[ Spotlight: BIM ]
Group for Excellence in the Built Environment suggests that ‘BIM brings the advantages of early contractor and specialist engagement, and project/ supply team integration’. These advantages have the potential to deliver process efficiency through: n Improved planning; n Reduced delivery cost; nBetter environmental performance (notably energy savings);
nMore specifically, improved functions such as: checking compliance with building regulations, cost estimating, work scheduling, and offsite fabrication;
nReduced project risk; and nBetter operational safety by design. It’s a potentially impressive list. However, key
questions include: ‘How big is the benefit?’; ‘Who benefits most?’; and ‘Are there any BIM losers?’
Project planning The Ministry of Justice has become the first government department to adopt BIM, where it is being used on four prison projects, though BIM itself is not new. It is already used abroad, notably in the USA, and in parts of the UK private commercial sector. Many larger ECA registered members are already engaged in ‘Level 2’ BIM for major retailers, and several major contractors already point to their BIM construction portfolio. So what is ‘Level 2’ BIM? The much-touted ‘BIM maturity model’ describes the current ability of the UK construction supply chain to exchange building information. Level 1 – This level is still widely regarded
as common practice in construction (that is, projects where team partners use CAD/BIM ‘semi- collaboratively’). Level 2 – This is seen by government as a realistic medium-term objective for the industry and its clients. The government says that Level 2 is effectively the target for the ‘trailing edge’ of the industry. Basically, Level 2 BIM is ‘file-based collaboration and library management’. It comprises a series of domain- specific models (for example, architectural, structural, services) and a single software environment to store the shared data. It uses ISO 29481-1:2010 Building information modelling – methodology and format to manage data communication and delivery. Level 3 – The BIM ‘maturity model’ also sees parts of the industry moving well beyond Level 2. Level 3 covers information exchange for both construction and building management, via different BIM platforms that communicate seamlessly through independent data formats (such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)). Level 3 is a big step up from Level 2.
This means that, when talking about BIM, it is vitally important not to mix up the issues associated with Levels 2 and 3. According to Mark Bew, chairman of the UK
Building information modelling is a proces that facilitates collaboration and effective communication on a shared project
The next 12 months will be critical for BIM and the supply chain, as more businesses develop
significant BIM capability
Government BIM Implementation Group, who gave evidence to the All Party Group review: ‘Level 2 is about taking the geometry and attached data about the geometry – the specification, planning and cost information – and bringing them into a tool called BIM. Level 2 has been selected very carefully because it preserves the commercial frameworks that exist in the market. The architectural information is still created and published by the architect, who retains the copyright and intellectual property. It won’t demand a large commercial change.’ On the other hand, Mark Bew added: ‘We don’t
want to go to Level 3 in the (government) strategy. This is because Level 3 involves full data sharing, and this would involve tearing up the commercial rule book.’ As BIM activity moves on to Level 3 in the UK, we should expect new legal, contractual and insurance issues. Government as ‘client’ aims to stimulate businesses, trainers and professional bodies to invest in the development of Level 2 BIM because it expects this to deliver process efficiency to design and construction. On the way, BIM should give a further boost to lean and off-site manufacturing, by allowing collaborative designs to support products that ‘fit, function and interact’ first time on site.
About the author
Paul Reeve is head of Business Policy and Practice at the ECA and is a member of the Cabinet Office BIM task group and the UKCG BIM group.
Objects of desire BIM relies on three basic information and communications technology (ITC) deliverables: nIndividual domain 3D models, in their native file formats;
n2D reviewable design deliverables, derived from these models; and
nCOBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) UK 2012 data (for use by clients).
November 2012 ECA Today 55
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