Model Integrity

Model integrity is becoming more crucial as projects are becoming more complex and model data integrity is a crucial aspect of deliverable quality.

This is a simple checklist where the auditor can verify model content and process making sure that the Building Model is constructed in accordance with your standards and project requirements. This checklist is part of a protocol to maintain model integrity. 

Verifying Model Integrity periodically throughout the project reduces the risk of incorrect modeling causing misinformation and/or additional unnecessary work.

Validation of the model provides a guide to address any potential model issues, the intention being that the recipients of the model know the file is fit for use and will not require additional work to fit within the project framework. 

A Model Audit should be carried out periodically throughout a project to verify model content integrity by the Project Model Manager as well as by the BIM Manager.

A copy of this audit is to be kept on file as well as sent to the BIM Manager upon completion. It's a basic two-page checklist. 

Here's a sample of some of the items:

• Is the Project Information Data completed
• Has True North and Project North been established and used correctly
• Is the Standard Project Browser being used properly
• Complete spell check (you will be surprised)
• Is all text in upper case
• Delete unnecessary Reference Planes and 3D views
• Purge the "coordination" model
• Revisions, Site Instructions, C/O’s been completed according to the Standards
• Are Annotation styles consistent with  Standards
• Are Dimension styles consistent with Standards
• Are Drafting Lines being used where the Linework Tool would be better (and Visa Versa)
• Are Line styles consistent with Standards
• Is the Level of Detail in the model appropriate for the scope of work
• Are objects on the Correct Workset
• Is content approved by Model Manager

Some of these are pretty basic and common sense but it's always good to be able to check it off and know that it's been done.

Integrity in Modeling is key to quality, risk mitigation, and general good practice!

L.O.D What does this mean to me?

So... LOD... Level of Development how does this affect the typical Revit User?
In the old 2D drafting days we would draw lines to represent objects such as walls doors, windows roofs etc... remember that? We use to draw two lines representing a complete (and often complex) wall assemblies. Often these lines didn't even represent the true dimensions of the assembly either!
Drawings got done and buildings still got built.! Amazing times.....

Now with BIM were adding more information to our drawings by adding more information to our Building Information Model. for the majority of us the end result is a set of documents that someone can build from. Don't loose sight of that. we are in danger of Over Modeling....
We get so wrapped up in creating content and families for everything that sometimes we loose sight of why we are creating this model in the first place. Remember your creating drawings (and hopefully get paid for them) within a specific time limit. If you go over this time limit you are burning up your profit margin, when we first are introduced to Revit we think to ourselves "wow, this is going to save me a bunch of time", "I no longer have to draw elevation, sections" etc... however my experience is that we get seduced... yes seduced! by Revit and we want to build a complete model down to the nuts and bolts.....
Now before I get a bunch of emails and comments I'm not proposing that we get stoopid and just model the exterior walls and just draw lines for the interior.... no we need to model what is appropriate to the project. If your doing a residential home do you really need to model the gutters and drains? Do you need to model the gas meter on the side of the house? For larger projects do you need to model the tactile strip at the top of the stairs? Would detail lines in the view be sufficient. There is a huge difference in resources between the two. Do you need to use the roof top mechanical unit from the supplier that is detailed down to the nut and bolt? Why not use a generic placeholder.

Try to use families that are smaller in file size this will help your project file size to stay manageable.

So try and stick to a LOD of 300 (Precise Geometry) instead of LOD 400 (Fabrication)......

Construction Models

Follow my discussion on Linkedin's "BIM expert" group in regards to BIM Architectural Models:
A colleague of mine recently said the Architectural firm he is working for is building "Construction Models" as opposed to "regular" Architectural models. Who else is building construction models?

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/colleague-mine-recently-said-Architectural-98421.S.63856943?view=&gid=98421&type=member&item=63856943&trk=NUS_DISC_Q-ttle