An Owner’s and Executive’s Reference to BIM in One Page
If you own a large or complex facility, a campus, or a geographically distributed organization you may have heard the term BIM: Building Information Modeling. This brief describes what BIM is and how it could be useful to you. It also describes why it is critical for it to be properly implemented.
What is BIM (Building Information Modeling)? CAD and Data
BIM combines the visual images in CAD drawings with the information behind the components and systems pictured. For example, a drawing of a commercial/institutional kitchen will show the layout of appliances and systems. However, each of these appliances and systems has cost and purchasing information, manufacturer and warrantee information, installation instructions, compliance notes, and field notes from the installation and maintenance technicians. By combining the visual image with the other information a drawing can be used as an index to quickly drill down to information such as “When was this system installed and maintained and by whom?” and the drawing can be used to answer questions such as “Show all equipment coming off of warrantee in the next six months.”
What is BIM used for? Quality, Maintenance, Redevelopment
BIM provides advantages at throughout the building lifecycle:
- During design and construction errors and omissions are more easily caught, leading to better quality, on time and in budget delivery, and minimal business interruption.
- While the space is utilized your facilities group will have excellent information leading to better care of the space and equipment, minimal down times, and more reliability.
- When the space is redeveloped because business needs have changed all the information about the space and the equipment is available, speeding the design process and exposing potential savings opportunities through reuse of equipment.
A BIM model can save up to 20% on initial construction with reduced quality problems and schedule issues. The savings only grow from there.
As an Owner or Executive, How am I Involved? I Set the Standards
BIM standards include what content is captured and how that content is managed and maintained. For example, a standard will specify how GIS mapping coordinates are presented and interpreted, units for measurements and currency, and the file format for delivering drawings and content.
Owners are already paying for the BIM data to be collected: every new building project requires all the data in the BIM model. However, most owners receive this information as a disorganized set of electronic files and bound paper volumes. For BIM to be successful, you as the owner or executive must demand consistent standards and deployment guidelines for the delivery of this data so that various departments will be better able to take advantage of and share updates to the information gathered during the building process.