What came first, the chicken or the egg? Everyone working in the area of stadia and arena development will say in a collective chorus that content is most important and that it determines everything. It is, of course, correct to say that the content is important, as that is where you get your turnover, and that is what determines success or otherwise in the income statement. But does that mean that everything else involved in a sports venue project is a lower priority? It probably doesn’t matter who you talk to but, in a project, everyone has their own specialist areas and ‘favourites’ that they claim to be the ‘most’ important.
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BIM IN STADIA DESIGN In this feature, a number of industry experts share their opinions on the advantages of utilising BIM in stadia design. 32 W hat came first, the chicken or the egg? Everyone working in the area of stadia and arena development will say in a collective chorus that content is most important and that it determines everything. It is, of course, correct to say that the content is important, as that is where you get your turnover, and that is what determines success or otherwise in the income statement. But does that mean that everything else involved in a sports venue project is a lower priority? It probably doesn’t matter who you talk to but, in a project, everyone has their own specialist areas and ‘favourites’ that they claim to be the ‘most’ important. It is certainly the case that ‘Content is King’ but it is, perhaps, even more important to know from the start what the project can stand up to financially and how the correct information and data can be ensured. This is where BIM comes into its own, as Arena Projekt’s Sven-Åke Wikers advised: “Working in BIM provides up to 20-25% more information to make decisions on and it proves to be the case that you can reduce the cost by up to 10-15%.” Cornerstones for Success In stadia and arena development, it is a combination of a number of cornerstones that are important for success. Quite clearly major emphasis must be placed on cost control as the absolutely most important factor. Can the content of the venue cover up for poor cost control and project economy so that more can be spent on the project than budgeted for? In certain situations this may be possible and this could possibly work when an increase in prices and numbers is connected to an income but, apart from this, poor control will impair the project during its lifetime. Why take that risk. Wikers commented: “Many people say categorically that you should not speak of technology with clients and that mixing in new techniques is not interesting. Of course, technical terms are boring, but it is possible to translate the language to: more accessible information for decisions and in control of the investment.” Today, when there is such great focus on economy in building projects, it seems odd that clients don’t unite in demanding 3-5D planning/BIM (Building Information Modelling) from the beginning; where 3 is the model, 4 is the timetable, and 5 is the cost control. Wikers said: “Despite the year being 2015, we are still estimating stadium and arena costs in reference numbers, sqm costs and diverse other less secure methods to get an investment budget. Why is that? Because of ignorance or lack of competence? Our question is: ‘Why not use techniques in the project that will provide the project with more information to base its decisions on and why not use techniques that will control cost, and even reduce the cost of the project? Are we not adaptable or are we not keeping up with developments?” He continued: “The full benefits of BIM can be realised if architects, structural designers, other consultants and contractors cooperate using the building information models. This requires an open mind, experienced guidance and appropriate software tools. No individual knows a much as everyone put together.” Working in BIM can reportedly provide up to 20-25% more information to make decisions on and it proves to be PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT 2ND QUARTER 2015
Transcript
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BIM IN STADIA DESIGNIn this feature, a number of industry experts share their opinions on the advantages of utilising BIM in stadia design.
32
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Everyone working in the
area of stadia and arena development will say in a collective chorus that content is most important and that it determines everything.
It is, of course, correct to say that the content is important, as that is where you get your turnover, and that is what determines success or otherwise in the income statement. But does that mean that everything else involved in a sports venue project is a lower priority? It probably doesn’t matter who you talk to but, in a project, everyone has their own specialist areas and ‘favourites’ that they claim to be the ‘most’ important.
It is certainly the case that ‘Content is King’ but it is, perhaps, even more important to know from the start what the project can stand up to financially and how the correct information and data can be ensured. This is where BIM comes into its own, as Arena Projekt’s Sven-Åke Wikers advised: “Working in BIM provides up to 20-25% more information to make decisions on and it proves to be the case that you can reduce the cost by up to 10-15%.”
Cornerstones for SuccessIn stadia and arena development, it is a combination of a number of cornerstones that are important for success. Quite clearly major emphasis must be placed on cost control as the absolutely most important factor. Can the content of the venue cover up for poor cost control and project economy so that more can be spent on the project than budgeted for? In certain situations this may be possible and this could possibly work when an increase in prices and numbers is connected to an income but, apart from this, poor control will impair the project during its lifetime. Why take that risk.
Wikers commented: “Many people say categorically that you should not speak of technology with clients and that mixing in new techniques is not interesting. Of course, technical terms are boring, but it is possible to translate the language to: more accessible information for decisions and in control of the investment.”
Today, when there is such great focus on economy in building projects, it seems odd that clients don’t unite in demanding
3-5D planning/BIM (Building Information Modelling) from the beginning; where 3 is the model, 4 is the timetable, and 5 is the cost control.
Wikers said: “Despite the year being 2015, we are still estimating stadium and arena costs in reference numbers, sqm costs and diverse other less secure methods to get an investment budget. Why is that? Because of ignorance or lack of competence? Our question is: ‘Why not use techniques in the project that will provide the project with more information to base its decisions on and why not use techniques that will control cost, and even reduce the cost of the project? Are we not adaptable or are we not keeping up with developments?”
He continued: “The full benefits of BIM can be realised if architects, structural designers, other consultants and contractors cooperate using the building information models. This requires an open mind, experienced guidance and appropriate software tools. No individual knows a much as everyone put together.”
Working in BIM can reportedly provide up to 20-25% more information to make decisions on and it proves to be
PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT 2ND QUARTER 2015
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FACILITY WATCH
FEATURE
the case that costs can be reduced by up to 10-15%. There are those who assert that this is a more expensive way of working, perhaps initially, but over the course of the project, there is no rise in prices, rather more information, security and savings.
Building contractors are constantly under pressure to compete on price, as it is by far the most decisive factor in the majority of negotiations. It is not quality or qualifications, or an equal portion of each, but price that is decisive.
Wikers added: “It is an environment that they are used to working in and look, therefore, for ways to become more effective and keep costs in check. For this reason, it is the building companies that are driving the development of 3-5D planning (BIM) most, and not the consultants.”
As things stand now, building companies and consultants find it difficult to reach clients with the message; ‘Look at our qualifications and see the additional value we provide from the start of the project.’ How can clients be convinced?
Wikers advised: “ArenaProjekt saw the advantages of the technique earlier than most and how to generate confidence and security around projects. We
combine arena competence with cost control for successful projects.”
Using BIM successfullyPrior to the 2011 World Handball Championship, which was held in Sweden, a number of new arenas had been built of a size to accommodate 3,000-13,000 spectators to be used in the group and final games, and some of these were planned in BIM, as Wikers elaborated: “Kristianstad Arena, with its 4,700-capacity, was planned in BIM from as early as 2006 and emphasis was placed on having the right information from the beginning, and having a grip of finances during the entire project.
“Within the municipality, they had no or very limited experience of BIM planning. The advantages became evident when the consultants linked the model to cost estimates and compared ‘What if’ scenarios and performed a so-called Clash Control. They were then able to avoid cable runs going through ventilating pipes, tube drawings through roof trusses etc.
“The precision of the cost estimate became higher and drawing errors never became production errors that
the resident editor would need to deal with on site. As the municipality had positive experiences of BIM planning, they set these requirements in the contract procurement exercise.
“The cost of erecting and equipping the arena was estimated at approximately €35m. After the contract procurement exercise, it was clear that the arena construction could be €4m cheaper than planned through BIM and the favourable project environment and understanding of the project that has arisen. The focus of the project has been on optimising production, where the BIM planning has been an important element in keeping costs down. It has been possible to reduce the costs further through all parties demonstrating great commitment to the project and working together in a satisfactory manner.
“The arena was opened on 15 October 2010 and the final forecast is end costs of about €6m lower than the original cost estimate, i.e. 17% lower. An interesting result for the municipality is that the successful project will lead to the municipality’s annual operating costs reducing from approximately €3.5m/pa to just over €3m.”
Wikers continued: “If we take some of the stadia built in South Africa prior to the football World Cup, properties for diverse Olympic Games, they had
Main image: The 4,700-capacity Kristianstad Arena in Sweden was planned in BIM, with emphasis placed on having the right information from the outset, and having a grip of finances during the entire project.All images credit: Arena Projekt
www.psam.uk.com
The 13,000-seat Malmö Arena.
PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT 2ND QUARTER 2015
New Perth Stadium pushing BIM boundariesThe new Perth Stadium & Sports Precinct is leading the way in the utilisation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to design and construct the project and assist in the long-term maintenance of the Stadium.
The project will be one of the first in Australia to be delivered at Level of Development (LOD) 500, meaning a complete as-built BIM model of the Stadium will be handed over to the facilities management team at the end of construction in late 2017.
BIM is already showing benefits in the design and construction phase, with clash detection, design reviews and shop drawing reviews carried out within the model. The process allows the project team to clearly see and resolve problems in 3D before construction begins.
From a stakeholder perspective, BIM has already delivered successes. It has enabled the project team to share the proposed camera positioning with the Media User Group to determine any potential sightline issues – three years before the Stadium is operational.
Importantly, the Sports Fans User Group has also been able to virtually travel from public transport hubs surrounding the Stadium, through the ticket gates and into specific areas of the Stadium, allowing potential issues and improvements to be identified.
The state-of-the-art BIM model allows the entire project to communicate and work from a single point of information, maximising efficiencies in construction and operations.
of the construction and operational risks in our projects by putting all the pieces of the jigsaw-puzzle together in one place, evolving them together from concept through to user occupation.”
Defined & Connected DesignWill Ardill, Technical Director at KSS, added: “BIM is an integrated process built on coordinated, reliable information about a project from design through construction and into operations. KSS are advanced users of the BIM process and typically operate at a maturity level 2. We have been using BIM for over a decade and we were one of the first architecture practices to use the Revit platform.
“KSS have been able to grow and adapt to the BIM process and understand its benefits tailoring all project processes to suit BIM delivery. Revit has allowed us to improve our coordination, enhance our accuracy, reduce waste and enable better-informed decisions to be made earlier in the design process. This results in a completely defined and connected design that can be clearly understood by the end user.”
Current KSS projects using BIM include the No.1 Court at Wimbledon and Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage stadium. (Further details on KSS’ use of BIM can be found in the ‘Intelligent Modelling’ article on the following page.) n
the tools in the form of magnificent programmes and the technique was used partially, but not fully, by the project managers. Is it less important to meet budgets and reduce costs in larger projects than in smaller ones?
“ArenaProjekt saw the advantages of the technique earlier than most and how to generate confidence and security around projects. For more than nine years, we have successfully worked using Clash Controls, 3D and 5D, and we use the techniques from the early stages of a project. We combine arena competence with cost control for successful projects.”
BIM: A Common LanguageDipesh Patel, Principal at Pattern Architects, and speaker at our ‘live’ event, Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2015, commented: “Since Pattern started as a small practice, we have successfully combined rule-based design with BIM delivery on buildings known for their complexity: Stadia. This allows us to develop our concepts quickly into reality as we manage large amounts of information and turn data-driven architectural responses into buildable, cost-effective designs.
“Within large multidisciplinary teams and working to extremely tight deadlines, BIM gives us a common language to exchange, analyse, simulate and verify the key elements of our projects. Our design and BIM processes eliminate a lot
An in-depth and exclusive article on the new Perth Stadium and Sports Precinct’s use of BIM will be published in our Q3/Autumn edition of PanStadia & Arena Management.
