BIM is going international

The UK is leading the way in building information modelling (BIM), so much so that two British Standards are being adopted internationally as ISO standards.

This is an exciting development, which will open up a new world for businesses that want to work internationally or simply to have confidence that they are following best practice.

UK standards are going global

Two UK BIM standards, BS 1192:2007+A2:2016 and PAS 1192-2:2013, were the foundation for the ISO 19650 series Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) – Information management using building information modelling. Parts 1 and 2 have been endorsed by CEN and published by BSI as BS EN ISO 19650‑1:2018, Part 1: Concepts and principles, and BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018, Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. There is additional explanatory text in  the National Foreword to Part 1 and also a National Annex to Part 2.

The international standards take the UK's approach to BIM Level 2, with very little change to the content. The standards are designed to be applicable to any built asset, covering the full life cycle from initial planning to final repair and end of life. They are also intended to be adaptable to projects of any level of scale and complexity, helping businesses to select proportionate strategies for areas such as procurement, in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

It's about more than just construction

BIM is not just about building methodology and coordinating the different parties involved in a project; it's a way of thinking about the process of creating a building and ensuring that the process is as agile and as efficient as possible so that the end result truly meets the need.

As Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of NBS, says: 'BIM is a way of focusing on what we expect from a building and the process of getting there, rather than the target itself.

'It's about understanding what we expect from the built asset at the start of the project and then being able to test at the end whether we got what we expected and to manage that through its whole life use as well.'

Why UK construction is flourishing

Despite an uncertain economic outlook, the UK construction industry is performing well. For example, the number of homes built in 2016–17 was up a full 74% on the figure 4 years previously, and the UK Government is set to increase this rate even further as part of a strategy to build one million new homes by 2020.^[1]

Construction makes up 6.1% of the UK economy, the third largest sector after services and production. Almost three million (2,731,370) people are employed in the UK construction industry, including plumbers, bricklayers, labourers, surveyors and carpenters, as well as office-based staff.^[2]

A closer look at the sector shows that some areas are performing better than others. For example, construction is projected to grow 2.7% in 2019, private housing will grow 2.0% and infrastructure will rise an estimated 13.1%. However, some sectors expect to see activity reduce: office construction is set to decline by 10% in 2019, and retail construction is likely to fall 10%.^[3]

BIM: a national success story

Although BIM is used in many countries, the UK construction industry has been particularly quick to embrace it. According to NBS, adoption has risen from just over 10% in 2011 to over 70% in 2018. Close to half the industry has been following key BIM Level 2 text PAS 1192-2:2013, and around two-thirds of construction companies use a common data environment for at least some projects.^[4]

The reasons for this enthusiasm about BIM lie partly in a supportive Government, which pushed adoption of BIM Level 2 through a mandate for public sector construction contracts. This is to support the Government's strategic aims to reduce the initial cost of construction by 33%, halve overall time from inception to completion for new-build and refurbished assets, halve greenhouse emissions in the built environment, and halve the trade gap between total export and import of construction products.^[5]

What do UK businesses think about BIM?

A recent survey by NBS found that the UK construction industry has a positive view of BIM. For example, on government targets, 72% of survey respondents thought BIM could help achieve a reduction in the initial cost of construction and the whole life cost of built assets, and 65% thought it could achieve a 50% reduction in the overall time from inception to completion of new-build and refurbished assets.

Respondents were more circumspect about BIM's contribution to government targets of reducing the trade gap and greenhouse gas emissions (33% and 46%, respectively, thought BIM would help to achieve these goals), but very few people thought BIM would actively hinder the targets.

The survey found that 74% of respondents were aware of BIM and were using it, 25% were aware of BIM but did not use it and just 1% were unaware of it. Most participants either were using BIM currently (74%) or would be using it in a year's time (91%), 3 years' time (96%) or 5 years' time (97%).

Most businesses taking part in the survey were using BIM Level 2 (70%), 21% were using Level 1 and 8% were using Level 3. The survey also indicated that there is more to do in standardizing BIM; 70% said BIM is 'not sufficiently standardized yet'.^[6]

A springboard to international business

As an international system for planning, managing, implementing and evaluating projects, BIM represents a currency that can open doors for British businesses. Proficiency in BIM can give companies an advantage in showing that they are resistant to delays, unforeseen costs and design problems.

As Richard Waterhouse noted, Brexit is unlikely to dent the strengths of British businesses in this respect. He said: 'It's a world where we will have a single view of BIM irrespective of what happens in our relationship with Europe.'

Are you interested in the benefits of BIM for your business? Why not find out more by visiting www.bsigroup.com/bim-transition-uk.