Many engineering companies use Building Information Modeling (BIM) and have already crossed the first major hurdles of implementation, standards, and productivity. However, firms are not using data and metrics from connected systems for design, coordination, and quality control. Time is being wasted entering data and getting families to schedule as opposed to actual productive time reviewing and using data in the model.

One of the larger sets of external information for a project is the HVAC cooling and heating loads. By exporting space properties (i.e. Name, Number, Floor Area, etc.) from the model through gbXML to load and energy analysis software, data entry time and errors are reduced. Once HVAC loads are completed, the calculated results can be brought back into BIM. This allows a Space Airflow Schedule to be utilized by engineers for balancing diffusers airflows for the entire building against calculated airflows from the load software. Once diffusers have airflows, the ductwork sizes can be reviewed and adjusted by using velocity and pressure drop diagrams. These color coded ductwork diagrams can be setup to flag or highlight a section of duct that falls out of a company’s design standard tolerance range. The airflow from all the diffusers that connects to a piece of equipment is also able to be verified and checked in a schedule against the scheduled airflow value. BIM also provides the ability to perform ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation calculations for constant volume single zone systems as part of a schedule. The setup is very easy at the beginning of a project and also dynamically updates if the design changes. Once equipment schedules have been filled out, information such as the gas input load for any piece of equipment can also be used to drive gas flow (CFH) through the gas piping systems. This process is dynamic which saves time and reduces errors of adding up volumetric flow rates.

The calculations and design workflows outlined above are just the beginning of the potential productivity gains. These productivity gains require some investment of time to set up workflows, schedules, and views. This investment will not only provide additional productivity and consistency, but also improves quality control resulting from all of the information residing in one location.