Integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) - Essay Example

According to RIB Software (2009, 1) globalization has brought new players to the table, to negotiate and find ways through which they have to maneuver through complex and increasing demands and projects that make it harder to communicate with partners, vendors and customers. As the financial environment become tougher, there is a need to focus on the right projects, control costs, and make accurate, feasible estimates in projects and manage the projects effectively and efficiently. In short BIM seeks to speed up the estimate time of projects and reuse the estimate information, facilitate the budge and cost control and manage cash and improve the firm’s financial position and make the best use of existing assets in any project.

Below is an analysis of the different areas where BIM has bee extensively used and with the related benefits obtained though application of BIM in the construction industry. i. Surveyors Bennet (2009, 3) explains that in surveying, BIM is not just a 3D model that is used in design. BIM allows a better visualization of the entire project from different perspectives and employs data analysis in predicting the outcome of projects before such a project is put under construction. Surveyors have a role of demarcating the boundaries of a project in either building construction of construction of other infrastructures such as roads.

Surveyors as Bennet (2009, 3) explains though the use of BIM can be able to change the details of the project as visualized though BIM to make it more feasible. It is through simulation of the projects that surveyors are able to best align the project to the best terrain or topography in the given site of construction. In the traditional methods of using 3D views, the simulation in most cases does not include the level of data analysis and simulation available under BIM. The work of surveyors under BIM has therefore been made more precise, easier and on more reliable data analysis compared to previous approaches in surveying.

Iverson et al (2010, 5) explains that BMI is a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility. Therefore, it serves as a shared knowledge base for information concerning a facility that forms a reliable masterpiece for decision making in surveying, and the information is later passed on clearly and well documented to the rest of the project. ii. The architect Currently BIM can be integrated in all the project phases in information management system that covers the briefing stages, designing, specifying and the tendering phases of the project (Cornick 1996, 140).

It stores all the information used and processed during this period and is handed over to the client once the project has been terminated. It is therefore a versatile tool that ensures effective management of projects in the construction industry. Panushev & Pollalis (2006, 2815) explains the importance of BIM as improving the owner communication, verifying construction drawings and consistency, checking the building constructability, visualizing complex concrete placement in workflow, avoid conflict between the structure and mechanical system and establishing a standard modeling knowledge base for use in future projects.

Such information may include recipe that hold information on how the building has to be built, the methods which involve separate work activities that would be involved in the course of building, the necessary