BIM has been utilized in China for over a decade. With continuous policy support from central and local governments, its future growth looks promising. However, many still face challenges when applying BIM at different stages. Today, let’s explore the stages of BIM application and key considerations at each phase.
1. Startup Phase
1. Assess the organization’s BIM capabilities: Organizations should evaluate policy requirements and objectives, review existing BIM experience and personnel, and set short-, medium-, and long-term goals supported by available funding. This planning helps define the expected benefits of BIM implementation.
2. Select suitable projects: Choose projects that align with the execution schedule and match previous experience. Clearly identify (1) target projects, (2) key stakeholders, (3) critical timelines, (4) benchmark cases, and (5) anticipated benefits to ensure a successful project launch.
3. Provide BIM education and training: Before introducing BIM technology, necessary training should be conducted to familiarize personnel with the latest BIM concepts and technologies. Clarify agency goals, management expectations, and stakeholder requirements to set appropriate objectives and assign responsible personnel.
2. Planning Phase
1. Form a BIM project team: Assemble a cross-disciplinary team from within the organization and its subsidiaries to understand existing specialties and administrative processes, ensuring effective BIM application.
2. Consider hiring professional consultants: If internal expertise is insufficient, especially for complex projects or when referencing external (including international) BIM cases, engaging consultants is advised. Simultaneously, plan for professional development of current staff to boost BIM capabilities and project efficiency.
3. Define the scope and purpose: Use past projects as references to establish the BIM application scope and objectives. Plan future benefit evaluations to assess BIM’s value. If multiple projects qualify for BIM integration, consider comparative analyses or expanding application fields across different projects.
4. Budget for BIM: Allocate a BIM budget based on the defined scope and purpose, informed by market research and previous cases.
3. Bidding Stage
1. Plan work tasks and draft standards: Refer to past project requirements to outline work tasks and corresponding standards. Incorporate these into bidding documents for technical services, engineering, or maintenance to facilitate BIM application.
2. Prepare bidding documents: Build upon existing bidding documents for technical services or engineering work by integrating BIM-related contract terms and execution specifications from other cases. Essential BIM-related content should include: (1) job execution process and schedule, (2) responsibility allocation, (3) payment methods, (4) deliverables, (5) intellectual property rights, (6) inspection mechanisms (process and result specifications), and (7) bidding instructions and evaluation criteria.
4. Application Stage
1. Review the BIM execution plan: Evaluate the vendor’s BIM execution plan against contract requirements. When necessary, involve experts or agencies with relevant BIM experience for assistance. Key review points include: (1) service requirements, scope, and deadlines, (2) execution framework, priorities, and processes, (3) assigned tasks and responsibilities, (4) software and hardware systems, (5) model construction criteria, (6) model verification and quality control mechanisms, and (7) final deliverables.
2. Implement BIM technology: Since BIM is still emerging in China, agencies should allow manufacturers some flexibility to apply BIM while ensuring original procurement goals are met. Maintain thorough records of: (1) BIM achievements and benefits, (2) limitations encountered, (3) conflicts with contracts or procedures, and (4) execution details to maximize BIM benefits and meet procurement objectives.
3. Evaluate BIM outcomes: BIM serves as an innovative tool and communication platform. To enhance the domestic engineering industry’s technical capabilities and guide future applications, agencies should document: (1) overall project benefits, (2) benefits of specific tasks, (3) areas for improvement, and (4) a review of initial work requirements.
5. End Stage
1. Conduct post-project BIM benefit evaluations: Although initial assessments occur during project execution, a post-completion evaluation ensures objective analysis of BIM’s benefits. This process generates documentation useful for future learning and supports recognition of the BIM team’s efforts.
2. Establish a BIM case database: Agencies should systematically collect documents and data from all BIM project phases to create a comprehensive case database. This resource becomes a valuable asset for future reference and knowledge sharing.
3. Share BIM success and failure experiences: As BIM adoption in China is still developing, sharing both successes and challenges with other personnel or organizations helps improve overall application standards. Public workshops or seminars, enhanced with current market insights, are recommended to increase their value.
That wraps up the discussion on the stages of BIM application and important considerations at each phase. I hope this article proves helpful to everyone!
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up