Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Building Information Modeling is quickly becoming a game changer in the construction industry, including infrastructure and landscape projects.
BIM requires a more collaborative approach to design, requiring data to be shared in a consistent, structured and reliable format that allow members of the project team to test the design and make decisions before a spade is put in the ground. Ultimately, this will require a move from analog to digital systems.
The National BIM Standard-United States® (NBIMS-US™) offers advice on the benefits of BIM, including the standards and information exchanges that assist with and deliver best business practices for the entire built environment. Using BIM standards, detailed and accurate models can be used during the commissioning and operations phase to ensure the facility meets the client requirements throughout its lifetime. BIM seeks to deliver high performance, carbon neutral, and net zero energy based facilities.
Any business working in the highways, construction and landscape sectors need to ensure their technology and processes are BIM compliant. But what is the best way to go about this?
As a leader in the delivery of BIM enabled tools, Keysoft Solutions has worked with key industry bodies and stakeholders in the public and private sectors to identify the following essential tips to help organisations on their BIM journey.
- Start at the end. Work out why your business needs to do BIM and what you want to achieve. Start by talking to clients and find out what BIM requirements they have, to what level, and how they wish to share information. Like any other business decision, we recommend you develop your own BIM implementation plan. This is your company’s blueprint for introducing BIM over a period of time. It should align to your three to five year business plan. With each project, try to look for new BIM wins, i.e. a new process, system, procedure, software purchase, training, etc, that can be introduced to move you along your BIM timeline.
- Remember BIM is a process, not a software solution. BIM requires a minimum of 2D CAD, with, where appropriate, managed 3D data-rich information that can be held in separate BIM applications. Mistakenly, people think this means that the solution lies in buying new, expensive and complex, software and hardware to run this and training to use it. Software can help you streamline your processes but if these are not already defined, how do you know whether new and unfamiliar software can fill the gaps?
- Planning is key. You need to identify project leads, roles and responsibilities within the teams and the key stakeholders at the outset. Working to the Employers Information Requirements (EIR) or in simple terms, a defined brief, the BIM Execution Plan (BEP) will describe how this will be delivered and is the central tool for integrating the project partners, objects, data and plans throughout the entire project. There are a number of free resources available to help you understand want is required. The NBS BIM http://www.thenbs.com/bimtoolkit/ provides step-by-step help to define, manage and validate responsibility for information development and delivery at each stage of an asset’s lifecycle. In addition, there are BEP templates online that can guide you through the process and identify all of the areas that need to be covered (e.g. https://aecuk.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/aecukbimprotocol-bimexecutionplan-v2-0.pdf). Once you have a project BEP in place, work back and see if you can deliver the requirements through your existing software and processes or whether change or investment is required.
- Take a long-term view. BIM is about sharing information at the project modeling stage, ironing out the glitches, and providing an "as delivered" asset model that can be used to manage the facility for the remainder of its lifetime. Ultimately, the aim is to deliver efficiencies and therefore scrutiny of processes, upskilling staff and sharing information can support cost savings in both the public and private sectors, as well as driving up competitiveness and business growth in the private sector.
- Embrace change. Making a case for BIM is getting easier as more and more organisations assess the impact that BIM has had and can share this experience though case studies. Testimonials from organisations that have embraced BIM reflect the positive long-term benefits and lessons learned. Use these to support the case for BIM to be taken seriously within your organisation, participate in networking and events to learn from others, don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out those who are practiced in BIM.
For more information on BIM contact us toll free on 844-430-3040 or alternatively you can email us at info@keysoftsolutions.com