Why so many acronyms with BIM?

Are acronyms getting in the way of progression and adoption of time saving technology? Here is an insert I took from a document I read in relation to Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Standards.

“Most CEN and CENELEC Committees have parallel activities in ISO and IEC, and in some cases the same organisation provides the Secretariat for both an international and regional Committee. There are agreements between CEN/CENELEC and ISO/IEC regarding exchange of information” ……………..

Here is my take on the industry :

I have been reading through many documents on Building Information Modelling (BIM) of late; no wonder so many peoples heads spin. To be honest, Building Information Modelling  is really not that complicated. We have been doing it the hard way for centuries and Building Information Modelling is simply  a 3D model  created with a Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) program to organise & simplify the process of design, construction, manufacturing and maintenance. Surely we do not need hundreds of acronyms to convey this? Are the editors lazy or is it that the puzzle has not been 100% solved? Let’s just make it that little bit harder to decipher a document shall we?

As you may all know I am a big fan of creating & refining systems to increase productivity. I was introduced to our industry at 15 years of age and even back then I thought to myself that this industry needs some innovation. I am hardly considered an intellect yet blind Fred could read the writing on the wall. I was taught to draw by hand with the old cedar drawing board , T Square and one of those new fan dangle clutch pencils which saved us all a good 5 seconds of hard labour sharpening.

Before I decipher the acronyms I would like to give an overview of where I think we are now. I choose to skip the 2D CAD days as essentially they yield a similar result to hand drawing. I am going to skip a decade or two so you can get back to your paying jobs.

Today we have drawing tools that are easy to use and have the ability to represent every element in 3D,  every nut bolt and screw if you chose to do so ( I hope you don’t). Lets look at what we really need out of a drawing to build and maintain the dwelling. Do we need acronyms? I do not think so. So what do we need to design and build a project?

1. We need a client with space or property, who needs a facility to either protect themselves, their employees and or their equipment or pets  from the elements, a place to live, work from or a place to relax.
2. We need a brief from the client explaining the purpose of the facility.
3. We need to represent that facility in a portable document that can be interpreted, annotated, refined & stored.
4. We need to communicate on that document with authorities, builders, engineers/consultants, surveyors, manufacturers and product distributors.
5. We need to collaborate on that document and create a specification.
6. We need a cost indictaion associated with Design, Build, Maintenance & a running cost EG. utilities
7. We need a schedule to work from
8. We need a bill of materials
9. We need a maintenance schedule
10. We need a record of who did what, when, why and how long before it will need replacing or maintaining. (Facility Maintenance)
11. In most cases we need appropriate weather.

Items 3 to 10  can be accomplished with traditional 2D drawing and paper documentation, yet 3D drawings with Building Information are far more efficient and easier to interpret, therefore attracting more clients to BIM adopters. Put simply the art of BIM is associating appropriate information with geometry and using a system that extracts the necessary data that is related to the construction and maintenance of the facility.  What does that mean? It means the geometry/Model represent the Building, the components that it is made from & the Information clarifies the who, what, why where and when.

BIM breaks down the top 10 items into categories and structure to efficiently  store and handle documentation. We as designers and builders do not have to do this, it is being done for us. However we do need to understand the process, which I must say is a lot easier than creating the process.

For Building Information Modelling to be successful there need to be standards. These standards need to be easy to read and understand. Below I have decided to start compiling a list of commonly used acronyms you may find helpful… Feel free to add more as no doubt there are many I have missed.

Acronyms associated with Architecture and Building Information Modelling (BIM)

AEC	Architecture Engineering and Construction
BOQs	Bill Of Quantities
CAD	Computer Aided Design
CAE	Computer Aided Engineering.
CAM	Computer Aided Manufacturing
CGI	Computer Generated Imagery
FM	Facilities Management
GIS	Geographical Information System.
IFC	Industry Foundation Class
IPD	Integrated Project Delivery
IPE	Integrated Project Environments
ISO	International Standards
LOD	Level of Development
MEP	Mechanical Electrical Plumbing
QTO	Quantity Take Off
ROI	Return on Investment
VDC	Virtual Design & Construction
WD	Working Draft
4D	Linking of 3D CAD components or assemblies with time/schedule
5D	Linking of 3D CAD components or assemblies with schedule & cost

Let me just say BIM is not hard. There are various software packages out there that enable steps 1 to 10 to be refined and they get better every year. I personally use PlusSpec as it reduces the likelihood of error and it does more for less money. Some others in the industry use Revit, Archicad & Bentley and all of the products are simply tools to help reduce time and increase efficiency. With the introduction of IFC (a format that can be used various brands of software) we can all now collaborate on the same drawings and information associated with the project regardless of products we use or how much we pay for them.