What to expect from a qualified BIM Coordinator
What is a BIM Coordinator?
Helm BIM helps project managers save time and money through the seamless exchange of project information.
Helm BIM can serve as your personal Building Information Modeling (BIM) Coordinator. As a BIM Coordinator, we act as both a trade manager/consultant and design coordinator for your project, identifying issues between designs and models, helping to facilitate collaboration among MEP and design professionals, and ensuring that your designs are buildable.
Defining the BIM Coordination Process
An experienced BIM Coordination Manager establishes a standardized process through which all project stakeholders can be engaged and collaborate using the latest design models and project information. Below are the core steps taken by Helm BIM on each coordination project:
- Planning – First, we will develop a BIM execution plan to outline trade modeling responsibilities and requirements.
- Implementation – Next, we will set up (and maintain) a project folder structure in one central location. This acts as a live hub where all trades can link their working files with the latest information to coordinate more accurately.
- Standardization – In preparation for the coordination process, we’ll create Search Sets & Appearance Profiles, which are comprised of color coding, clearances, and other detailing standards. Standardized Naming Conventions for files by type is a major element to maintain organization and workflow.
- Composites – Then, we will prioritize and overlay all files provided by subcontractors in order to create a composite penetration shop drawing. This ensures that the builder has the most accurate information during the core and shell phase of construction.
- Meetings – Prior to holding weekly coordination meetings, we will prepare clash reports using BIMTRACK to identify conflicts in the coordination model. This report helps the stakeholders see progress as the list diminishes and the floor is signed off.
- RFIs (Minimize and Facilitate) – Our ability to analyze the working model during the coordination process in 3D reduces the need to issue additional RFI’s. When a design issue arises, we use the model to extract detailed snapshots and other relevant information that is typically not provided. This becomes very useful for the design consultants to better understand the RFI and respond quicker.
- Close-Out – After we have helped to coordinate the project, we will create composite overlayed trade shop drawings, digital models as-built, and other details upon request.
BIM Coordination Core Services:
As a coordination consultant, Helm BIM is responsible for numerous aspects of your project:
- BIM Execution Plan – Establish Project Organization
- Trade Coordination and Clash Detection
- Design Consulting and Model Assistance
- Production of Composite Models and Drawings
- Schedule Coordination Management & RFI Per Coordination
- 4D Build Strategy Review (3D BIM + Schedule)
You May Benefit from a BIM Coordinator If:
- You’re dealing with 2D model drawings and design documents
- You must schedule ongoing meetings to manage thousands of clashes
- You find yourself sending way too many PDF reports between companies
- You spend a lot of valuable time resolving issues and staying on top of project statuses
- You find coordination between MEP professionals to be difficult
- You find that the project is delayed often and don’t understand why
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Helm’s Additional Core Services
In addition to serving as a BIM Trade Coordinator, Helm BIM offer the following core services.
3D Drafting
Our experienced drafters use your documents and provide clear, easy-to-read, and shareable 3D models and detailed shop drawings that help you to visualize your design and examine the intersection of all vendor plans.
3D Laser Scanning
We use a high-tech laser to map out an area with great accuracy. It works by utilizing a database that connects the points identified by the laser to a 3D coordinate system. This provides construction professionals with a digital record of the space in question.
Scan to BIM
This is a process that utilizes a 3D laser scanner to capture an existing building or space as-is, or “as-built,” collecting millions of points and threading them together using 3D BIM software. This ultimately create a realistic digital image, or “point cloud,” that helps with digital planning.
