Building Information Modelling
The construction sector is an industry full of information where the information is generated in different stages by different participants that are using different tools. Every project is unique and the participants vary from project to project. This means that the information garnered from a project will most likely be lost, and it will have to be collected again in the next project, which will result in a whole lot of unnecessary use of resources and lost information.
One of BIM’s – Building Information Modelling – visions is to increase the efficiency of the flow of information that has been collected through the different stages of the life cycle of a construction or facility. This is achieved by gathering all the data in a central database that will allow the project participants access to the right information at the right time. The idea is to create a virtual model of the construction or facility on a computer using elements infused with certain properties. Some of those properties are geometry, finance, time and product qualities. This creates a central hub of information from which different perspectives can be drawn up, such as blueprints, schedules, cost estimates, energy solutions, material lists and a room’s floor area and volume.