1 Overview of the BIM Execution Planning Procedure for Building Information Mode
1 Overview of the BIM Execution Planning Procedure for Building Information Modeling
Introduction to Building Information Modeling
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a process focused on the development, use, and transfer of a digital information model of a building project to improve the design, construction, and operations of a project or portfolio of facilities. The National Building Information Modeling Standards (NBIMS) Committee defines BIM as:
“… a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. A BIM is a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle; defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition. A basic premise of BIM is the collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the life cycle of a facility to insert, extract, update or modify information in the BIM to support and reflect the roles of that stakeholder.”
When properly implemented, BIM can provide many benefits to a project. The value of BIM has been illustrated through well-planned projects which yield: increased design quality through effective analysis cycles; greater prefabrication due to predictable field conditions; improved field efficiency by visualizing the planned construction schedule; increased innovation through the use of digital design applications; and many more. At the end of the construction phase, valuable information can be used by the facility operator for asset management, space planning, and maintenance scheduling to improve the overall performance of the facility or a portfolio of facilities. Yet, there have also been examples of projects where the team did not effectively plan the implementation of BIM and incurred increased costs for the modeling services, schedule delays due to missing information, and little to no added value. Implementing BIM requires detailed planning and fundamental process modifications for the project team members to successfully achieve the value from the available model information.
BIM can be implemented at many phases throughout a project, but the current technology, training, and costs of implementation relative to added value must always be considered when determining the appropriate areas and levels of detail needed in the information modeling processes. Teams should not focus on whether or not to use BIM in general, but instead, they need to define the specific implementation areas and uses. A team should aim to implement BIM at the level needed to maximize value while minimizing the cost and impact of the modeling implementation. This requires the team to selectively identify appropriate areas for BIM implementation and plan these implementation areas in detail.
Why Should the Project Team Develop a BIM Project Execution Plan?
To effectively integrate BIM into the project delivery process, it is important for the team to develop a detailed execution plan for BIM implementation. A BIM