What is Building Information Modelling?
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process for creating and managing digital information throughout the lifetime of a building.
BIM provides a digitised record of information about every component of a building in one place, enabling everyone involved to view updated and accurate information at key stages of a project, including when a building is occupied.
BIM has been recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt as an effective way of incorporating building safety into the design and construction from the outset, as well as enabling an evidence base to support safety while a building is occupied. BIM can therefore support the construction, handover and management of safer, higher quality buildings, supporting housing associations to be compliant, intelligent and more efficient when developing and maintaining homes, potentially providing greater satisfaction for the residents living in them.
What is BIM for Housing Associations?
BIM for Housing Associations (BIM4HAs) is a joint project between housing associations and industry specialists, supported by the NHF. Established in 2018, BIM4HAs provides free resources to support housing associations to digitise their development and asset information.
BIM4HAs Toolkit
To help housing associations implement BIM, BIM4HAs has developed a free toolkit which takes the housing association sector through how to use BIM as a tool to deliver safe, high-quality and well-managed buildings.
The toolkit provides a suggested mechanism whereby housing associations can digitise their development and asset information, and manage vital information about their buildings, and has now been updated to include a new Asset Information Model.
For housing associations using the toolkit, BIM4HAs has also created a forum where housing associations can share their experiences, ask questions and provide feedback.
This BIM4HAs Toolkit is free for anyone to use. It includes:
- Scopes of Services
- A matrix of tasks which helps you to define your strategy, and describes who needs to do what, and when.
- Written and designed to be inserted into appointments and contracts.
- Asset Information Requirements (AIR)
- Define at the outset what you’ll need to know in the future for safety, compliance, asset management and repairs.
- Includes an example Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBie) sheet which provides asset information for building and components in a transferable format.
- Exchange Information Requirements (EIR)
- Sets out how information needs to be delivered on a project.
- Includes an example Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) which sets out what level of information is needed, who provides it, and when.
- Organisation Information Requirements (OIR)
- Describes the high-level information required by an organisation for asset management systems and other functions.
- Asset Information Model (NEW)
- A data model of the information needed to support strategic and day-to-day asset management processes, and the relationships between that data.
- Housing Association Data Dictionary (NEW)
- An introduction to the new Data Dictionary project that BIM4HAs are running to produce a set of agreed terms for the key data housing associations need about the components in their buildings.
- Guidance
- Outlines how to use the items in the Toolkit.
- BIM for Existing Buildings
- A report by asset managers on digitising existing asset information.
Join the launch webinar on Thursday 8 September at 1pm to find out more about using the toolkit and how it might benefit your organisation.
Register now.
