The future of construction is driven by information but what do we mean by ‘information’ when it comes to BIM? We explore the realities of digital construction and the information powering the revolution.
Building Information Modelling aka BIM – the phrase on everyone’s lips, from fan boys full of jargon to naysayers calling it a fad. Whatever you might think of BIM, the reality is that the future of construction lies in a holistic, digital approach to the built environment, and the next step towards that future is BIM.
The ‘I’ in BIM
So, what is Building Information Modelling? Well, the building part is pretty self-explanatory, and we’re all familiar with the journey from physical, scaled models to digital representations and then from two dimensions to three. So we have those sussed. But what does the information element of the term mean exactly? That’s what we hope to make a bit clearer in this article. But, before we do that, let’s talk a little bit about BIM as a whole; what it is, and what it is not.
BIM is not unique
Information modelling is not unique to construction. A range of other disciplines follow (some for years) the idea of adding and refining information up front to help avoid errors and generate efficiencies. This includes automotive manufacturing, oil and gas drilling and production, and aerospace engineering.
It is not proprietary
In a BIM process data owners share responsibility to ensure that data is open, accurate and accessible across the asset’s lifecycle – from cradle to grave. This is quite a change for an industry used to working in silos.
It is not just 3D
A large number of designers are now using 3D models to generate 2D documentation; however, contrary to some belief, just working in or with 3D isn’t “doing BIM”. Neither is investing in and using certain software packages. These things are integral to BIM, but they aren’t BIM. No, there is far more to it than that, and that more involves a process that combines geometry and information for use in a collaborative effort to create a complete, living picture of an asset; a picture that continues to evolve long after construction is complete.
Source: The information in BIM | NBS
