By Maj. Patrick C. Suermann

"There is no limit to the good you can do, as long you don't care who gets the credit."
                                                --General of the Army, George C. Marshall

In keeping with the theme of the "front lines," I was reminded of Marshall's quote many times when listening to the speakers during WPL Publishing's recent BIM webinar Contractors on the Front Lines: Three Case Studies.

As diverse as it was invigorating, this session shared stories in a conversational tone from individuals and firms that know building information modeling (BIM). Laura Handler (Tocci Building Companies), Fred Perpall (The Beck Group), and the ironic addition of John Tocci, Jr. from Gilbane enlightened us with stories that made Marshall's quote from the 1940s look completely appropriate in the 21st century. The irony is that the BIM community seems to be small, but its benefits are affecting us all in the industry and changing the way we conduct business.

After reading articles, listening to presentations, and attending training, it is easy to get "BIM'd out." However, I actually had goose bumps as I listened to these three incredible speakers relay their stories from the trenches. First Laura Handler of Tocci, revealed secrets that have led Tocci to its mantra, "Cool, Calm Constructed." From virtual mock-ups (saving money and time) to improved visualization (improved owner and community satisfaction), Handler helped us see why BIM is about doing jobs right. In a twist of events, Tocci helped Autodesk build/renovate its new HQ in Waltham, Mass., and the BIM-to-CNC fabrication examples were, as they say in Massachusetts, "wicked awesome."

Next, Fred Perpall, AIA, LEED-AP, spoke as the principal for Beck about his BIM stories from the front lines. Perpall must have a unique perspective because his company is one of the few AECs that is so successful with BIM that it has successfully marketed its own BIM software (i.e., D-Profiler ... a leading parametric BIM and estimating tool for early design). Perpall summarized his own success accurately when he said that BIM provides Beck accuracy, efficiency and quality of design.

Lastly, of Gilbane, John Tocci, Jr., gave a jaw-dropping presentation that truly lived up to Marshall's quote. He must have related 10 anecdotes that expressed how he used BIM to do business the "right way." This included accomplishing a tricky federal courthouse design, taming said project owner/neighbors, value engineering analysis (e.g. steel vs. concrete), and simple permitting and job site logistics planning.

All in all, it was another fantastic 2009 BIM Roadmap webinar from Michael Tardif and WPL Publishing! Thank you for moving the industry forward!

Maj. Patrick C. Suermann is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a B.S. in civil engineering. After serving as a combat and stateside engineer, he earned his M.S. in Construction Management from Texas A&M University and subsequently taught computer courses for engineers in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Recently, he successfully defended his dissertation and received his Ph.D. in design, construction, and planning at the University of Florida as the first ever Rinker Scholar at the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction.