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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

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BIM:RevolutionizingBuildingLifeCycleManagement
TheevolutionofBuildingInformationModeling(BIM)anditsimplicationsforFM
MichaelSchley,IFMAFellow

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Buildinginformationmodeling(BIM)istransformingarchitecture,engineeringandconstructionbyproviding accurate,timelyandrelevantinformationthroughoutabuilding'slifecycle.WhiletheuseofBIMtechnologyfor facilitymanagementisstilldeveloping,thepotentialtodramaticallyimprovetheeffectivenessofbuildinglife cyclemanagementisclear. Thechallengefacedbythefacilitymanagementprofessionisthedividebetweentheinformationusedfor buildingdesignandconstruction,andtheinformationneededforeffectivefacilitymanagement.

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WhatisBIM?
Thetermbuildinginformationmodelinggainedcurrencyaround2002throughthewritingsofJerryLaiserin.But LaiserinhimselfnotesthatBIMconceptsgobacktotheearlydaysofcomputeraideddesign(CAD)inthe1980s, beingdescribedconceptuallybyresearcherssuchasCharlesEastmanandbeingimplementedinworking softwareinearlyCADprogramssuchasRUCAPS. OnlyrecentlyhaveprogramssuchasAutodesk's

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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

HOMEPAGE

Revit,GraphisoftandBentleysystemsconvertedthe conceptsofthe'80sintopractical,affordablesoftware withinreachofeveryarchitectandengineer.

At its most

Architecture&Design AustralianElectronicWater Conditioners Axxess28Ltd BEKAUSA BluffRamps BridgepointSystems

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basic,BIMencompassestwokeyattributes:
Objectintelligence:theabilitytoassociatematerialandassemblydatawithgraphicelements. Threedimensions:completethreedimensionalgraphicrepresentationofbuildings. AmorecomprehensivedefinitionofBIMhasbeenproposedbyconstructioncompanyM.A.Mortenson1. AccordingtoMortenson,BIMmustexhibitsixkeycharacteristics: Digital Spatial(3D) Measurable(quantifiable,dimensionableandqueryable) Comprehensive(designintent,buildingperformance,constructability,andincludingsequentialand financialaspectsofmeansandmethods) Accessible(totheentireAEC/ownerteamthroughaninteroperableandintuitiveinterface)and Durable(usablethroughallphasesoffacilitylife).

Thecurrentstate
WhileBIMwidelyisconsideredtobeasingle,unifiedtechnology,thisisnotthecase.Leadingsoftware developerssuchasAutodesk,GraphisoftandBentleySystemshavedevelopedverycapabletechnologythat servesthebuildingdesign,engineeringandconstructionphasesofthebuilding'slifecycle.Movingintothemore diverserequirementsoftheoccupancyandmanagementphaseofthebuilding'slifeentailsavarietyofother technologiesandsoftware.Fortunately,softwaredevelopersaremovingrapidlytoaccomplishtheintegration neededbetweenthesevarioussystems.Mostlikely,theresultwon'tbeasinglesoftwarepackagebutrathersets ofcompatiblesoftwareprogramsthatsupportinteroperability. EvaluatingthecurrentstateofBIMtechnologyagainstMortenson'ssixcriteriashowsthatBIMhasyettoreachits fullpotential.AlthoughBIMisdigital,3Dandmeasurable,atthistimeitisnotcompletelycomprehensive, accessibletotheentireAEC/ownerteamnordurable.

BIMbenefitsforbuildingdesign
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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

ThebenefitsofBIMforarchitectsandengineersaresignificant.First,formanydesignfirms,thenewBIMsoftware toolssupportabetterwayofdesigningbuildings.Withthecomplexityofmodernbuildingsandthedifficultiesof preparingconstructiondocumentsusingtwodimensionalCADdrawings,BIMsoftwareprogramsprovidemajor advancesinmanaginginformation. Second,theabilityofBIMsoftwaretoeasilygeneraterealisticthreedimensionalviewsandevenwalkthroughs makesvisualizationafreebyproduct.Thisnotonlyprovidesvaluableguidancetothedesigner,butalsois tremendouslyhelpfulincommunicatingadesigntoclients. Third,BIMsoftwaresupportsvarioustypesofbuildinganalyses.Inparticular,integrationwithenergyanalysis programsprovidesessentialinformationearlyinthedesignprocesstoguidedecisionsonbuildingmaterialsand mechanicalsystems.

BIMbenefitsforconstruction
AlthoughthebenefitsofBIMduringtheconstructionphasearelessobvious,theyarecompelling.First,theability ofBIMtoolstotrackphasesofconstructionisvaluableinconstructioncoordination.Forgeneralcontractorsin particular,BIMtoolsforcoordinatingspaceandschedulesareveryeffective,particularlyforlargeprojectson urbansiteswherestagingareasarealwaysatapremium. Second,softwaretoolsforclashdetectionprovidewaystoreveallayouterrorsinadvance,therebyenabling morecosteffectiveresolutionsandfewerexpensivechangeorders.

BIMbenefitsforfacilitymanagement
WhileBIMhasprovenitsvalueindesignandconstructionforfiveyearsormore,thenecessarytechnologiesfor usingBIMinfacilitymanagementonlynowareemerging.Alargenumberofnewbuildingprojectshavebeen designedandbuiltwithBIMsoftware.However,thereisatremendousopportunitytoleveragethisstoreof informationandgreatlyimprovethepracticeoffacilitymanagement. AlthoughwearestillattheearlystagesofunderstandingthewaysBIMcanbeusedthroughoutabuilding'slife, thereareatleastsixareasthatareprovingvaluable.

Preventivemaintenance
InformationaboutbuildingmechanicalequipmentstoredinBIMmodelsisvaluableincreatingthedatabase neededforongoingpreventivemaintenance.Equipmentthatrequiresregularinspectionandupkeep, particularlyheating,ventilationandairconditioningequipmentandlifesafetysystems,areofparticular significance.Additionally,informationaboutairandelectricaldistributionsystemsthatundergoperiodic modificationisvaluabletofacilitymanagers.

Spacemanagement
BIMmodelsprovideausefulstartingpointforspaceandoccupancymanagement.Organizationsthatoccupy largeamountsofofficespacewillbenefitfromthisinformation.Byintegratingbuildingdatawithhuman resourcesdata,organizationscanreducevacancyandultimatelyachievemajorreductionsinrealestate
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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

expenses.

Energyefficiencyinitiatives
Sincecommercialandindustrialbuildingsareresponsibleforalmost20percentoftheenergyconsumptionin manycountries,thereisamandatetoanalyzeoptionstoimproveenergyperformance.BIMplaysasignificant rolebyfacilitatingtheanalysisandcomparisonsofvariousalternatives.

Baseofongoingchanges
Managingaccuraterecorddrawingshaslongbeenachallengeforbuildingownersandfacilitymanagers. AlthoughBIMdoesnotprecludetheeffortrequiredtomaintainaccuratebuildingdata,itdoesprovidetwo advantagesovertraditionalCADtechnology: BIMprovidesaneasiermeansofrepresentingthreedimensionalaspectsofthebuilding.Thisis particularlyimportantforrepresentingmechanicalsystems. BIMmodelscancarryextensivedataaboutassemblies,finishesandequipmentitems.

Lifecyclemanagement
Recentemphasisonsustainabilityhasraisedtheprofileof buildinglifecyclemanagement.Responsibleownersare realizingthismakessensebotheconomicallyandecologically. BIMprovidesvalueinmanagingrelevantdataaboutcurrent buildingconditionsandfacilitatestheanalysisofalternatives. Somebuildingdesignprofessionalsareembeddingdataonlife expectancyandreplacementcostsinBIMmodels,thereby helpinganownerunderstandthebenefitsofinvestingin materialsandsystemsthatmaycostmoreinitiallybuthavea betterpaybackoverthelifeofthebuilding.

Buildingautomationsystems
Buildingautomationsystems(BAS)providerealtimemonitoring andcontrolofthesophisticatedelectricalandmechanical systemsusedintoday'sbuildings.Experiencehasshownthat effectivebuildingoperationiscriticaltoachievingthepotential energysavings.Althoughworkisstillinearlystages,integrating BIMwithBASwillprovidesignificantbenefits,particularlyfor technicalbuildingssuchashospitalsandlaboratories.

KeepingBIMalive
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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

ItiscommontoheardiscussionabouttheBIMhandover,implyingthatusefulinformationwillbeexportedto standardizedformatsforimportintoothersystems.Whilethereisvalueinthisapproach,theonewaymigration ofdataalltoooftenresultsintheBIMmodel"dyingaprematuredeath."Abetterapproachistousetechnology thatworksbidirectionallybetweentheBIMsystemandotherbuildingmanagementsystems.Thisenablesthe BIMmodeltoretainitsusefulnessthroughoutthelifeofthebuilding.

Challenges
AlthoughBIMtechnologyhasthepotentialtoprovidetremendousbenefitstofacilitymanagersandbuilding owners,therearechallengestoovercome.

Decidingwhattotrack
AlthoughBIMmakesitmucheasiertotrackbuildinginformation,thereisstilleffortrequiredtodevelopand maintaininformationthatiscurrent,accurateandrelevant.Forsomebuildinginformationcategories,thecostof doingthissimplywillnotbejustifiedbythevalue.

Changesindeliverables
Thechallengeforfacilitymanagersandownersistowritecontractsthatareeffectiveindefiningthedeliveryof usefulinformation.Designintentinformationisnotthesameasasbuiltinformation.Whenarchitectsand engineersprepareBIMmodelsfordesign,biddingandconstruction,materialsandcomponentsaredefined generically.Specificdecisionsonmanufacturerandproductselectionarelefttothegeneralcontractor,the subcontractorsandthespecialtysuppliers.Subjecttocomplyingwiththedesigndocuments,contractorsare expectedtousethisfreedomofselectioninordertoachieveamorecompetitivecost.Althoughtypical constructionprocedurescallforrecorddocumentstobeprovidedtotheowneratthecompletionofaproject,this informationtypicallyisprovidedintheformofpaperorscanneddocuments. BIMhasthepotentialtochangethiswithcontractorsproviding"live"BIMmodelsaspartofthecommissioning process.However,therearemanychallengesindefiningthebestpracticesforBIMdeliverables.

ChangesinFMtechnologyskills
ToachievetherealbenefitsofBIM,facilitymanagerswillneedtoattainabasicleveloffamiliaritywithBIMtools. Moresignificantly,facilitymanagerswillneedtodevelopgreaterproficiencyininformationmanagement, learninghowtoevaluatetheimportanceofdifferenttypesofinformationandestablishingprocedurestokeep informationaccurateandcurrent.

Changesinbusinessrelationships
AlthoughBIMcanbeusedwithtraditionalcompetitivebidconstructionpractices,itprovidesextravaluewhenthe architects,engineersandcontractorsareallpartofacollaborativeteam.Henceotherformsofcontracting,such asnegotiatedbidsandintegratedprojectdelivery,areenhancedbyBIM.Inaddition,newcloudbased computingtechnologyprovidesaneffectivemeansofsharingbuildingdatawithallparticipantsofthedesign
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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM

buildteam,regardlessofphysicallocation.

Asianperspective
Inpastdecades,newtechnologywouldbeusedfirstinNorthAmericaandEuropewithAsia,LatinAmericaand Africafollowing.However,BIMisbeingadoptedinlocationsaroundtheworld,particularlyinthefastgrowing citiesinAsia.Forexample,the128storyShanghaiTower,duetocompleteconstructionin2014,wasdesigned withBIMtools.ThegovernmentofSingaporeispromotingBIMforallnewconstructionprojects. Ratherthanuseoldertechnologiesthatmakemaintainingaccuratebuildingrecordsdifficult,Asiancountriesare findingtheadvantagesofusingBIMtechnology.IndustrypracticesformaintainingBIMmodelsofrecordstillare developing.Itwillbenecessarytogainmoreexperienceinhowthisrichsourceofpotentialinformationcanbe bestusedbeforebestpracticesemerge. BIMtechnologyappliedtofacilitymanagementisinearlystages.AlthoughtheultimateapplicationofBIMto facilitymanagementstillisbeingrefined,thereareamplebenefitstodaytojustifytheeffort.Architects,engineers, contractors,buildingownersandfacilitymanagerswhobeginusingBIMdatatodayandbridgingtheinformation dividewillreapthegreatestbenefits.FMJ

References:
1. BIMHandbook,Eastman,Teicholz,Sacks,Liston,JohnWiley&Sons,2008

MichaelSchleyistheCEOandfounderofFM:Systems,aleadingdeveloperoffacility managementsoftwarebasedinRaleigh,N.C.,USA.Heisresponsibleforoverseeing FM:Systemsoperationsandguidingthecompany'sproductdirection.

SchleyisrecognizedgloballyforhisexpertiseinFMtechnologyandhasspokenat numerousconferencesthroughouttheworld.Hewasrecognizedin2008asanIFMA Fellow,chairstheFMAdvisoryCouncilforCornellUniversityandservesontheIFMA FoundationBoardofTrustees. Hecanbereachedbyemailatmschley@fmsystems.com.
FMJ,theofficialpublicationoftheInternationalFacilityManagementAssociation(IFMA),providesrelevantcoverageofworldwideindustry trendsthatimpacttoday'sfacilitymanagementprofessionals.Articlessubmittedto FMJbecometheexclusivepropertyofIFMAupon publicationandaresubjecttoallapplicablecopyrightprovisions.Questionsregardingpermissiontoreprint,reproduceorusematerial shouldbedirectedtotheEditorinChief,andrea.sanchez@ifma.org. IFMAistheworld'slargestandmostwidelyrecognizedinternationalassociationforprofessionalfacilitymanagers,supportingmorethan 23,000membersin85countries.Theassociation'smembers,representedin130chaptersand17councilsworldwide,managemorethan37 billionsquarefeetofpropertyandannuallypurchasemorethanUS$100billioninproductsandservices.Formedin1980,IFMAcertifies facilitymanagers,conductsresearch,provideseducationalprograms,recognizesfacilitymanagementdegreeandcertificateprogramsand producesWorldWorkplace,theworld'slargestfacilitymanagementconferenceandexposition.Formoreinformation,visitwww.ifma.org.

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Facilities Management Architecture and Design Feature: BIM: Revolutionizing Building Life Cycle Management<br/>The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its implications for FM
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