BIM and the most significant capital investment project ever undertaken in Ireland

How BIM is delivering value for the cost manager on the New Children's Hospital

Linesight was appointed to provide cost management services for these works.

The design team was set a goal by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board; to create 'one of the finest children’s hospitals in the world', and as a result, this represents a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ for all those involved in its design and delivery.

From the outset, the project was designated a BIM Level 2 Project, and Linesight approached this requirement at both an organizational and project level.  

As an organization, we have a number of elements that facilitate the provision of this service to such a high standard:

• We have invested significantly in a new Cost Management system globally – CostX
• We are an approved partner of Exactal
• Every QS in the organization is BIM enabled
• We have an ongoing dedicated program relating to BIM CPD

On the New Children’s Hospital project we:

• Became fully proactive and fully engaged in the process from project commencement
• Are determined to maximize the value from the BIM process in relation to service delivery
• Selected our team based partially on BIM skill analysis

Since out appointment as cost managers for the New Children’s Hospital in 2014, our knowledge and skill in utilizing BIM has grown and developed in conjunction with the industry generally.

The use of BIM on the New Children’s Hospital has resulted in a number of changes to how the cost management services are delivered.  These include:

1. Estimation & quantification
2. Production of detailed Bills of Quantities for mechanical & electrical works
3. Project interrogation
4. Design team collaboration
5. Delivery of added value

Estimation and quantification is a core function of the Cost Manager. Since the adoption of CostX, Linesight have had the ability to measure and quantify electronically from 2D information. On the New Children’s Hospital as the various models developed from early preliminary design up to detailed design for tender, our ability to extract quantities from the models increased significantly.

Given the two stage nature of the project, in order to deliver the quality and levels of accuracy required, Linesight developed a system of Gap Analysis which has been of significant importance to the project success.

1. The production of full detailed Bills of Quantities by Linesight in relation to the tenders for the Mechanical, Electrical and Lift Installations was the key element in the procurement strategy of these works. The modelling process provided the basis for detailed analysis of the mechanical and electrical design and provided the necessary information which allowed our Specialist M&E Cost Managers to extract/calculate the relevant quantities for incorporation into the Bills of Quantities.

2. Project interrogation was one of the surprising benefits that Linesight leveraged from the BIM Level 2 process on the New Children’s Hospital. Given the scale and complex nature of the project, our ability to isolate and analyze key elements of the project has been fundamental to the service delivery to date.

Interrogation / analysis of key elements such as the façade, structure and building services has provided Linesight with a greater level of information than what would be available under a 2D design.  With this enhanced information we have been able to prepare estimates and Bills of Quantities to a higher level of accuracy, to carry out options analysis with greater speed and have been in a position, where necessary, to challenge the design proposals prepared by the other design team members.

1. Design team collaboration between Linesight and the other design team members is notably greater than on a traditional project. From the outset of the project Linesight’s approach was to be fully proactive and engaged in the process, so as to maximize the value which the BIM process can deliver. This has been one of the most important characteristics of the relationship between the design team members on the project, and has been a key factor in the team delivering on the challenging program for a project of this scale.

2. Delivery of added value from the use of the BIM Level 2 Process has been the ultimate goal of the Linesight Team.  And while there has been a number of challenges around BIM Level 2, in particular around upgrading software and hardware, and staff training and CPD, the experience to date has been very positive. While the benefits to Linesight are important, of key interest is our ability to provide “Added value to the service delivery on the New Children’s Hospital”.

As the name suggests this process is about information, its quality and management. 

Our engagement / collaboration with the other design teams and the information produced has allowed us deliver value to the project in a number of key areas:

• Budget preparation
• Option analysis
• Risk identification and assessment
• Change identification/management
• Gap analysis
• Improved quality control