How To Use BIM Clash Detection To Streamline Construction Projects
Even the most advanced BIM clash detection software can miss critical issues when models don’t align with real-world conditions. The result? Costly rework, schedule delays, and coordination breakdowns.
But these challenges aren’t inevitable. DCM professionals integrating technology into BIM workflows can easily avoid them. If you want to work with field-verified conditions, streamline coordination, and minimize late-stage design conflicts, this BIM clash detection guide will show you:
The fundamentals of clash detection
How to make it more accurate, reduce errors, and improve project efficiency
How integrating the digital twin technology will keep your team ahead in the increasingly data-driven construction industry
You’ll also see how ArchiTwin, a leader in construction management solutions, successfully implemented digital twins. “This clash detection will help customers spot differences between what’s been planned and what’s actually been built,” says Chris Christophers, Founder and COO of ArchiTwin.
What is clash detection in building information modeling (BIM)?
Clash detection is the process of identifying conflicts between building elements in a BIM model. Architects, structural engineers, and MEP engineers create their models independently during the design stage. But when you aggregate their models into the main project model, some components—pipes, ductwork, electrical conduits, etc.—may interfere or overlap.
These clashes should ideally be resolved before construction begins. That’s why BIM clash detection happens in a virtual design and construction (VDC) workflow in the pre-construction coordination stage. It ensures that all design disciplines—architectural, structural, and MEP—work together without conflicts. And it typically follows BIM best practices, including standards such as BIM Execution Plans (BEP) and Employer Information Requirements (EIR).
A BEP details the processes, responsibilities, and software used for BIM coordination. An EIR document specifies the data and model requirements an employer expects through the project. Together, these frameworks will improve accountability, help project teams stay aligned, and ensure alignment across the project, from design to construction.
Why is early clash detection important?
Identifying conflicts between building elements during the design phase can proactively address issues that might otherwise lead to costly rework and delays.
As BIM coordinator Bharath Kumar explains in this article, “faults that conventionally were detected on the site and involved high cost and schedule implications [...] can now be seen by BIM service providers in the office even before visiting the site. With BIM, clash detection is made possible for even objects within objects (like a steel rod completely immersed inside a concrete wall).”
A study published in the Construction Management and Economics journal found that BIM clash detection can save up to 20% of the contract value in a major infrastructure project. By leveraging BIM tools for early clash detection, you can resolve design conflicts before they impact the construction phase and enjoy a wide range of benefits.
Key benefits of early clash detection:
Lower costs and less rework: Fixing mistakes in a 3D model is far cheaper than fixing them on-site. Early clash detection reduces rework, prevents material waste, and keeps projects on schedule.
Better team collaboration: BIM software provides a shared digital workspace for architects, engineers, and contractors to identify and resolve clashes early. Teams can review the site conditions, everyone stays aligned, and the chances of costly miscommunications significantly drop.
Fewer risks and less waste: Accurate 3D models serve as a single source of truth for documentation. With explicit visual references, teams can make more informed decisions, minimize errors, and even reduce legal disputes.
Faster AEC processes and project approvals: Automated clash detection accelerates problem-solving and approvals. Instead of waiting for potential issues to appear in the field, teams can proactively resolve conflicts. This automation helps keep projects on track from planning to completion.
Types of clashes in BIM
With so many different models combined into one 3D BIM model, you can categorize clashes into three buckets: hard clashes, soft clashes, and workflow clashes. Understanding the main clash types helps teams catch and resolve them before they disrupt construction.
Hard clashes
These are the most obvious because they involve two physically overlapping objects, like structural elements (a water pipe or steel beam) passing through an electrical conduit. If not identified in the design stage, hard clashes can stop construction, requiring costly rework. BIM hard clash detection will:
Identify issues early in the design phase, before fabrication or installation
Allow teams to reposition the elements digitally, avoiding expensive field changes
Reduce material waste by making sure every component is in the right place
Soft clashes
Soft clashes are silent disruptors that can create operational headaches down the road. They typically violate safety standards, clearance requirements, or maintenance access guidelines. An example would be an HVAC unit installed too close to a service walkway that restricts maintenance crews' access.
A building might pass final inspections but fail operationally because of undetected accessibility issues. With BIM soft clash detection, you can:
Ensure that doors, walkways, and equipment access meet clearance requirements
Flag any violation of fire safety, ventilation, or egress codes
Help facilities teams visualize and verify all access points for long-term maintenance
Workflow clashes
Some clashes come down to scheduling tasks in a way that creates conflicts on-site. If excavation is still in progress when heavy equipment arrives, that’s a workflow clash. Construction sequencing issues slow down progress because some teams will have to pause work or reschedule deliveries. The problem is that it’s never just one task that gets delayed. Instead, you deal with a domino effect that occurs and impacts the entire project timeline.
BIM workflow clash detection helps you:
Integrate scheduling data with 3D models to visualize potential conflicts
Improve coordination between subcontractors so resources are deployed efficiently
Allow project managers to adjust sequencing in real time to prevent downtime
6 steps in the BIM clash detection procedure
A well-structured clash detection process will allow you to develop a fully coordinated BIM process. The industry’s best practices can be summed up into six proven steps that will help you catch, track, and resolve potential conflicts early:
Prepare and aggregate the BIM models
Conduct preliminary model checks and quality assurance
Run the automated clash detection
Identify, categorize, and prioritize clashes
Assign and track the clash resolutions
Re-run checks and update the model
This section outlines what each step involves, best practices, and real-world application examples.
1. Prepare and aggregate the BIM models
Before you run clash detection, create a federated BIN environment by combining all the discipline-specific models—structural, architectural, and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing). Use cloud-based tools like Autodesk BIM 360 or Navisworks Manage to aggregate the models in real-time.
TIP: Make sure that all teams use consistent file formats—IFC, RVT, NWC—to prevent compatibility issues.
2. Conduct preliminary model checks and quality assurance
Misaligned, incomplete, or outdated models can create false clashes or fail to detect real conflicts. That’s why you need to verify the accuracy and consistency of the aggregated models:
Check that all models share the same origin points to avoid spatial misalignment.
Use high-density E57 point cloud exports from Matterport to compare the BIM model with actual on-site geometry.
Use BIM coordination tools like Solibri Model Checker or Revit Model Checker to run an initial model audit before you run the full clash detection.
Identify duplicate objects, excessive detail, or incorrect metadata that may trigger false clashes in the detection process.
3. Run the automated clash detection
Your chosen tool—Autodesk BIM 360, Navisworks Manage, or Newforma Konekt (formerly BIM Track)—will scan the model for conflicts and generate a clash report. Results typically include a visual representation of the detected clashes in the model, a list of clashes categorized by element type, location, and discipline, as well as severity levels.
Best practices at this step include:
Instead of waiting for the final model, run checks at key project milestones such as schematic design, detailed design, pre-construction, etc.
Filter minor overlaps within tolerances so you don’t end up overwhelmed by non-critical clashes.
Use tools like MatterpakTM Bundle to overlay detected clashes onto a real-world point cloud.
4. Identify, categorize, and prioritize clashes
Getting so many different clashes at once can slow down the construction process rather than speeding it up. A single clash detection report may include over 500 clashes. By filtering out the non-critical, minor overlaps, you could reduce the number to as little as 150 high-priority clashes, significantly streamlining the resolution process.
To keep things streamlined, the best practice is to:
Categorize clashes by type (hard, soft, or workflow) and then;
Prioritize clashes by severity and impact—critical (structural column conflicts), moderate (minor pipe misalignments), or low-priority (aesthetic elements overlapping).
5. Assign and track the clash resolutions
Most BIM coordination tools allow you to assign the detected clashes to the right teams. They provide log resolution statuses and real-time progress tracking. You can assign the following disciplines:
Structural engineers to resolve beam-column conflicts, foundation clashes, load-bearing elements, etc.
MEP teams to adjust ductwork, plumbing, and electrical routing and resolve overlaps
Architects to address clearance issues, design inconsistencies, and accessibility conflicts
6. Re-run checks and update the models
As you make adjustments, new clashes can occur. Re-run the clash detection multiple times to verify the fixes and update the model. It’s a good idea to give all relevant teams access to the most up-to-date model to prevent misalignment and version conflicts.
TIP: Use Matterport’s digital twins to compare on-site conditions with the updated BIM model.
How Matterport improves clash detection
Accurate on-site data can hugely impact clash detection, project efficiency, and cost savings. A Haskell case study on a $230 million design-build project showed that investing $200,000 in VDC efforts, including BIM coordination and clash detection, led to a 10x return on investment. The project scored a net saving of $2.55 million.
In contrast, inaccurate or outdated site data is one of the biggest obstacles in BIM coordination. When project teams rely solely on theoretical models, undetected conflicts can lead to costly revisions with the design team, schedule delays, and on-site rework.
Matterport eliminates uncertainty by capturing dimensionally accurate digital twins of real-world site conditions. This technology ensures that clash detection software operates with accurate 3D scans of the site and as-built conditions, which help teams validate models accurately while reducing false positives.
Instead of relying solely on theoretical BIM models, teams can overlay precise 3D scans of the build site onto their design, ensuring an accurate reference point for clash detection. From early-stage planning to final inspections, Matterport helps AEC professionals identify conflicts sooner, collaborate more effectively, and reduce construction risks.
Accurate scan-to-BIM spatial data
Matterport’s scan-to-BIM workflow uses high-density scans to capture every detail of a space, generating accurate on-site spatial data. The result is an accurate BIM model that relies on E57 and MatterpakTM point cloud files. These files seamlessly integrate with Recap Pro and Revit, meet the LOD 200 standards, and give you a highly accurate starting point for clash detection.
Connecting design to reality
Even the best BIM technology won’t always accurately reflect the construction site conditions. Matterport’s digital twins allow teams to compare design intent with actual site conditions, helping them spot discrepancies before construction begins.
The many use cases of digital twins and BIM will show you how teams use Matterport digital twins and tools like the Autodesk Revit Plugin, AutoCAD, and BIM 360 to improve collaboration across different project stakeholders, increase accuracy, and cut down on unnecessary site visits.
Providing a single source of truth for collaboration
Construction projects involve multiple stakeholders, from architects to contractors. Matterport’s cloud-based platform ensures everyone works from the same, up-to-date digital twin.
This drastically improves communication and alignment for the following key stakeholders:
Architects can make design decisions and changes based on evaluating existing site conditions at every stage of the project.
Engineers can perform structural analysis and clash detection using precise spatial data from the digital twin.
Contractors can plan construction workflows and validate as-built progress.
Real-world example:
ArchiTwin developed a digital twin-centered platform to enhance project oversight and team collaboration.
By embedding real-time messaging, task lists, and navigation tools directly into their digital twins, teams worked within a single, consolidated environment. As a result, their facility maintenance clients reduced travel by 20-30% while keeping site conditions up to date.
ArchiTwin also introduced virtual staging, allowing architects and designers to visualize layouts before construction begins. Their BIM clash detection integration helped teams catch design discrepancies early, preventing costly rework.
Early clash detection with pre-construction scans
Unresolved clashes put your project at risk. They impose last-minute redesigns, which lead to construction slowdowns and increased expenses. But if you can catch design conflicts before they reach the job site, you’ll prevent costly rework, scheduling delays, and budget overruns.
By scanning existing site conditions with the twin technology, teams can look at the real-world geometry and identify potential clashes early. This way, they’ll keep track of the schedule with fewer surprises and greater cost savings.
Empowering AR/VR workflows
An emerging use case for Matterport’s digital twins is immersive AR and VR experiences which allow teams to review clashes in a shared virtual space. This helps geographically dispersed teams collaborate in real-time without costly site visits. In practical terms, this could reduce or even remove your on-site visits.
Real-world example:
E-Making, an Italian digital engineering firm, turned to Matterport to improve historical preservation and seismic retrofitting projects. Replacing traditional inspections with virtual walkthroughs eliminated 100% of their travel-related inspection costs.
By leveraging Matterport’s digital twin technology during the restoration of Remondini Palace, their team cut site survey time by 70% and reduced costs by 20%. As mentioned, they also completely eliminated the travel-related inspection costs.
The company imported Matterport point clouds into Autodesk Revit, allowing them to optimize MEP system layouts and verify design accuracy before construction began. Their team further streamlined data management workflows, reducing associated costs by 80%.
Closed-loop issues tracking
Identifying clashes is only half the battle. Resolving them efficiently is just as important. Matterport supports clash documentation and resolution tracking, helping teams assign tasks, document fixes, and keep projects on schedule. Project management systems like Procore also contribute to creating a continuous feedback loop.
How to overcome the challenges of BIM clash detection
Detecting clashes in BIM models comes with its particular challenges:
False positives: Software can flag minor overlaps as critical clashes.
Data inconsistencies: Detection issues may occur because of misaligned models, outdated plans, or different software formats.
Coordination issues: The different trades—MEP, structural, architectural—may have difficulties agreeing on clash resolution priorities.
Software limitations: Clash detection and resolution tracking capabilities may vary from one software to another.
By integrating Matterport’s digital twin technology into clash detection workflows, construction teams can:
Reduce errors
Lower costs
Accelerate project timelines
Digital twins provide high-accuracy visual documentation, improving coordination across architectural, structural, and MEP disciplines. You’ve already seen, in this article, two companies that successfully integrated Matterport’s digital twin technology, but below you can take a closer look at their outcomes.
Build smarter: Detect BIM clashes before they cost you
BIM clash detection isn’t just about preventing errors—it’s the key to faster, smarter, and more efficient construction.
By integrating high-accuracy 3D scans and Matterport’s digital twin technology, AEC professionals can catch design conflicts earlier, minimize rework, and keep projects on track. The result? Fewer delays, lower costs, and optimized construction workflows.
Try Matterport for free and explore our solutions for accurate BIM clash detection.
