Articles

Clash Detection through Navisworks – All You Need to Know

by Tejjy Inc CEO

“Clash Detection” is a significant aspect of the construction work process. No construction activity can be performed without identifying and resolving conflicts amongst various services in the virtual building design model. BIM clash detection technique can be regarded as the life-blood of construction.  Every building design encompasses different services of Architectural, Structural and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing). A business will cease to exist if there is no proper communication amongst the internal and external members. Similarly, all functions of the building systems will fail to operate if there is no proper collaboration amongst the various services.  Robust BIM clash detection services ensure that all building systems are designed without any interdisciplinary conflicts, achieving operational efficacy and sustainability.

What is Clash Detection?

Clash detection is the technique of identifying and inspecting building designs, during the BIM coordination process. The review ensures that all building components, assemblies, as well as services are ready-to-be-installed, without any conflicts amongst them. BIM modelers visualize all clashes of architectural, structural and MEP services in an integrated BIM model.

Who is responsible for Clash Coordination?

BIM engineers of a company are responsible for clash detection. The BIM coordinators act as quality inspectors or as design-build gatekeepers and conduct clash checks.  They ensure that the model is free from conflicts amongst the different building disciplines, making the virtual building ready for construction.

Check out more details from the Video on BIM Clash Coordination

What are the Types of Clashes?

Usually, a conflict takes place when the elements of MEPFP or other trades occupy the same space. This could be:

  • Geometric (where HVAC crossing over structural beam)
  • Schedule-based (work sequence not matching as per schedule)

Three Primary Clashes:

  • Hard Clash – These conflicts occur when two building components intersect or cross through each other. Using the Autodesk Navisworks software platform, BIM clash detection identifies and resolves the conflicts as per the rule-based algorithms entrenched in the building design components.
  • Soft Clash – These conflicts take place when one element doesn’t have the spatial or geometric tolerance and owing to this there is a breach in the buffer zone. The conflict gets flagged whenever a distance is detected, less than a set of tolerance.
  • 4D/Workflow Clash - This is a timeline conflict, indicating a mismatch in the scheduling of contractors with material delivery.  4D clashes resulting from scheduling affect the efficacy of the construction firm.

Clash Detection Software Applications:

  • Navisworks
  • Revit
  • Solibri Model Checker
  • BIM 360 Glue
  • Tekla BIMsight
  • Synchro Pro

Click to read more on the DC Courthouse Clash Coordination Case Study

What is Navisworks Software all about?

Autodesk Navisworks is a model aggregator, collaborating 3D models and design data into a single work environment for design review, coordination as well as model simulation and presentation. Some of the special tools of Navisworks include:

  • Clash Detective
  • TimeLiner
  • Animator

 Using the tools, BIM experts create an interactive virtual project model for design validation and provide an accurate forecast for construction

Benefits of Using Navisworks:

  • Real-time clash detection during design-build stages
  • Provide clues for enhancing design amongst building systems
  • Enable design review, coordination & communication
  • Model sharing on various platforms of Revit, Inventor, Solidworks, Allplan
  • Offer a bucket of tools like Clash Detective, TimeLiner, Workbook, etc.

Applications of Navisworks:

Conflict Detection: 

  • Identify & resolve conflicts in the BIM virtual model before the onset of the construction work
  • Reduce costs  and minimize risk & proposed change order & RFIs

4D simulation:

  • Navisworks enable simulation and manage changes during ongoing construction by combining spatial coordination with construction planning.

What is BEP in Clash Detection?

  • This is a comprehensive document, delineating all agreed processes for effective BIM collaboration.
  • The document acts as a kind of reference for recording protocols, responsibilities,  level of detail, work scope as well as data requirement, uses and outcomes.

Tips for Making BEP Clash Coordination:

1. Planning Model Requirement for Coordination: To design coordination, the most significant aspect is planning.  In the BEP, the BIM experts state the model, content, and the time it would be modeled. Level of Development illustrates the various levels when the elements get modeled throughout the project life cycle. They consider the minimal size of design drawings for modeling in BEP so that the model contains adequate details for analyzing clashes.

2. Making the Quality Control Plan: BIM companies plan the checklist for running the interference checklist and determining the areas of elements occupying the same space. This facilitates in revealing the design conflicts at an earlier stage based on:

·         Visual Check

ü  Ensuring no unintended model & design intent

·         Interference Check

ü  Identifying conflicts between two components in the model

·         Standard Check

ü  Following the standards set by the company in BIM

·         Data Check

ü  Guarantees no incorrect or duplicate elements in the project

3. Undertaking Coordination Analysis: In the BEP planning process, the BIM manager and other members work through an integrated coordination schedule, analyzing clash detection. Normally, the review is performed at various stages, including:

ü  Schematic Design

ü  Design Development

ü  Construction Documentation

Process of Clash Detection in Navisworks:

  • Establish Rules & Templates: It is significant to set clash rules and templates to streamline the review process.
  • Undertake Big Conflicts First, Reducing Tolerances in Steps: Ensure the big things first, verifying they don’t clash.
  • Group the Clash Results: Group the ‘conflict result’ in an organized way. Follow the naming convention as per the group to visualize the overall clash report by clicking ‘groups’ in Navisworks.
  • Format Report with Company Logo: Several report formats are available in Navisworks Choose the right one, enabling different kinds of settings to reveal the data.
  • Switchback between Navisworks & Revit Software: Open Revit in the same version you have used for exporting NWC to Navisworks and compare two versions of the model.
  • Select Inspector & Data Tools: Use the tools for allowing external database in Navisworks.
  • Visualize in A360 Cloud Render & Ray Trace Rendering: Provide panoramic view, still image, color-coded illuminance, lighting analysis, etc. by rendering on the cloud.
  • Create an Accurate Quantity Takeoff/BOM: Extracting quantity is another facet of Navisworks software platform, where the user creates an accurate quantity takeoff as per 3D files.
  • Share BIM 360 Glue with Navisworks: Integrate Navisworks & BIM 360 Model Coordination for automated clash detection, saving time and managing issues throughout the project team.

Examples of Conflicts generated through Navisworks:

  • Cut openings: It’s a common clash result generated through Navisworks as normally the holes for pipes and conduits are not modeled, that penetrate the concrete slabs and walls.
  • Parallel Clashing between half-embedded objects: This describes the situation where pipes are not embedded inside the concrete through the floor or the wall or are placed at the wrong location.

Final Thought:

Competent BIM service providers in USA follow these steps and work with experts for improving your conflicts quickly.  Seeking a top BIM company provides you with peace of mind as BIM experts take care of all construction needs, including clash detection, BIM coordination, 4D Scheduling, 5D cost estimation, etc. To know more about clash detection and BIM coordination services, get in touch with Tejjy Inc. BIM engineering firm in USA at 202-465-4830 or info@tejjy.com.


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About Tejjy Inc Advanced   CEO

41 connections, 1 recommendations, 265 honor points.
Joined APSense since, September 19th, 2019, From Maryland, United States.

Created on Dec 3rd 2021 05:30. Viewed 1,038 times.

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