If you google “BIM” or “Building Information Modeling” you’ll find several varying definitions. Is it a technology? Is it a process? Some definitions restrict BIM to 3D modeling technology used only by architects and engineers.
According to the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), “BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. … [It] serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle from inception onward.” NIBS goes on to describe the basic premise of BIM as collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the lifecycle.
However, the results of a recent study, “Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Information Management,” reveals that BIM may still be stuck in the design phase. This Viewpoint article by Peg Landry of Newforma, which conducted the study, provides an overview of the study’s results and the insights it provides on how the communication and collaboration roadblocks between the stakeholders can be removed.
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