fermag.com JUNE 2016 53

A decade ago, the world of architecture, engineer-

ing and construction buzzed with talk about building infor-

mation modeling, a concept that had been around in both

name and theory decades before that. The buzz was loud

enough that the foodservice industry even paid attention.

Like the first mention of BIM, however, the practical appli-

cation of the concept in foodservice was ahead of its time.

“One of the earliest documented uses of the term ‘build-

ing modeling’ in the sense that BIM is used today appeared

in the title of a 1986 paper by Robert Aish,” says Ilia Terzi,

CAD Department, Specifi LLC, Venice, Italy. “Aish illus-

trated BIM technology concepts in a case study applying

BIM to the phased refurbishment of Terminal 3 at Heath-

row Airport in London.”

Since that time, BIM has been touted as the wave of the

By

Mic

hae

l S

her

er, S

enio

r C

ontr

ibu

tin

g E

dit

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Talked about for years, the promise of building information modeling (BIM) is finally coming to pass. If you’re not specifying it in your RFPs, you should be.

BUILDINGINFORMATIONMODELING

54 JUNE 2016 fermag.com fermag.com JUNE 2016 55

future in building

design and con-

struction, an almost

magical way of

assembling the tra-

ditional documents

required to permit

and construct a

building through 3D

visualization instead

of traditional 2D

drawings. And over

time, the concept’s

practical applica-

tions have expanded

and grown sophis-

ticated enough that governments around the

world, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore and

South Korea, now require building architects

and contractors to use the technique for all

government projects. Australia and several EU

countries will make it mandatory in 2018.

But foodservice projects, which seemed a

natural fi t for the concept, were slow to follow

the trend. Consultants and designers found the

software necessary to implement BIM cumber-

some and expensive, equipment manufacturers

hadn’t made their information available in the

right format, and operators

didn’t see the benefi ts.

All Sizzle, No SteakBIM, in its simplest defi nition,

is the digital representation of

the physical and functional

characteristics of a building.

But it’s also a way of working,

a process that uses information

and technology to create value.

“Imagine it this way,” says

Ted Doyals, FCSI, Principal

with Ricca Design Studios,

Oklahoma City. “We used

to draft plans by hand, both

fl oorplans and elevations, that contractors used

for permits and construction. Any time someone

made a change, we had to redraw the plans.

We moved from that to CAD, which allowed

us to put dumb blocks on plans that stood for

objects like kitchen equipment. As time went

on, AutoCAD allowed us to add some informa-

tion to those blocks. Now software lets us add

information like electric loads, water lines and

pressure and much more, and when an archi-

tect or draftsperson changes the drawings, the

information in the software is automatically and

universally updated to refl ect that.”

Adding information to the building blocks in

the software—blocks that represent walls, fl oors,

doors, windows and objects—enabled architects

and designers to draw plans faster and with

more detail. And software programs like Auto-

CAD enabled them to create those plans in 3D

drawings, giving contractors and owners a better

idea of what fi nished projects would look like.

When even more sophisticated software

programs like Revit came on line, they accepted

and manipulated so much information about

the products and materials used to fabricate

all those “blocks” that the 3D drawings could

actually be viewed as renderings of the fi nished

product. And the renderings were so lifelike

that often people equated BIM with 3D.

But those beautiful 3D renderings are only the

tip of the iceberg; the sizzle, not the steak. Proj-

ects were sold on that basis, and clients didn’t

get the real benefi ts of BIM. The real meat of

BIM is its next levels—4D (Time), 5D (Cost) and

6D (Lifecycle)—which we’ll get to in a moment.

While the AEC community worked on truly

incorporating BIM into projects, the foodservice

industry was slow to adopt the concept. Several

factors contributed to the industry’s reluctance.

First, Revit and other software pro-

grams that could implement the BIM ap-

proach had no category for foodservice

equipment as they did for other parts

of a building. The few brave souls who

did incorporate BIM into foodservice

projects had to create from scratch the

parameters that described each piece of

equipment they specifi ed in their plans.

NAFEM, FCSI and FEDA collaborated to

create standards for foodservice equip-

ment and released them in ’11, but few

manufacturers had developed the infor-

mation that consultants and designers

needed to easily include the manufactur-

ers’ equipment in plans and renderings.

And few consultants or operators

embraced the shift from Auto-

CAD to programs like Revit.

“Going from AutoCAD to Re-

vit for most people is like the

shift from drafting on paper to

CAD,” Doyals says. Not only

were the programs complex

and diffi cult to learn, but mak-

ing the shift meant a substan-

tial investment in hardware,

software and training.

What’s Changed “A lot of people also were frustrated by Revit

when BIM fi rst started taking off in ’07 or ’08 be-

cause it didn’t allow a lot of freedom,” says Ben

Guler, Senior Project Manager and BIM Manager

for Chipman Design Architecture, Des Plaines,

Ill. “And Revit updates weren’t backwards

compatible with previous versions, which

meant that there could be errors in data that was

transferred from one version to another.”

Adding to the confusion are multiple versions

of Revit standards. “There are currently four dif-

ferent standards for Revit,” says Terzi. “It would

be great if there was one worldwide standard;

that would solve a variety of the problems

right format, and operators

didn’t see the benefi ts.

All Sizzle, No SteakBIM, in its simplest defi nition,

is the digital representation of

the physical and functional

characteristics of a building.

But it’s also a way of working,

a process that uses information

and technology to create value.

“Imagine it this way,” says

Ted Doyals, FCSI, Principal

with Ricca Design Studios,

Oklahoma City. “We used

to draft plans by hand, both

A rendering in Revit

(above) and AutoCAD

(r.). Revit is the more

advanced genera-

tion of BIM-compliant

software and thanks to

its intelligent objects,

which are imbued with

robust information, it

is possible to create in

Revit the foodservice

equipment’s electrical

circuits, plumbing and

ventilation systems,

embed warranty and

lifecycle information,

and much more.

Courtesy of Specifi .

BIM renderings can

be incredibly realistic,

which provides clients

with a true picture of

what their design will

look like, even to the

lighting effects, and

allows for changes

and corrections early

in the design process.

Courtesy of Chipman

Design Architecture.

3D renderings are

only the tip of the

iceberg; the sizzle,

not the steak. The

real meat of BIM

is its next levels—

4D (Time), 5D (Cost)

and 6D (Lifecycle).

manufacturers and content

creators are encountering

when creating models. For

instance, many countries

are non-English speaking

and can’t use English as

default language for parameters and product

descriptions. Besides, all around the world,

there are endless lists of standards for electrical,

plumbing and HVAC disciplines. Manufacturers

should be able to provide foodservice content

for all countries and regions. That’s why we

need one global standard which includes all

the rules and parameters to accommodate all

markets.”

Specifi is working in an advisory fashion

with the Foodservice Consultants Society Int’l.

(FCSI), Catering Equipment Suppliers As-

sociation (CESA) and European Federation of

Catering Equipment Manufacturers (EFCEM) to

develop a standard for the industry, which will

be a collaborative effort driven by the trade

associations.

The steady march of technology, however,

has made it much easier for anyone—consul-

tants, operators, equipment dealers—to get into

the game. Hardware costs have come down at

the same time computing power has risen, so a

decent laptop can now do the job (though most

kitchen designers will want desktops with large

HD monitors). And software can do even more,

but is easier to use than earlier versions.

“Increased processing power has enabled us

to do a lot of things we couldn’t do 10 years

ago,” says Mike Hnatschenko, AIA, Director of

Strategic Solutions at WD Partners, Minneapo-

lis. “And now cloud applications let us share

and access information. That’s led to even more

applications and tools that can use information

associated with each piece of a project, whether

it be a window, fl oor material or piece of food-

service equipment.”

Manufacturers, especially large multi-category

companies like Manitowoc, Ali Group, Electro-

lux, Halton, Alto-Shaam,

Hobart and Middleby, have

gotten on the bandwagon

and made information on

their products available

in standard NAFEM/FCSI

format for BIM. And compa-

nies like Specifi have devel-

oped software especially for

the industry, making it even

easier to develop foodser-

vice projects with BIM.

So what’s all the fuss

about anyway? Why should

you be designing projects

or asking your providers

to design projects in BIM?

What’s wrong with draft-

ing plans with AutoCAD or

something similar? After all,

you can create elevations in

these programs, too.

“The ability to visualize a proj-

ect is the aspect of BIM that people

fi rst jumped on,” says Hnatschenko,

“but now coordination and project

management are what people are

most interested in. With BIM, you’re

not just placing equipment items on

a fl oorplan. You’re looking at how

they’ll be used, so data being added to

these virtual models includes things

like power hookups and usage, labor

needed to operate the equipment,

maintenance required to keep it in

warranty and so forth. BIM takes proj-

ects beyond construction into opera-

tions and facilities management.”

Next Level UpBefore we get too far ahead of our-

selves, let’s get back to basics. Using a

BIM approach to design projects saves

time and money. Simple as that.

“The biggest advantage to using

BIM is that you start with a fully coordinated

virtual model,” says Guler. “Consultants don’t

spend as much time drawing, which saves time

and money. And you can customize tools to

your or your client’s needs—generating a materi-

als list, for example, based on a specifi c project.

With a coordinated model there aren’t as many

RFIs [requests for information], and you end

up with a better set of drawings, which lowers

construction costs.”

To help ease the migration to BIM from manu-

al drafting or CAD, groups in the AEC industries

in different countries developed defi nitions for

“levels of detail” through which a BIM ele-

ment—fl oor, wall or piece of foodservice equip-

ment—can logically progress. In the U.S., it was

determined that fi ve levels were suffi cient: 100,

a conceptual approximation; 200, approximate

geometry of the item; 300, precise geometry of

the element; 400, fabrication details; and 500, as

it’s actually built.

Let’s say you’re designing ductwork for a

kitchen ventilation hood. In level 100, the run

isn’t modeled. Cost and other information,

though, can be included as an amount per sq.

ft. of fl oor area. In level 200, drawings would

include a 3D duct with approximate dimen-

sions. Level 300 details would include precise

engineered dimensions in the 3D model. Fabri-

cation details would be added in level 400, and

in level 500 the model would include a 3D rep-

resentation of the installed duct. Other details

that might be included at that level are things

like static pressure, airfl ow cfm rates, cleaning

and maintenance schedules, and even warranty

information.

A couple of things are important about these

levels of detail. The more information, the easier

it is to spot problems. And when a problem is

corrected and a change made on the model,

software automatically changes anything that’s

affected by that change.

56 JUNE 2016 fermag.com fermag.com JUNE 2016 57

lux, Halton, Alto-Shaam,

Hobart and Middleby, have

gotten on the bandwagon

and made information on

their products available

in standard NAFEM/FCSI

format for BIM. And compa-

nies like Specifi have devel-

oped software especially for

the industry, making it even

easier to develop foodser-

vice projects with BIM.

So what’s all the fuss

about anyway? Why should

you be designing projects

or asking your providers

to design projects in BIM?

What’s wrong with draft-

ing plans with AutoCAD or

something similar? After all,

you can create elevations in

these programs, too.

NBS, which offers

specifi cation and in-

formation solutions to

construction industry

professionals, created

a Periodic Table of BIM

that does a nice job of

identifying the myriad

resources and tools

BIM programs provide.

Thenbs.com

Ricca Design Studios

used Revit for The

Ohio State University

Boyd Hall project. The

fi rm estimates that

designing in Revit

reduces production

time by a minimum

5% from a traditional

AutoCAD up front, but

that the real savings

is in error elimination,

identifying issues be-

fore a brick is laid.

It’s probably easier to

learn to use software

than to learn the

[foodservice] industry.

58 JUNE 2016 fermag.com fermag.com JUNE 2016 59

BIM System RequirementsYou may need more processing power than you presently have to run

BIM software effi ciently. Fortunately, costs for hardware have come down

substantially in recent years. Here’s what you’ll need:

CPU: 64-bit quad-core processor.

RAM: 8 GB (16 GB recommended.)

Operating System: Windows 8

Display Resolution: 1024x768 (1600x1050 recommended with True Color)

Video Card: DirectX 11 capable graphics.

Video Memory: 128 MB VRAM or greater.

Disk Space: 6 GB free disk space for software installation.

Apple users in most cases will have to run Windows in parallel, so you’ll

need the latest version of OS X (Yosemite) on a Mac with a quad-core

processor and 32 GB of RAM.

BIM SoftwareAllPlan, allplan.com

ArchiCAD, graphisoft.com

Autodesk Revit, autodesk.com

Bentley, bentley.com

Specifi , specifi global.com

Tekla, tekla.com

VectorWorks, vectorworks.net

BIM Resources• BIM-speak glossary of BIM terms:

newmill.com/pdfs/BIMspeak.pdf

• NAFEM/FCSI guidelines/standards for building equipment families in

Revit: c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.fcsi.org/resource/resmgr/americas_

resources/revit_foodservice_equipment.pdf

• Revit design video tutorials:

lynda.com/CAD-training-tutorials/1665-0.html

• Generic foodservice equipment objects for BIM software:

cmdgroup.com/smartbuildingindex/foodservice-equipment/bim

• Specifi c foodservice equipment objects for Autodesk Revit:

foodeqsym.com; specifi global.com/products/symbol-creation-services;

kclcad.com; rev-equip.com

• Specifi c foodservice equipment objects for AutoCAD and Bricscad:

specifi global.com/products/symbol-creation-services; kclcad.com

“When we did drawings the old-fashioned

way, by hand, we always seemed to end up with

a worktable leg sitting right on top of a fl oor

drain or seam,” says Doyals. “Or the ice-making

head on a beverage dispenser wouldn’t fi t under

the dropped ceiling. Now we can see those

things in 3D and fi x them before construction

starts. As soon as we link our design with the

architect’s drawings or model we can eliminate

a lot of problems.”

Another note about the level of detail used

is that not every aspect of every project has to

strive for level 500. “Not everything has to be

modeled,” Guler says, “so you can transition

from AutoCAD to Revit to get some 3D model-

ing, but still draft other pieces of the project in

AutoCAD.”

Big WinnersWhich brings up the question of how to make

the leap from your current

technology and processes

to BIM. One multi-unit

operator FER spoke with

said, “Because of our poor

experience with Revit we

haven’t done a BIM project.

The biggest issue I see

is the gap in experience

among kids coming out

of school; they know how

to use Revit and BIM but

know nothing about how

to put a building together

or build a restaurant. And

people experienced in food-

service are not typically

trained or profi cient in BIM

or programs like Revit.”

Most of those who are

already working with the

process say that the only

way to get started is to

jump in with both feet.

How depends on your company, your philoso-

phy and situation.

“We’ve found it’s better to hire people with

foodservice design and consulting experience

and train them how to use software like Revit,”

says Doyals.

“It’s probably easier to learn to use software

than to learn the industry,” agrees Guler. “If

you’re a designer, spend a year forcing yourself

to use a program like Revit instead of CAD.

BIM’s not tough to pick up in terms of concept

once you’ve mastered the software. If you’re

an operator, request BIM in your RFPs, or hire

a fi rm to handle templates, products families,

parameters and standards.”

On the other hand, everyone in the industry

was a newbie at some point. “It’s all about men-

toring when you move from one paradigm to

another,” Hnatschenko says. “Each succeeding

generation has increasingly powerful tools, and

will do more amazing things with technology.

Find those people the right mentors who can

give them the knowledge they need to leverage

the technology.”

The benefi ts of BIM far outweigh the short-

term pain you might experience learning soft-

ware or new technology.

“I think you have to adopt the concept

whole-heartedly,” Guler says. “I don’t think you

can adopt a few elements and make it work.

People now want more information on projects.

We used to do a set of drawings which led to

permits and construction bids, but with virtual

models we can get so much more, faster. The fact

that you’re not drafting, that alone makes BIM

cost-effective.”

“As more information becomes available from

manufacturers in BIM format, I can see even

smaller chains really benefi tting from this,”

Doyals says. “If they have all the data on their

equipment packages and décor packages in the

system, they can easily change and rearrange

layouts or specifi c elements of the design when

the physical dimensions of their stores change.”

“Portfolios of projects, like a chain of restau-

rants, is becoming more prevalent now in BIM,

not just single projects,” Hnatschenko says. “The

process and amount of information that can be

included means they can look at and compare

stores in the portfolio in terms of performance

and lifecycle.”

“Using BIM will provide large foodservice

chains with a range of value engineering options

that will help them not only meet new stricter

building requirements, but also various scenari-

os showing the direct impact of design solutions

on constructions costs, construction schedules,

subsequent operations costs and lifecycle main-

tenance of the building and foodservice equip-

ment,” says Terzi. “Smaller businesses also are

ideally suited to adopting BIM—they can make

decisions and adapt client/project/industry

needs really quickly if they’ve learned how to

use it.” fer

the leap from your current

technology and processes

to BIM. One multi-unit

operator

said, “Because of our poor

experience with Revit we

haven’t done a BIM project.

The biggest issue I see

is the gap in experience

among kids coming out

of school; they know how

to use Revit and BIM but

know nothing about how

to put a building together

or build a restaurant. And

people experienced in food-

service are not typically

trained or profi cient in BIM

or programs like Revit.”

Most of those who are

already working with the

process say that the only

way to get started is to

jump in with both feet.

At fi rst, Revit and

other software did

not have a category

for foodservice

equipment. That has

changed dramati-

cally and extensive

libraries of equip-

ment families are

available. Courtesy

of Specifi .