For design firms, BIM technology primarily involves the implementation of BIM models. A design project encompasses multiple disciplines, including site planning, geological surveys, architecture, structural engineering, water supply and drainage, HVAC, electrical systems, landscaping, cost estimation, and green energy conservation. Each discipline contains specialized, detailed information, which collectively forms the basis of BIM data.
Traditionally, various specialized software tools are used to complete professional designs, which are then delivered to the construction team as blueprints. However, since these drawings are two-dimensional, verifying them across different disciplines requires significant manpower and resources. This process often leads to errors, omissions, and inconsistencies. Using BIM, on the other hand, is more intuitive, saves time, and enhances quality.
Currently, BIM teams at various design institutes are focused on how to collect vast amounts of information from different design disciplines and integrate it into a model, often using software like Revit. However, the development of BIM in design firms has faced challenges due to limitations in existing software, as well as issues related to personnel skills, conceptual understanding, and secondary development capabilities.
The introduction of regulations such as the National Unified Standard for Building Information Modeling Applications in 2016 and the rollout of P-BIM standards have provided a more accessible approach for existing designs. Essentially, as long as the software used by each discipline complies with P-BIM standards, there is no need to learn new software; existing tools can be used to create BIM models. The data within each software package forms part of the overall BIM information.
Of course, there is still room for improvement, especially in standardizing software data exchange and personal modeling habits. Nonetheless, P-BIM offers a shortcut for “one-click” BIM model implementation across disciplines that continue to use their own software.
In summary, there are two main paths for implementing BIM technology in design institutes: one is to have personnel trained in software like ArchiCAD and Revit, and the other is to wait for software vendors to enhance P-BIM compliant tools. The first approach allows firms to seize market opportunities and boost competitiveness, while the second promotes broader adoption of information technology within the engineering and construction industry.
——Excerpt from “Reflections on the Current Status of BIM Application in Design Units – Taking BIM Design in a Hospital in Kunming as an Example”
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