The Electrical Contracting Innovation Challenge (ECIC) is ELECTRI International’s annual challenge for NECA Student Chapters. Student Chapter teams agree that the popular challenge is stimulating because it makes them focus on problem solving by thinking in new, creative ways. This year’s student challenge focused on innovation and student’s creativity.
Each faculty advisor and student team worked with their local NECA chapter and contractors to deliver a proposal containing building information modeling (BIM) tasks for the Trimble Phase 2 project. Students put themselves in the position of an electrical contractor to perform tasks related to layout and coordination of various electrical systems in the project. The teams used the same computer software that industry leaders typically use. During the competition, the student teams tackled challenges that BIM engineers face when completing a project. These challenges included creating a BIM execution plan, a detailed work assignment log, a prefabrication plan, installation drawings, and more. They also had the opportunity to work with various forms of software that BIM engineers use in the industry. This included modeling electrical systems using Revit, doing coordination in Navisworks and Trimble Connect, and leveraging technology solutions offered by Trimble for office and field construction professionals.
