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Chapter 4: BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

This chapter discusses the abilities and benefits of using building information modeling (BIM) software for owners and facility managers. Discussion starts with the general application areas and tool guide of BIM as it relates to the owner which are in Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of the BIM handbook. Application areas include topics such as design assessment, complexity of building infrastructure and environment, sustainability, cost reliability and management, schedule management, and facility and information asset management. The BIM tool guide in Section 4.3 mentions several BIM applications available for the application areas discussed earlier as well as for estimating, facility and asset management, and operation simulation.

Next, the chapter discusses the BIM model from the perspective of the owner such as the scope and level of detail desired from the building model. I found that the figure included in this section of the chapter to be quite useful and have included it below. Figure 4-12 provides a framework for owners to understand the relationship between the level of detail in a model and the scope of a model, including spatial and domain-specific elements such as architectural and detailed MEP elements. The closing sections of this chapter provides a guide for owners on how to best implement BIM as well as barriers, guidelines and issues that could arise during the implementation process.

The section of this chapter that I found to be interesting is Section 4.2 which discusses the various BIM application areas for owners. Specifically, when the section discusses the increasing complexity of building infrastructures and environments, cost reliability and management, and schedule management. These topics were interesting to me since I’ve had first-hand experience on the impacts of BIM during my co-ops. One of my co-ops was to provide litigation mitigation for both owners and contractors, and reading through multiple disputes between the two parties I learned that BIM models allowed my company to better defend our client. During my other co-op, I was mostly doing estimating using a BIM application to do quantity takeoffs. My company used these takeoffs to a produce a much more accurate initial estimate and thus win more bids. From these two co-ops, I believe that the implementation of BIM allows owners to streamline the delivery of higher quality and better performing buildings.

Source:

C. M. Eastman, “Chapter 4: BIM for Owners and Facility Managers,” in BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, 2nd ed., Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011, pp. 151–191.

Comments:

Thomas S,

I enjoyed reading your blog post on interoperability. I agree with you that the current process of translating BIM models between different programs is very tedious and can be improved. However, I know that you mentioned Autodesk as a company whose programs can easily be translated between each other, but I would have to disagree with you. From my experience, I’ve found that translating a BIM model from technical programs like AutoCAD and Revit to illustrative programs such as Maya to be rather difficult. This may be because of the translation from technical to illustrative, however I feel that this would be another step to increase the interoperability of these programs.

Chris T,

Your post on BIM for contractors was very interesting to read. I agree with you that contractors should take advantage of BIM during the scheduling process as this will not only help them but the owners as well. During one of my co-ops, I work as a scheduling intern and saw the effect of delays due to incorrect scheduling on a project – one of the projects I was working on was delayed by 2 years and cost the owner millions of dollars! I think the future of the industry would rely heavily on contractors implementing BIM.

Mariano A,

I found your post on BIM for architects and engineers to be an interesting read. I like how you mentioned the current debate of replacing 2D drawings with 3D models when discussing BIM. To answer the questions you posed, I think that while it is possible to replace 2D drawings with 3D models it is not the best way to approach it. I believe that the design process heavily relies on the concepts drawn on paper since it is the best way to get the creative juices flowing. However, I do think that the 3D models are there to enhance the finished concept.