BIM standards for Owners

In my last post I discussed an owner looking at the BIM deliverable and having an issue with the software they were going to purchase to manage this model after completion. Many owners are looking at BIM right now and wondering about learning and managing the software tools necessary for BIM. We have even had owners say that buying or using Revit would make them architects and they do not want to become that. So, how do owners interact with the model and what do owners need to do? There are a number of activities that can assist building owners and managers that involve the BIM process. (Note I said process not software) First owners need to understand the process, deliverable and tools. After they understand much of that, they need to create a BIM standard. Many owners have begun this process (See list below) and have published some good but early BIM standards. These standards set both the design and construction processes as well as the final deliverable for the model and data. Many of these owners based these standards on their pilot BIM projects and set standards based on what worked for them and left out what did not work. Owners may not ever take over control of an entire model per say, but may require data to be delivered in a specified manner like COBIE or a format that works with the software they intend to use for management. This may even be 2D CAD with embedded data from the model. COBIE has begun to deal with the problem of owners receiving loads of data from the AEC team at the end of the project. They get all this paper and it takes months or years to sift through, file and update maintenance systems for the new air handler that is different than the previous model. Because of this set of tasks, many owners never get this completed and maintenance lags, equipment fails and need to be replaced. Using the model can assist in a couple of ways. First the data a model contains is much better than we were putting in our CAD drawings. Plus most owners did not have a method to extract the data from CAD because it is hard. BIM can create simple spreadsheet files of DATA that owners can use, or more complex databases for integration into existing systems. BIM also allows users to explore the building in 3D as a single unit rather than flip through drawings, layers and files. Locating the main trunk line to reset an air senor is much faster and easier with BIM. Plus they have a complete inventory of the building ready for reporting to agencies and future designers and contractors. However BIM models are also large and complex animals. How does an owner understand what is there and how accurate the information is? They all need to be using a BIM checking software like Solibri or Navisworks to get reports to determine the accuracy of the data. Accepting a BIM model without checking will just open them to problems later either with remodels or maintenance. Owners should be asking for interim submittals where they check the models for compliance to both their standard and accuracy.

Batman BIM

I'm Batman.


When I was a kid I always wanted to be Batman. I am sure many others had this dream as well. With the Batmobile, Batcable, Batcopter, Batboat..... If we had enough money we could buy or build the Batanything.


In the new BIM paradigm, it appears that software has become the new BatBIM set of tools. Prior to BIM we could buy CAD, spend weeks customizing it (while not getting work done) and have a very productive application that solved many problems and allowed us to produce quality drawings. However we then needed to add Rendering, so we purchased a rendering application, used it once and it sat on the harddrive for two years before using it again. Architects did this over and over with different applications that were promised to make our lives easier and firms more profitable. Most did not.


When firms began to adopt BIM they invested in the new applications under the same guise of saving money improving quality etc. And to many firms suprise it actually worked.



Now as we mover further into BIM we have run into another set of issues. How can a design firm actually use BIM if they cannot model the entire building? Can most architects create ductwork, custom trusses, pipes and conduit? Do we need to?

 The prevailing wisdom appears to be NO. None of the major BIM platoforms offers a swiss army knife of BIM, instead prefering to segregate the applications into architect, struct, mechanical and electrical. As designers start to become more BIMcentric they will need to have access to all of these elements and should have them available in one application. This is not to say software companies need to give away features, but the ability to create basice ductwork, structures or electrical devices is needed. Likewise many engineers may need the ability to create walls or add a door to the electrical closet they are upgrading.


What about owners and building managers? They may need to relocate a duct or pipe during a small internal remodel. do they need to get a $5k application to relocate a single pipe? Owners regularly upgrade and do small remodels that need to be documented but may not have a full design team. They need the ability to manipulate the elements the design team created for the next 75 years.



We have been getting a number or requests during our consulting to assist with selection of a BIM authoring platform. There are a number of pros and cons to each platform and many users have preferences based on past software purchases platforms and company loyality. All of those interests aside we did some research to determine which platforms had the most "Stuff" and how those applications worked together. The results were a little revealing and we found that to create all the stuff in some platforms you had to work in on flavor while others you needed to purchase all the modules or you could not create an entire building. Many users are single discipline in their focus and this is not really an issue. However we have recently begun to work with a number of users who need access to different areas of building design and have the need to access and edit all the components of the building. As well some multi disciplined offices may need to change how they purchase software based on what types of objects they will be creating.


BIM Element Matrix



Below is a table of common BIM elemtents and the ability of the various software packages to create those objects. Disclaimer: I do not count elements that are modeled using solid tools and basic assignment. Many people can extrude a circle and call it a duct. I am discussing real functionality of a duct tool with connectors transitions and the ability to analyze.

BIM Package Feature Matrix
	Revit			ArchiCAD		Bentley Building
Elements	A	ME	S	A	M	A	M	E	S
Architectural Components
Walls	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Openings	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Room	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Doors	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Windows	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Stand alone Components	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Columns (Architectural)	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Roof	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Ceiling	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Floor	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Railing	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Stair	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Ramp	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO
Structural Components
Column Grid	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
Columns (Structural)	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
Beam	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
Brace	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
Foundation	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
Complex Truss	LIMITED	NO	YES	LIMITED	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES
HVAC Components
Space (MEP Spaces)	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	NO
Duct	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Duct Fitting	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Flex Duct	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Air Terminal	NO	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Mech Equip. (Stand Alone)	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO
Plumbing Components
Pipe	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Pipe Fitting	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Flex Pipe	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Plumbing Fixt (Stand Alone)	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO
Sprinkler	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO
Electrical Components
Wire	NO	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO
Conduit	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO
Cable Trays	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO
Hangers	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES	NO
Elec. Equip. (Stand Alone	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
Elec. Device (Stand Alone)	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO
Light Fixture (Stand Alone)	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO