1. What is BIM ? What is the Dream of BIM
I have been thinking for a long time to write a page of « What is BIM ? ». But truth is that it's too much large for a beginning topic. So let's begin with a simple word, Dream. Someone once told me that dream is for children, we got reality for adults. Honestly, I want to deny it. But, in fact, in the construction field, I heard it every single day. BIM is awesome, but it's so hard for now. (I will talk about why the BIM is hard in my future article. Today, let's focus on the part of dream.) I agree it's hard to realize a full BIM project. But dream about it, it's not.
Why I can't stop talking dream in the part of the definition of BIM? Because I'm seeking the true definition of BIM for a long time. I have asked lots of people and read lots of books. But truth is that there is a thousand definition of BIM in a thousand people's eyes. We can't give a complete definition to a thing which continues growing and changing. So, I would like to say, the definition of BIM is your imagination. You must think about what can be done easier, faster and better with BIM, then make some effort for that.
2. MBI is the right or easier order
So, if you are a newbie of BIM, don't worry. I will talk it from the very beginning. But, I can't give you the complete definition of BIM, just what it looks like in my eyes.
BIM (Building Information Modeling) The first time I heard of BIM and searched it from internet, Wikipedia gives me a speech like this.
Building information modeling(BIM) is a process supported by various tools and technologies involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building information models(BIMs) are files (often but not always in proprietary formats and containing proprietary data) which can be extracted, exchanged or networked to support decision-making regarding a built asset.
It's like … everything and nothing.
I can't get any detail and any idea of this thing. So, I'm starting to thinking if it has an order to better understanding the BIM. Like math, we do some add and subtract, then you can understand multiplication and division, eventually, you get the calculus and linear algebra part.
So, here it is, MBI is the right/easier order for BIM.
M - Modeling
If we open Google and search BIM with image, we will get lots of awesome 3D model of some building. So, it's very fair we considerate the BIM is a way of representing the project and help transfer 2D plan to 3D model.
Someone once asked me, even we start all those works with a 3D model, at last, we also need the 2D plans for the construction site. So, what the difference between BIM and Not BIM? In my point of view, the true question is what's the difference between BIM-based systems and CAD-based systems.
In a traditional CAD-based workflow, each view is drawn separately with no inherent relationship between drawings. CAD has evolved to 3D, however, the 3D models produced by CAD are graphical entities only and have no intelligence at the object level and cannot support data integration and design analysis. In this type of production environment, the team creates plans, sections, elevations, schedules, and perspectives and must coordinate any changes between files manually.
In a BIM-based workflow, the team creates a 3D parametric model and uses this model to generate the drawings necessary for documentation. Plans, sections, elevations, schedules, and perspectives are all by-products of creating a building information model. BIM involves modeling in 3D with intelligent data parameters being assigned to individual entities.
So, first of all, BIM is a type of workflow in a construction project. Not a specific software neither a 3D model.
B - Building
Then, we came back to the word building. The industry of building and construction is a large subject from the beginning of the process of human civilization. With the development of this industry, those people in the construction industry are constantly segmented and specialized. Plus our growing expectations, Building resistant to fire and shocks, Sustainable building, Low-energy building, etc. All of this, bring us to an industry with hundreds of different profession's collaboration.
So, everyone in the project has a different language, technic and goals. How could we communicate and collaborate with that? The musician have their five-line staff to communicate beyond language, the mathematician has their mathematical notation to represent some mathematical objects and ideas. So, what we got for the building industry? Some lines, curves and tons of documents? No, it's not the future we want. We want a standard system for all those professions involved in the building industry. Even we use different software and platform to finish our part of the job. But eventually, we have a common language to exchange and collaborate. That's IFC (Industry Foundation Classes). It is an object-based file format with a data model developed by buildingSMART to facilitate interoperability in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. (We will talk about the IFC in detail In a later article.)
And now, BIM is a standard norm and a common language for the different group and actor in an AEC project.
I - Information
At last, we take a look at the centre of BIM, Information. What's the information in a project of construction? Height and length of a wall? Yes. Position of equipment? Yes. But all of this kind of information already can be provided by a CAD-based workflow. The information of BIM is required far beyond that. A conflict between architecture and structure, a modification in the plan of construction, a delay caused by bad weather, A addition cost because of the price of material changed, a device update after several years of use. All these records are the part of information of BIM too.
The intrinsic purpose of BIM is to promote information exchange. We share the data, everyone can access and use it, and at the same time, everyone completes the data in different ways. But there is the question, we add huge data to the database of BIM and it comes very heavy. Are we truly need all this information all the time for everyone? Truly No. We don't want to spend 3 hours to download the entire project to check a piece of small information. So, It must have a certain organisation and distribution control behind that. Otherwise, your BIM system will work just as a shared hard drive 🙂
So now, we can think that BIM is like a database of information about a building for design, validation, construction and lifecycle maintenance; not just construction documents. And it has its own way to organise and distribute the information.
A Cube of BIM
Here we go, with your imagination. We can finally give a definition to BIM in BIM Mars. We can considerate the BIM as a big cube. A big box full of information. The cube is the 3D model, as an information carrier. The six faces of the cube represent different point de view with some different actor in the project. Inside the box, we centralise all the information related to this project and make a place for the exchange and collaboration. As we already mentioned the redistribution of information, the cube has a magic face. According to your profile, you see only those information related to your part of work. That's it. A big cube of BIM.
3. A big dream of BIM
I have dreamed of lots of things with BIM. And I have organized them in a 3x3 table. It's based on my understand and knowledge of BIM. Not the best one, but I want to share with you my big dream of BIM.
I can't show you all those possibilities. But, before you start working with BIM, you can start dream big.
4. Dream Big & I have a BIM dream
Two years ago, I have read a manifesto of BIM from Mr.Teodoro Álvarez Fadón at Ferrovial Blog.
Manifesto : I have a BIM dream
He talks BIM with a quite warm way. I like it very much. If it is possible, I will ask the author to reblog it and translate in more languages in BIM Mars.
The title of this article is inspired by the film Dream Big. A film talks about how engineering changed our life and our world. Enjoy it and have a good day 🙂
All my standpoint in BIM Mars just represent my personal understanding, it does not represent any company or organization.