A duct routed through a steel beam is cheap to fix in a model and expensive to fix on site. Clash detection exists to move that discovery as early as possible: run the discipline models against each other, list every conflict, and resolve them while they are still design changes rather than rework orders.
How it works
Clash tests run on a federated model, checking element sets against each other — structure vs. ductwork, pipework vs. ceilings. Tools like Navisworks and ACC Model Coordination report each conflict with its location, the two elements involved, and a status as it moves through triage.
Frame glossary
Hard clash vs. clearance clash
Two kinds of clash matter in practice. A hard clash is physical overlap: two elements occupying the same space. A clearance clash (or soft clash) is a violated buffer: a pipe inside the access zone a beam connection needs, or equipment without its service clearance. Mature teams also track workflow around clashes — grouping thousands of raw results into meaningful issues, assigning owners, and watching counts trend down toward construction start.
Why it matters for BIM analytics
Raw clash results are a coordination artifact; the management questions live on top of them. How many open clashes per discipline pair? Which levels are converging and which are stuck? Is this week’s model better than last week’s?
That is a reporting problem, and it is exactly what Frame’s clash report templates are built for: clash tests from Navisworks or ACC become Power BI datasets, joined to element data and linked to the 3D viewer, so a coordination meeting can pivot from a trend chart to the actual clashing elements in one click.