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.
Serving as the business voice of Canada’s BIM community, CanBIM represents, supports, and advocates on behalf of the entire Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Owner, Operator and Educational community to build a positive business environment for the effective deployment of BIM, for all engaged in utilizing BIM in Canada. The Canada BIM Council, or “CanBIM” as it is now known, was formed in 2008 by a small group of progressive organisations. Although these companies came from many different disciplines and were from across Canada, they all shared the common goal to steer their companies, their partners, and the wider industry to adopt new and efficient BIM/VDC processes and methodologies. They wanted to create a national beacon to attract people and firms from across the industry that understood the impact that new technology was having on the industry, and how this new way of thinking would radically change the ways they work.
CanBIMÂ’s Mission is to provide their membership with leadership, advocacy, educational and engagement opportunities around best practices for digital technologies and processes. Their vision is to advance civilization and improve the built environment through developing a robust community of industry-leading practitioners from building and infrastructure industry, who are proactively engaged in the effective deployment of digital technologies and processes. The website contains a wealth of resources from 2017 to date, and various articles on a wide range of subjects.
There are three main documents published on the CanBIM website in addition to their yearly spotlight on innovation reports. These additional documents include:
– Ontario General Contractors Association Guide to Construction and Design Technology (Jan/2022)
– Building Information Modelling for Wood Buildings, An Introductory Guide (11/2021)
– Building the Canada We Want in 2050 (07/2021)
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)
