The digital revolution in the construction sector has taken the industry from the drawing board to the computer. At the forefront of it has been the Building Information Modelling. The 3D modelling process provides the AEC professionals all the necessary tools to create a 3D model which has the exact physical and functional characteristics as the building to be constructed. BIM Services has significantly augmented the construction process by reducing errors, increasing speed and improving profit margins.
There are plenty of reasons why BIM should be used by the AEC professionals and it is perhaps why a lot of countries are looking to mandate BIM. Paving the way has been the UK government which released a futuristic construction strategy in which construction companies applying for government tenders had to achieve BIM level 2 and it also pushed to roll out BIM level 3 on all centrally procured projects by 2016. So the question arises as to what are BIM levels. In the current blog we will explain the BIM maturity levels and what each level signifies.
What are BIM maturity levels?
The Building Information Modelling maturity levels range from level 0-3 and they define what criteria are required to be deemed BIM compliant. These levels of maturity are also with regard to the ability of the construction supply chain to operate and exchange information.
BIM Level 0 (Low Collaboration)
The level 0 uses CAD to create 2D drawings. It is a step up from generating info by hand but promotes zero collaboration. The information is either shared in traditional paper drawings or in some instances digitally by PDF. This is almost redundant and majority of the industry is well ahead of this now.
BIM Level 1 (Partial Collaboration)
It uses both 3D CAD and 2D drafting. 3D CAD is used for conceptual work and 2D drafting for statutory approval documentation and production information. The data sharing is managed by the contractor and is done digitally from a common data environment (CDE). This is where most construction companies are today.
BIM Level 2 (Full Collaboration)
BIM level 2 can be defined as “file based collaboration and library management”. In this level all the stakeholders are using their own 3D model but are not working on a shared single model. That being said there is collaboration occurring in the form of how the information is shared. The data is exchanged through a common file format which allows the organizations to combine external data with their own model in order to create a federated BIM model. Here it is imperative that everyone uses a software which is capable of exporting to a common file format like IFC (industry foundation class) or COBie. The data here may include 4D scheduling and 5D cost.
BIM Level 3 (Full Integration)
BIM level 3 is full collaboration between all the disciplines i.e. Structural BIM, MEP BIM and Architectural BIM Services in a single shared project model which is held in a centralized repository like cloud storage. When all the parties can access and modify the same model in real time the chances of misinformation are eliminated. Also known as “Open BIM”, the maturity level 3 is a single collaborative project model with 4D scheduling, 5D cost and 6D project lifecycle information.
BIM over these three levels moves the industry forward from 2D CAD towards are more integrated and collaborative process which allows all the stakeholders to stay on the same page and avoids any errors that could arise out of miscommunication.
The post What are BIM Maturity Levels? appeared first on Teslacad UK.
