Improving on-site meeting efficiency by using an automated model breakdown tool

Abstract

Integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) to on-site meetings in the construction phase has been a challenge to general contractors mainly due to the inflexibility of the current practice in grouping and organizing models to facilitate rapid, on-the-spot model queries. We have developed an automation tool that supports the automatic grouping of models according to a certain model breakdown structure (MBS), which reflects a breakdown structure of a project. This enables a model navigator to identify the relevant model contents on the fly in a meeting thus drastically reducing the coordination latency in resolving an issue. This paper introduces two case studies to explain a non-intrusive process of introducing federated models produced by the automation tool to the meetings. The results of surveys to the meeting participants prove that the non-intrusive process as well as the models reflecting multiple MBS's changed the meeting participants' behaviour and enhanced their coordination, communication, and collaboration, thus improving the overall outcomes of the meetings.