In recent years, China’s construction industry has actively promoted and developed BIM technology. Increasingly, projects are transitioning from the design and construction phases into the delivery and operation stages. Today, I will discuss how BIM is applied during these delivery and operational phases.
1. Interactive Simulation
Traditional CAD drawings often lead to misunderstandings or errors, even among professionals interpreting architectural information. This is largely because the delivered drawings contain all project data from design to construction—often comprising hundreds or thousands of sheets—making them difficult to read and comprehend, especially for non-professional tenants or homeowners.
By integrating BIM technology, tenants and owners gain a comprehensive understanding of the building through interactive tools. BIM software allows users to virtually navigate any location within the building and perform inspections. Stakeholders can freely observe design details and construction quality—such as store layouts, lobby lighting, elevator locations—and gain an in-depth understanding of the building’s equipment and facilities.
2. Advance Planning
Unlike 2D drawings, which cannot systematically or quantitatively display energy consumption for building systems, BIM offers powerful data analysis capabilities. It enables comprehensive, systematic analysis of equipment and facilities—especially electrical loads and HVAC requirements. This allows homeowners and clients to adjust plans based on actual needs or specific requests, facilitating better decision-making and optimized solutions.
3. Enhancing Traditional Operations and Maintenance
In traditional operations and maintenance, teams rely solely on 2D floor plans combined with Excel spreadsheets. When issues arise, quickly pinpointing problems from these drawings is difficult. The lack of detailed information limits the effectiveness of maintenance planning.
With BIM, maintenance personnel can promptly access detailed parameters of equipment, pipelines, and safety considerations through the 3D model. Problems can be identified quickly and accurately, allowing timely responses to maintain building system operations. For example, if a leak is detected, instead of inspecting the entire building, the team can consult the BIM system to locate valves or equipment in the suspected area, access specifications, manufacturers, part numbers, and other details, and efficiently carry out repairs.
4. Emergency Simulation
Traditionally, emergency drills during operations and maintenance are often treated as formalities with limited practical guidance. BIM changes this by enabling realistic simulations within the model. Owners can simulate emergencies or disasters in advance, identify potential issues in the process, and develop practical, data-driven prevention plans.
Training management personnel becomes more effective with BIM simulations for scenarios such as fires, evacuations, or power outages—situations that are difficult or impossible to recreate in real life.
That concludes the overview of BIM applications during the delivery and operation stages. I hope this insight proves helpful. In summary, BIM can be integrated throughout the entire building lifecycle. As its application and research continue to deepen in China, BIM is expected to elevate building informatization to new heights in the near future.
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