Building Information Modeling: Practical Uses for a Better Laboratory

Daniel Joseph, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Gary Bloom, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

During this presentation, the speaker will focus on the recently completed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory known as the Chemical and Material Sciences Facility, located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The laboratory serves as the first DOE project to use building information modeling (BIM). By using BIM from the start of design, McCarthy was able to resolve more than 7,000 clash detections prior to construction; increase the project schedule, safety, and quality; improve site logistics; build virtual mock-ups; and coordinate all systems. BIM was also used on the 160,000-square-foot research facility's 50 chemical and materials testing laboratories, which had no identified users at the start of the project.

The speaker will present the lessons learned in three major categories:

  1. Challenges of using BIM:
    - Owner decision timeline impacts.
    - Risk and risk mitigation strategies.
  2. The improvements of quality, schedule, and safety during the construction of a laboratory facility.
  3. The use of BIM for new tenants.

Biography:

Having spent more than 15 years in the construction industry, primarily on difficult, high-tech projects, Daniel Joseph is quickly becoming one of the most knowledgeable builders at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Since receiving his Bachelor of Arts in construction management and civil engineering from Louisiana State University, Mr. Joseph has served in a variety of roles, including project engineer, superintendent, and currently, project manager. Mr. Joseph's project experience is primarily composed of science and technology/laboratory projects for a variety of industry-leading clients, such as Cornell University, Monsanto, Sigma-Aldrich, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with whom he is currently engaged on his fourth project. In his role as project manager, Mr. Joseph is on site full-time to oversee effective field staff management, exercising control over schedule and budget and ensuring timely and high-quality work, including the use of BIM.