Building information modeling (BIM) is a 3D modeling process that links every element in a model to the data that belongs to it — quantity, cost, size, lifespan, manufacturer, warranty — so design, construction, and operations teams work from the same information. Building information modeling (BIM), at a basic level, is a 3D modeling process that incorporates all the data associated with each element within the model and is used by project team members to collaborate on the design, construction and post-build operations of the structure. It’s one component of digital engineering, not a synonym for it.
What Can BIM Do for You?
BIM lets you virtually design and build your project in 3D, long before anyone has stepped foot on the job site. It continues evolving after construction starts, becoming a work in progress by allowing you to experiment with design and material variations and see their impact before committing to them, and heading off the potential for change orders and rework. BIM’s digital multi-dimensional model presents more realistic views of the project that can make you feel like you are there, experiencing the building of the project from the inside.
Because of its unique capabilities, BIM is a go-to for organizations who handle complex capital projects. It also gets defined as many things depending on whom you ask. Some might describe it as a 3D design model, or an information hub or a collaborative tool that improves workflows. You could probably make the case for any one of these. But individually they don’t really capture all that BIM is used for and capable of.
Who Uses BIM, and on What Kinds of Projects
Building information modeling has been used for many years on everything from substantial capital projects, skyscrapers and multi-use facilities to subways, bridges and roadways. With that range of project types, there’s no limit to the kinds of professionals who benefit from it — architects and engineers, surveyors and urban designers.
How the Model Links Data to Every Element
Each model consists of elements such as nails, glass, steel beams, cement, wiring, piping and switches. Every single one is linked to the layers of information that belong to it: quantity, cost, size, lifespan, replacement value, manufacturer and warranty details. That linking is what makes the model interactive, and it’s what separates BIM from a 3D drawing.
What You Can Do with Those Details
Once the data is attached, it becomes something you can act on. You can make changes against current, accurate information rather than last month. You can record problems as they come up and course correct sooner, which is where the reduction in change orders comes from. And you can plan maintenance after the build on what the model tells you rather than on a calendar. The model becomes a reference guide across the life cycle of the build and beyond.
Where the Model Data Lives
Those details sit in a single source of truth, known as a common data environment (CDE), for everyone to refer to and use as needed. It can be done in real time — through the cloud, your local server or an extranet — from before the building phase starts through to the point where the owner takes over and facilities management picks it up.
What the Model Is Worth After Handover
After the build, BIM is still relevant. The final model, also known as a digital twin, adds value to building operations through the data still housed inside it: preventive maintenance, ongoing testing and inspections, parts replacement, and unexpected repairs or servicing.
What Are the Dimensions of BIM? 4D, 5D, 6D, and Beyond
It’s also worth noting that while building information modeling is often thought of using three-dimensional (3D) design models, it’s so much more than that. There are multiple dimensions to BIM.
- 4D BIM is the time dimension, measuring progress in terms of the scheduling data. This is helpful when analyzing the impact of what-if scenarios and actual changes on the project timeline.
- 5D BIM adds in the element of money. In the beginning stages of cost estimating, BIM allows you to input cost data specific to the individual components — from bolts to beams — so it can perform the quantity calculations that feed the estimate takeoff directly. This fifth dimension also allows you to track cost progress throughout the build and, as in the time dimension, analyze scope changes, what-if scenarios and how incurred expenses impact the budget.
- 6D BIM includes life cycle data and is also referred to as the facilities management dimension. This is the dimension that includes information about those individual components that will be most relevant post-build, such as manufacturer, warranty, replacement value and operation manual. Its focus is not so much on the inputs that went into the building, but on the efficiency and operations outputs after completion.
These dimensions are what make BIM so critical to the success of large capital projects. With thousands of pieces of data associated with these builds, there’s little wiggle room for erroneous or missing information, or miscalculations. That’s what makes using BIM so advantageous; it not only provides an edge over the competition during the bid process but lays the groundwork for improved efficiencies throughout the build and beyond.
You’ll also sometimes see 7D and 8D references, and some sources list more than that. The number matters less than what sits behind it: each dimension is another layer of data linked to the same model. The goal stays the same throughout — understanding your project’s data at a deeper level than a drawing alone can give you.
What to Look for When BIM Data Has to Reach the Rest of the Project
There may be no single “right” way to define building information modeling. The right way for you will depend on how you intend to use it. On a capital project, the harder question usually isn’t which authoring tool each discipline designs in. It’s what happens to those models once several disciplines have each produced one. Here is what to look for:
- A federated environment that brings models from different authoring tools together, without forcing every discipline onto one application. Design authority stays with your design teams, where the expertise already sits.
- Model data that connects to documents, change, and schedule, so you can trace a clash to the RFI it generated and the cost it caused, instead of finding it stranded in a review tool on its own.
- Version control that survives handover. That 6D argument above only pays off if the model is still accurate when facilities management inherits it.
InEight Model is a federated model environment built for exactly that. It consolidates models authored elsewhere into one place your whole project team can work from, alongside the documents and change records those models relate to.
