What is Building Information Modelling (BIM)?

Now an integral part of the construction and operation process, but often confusing to those new to the industry, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a broad term that refers to the method of creating and sharing digital information models about any project such as a building, highway or tunnel, that can then be used by other contractors and companies working on the same project.

The digital process encourages secure, collaborative working between everyone involved in the design, construction, maintenance and use of buildings and infrastructure. For example, a design team may generate BIMs and data sets, that then need to be understood, interpreted and managed by the site workers, who in turn include their own information during the build process such as warranty and operation/maintenance information for other further along in the process.

Fundamentally, the purpose of BIM is to ensure that the appropriate information is created in a suitable format at the right time so that better decisions can be made throughout the design, construction and operation of built assets.

How is BIM used on-site?

On a typical BIM project, site workers will have a number of responsibilities, including:

• reading information models using BIM to get geometrical and non-graphical information on plans and products, problem-solve, and avoid errors
• adding information about build stages, products, and commissioning to the common data environment
• using information models to schedule tasks and manage workflows
• ensuring others under their responsibility are collecting and delivering information, and
• recording quality assurance sign offs and health and safety processes.
• All these tasks add new ways of working and responsibilities. It’s important for site workers to know why information is asked for, created and supplied, and where it all fits into a BIM process.

A BIM project should have a common data environment (CDE), the single source of information for the project, which is used to collect, manage and disseminate documentation, the graphical models and non-graphical data for the whole project team. Creating this single source of information facilitates collaboration between project team members and helps avoid duplication and mistakes. 

BIM standards

ISO 19650, published in 2018, is an international standard that helps securely manage information over the whole lifecycle of a built asset using BIM.

The ISO 19650 series outlines requirements for managing the specification, tendering, award, mobilization, and delivery of information.

The requirements placed on the organisation depend on whether it is:

• an appointing party: i.e., a demand-side organisation
• a lead appointing party: i.e., a tier one supplier such as a lead contractor, or
• an appointed party: i.e., a supplier appointed by a lead appointing party.

ISO 19650-2 outlines these requirements for delivery phase, whilst ISO 19650-3 outlines these requirements for the operational phase.

What are the benefits of using BIM?

Using BIM on a project can result in a range of benefits, including:

• Better information to support decision making
• Continuity of information between design, construction and operation stages
• Improved profit margins
• time and cost savings in pre-construction design
• greater safety and regulatory compliance
• efficiencies at the handover phase
• operational efficiency, and
• collaboration and reduced silo working.

An often-cited benefit of BIM is model co-ordination such as clash detection, where BIM can identify where various elements of a building, such as structures, pipework or cables, will clash and need to be moved or re-designed. Having a parametric 3D model that includes all the necessary information enables identification of these issues before they occur on site.

BIM should be seen as part of a larger digital and organisational change plan: the greater use of digital technology and data to help lower cost and improve quality. More accurate information about project plans and product specifications, everyone having access to the same set of information and being able to collaborate more easily – all of which are enabled by using BIM – are common benefits of digitising how we work.

CIOB and BIM

CIOB’s Digital & Innovation Advisory Panel contains experts in the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) field, who have identified understanding the role of BIM and wider digital modelling in achieving headline targets and policies as a priority. 

CIOB is also an affiliate of Nima, established as the UK BIM Alliance in 2016 as a not-for-profit organisation that promotes information management best practices, helping to support digital transformation across the built and managed environment.

CIOB Academy offers a number of courses, guides and technical information sheets on BIM. 

You can also keep up with news on BIM and other digital construction news through the BIM Plus website.