edmund Yeung
Sanfield Engineering Construction Limited, Hong Kong,
https://www.shkp.com, Main Contractor, Mr. Ban Wan
Sun Hung Kai Architects and Engineers Ltd. (Structural Engineering Office), Hong Kong,
https://www.shkp.com, Structural Design, Mr. Ernest Chan
Sun Hung Kai Architects and Engineers Ltd. (Landscape Section), Hong Kong,
https://www.shkp.com, Landscape Consultant, Ms. Janet Law
P&T Architects and Engineers Ltd., Hong Kong,
https://web.p-t-group.com, Architectural Design, Mr. HY Tsang
CM Wong & Associates Ltd., Hong Kong, Geotechnical Design, Mr. Eric Chung
TROP Company Limited, Bangkok, Thailand, Landscape Design, POK KOBKONGSANTI
Alpha Consulting Limited, Hong Kong,
https://www.alpha-c.com.hk, Façade Design, Dr. Dominic Yu
Inhabit group, Hong Kong,
https://inhabitgroup.com, Façade Design, Mr. Kim Ho Sung
Isometrix Lighting & Design (HK) Limited, Hong Kong,
https://www.isometrix.co.uk, Lighting Design, Ms. Karen Chan
Kuen Cheong Construction & Engineering Co., Ltd, Hong Kong,
https://www.kuencheong.com.hk, ELS Contractor, Mr. Edmond, Ho Shiu Man
Everlight E&M Engineering Co., Ltd., Hong Kong, Electrical, Mr. C M Lam
Lik Kai Engineering Co., Ltd., Hong Kong,
http://www.likkai.com.hk/, MVAC sub contractor and CSD/CBWD Coordinator, Mr. Eric Yung
Ridgid Plumbing Limited, Hong Kong,
https://www.ridgidplumbing.com, Plumbing and Drainage, Mr. Yeung Chi Man
Chun Lee Engineering Co., Ltd., Hong Kong,
https://www.chunlee1961.com, Plumbing and Drainage, Mr. Chow Chu Hung
Everfield Engineering Co., Ltd, Hong Kong, Fire Services, Mr. David Cheng
Strategic Building Innovation, Hong Kong,
https://www.sbi.international/, BIM Consultant, Mr. Dickson Mak
