The electrical system on a project the size of Toll Brother’s Headquarters is complex and challenging both to design and construct. There are thousands of moving parts in a 160,000 SF building that need to be properly coordinated. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) to virtually construct these systems, the design team, constructor, and owner are able to work together with a 3-D-generated model of the building to accomplish that coordination. With more minds and points of view working together toward a more efficient and effective design, many issues are resolved during the design phase rather than being found and consuming valuable time during the construction phase. This takes the planning, building, and operating phases to a much more productive level, translating into real savings in time, money, and utility for the owner.

Tasked with virtually modeling the electrical rooms, mezzanine area, and light fixtures specifically, the EDiS BIM Services team was able to resolve multiple challenges prior to construction. In total, approximately 1,600 errors, called clashes, were detected and fixed within the virtual model. For example, the electrical conduit and panel layouts required detailed shop drawing precision to thread through 13 different electrical rooms. The electrical conduits in the original contract design documents provided ran through multiple hallways, which would normally cause poor conductivity. Using Revit and Navisworks software alongside laser-scanning technology, the BIM team was able to find viable items from the other trades such as hangers and piping to reorder to make the new design fit. A straighter and energy efficient path was designed and implemented before the incorrect path was installed in the actual field.

Without these pathing adjustments, correcting the electrical system after installation would have cost a great deal of time and money to fix, as construction would have halted and new parts would have needed to be ordered. After only three months, the BIM team successfully coordinated and developed a constructible layout for the conduits to reach each room without running through so many hallways. Their solution caused minimal impact to the design, saving both time and money in the long run. The EDiS BIM Services team continues to find new and innovative ways to provide clients with an accurate and valuable building models.

1 of 4