Into the Fourth Dimension

A team of contractors designed a pharmaceutical plant entirely in 3-D CAD, then linked the renderings to a cost program and scheduling software, adding a fourth dimension—time—to the process. The results were impressive: the piping and mechanical subcontractors fabricated the ducts and pipes directly from the 3-D CAD model with virtually no rework; there was only one contractor-initiated change order, and RFIs (requests for information) were reduced by 60 percent compared to a typical, similar project designed and built by traditional means. By connecting specific work packages to items in the 3-D program, contractors were able to increase their productivity and reduce problems.