The Development Trend of BIM Standards in China
Between 2011 and 2015, China’s 12th Five-Year Plan emphasized accelerating the adoption of new technologies in engineering, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and network-based collaborative workflows. The plan outlined specific initiatives to promote BIM collaboration and other advanced technologies to elevate the country’s engineering capabilities.
According to an announcement from the BIM Development Alliance in China—a national BIM industry technology innovation strategic alliance initiated by standard-setting organizations including the Chinese Academy of Building Sciences and Shanghai Academy of Building Sciences (Group) Co., Ltd.—the first national BIM standards were introduced. The Unified Standard for Building Information Modeling (BIM) Applications (GB/T51212-2016) was approved by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and officially implemented on July 1, 2017.
This standard consists of six chapters: General Provisions, Terminology and Abbreviations, Basic Provisions, Model Structure and Extension, Data Interoperability, and Model Application. Additionally, the “Construction Application Standard for Building Information Modeling” (GB/T51235-2017) was approved by the Ministry and came into effect on January 1, 2018. It is expected that more BIM-related standards will be approved and implemented in the near future.
Moreover, in 2017, the China Engineering Construction Standardization Association and the China BIM Development Alliance jointly approved 13 association standards, including the “Planning and Construction P-BIM Software Function and Information Exchange Standard,” which became effective on October 1, 2017.
In recent years, BIM has seen successful applications in several large-scale projects in Hong Kong, with government agencies, design firms, construction companies, and research institutions increasingly prioritizing and promoting BIM adoption.
Among Hong Kong’s administrative bodies, the Hong Kong Housing Authority stands out as the earliest and most active adopter of BIM technology. Since 2006, it has integrated BIM into public housing development projects. According to the Housing Authority, BIM has been implemented in over 19 public housing projects at various stages, including feasibility studies and construction.
To further advance BIM adoption, the Housing Authority has issued a series of BIM-related standards and guidelines since 2009:
1. Building Information Simulation Standard Manual (2009)
2. Guidelines for the Use of Building Information Simulation – Part 1 (2009)
3. Guidelines for the Use of Building Information Simulation – Part 2 (2009)
4. Design Guidelines for Building Information Simulation Component Library (2009)
5. Reference Data for Building Information Simulation Component Library (2010)
6. Building Information Simulation Standard Modeling Method – Structural Engineering (2014)
The Hong Kong Construction Industry Council, established in 2007, serves as a bridge between the government and private sector. It comprises three official members and over 20 representatives from the private construction industry. To promote BIM technology, the council released the “CIC Building Information Modeling Standards (Phase One)” manual in 2015. This manual covers architectural and structural models across conceptual design, preliminary design, detailed design, submission for approval, construction, and completion stages. For mechanical and electrical pipeline models, it addresses the conceptual and preliminary design stages only.
Another key organization active in promoting BIM in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Society for Building Information Modeling, founded in the early days of BIM adoption in the region. Officially established in 2009, the society began compiling its guidelines in 2010. After three revisions, the HKIBIM BIM Project Specification manual was officially published in 2011.
This manual is divided into three main sections:
1. BIM Project Objectives
2. BIM Specification (Building Information Model Specification)
3. Project Resource Planning
That concludes our overview of The Development Trend of BIM Standards in China. We hope this article provides valuable insights!
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