Same Software, Different Results: The People and Process Behind Coordination
Thirty years ago, if engineers had to scratch out changes on 88 drawings with a razor blade, they made sure they were right before they did it. Architects thought about everything before they sent plans. Every detail mattered because corrections were painstaking.
Computer modelling changed that speed. An idea can become a drawing by the next day. But the modelling didn’t change the physics. Steel still needs fabricating, concrete still needs pouring, and when coordination issues surface during construction, they cost serious money.
The challenge is getting the speed benefits without the expensive surprises that come from moving too fast.
When early coordination works
Our work at Wentworth Point Public School shows what happens when experienced coordination catches problems while they’re still manageable. A government project run by School Infrastructure New South Wales, built by Grindley Constructions and Clash detection controlled by Fulton Trotter Architects, it employed full BIM coordination across all disciplines from the start.
Three clashes got caught early:
The stairwell columns sat where the architect didn’t want them for the design intent. The solution wasn’t just deleting them. The entire roof structure needed strengthening so it could cantilever from the central concrete wall. The team negotiated a 50mm thicker roof to accommodate larger steel members and found the compromise that worked both structurally and architecturally.
Steel lintels were clashing with ventilation requirements. The team developed an alternative approach that accommodated both the structural loads and the air vents without compromising either system.
An air conditioning penetration through the slab sat too close to a column and steel framing. The services team shifted the penetration away from the structural elements. At design stage, that’s a straightforward adjustment.
All three clashes were resolved in hours. The project met its deadlines, budget stayed intact, no fabrication delays, no site stops, no scrambling.
Why software alone isn’t enough
Most engineering firms have access to the same BIM tools. What sets Birzulis apart is the 10 years of practice using those tools and the experience to know what questions to ask and what to look out for.
Models provide comprehensive information, but they need experienced interpretation to become truly complete. Our experienced BIM team know which details need extra scrutiny, which connections need careful consideration, which assumptions need testing.
Our working principle: embrace the technology, and apply critical thinking to what it shows.
How Birzulis uses BIM differently
Same-day response on clashes. When coordination issues come through, they get addressed immediately that day. Either the fix gets implemented or the conversation with the architect starts.
Bespoke documentation. Most firms provide three generic detail sheets. Birzulis provides those three, plus another eight sheets of project-specific details worked through painstakingly by engineers and architects together.
Thoughtful problem-solving. The team considers requirements from all disciplines – architects, services, structural, civil to find solutions that work for everyone involved.
Early multi-discipline coordination. Rather than the traditional linear sequence (architect designs, then structural, then MEP services fit around what’s decided), everyone’s involved early and simultaneously to get things right from the start.
What this means for Birzulis projects
- 35 years of knowing what goes wrong on site
- 10 years of BIM practice
- Same-day response to coordination issues
- Engineers who verify rather than assume
- Documentation tailored to specific project needs.
Conflicts are caught in the design phase when solutions are still straightforward, not on site when they disrupt schedules and budgets.
Good coordination works invisibly. You only notice when it’s missing. If you’re planning a project in Sydney or Newcastle, contact us today to discuss how our approach could protect your project schedules and budgets.