BIM is defined by the National Building Information Modeling Standards as:
“The act of creating an electronic model of a facility for the purpose of visualization, engineering analysis, conflict analysis, code checking criteria, cost engineering, as-built product, budgeting and many other purposes.”
The BIM method allows to add value to the project, optimizing the way to exchange data and information, reducing the execution time of projects and improving the prediction of costs.
The building as a digital model is continuously implemented and interrogated to generate and extract data and information.
All project information is organized in a digital database to facilitate exchange and understanding.
The elements constituting the project are modeled in three dimensions and contain geometric and technical information.
Evolution of BIM implementation came in parallel with willingness to collaborate and share project information, the move toward integrated practice that is much talked about in the industry
“Phillip G. Bernstein”
“The BIM adoption has increased from 17% in 2007 to 71%in 2012”
CMcGraw Hill Construction, 2014
With the advent of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the construction industry realized that technology can radically change the process through which a building is designed and built. But before use funds for the purchase of such technology, it requires the analysis of ROI (Return On Investment).
VERY POSITIVE (ROI over 25%)
POSITIVE (ROI up to 25%)
NEGATIVE
POSITIVE
The ROI analysis is one of many ways to evaluate a proposed investment. It compares the gains predicted from an investment against the cost of the investment. Over 80% of Europeans contractors who have invested in Building Infomation Modeling provide a positive ROI report.
McGraw Hill Construction 2014
BIM has different levels of maturity or adoption, which are based on the use and sharing of files and data during the process of design, construction and management of work.
Level 2 is probably the first to be truly BIM. Information is shared through a common file format that allows anyone to be able to combine data and questioning the model.
In the UK, BIM level 2 is mandatory in public procurement by 2016. In Spain we speak about 2018.
