Management in our definition. Here it is:
BIM is a process for combining information and technology to create a digital representation of a project that integrates data from many sources and evolves in parallel with the real project across its entire timeline, including design, construction, and in-use operational information.
Examining the A-B-Cs of BIM
BIM stands alone as a word in its own right, and you can feel confident using it, instead of having to say “Building Information Modeling” in full every time. But when it comes to understanding what BIM really is and explaining it to other people, those three letters can be a very useful place to begin. The following list gives a bit more detail about the A-B-Cs of BIM, or, more accurately, the B-I-Ms!
B is for banana
One of the best ways we’ve found to describe BIM to someone without any knowledge of it is to grab a piece of fruit. Explain that you could develop a perfect 3D replica of the fruit in digital modeling programs or even by 3D-printing a copy, but that’s only one kind of representation of the fruit. It doesn’t include any of the fruit’s data; for example, its sugar content, calories, use-by date, country of origin, whether it has Fairtrade certification, and so on. The 3D object on its own isn’t enough to represent the fruit. It isn’t Banana Information Modeling. That’s the difference between 3D CAD and true information modeling.
✔ B: Because the B in BIM stands for building, think of this as the verb to build, and not just the noun, as if BIM was for just physical, discrete buildings. In fact, you can apply BIM to infrastructure, civil engineering, and landscape, along with large-scale public and private projects.
✔ I: The I in BIM is about understanding that unless you have information embedded throughout the project content, the work you’re producing is telling only half of the story.
You don’t even really need to worry about the modeling in order to start applying BIM; you can put the processes and data exchanges into practice long before drawing work begins on a project. The real value in BIM is the ability to interrogate the model and find the data you need, when you need it. Turn to Chapter 3 for some great examples of information modeling from other industries, like aeronautics and automotive racing.
✔ M: The M stands for modeling. This aspect of BIM probably has the most history, and hundreds of programs for representing the built environment using 3D CAD techniques and virtual design and construction (VDC) are available. (In fact, the majority of free resources on BIM, especially in the United States, can put too much focus on the 3D modeling aspects of BIM.) Chapter 4 is about how the visual model should evolve in detail, but only as much as you require for the relevant output. The model should allow the output of whatever plan/section or perspective or walkthrough or 3D-printed model that you require.
After you comprehend the definition of BIM, the next step is to grasp what BIM is actually trying to achieve. BIM processes aim to make you (and the construction industry as a whole) more efficient, and to allow project teams to make savings in terms of cost, time, and carbon, and removing waste across the timeline. Chapter 5 provides a really simple overview of what BIM is trying to do and some of the key fundamentals you need to know.
Understanding the Requirements for BIM
Here’s a list of what you really need for BIM implementation to thrive:
✔ Digitization: You have to be confident that the future of the industry is digital. Think about how technology has evolved in most industries and how in your experience of the construction industry you may have noticed that it’s still traditional and paper-based. BIM implementation requires a change of direction, toward new tools and software and a digital future.
✔ The right foundations: In order to build advanced BIM processes, you need the firm bedrock of efficient systems for communication, information exchange, and data transfer. Think about what practical changes you may require and even the type of projects you focus on. We show you how you can describe your BIM readiness in terms of levels of maturity. Chapter 7 discusses the importance of having a foundation before you implement BIM.
✔ Process: What’s wrong with what you’re already doing? We hope you can see where you can make improvements in your current processes, and that moving toward BIM implementation should have a positive effect on your business. Some essential elements to collaboration exist, and in Chapter 8 we show you an example of best-practice work flow and an explanation of some of the key acronyms you’ll encounter.
✔ Technology: You need to ensure that you have the right technology to support your BIM aims and objectives. Technology includes software and hardware. Having the right technology enables you to work in a digital environment. In Chapter 21, we show you different types of BIM platforms and software, with some important examples and discussion points for when you have to make decisions.
✔ Training: All the processes, frameworks, and documents in the world won’t help if people don’t understand them and can’t use the tools and methods you’re implementing. So a key requirement is to support all the technology and protocols with dedicated and personal training. We point you towards some great resources you can look to for help in Chapter 22.
✔ Incentives and business drivers: Incentives are what motivates and encourages you and your organization to undertake BIM, whereas your business drivers refer to processes that are vital for the continued success and growth of your business. Some business drivers may be outside business drivers; for example, economic conditions that a company can’t always influence. The UK is mandating BIM from 2016, and the United States, although still behind, demonstrates huge potential for standardization. In Chapter 9, you can read about the UK Government Construction Strategy and where the BIM mandates came from, and compare it with BIM uptake in the United States and across the rest of the globe.
✔ Standardization: For BIM to thrive, you need interoperability. Interoperability is a term that’s important in BIM-speak. Interoperability is ensuring that you can use the outputs someone else in the project team has produced, because you’re all using standard formats. Other BIM standards exist, along with a range of recommended protocols, guidelines, and specifications for the properties of objects you use in your models in the form of information exchanges. In Chapter 9, we help you navigate through these documents and show you how everything could evolve.
A very brief history of BIM
Even though there’s been a recent push to implement BIM and a realization of its benefits, BIM isn’t a new concept. The earliest
