BIM Use within Current Business Process

BIM use within the current business process of company A can be seen either during the conceptual design or detail design or both, depending on the contract that was awarded. Therefore, the BIM use is further be discussed in a separate subchapter to provide a better focus of narration.

4.3.2.2.1 Conceptual Design

The use of BIM model in the organisation‟s Standard Operating Procedures starts as early as the conceptual design stage. Briefly, the conceptual design starts after the company receives a Feasibility Study Report from the client. The Feasibility Study Report is in a form of a paper-based document consisting of a brief description regarding the need of the client, location and technical data of the site and facilities. Some examples of the technical data are the coordinates of the site, volume of gases or crude oil that the facilities will produce, the oil composition, volume of gases inside the well, the expected lifespan of the well, seismic data and commercial value of the platform. The Feasibility

102 Study Report will firstly be submitted to the Process Department to deliver the process engineering and design. At the end of the process engineering and design, the Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and Plant and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) will be produced and distributed to the other departments i.e. Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation. Both the PFD and P&ID are issued in softcopy in PDF format and printed documents for further reference by the related departments.

The Feasibility Study Report, Client‟s Technical Spec, PFD and P&ID and equipment layout are then used by the structural department to produce the conceptual 3D structural model before the other departments can commence their conceptual engineering design. The conceptual 3D structural model is a pre-requisite deliverable to guide other departments in design, position and route of their component which also minimises clash between the various systems. The focus of the conceptual 3D structural model is on the structural element of the facilities since the cost of the project is highly dependent on the volume of the steel used. There are 2 types of conceptual 3D structural model, the BOCAD conceptual model and the SACS conceptual model. The structural engineer first starts the design activities by calculating and analysing the engineering aspect of the structure by using the structural design software, SACS. The software is an integrated finite element structural analysis suite of programs that provides the design, fabrication, installation, operations, and maintenance of offshore structures. The SACS software is used in determining the type and size of each structural element and the long lead item. The long lead item, for instance the primary beam, is any structural component that requires more than 6 months to be delivered at site after the order is placed. Therefore, across the project life cycle, after the long lead item is designed and decided, it cannot be altered anymore. The time consuming nature of the item has also forced the client to dictate within the contract terms that the item must be determined as early as the conceptual design stage. It is worth noting that within the conceptual design; only the design of the long lead item is locked while other components such as secondary beams, braces and staircases are still subject to change and further refinement as the structural design progresses in the detail design stage. Subsequently, the output of SACS software in the form of paper-based 3D model and drawings are delivered to the BOCAD team to work out the BOCAD conceptual model. The interoperability issue between the software SACS and BOCAD has forced the company to reduce the workflow into manual data entry since the direct transfer of the model is not possible. Once the conceptual model is authored in BOCAD, the deliverables in the form of BOCAD model and SACS output both in paper-based documents and electronic PDF format are then delivered to the engineers in the Mechanical and Piping Department and Electrical and Instrumentation Department. The 2D BOCAD extracted drawings of the plan view, elevation and cross section are also submitted alongside the BOCAD model and SACS output.

103 Similarly with the structural department, once the mechanical and piping engineers have determined the major equipment, conceptual piping route and mechanical long lead item, the output is then delivered in a paper-based format to the PDMS team to work out the conceptual 3D PDMS model. Although it is still at the conceptual stage, normally around 70% of the components are precisely determined. At this stage, the PDMS designer will also upload the conceptual BOCAD model into PDMS software to detect clash simultaneously while authoring the mechanical equipment and piping system clash with the structural system. Once the 3D authoring is finished, the PDMS conceptual model, which is integrated with BOCAD conceptual, is passed to the reality review workstation within the same Mechanical Department to deliver the accessibility review. The review, which is also known as a walkthrough review, is developed by using the software Reality Review where the PDMS model is first uploaded into the software. A representation of a human avatar, which is scaled down from a 6-foot man, is used. The avatar grasps a walking stick in the right hand and a tool box in the left hand. The width between both hands is set at 1.2m to represent the clearance of walking width which is in compliance with the Client‟s Technical Specification. The avatar is then navigated to walk through the escape route inside the platform to evaluate any obstacles that inhibit the actual people to access the route, passing machinery and instruments. If the review results in zero clashes, the output of the reality review will then be developed further into an animated MP4 video format. If not, the obstacle report is prepared and sent to the engineers for revision. Meanwhile, the video is also submitted to the client for review together with the conceptual design proposal which has both a softcopy and hardcopy of PDMS and BOCAD conceptual 3D model.

Soon after, a meeting is set and arranged in a big room with the client to get approval for design. A proposal is presented by the lead engineers with a roughly estimated budget, technical advantage, cost advantage and also operation and constructability advantage. During the meeting, the PDMS model which integrates the BOCAD model will also be projected on the white screen, while discussing the aspect of operation, maintenance, safety, escape route and ergonomics of the design. The MP4 video of the walkthrough review is also screened to demonstrate the accessibility of the design. The comments and feedback from the client is then taken into account for further refinement of the design before the detail design is commenced. Upon discussion and agreement, some data and information is also provided by the client to produce the Design Basis Memorandum (DBM) as part of the Conceptual Design deliverable. The DBM comes with detailed specification and information regarding the project‟s need which is not included in Client‟s Technical Specification (CTS). Some examples of the information are storm water and soil data, water level, borehole analysis, water depth, and the amount of mechanical equipment that needs to be installed. The detail design activities are then governed and guided by the DBM and CTS.

104 4.3.2.2.2 Detail Design

After the conceptual design is completed, the team from the department of Process, Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation will conduct the detail design activities. At this stage, secondary equipment or instrumentation is designed and refined in further detail. Examples of the equipment are the vessel, pump, and pipe type and route and conductor slot. All of the data and information coming from various engineering departments on paper will be combined together by the PDMS administrator before they are distributed to the PDMS designer for the purpose of authoring the PDMS Model and Structural Team to deliver detail structural design activities. There are two 3D models (according to the discipline) that are authored in PDMS software, which are Mechanical and Piping Model, and Electrical and Instrumentation Model. At this stage, the PDMS team will work hand in hand very closely with structural design and other engineering team members. A variety of 3D Models thus require a PDMS administrator to carry an essential responsibility to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all data and information provided by engineers from various departments. At the same time, the PDMS administrator must also prepare the database and compartmentalisation of the PDMS software to be used by the PDMS designer. Meanwhile, the PDMS designer‟s scope of work is just limited to authoring the 3D model and extracting design deliverables from the model.

Meanwhile in the Structural Department, upon receiving all of the technical data and information from other departments, SACS software is used by the structural engineer to conduct detail structural analysis and design. The most important data needed from other departments is the live load and dead load from various systems. Some examples of the loads are machinery and instrumentation loads and piping route loads. Since the loads are only available after the other departments have completed their engineering task, therefore the structural teams can only start executing the detail design activities in concurrence with the PDMS team authoring the detail PDMS model. The location and size of each structural component is all calculated in detail by using SACS. Lastly the foundation is designed after the total weight of the structure is determined. The final output of the SACS in drawings format and specification data sheets are then sent to the BOCAD administrator to manage the authoring of the 3D BOCAD model and to produce the design deliverables. The responsibility and job scope of the BOCAD Administrator and Designer is similar to that of the PDMS Administrator and Designer in the Mechanical Department. Once the 3D BOCAD is fully developed, the model is then submitted to the PDMS team to conduct another round of Clash Check by using PDMS software.

After all of the detail engineering analysis and design is completed, another meeting will be arranged with the client to finalise the detail design and obtain approval for the design documentation.

105 Similarly, in the Conceptual Design meeting, the discussion and comments on the design are centred on the PDMS and BOCAD models that are projected on the screen in the big room. The meeting is attended by lead engineers of all departments coming from the client and Organisation A. Only after the design is approved the company can prepare the detail deliverable to be submitted to the client and EPC contractor. The list of the deliverables is further explained in the next sub-section. It is also important to mention that within the Case A practice, the Material Taking Off or Bill of Quantity as part of the design deliverables is carried out individually according to the department before it is combined together during the detail design stage. The practice is slightly different from the AEC industry in Malaysia where the quantity of the whole building is „taken off‟ by dedicated personnel which is the Quantity Surveyor.

In both the PDMS team and BOCAD team, along with 3D models, 2D drawings are also extracted from the models and further detailed in AutoCAD by the drafting unit which resides within the Mechanical and Structural department. The use of AutoCAD drawings are still needed to comply with contract requirements although the organisation has implemented 3D BIM since 1998. Furthermore, the site people still rely on 2D drawings in fabricating and installing the structure as further explained by one of the lead engineers. Also, another issue that is worth mentioning is the interoperability issue between various software packages which has demanded the company to conduct manual data entry in authoring 3D model in PDMS and BOCAD software. Therefore, in order to ensure consistency and accuracy of information, two departments are established to carry the responsibility. The first one is Internal Document Check (IDC) which focuses on checking the consistency and accuracy of information within an individual department, and is especially important in situations of manual data transfers between SACS and BOCAD. Secondly is the Interdisciplinary Document Check which focuses on checking the consistency and accuracy of information across the department.

In summary, the use of BIM within the company process flow is to: a) Communicate design intent and information via 3D model b) Author the 3D model

c) Extract drawings from the 3D model

d) Determine associated information such as the Material Taking Off, Weight, Surface Area and Centre of Gravity

e) Conduct Automated Clash Check f) Deliver Walkthrough Review

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