The Building Information Modeling ("BIM") is a complete digital representation of both physical and functional characteristics of an infrastructure. It is the most modern way for a) a technical design and b) the management of the construction and operation of technical projects.
Such a model is a source of the necessary information for a building or an infrastructure in general, thus creating a reliable basis for making improved decisions throughout its life cycle, which is available from the earliest stages of design conception to demolition. In this way contributes to a multidimensional design, with various parameters: 3D (design model), 4D (schedules), 5D (costing), 6D (sustainability), 7D (operation).
The integrated implementation of BIM contains information and data for the entire building, from masonry and building elements to mechanical systems, measurements of materials and supplier data, for each specific project.
The design, construction and management of the project go from a 2dimentional design (2D) to a 3dimentional (3D) information model of the project with usage of smart objects. This results in the timely forecasting and addressing of design inconsistencies and the temporal and financial optimization of the project.
In fact, the complete application of BIM technologies implies not only the use of modern, advanced software and the transition from dimensional design to 3dimensional design, but a radical and total change in the way the project team works. The BIM modifies the implementation process of a project by redistributing the amount of work paid in the different stages of project implementation. In addition, the BIM implies increased requirements in terms of not only the design, but also the quality of the result, the structuring of information related to construction while proposing an ergonomic approach to the implementation process of the technical project aiming to increase efficiency and reduce waste of time and resources.
In addition the BIM concerns the life cycle of the project, and all the work related to the project. The BIM proposes changes in the way of construction and operation of a technical project that concern all, without exception, the project contributors, architects, engineers, project owners or project owners, those responsible for financing, operation and management of the final installation.
The term "Building Information Modeling" was first used by the American architect Phil Bernstein, later vice president of the software company Autodesk. The term was later coined by Jerry Laser, referring to the representation of the construction process, to facilitate the exchange and interoperability of information in digital form. The first application of BIM technology was made in 1987, by the company Graphisoft, and is now the strongest indication of the impending changes in the field of design and construction worldwide.
The use of the BIM goes beyond the project design phase and extends throughout its life, supporting processes such as costing, construction management, project management, installation operation and environmentally friendly building applications. All this additional information is grouped and categorized into "dimensions", beyond the 3D digital model of construction, which evolves into 4D (time), 5D (cost), 6D (sustainability) and 7D (management).
In 4D BIM the digital model represents the exact stage of construction at any given time and incorporates information about what and when something needs to be installed but also in what order. These new features give the architect great freedom in supervising and controlling the project as it reduces errors and repetitive work and increases the quality of construction.
To monitor the construction cost of the building (5D), the BIM provides tools that link the cost with the 3D objects and give the architect the opportunity to control the total or partial cost of work and materials at any time of design - construction. As a result, the owner has an active role in the design decisions related to the financial budget of the project and his relationship with the architect is significantly improved.
Regarding the energy analysis of the building (6D), the MDP provides tools that provide energy data for the efficiency of the systems, shading and lighting and all other energy planning parameters that help the architect to evaluate the strategies from an early stage of studying.
Finally, information on the maintenance and life expectancy of the model elements is entered in the 7D BIM and in this way a database is created for the management of the building. This information can contain information about the supplier, when something was installed, when it needs to be maintained and how it should work in order not to consume more energy as well as its life expectancy.
In recent years, the term Building Information Modeling in "green" structures has been created that can help improve the viability of structures and solve environmental life cycle problems from the design phase.
The BIM is often interwoven with "IFCs" and "aecXML" - data structures for information representation. IFCs have been developed by buildingSMART (formerly the International Alliance for Interoperability) as a neutral, non-proprietary, open source template for sharing BIM data between different software applications. From IFC4 standard, IFC standardization is accepted as ISO 16739 standard.[
The BIM is a relatively new technology in an industry that is usually evolving slowly. However, many construction professionals who have adopted the BIM early on believe that the BIM will become increasingly important and play a more decisive role in construction documents.
Supporters believe that the BIM helps in the following areas:
- improved illustration
- improved productivity, due to easy retrieval of information
- increased cooperation of construction documents
- integration and connection of vital information, such as suppliers, location and quantities required for each material, for easy measurement and cost estimation
- increased speed of project completion and delivery
- improving project life cycle management
- cost reduction
The BIM also contains information necessary for the analysis of building performance. The structural properties in BIM can be used to automatically create an input file to simulate building behavior, and save significant resources and time.
Bentley Systems, recognizing the contribution of BIM to the development of the construction sector worldwide in the near future, has integrated BIM capabilities in all its products, providing the most advanced possible solutions for professionals.