Building Information Modeling: Concepts, Evolution, and Future

Introduction

Recently, a great deal of evolution has been taking place to bring change to the fabric of audiovisual design and business integration. Nasser (2010) noted that Building Information Modeling (BIM) is not a new innovation in the field of construction. It has been around for decades, even though the term "BIM" was introduced more recently by Professor Charles Eastman of Georgia Tech, who developed the first non-commercial BIM tool almost three decades ago and called it the Engineering Data Model (EDM), which has since undergone a number of iterations (Nasser, 2010).

Wiley & Sons (2008) noted that Building Information Modeling can be defined as a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. It serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about the facility, forming a reliable basis for decision-making throughout the construction process. It also provides designers with a more efficient approach to design and presents an entirely new way of conceptualizing the design and construction of buildings (Eastman, Teicholz, Sacks, Liston, & Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

A number of academics have advocated for BIM for almost four decades, dating back to Nicolas Negroponte's "Design Machine" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the early 1960s. However, commercial BIM has been in practice since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nemetschek's Allplan and Graphisoft's ArchiCAD were the first two commercial BIM tools. Over the last decade, the widespread adoption of BIM in both commercial markets and academic environments has become clearly visible (Kunz & Gilligan, 2007).

Literature Review

This paper investigates the effect of Building Information Modeling on the accuracy of construction cost estimates and project duration. It presents how BIM has affected estimated construction time and costs in the industry, and analyzes the methods being used to set upper and lower limits on the precision of estimated quantities and production rates. The paper also highlights some of the benefits BIM offers to the construction field and to designers.

The concepts and methodologies of Building Information Modeling that are most widely used and understood by designers have existed for more than 30 years, having been used primarily within the aerospace and manufacturing industries. BIM as a design and construction term has been in use for nearly 15 years since it was first introduced. It was developed to implement information-rich, architectural 3D computer modeling technology as a successor to traditional paper-based 2D design and drawing. BIM was intended to designate both a software approach and a method of designing and constructing a building through the use of highly coordinated and internally consistent, computable information about the building — spanning conceptual design, through construction, to post-construction and asset management (Willem K. & McGraw H., 2007).

A properly assembled BIM model is a reliable, three-dimensional virtual representation of a project, intended to serve as a template throughout construction. It provides guidance for decision-making, construction document production, planning, performance predictions, construction scheduling, and cost estimating. As with other computer-based applications, the quality of the output produced by BIM depends on the quality of the input provided by the designer. BIM represents a three-dimensional, centralized database containing all items required in the actual building, including location, dimensions, composition, cost, manufacturing details, architect information, owner name, constructor, and subcontractor. This makes BIM capable of presenting clear details about an entire project within a single, up-to-date, integrated digital environment.

The BIM model assumes that the information provided is correct and presents constructors with a comprehensive, easily navigated view of the entire structure, its interrelationships, and any positional conflicts or problems. Most importantly, BIM provides the understanding and information necessary to identify positional conflicts and other issues during the design phase, rather than later at the building site, thereby avoiding the more costly damage that typically arises from on-site discoveries. Despite these potential benefits, many organizations continue to take a wait-and-see approach toward BIM. For BIM software vendors, however, the verdict is clear: BIM represents the answer to the limitations of traditional design techniques.

BIM Images and Visual Communication

The images produced by BIM are three-dimensional and are no longer limited to surface geometry — they also contain objects. These images represent objects with content; walls, for example, contain studs at various specified intervals. If all database fields (parameters) pertaining to a given object are correctly populated, it is possible to retrieve every relevant detail about any given item, including its position and relationship to other items, its R-value, its manufacturer, its cost, its place of manufacture, its use of recycled materials, its delivery time, and even its installation instructions.

When information is correctly populated, BIM images appear significantly clearer and more representative of the project as it will actually look. They can be understood far more readily than 2D drawings because the representation is visually accurate to the intended outcome. The strength of BIM is particularly evident in the ease of communication it enables between the owner, the designer, and the constructor. All parties can see how the construction comes together, ensuring there are no conflicts between contractors and subcontractors, who in turn gain a much better understanding of exactly what is to be done from the clear visuals that BIM provides.