I am long overdue for a post, but I think I have the perfect one. Are you ready? I am convinced that we are witnessing the next evolutionary step in engineering. That being the wide scale adoption of BIM (Building Information Modeling) and/or VDC (Virtual Design and Construction). What are BIM and VDC? Follow the links: BIM VDC My two cents . . . they are esentially the same thing!
CAD, GPS, Laser Scanning each in and of themselves represented evolutionary steps for engineering. Today, BIM / VDC is here and here to stay. Still not convinced? Have you seen the recent cover stories from both CE News and ENR? Check them both out and get ready to retool, rethink and reengiineer your current processes. If you don't I believe you will no longer be able to compete, much less win any size-able, stimulus related contracts. The recent GSA RFP that requires BIM models as part of the submittals is proof enough. This is a 5 year, $35M contract. If you want a piece of the action BIM and/or VDC is the way forward.
You know you are getting old when you have witnessed more than three of these evolutionary jumps in your career. I was hired at my first civil engineering firm to migrate the design shop from ink and mylar to CAD. That makes me about 102 years old. But I am never too old to adopt new, necessary and inevitable processes / technologies - except for reality TV. Not going there.
