BIM for Owners and Facility Managers

Chapter 4 in the BIM Handbook was directed towards owners and facilities managers. Since learning about BIM technology in classes and on co-op, I only considered the benefits this technology would yield through coordinating architectural, structural, and mechanical aspects of a project. The chapter I read in the BIM handbook made me aware of how many benefits BIM technology provides for an owner over the course of a project.

The chapter began by discussing why owners should consider using BIM tools throughout their projects. As stated in the handbook, “these tools broadly enhance today ’s CAD capabilities with an improved ability to link design information with business processes, such as estimating, sales forecasts, and operations” (94). With the ability to link estimates and cost analyses with the building design, many miscommunications between owner, designer, and contractor can be eliminated saving the owner both time and money. The handbook also addressed specific areas where BIM technology can be applied. These include cost management, estimating, and quantity take-offs. This chapter even discussed specific tools that owners can use in these areas based on their needs. BIM can also help owners create and manage more accurate project schedules and allow for smoother coordination between all disciplines. Other concerns this chapter addressed were codes and sustainability. BIM modeling can provide automatic checks to ensure a project is meeting all applicable codes and requirements and perform energy analyses.

Another advantage of BIM is the ease of communication between all levels of work on a project. “The computable nature of the 3D building information models makes them an excellent tool for quickly bringing new team members up to speed, so they can understand the scope, requirements, and status of a project” (105). As David stated in his post, "with the ability to model and navigate something in 3D, a building manager can make sure that things are physically arranged in a way that makes the most sense for his needs and functions". The 3D model can be used to show an owner exactly what a design looks like whereas 2D drawings may be confusing or difficult to conceptualize.  Kayleigh mentions how this advantage allows an owner or facility manager to give input on disciplines like MEP that they typically would not be able to visualize during the initial design process.

Not only does this chapter discuss why owners should use BIM, but the authors also addressed how an owner can go about building a project team who can efficiently utilize BIM technology. What I found most interesting was that at the end of the chapter, common myths that prevent owners from implementing BIM were addressed.


Source: BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors. Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks and Kathleen Liston Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.