Bradley BIM-Revit Resource Portal

I authored two articles for an Australian design + construction news site; that demonstrate Revit-BIM Level-Of-Detail (LOD) standards are not very new and how they’re driving business.

Revit-BIM Level-Of-Development (LOD) standards integrated our initial BIM Level-Of-Detail standards; which now has LOD functioning as a lightweight project management tool.

--- Design – Construction Processes Trending BIM-Dependent ---

 LOD is measuring\monitoring the projects'design + construction progress and completion deadlines. LOD is becoming a functional ingredient to Owners' BIM Execution Plans; while improving the model-building communications between project team members.

LOD is demonstrating its potential to measure Return-On-Investment (ROI) for individual Revit and/or BIM processes.

Here are the links to both articles:

Article #1:

Early Level-of-Detail Transitions to BIM Level-of-Development

Article #2:

BIM Level-of-Development (LOD) Driving BIM ROI

Defining and managing BIM models' Level of Detail (LOD) --or Level of Development is reviewed in great detail (no pun intended) by Antony McPhee, Registered Architect Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Author of Practical BIM Blog.

Antony extensively researched his BIM LOD article; What Is This Thing Called LOD?. He provides BIM LOD Definitions from multiple countries and professional associations with descriptions and images.

Antony's LOD article serves as a great discussion tool; as BIM-based organizations define both their internal and project BIM & Revit modeling standards.

Excerpt from What Is This Thing Called LOD?,

What Exactly is Level of Development?

Therefore; a BIM Level of Development (LOD) for a chair might go:

LOD 100 = there is a chair
LOD 200 = there is a chair that has nominal space requirement of 500x500
LOD 300 = there is a chair with arm rests and wheels
LOD 400 = manufacturer and model number.
LOD 500 = manufacturer and model number, supplier, date purchased

or in General Terms:

LOD 100 = there is a thing
LOD 200 = there is a thing about this size
LOD 300 = there is a thing with these functions and options
LOD 400 = it is this particular thing.
LOD 500 = this particular thing provided by this person on this date.

Continue Reading the Entire Article: What Is This Thing Called LOD?

Bradley's Revit Family models were created with a high Level Of Development (LOD). Bradley Revit models are designed to accommodate the needs of all four Revit project members; architect, engineer, contractor and facility owners.

There are several reasons the Bradley BIM Team chose to build a single Revit model; that was all-inclusive to serve all disciplines.

Bradley Revit-BIM Family Quality Standards | Top 10 FAQs

1) Logistically, its easier to manage embedded data parameters of more than 1,000 Revit models; as one inclusive model for all disciplines.

2) Ideally, a manufacturer's Revit model that is shared amongst the team; guarantees data consistency and minimizes the modeling costs for everyone. Consider this:

How often will your consultant(s) build a Revit model for both them and for your discipline?

How often do you build Revit models for your consultants?

3) Realistically, my onsite client visits confirm that BIM \ VDC Managers maintain a LOD definition; specific to their organization, projects and team members.

"We will decide what content we keep and delete within our Revit families."

[Common BIM-VDC Managers Response]

Bradley anticipated Revit Managers would remove content from Bradley Revit models; to meet their standards, preferences and criteria. It is far easier, faster and cheaper for them to delete content, from an all-inclusive Revit model.

Once they remove family content; perhaps after adding their own shared \ family parameters --they will save a Bradley Revit family file down to a smaller file size.

Bradley Revit Family Secrets – Compact File Reduces File Size

For example;

Architectural designers may remove the MEP connections, solids or voids --keeping only basic solids, masking regions and symbolic line-work.

Engineers may remove the materials, solids and voids --keeping the MEP connections and portions of the masking regions & symbolic line-work.

Contractors creating the Owner's as-built project Revit models; have typically requested and\or used the Bradley Revit models in their original high LOD format.

Technology's Exponential Growth Will Change Revit Family Rules

The Bradley BIM Initiative strategy forecasted; that Revit, LOD, BIM and supporting technology processes would remain "moving targets".

I attended the AU 2013 class; which detailed the Mayo Clinic Modeling Development Specification (MDS) --developed by Mayo Clinic BIM Program Manager, Andy Jizba (Arizona) and David Paul Wilkinson, Autodesk Consulting Services.

Autodesk University Class

• Model Development Specification: Communicating the Exchange of Reliable Models

The purpose of the Model Development Specification (MDS) is to define how Building Information Modeling (BIM) will be implemented and managed on both current and future projects.

Critical to the development of the BIM is a complete understanding of how the model will be used during the course of the design, construction, and life-cycle management of the building.

Andy Jizba | Mayo Clinic BIM Program Manager (Arizona)

While Level of Development (LOD) gains traction for Revit component and project modeling; Mayo Clinic has created a contractual deliverable process that defines

• a mutually defined LOD for each discipline, by each discipline -- based on an initial, project kick-off meeting with the owner.

• how the owner plans to use BIM for the Building's Lifecycle Management and Operations & Maintenance (O&M).

• LOD roles and responsibilities at each phase of the project: Lead, Support & Use

• how to use Revit family LOD shared parameters; to monitor & manage a project's LOD progress for each discipline and phase --to minimize rework of the model.

• a method that allows each stakeholder to integrate their interdependent Revit-BIM modeling standards into the project standards.

Forty videos and PDF downloads are posted on the Fall 2015 BIMForum Presentations Page from their October event in Orlando, Florida.

Hours of video and dozens of PDF presentation-class documents are available for your BIM Manager monthly BIM-Revit Lunch-N-Learns.

Visit The BIMForum YouTube Video Channel to access hundreds of hours of video content for business, project and BIM standards planning and training.

BIM Level-Of-Development (LOD) was highlighted within several presentations. Those presentations providing LOD are bold-faced in the list below. I admit, I haven't listened to all the presentations on this list --as they were released 2 weeks ago. I'll update the boldfaced list of LOD presentations once I review them all.

 2015 Fall BIMForum Class Presentation Topics | Videos and PDFs

1. BIM/VDC for Precon at Ledcor

2. Optimizing Project Decision Making with VDC

3. Designers Taking Back Control of BIM Design Coordination

4. How BIM Impacts the Structural Steel Fabrication Business

5. A PDF Does Not Equal Paper How the PDF Revolution is Advancing BIM Workflows

6. BIM before BIM’s

7. Owner Actions to Define Transparency in the Model-based Design Process

8. BIM Utilization Effectiveness – How We Became Effective BIM Producers While Driving Innovation Forward

9. Organizational Modules: Studying the Effects of Organizational Repetitions Using QCA

10. Taking Control of the Game – An Exploration of Virtual Reality and Gaming Workflows

11. Building Blocks in your BXP: BIM-M Initiative

12. Pre-engineered Metal Building Systems

13. Precast and BIM

14. Laser focus on accuracy in BXP: USIBD LOA & LOD

15. BIM Legal and Insurance Issues

16. Raising the Roof with your BXP: Steel Joist and Deck

17. Building Quality in your BXP: NISD CM-BIM by David Merrifield (NISD)

18. AEC Supply Chain Optimization – Building Information Modeling for Improved Productivity and Content Management for Off-Site Prefabrication in a Semi-Conductor Manufacturing Facility Retrofit Environment

19. 4D > 3D Model + Schedule

20. Preconstruction in Construction: Managing Change in a Billion Dollar Hospital

21. LOD Update

22. Live Cost Modeling & Production Analytics with BIM

23. Constructible Design: Merging Design, Detailing and Coordination to Mitigate Risk and Create Predictable Outcomes

24. Managing Design as an Information Supply Chain

Fall 2015 BIMFORUM-Orlando LOA Presentation

View all BIMFORUM event presentation videos and PDF files.

View a 15-minute video clip of the USIBD Level-Of-Accuracy (LOA) comparison with the BIM FORUM [AGC] Level-Of-Development (LOD).

Download the 60-minute MP4 file to view and listen to the entire discussion.