An inherent limitation of the traditional BIM approach is that 3D models are still interfaced with on a 2D screen with specialized software. This limitation does not allow for the 3D models to show the full spatial relationships between building components. This precludes the 3D models’ potential to communicate their full design intent, which limits the project teams’ ability to comprehensively understand the design. These challenges can be partly overcome using virtual reality headsets, which come with additional cost, computational demands, and software complications.
Additionally, this process requires operational knowledge of 3D software and acceptance of the 3D models. This learning curve means that many in the construction industry are reluctant to adopt the BIM workflow. Alternative scale mockups are often inaccurate and do not communicate the full details of the design. Moreover, full scale mockups are cost prohibitive and time consuming.
These issues result in less efficient communication within the project team and less effective design and constructability reviews, which manifest themselves in design errors and constructability issues. This results in delays, cost overruns, and diminished productivity during construction.
3D printed mockups remove the barriers associated with the traditional BIM approach by bringing virtual 3D models into reality as tangible physical objects. As an accurate, cost effective, and timely process, 3D printing bypasses the complexity of virtual reality systems, the cost of full-scale mockups, and the inaccuracies of alternative scaled mockups. These authentic physical realizations of the actual construction components make the design universally accessible to the entire project team regardless of their construction experience and without the need for any software expertise.
This allows the project team to view and manipulate the design in true 3D by picking up the model with their hands. 3D printed mockups enable the team to manually assemble the authentically reproduced building components according to the full-scale construction sequence. This hands-on approach enables the team to comprehensively understand the design and effectively investigate and communicate constructability issues early in the preconstruction stage where design changes are less costly and time consuming.
Thus, 3D printed mockups remove the learning curve and 2D limitations of 3D models and eliminate the cost of full-scale mockups. Interacting with authentic physical mockups exploits the potential of BIM for everyone in the construction industry. This facilitates communication between teams, comprehension of the design, and more effective constructability reviews. This results in a more refined and constructible design during construction, which reduces the risk of delays and cost overruns. By enabling a more effective preconstruction process, 3D mockups are essential in executing more successful and profitable projects.
