Consider the sustainability of assets up front with 5D modelling

Construction companies that don’t consider the sustainability of assets in the original design phase of projects are missing out on a key piece of information that could significantly reduce costs and increase profits while increasing the sustainability of building practices and the buildings themselves.

Global trends towards sustainable practices have caused many companies to scramble to find ways to more efficiently manage assets and facilities that are already in place. But this is like closing the gate after the horse has bolted. Energy-efficiency expert Joseph Romm says, “By the time 1% of a project’s upfront costs are spent, 70% of its life cycle costs may already be committed.”

This highlights the urgent need for savvy construction businesses to consider sustainability elements in the original design and construction of projects well before they consider how to invest in asset and facilities management down the track.

Sustainability in the construction industry hinges on effective upfront planning for asset management. This includes creating the original design with the use and re-use of assets already in mind. To do this, companies must understand the asset’s entire life cycle and make planning and design decisions accordingly. Then, the resulting cost savings and sustainability gains will continue to pay off throughout that asset’s life.

Organisations must embrace technology such as 5D engineering solutions to facilitate this. By adding time and cost dimensions to the 3D BIM model, they can simulate the as-built scenarios and trade off the upfront cost versus downstream savings.

There is an upfront pay-off for builders as they use the 5D model to control and progress the job through each construction phase, which has been proven to save up to 20% of construction costs. After handover, the asset is already optimised for sustainable management where the pay-off from reduced costs can be more than 10 times this saving, year on year. If the design and construction phase has also catered for the recycle options through 5D scenario planning, then the pay-off just keeps rolling.

The 5D model works because it includes the 3D BIM model in the same application as the time and cost information. Previously, this information would be kept in separate applications, none of which were likely to have been developed specifically for the construction industry. By having all the information in one place, there is a single source of truth that carries through to decision-making.

By using input information about different potential products to be used in the building process, the 5D model shows how each option affects the budget and timeline. This could mean, for example, that the choice between using prefabricated components or more traditional methods is made easier since the model will show not only how they affect costs and time during the construction phase but also how the materials will hold up over time and what maintenance costs may be incurred.

5D is becoming standard practice in Europe because the higher level of planning accuracy leads to less deviation from the actual construction, which is the ideal outcome for customers. It also ensures that decisions are not made in isolation, but that the ramifications of each choice can be seen clearly in terms of how it affects the engineering, aesthetics, cost and timeline of the project.

Large-scale projects in particular demand a level of accuracy and reliability that cannot be achieved using traditional software. Australian builders are ideally placed to reap the benefits of 5D modelling to deliver sustainable buildings on time and in budget, ultimately increasing profit margins.