"What are the Points in Evolution of CIM?"
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| Vol.1 "What are the Points in Evolution of CIM?" |
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Actively Using Software of Modeling and VR in the Lab A specialist in studying structures including bridges and designing public spaces such as parks, roads, and rivers, Prof. Seki wants to tell joy of "manufacturing things", hardship of creating them on the contrary, and the sense of accomplishment beyond the hardship to students through them--- that's what he Prof. Seki aims at in his Structure and Design Lab where he teaches. In the lab, particular emphasis were put on the following 4 events in this year: 1) Creation of "X (Cross) Web Bridge", a bridge on which people can walk over, 2) Repairing an masonry irrigation channel that has been used over 4 00 years ( Kanra cho, Gunma) with dry stone fi ll, 3) Participation in Virtual Design World Cup (VDWC) sponsored by FORUM8, and 4) Job experience in a foreign country (a structure fi rm in Hong Kong). Regarding creation of a bridge, students design according to design conditions, make structural analysis, select materials, and process them. They are transported from Surugadai campus to Funabashi campus to build up. Then the bridge is to be presented at the college festival for visitors to cross. Students are to experience practical use of the modeling software, too. Participation in VR competition (VDWC) aims at helping students develop ability to predict future. In the process, students do research and make analysis, and work out concepts. After fi nishing the design, they create a concept poster. Like this, he attaches great importance to this as this off ers an opportunity of not only learning techniques for using VR software but also eff ective training to understand the whole process fl ow.
Progress in Involvement with CIM-related Technologies Such as 3D Modeling "20 and more years ago, I worked about 2 years on development of an 'automatic calculation program for PC bridges', which allows automatic calculation of stress etc. with 3D models created by 3D arrangement of PC wires." Prof. Seki looks back his early activities related with CIM when he was working for a general contractor. However, he faced with difficulty of allotting coordinates or modeling on 3D basis for a drawing that were entirely created on 2D basis. When inputting data in an interactive way, it was hard to input by making the design fl ow of that time into a sheet as it was. He came to the conclusion that new 3D modeling software was needed to overcome the problem. So that time it wasn't put to practical use. At another time when attempting to make a working drawing from the detailed design, there occurred some inconsistency depending on arrangement of combined wires. It took an enormous amount of time and trouble if modifying the part more precise than needed. That made him realize difficulty of making it to practical use. He recognized that appropriate roughness with some speed is required for business practice. Moreover, when he took part in construction of the Ashigara Bridge on Tomei Expressway, in order to capture the part where diagonal members touch the noise barrier depending on the alignment of a cable stayed bridge; he made examination with 3D software by himself using models created by outsourcing. Through these experiences, he came to know FORUM8's 3D real-time VR "UC-win/Road", which was still under development. He got interested in it. Assumed Restrictions and Expected Uses of Data Sharing After that his job shifted to design. Along with this, he realized the actual situation that broadly there were gaps among 3 steps of "from proposal to planning, design, and presentation", "structural calculation and detailed design", and "construction". In addition, unlike architecture there are many kinds of objects to manufacture in civil engineering. So even if data can be used as it is in civil engineering, there might be a problem when it comes to the precision of treating reinforced concrete and PC (prestressed concrete). Depending on the case, data sharing beyond the gap mentioned above (for example between design and construction) might cause errors after another. Or if you try to connect from design to the full-scale structural calculation, big difference in the precision would cause another process of refining shape. These led to the assumption that it would be hard to put it to practical use. Regarding this, Prof. Seki mentioned the project he had experienced overseas. Giving priority to the timeframe of just 2-3 weeks before presentation, data sharing was not made, but he performed several works such as creation of CG, structural calculation, and integration in parallel based on CAD data of the outline base model. Finishing rendering covered problems of CG caused by roughness of the original data. He expects part of advantages that can be brought about by CIM, saying that CIM should display its power in showing the structural analysis by data sharing through "planning to design" and modeling, reflecting it in VR and visualizing the completed space.
Expectation towards Utilization of CIM and Challenges; "Produce" Function Is Focused Prof. Seki says that it is attraction of CIM to be able to multiple tasks at the same time, that is, "capability of making presentation of planning to design using modeling software". In this point he pays attention to the importance of a function to "produce" during the process related with presentation. In such a case, it is required to properly understand not only the project itself but also related technologies and the owner's purpose, with a team organized by experts of different fields. Then it is needed to propose to the owner apt precision of VR etc. for presentation according to the individual situation. If such use can be realized with ease, quality of design will be improved and broadly speaking, manufacturing in Japan will change. However, he says that in order for this to realize, it will also be necessary to standardize modeling to some extent towards data sharing, improve the order system of public work projects to help enhancement of technologies of enterprises, and reform the business model of the construction industry by reflecting them. On the other hand, unlike BIM in the architectural field, targets of civil engineering to which CIM is applied vary a lot. "(For this reason,) I think we should not try to do everything to the end (with CIM) but explore how far it can be used, testing in different ways with flexible mind."
(Written by Takashi Ikeno) |
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