Skip to main content

Related topic: Cement Industry, Energy, Automation

Building Information Management – A Brief Introduction

 

April 11, 2022 – Piyush Mohan Bhattarai,Srasta Koirala, Abhilasha Subedi, Sujata Dhakal, Anuskha Regmi

With the introduction of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as industry 4.0, technology has paved a way for innovation in every industry segment. Integration of new technologies through concepts such as analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning has increased interconnectivity and smart automation. By leveraging current technologies, companies have revolutionized the way of approaching business projects. Like many other industries, the use of technology has transformed the construction industry with the implementation of Building Information Management.

Building Information Management, or BIM, is the process of using building information models to design, construct, and operate a construction project. With the help of multi-disciplinary data, detailed digital representation, also known as the digital twin, is created and managed for real-time collaboration with the construction project. The digital twin collects real-world information about the structure of the project through drones, sensors, and other wireless technology and creates a virtual model of the building. The twin gains valuable insights into the project’s performance, profitability, and operations through multiple sources such as advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning using the collected data. BIM is the foundation of digital transformation in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry in a world transformed by technology.

BIM has taken over the AEC industry due to the plethora of benefits it has to offer. While common misconceptions such as BIM is just a construction software or how it is limited to 3D designs still plague the construction industry, it is essential to note that BIM is both a construction software that uses 3D designs and a whole lot more. It is a complete approach to plan, designing, and implementing a construction project. Some of the benefits of implementing BIM are:

  • Improve communication and collaboration between project stakeholders to maximize efficiency.
  • Model-based cost estimation that aids in reducing costs and wastages.
  • Visualization of projects during preconstruction to provide better insight into the project.
  • Mitigate risk through clash detection to provide better results.
  • Improves scheduling and management of the project with increased productivity.
  • Facilitates efficient building handover upon the completion of the project.

Owing to the benefits of integrating BIM, numerous countries around the world have started adopting BIM. Open BIM standards and mandates have been placed in Norway and Austria whereas mandates are currently in place in the USA, UK, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Denmark, Korea, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong. Similarly, future mandates have been fixed in Scotland, Mexico, Peru, Chile, France, and Qatar while Canada, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, China, and Germany have BIM programs planned for implementation. Lastly, Belgium, New Zealand, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic are planning on BIM adoption.

Figure: Countries where BIM is being implemented on the world map

SWOT Analysis

Before BIM, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) was widely used to assist with the designs of the project. As CAD is still used during the BIM process, the companies that created CAD software have also started investing in BIM software. The key players for CAD companies and their market shares as per their revenue according to a 2020 CAD Report from Jon Peddie Research are presented in the graph below:

While there are common features between BIM and CAD, they are both very different technologies. Some of the common differences between CAD and BIM Technologies are as follows:

BIM in Architectural Engineering

When BIM is used in a construction project, the level of details can range from a geometric representation of the model to an accurate as-built digital model. The Level of Development (LOD) framework is often used when working with BIM to illustrate the development of the model. LOD is created as a protocol to address the basic guideline information of BIM in order to identify specific content requirements of BIM models at any given time (Latiffi, 2015). It is an industry-standard that specifies the different levels of refinement of the 3D geometry of the building model. Using the LOD development framework, the different stages of design, 3D visualization, scheduling, estimation, on-site production control as well as fabrication can be understood. With the help of LOD, shared communication and coordination among stakeholders from different disciplines becomes effective and clear.

As such, there are six different Levels of Development in BIM:

  • LOD 100: Pre-Design:- The model in this level is designed on a basic scale as a conceptual model. The elements in this level are dimensionless as parameters like area, volume, height, and location are defined.
  • LOD 200: Schematic Design:- In this level, the elements are graphically represented as generic elements with approximate shapes, dimensions, locations, quantities, and orientations in a two-dimensional model.
  • LOD 300: Design Development:- Just like LOD 200, LOD 300 are also graphic representations but with accurate geometry and physical features. Due to the accuracy of the 3D model, the elements from LOD 300 can be used during construction.
  • LOD 350: Construction Documentation:- LOD 350 model includes details regarding how building elements interface with other building components and elements such as support and connections with detailed graphics and written definitions.
  • LOD 400: Construction Stage:- The elements of LOD 400 includes accurate geometry and physical features along with great detailing, a complete fabrication, specific assemblies and installation details. The details of LOD 400 elements can be used to manufacture components that are being represented by suppliers.
  • LOD 500: As-Built:- The LOD 500 models are field verified representations that are accurate in terms of size, shape, location, quantity and orientation. The elements in this model are used by facility managers as references for operations and maintenance.

The BIM dimensions refer to the level of information that is entered into the 3D model through BIM software. The different types of dimensions are:

  • 3D BIM: Over the past 20 years, 3D BIM has become the most common BIM model in the design and construction field (Charef, Alaka, & Emmitt, 2018). It gathers graphical and non-graphical information that is used to build 3D models.
  • 4D BIM: The 4D BIM brings the information regarding time and scheduling into the software, which provides an estimate of how long the project might take.
  • 5D BIM: When using BIM, the information related to costs such as capital can be detailed through the 5D dimension. It can also help oversee any changes in cost over the project duration.
  • 6D BIM: The 6D dimension of BIM includes information related to building information and project life cycle as it is mostly focused on the energy efficiency and sustainability aspect of the project through environmental, social and financial points of view.

Conclusion

BIM can definitely aid in the growth of communities all over the world. The benefits of BIM provide an easy choice for solving issues related to construction projects. BIM’s increased time efficiency, reduced cost and effective communication, as well as coordination among the stakeholders, often produce a higher quality result. Integrating such highly functional and effective construction projects in the community can elevate the living standard of people in a certain community.

References

Bui, N., Merschbrock, C., & Munkvold, B. E. (2016). A Review of Building Information Modelling for Construction in Developing Countries. Procedia Engineering, 164, 487-494. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.11.649

Charef, R., Alaka, H. A., & Emmitt, S. (2018). Beyond the Third Dimension of BIM: A Systematic Review of Literature and Assessment of Professional Views. Journal of Building Engineering, 19, 242-257. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2018.04.028

Jeong, T. (2018). A Study on the BIM Evaluation, Analytics, and Prediction (EAP) Framework and Platform in Linked Building Ontologies and Reasoners with Clouds. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2018, 14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5478381

Latiffi, A. A. (2015). Building Information Modeling (BIM): Exploring Level of Development (LOD) in Construction Projects. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 773-774, 933-937. doi:0.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.773-774.933

Marzouk, M., & Enaba, M. (2019). Analyzing project data in BIM with descriptive analytics to improve project performance. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(4), 476-488. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-04-2018-0069

Vilutiene, T., Kalibatiene, D., Hosseini, R. M., Pellicer, E., & Zavadskas, E. K. (2019). Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Structural Engineering: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature. Advances in Civil Engineering, 19. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5290690

Full Report