The Current Situation of BIM Operation and Maintenance in China and How to Solve It
Let’s talk about the growing importance of operation and maintenance (O&M) in Building Information Modeling (BIM), especially in China. In recent years, discussions around O&M have gained momentum, fueled by buzzwords like big data, the Internet of Things, and BIM itself. These topics have gradually become a trend in the industry. Engineering project contracts now often include clauses stating that “BIM must be applied to operation and maintenance,” pushing contractors to explore how BIM can support O&M on behalf of building owners.
However, many projects suffer from vague or unclear O&M requirements from owners. This often leads to BIM implementation being rushed or handled superficially, which undermines the true value of BIM integration.
To realize the full benefits of BIM in operation and maintenance, owners need to clearly define their needs from the outset. During the initial planning phase, it’s essential to establish a comprehensive asset information delivery strategy. This strategy prevents loss of asset data and documentation at various project stages and should include, at a minimum:
- Information exchange formats and file submission standards
- Detailed asset information at each level and the designated responsible parties
- Specifications for the maintenance management system and database to be used, ensuring contractors deliver O&M information that complies with these requirements
Owners can clarify their needs by reviewing existing building and equipment standards, manuals, and other relevant documentation. Discussions with the O&M team help define the scope and objectives of BIM integration, identify stakeholder roles and responsibilities, understand the spatial relationships between buildings and equipment, and confirm the basic and related information necessary for the import process. This thorough review results in a clear list of goals and requirements, which can then be provided to contractors responsible for delivering O&M data.
For smooth data exchange, adopting a unified format is crucial. The COBie format serves as a widely accepted example and reference. COBie is internationally recognized and supports the data exchange processes needed to modify, update, and access information across design, construction, and operational management phases. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have incorporated COBie into their national standards, highlighting its significance.
If owners want to integrate BIM data into existing operation and maintenance systems—such as property management software, which typically extracts data from various database formats—using BIM along with COBie enables comprehensive transfer of lifecycle O&M information into the software’s database. A typical data import process would include:
- Exporting COBie files from the BIM model.
- Converting COBie files into a format compatible with property management software.
- Importing the converted data into the property management system.
- Manually supplementing any additional necessary data for property management.
For new construction projects, if the owner requires vendors to perform information exchanges in a unified format, the requirements document must specify the exact format to be used. It should also detail the information to be delivered at each project milestone and identify the contractors responsible for these deliveries. It’s recommended to refer to Section 4.2 of the UK’s Data Drops or the NBIMSv3 standard in the US for guidance.
Regarding existing projects, if owners need to generate O&M information but BIM was not originally implemented, they can start by using existing drawings, measurements, and delivery data to create the BIM model needed for O&M purposes. Once the model is established, information can be exported in the required exchange format (such as COBie) and handed over for operational use.
That wraps up our discussion on The Current Situation of BIM Operation and Maintenance in China and How to Solve It. I hope this article provides useful insights for everyone involved in BIM and building operations!
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