Cana Construction is part of the Cana Group, a respected and trusted service provider in Alberta for over 70 years. Cana Construction provides commercial construction strategies and solutions, from pre-construction through to commissioning using construction management, project management, design-build, alternative methodologies and stipulated sum contract formats.
CanBIM: What is your role at Cana Construction
DM: I am the Building Information Specialist at Cana Construction Ltd. and I have been in this role for more than 6 years now.
CanBIM: When did your company begin adopting BIM?
DM: 2009
CanBIM: What were the initial challenges/concerns that your company faced when introducing BIM?
DM: Basically it was an unknown thing for my company. I had worked in the automotive industry on 3D modelling. I was proficient on different 3D software. They asked me if I knew Revit. I used my own knowledge of parametric design software and learnt Revit.
I also learnt Navisworks. I had to do everything myself in setting up the BIM practice in
our company.
CanBIM: How did the company overcome the challenges?
DM: At first I was using 3D models as a marketing tool. Then I developed a project execution plan for my company plus I did a manual for estimators to bring this software and technology closer to traditional ways. We were focussing more on concrete and steel volumes. We found it was valuable because the time that I spent versus the time the estimators spent was less but I had more precise numbers with the help of the model.
CanBIM: How significant of a role does BIM play in the your company processes?
Is BIM integral to your company operation or is it just support mechanism?
DM: It is a support mechansim at this time. In Western Canada there are a lot of sub-trades struggling with BIM. I would call it Lock out BIM what we are doing at the moment. If other companies provide 3D models, I can use that but if they do not have that capability, I have to do everything – structural, mechanical, electrical, Clash detection. We try to save time and money. We try to setup everything as soon as possible.
CanBIM: How did BIM change the dynamics of your company? (Provide specific examples)
DM: BIM speeded up the processes. Instead of waiting long time on our sub-trades, I can call them faster and sooner to ask questions. We are not blind anymore. As a contractor, you get used to being blind. You are waiting for others to execute the work. Now we can ask the questions ahead and on time which is very significant. In the same time, we are building trust with our partners and collaboration is more efficient.
CanBIM: How did implementing BIM affect the decision making processes amongst the various external stakeholders?
DM: Now sub trades are listening more carefully than before. Basically when you ask them for ballpark for estimating, sub trades can give you any number. Now I know precisely what the number will be. Before I had to guess which number I had to pickup and that is based on the model and I do surveying and excavation. We know exactly how much concrete we need (let’s say +- 30 which is good on big projects).
CanBIM: What advice would you give someone who is just beginning to introduce BIM to their company?
DM: Basically you must have knowledge of software if you want to become BIM manager. I see many BIM managers who are in that position based on how senior they are but actually they never worked with software. Then there is a discrepancy between guys who are doing drafting and delivering 3D models and their manager who has never worked on 3D and he should be the person that setup the rules and software manuals. That doesn’t work. So I created set of rules in form of a document for our consultants. They must comply with it when building 3D models; otherwise I will not accept them. It is the same if somebody speaks different language and try to explain me something that I don’t understand. I learned by listening to structural, mechanical, electrical engineers and architects what their concerns are and I put everything in my manual. So I have a list of concerns plus I have knowledge of software’s, so I can address their needs based on that. You need guys that have knowledge of both the system and the software. You should be willing to learn every aspect of BIM including software’s, not just theory, otherwise BIM won’t work.
CanBIM: What type of feedback did you get from your clients in regards to BIM?
DM: If somebody gives me 3D model, in 90% cases, they want to sign off a waiver or they do not want to release the model. Whats the point of building 3D model if you do not want to share it. That means they do not have confidence over their work/model which to me is totally unacceptable. Also, it is hard to get any feedback from anybody. The reason is liability issue that everybody is still scared off. To give an opinion in good faith to somebody, often backfires.
CanBIM: How do you see BIM evolving in Canada and around the world?
DM: I hear lot of people who say we don’t need BIM. I tell them they have to move with technology otherwise they will be left behind. Construction industry is slow in adopting innovative technologies but I focus on technology. Technology is advancing fast. We have to put everybody on the same boat. You have to keep learning every new software.
CanBIM: Where does BIM fall short? How can we improve these shortcomings?
DM: There are 2 things that BIM does not address
1) Making it recognizable to the Government as a way of doing business
2) Discussion between all parties and the clients. Usually client gives consultant/ architect instructions on how they think they should do the job and bring in the general contractor late into the game. We are struggling in presenting our case during or prior to the construction period to the client because client is not aware of that. That is the traditional way of doing things. BIM addresses this issue to some extent, but we have to put together all parties, client, consultant, GC, right from the start so that they are on the same page starting out.
CanBIM: What does BIM mean to you? (At a deeper level, go beyond ideals of money, budgets)
DM: To me its my life. I created about everything in my company for documentation. I have 7 manuals that I created for the guys to make their daily work straight forward internally and initial meetings with clients about BIM processes easier with more confidence. I created a couple of application using visual basic application that connects different departments. To me it is not just a job; it is how to make all construction process better and how to combine different software’s together to improve our work.
CanBIM: What is the relationship between BIM and Sustainability today?
DM: Sustainability is really important, it drives what kind of material you would use. Energy modelling right now is an add-on, but not the key feature, although it is a useful feature for sustainability.I can build a model and do sustainability/lifespan analysis. E.g. how much energy will the building produce over a period of 10-15 years? You can put a dollar number to it and give it to the client. Problem is how you are going to convince the client that they need it. Because most have intention of selling the building after, let’s say 10 years. We have to convince them that it will be useful to the client’s future buyer as well.
CanBIM: What was the response from your employees in regards to BIM?
DM: Its pretty good. They rely on me for really big projects because very often 2D drawings cannot give proper answers. Let’s say, even if the received drawings have cut sections, my estimators can struggle by flipping pages (physically printed or electronically-PDF’s) to find specifics and that takes time. By building 3D model, I create 3D sections as well as 2D drawings. Then, I interconnect 2D and 3D by hyperlinks into single document and we speed up the estimating process.
