Service

BIM clash detection services

We find where the pipe hits the beam, on a computer, before it is built.

In plain words

A clash is two things trying to occupy the same space, like a pipe running through a beam. We test the whole 3D model, list every clash with a picture, and help your team fix them before anything is built.

A six-storey building shown as a BIM x-ray: the steel frame, ducts and pipes visible through a glass facade, with one clash marked in orange

What it is

BIM clash detection, explained.

Clash detection is the most direct return on a BIM model. Federating the architectural, structural and services models and running automated tests turns hidden conflicts into a numbered list, each with a location, a screenshot and an owner.

We distinguish three kinds. Hard clashes are physical collisions. Soft clashes are clearance failures, such as no room to access a valve or remove a filter. Workflow clashes are sequence and scheduling conflicts. We report all three clearly, and we do not stop at detection: we propose how each can be resolved, then re-test.

What is included

What we build and deliver.

Hard clash tests

Geometry-against-geometry collisions between disciplines, with sensible tolerances so the report is not flooded with noise.

Soft and clearance tests

Maintenance access, ceiling clearance, equipment envelopes and fire-protection clearances.

Workflow review

Sequence, installation order and information gaps that will cause site conflicts.

Clash reports

Grouped, prioritized reports with images, coordinates, element IDs and a status for each issue.

Resolution proposals

Suggested reroutes and level changes, agreed with the design team, then re-tested until the model is clean.

Inputs and deliverables

What you send us

Models from each discipline, as Revit, IFC or NWC
A shared coordinate origin and level definitions
Coordination tolerances and clearances the project requires
Your title block, sheet size and naming standards
A named contact for questions

What you receive

Clash report (PDF and NWC or XML) per coordination round
Viewpoints with images and element IDs
Issue log with owners and status
Resolved, re-tested federated model
Summary of what changed between rounds

Level of detail

Most useful at LOD 300 to 350. Clash results are only as reliable as the least detailed model, so we agree LOD per trade at the start.

Software and formats

Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, AutoCAD. Files delivered as RVT, RTE, IFC, DWG, PDF, NWD.

Who it is for

BIM coordinators and managers. General contractors. MEP contractors. Design teams checking before issue.

To confirm before launch

BCR Liberia

Liberia

Architectural, structural and MEP BIM modeling at LOD 350, with MEP clash detection for existing and new buildings.

Reference listed on Sactik’s current site. See all work

Brochure · 4 pages · 783 KB

Clash detection brochure

We find where the pipe hits the beam, on a computer, before it is built.

Download PDF

Questions

Common questions.

What is the difference between a hard and a soft clash?

A hard clash is a physical collision, such as a duct through a beam. A soft clash is a clearance or access failure, such as a pipe too close to a ceiling to allow maintenance.

Which software do you use?

Autodesk Revit to author models and Navisworks to run and report the clash tests. We can also work from IFC models from other tools.

Will you fix the clashes or only report them?

Both. We report each clash, propose a resolution, update our models where the fix is ours, and re-run the tests. Fixes that belong to another discipline go back to that team with our proposal.

Start a project

Need clash detection? Send us your drawings.

Tell us what you have and what you need. We reply with a scoped quote, and we will sign your NDA first if you ask.

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