Beginning with BIM (Building Information Modelling)

Okay, here I am writing my first blog. Wanted to do it from long time and finally got started on 15th April 2015. Excited and nervous about choosing the topic. After lots of thinking, there is one thing which I am studying, following, implementing and has close association with from last two years and that is Building Information Modelling aka BIM.

What is that? Any professional from AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) industry knows this term very well and those who are hearing it for first time for them this going to be something very interesting. Even if you are not, even remotely, related to AEC industry, this is something very cool happening around you...so let's start with the basics.

With the UK government calling for the use of ‘Building Information Modelling (BIM)’ in all its construction projects by 2016, BIM become a buzz word in construction industry. Many construction firms are now investing in ‘BIM’ technologies during bidding, preconstruction, construction and post construction. BIM exploits the potential in computer based modelling technologies to provide a new way of designing buildings and managing design and construction processes.

In worldwide scenario there continues to be considerable comment about Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM is a way of approaching the design and documentation of project by utilising 3-D design, physical performance and other information regarding the entire life cycle of the building  in the construction information/building model. It is clear that the use of BIM is increasing. An NBS survey of the construction industry conducted between December 2012 and February 2013 found that 39 per cent  of responding were using BIM, which does not sound a lot but it was up from 13 percept in 2010.

What is BIM?

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is described as:

“A digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decision during its life cycle from inception onward”

(As per National BIM Standard – Unites States, 2010).

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process and practice of virtual design and construction throughout its lifecycle. It is platform to share knowledge and communicate between projects participants.

BIM is not just the latest release of CAD software; it is an entirely new way of looking at the design and construction of building. Conventionally, a good deal of design and construction work is document-based. Information is communicated and stored via a variety of drawings and reports that, despite being stored and distributed in digital form, are essentially ‘unstructured’ and thus of limited use. Not only is this information unstructured, it I held in variety for forms and locations that are not formally coordinated (information on individual building component, for example, are contained on drawings, specification, bills of quantity, description, etc.). Such an approach has considerable potential for data conflicts and redundancy as well as risks to data integrity and security. Conversely, by providing an intelligent, digital structure of for project information and ultimately a means by which the information can all be held centrally as ‘single model’- BIM opens up a wide range of possibilities for improvements.

BIM is based on digital models of a building that store information about the project (relating to architecture, engineering, construction and so on) in a way that enables it to be shared across and between different design and construction discipline. Not only that, 3D dynamic modelling software can be used to develop and manipulate these digital models to refine thae design, and also to test and validate its potential performance across a range of criteria, including build ability, energy performance –in-use, whole life cost etc. The potential for all key project information to be stored and manipulated in computer is what sets BIM apart form more conventional approaches, and BIM-based design solutions differ from their traditional counterparts in that they :

- are created and developed on digital databases which enable collaboration and effective data exchange between different disciplines

- allow change to be managed through these databases, so that change in on part of the database are reflected in (and coordinated through) changes in other parts; and

- capture and preserve information for re-use by all members for the design and construction team, including facilities management (FM) and user operation and management.

A correctly assembled BIM is reliable, digital, three dimensional, ‘virtual’ representation of the project to be built, for use in design decision-making, in construction scheduling and planning, in performance predictions and cost estimates.

It is very cool right..yes ..but it's just a beginning...will talk about it in even more detail...

Stay tuned!