Beyond the Book
With your purchase of Building Information Modeling (BIM) For Dummies in print or e-book form, you have access to more exclusive information online. From great checklists on BIM processes to quick practical articles, you can find so many helpful pointers at www.dummies.com/extras/bim.
In addition, every For Dummies book includes a Cheat Sheet with handy information that you may want to consult on a regular basis. You can access the Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/bim.
Where to Go from Here
Every For Dummies is modular, which means that you don’t have to read it in order from cover to cover. If you’re new to the world of BIM, we recommend that you start with Part I because it provides lots of the getting-started information that forms the foundations of BIM implementation. If you have a basic foundation of BIM, you can focus on Chapters 5, 6, or 7.
If you have the time, we suggest that you do read this book from cover to cover to get a complete overview of BIM and the reality of its implementation. You can see the overall picture when you’re able to finally step back and benefit from the wealth of specific knowledge in this book.
If you’re confident that you know all about the basics, you can jump into any part by going directly to it. For example, if your area of interest is the BIM mandates and protocols around the world, you can head straight over to Chapter 9. Alternatively, if you’re looking into the legal aspects of BIM, you can flip to Chapter 14. If you’re not sure where to start, consult the table of contents or index for a topic that interests you and then start reading.
Part I
Getting Started with Building Information Modeling
In this part …
✔ Find out how to explain what BIM is in a really simple way and understand what you really need for BIM implementation.
✔ Appreciate that BIM isn’t just for buildings, but suitable for all kinds of infrastructure projects too, and look at examples of how more efficient processes are impacting the industry.
✔ Make it easy to interrogate your project data by filling the model full of structured information, which other project team members can use for a variety of different uses and applications.
✔ Use the right modeling tools to develop accurate 3D object information and see the benefits of detailed modeling.
✔ Set up a common understanding of what BIM is for and agree on the fundamentals of BIM with your colleagues and project teams.
Chapter 1
Defining Building Information Modeling (BIM)
In This Chapter
▶ Exploring what BIM actually is
▶ Comprehending how BIM can help you
▶ Explaining the BIM plans and strategies you need to be successful
▶ Getting excited about BIM and encouraging others
The construction industry has been doing things the same way for thousands of years. Concrete is poured and set, bricks are stacked on top of bricks, and systems for heating and water are designed around corners and over multiple floors. For way too long, the construction industry has done a lot of these processes in isolation. At its worst, the construction industry brings some people involved in the construction of an asset like a building or a bridge onto the project just in time for their part, and the project team has to work around decisions or redo work, often on-site and under pressure of project deadlines.
Even in some of the most collaborative schemes, communication between different teams still has a long way to go, and the other users of building data and outputs, like clients and facility managers, are sometimes the last to know. The quality and quantity of data they receive on a project can vary wildly. What you need is a way to involve the entire project team earlier and coordinate all the project information in clear and accessible forms.
If only a combination of processes and technology existed that provided the framework to improve communication and data exchange across the construction industry, no matter how large or complicated projects may be. Well, interestingly enough, you’re in luck. This chapter serves as your jumping-off point to that very process: Building Information Modeling, commonly shortened to BIM.
Explaining BIM in Plain Terms
Here we provide a good definition for the term BIM so that the three members of your author team and you are on the same page. Frustratingly, BIM actually has lots of definitions, many generated by various organizations, because the subject has changed over the years. To prevent any confusion, we present you with our own definition that we think really clearly explains what BIM is and what it isn’t.
Most people agree that the acronym BIM stands for Building Information Modeling, but a few folks argue for Building Information Management (and, to be honest, some other alternatives too). (The next section takes a closer look at what the three letters in BIM mean.) More often than not, though, BIM is now an accepted acronym, so you don’t need to break it down further anyway, just like RAM for random access memory. We think that BIM is a process, so we could easily use both Modeling and Management in our definition. Here it is:
BIM is a process for combining information and technology to create a digital representation of a project that integrates data from many sources and evolves in parallel with the real project across its entire timeline, including design, construction, and in-use operational information.
Examining the A-B-Cs of BIM
BIM stands alone as a word in its own right, and you can feel confident using it, instead of having to say “Building Information Modeling” in full every time. But when it comes to understanding what BIM really is and explaining it to other people, those three letters can be a very useful place to begin. The following list gives a bit more detail about the A-B-Cs of BIM, or, more accurately, the B-I-Ms!
B is for banana
One of the best ways we’ve found to describe BIM to someone without any knowledge of it is to grab a piece of fruit. Explain that you could develop a perfect 3D replica of the fruit in digital modeling programs or even by 3D-printing a copy, but that’s only one kind of representation of the fruit. It doesn’t include any of the fruit’s data; for example, its sugar content, calories, use-by date, country of origin, whether it has Fairtrade certification, and so on. The 3D object on