“BIM is a standard, a way of working, not a task”
A keen advocate of Building Information Modelling (BIM), Matt Samways, managing director of consultancy, AIMIS, is urging the healthcare construction sector to increase use of the digital approach to deliver the next generation of healthcare facilities.
BIM enables architects and construction engineers to create 3D models of a complete and furnished building using software such as Revit (Autodesk), MicroStation (Bentley) as well as Graphisoft Archicad, Allplan, and Vectorworks (Nemetschek Group).
This approach means problems and potential issues with the design or construction process are spotted, and rectified, at the earliest opportunity.
A shared model
But, argues Samways, BIM isn’t just a design or visualisation tool, it is a process that enables the creation of a shared data model available to all concerned; from the designers of the building to the construction company and finally the property owners and managers.
“We often get asked, ‘do you do BIM?’,” said Samways.
“As soon as I hear this term, I know the person doesn’t have a clue what BIM is.
“They’re thinking models, but BIM is much more.
“BIM is about working with a culture of sharing digital information across your businesses and every other business you’re working with on a project.”
And BIM is also about data!
“It enables the collection of data and gives the ability to store and share that data easily,” explains Samways.
“Some construction project data comes in the form of models, but also in many other forms. A planning application document is data; a building product spec sheet is data; a labourer’s timesheet is data.
“BIM enables a collaborative way of working, where anyone involved in the project has access to data from any stage in the project to assist them in their work.”
Quality of data
And this approach ensures the delivery, operation, and renewal of the built environment becomes more efficient, more sustainable, and safer – critical for healthcare facilities.
“The most-important element of a BIM-enabled project is the quality of the data which is held for that project,” said Samways.
“That data should cover the project’s whole lifecycle, from brief to planning application through to a digital O&M manual and into building use.”
He added: “Imagine if Grenfell Tower had been constructed as a BIM-enabled project. There would have been no lengthy inquiry process needed as the answers would have been held in the construction data.
“Moreso, the errors and oversights made in construction would not have happened if the project had followed the ISO19650 standard and maintained the Golden Thread, and no-one would have been able to turn a blind eye.”
The golden thread
Last year the Building Regulations Advisory Committee produced a paper setting out the principles of the ‘golden thread’ to encourage centralised digital record-keeping to reduce the risk of fire, improve compliance data to ensure the right people have access to information when needed, and consequently make buildings safer.
Samways said: “In today’s world, digital management of data allows repetitive tasks to be automated, increasing efficiency and ensuring accuracy.
“Introducing structure and search functionality allows for reliable data at handover, but it also ensures ease of access to data which can be used and re-used for multiple purposes throughout the project lifecycle.”
