DELIVERING FIRST BIM PROJECT UNDER TIGHT DEADLINES

Founded in 1994, Kelvin Emtech has undergone substantial evolution and expansion over the years. Kelvin Emtech stands as a versatile engineering consulting firm with a strong presence in several sectors, including commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the firm specializes in electromechanical systems and offers a wide range of assessment mandates and consulting services for facilities, catering to clients both domestically and internationally.

Kelvin Emtech has a rich history of working in the field of critical electromechanical systems, often requiring 24/7 operation. Over time, the company has honed its expertise in overcoming complex technical challenges. Notably, Kelvin Emtech achieved a significant milestone as the first consulting engineering firm in Canada to design and construct the entire electromechanical infrastructure for a high-density datacenter. This accomplishment solidified its position as a leader in Quebec and a respected name in the industry. As a testament to its expertise, the company is regularly sought after to provide insights and contribute to Uptime Institute whitepapers even before their official publication.

Kelvin Emtech embarked on a journey with Autodesk Revit, despite initially having limited experience with it. The company recognized the importance of establishing a Building Information Modeling (BIM) department, viewing it as a key step towards accessing exciting opportunities in the residential market. Over the course of about a year, the company invested in the implementation of BIM, with the goal of nurturing team members’ interest and expertise to become proficient BIM coordinators and modelers. While this venture carried some inherent challenges, the team approached it with determination and optimism. Success depended onthe team’s ability to quickly acquire the necessary skills, gain valuable experience, and continuously expand their knowledge in this pivotal area.

The Kelvin Emtech goal was to finalize the implementation of the BIM working methodology in the firm and complete its first BIM project, relying on a complete and customized training plan for all team members by role. Specialized training was needed for team members who were accustomed to working with Autodesk AutoCAD. The company also wanted its future BIM coordinators to be trained for collaborative work and cloud model management on Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC).

In light of the challenges and with the company’s goals in mind, Graitec Inc. (Canada) was invited to partner with Kelvin Emtech and help with a solution. To better understand all the Kelvin Emtech needs and steer the effort, Graitec conducted a 40-hour IQC audit (Quebec Initiative for Construction), which involved top management positions and the BIM manager. This helped show the digital status of Kelvin Emtech and the direction the company wanted to go.

To help accomplish its goals, Kelvin Emtech chose to implement Autodesk Revit MEP, Navisworks, ReCap, and ACC. Combined with the Graitec team’s 20-plus years of Revit and BIM process experience, plus proven processes for successfully implementing Autodesk tools, the solution ensured success in establishing a BIM working methodology. Working alongside Kelvin Emtech staff, the Graitec BIM manager took the company’s first BIM project in hand and planned the training of more than 20 designers, technologists and project managers on software tools to get the project up and running. The BIM Management Plan and BIM Execution Plan were also reviewed to ensure that both documents were well drafted and included all the required information.

Through its partnership with Graitec, Kelvin Emtech achieved great success in implementing Revit and the other BIM software, while delivering its first BIM project under tight deadlines. The client was very satisfied with the results, and this project was the beginning of a strong relationship and bond with the Kelvin Emtech team. The company’s vision and trust in its partner, Graitec, proved to be game changing and key to future projects with this client.

The solid foundation in BIM processes and structure brings the promise of future work, as well as additional clients. Although the company was once focused on AutoCAD projects like many later adopters of BIM technology, it is on its way to becoming a major player in engineering consulting in Canada. The Graitec partnership with Kelvin Emtech endures, assuring the company continuously improves processes and stays on the cutting edge of design and technology.