Building Information Modelling Job Opportunities
BIM (Building Information Modelling) is the platform for developing 3D models or digital representation of a construction project. Through BIM technology the construction industry especially the design and drafting field drastically changed from the traditional way of designing and it’s still evolving to another advanced level. BIM is now inevitable in the civil engineering sector so the Building Information Modelling Job Opportunities are increasing rapidly.
BIM is the new way of describing the end-to-end detail of structures including planning, designing, estimation, 3D model creation, manpower calculation etc. (entire structures lifecycles) to the concerned person/s.
Being BIM is deep rooting in the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, the lack of BIM technicians is also growing. This means it’s a window of various jobs openings in this decade and also various BIM tools are now getting pop up every day. Now the Architectural sector is completely under BIM for project development and detailing.
In connection with this, the engineering and construction field is now in a transition face from normal 2D drafting to 3D model creation. And it’s now pretty evident that the BIM tools like Revit Architecture, Sketch up, etc are widely using in small scale construction business. So a major shifting has already happened in this field which means.
Building Information Modelling Job Opportunities for Civil Engineers
As said earlier the BIM tools are widely using in every sector of the AEC industry. And now 2D cad technicians are turning to BIM managers. When the upsurge in demand for BIM modellers and technicians in the industry steadily continues, many of the organization’s HR depts. are still struggling to place good BIM talents to deploy into their team. That’s why it is saying that there is a sea of opportunities for civil engineers in the BIM field.
The main applications of BIM in various fields of AEC industries are the following;
In the Architectural sector, BIM is used to develop more innovative designs, analyze design qualities, and maintain more productivity in the entire project lifecycle.
In civil engineering sector BIM is primarily used to analyze the structures and track errors (structural errors and clash detection). It is also helpful to maintain workflow, productivity and profitability.
Construction: The construction sector is now widely digitalizing. BIM is so helpful in error detection and maintains better coordination among different works.
Another field in which BIM is widely used in MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing), planning and designing. BIM is helpful in improving quality in project deliverance and getting support during works.
Plant designs including piping layout, structure design, detailing and planning are also being done via BIM with upmost quality.
Building Information Modelling Roles in a Company
Now young professionals or graduates are most often opting BIM path for better and steady career growth. The most demanding (BIM) Building Information Modelling Job Opportunities for Civil Engineers are
- BIM Modeler
- BIM Designer
- BIM Technicians
- BIM Managers
- BIM Coordinator
- BIM Structural Designer
- BIM Consultant etc.….
The above mentioned are the hot jobs in the BIM field. And the salary for an entry-level BIM professional ranges from INR 350k to 550k, also an experienced professional in the USA, it is up to $200k. In India, the BIM field is standing on outsourcing, such as working on projects from other developed countries. So a well experienced professional most probably get offers from western countries or the middle east.
For a budding civil engineer, it’s good to start as a BIM Modeler for steady career growth. Another advantage of an experienced BIM professional is he/she can work as a freelancer, and numerous freelance jobs are now available at freelance jobs websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and simply hired etc. And the most popular BIM tools or software that are popular in AEC industries are the following;
For coordination, Navisworks and BIM 360 Glue are mostly used. Also most professionals prefer Navisworks for MEP works.
Design and modelling: Different types of modelling software are available and out of which Revit and Sketch-up are most popular in the BIM field. Nowadays, most professionals take advantage of Revit in various fields such as Architectural, Design, MEP, etc. and it is getting common in construction. Considering structure design and analysis in the aspects of engineering E-tabs, Staad pro, Revit Structures, Tekla (steel structure modelling and analysis) and MIDAS are now best in the industry. Most of the complex structural problems are solved are mostly by BIM software.
Also other BIM tools like Archi CAD (Architectural modelling software which can work on both 2D and 3D), Vector works Architects, Edificius, BUILDERTREND, Civil 3D are some which currently active in the industry. (Note that many different BIM tools are now available in the market right now, and new BIM tools are getting introduced in the the market every day).
Trends in BIM Building Information Modelling
The development in technology is always reflected in BIM, and many new innovative trends are rising in the BIM field. Experts seeing that it will completely revolutionize the AEC industry. BIM actually triggers digitalization in the AEC industry and the rising trends are;
3D printing
3D printing is fundamentally an extension of 3D modelling. It has been introduced in the AEC industry a couple of years back. It is the creation of a digital representation of a structure that is done using BIM to a physical form with the help of advanced machinery and technology with minimum material loss. With this technology, the work can be done with high accuracy with minimum manpower and time. In china Construction Company called Winsun Decoration Design Engineering build 10 single-storey houses in a single day.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
AR/VR technology is paving another path in BIM. AR & VR technology is now getting popular for model examination and model presentation to stakeholders. The client gets an enhanced 3D visual experience by AR&VR technology and gets an interactive presentation for the creators.
Introduction of cloud software
The introduction of cloud in BIM is now a big game-changer in BIM. Through the cloud, the stakeholders and BIM professionals get real-time access to the BIM data anywhere in the world. Cloud system enables data sharing much more easily and we can collaborate with various teams and develop constructive and positive design aspects.
Drone Usage
Drones are used for aerial site survey and detailed topographical evaluation. These data can be used fully in BIM modelling and designing. Also, drones can catch up more accurate data over a large area, making BIM modelling process more reliable.
BIM for Future Infrastructure Development
As per the current market trends and reports the future world will witness a huge demand for BIM tools because of their ease of handling and efficiency. As the world population and economy are growing, it is necessary to improve the housing projects and infrastructure development. So this makes the rise in demand for BIM in the AEC industry for better planning design and execution of projects in an efficient way.
Also, we can’t ignore the fact that through BIM, many innovative ideas in both the planning and design sector of the AEC industry has been developed and it is still evolving. It is estimated that the market of BIM may reach 10 billion by the year 2025.
In January 2019 International Organization for Standardization has introduced BIM standards and they are part 1: Concepts and principles, part 2: Delivery phase of the assets which can found in ISO 19650. Through this standardization, engineers, contractors, or other BIM technicians from different parts of the world would collaborate and work more efficiently on different projects. This ISO 19650 is based on British standards BS 1192 and public standards PAS 1192-2.
The standardization of BIM has made a huge impact in such a way that many countries had made BIM mandatory for project approval and India is moving to this path too. These standards are expected to follow many more countries for infrastructural, commercial, and other residential and small-scale projects. This means BIM is established in more countries and a BIM professional can work on different projects of different countries from the place they are.
Currently, India has a huge market in BIM outsourcing and in countries like UK, Netherlands, Singapore, UAE etc, the demand for BIM professionals is huge. Also, this is expected to be a rise in coming years. BIM has a strong career growth in a short time period. So choosing BIM as your career will be a wise decision for young professionals, also it’s a window of lot more opportunities. Before concluding please mind this; The future of the AEC industry will strictly be based on BIM.