Knowledge Bank
June 2009
Shape Shifting - the Story of a 3D Model in Construction
Jesper Hundebøl, Stefan Christoffer Gottlieb, Jens Stissing Jensen, Casper Schultz Larsen & Kristian Birch Sørensen
n this paper, we are concerned with the specific effects of a 3D building model produced and reproduced in the planning and construction phases on a particular construction project. We contrast these effects with the policy intentions expressed within a state funded, public initiative that aims to promote so-called ‘digital construction’ in Denmark.
One of the main objectives of this initiative is to ensure better coordination between the different phases of the building project through the application of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM). The intentions are to improve the construction phase by providing pervasive on-site planning and logistics, where the 3D building model combined with process-data developed and maintained by the individual contractor should facilitate the production of detailed step-by-step production planning in the form of ‘production cards’.
The empirical findings from the case-study reveal a much less pervasive and more coincidental utilization of the 3D model than envisioned programmatically. We show how the 3D model is introduce d into the construction phase in the form of paper based isometric drawings – as a supplement only to the existing practices.
While this modest utilization may resemble a failure from the viewpoint of the policy intentions, we suggest that it allows the craftsmen on the building site to actively translate and contextualise the technology in a form relevant to their activities. We suggest that the top-down regulatory intentions of the policy program may be hampered if there is a failure to create room for such local ‘contextualization’ processes.
One of the main objectives of this initiative is to ensure better coordination between the different phases of the building project through the application of 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM). The intentions are to improve the construction phase by providing pervasive on-site planning and logistics, where the 3D building model combined with process-data developed and maintained by the individual contractor should facilitate the production of detailed step-by-step production planning in the form of ‘production cards’.
The empirical findings from the case-study reveal a much less pervasive and more coincidental utilization of the 3D model than envisioned programmatically. We show how the 3D model is introduce d into the construction phase in the form of paper based isometric drawings – as a supplement only to the existing practices.
While this modest utilization may resemble a failure from the viewpoint of the policy intentions, we suggest that it allows the craftsmen on the building site to actively translate and contextualise the technology in a form relevant to their activities. We suggest that the top-down regulatory intentions of the policy program may be hampered if there is a failure to create room for such local ‘contextualization’ processes.
