Building Information Modeling For Dummies

If you're looking to get involved in the world of BIM, but don't quite know where to start, Building Information Modeling For Dummies is your one-stop guide to collaborative building using one coherent system of computer models rather than as separate sets of drawings. Inside, you'll find an easy-to-follow introduction to BIM and hands-on guidance for understanding drivers for change, the benefits of BIM, requirements you need to get started, and where BIM is headed.

The future of BIM is bright—it provides the industry with an increased understanding of predictability, improved efficiency, integration and coordination, less waste, and better value and quality. Additionally, the use of BIM goes beyond the planning and design phase of the project, extending throughout the building life cycle and supporting processes, including cost management, construction management, project management, and facility operation. Now heavily adopted in the U.S., Hong Kong, India, Singapore, France, Canada, and countless other countries, BIM is set to become a mandatory practice in building work in the UK, and this friendly guide gives you everything you need to make sense of it—fast.

• Demonstrates how BIM saves time and waste on site
• Shows you how the information generated from BIM leads to fewer errors on site
• Explains how BIM is based on data sets that describe objects virtually, mimicking the way they'll be handled physically in the real world
• Helps you grasp how the integration of BIM allows every stage of the life cycle to work together without data or process conflict

Written by a team of well-known experts, this friendly, hands-on guide gets you up and running with BIM fast.

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Building Information Modeling 5

Chapter 1: Defining Building Information Modeling (BIM) 7

Chapter 2: Explaining the Building Part of BIM: It’s Not Just Buildings 15

Chapter 3: Examining the Information Part of BIM 25

Chapter 4: Discussing the Modeling Part of BIM (and Management Too) 41

Chapter 5: Grasping the Fundamentals and Understanding What BIM Is 51

Part II: Creating the Foundations for BIM 69

Chapter 6: Looking at the Digital World Around You 71

Chapter 7: Preparing the Foundations for BIM 89

Chapter 8: Setting Up a Collaborative BIM Workflow 105

Part III: Understanding BIM Requirements and Developing BIM Processes 121

Chapter 9: Mandating BIM in the UK and across the Globe 123

Chapter 10: Standardizing the Modeling of BIM Objects 149

Chapter 11: Collaborating through BIM Requirements 171

Chapter 12: Encouraging BIM in Your Office or On‐Site 187

Chapter 13: Developing BIM Plans and Strategies 203

Chapter 14: Considering the Issues that BIM Presents 219

Part IV: Measuring the Real‐World Benefits of BIM 233

Chapter 15: Evaluating BIM Benefits and Investment 235

Chapter 16: Using BIM On‐Site and BIM for Health and Safety 247

Chapter 17: Identifying All the Users of BIM 265

Part V: Exploring the Future of BIM 285

Chapter 18: Building the Future of Construction 287

Chapter 19: Eyeing the Possibilities: The Future of BIM 303

Chapter 20: Forecasting How New Technology Will Drive BIM 321

Part VI: The Part of Tens 335

Chapter 21: Ten Types of BIM Tools, Software, and Platforms to Consider 337

Chapter 22: Ten of the Best BIM Resources 341

Chapter 23: Ten (or So) Myth‐Busting Questions and Answers 349

Appendix A: Glossary 355

Appendix B: Your Handy BIM Checklist 363

Appendix C: Examining BIM and Education 365

Index 369

“Building Information Modeling For Dummies is an excellent reference on current state-of-the-art BIM processes.” (3D Visualization World, November 2015)

Stefan Mordue is a chartered architect, construction project manager, registered CDM coordinator, and NBS technical author. Paul Swaddle is a chartered architect, BIM futurist, and NBS business solutions consultant. David Philip is head of BIM at Mace and part of the HM Government Task Group Core BIM team.

Learn to:

• Design a building collaboratively using one coherent system of computer models
• Save time, money, and effort using BIM
• Reduce on-site errors through same-model team collaboration
• Create better buildings that will stand the test of time

Build better with BIM! This book shows you how to get started

Building Information Modeling will soon be a mandatory practice for building industry around the world, and this friendly guide introduces you to BIM quickly and easily. You'll see how BIM is used in the real world, how it saves time and waste onsite, and how it leads to fewer errors. You'll discover the requirements and processes, and find out why BIM is vital to the future of construction.

• BIM basics — discover what building information modeling is all about, why it involves more than just building, what the digital modeling process means, and how collaboration works
• Preparing the foundation — explore the technology, select the tools, find out about BIM-appropriate projects, and set up the necessary infrastructure
• Understand the requirements — review international construction strategies and standards development and see how standardization enables BIM's effectiveness
• Develop your own BIM strategy — set up a BIM business case, develop an execution plan, and find out how to manage the issues involved
• Look ahead — examine trends and patterns that illustrate how BIM can help make construction safer and reduce waste

Open the book and find:

• BIM facts and fundamentals
• How BIM will benefit your projects
• Advice on managing the impact of change
• A look at software, hardware, and training requirements
• How to encourage your organization to accept BIM
• Legal and liability issues
• New ways to look at collaboration
• How future technology may drive BIM