Following 10 years of working with 4D technology both in industry, and continually monitoring the evolving research around it, there has been shift in understanding of the value and impact of 4D within our industry. The question is stimulated from my recent research work with UK Major contractors who think that 4D may actually impose a leap shift in scheduling practice .......... what's your perspective?!
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Jun 23, 2020
· Edited: Jun 23, 20204D - is the shift towards object-based Scheduling possible?
4D - is the shift towards object-based Scheduling possible?
10 comments
The use and timing of 4D has been changing a lot recently. Early adopters used 4D to win tenders and validate schedules. These early adopters are now 5, 10, 15 years on their journey and are using it for much more. It's being used early, when contractors join projects, and then continuously to support schedule development and supply chain procurement. Of course, 4D can be used earlier, during feasibility and through design stages too.
It's easy to imagine a near future when 4D will be a core method in rehearsing, practicing, and developing a construction plan. A lot contractors are well on this journey, and their processes around 4D are really maturing.
A shift towards object based planning is definitely possible and the limitation isn’t software, it’s our behaviour. This is a big discussion topic as to enable it to be fully effective and not be done too late, I think, goes back to the whole issue of how projects are procured traditionally. It needs early contractor involvement in the design phases of the project to make sure models are set up with the right information attached for the purposes of construction.
We’ve described it as Model Based Planning when we discuss it.
I'm a firm believer that Model Based Planning/Scheduling is possible but must be strategically applied at the right time of the project. This sort of bottoms-up approach has its inherent advantages but also disadvantages, primarily being the resources required. Conditioning a design model to be a construction model poses many changes (and sometimes limitations) to the designers' work processes. 4D is just a single pixel in the larger picture of Digital Construction, but the goal is to increase efficiencies and collaboration as a net value of all stages of the project.
In my opinion, its not a question of IF we should use Model Based Scheduling but WHEN is the most advantageous time.
Hello Kristina, I’m interested by what is meant by increased efficiency. Are you able to provide some examples, please?
Hi Simon - In regards to MBS, I think one main efficiency is the decrease of lost time from overnight "comment incorporation" from traditional methods. For example, many schedule development meetings are still run with gantt chart printouts, where the paper is red-lined, and then the scheduler inputs these changes into the scheduling software and reprints out a new gantt chart to be reviewed in the next meeting. Instead, with a model conditioned for MBS, we can have a more efficient meeting where major comments are incorporated "live" and downstream impacts are evaluated on the spot.
I love the concept of model-based scheduling and hope we can make the shift in the future. Gantt charts just seem so old-fashioned to me, but I'm still left pondering how we can represent some schedule activities that don't have physical representations in the schedule, such as inspections, testing, estimating, procurement, and other things. Sure you can color code the model like crazy to represent all sorts of things, but it can make things visually confusing.
Maybe it won't be a complete transition to model-based scheduling, but will be a hybrid solution that blurs the lines between the two methods, allowing the schedule to be easily controlled from the model or the schedule.
Hello Steve, You make a valid point that models can be colour coded like crazy, and this can add confusion. It’s considerations such as these that help decide which software solution best suits. Thanks for mentioning this.
Can be effective if used well and sparingly. Added to clear 4D models, with some dashboards and other visuals. Interesting topic to be discussed at out future knowledge share session maybe? "How to represent non-physical or non-construction
I believe the 4D modeling will be the standard of planning in the very near future.