NBS eNewsletter: March 2010

Welcome to the March edition of theNBS.com eNewsletter

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that BIM will revolutionise the design and development of buildings, but while it's starting to become more mainstream, there is still confusion on what it is and how is should be used. This month, we help make things clearer, with articles and videos explaining what BIM is and its potential use, plus an exclusive series of video interviews with international experts in the field of construction information.

BIM and building properties

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has made significant leaps forward and is now very much part of many construction professionals' lives. By using the geometry and spatial relationships, quantities and properties of the building elements within a building information model, real efficiencies and improvements in accuracy are being made in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings.

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Video: BIM: Building Information Modelling

The programme takes a closer look at what BIM can do, including a look at the benefits and technicalities of 'intelligent relationships'. It also explores whether there are situations where the use of BIM may not be appropriate, and clarifies the time and effort required to adopt BIM as a new working practice.

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Building Information Modelling: the holy grail?

Over the last 30 years we have been offered total project process and management solutions that have been variably named 3D modelling systems, project modelling, single building models, single model environments, common data environments and now, the latest of them all, the Building Information Model (BIM).

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Video: Don Bunting talks about Building Information Modelling

In one of a series of exclusive interviews on the development of BIM around the world, Don Bunting, former Chief Executive of Construction Information Ltd in New Zealand, discusses what BIM is, how it can be used, and where he sees it heading.

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View additional interviews with other international BIM experts:

The fall of skill, the rise of automation

Looking backwards in time, we see that radically new information technology (IT) last changed the construction sector during the Renaissance. Looking at the present, we see that radically new IT is kicking in again, through the global rise, in a tenth of the time, of a single IT – computing. So where is building documentation heading?

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Project management and critical paths

This programme provides an introduction to critical path analysis, including a comparison between 'critical paths' and 'critical chains' as well as the relative merits of Gantt charts. This is followed by a more detailed look at flow charts, giving a clear idea of their actual workings. There is also a brief look at the resourcing of projects and the issue of 'project crashing'.

View clip >>

The efficiently formed building

Designing free-form buildings and blobs is the new trend in architecture. This is due to newly evolved software tools and the ease in creating such objects. In this exclusive extract from Space Craft: developments in architectural computing we introduce the design of complex-shaped buildings using new software tools.

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Pre-order now: Approved Document G: Sanitation, Hot Water and Water Efficiency

The new 2010 version of Approved Document G (sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency) will be available in paper format at the end of March, and will come in to force on 6th April 2010. It is available to pre-order now.

Pre-order your copy of the finalised version of Approved Document G today. We will despatch your order automatically upon publication.

Pre-order now >>

New BIM titles from www.ribabookshops.com

This month we highlight a selection of BIM titles, available from the brand new RIBA Bookshops website.

BIM Handbook: a Guide to Building Information Modelling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors – BIM Handbook provides an in-depth understanding of BIM technologies, the business and organisational issues associated with its implementation, and the profound advantages that effective use of BIM can provide to all members of a project team.

Also from RIBA Bookshops:

Building Information Modeling: A Strategic Implementation Guide for Architects, Engineers, Constructors, and Real Estate Asset Managers – With this strategic guide to building information modelling (BIM), you'll learn how to implement this new technology as part of a comprehensive systems approach to the design, construction, management, operation, maintenance, and use of buildings. Building Information Modeling shows how BIM supports more streamlined, integrated, and efficient business processes throughout the life cycle of buildings, from their initial conception through their eventual retirement or reuse.

a+u Special Issue, August 09: Architectural Transformations via BIM – This issue explores the potential for BIM technologies in design. Includes essays, photos, and models on fabrication, simulation, and design using BIM. Also includes a section on BIM in Japan, specifically. Text in English and Japanese.

All books listed above are available to order from www.ribabookshops.com, from the mail order department: +44 (0) 207 256 7222 and from RIBA Bookshops in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Recommended websites

International Construction Information Society (ICIS)
ICIS is a worldwide association of organizations which provide national master specification systems and/or cost information systems. It works to integrate a wide variety of related project data, particularly drawings, specifications, costs, and product information.

BuildingSMART International
BuildingSMART is the International Alliance for Interoperability, and is an international membership organisation bringing together construction professionals, software vendors and progressive construction customers to demonstrate the efficiency and sustainability benefits that true interoperability can deliver.

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