An In-Depth Look at the World of BIM (Building Information Modeling)

When Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI) introduced the availability of 189 product-specific 3D drawings for Building Information Modeling (better known as BIM) in early 2011, we knew it was just a matter of time until we expanded upon the industry's largest drawings database.

Today, CPI's BIM library remains at the head of the class, now checking in at nearly 220 product specific drawings, including our most recent additions:

• GF-Series GlobalFrame® Cabinet System 
• F-Series TeraFrame® HD Cabinet System 
• Velocity™ Cable Management 
• N-Series TeraFrame® Network Cabinet for the Cisco Nexus 7018 Switch 

In addition to offering the largest BIM drawings database of any IT infrastructure storage manufacturer, CPI has also taken an active approach in making these drawings more widely accessible, having recently made the entire library available online at CPI's BIM Drawings webpage. Those with an active CPI website account can access instantly, while new site visitors can create a profile to gain free access of their own (not to mention free access to our other design tools and downloads!).

Of course, the value of BIM extends well beyond the CPI catalog. As one of today's most comprehensive tools for drafting and designing ideal installations (or upgrading an existing one), 3D BIM Drawings are fast establishing themselves as the go-to tool in both Greenfield and Brownfield deployment - allowing architects, contractors and builders the chance to render life-like views of data center construction before the first slab is ever laid.

BIM Drawings are already proving especially valuable in these key areas:

• Using BIM drawings to aid in the prevention of collision avoidance
• Loading the minimum/maximum parameters for products such as racks and cabinets (BTU, RMUs, weight, power, etc.) and areas where the customer can indicate actual use.
• Standardized models (all customer products will work in all manufactured equipment)
• Bill of Material (BOM) development, with active updates to BIM drawings as each trade updates their products or services

For an even better usual understanding of BIM's value in pre-construction rendering and planning, check out the video below, courtesy of BIMAdvent presents BIM in DataCenter Design and JBA Consulting Engineers. Pay close attention to how BIM aids in the following:

• Ability to toggle between 2D and 3D
• Indications for all services, and where all services come together in one area
• Indications for collision avoidance zones (shaded grey)
• Indications for conflict detection (potential space where two objects may occupy the same space)
• Ability to map out security and Building Automation Systems (BAS)

As you can see, BIM drawings offer a great deal of insight and practical application in the overall scope of any new project. Having the ability to configure these projects with such a wide variety of CPI solutions? Now that's the best of both worlds. Jeff Cihocki, eContent Specialist