Source: Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Chicago
PCI has added to its April Committee Days in Chicago a one-day workshop tracking architects’ rapid transition from two-dimensional CAD to three-dimensional Building Information Modeling (BIM) methods for project design and management. Proponents note that the methods improve design, avoid conflicts, and reduce requests for information paperwork, as BIM 3-D captures facility information from 2-D drawings, 3-D models, and other sources typically bearing manually entered data.

Workshop organizers seek to address or include such topics as a) What is BIM, why is important for the precast concrete industry, and how is it changing business practices; b) What are the essentials of a precast concrete BIM tool, and what tools are available; and, c) First-hand experiences with BIM from engineers and precasters. The workshop is being offered in collaboration with the Charles Pankow Foundation, Georgia Institute of Technology, and National Institute of Building Sciences. Registration can be completed by clicking on “PCI Events” at www.pci.org.