Do you truly receive a BIM project? Ensuring Efficiency and Quality
Nordika, Advanced Engineering Brazil
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Written by: Marciano Tonatto , Head of BIM Management at Nordika.
It is crucial to understand not only the benefits but also the fundamentals that ensure alignment between the contracted project and what will be delivered. It is common for both the client and the contractor to have differing views on a developing project, particularly when it is being delivered in BIM.
More critical than a lack of expectation alignment are the “false promises.” In today's market, there is a flood of empty promises from companies that claim to be BIM experts, yet the delivery does not reflect what was promised. To explain this phenomenon, Bilal Succar (1), a prominent global BIM researcher, coined the term “BIM Wash.” It is crucial to choose partners who do not just “sell” a 3D model, but a BIM model rich in information. At Nordika, we are committed to providing BIM solutions that transform project needs into deliverable requirements.
But how can you avoid this misalignment in increasingly complex projects?
Before addressing the “how?”, let’s take a step back conceptually to understand the true role of BIM in your project. From the feasibility of a venture, its design, selecting a partner company to develop the engineering, to commissioning and operation, BIM is a means, a vehicle, a tool that teaches us to define clear scopes from the beginning.
And this is the first mistake made by those contracting a BIM project: seeing BIM merely as a deliverable, akin to a 2D document. More than just a deliverable, a BIM model ensures that every detail of what will be built is carefully planned and executed according to the client’s expectations. This not only ensures the satisfaction of the project owner but also the operational effectiveness of the project as a whole, meaning the users of that asset. The earlier information is defined, the earlier it is requested, produced, and checked, ensuring consistent control to meet project requirements and avoid rework.
And how do you define the information needed for a BIM project?
Through Information Requirements. Essential for information management, national and regional standards, along with the growing adoption of BIM, have led to the development of ISO 19650, a global standard for project and construction information management. Information Requirements are a fundamental part of information management as they define the information inputs for the entire management ecosystem. Information management ensures that the correct information is delivered to the right place, at the right time, to meet a specific purpose.
Information Requirements are like a skeleton or structure containing many openings of different shapes and sizes. The receiver (specifier) provides the initial information about what is needed for the provider to produce and organize the information delivery. Considering that without Information Requirements there are no information management processes, ISO 19650 defines 4 types of information requirements and 2 asset information models, which are listed as follows:
So, what should be done to ensure the success of a BIM project?
Think of the Information Requirements as the "flight plan" for a project. They ensure that everyone involved is aligned through effective and precise communication, leaving no room for interpretation. You’ve probably hired projects using the concept of LOD (Level of Development) or BIM's nDs (4D, 5D, 6D). It’s also possible that at some point, you received a BIM model that differed from your expectations, lacking the level of information needed for construction, digital asset management, or even quantity extraction.
To avoid such situations, you should not hire BIM projects based on LOD alone but rather use LOIN (Level of Information Need) to meet the information level required by ISO 19650. While nDs are still used, they are becoming outdated due to their broad and unclear nature.
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It is recommended that the client start thinking in terms of “Uses of BIM” to define the LOIN. Whether it is for visualization, coordination, sustainability studies, planning, budgeting, etc. If you do not need to extract quantities from the architecture or control service measurements on-site, then there’s no need to create layers in walls to differentiate elements, right?
Nordika can assist clients from the Contracting Plan and RFQ structuring to delivering BIM projects in compliance with ISO. This practice not only optimizes the engineering and construction phases but also facilitates future maintenance of your asset. It guarantees that all parties involved have a clear understanding of what will be delivered, minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency from the start.
Hire BIM projects that solve problems the traditional methods do not address.
In the BIM universe, acronyms like EIR, BCF, CDE, IDS, IFC, LOD, BEP may seem complex at first glance. At Nordika, we simplify these technical terms to help our clients understand how each acronym translates into concrete actions during the project. Understanding the practical meaning of each acronym is essential for making informed and strategic decisions that drive the success of the BIM project from conception to operation.
Our specialized team, composed of BIM Managers and BIM Specialists, works collaboratively to integrate all involved disciplines from the early stages of the project to execution, using the best BIM tools in compliance with ISO.
So how should you hire BIM projects from now on?
Focus on answering three questions:
1. Where to receive: Clearly define where and how you will receive the project information and deliverables. Without a Common Data Environment (CDE) for document control, teams waste countless hours searching for the most up-to-date information.
2. How to share: Establish how the information will be shared among the involved parties to ensure effective coordination. Nordika excels by developing all its projects using Autodesk Construction Cloud and BIM 360, Autodesk’s CDE.
3. How to evaluate and validate: Determine the criteria and processes for evaluating and validating project deliverables to ensure they align with the Information Requirements.
It is crucial to reflect on the essential elements that guarantee reliable deliverables. Understanding what needs to be done, why it is important, when each phase should be completed, how the details are coordinated, where BIM will be applied, and who is responsible for each aspect are fundamental.
Understanding and implementing these BIM-related terms not only strengthens the efficiency and quality of projects but also allows for more effective asset management throughout its lifecycle. At Nordika, we help our clients answer these questions from the beginning, guiding them through these processes and ensuring that each project is a success from planning to operation.
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About the author:
Marciano is the Head of BIM Management at Nordika, bringing 8 years of experience in the field. He graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Caxias do Sul (RS) in 2018 and holds a Stricto Sensu Master's degree from PPGEC UNISINOS (RS), completed in 2022. Additionally, Marciano specialized in BIM Management, earning a Master's degree from Zigurat in 2019, and recently obtained the international AWP Fundamentals certification from the Verum Institute in 2023.