The Challenge
Our client was managing a 200,000 sq ft commercial development with multiple consultants working in silos. Clash detection was done manually — slow, error-prone, and expensive.
What We Built
We implemented a fully automated BIM coordination pipeline using Revit, Navisworks, and custom Dynamo scripts:
- Automated clash detection runs every 24 hours
- Issues logged directly into the project management tool
- LOD 400 models delivered across all disciplines
Results
- 60% reduction in coordination errors
- 3 weeks saved on delivery timeline
- 100% ISO 19650 compliant handover
Technical Approach
The pipeline was built around three interlocking components: federated model management in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), automated clash detection via Navisworks batch processing, and a Dynamo scripting layer that handled data extraction, model health checks, and issue logging without manual intervention.
For federated model management, we established a disciplined folder structure within ACC that mirrored the project's work breakdown structure. Each consultant — structural, MEP, architectural, and civil — had their own Revit file published to a designated ACC folder on a defined cadence. The Dynamo scripts monitored those folders for new versions and automatically triggered a Navisworks batch merge and clash run within two hours of any upload.
Specific technology decisions included:
- Revit 2024 with Worksharing enabled parallel authoring by up to eight engineers simultaneously without model corruption
- Navisworks Manage 2024 for clash detection, configured with discipline-specific clash test sets (e.g., structural-vs-MEP, architectural-vs-services) to avoid noise from expected soft clashes
- Dynamo 2.17 scripts for automated parameter population, sheet numbering, and LOD compliance checks — replacing approximately 40 hours of manual QA per month
- ISO 19650 naming convention enforcement via a custom Dynamo script that validated every element's name against the project's agreed classification system on each model publish
- Power BI dashboard connected to Navisworks clash exports to give the project manager a live view of open, resolved, and newly introduced clashes by discipline
Implementation Highlights
The most challenging aspect of the pipeline build was integrating with consultants who were using different versions of Revit and had varying levels of BIM maturity. Two of the five discipline teams were still working in Revit 2021, which created IFC compatibility issues when federating models. We resolved this by establishing a standardised IFC export protocol — each team exported to IFC 4 Reference View regardless of their Revit version, and the federation was assembled from IFC files rather than native Revit links. This added a minor round-trip overhead but removed all version dependency.
A significant early win came during the first automated clash run, which identified 214 hard clashes between the structural steelwork and MEP ductwork on Level 3 and Level 4. In a manual-review workflow, these would likely not have been caught until the coordination drawing review stage, weeks later. Catching them at week two of the pipeline's operation meant the structural engineer could revise beam positions before fabrication drawings were issued — avoiding what the quantity surveyor estimated would have been a £60,000 variation order.
We also introduced a weekly BIM coordination call format anchored to the Power BI dashboard, replacing the previous approach of emailing static Navisworks screenshots. Having a live, filterable clash dashboard visible to all attendees changed the dynamic of those calls: discussions became solution-focused rather than dispute-focused, because every party could see the same data simultaneously.
Measurable Outcomes
The 60% reduction in coordination errors was measured by comparing the number of RFIs (Requests for Information) attributable to model clashes in the six months before the pipeline was operational against the six months after. Pre-pipeline, the project was averaging 34 clash-related RFIs per month; post-pipeline, that fell to 14.
The three-week programme saving was realised because the automated pipeline identified and resolved design conflicts significantly earlier in the design development stage than the previous manual process allowed. Earlier resolution meant that fabrication and procurement packages could be issued on schedule, avoiding the knock-on delays that had affected the client's previous projects.
The ISO 19650-compliant handover was achieved without any post-handover remediation work — a first for this client. The automated naming convention validation, run continuously throughout the project, meant that the information delivery milestone submission was accepted by the employer's information manager on first review.
Lessons Learned
The most important lesson was the value of pipeline ownership. In multi-consultant projects, there is a natural tendency for BIM coordination to become everyone's responsibility and therefore no one's. By assigning a dedicated Adyantrix BIM manager to own the pipeline configuration and daily monitoring, issues were caught and escalated within hours rather than being discovered at the next weekly meeting.
We also learned that Dynamo scripts require the same engineering discipline as production software: version control, documentation, and regression testing. Two of our early scripts produced incorrect outputs after a Dynamo version update mid-project. After that incident, we moved all scripts into a Git repository with tagged releases and tested every script against a sample model before deploying updates. This governance overhead added approximately four hours of effort per sprint but prevented further incidents.
Why This Approach Worked
Automation was the right answer for this project because the underlying coordination process was fundamentally rule-based: compare models from different disciplines, identify geometric conflicts, log them with the right metadata, and notify the responsible party. These steps do not benefit from human judgement — they benefit from consistency and speed. By automating the mechanical parts of the workflow, we freed the BIM coordinators to focus on resolving conflicts rather than finding them, which is where professional expertise genuinely adds value.
The ISO 19650 compliance requirement, which the client's employer insisted upon, actually served as a useful forcing function for the team. The standard's requirements for structured naming, revision control, and information delivery milestones gave us an objective framework for pipeline design decisions that might otherwise have become subjective debates between consultants with different working preferences.