BIM + Mass Timber: design, manufacturing and assembly

The study presented in this report investigates the synergies between Building Information Modeling (BIM), Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) and mass timber construction.

This 2018 report by the BIM TOPiCS Research Lab University of British Columbia aims to build on the lessons learned from around the globe and in BC to promote and facilitate the deployment of BIM and DfMA in the context of mass timber construction.

Brock Commons Tallwood House construction
Photo credit: KK Law
BIM and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly for Mass Timber Construction

A series of recommendations is presented both from an industry point of view and a project point of view to help the adoption and implementation of BIM and DfMA in the BC market.

BIM in the news

BIM and Digital Design: A Closer Look at How Mass Timber goes from Factory to Building Site

Renewable materials such as wood have been identified as an ideal construction material—especially when incorporating innovative mass timber products such as CLT and glulam, design methods and processes like BIM and DfMA, tools for visualization such as VDC, and tools for manufacturing such as CNC. We know, these are a lot of acronyms, but ArchDaily takes the reader through it step-by-step.

Photo credit: KK Law

Drawing portion excerpted from Emerging Building Systems (EBS): REVIT Drawings + Case Studies pdf and used as icon

Emerging Building Systems: REVIT Drawings + Case Studies

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Sunny mid day image showing three workers tilting up prefabricated exterior light-frame wooden wall panel on construction site

Procuring Innovation in Construction: A Review of Models, Processes and Practices

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Close up mid construction view of Brock Commons Tallwood House focused on glue-laminated timber (Glulam) columns and associated steel connectors which allow direct load transfer from cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels

Brock Commons Tallwood House: Design Modelling

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