BIM has been paying off for AE firm NELSON. “Once a team becomes proficient in the BIM process, we see better margins for projects completed in Revit,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr., President/CEO. “We see more RFPs that require Revit.” Creating Revit models opens up doors in analysis, data integration, facilities management, and advanced visualization, he says.
Perkins Eastman is starting to see results from its investment in BIM. “Our most recent in-house analysis of project labor costs on comparable CAD/BIM projects is showing an increase in BIM projects over CAD projects,” says Chair/CEO Bradford Perkins, FAIA, MRAIC, AICP. “Many of the other benefits of a BIM workflow are not so easily quantified, but they are real enough to give us confidence that BIM is paying off.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIANTS 300 BIM FIRM RANKINGS
Alex Ivanikiw, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Vice President at Barton Malow: “The real benefit is how the use of BIM enables collaboration, which in turn builds a real sense of trust and teamwork.” When subcontractors had trouble using the BIM model for submittal approval and materials fabrication, Barton Malow created a BIM 101 seminar to educate them in these processes, says Ivanikiw.
BIM projects have been profitable for Syska Hennessy Group, but there’s always room for improvement, says Co-president Gary Brennen, PE, LEED AP. SHG was “committed and fully invested in the early adoption of BIM,” but the MEP software still lags behind the architectural and structural components. “We were aware of that going into the process,” he says.
Structural engineering firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates is producing 100% of its projects as BIM models. “After many years of investment, we are finally turning the corner on implementing BIM in an efficient and thoughtful manner,” says MKA President Ron Klemencic, PE, SE.
The key to successful BIM implementation: “A project team with the experience and knowledge of what to model and how to model it,” says Klemencic.
“Allowing owners to better visualize the project has become an influencing factor during the presentation process,” says Doug Davidson, President, New South Construction. In 2011, over 45% of New South’s projects used BIM.
“There’s no question that BIM has paid off in our role as engineer of record producing construction drawings and as detailing engineer,” says Robert Otani, PE, LEED AP, Vice President of Thornton Tomasetti. The firm’s Construction Support Services practice uses BIM to produce digital fabrication drawings, connection engineering, and erection engineering for steel contractors. “The technology is constantly changing, and the engineers need to stay ahead of the curve,” says Otani.
KJWW Engineering recently standardized on Revit BIM in all 11 offices. President Paul VanDuyne, PE, says it was much more difficult to develop the MEP and technology components of the firm’s BIM platform than it was for structural engineering and medical equipment planning. “Now we are completing projects in close to the same time frame as previously with 3D, and in some cases faster,” he says.
EwingCole now uses an internal “cloud” for team members, who are now able to work on BIM through higher-end processors and central servers, says President Mark Hebden, AIA, LEED AP.
EYP Architecture & Engineering adopted BIM in 2006, and it has become a core competency. One unexpected benefit: “BIM integration has created more opportunities for younger tech-savvy staff to collaborate with senior technical team members,” says John Pocorobba, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Chief Operations Officer.
“It becomes apparent which market sectors are embracing BIM,” said Greg Lyon, Vice President and Director of Business Development at Nadel Architects, whose BIM work focuses on hospitality and retail clients.
“BIM implementation has been a long-term effort and a considerable one,” says Phil Harrison, FAIA, LEED AP, CEO of Perkins+Will. The firm has overcome the technical and training issues and is now “focusing on innovations and efficiencies,” he says.
Shepley Bulfinch has been using BIM since 2009 and now uses it for all projects. President Carole Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP, says BIM implementation has led to a “deeper exploration about how we approach our work, including how we draw and how we schedule our projects.”
According to Graef CEO John Kissinger, “We were early adopters. It was more difficult than we thought, but it is ingrained in all areas of our practice now.”
SmithGroupJJR began transitioning to Revit in 2005, and is now demonstrating a return on its BIM investment. On a daily basis, the firm peaks at around 310 concurrent users on Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit Structure.
President Steven Straus says Glumac made “an enormous investment” in BIM training and software development. “BIM is a new technology that is improving coordination,” he says, “but the software is not ready for prime time.”
“Not all contractors we work with are leveraging BIM. This means we have to spend more time preparing drawings in BIM than we normally would,” says BRPH President/CEO Brad Harmsen, AIA.
The chief conclusion from this survey: BIM is here to stay, but be prepared to invest staff time and money to perfect it. +
TOP 25 BIM ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | HOK | 398,217,301 |
2 | HDR Architecture | 327,690,000 |
3 | Perkins+Will | 274,336,000 |
4 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | 204,000,000 |
5 | HKS | 200,000,000 |
6 | Cannon Design | 173,000,000 |
7 | SmithGroupJJR | 150,540,000 |
8 | RTKL Associates | 140,000,000 |
9 | Hammel, Green and Abrahamson | 76,740,000 |
10 | EYP Architecture & Engineering | 72,681,105 |
11 | Corgan Associates | 67,575,000 |
12 | Flad Architects | 65,100,000 |
13 | HNTB Architecture | 63,244,852 |
14 | Fentress Architects | 58,824,000 |
15 | DLR Group | 49,500,000 |
16 | BSA LifeStructures | 45,316,495 |
17 | PageSoutherlandPage | 44,918,630 |
18 | ZGF Architects | 40,352,152 |
19 | Ennead Architects | 39,341,000 |
20 | KMD Architects | 35,143,453 |
21 | Cooper Carry | 34,000,000 |
22 | Perkins Eastman | 32,500,000 |
23 | LS3P Associates | 32,211,134 |
24 | FKP Architects | 30,000,000 |
25 | Harley Ellis Devereaux | 28,740,000 |
TOP 25 BIM ENGINEERING FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | Jacobs | 355,021,036 |
2 | URS Corp. | 275,000,000 |
3 | Stantec | 181,300,000 |
4 | SSOE Group | 103,506,950 |
5 | Science Applications International Corp. | 92,695,000 |
6 | Thornton Tomasetti | 83,314,632 |
7 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 60,000,000 |
8 | Burns & McDonnell | 50,000,000 |
9 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 43,784,892 |
10 | Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers | 32,000,000 |
11 | H&A Architects & Engineers | 29,883,975 |
12 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 27,290,274 |
13 | STV | 26,646,000 |
14 | Glumac | 26,408,740 |
15 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 25,845,578 |
16 | Middough | 25,000,000 |
17 | R.G. Vanderweil Engineers | 24,912,000 |
18 | Michael Baker Jr., Inc | 24,000,000 |
19 | Syska Hennessy Group | 23,500,000 |
20 | Smith Seckman Reid | 21,360,000 |
21 | Bergmann Associates | 18,420,000 |
22 | ccrd partners | 16,700,000 |
23 | Rutherford & Chekene | 16,568,000 |
24 | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor | 15,500,000 |
25 | L.R. Kimball | 14,200,000 |
TOP 25 BIM CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | Turner Corporation, The | 5,458,100,812 |
2 | URS Corp. | 4,150,000,000 |
3 | Hensel Phelps Construction | 2,230,890,000 |
4 | Mortenson | 2,220,000,000 |
5 | Balfour Beatty US | 2,070,776,637 |
6 | McCarthy Holdings | 1,897,000,000 |
7 | Holder Construction | 1,651,000,000 |
8 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | 1,282,424,019 |
9 | Lend Lease | 1,264,115,151 |
10 | Hoffman Corp. | 1,165,887,387 |
11 | Walsh Group, The | 1,128,436,530 |
12 | PCL Construction Enterprises | 1,100,346,901 |
13 | JE Dunn Construction | 1,097,865,953 |
14 | Clayco | 820,000,000 |
15 | DPR Construction | 691,319,178 |
16 | Swinerton | 653,859,000 |
17 | Gilbane Building Co. | 622,414,000 |
18 | Suffolk Construction | 621,498,214 |
19 | Structure Tone | 606,850,000 |
20 | Pepper Construction Group | 566,300,000 |
21 | Weitz Co., The | 560,000,000 |
22 | Manhattan Construction Group | 549,029,000 |
23 | Austin Industries | 547,065,203 |
24 | Power Construction | 530,000,000 |
25 | Brasfield & Gorrie | 504,676,926 |
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024
Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design
The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.
Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024
Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015.
MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024
World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods
The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.
K-12 Schools | Apr 29, 2024
Tomorrow's classrooms: Designing schools for the digital age
In a world where technology’s rapid pace has reshaped how we live, work, and communicate, it should be no surprise that it’s also changing the PreK-12 education landscape.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 29, 2024
6 characteristics of a successful adaptive reuse conversion
In the continuous battle against housing shortages and the surplus of vacant buildings, developers are turning their attention to the viability of adaptive reuse for their properties.
AEC Innovators | Apr 26, 2024
National Institute of Building Sciences announces Building Innovation 2024 schedule
The National Institute of Building Sciences is hosting its annual Building Innovation conference, May 22-24 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. BI2024 brings together everyone who impacts the built environment: government agencies, contractors, the private sector, architects, scientists, and more.
Mass Timber | Apr 25, 2024
Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 25, 2024
How pools can positively affect communities
Clark Nexsen senior architects Jennifer Heintz and Dorothea Schulz discuss how pools can create jobs, break down barriers, and create opportunities within communities.
Senior Living Design | Apr 24, 2024
Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.
Construction of Parkview, a high-rise expansion of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Portland, Ore., completed recently. The senior living facility is touted as the largest Passive House structure on the West Coast, and the largest Passive House senior living building in the country.