Venue Design and Maintenance: Static vs. Dynamic

Exploring the Balance Between Fixed Architecture and Evolving Spaces

There are specific tools for designing buildings and systems, and both BIM and PLM have been used for building design.

Complex infrastructures like airports, bridges, or impressive monuments can be designed with CAD tools used by the aerospace industry, such as Dassault Systèmes' CATIA. This 3D engineering CAD system allows for defining the relationships between object parts, including functional dependencies. These data relationships are the core of PLM systems. Dassault also provides a BIM solution.

Frank O. Gehry (1929) conceived the design of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao using CATIA, a software originally developed for the aerospace industry that no architect had used before. CATIA's capabilities for handling complex geometries and parametric design have since made it a popular tool among architects for creating innovative and structurally challenging buildings. Other notable examples include:

1. Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris: Designed by Frank Gehry, this building features a complex glass structure that required advanced 3D modeling capabilities. CATIA was used to precisely model and manage the intricate glass panels and steel framework.
2. Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku: Designed by Zaha Hadid, this architectural marvel features fluid, undulating curves that were difficult to realize using traditional design tools. CATIA helped in managing the complex surface geometries and ensuring structural feasibility.

Some well-known aerospace projects where CATIA has played a significant role:

1. Boeing 777: The Boeing 777 was the first commercial aircraft to be designed entirely using CATIA. The use of CATIA allowed Boeing to create a fully digital model of the aircraft, which facilitated collaboration across various engineering teams and suppliers worldwide. This digital approach streamlined the design and manufacturing processes, significantly reducing the need for physical prototypes and cutting down production costs and time.
2. Airbus A380: The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner, was designed using CATIA to manage its complex systems and large-scale components. CATIA's capabilities enabled the integration of various subsystems, such as avionics, hydraulics, and structural elements, into a single, cohesive digital model. This integration ensured accuracy in the assembly and maintenance processes, contributing to the successful production and operation of this massive aircraft.

However, most venues have been designed with AutoCad Autodesk, using BIM.

Considering that maintenance is the most important phase of a venue's lifecycle, I wonder if venue designers should adopt PLM instead of BIM.

The main reason is that a stadium is not made just of concrete but also of electromechanical and digital infrastructures. BIM is not capable of modeling the relationships between the firewall and the servers, or between the generator, UPS, and the pitch lighting. But PLM can.

The data model provided by PLM makes it easy to define precise maintenance policies for corrective, preventive, and predictive tasks. It is possible to understand the side effects of an electrical problem within all the assets that need electrical power.

And if an electromechanical system is replaced by a new one, such as the lights, it is very simple to update the parts tree with this change, and all the related subsystems around maintenance will instantly adapt to the new venue configuration.

A #DigitalTwin could be more versatile if it were based on a PLM, as it would allow for the complete replication of the venue's operation in the virtual world.

The design of a venue or the lifecycle of the venue is the critical point in determining the venue environment.

A comparison chart between BIM and PLM for maintenance:

Some additional information

Calatrava:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obelisco_de_la_Caja

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neVu9I-1j_w

https://webs.ucm.es/BUCM/blogs/InfoMat/5503.php

Dassault Systems

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/dassault-systemes-distribute-gehry-technologies-digital-project?page=215

https://aecmag.com/digital-fabrication/beyond-bim-with-dassault-systemes-catia-in-aec/

Annex: BIM vs PLM

A Building Information Modeling (BIM) system and a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system are both critical tools in their respective domains, but they serve different purposes and industries. This competitive analysis will highlight how each system caters to the requirements of industry-specific functionalities, with a focus on showing how PLM can provide more resources for venue maintenance compared to BIM.

Competitive Analysis: BIM vs. PLM

PLM systems provide more comprehensive resources and functionalities for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of venues, especially where electromechanical and technological infrastructure is concerned. While BIM excels in managing static structures, PLM offers a robust framework for handling dynamic elements that require regular updates, maintenance, and integration with new technologies. This makes PLM the preferred choice for environments where ongoing change and technological advancements are key considerations, as it can support not just the physical infrastructure but also the evolving electromechanical systems that operate within these environments.

Confession

I must confess that I am a certified PLM consultant for various manufacturers, and I have applied these types of products in both the aerospace sector and in marketing for telecommunications products. I wrote a paper for the ECCP 2005 on lifecycle management in construction, an article where I aimed to evangelize this sector about the benefits of PLM.

However, I am also familiar with architectural design environments, where my professional experience began in 2007 with the Documentum connector with AutoCAD, and the change management we implemented for an engineering company that builds railway infrastructure.

Surprising? No, these experiences and the knowledge I've gained are because a professional life in the ICT sector is very engaging. On this matter, I will close the article with a quote from an Airbus Space engineer: 'If a product works for the aerospace industry, it works for all.'

#venue #stadium #maintenance #lifecycle #BIM #PLM #lightning #infrastructures