Exceeding Expectations

ut because of the complexity of the concrete and steel structure, particularly the verticalconcrete work. The completed structure was designed as home to a 1,260 seat performancehall for music, dance, and theater productions. Plans were to form some 157,000 square feet ofvertical contact area, employing job-built wall forms, pre-engineered hand-set wall and columnforms, a climbing wall form system, and a climbing elevator core forming system. Chad Hensley,now a WBI owner, was Project Manager for the Center.BIM is the futureof construction whichwill revolutionizethe way in whichprojects are designed,estimated, bid,planned, scheduled,constructed anddocumented.Perhaps most significant from a long-range perspective was the creation by the HolderConstruction team of a 3-D Building Information Model (BIM) of the concrete and steelinvolved in the project. WBI had been exposed to BIM technology in the past, when itwas used by the electrical and mechanical trades on various projects, but had never beenprovided a structural model of steel and concrete. The WBI planners were impressed withthe clarity the 3-D model provided in fully understanding the intent of the designers and inproviding that information to the crews in the field. WBI was also introduced to the idea of 4-Dmodeling, which added time as the fourth dimension. Where there are alternative constructionsequencing options, the use of 4-D clearly shows the differences and advantages of thevarious options available. Overall, Mr. Hensley felt that the use of the BIM technology was an“effective tool for collaboration between WBI team members, client personnel and fellowsubcontractors.” He envisioned the use of the BIM model as something that would be valuableto the company in estimating, planning projects, and management of more complex projects.Mr. Hensley, now a Project Executive and Vice-President, Daniel Wayne, and many othersin management were sufficiently impressed with the BIM technology to begin to study theintegration of the 3-D modeling in the “Wayne Brothers Way” of construction. Ryan Barker,now the BIM Manager, recalls that the company decided in May 2012 to begin to use the BIMsoftware. Barker and several others attended a training program to become familiar with,and proficient in, use of the technology. Although BIM is not widely used in the concreteconstruction industry, Barker learned that its use was invaluable in helping coordinateconstruction, and by identifying problems and design flaws in advance. Best of all, the softwarewas customizable so that it could be adapted to the specific needs of Wayne Brothers plannersand field personnel.Summarizing his impressions about future use of BIM, Daniel Wayne noted that althoughsome in the industry had given the new technology mixed reviews, Wayne Brothers believedthat “BIM is the future of construction which will revolutionize the way in which projects aredesigned, estimated, bid, planned, scheduled, constructed and documented.” He foresaw64 EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS