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BIM and the Building Information Model (AEC in Focus Column)
1 May, 2007 By: AIA ,H. Edward GoldbergApplications evolve, as do the definitions of BIM.
Recently, I was interviewed by an analyst researching the building information model concept for the AEC/FM (architecture/engineering/construction/facility management) industry. This analyst asked experts what they thought BIM (building information modeling) meant. Here in the United States, groups such as the National BIM Standard and the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) have their own definitions, as does Autodesk, Bentley and Nemetschek. I have my own definition, which I believe is a compendium of some of their definitions as well as my own take on the subject.
I define the building information model as all the information about a project within its property lines to the center of the earth and infinitely to the sky, from its inception through construction and use until its final decommission and elimination.
When I say "to the center of the earth and infinitely to the sky," I don't mean it quite literally. But I do reference all the necessary information under a project, such as utilities, earthquake, floodplain and ground compaction information, and all of the information above the building, including as zoning, weather, taxes and noise zones. I see the BIM moniker as a poor acronym for what I consider a 3D graphic information system that will eventually unify all the computerized information contained in all of our databases pertaining to my above definition. I foresee a time when users will be able to cull any information they need from a building project, pulling that information automatically from various private and governmental databases. How soon will this happen and whether it will be one product are interesting topics.
The building information model continues to evolve, and pieces of it have been developed. Products from Autodesk, Bentley, Nemetschek and Gehry Technologies meet some of the needs of architects, engineers, contractors and facility managers. The most developed solutions at present involve the architects, who have been using CAD for more than 20 years to improve productivity. Engineering software is now being tied to the building information model, and programs such as Robobat are able to automatically transfer information round trip between such programs as Revit Structure.
Other programs, such as ADS (Architectural Data Systems), IES and Solibri Model Checker let designers quickly place content, analyze building performance and check the correctness of our projects. Contractors also are recognizing the need for BIM information, and some are beginning to create BIM models before and during construction. To this end, Nemetschek has Constructor, Bentley has its programmability and Innovaya and U.S. Cost are available for Revit and AutoCAD Architecture.
According to the AIA (American Institute of Architects), 34% of BIM users now claim to use their programs for things such as cost estimation and analysis. Will there be one total BIM solution? I doubt it. I believe that the AEC/FM industry will always have room for specific software players, with the major developers creating the core programs. Below I discuss some of the software that I think is filling the BIM matrix. The first group of software represents the core technologies for basic model-building solutions.
Autodesk
Autodesk has several software families. The general-purpose Revit Series—Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Revit MEP and AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite—use purpose-built technology, are fully BIM capable and incorporate the latest technology available. These programs have achieved a 185,000 installed user base in four years. Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture (formally called ADT) and AutoCAD MEP are highly productive programs for AutoCAD-based, architecture-specific solutions. They have the largest installed architectural user base. Autodesk Civil 3D and Autodesk FMDesktop (not really BIM software, but it fits within my definition of the building information model) are highly productive, AutoCAD-based solutions for civil and facilities management.
Bentley
Bentley Architecture, Bentley Structural, Bentley Building Mechanical, Bentley Civil and Bentley Facilities Manager comprise an integrated series of modules based on MicroStation V8 XM edition. They share a common interface and are fully BIM capable. Standard MicroStation has the second largest installed user base.
Gehry Technologies
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About the Author: H. Edward Goldberg
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