Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta, GABIM Case Study May 2, 2008 Prepared by: Mark Himes Bryan Steed or trade contractor are not familiar with the capabilities and applications of BIM technology and do not utilize BIM construction practices in their design and construction processes. and contractor) has worked together on previous projects. while reducing construction costs. project requirements continue to become more challenging while costs of labor and materials are on the rise. Currently. The mixed-use development consists of a 14-story. The structure occupies a prominent corner in downtown Atlanta adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium. and lowering project risk for the team members. every owner. cheaper. including the owner. and beneficial to the overall project objectives.000 square foot of retail space at the ground level. Despite the limited project experience. they possess little to no BIM experience prior to this project. architect. The project schedule. Project Description The Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn is a $46 million project consisting of the construction of a 484. Georgia. construction began in June 2006. construction manager. inexpensive. Inc. The owner. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as an innovative technology that enables a collaborative construction process. from design through construction was 24 months. or a restrictive work site. The intent was to find a way to apply Building Information Modeling technologies across the entire team. as the design architect and Holder Construction Company as the general contractor.Introduction As the construction industry evolves and economic conditions tighten. increasing productivity. Whether it is a difficult construction timeline. innovative design techniques. GA Page 1 . Atlanta. and better. or trade contractors had previous project experience utilizing BIM applications. budget restrictions. This is the scenario faced by Holder Construction Company as they came on board as the general contractor to construct the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Atlanta. Design and preconstruction services began in February 2005. and substantial completion was March 2008. None of the other team members. 242 room hotel. utilized a Construction Management at Risk (CM at-Risk) with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) project delivery approach contracting with Stevens and Wilkinson Stang and Newdow. designer. Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. and 25. Change is not easily implemented into the construction industry which prohibits quickly implementing BIM into all construction projects. in a way that was effective. Holder Construction committed to utilizing certain BIM applications and made the decision to integrate BIM on the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project. a 700 vehicle parking structure. the project team must continuously find ways to build faster.000 square foot facility. architect. While this project team (owner. Legacy Property Group. especially considering some of the more aggressive applications such as energy analysis and performance monitoring. They are committed to quality and effectively work with partners and local governments. the initial BIM objectives for the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project were limited. GA Page 2 . Confirming their reputation. The architect had little experience with BIM and had not utilized 3D technology to design the structure. the project team was bound to discover some additional emerging uses and benefits for the application of the 3D models. These emerging uses are explored later in this report as the owner. cost estimating. Despite the limited initial BIM objectives for this project. Combining their experience. and for collision detection. With limited input or experience from the other project team members. the Legacy Property Group has established their reputation of fluidity across multiple real estate fields. the contractor and owner decided that the Building Information Modeling technology would be utilized for visualization. Legacy Property Group was the perfect owner for Holder Construction to approach in regards to leading the use of BIM technology for Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. Atlanta. understanding and enhancing the design. Holder had already utilized BIM models for business development while pursuing the project contract. reputation of teamwork and familiarity with hotel and mixed use developments. Legacy Property Group has led to projects as the 2002 award winning $200 million Legacy at Centennial Olympic Park mixed use project. and code checking. The owner was not necessarily interested in exploring new construction technologies with a project team possessing limited experience. Integration of Building Information Modeling Owners’ Perspective Legacy Property Group is an Atlanta-based real estate development firm who prides themselves on fulfilling unique market opportunities as well as improving the existing environment and leading the industry into tomorrow. structural design analysis. and contractor perspectives are examined and the overall BIM benefits of the project are realized. These BIM applications are simple and relatively easy tasks associated with 3D BIM technology.Initial BIM Objectives Since there was limited BIM experience on the project team. The only true BIM ‘expert’ was Holder Construction as they had been gaining BIM experience on other projects for about a year at this point. architect. and maintaining these characteristics have allowed the Legacy Property Group to remain at the cutting edge of development. quantity extraction. With over 75 years of combined experience. optimization of various mechanical systems. 4D production scheduling. They also had utilized 3D models to visualize and understand the design concept and verify the project scope of work. although they were willing. and clash detection. they were somewhat reserved in regards to the breadth of the potential usage of BIM within the project. they limited Holder to the extent in which they applied BIM to the project. visualization. the project was labeled a “fast-tracked building”. Also. The Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn is the first project in Legacy Property Group’s extensive resume in which they utilized BIM. Also. as well as the added pressures of continual design during construction. or lack thereof. meaning design would continue while construction was underway. GA Page 3 . These two factors contributed to added challenges faced by all teams involved including the teams’ inability to detect 100% of the potential collisions. in the use of 3D modeling immediately attributed them with the label of non-BIM savvy and. Atlanta. Therefore. Legacy Property Group decided to limit BIM use purely based on a cost-benefit analysis and. Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. and not the architect. Although there is no way to compare using BIM on the project against not using BIM. They permitted the use of the model to enhance team coordination. Legacy Property Group now understands that having the architect design the model in BIM from the onset of the project presents benefits and luxuries that are not realized if the project team incorporates BIM on the backside of the design phase. Legacy Property Group and Holder agreed to the use of BIM and have acquired tangible evidence to see the benefits of clash detection. as the additional investment to create and use a BIM model on the project was considerable in the eyes of the non-BIM savvy owner. Legacy Property Group does believe that the incorporation and investment to use BIM paid off. Legacy Property Group wanted to ensure that this investment would see a positive return. This proved to be less than optimal. The owner’s knowledge and experience. was responsible for creating the BIM model. the overall project and use of BIM was beneficial and viewed as a success with benefits that would have never been realized by using traditional methods. To begin with. added an additional challenge for Holder in their use of BIM. The main issue with BIM usage during the project had nothing to do with BIM technology and its capabilities but rather with at what stage those capabilities were incorporated and not using BIM to cover a greater scope of the project.the first time. Because of this. From Legacy Property Group’s perspective. as the general contractor (Holder Construction). yet there were some areas of the project that presented room for improvement. the original model designed by the architect was produced in traditional CAD rather than BIM. they also discovered some shortcomings and learned lessons that they will incorporate in the future. members from every team involved in the project would gather and create solutions to problems and collisions found through the BIM model. The power of BIM visualization is still rudimentary and Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. also saw many benefits through coordination meetings. Although Stevens and Wilkinson realized firsthand the many benefits BIM can bring to a project. yet they were still able to realize several benefits from the use of BIM on the project. GA Page 4 . These issues were categorized and presented to the various team members before meetings. intelligence.Architect’s Perspective The architectural firm for the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn was Stevens and Wilkinson. the buyout and shop drawing phase proved to be the most beneficial process. Design coordination. and imagination to be the foundation of their company. Therefore. and through the visualization capabilities and model sharing through Navisworks. meaning design continued past the start of construction. The project was labeled a “fast-track building”. Stevens and Wilkinson considers integrity. it comes to no surprise that they were on board when Holder took the initiative and decided to use BIM for the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project. one of the main goals for the use of BIM from the inception of the project. At these meetings. According to Stevens and Wilkinson. and problems arose as a Figure 1 . Stevens and Wilkinson were not responsible for building the 3D model.3D rendering combination of not using BIM on every portion of the “fast-track building”. Everything on the project was not modeled in BIM. the teams were able to collaborate and find answers that otherwise would have cost the teams money and time if they were first discovered in the field. Atlanta. one of the most experienced and progressive firms in the Southeast. All software and hardware costs were incorporated into the corporate overhead for the project.0. The company also utilizes a Field BIM coordinator who is responsible for manipulating and updating the model for specific tasks and uses on the project site.0-5. The software and hardware technology used on this project: Software: • • • • • • • Graphisoft ArchiCad v9.diagrammatic according to the architect. As a company. NVDIA Quadro FX 2500M video card. trade contractors. Stevens and Wilkinson is now incorporating BIM into their projects and undoubtedly will see new benefits as they bring the BIM model to the forefront of the design phase. v10.16 Dual Core Processor. Stepping Genuine Intel 1862 MHz Total Physical Processor 512. General Contractor’s Perspective Holder Construction previously utilized BIM technology on a limited number of projects.0 Graphisoft Constructor 2005 NavisWorks 5. 4gig RAM (Office use) HP Compaq nc6230 Laptop.00MB (Field use) Page 5 • Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. or the owner for their model use because they were able to utilize a free model viewer distributed by Holder for the project team’s usage. 2. Holder Construction utilized a three-person BIM modeling team over a 12-month duration for design document and construction document model completion.000. Processor x86 Family 6 Model 13. Atlanta.2 NavisWorks Redline Tool AutoCad 2007 AutoDesk DWG True View 2007 Graphisoft Change Manager 2005 Hardware: • 19” Dell M90 Laptop. Holder Construction created a BIM department within the Preconstruction Services Division with a dozen full-time 3D modelers. yet the future of BIM is vivid and undeniable. For the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project the direct project costs associated with BIM were $40. There were no additional costs to the design team. they are committed to integrating 3D modeling and BIM applications into its construction practices. GA . Figure 2 . structural. scope verification.• • Projector HP laser Printer Holder Construction used a three person team for BIM to produce models from 2D CAD files on two occasions. and MEP systems of the proposed building design. The also used a Filed BIM coordinator once the project construction began to facilitate BIM uses on the project site. and 100% construction documents. The three person BIM team at Holder Construction during the design development phase developed 3D models of the architectural. GA Page 6 . 50% design documents. These initials models were used for visualization. Atlanta. and initial clash detection. They truly helped the owner understand the layout and ‘look’ of the proposed design and quickly identified potential design conflicts prior to beginning actual construction.Structural model Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. MEP model Figure 4 .Composite model Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn.Figure 3 . Atlanta. GA Page 7 . Figure 5 – CD/DVD package created by Holder Construction Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. understand. GA Page 8 . Atlanta. It became a necessity for Holder to figure out how to use the BIM software. a free downloadable version of NavisWorks to be able to open and view the models. find a way to provide access for the entire project team to view the 3D models at no additional cost. but they did not have the in-house BIM capabilities. and collaborate with other project team members about various construction tasks in 3D. Holder distributed the CD/DVD package to all members of the project team enabling free open access to anyone that wanted to navigate the BIM models created by Holder. nor did the owner want to commit additional money to support BIM operations. Holder realized the impact of the 3D models could have on the project. but needed to quickly educate the owner in order to support the modeling cost and be able to realize the savings.The immediate impact of these models sparked interest among the owner and designer. Holder developed a packaged CD/DVD that contained the model they had developed. they did not have the software and hardware capabilities to support most BIM applications. hardware. and educate the owner and other project team members on the how to utilize the 3D model and how to best realize the added value and benefits of the new construction technology. architect. and training they already had. This unique solution provided tremendous opportunities for the owner. and a ‘dashboard’ table of contents with instructional videos and tutorials to help navigate the 3D models. and trade contractors to begin to visualize. Since Holder Construction was the BIM lead effort on this project and the remaining project team had little or no experience with BIM applications. They immediately wanted to use the models to visualize others aspects of the design. 55 clashes were identified resulting in avoided RFIs for the project. Each critical clash was shared with the design team via the model viewer and a numbered collision log with a record of individual images of each collision per the architectural or structural discipline. Over 590 clashes were detected via the NavisWorks software. GA Page 9 .500. Figure 6 – collision analysis detected beam through ceiling Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. Holder began to utilize the models for clash detection analysis. During the Design Development (DD) stage. At the Construction Documents (CD) phase the model was updated and resolved collisions were tracked.500 on the original $40. The resolved collisions were tracked resulting in a cost avoidance of $124. providing a net return on the BIM investment at $760. The overall cost savings based on the 590 collision detected throughout the project were estimated at $800. Just this stage alone yielded a return savings of $84. The collision cost savings value were based on estimates for make design change or field modifications had the collision not been detected earlier and clash would have need to be addressed in the field.000.After the initial visualization uses of the 3D models.000.000 BIM expense. Atlanta. This BIM application enabled the contractor to identify potential collisions or clashes between various structural and mechanical systems with in the building design during the design development which avoid costly design changes once actual construction begins in the field. One of the big uses was trade contractor coordination. the 3D models were used to identify and coordinate trade contractor work in order to avoid delays caused by poor scheduling. The ability to coordinate the details ahead of time provided for more efficient construction scheduling on the job site. In the field. Because of the various elevations between parking deck floors and hotel floors. enabled conflicts to be resolved well ahead of the scheduled tasks. The 3D model became important for 4D phasing of construction task particular in the unique concrete placements which were required for the parking decks.Schedule linked to model for analysis and planning Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. The model also enabled the various trade contractors to coordinate amongst themselves on precise locations for specific MEP systems. and reduced on-site conflicts. Figure 7 . The field team was able to cut specific cross sections of the concrete structure to identify exactly how the formwork needed to be placed and developed a 4D schedule using the BIM model and the MS Project schedule to synchronize these construction tasks. Atlanta. This coordination saved valuable construction time and reduced materials. the coordination of concrete formwork became difficult. GA Page 10 .Throughout the project. the contractor identified some additional applications of the 3D model which became helpful during project execution. H P H P H P H H = Hotel Beams (Flat) P H P H P = Parking Deck Beams (Sloped) Structural Model Identified Formwork P Figure 8 . City of Atlanta Building Inspector. issues Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. Since all of the design was in 2D. The model itself was stored on the main server at the Holder office. Holder was the model creator and the model manager. As trade contractors identified issues or potential conflicts. The field team could access this server from remote locations. they could not modify or change anything on the model. Because of the detail of the 3D model city building officials were able to better understand the design concept and conduct code reviews. One of the difficult tasks of utilizing Building Information Modeling is being able to manage to model and all the associated updates. revisions. This will really help me better understand the building”. Although all of the project team was able to view the model through NavisWorks.model view showing various elevations between concrete placements Another BIM advantage realized by Holder during the construction phase was code official review. “This is the first good thing I’ve seen that really shows what the building will look like. these RFIs were sent back to the Holder office. Mike Powell. they utilized the 2D drawings to create the 3D models. and changes associated with it. GA Page 11 . For this project. They developed a number/date system which enabled the team to track and manage various versions or updates to the model. All revisions or modifications were completed in the Holder officer by the BIM staff. Atlanta. and the model updated at one central location. As we can see.identified. To begin with. indirect benefits surfaced as a direct result of Holder implementing BIM. which strengthened the coordination and communication between the teams. Nobody outside of the Holder BIM staff was able to modify or change the 3D models. as 55 critical collisions were identified during the Pre-RFI stage. Also. the avoiding of additional costs and the easy accommodation of design change are all benefits readily attributed to BIM use on the project. conflict detection and resolution. This figure is broken down in the chart below: Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. Enhanced design coordination. BIM Benefits Realized By taking the initiative and incorporating BIM technology into a project with non BIM-savvy players. engineers and trade contractors enabled the project team members to work with traditional CAD software while reducing the risk of using 2D models. Benefits of this coordination were seen very early in the project. updated version of BIM purchasing language. Seeing the benefit of collision detection this early in the project enabled a collision detection log to be implemented. development of an automatic collision detection program and the capability of quantity extraction. initiation of Holder MEP BIM action plan. Holder Construction was able to achieve benefits that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Atlanta. by incorporating BIM into the Aquarium Hilton Garden project Holder was able to realize benefits that affected how the project was completed as well as how Holder will address projects in the future. These include: BIM Champions instated at their regional offices. GA Page 12 .000 worth of collisions were detected and corrected before they were constructed. creating the 3D models in ArchiCAD from the 2D drawings provided by the architect. The collision log continued to be a huge benefit to all stakeholders as an estimated $800. GA Page 13 .Figure 9 . By supporting design through the sharing of the structural and architectural models as well as minimizing changes with MEP coordination. This level of coordination is only achieved through the use of BIM and the ability of instant visualization for all members. Traditionally. Through BIM. For this reason. but also for routing conflicts within the MEP model. These collisions and solutions would not have been able to be identified without the 3D coordination among all contributing members of the project. and when compared to the $40. of labor.000 cost of the 3D model one can easily see both the financial and time benefits realized through the incorporation of BIM. Not only did this coordination and instant.000 and over 1000 hrs. 3D visualization allow for collision detection from the design.Collision detection value log As one can see from the chart above. This is not due to careless behavior but rather the difficult task of translating a 2D drawing into 3D. Atlanta. the trade subcontractors were able to visualize their systems within the building in 3D allowing for efficient installation with other teams and systems in mind. trade subcontractors install their systems without considering what space the other systems will occupy. 590 collisions were identified through the 3D coordination enabled by the Navisworks software. most of the benefits seen as a result of incorporating BIM were experienced during the shop drawing phase. These collisions were estimated to have potentially cost over $800. project members were able to Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. The spaces they designed and approved with 2D drawings and static renderings now could be experienced in an active 3D model. GA Page 14 . avoided delays and developments that will effect not only the future of the teams involved but the construction industry as a whole. As an affirmation of this. Overall. Through the BIM model.” (Paul Hedgepath. By enabling design review in which team members can virtually walk through the model. the implementation of BIM into the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn proved to be beneficial to all members involved.minimize inefficiency and costs while at the same time producing a superior product. collaborative solution.model views used during shop drawing phase Figure 11 . walk through and engage in the model collectively to understand the design and construction better. all members of the project were able to better visualize the final product as well view concrete beams protruding through ceilings and develop a quick. Winning this award not only provides tangible evidence as to the success and benefits Holder has realized but also enables Holder to increase their marketability by solidifying their usage of BIM technology in the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. From financial benefits. Figure 10 . BIM proved well beyond its worth during the project. Holder as awarded the 2007 Construction Best Information Technology Solutions Award from the AGC of America for the most innovative use of technology to solve a particular business problem. BIM Project Senior Engineer). Atlanta.3D model allowed easy MEP coordination The final benefit to the project is the visualization capabilities of modeling in 3D. “the team could now see. As the 3D modelers were trying to import certain data files from 2D drawings into ArchiCad Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. Some of resultant uses of BIM technology in one form or another on this project included: • • • • • • • • • • Preconstruction trades scope and verification Weekly jobsite meetings Trade contractor coordination 4D phasing and scheduling animations and workflow sequencing 3 week look-ahead schedules Site logistics Document quality control and constructability review Quantity extraction and cost estimating Code official review Owner sales. presentation.Visualization added value for the owner Despite the limited initial BIM objectives established for this project. Figure 12 . and marketing Lessons Learned With any construction project.construction industry. Atlanta. GA Page 15 . One of the first was in the area of software interoperability. there were certainly some lessons learned. there are always things that went well and were successful and lessons learned about areas that need to be improved on for next time. With the implementation of BIM on this project. The end result yielded considerable uses for the emerging construction technology that went far beyond the intent or expectations of the project team. DGN) files. Another lesson learned is to have the trade contractors brought on board as early as possible. If possible. More importantly. there was not a transfer agreement or standard procedure identified early in the project.software. The modelers recommended that all . In this project. These trade contractors have the expertise and knowledge to identify potential design and constructability issues early when they can still be resolved inexpensively and with major schedule delays. This agreement would establish clear procedures for sharing and transferring files between various project team members and enable better communication between the groups. There was particular difficulty in anything that had not been modeled in 3D. it is important to get trade contractors involved early in the design and constructability phase of the project. It seemed as though the project team quickly grasped the 3D concept and most the problems on the project were associated with items that had not been modeled in 3D.DGN files be converted into . One issue identified by the team was once they had a 3D model it became difficult to translate between 2D drawing and 3D models. the import of MicroStation (. Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. although the project team was not BIM savvy at the beginning of the project. The ability to visualize the design and truly understand the design intent was invaluable to the project team. Atlanta. Particularly. it proved the significance of what can be achieved by a determined industry leader that sets out to make an impact on a project through pioneering innovative construction technologies. GA Page 16 .DWG files to enable easy import into ArchiCad software. This is not always easy depending on the type of project delivery system being utilized for the project. Holder Construction won the 2007 Construction Best Information Technology Solutions (BITS) Award from the Associate General Contractors of America for the most innovative use of technology to solve a particular business problem for its use of BIM technology on the Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project. The use of trade contractor coordination is important to identifying potential collisions and good collaboration between the project team. they quickly understood the potential savings and benefits of 3D technology. there was not always interoperability to enable this import. Conclusion The Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn project proved to be an excellent example of the benefits that Building Information Modeling can bring to a project. Also. there needs to be a file transfer procedure agreement established at the beginning of the project. The 3D models enabled the owner to see exactly what he was getting for the construction cost and be able to provide knowledgeable feedback about the design and construction. Finally. the architect is now using BIM on all projects. and identifying conflicts early will never be known. Atlanta. GA Page 17 . After this project. and the general contractor is using BIM on over 20 projects while adopting new software platforms and expanding BIM capabilities and expertise. visualization. understanding. Aquarium Hilton Garden Inn. the owner is using BIM for sales and marketing presentations. The cost benefits to the owner were significant and the unknown costs that were avoided through collaboration.This project realized some excellent benefits through the utilization of BIM and certainly exceeded the expectations of the owner and other project team members.
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