ISO 19650 is the prominent global standard for the implementation of BIM, focusing on the collaborative process integral to the entire life cycle of constructed assets. Developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this standard serves as a comprehensive framework for managing information from the conception of a project, through construction and operation to its eventual decommissioning. The development and publication of ISO 19650 highlights the commitment of international standards bodies to creating a consistent and efficient approach to BIM implementation on a global scale.
ISO 19650 is a multi-part standard. Part 1 delineates fundamental concepts and principles, while Part 2 provides practical guidance for information management throughout the project life cycle. The scalability of ISO 19650 allows organizations to tailor its application to the specific needs and intricacies of their projects. As an internationally recognized standard, ISO 19650 reflects the collaborative efforts of standards bodies to enhance global construction industry practices. Throughout this process, transparency, collaboration, and consensus-building are key principles. ISO standards, including ISO 19650, are developed with input from experts and stakeholders worldwide to ensure that they reflect a global consensus on best practices.
A country might choose to adopt ISO 19650 for several reasons, all of which contribute to the standard’s potential benefits in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of construction and infrastructure projects. Some of the reasons why a country might decide to adopt ISO 19650:
- Global standardisation of processes
- Support interoperability and collaboration
- Consider a quality assured approach to information management
- Competitive advantage and potential for cross boarder trade
- Improved project delivery outcomes
In summary, the adoption of ISO 19650 by a country can bring about international alignment, improved collaboration, risk reduction, and enhanced competitiveness in the construction industry, ultimately contributing to more successful and sustainable infrastructure development. Countries will usually adopt ISO 19650 by publishing a national annex to the standard.
The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) is Sweden’s largest developer. Every year it carries out several major construction projects. By introducing BIM, they expect to make large savings and they see it as the future way of working in the entire industry.
As a dominant player in the construction industry, the Transport Administration can also actively contribute to the introduction of BIM in the entire Swedish construction industry. The first step has been to set requirements for BIM in all procurements within new investments as of 2015. The next step is to introduce BIM in planning and management. The goal is to use BIM throughout the infrastructure’s lifecycle from planning to maintenance and management.
This website, hosted by the Swedish Transport Administration, is a placeholder for information related to its push for widespread BIM adoption within the supply chain. It contains current information, news items relevant to the Swedish adoption of BIM and multiple video resources designed to help the supply chain understand this transformation.
Effective information management in design, construction and administration requires order in many details. There are several standards that facilitate the processes and it is important to have consistent concepts and codes for different applications. The work in all parts of the processes, from early planning, through design and construction and to long-term management, is facilitated by consistency and standardisation. For efficient handling at all levels, common requirements and instructions are crucial. National Guidelines (Nationella Riktlinjer) have been developed to provide such common requirements and instructions, which adhere to established standards and accepted practices. These guidelines will be managed and further developed as new standards are established and new experiences are gained.
The purpose of the Guidelines is to simplify, streamline and harmonise the requirements and management of digital information for the built environment. They are created for those who make demands on digital information and for those who are affected by the demands. The guidelines can be applied for project implementation and asset management; they are suitable for buildings and infrastructure projects. They are developed as a basis for setting requirements for digital information deliveries and for meeting such a requirement.
Smart Built Environment is a strategic innovation programme for how the public construction sector can contribute to Sweden’s journey towards becoming a global pioneer country that realises the new opportunities that digitalisation brings. Digitisation is one of the biggest societal changes ever. The Smart Built Environment programme implements a unique and long-term investment to develop more sustainable and integrated ways of building, with a vision of sustainable community building and maximum user benefit through efficient information management and industrial processes with digitalisation as a driving force.
A common information infrastructure is the key to change. An uninterrupted flow of information with business-driven applications in BIM, GIS and industrial processes creates benefits for companies, users and society. The unique thing about this programme is precisely the integration between BIM, GIS and industrial processes, which increases the potential to take advantage of all the possibilities of digitalisation. The efforts in the programme include research, development and innovation. They handle the digital infrastructure, business-driven applications in companies/organisations and integration of the processes. The programme creates new knowledge, skills, services and products, with all current information shared on the website.
The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), in collaboration with industry players, has developed guidelines for the law regarding digital deliveries in design’ and created contracts for multiple construction project types. Two conditional appendices can be attached to existing assignment contracts to help establish the legal landscape for the adoption of BIM.
This website contains several PDF documents that can be downloaded and used to apply BIM into the contractual requirements of a project. In the terms and conditions annexes, the parties can regulate, among other things, the right of use of and responsibility for the digital information and can also give it a legal status to be equated with descriptions according to the contract documents.
The purpose of these guidelines (Riktlinje BIM i project) is to:
- Give recommendations to create the processes and undertake the organisational transformation that BIM projects require.
- Be an aid in the development of project-specific requirements for BIM.
- Create an opportunity for the organisation to use the model and information created in the project with the help of BIM.
The goals of using BIM in design, construction and later operations are to:
- Facilitate the exchange of information between all actors in a project, including the transfer of structured information for management.
- Ensure information quality at all levels.
- Coordinate the work of designers and contractors, by exchanging information in a consistent and structured way.
- Utilise various BIM benefits such as for quantity surveying, cost estimation, energy calculation as well as scheduling. In addition to this, BIM models can provide many other purposes and benefits such as to provide opportunities visualization and detailed studies.
It is the responsibility of each project manager to choose the application areas within BIM and to establish a project-specific BIM manual for controlling work process and information exchange. This should be done in consultation with all stakeholders.
BIM can be used in the project for orienteering information about the building, the technical information base, visualisation and surface calculation among others. In the long run, it will be possible to provide information to other databases within the company’s management.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
The purpose of this document (Informationshantering i förvaltning) is to support and inspire organisations in their work delivering projects to increase information management and information coordination with the help of BIM. It describes a number of examples that can facilitate the understanding of how BIM and information management can be implemented in the business. In addition to this, a number of relevant BIM benefits are described alongside how these can be achieved.
Information management is strongly linked to the administrative processes of many organisations. All IT systems that have the task of managing the company’s information must work as a support system for business processes. This in turn means that if you are to implement BIM within your organisation, the BIM approach must support the business’s processes. To succeed with the implementation of BIM, you must therefore start from the organisations’ processes and understand those different activities’ need for information. This document will help to guide you through the management processes and how BIM can be implemented.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
The Development Process for BIM (Utvecklingsprocess för BIM-nyttor) highlights the main goal of the introduction and use of BIM as value creation that can be measured. With the introduction of BIM comes investments in software, hardware and personnel resources. There are also changes in work processes and organisation. This guide provides support in the development of BIM benefits to meet different information needs in the activities associated with projects and project management.
The target group for this guidance is business developers, information managers and IT managers responsible for the implementation of BIM within an organisation. To answer how BIM should be implemented and used, the question needs to be broken down and linked to the needs and goals of the business. This report outlines the development process for how this can be achieved. Carrying out the activities in this process will result in a specified set of requirements for the scope, content and execution of BIM. Furthermore, the development process provides an implementation plan with intermediate goals on how to implement BIM within an organisation.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
Akademiska Hus AB, the Swedish Fortifications Agency, the Riksdag Administration, Specialfastigheter Sverige AB and The Swedish Real Estate Agency have agreed to cooperate in order to promote the development and use of BIM in management and construction projects. The five organisations have worked together to develop a uniform strategy for working with BIM. This BIM strategy document (Strategi för BIM i förvaltning och project) introduces a common way of working and includes requirements for the use of BIM in projects as well as collaboration on the implementation of BIM in project management. The purpose of the collaboration is partly a joint efficient use of resources in the development of the working method and partly to reach a common clear set of requirements that will lead to a more efficient information management process.
This document describes in general terms the background, vision, goals, format and action plan for BIM implementation. It also outlines how the management of the framework is intended for continued development and improvement. The need to be able to handle all information digitally is increasing all the time in the construction and real estate sector, the concept of BIM is now widely accepted. It is important to remember that BIM must be able to be used at all stages of a building’s lifecycle.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
BIM Alliance Sweden is a sector-driven, non-profit association that works for better community building with the help of BIM and digital structured information management. The Alliance has a vision and purpose of promoting a digital uninterrupted flow of information through all processes in the public construction sector. This will be done by working for the implementation, research and development of digital processes for information and open standards among all stakeholders, as well as for competence in the area. The Alliance aims to drive the social changes needed for digital transformation and renewed business logic, to promote a positive and sustainable development in planning, construction and management.
The BIM Alliance Sweden’s board has identified seven strategic areas that are crucial in the coming years:
- Information dissemination / network
- Information standards
- Processes / organisation
- Law / procurement
- Research and Development
- Training
- Environment.
The website contains the latest information around current news, membership, projects and other documentation useful for the adoption of BIM.
