By now we’ve all heard of BIM (Building Information Modeling or Building Infrastructure Modeling, depending on your area of expertise). You may not understand it, you may not have used it, but you know it involves 3D technology and it’s been proven to save sizable time and money on construction projects. You probably also know it’s gaining momentum rapidly and those who don’t jump on board soon are going to be left behind.

Several years ago I began educating myself on BIM. Like many, I didn’t totally understand the full implications of BIM and the many aspects that can be utilized. I realized however that this was the future. The very simplistic and basic premise of BIM is the use of 3D models to design and construct. The models allow designers to see conflicts before they happen and allow contractors to streamline costly assembly procedures and produce prefabricated systems which in turn reduces construction time and therefore lowers cost while increasing profit. As an engineer who started my career working in the field constructing Trident submarines, it didn’t take me long to understand the benefits that 3D modeling could provide. And who doesn’t like 3D? You have to admit, it’s pretty cool stuff!

Still, like many of us I was small potatoes. A small Civil Engineering and Land Surveying firm struggling to survive in a bad economy. I was happy just to make payroll. But then there was this new 3D laser scanning technology. We already had AutoCAD Civil 3D but like every other engineering firm we didn’t use it because the learning curve was just too difficult and who could afford training? Yet the benefits of 3D were obvious and the writing was on the wall. In retrospect, the decision to pursue 3D technologies wasn’t that difficult. Yes, it was expensive, it was time consuming, it was difficult and it took much longer to get in a position to have a good grasp on what we were doing than we thought. But we also knew if we could fight through the process, this would be one small firm that would have a major advantage once the economy started to lift and the AEC community started to come out from hibernation.

Now, as a restructured firm that is fully integrated into 3D technologies, we utilize 3D laser scanning to document roadway, infrastructure, buildings and historically significant projects. We create 3D models in multiple formats, including AutoCAD and Revit. We design and engineer roads, site plans and subdivisions to provide our clientele with the full cost savings of 3D technologies. We create 3D site models for presentations, highly accurate estimating and GPS machine control used during construction. And it doesn’t end there. Every day we find new uses for the technologies we now employ.

Future posts to this blog will focus on the various benefits of 3D technologies in the AEC communities. I don’t claim to be an expert, rather an individual that appreciates what technology can do to make our jobs easier and more effective, constantly trying to keep abreast of the next great thing. In doing so, I’ve met numerous individuals that employ other technologies, processes and specialties and we’ll be inviting them to share with you what they’ve learned along the way to help you successfully implement 3D into your business before the crowd passes you by!