The Future of Education

A paradigm shift is taking place in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, leading to higher productivity, efficiency, quality, sustainability and value of the infrastructure, while reducing life cycle costs and project duration [1]. This, in turn, has impacted the academic sector as well, giving rise to new disciplines such as green building and smart building engineering [2]. Such a course can only be successful if the theoretical foundations are brought into line with industrial practice. In this background, the presented project was conceived as group work for engineering students of higher semester within the course of piping technology and plant engineering. In this project, the students are given the task of creating a 3D construction model with a Building Information Modelling Level of Detail (BIM-LOD) of 400 [3] i.e. with all relevant manufacturer-specific components of a technical plant room with a given system schematic and architectural model. The aim is to give students a detailed and realistic insight into the real-time planning of construction projects, to gain initial practical experience in the creation of BIM models and implement what they have learned in theory and gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject. The project experience aimed to prepare the students for challenges in planning building services, knowledge of the correct installation of components such as filters and pumps, collision coordination with other disciplines, etc., that they may encounter in their future professional life in construction projects. A further extension of the information part of a BIM model was also considered, as students are expected to provide maintenance-related attributes such as manufacturer name, type and article number to the components used in the BIM model along with the material lists that are required for construction. The project was implemented as a voluntary commitment for the students in the year 2021 as a pilot phase with the creation of a construction BIM model of a mechanical room using Autodesk Revit 2020 modelling software [4] which turned out to be an excellent training exercise for a real-time construction planning scenario for the students. In the current year, the project is planned to be further developed by integrating even more disciplines such as ventilation, heating and electrical foreseeing extensive planning and coordination of a construction project.