Dr Melanie Robinson talks BIM and a $1.72bn hospital project in Canada

BIM Academy was recently appointed as BIM Consultant on a major redevelopment project for one of Canada’s most prominent health care providers, Fraser Health Authority.

Fraser Health Authority is one of five publicly funded health authorities working together with the Ministry of Health in British Columbia and is making a significant investment in health care throughout the region to upgrade its facilities.

BIM Academy was appointed to provide Fraser Health with its BIM consulting services for the New Surrey Hospital and Cancer Centre. This $1.72 billion state of the art hospital and Cancer Centre will provide care for hundreds of thousands of people living and working in the British Columbia community.

The BIM consultancy role consists of developing the information requirements and coordinating and managing the BIM process to inform and guide project designers, the developer and the construction team in the implementation of BIM. BIM Academy has also specified open data standards to facilitate collaborative working between all parties involved in the project and to provide Fraser Health with robust, structured data aligned to international standards.

Dr Melanie Robinson, Senior Project Manager is leading on the New Surrey Hospital project, and recently spoke to Digital Media Editor for Construct Connect, Warren Frey on his Construction Record Podcast.

Melanie told Warren that hospitals and other medical facilities are some of the most complex buildings in the world and being able to utilise digital processes to ultimately help the client at the end of the day manage all that information is only ever going to be a benefit. Adding, that making sure the digital version of the building maintains continuity with the real structure, not just before and during construction, but throughout the lifecycle of the structure.

Melanie commented: “When you think about digital twins and keeping that digital replica up to date as well, with any hospital project as soon as you hand the keys over it’s going to change the next day for whatever reason. Defects, liability periods, but also throughout life windows are going to be broken and door handles are going to fall off. It’s about being able to make sure that our digital replica is ultimately reflecting what’s happening in physical reality.”

As part of this process, a coordinated digital description of every aspect of the hospital is being developed, using a set of appropriate technology where a digital replica of the new hospital will be developed to allow Fraser Health to see the finished hospital in a virtual format.

BIM Academy will also be developing a strategy to support the digital transformation of the whole authority using the New Surrey Hospital and Cancer Centre project to pioneer information management using BIM in line with the international standard ISO 19650.

The project has just entered the procurement phase, with construction of the New Surrey Hospital and Cancer Centre expected to start in summer 2023. The facility is scheduled to be ready for patients in 2027.

Read more about Melanie’s interview with Warren in the Journal of Commerce for Construct Connect.