Application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Prefabricated Building Construction Design: A Case Study of a Prefabricated Residential Project

Abstract

Typically, the traditional building construction design process consists of 4 stages: preliminary design, schematic design, final design, and construction document preparation, which are in 2D format. This can lead to errors in the design and construction of complex buildings. For prefabricated building construction, this research focuses on buildings with a rectangular box shape or multiple components called "modules." These modules are assembled to form the building's shape. Module fabrication takes place in a factory, and then they are transported and assembled into a building at the construction site. The completed building is referred to as "prefabricated building construction." Currently, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is being applied in the architectural design process. This research aims to apply BIM for the design and construction of prefabricated buildings for a two-story prefabricated housing project. The study and comparison of the traditional method with the BIM method revealed that BIM does not add or reduce any steps in the process; it merely facilitates each step. The extent of this facilitation depends on the capabilities of each software. In conclusion, the application of BIM for the design and construction of prefabricated buildings effectively facilitates the schematic design stage. It also helps to check and reduce errors in the construction documents more effectively than the traditional method. This results in the final design and construction document preparation stages being completed more quickly and accurately, significantly reducing the overall working time.