BIMcommUNITY Africa 'In Conversation‪'‬ BIMcommUNITY Africa

Digital twins can be summarized as a digital model which replicates a physical building which is linked to data regarding its physical assets and processes. The link and exchange of information between the virtual model and physical model is key to what categorizes a project as a digital twin. The benefits of these models would be extracted in the facility or asset management of the building going forward. Despite the popularity of the term, we are still have a long way to go.

Listen in to the BIM community discussion, where we will share what we've heard, what we know and what we're curious about.

The aim of the podcast was to bring women in BIM together to talk about the challenges they face in a predominantly masculine industry. A pertinent point was raised halfway through the conversation on why women still need to have these conversations instead of just talking about the work. It was an important question that highlighted this tension women face - the responsibility to pave the way for the young women who follow while still excelling in their chosen fields.

BIM is the process of using 3D model information to aid professionals in optimizing projects through more effective planning, designing, constructing and management of buildings and infrastructure. BIM addresses issues concerning cost efficiency, efficient problem resolution, more effective methods of communication and efficient project delivery through increased spatial awareness, parametric design and 3D coordination. However, the adoption of technology in the build industry within South Africa has been relatively slow despite the industry becoming increasingly aware of BIM’s potential in the field.

Join our team of panellists as they explore the benefits of BIM and how our country has fared to date.

Time and again we see big construction projects run over schedule and over budget. The under-investment of information technology in the construction sector has been part of the reason for this. The lack of economic growth and investment has been damaging to the construction industry, forcing some companies to retrench staff or close their construction divisions. 

The questions we posed to our panelists was ‘Why hasn't technology been adopted intelligently, and to scale, in the built environment?’ What are some of the problems that the construction industry has been facing and how has COVID 19 impacted digital transformation?  What followed was a fascinating conversation about not putting the technology cart before the people/process/workflow horse, but ensuring that technology is used intelligently to solve real challenges and needs. 

You can find out more here: http://bimcommunityafrica.wixsite.com/bimcommunityafrica/post/in-conversation-ep2-28-may-2020

Our Community's first Podcast explores the state of the built environment prior to Covid19 and its tenuous relationship to BIM. We then turn our focus to the impact of Covid19 on our industries and what that means for us moving forward and opportunities that might present themselves and the role BIM has to play.   

The  adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the construction and infrastructure industry has been an ongoing challenge. Within each project team there are roleplayers who do not fully understand the benefits and advantages of BIM. As a result the ability to meet these BIM deliverables from the design to construction and, ultimately, the handover phase are not  properly monitored and executed.

You can find out more here: http://www.bimcommunity.africa/post/our-first-community-podcast