BIM Conference for Engineers
Mike Samilski, Business Development Manager, Engineering

Early December, Dowco Technology Services' held a Building Information Modeling (BIM) Conference at the Vancouver Hyatt Regency for Vancouver area design professionals.  The conference goal was to show what kind of innovative BIM project delivery processes are currently being used in Canada today.  Keynote guest speaker, Wayne Kassian, principal of Kassian Dyck Associates, spoke about their company's experience in Precast Concrete, Reinforcing, and Total Concrete Structures using Tekla Structures.  From Dowco, Sanjay Prasad and I spoke on BIM and Tekla Structures, from Design to Erection – Case Study: The Vancouver Convention Centre. Special guest, Michael Evans, from Tekla HQ, spoke on how engineers gain a Return on Investment (ROI) by using Building Information Modeling.

Wayne talked of his use of BIM and 3D modeling using Tekla Structures for precast concrete, reinforcing and total concrete structures.  He spoke of his firm's adoption of a BIM process and how new work patterns needed to be accepted. Some benefits included  resolving issues before construction, and reducing the RFI's on projects. His presentation showed how to leverage BIM for its full benefit.

Dowco's presentation involved a case study of how BIM and Tekla Structures were used on the Vancouver Convention Centre.  Sanjay spoke on how BIM was instituted from the Steel Detailer and Fabricator side, and I spoke of how BIM was used from the Consulting side, as I was at the time, employed by Glotman Simpson, the Engineer of Record.  We reviewed  the collaboration with BIM that was accomplished inside the engineering firm and with outside consultants.  We described how  shop drawings were checked using the model, and how the project was tracked through to fabrication using the model.  The presentation concluded with a description of the use of the 4D model created for construction planning.  The Vancouver Convention Centre was one of the first projects to use Building Information Modeling through the entire project timeline from conceptual design to construction.

Michael Evan's presentation, Return on Investment on BIM, was the final one of the day, and the one I suspect people found most practical, the topic's main focus being how to make money with BIM. This presentation showed BIM enabling one to create efficiencies within their company, and creating added benefit to fellow consultants and owners.

The conference was a great success.  We hosted informative speakers and had an educated audience  open to the idea of Building Information Modeling.  We hope to host a number of these conferences across Canada in the new year, when we will try to have more BIM Experts share their expertise  to prove  the benefits of Building Information Modeling.

Feel Free to view the recorded webcast.