What exactly is Building Information Modelling (BIM) and how can you use it to work more efficiently, reducing project costs and increasing your speed of delivery? Find out the answers to these questions and more below.
What is BIM?
Building Information Modelling, or BIM, refers to the process of generating and managing a building’s data, gathered during its lifecycle. BIM has been used for a while now in the manufacturing and engineering industries, but is becoming an increasingly commonly used term in the world of construction. BIM is a new way of thinking which involves making the model the main tool – with reports, plans and schedules deriving from the model. Architects, surveyors and contractors will all work from the same pool of information, building a digital prototype of a model, which is then simulated in the digital world. In essence, a BIM model not only contains digital representations of parts being used to construct a building, it also contains information relating to quantities and ratios of building components, geographic information and geometry. We can use BIM to look at the whole building’s lifecycle from construction through to operation.
How BIM Can Help Reduce Project Costs
There are many benefits associated with using BIM, and of course one of the most important benefits is reducing project costs. Other benefits include:
- A higher rate of cost estimation accuracy – around 3%
- As much as 80% reduction in the time it takes to generate cost estimates for clients
- Unbudgeted change can be cut by almost 40% in some cases
- Reduction of project time by up to 7%
Of course, everyone is wondering exactly how much money using BIM can save, and the answer is, a significant amount. You’re virtually constructing the building twice and building it once, which means you’re more likely to iron out flaws and streamline work processes during the construction process. In short, your project is likely to be completed quicker and at less cost than a project which doesn’t use Building Information Modelling.
BIM helps to promote earlier decision making (which can be crucial for project timescales), as well as allowing for better construction planning on site, which ultimately makes life easier for everyone. For anyone looking to avoid errors, and the need for alterations and rework, BIM is sure to become an invaluable tool. People working in the construction, engineering and architecture industries will have to change the way they think and work to utilise this new technology, but ultimately it will change the way buildings are planned and constructed, with the information management and 3D modelling software used at the heart of the system. BIM is the best tool you can use to reduce project costs, and is transforming the industry, improving project co-ordination, the way we estimate costs and design review. Anyone working in the construction, engineering or architecture industry will be able to see the benefits of this new technology, and by testing it for themselves, will be able to experience the reduction in project costs that it provides!