BIM Coordination has turned into the integral process in planning and building of complex construction projects.  Each building carries tons of MEP system components to help the building function for its occupants. Each one of those systems goes through extensive planning, designing, coordinating, and vetting before materials even hit the slab.  Ask any BIM or VDC Model Manager on who has the most complicated systems in the MEP BIM Coordination process, and you’ll get Electrical 9 times out of 10.

In addition to routing your Electrical backbone for the building, Mechanical & Plumbing equipment and components within each building have some type of electrical connection to help those systems’ function, and your team of Electrical BIM Modelers and detailers will need to run branch-work to each one of them.

ELECTRICAL BIM MODELING – YOUR BUILDING’S BLOODLIFE

Electrical BIM Modeling is not for the feint hearted.  There are several sub-systems of electrical that are coordinated throughout a buildings infrastructure.  Those systems include but are not limited to:

– Power, Telecom (IT)

– Fire alarm

– Building Management System/Controls (BMS)

– Elevator Controls

– Security

– Public Address

– Life Safety

– Radio etc….

When you break it all down, it will end up being hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of linear feet for conduit and wire that need to spread out through your building like capillaries that bring blood to every square millimeter of your body.  Electrical is the circulatory system of the building, and it’s important that you have competent engineers and modelers that know what is needed for each system.

HIRING BIM MODELING COMPANIES- WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING?

Competent Electrical BIM Modeling Services are hard to come by.  Although BIM modeling has been around for almost 2 decades.  Many sub-contractors will resort to hiring cheap labor ‘BIM Modeling’ companies to fulfill the contract requirements that they skimmed over in order to land the bid. This will end up costing sub-contractors more time, money, and potentially upcoming jobs, because they chose unvetted BIM Modeling companies that have only worked to model components of buildings with how they look, instead of how the system works.  With all of those systems needing to be in line with each other, it’s important you use BIM modelers who know the systems they’re modeling and how they’re built.

Companies like Agon Coordination are your premiere Electrical BIM Coordination experts.  With over 100  BIM projects in the NYC area, including World Trade Center Oculus, Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt, Columbia University, and the New LaGuradia, Agon has the expertise and experience behind their BIM Modeling.  Not only will you need someone who knows the ins and outs of the coordination process and modeling, you’ll need a company who has the experience of working with your on-site foreman.

Knowing how these systems are built in the field is 80% of the battle, and when your foreman can rely on drawings that translate into a buildable layout it leads to a successfully completed project with more to come.