The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) initiated the U.S. National BIM Program (NBP or Program) to bring industry stakeholders together to achieve critical digital transformation throughout the entire lifecycle of designing, constructing, and operating the built environment. The Program concept has evolved through conversations and collaborations with leading organizations and communities, involving both the public and private sectors, spanning a diverse cross-section of asset/project types. This effort has recently accelerated combined with significant increases in interest from the owner community throughout the U.S., including both building and infrastructure owners.
The National Institute of Building Sciences is leading the development and dissemination of the next-generation of practice standards and processes for the built environment. The U.S. National Building Information Management Program will provide a step-change in capacity, creating a platform and community to support for digital innovation. Building information modeling is now a widely used technology providing a data foundation for increasingly digitized processes, yet practices and procedures across the architecture/engineering/construction/operation (AECO) marketplace operate under no common standards for data formats. This program offers the opportunity to improve the relationships, performance and profitability of the increasingly digitized U.S. AECO industry.
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) produces the National BIM Standard for the US (NBIMS). This standard outlines the processes and procedures for delivering BIM in a standardised way.
The National BIM Standard, United Statesâ„¢ (NBIMS-USâ„¢) provides consensus-based standards through referencing existing standards, documenting information exchanges and delivering best-business practices for the entire built environment.
With open BIM standards, detailed models can be built and accurate products delivered that can be used during commissioning and operation to ensure facility functionality throughout the life of the facility. They also support the delivery of high performing, carbon neutral and net-zero energy-based facilities.
This website holds several BIM Guides focussed on a variety of uses, such as 3D-4D-BIM, Spatial Program Validation, 3D Laser Scanning, 4D Phasing, Energy Performance, Circulation and Security Validation, Building Elements and Facility Management.
The US General Services Administration (GSA) created the BIM Guide Series to document its learning experiences in a format that would be educational and supportive for GSA project teams, including GSA associates and the design and construction vendors who work on their projects.
In addition, a major purpose of the BIM Guide Series is to provide guidance and requirements for project teams that are beginning new projects, ensuring that GSA projects utilise BIM in the most beneficial, efficient way possible, right at the time of their inception.
This document from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides an example of a national-level BIM roadmap focussed specifically on highways and roads.
The objective of the Roadmap outlined in this document is to help state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) strategically develop a uniform, nationwide framework related to BIM for infrastructure, open data-exchange standards and methods for adopting those standards. BIM tools and a robust personnel training and upskilling programme are also included.
These state-led and FHWA-supported actions can then become the basis for planning and implementing BIM for infrastructure to better deliver projects and transportation services at the state’s DOT level. Adopting BIM for infrastructure with a coordinated approach will allow the greater highway industry to make investments with fewer concerns about differing requirements across the states.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
This report “Building Information Modeling (BIM) Practices in Highway Infrastructure” from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides an example of a national-level BIM roadmap focussed specifically on highways and roads.
It presents evolving trends in BIM implementations in BIM-mature nations and their public highway infrastructure agencies. It also focuses on understanding how other countries are using BIM for infrastructure to better deliver transportation projects, manage assets, and provide related services with a view to benchmark and advance U.S. practice.
Visits were made to BIM-mature agencies in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Norway to discuss and examine core aspects of BIM for infrastructure implementation. The BIM development efforts of the studied agencies demonstrated clear motivation, purpose, goals, and top-line support, which recognise both the costs, and more importantly, the benefits of adopting BIM for infrastructure.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
Learn more about the Pegula Ice Arena
The Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania – part of Pennsylvania State University – was built in 2014 for college-level ice hockey matches. Its construction was developed with a BIM execution plan that has now been used as a template for the construction of other arenas. BIM was implemented through 4D modeling and was used at all stages – from design to student-athlete recruitment through to operations and sales – while also reducing construction time and cost, saving over $1.2 million. It also allowed for the creation and use of the Computerized Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) that helped facilitate the recruitment process.
Learn more about the Pegula Ice Arena
Inside Pegula Ice Arena – Applied Research Laboratory CAVE Model
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
