Building Information Modeling For Dummies

Everything you need to make the most of building information modeling

If you’re looking to get involved in the world of BIM, but don’t quite know where to start, Building Information Modeling For Dummies is your one-stop guide to collaborative building using one coherent system of computer models rather than as separate sets of drawings. Inside, you’ll find an easy-to-follow introduction to BIM and hands-on guidance for understanding drivers for change, the benefits of BIM, requirements you need to get started, and where BIM is headed.

The future of BIM is bright—it provides the industry with an increased understanding of predictability, improved efficiency, integration and coordination, less waste, and better value and quality. Additionally, the use of BIM goes beyond the planning and design phase of the project, extending throughout the building life cycle and supporting processes, including cost management, construction management, project management, and facility operation. Now heavily adopted in the U.S., Hong Kong, India, Singapore, France, Canada, and countless other countries, BIM is set to become a mandatory practice in building work in the UK, and this friendly guide gives you everything you need to make sense of it—fast.

• Demonstrates how BIM saves time and waste on site
• Shows you how the information generated from BIM leads to fewer errors on site
• Explains how BIM is based on data sets that describe objects virtually, mimicking the way they’ll be handled physically in the real world
• Helps you grasp how the integration of BIM allows every stage of the life cycle to work together without data or process conflict

Written by a team of well-known experts, this friendly, hands-on guide gets you up and running with BIM fast.

Table of Contents

Part I: Getting Started with Building Information Modeling
Chapter 1: Defining Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Chapter 2: Explaining the Building Part of BIM: It’s Not Just Buildings
Chapter 3: Examining the Information Part of BIM
Chapter 4: Discussing the Modeling Part of BIM (and Management Too)
Chapter 5: Grasping the Fundamentals and Understanding What BIM Is

Part II: Creating the Foundations for BIM
Chapter 6: Looking at the Digital World Around You
Chapter 7: Preparing the Foundations for BIM
Chapter 8: Setting Up a Collaborative BIM Workflow

Part III: Understanding BIM Requirements and Developing BIM Processes
Chapter 9: Mandating BIM in the UK and across the Globe
Chapter 10: Standardizing the Modeling of BIM Objects
Chapter 11: Collaborating through BIM Requirements
Chapter 12: Encouraging BIM in Your Office or On-Site
Chapter 13: Developing BIM Plans and Strategies
Chapter 14: Considering the Issues that BIM Presents

Part IV: Measuring the Real-World Benefits of BIM
Chapter 15: Evaluating BIM Benefits and Investment
Chapter 16: Using BIM On-Site and BIM for Health and Safety
Chapter 17: Identifying All the Users of BIM

Part V: Exploring the Future of BIM
Chapter 18: Building the Future of Construction
Chapter 19: Eyeing the Possibilities: The Future of BIM
Chapter 20: Forecasting How New Technology Will Drive BIM

Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 21: Ten Types of BIM Tools, Software, and Platforms to Consider
Chapter 22: Ten of the Best BIM Resources
Chapter 23: Ten (or So) Myth-Busting Questions and Answers