Project information model (PIM)

During the design and construction phase, the project information model (PIM) starts out life as a design intent model, showing the designers’ intentions. The project team then progressively develops the PIM across the project stages into a virtual construction model, after which the project team transfers the ownership to the construction suppliers until handover. The information manager delivers information to the employer via information exchanges. Usually, the information manager defines these information exchanges and sets them out within a scope of services document, and they correspond to important decision-making points that the client needs to action.

Include details of the arrangement and timings for the transfer of ownership of the PIM from the design team to the contractor in the conditions of engagement or contracts between the employer and supplier.

Asset information model (AIM)

The asset information model (AIM) is a single source of validated and approved information that relates to the built asset, and clients, end users, and facility managers use it for the operation and in-use phases. It may relate to a single asset, a system of assets, or the entire asset portfolio of an organization. The AIM provides a fully populated asset data set that can feed into computer-aided facility management (CAFM) systems.

The asset management team can derive information in the AIM from a number of sources, such as:

• Existing information and data transferred from existing organizational systems
• Recognizing or relabeling an existing data and information store
• New or updated information and data from surveys of the physical asset
• Information and data from the PIM

The information manager should authorize, validate, and accept information before the asset management team can rely on it as part of an AIM. The authorization and validation processes should follow any principles set out in an information management process.

Include the following in your AIM:

• Information concerning the original brief, specification, design intent, and analysis relating to the original installation of the asset and any subsequent changes
• 3D object-based models of the environment and location of the asset
• Information, or links to information, concerning the ownership of the asset and any rights or covenants associated with the asset
• Information, or links to information, concerning data obtained from the maintenance, survey, or other work carried out on the asset during its lifetime
• Information, or links to information, concerning data obtained from monitoring the operation and condition of the asset

Just like a vintage classic car, information about its past owner history and service records may be incomplete or even missing. The information manager is responsible for receiving and inputting information into the model in compliance with agreed processes and procedures. Through BIM, information can be provided to a standard data structure, which increasingly allows project teams to digitally verify that the information that is being requested has been delivered. The information manager should validate compliance with the information requirements and advise on any areas of noncompliance. An employer defines what she wants to receive as structured data, and the delivery team develops a proposal and submits a BIM in industry open standards such as IFC or COBie.

The BIM toolkit provides the tools to review the teams’ submission and identifies where the client’s information requirements have or have not been met. If there are errors or omissions, the BIM toolkit will identify them and allow the user to return to their BIM tool and correct them. This saves wasted time by avoiding the client receiving incorrect submissions. To allow the BIM toolkit review process to be carried out in all types of organization, both a cloud version and a standalone, in-house version are available. After a submission is ready, it’s passed on to the validation tool, which produces a simple spreadsheet report indicating the contents of a file and its compliance.

Bringing it all together

You may think of the model as a single entity, but it’s actually an assembly of distinct, interlinked domain models each produced by individual contributors. These models then come together to create a complete picture of the asset. In the future you’ll be working on a complete integrated model; however, for the time being we’re talking about a federated model. Think of a federated model as a number of consultants’ drawings, with the information subsequently transferred to a single master set.

In the following sections we discuss the central place in which the models and information are brought together, known as the common data environment (CDE) and the benefits that it brings.

Describing the digital information requirements

Information requirements need to be defined as part of the EIR, a pre-tender document forming part of the appointment and tender documents on a BIM project. The EIR sets out the information that the supplier will deliver and the standards and processes the supplier will adopt, as part of the project delivery process. The client (or the client’s adviser) develops the EIR, and it’s crucial to the BIM process in that client uses it to describe precisely which models she requires on a project and what the purpose of those models will be. The EIR defines which models need to be produced at each project stage — together with the required level of detail and definition. These models are key deliverables in the data drops, which are packets of information shared at strategic milestones along the project timeline, contributing to effective decision-making at key stages of the project and ensuring the whole project team has access to the latest information. The content of the EIR covers three areas:

• Technical: Details of software platforms and definitions of levels of detail
• Management: Details of management processes to be adopted in connection with BIM on a project
• Commercial: Details of BIM model deliverables, timing of data drops, and definitions of information purposes

The EIR is informed by the organizational information requirements (OIR) and asset information requirements (AIR) plus data needs to support interim decision-making.

Ideally, the EIR should advocate the use of open standards and specify the use of ISO 16739 for the exchange of model data. Doing so allows the client to select competing project teams based on her competency rather than the BIM platform being used. The compelling argument for using IFC is that newer versions always open older versions, so they’re ideally placed for achieving open file formats. IFC is going to be fundamental to achieving BIM Level 3 and an environment where everyone can work from a single integrated model. This may not happen for some time, but you can start to prepare for these data transactions now.

Include the following in your plan:

• Levels of development — for example, requirements for information submissions at defined project stages.
• Training requirements.
• Planning of work and data segregation including modeling management, naming conventions, and so forth.
• Coordination and clash detection, which is the process of identifying conflicts and issues through 3D collaboration and coordination — also known as interference checking. See Chapter 17 for more information on clash detection.
• Collaboration process.
• Any specific information that should be either excluded or included from information models.
• Any constraints such as model file or attachment sizes.
• Compliance plan.
• A definition of any coordinate origin/system (three dimensions) that the employer requires the design team to use to place graphical models; for example, ordnance survey locators, geospatial, and location with respect to an agreed origin.
• Schedule of any software formats, including version numbers that the supply chain will use to deliver the project.
• Exchange of information — alignment of information exchanges, work stages, purpose, and required formats.
• Client’s strategic purposes — details of the expected purposes for information provided in models.
• A schedule of any software formats, including version numbers that the supply chain will use to deliver the project.
• An initial responsibility matrix setting out any discipline responsibilities for model or information production in line with the defined project stages. The responsibility matrix sets out the relationships between disciplines and the production of information or models. It outlines who is responsible for what.
• A schedule of the standards and guidance documents used to define the BIM processes and protocols that the design team will use on the project.
• A schedule of any changes to the standard roles, responsibilities, authorities, and competences set out in the contract.
• Competence assessment.

The contents of the EIR may also include project-specific items such as pre-construction surveys or a requirement for the employer to receive information models describing newly generated products and assemblies.

Public sector employers may not want to (or be able to) specify software packages that their suppliers should use, but may instead specify the formats of any outputs. Private sector employers may choose to specify software packages and/or output formats.

An initial responsibility matrix forms part of the EIR, setting out any discipline responsibilities for models or information production in line with the defined project stages. The free-to-use RIBA Plan of Work Toolbox (www.ribaplanofwork.com/Toolbox.aspx) provides a downloadable spreadsheet (in Microsoft Excel format) containing customizable tables, allowing easy creation of the project roles, design responsibility matrix, and multidisciplinary schedules of services. The toolbox also contains helpful guidance and examples.

Demonstrating capability: BIM execution plans

The BEP is an important and useful document, even on a small project. Because BIM is enabling a faster design process, the need to consider software and hardware requirements, information exchanges, and how you plan to communicate with others has become even more important.

Essentially, the BEP is the supplier response to the questions and requirements set out in the EIR. Its purpose is to outline the vision and provide information and guidance to the project team to aid understanding and communication and so achieve a more collaborative process. A good plan indicates how the project team will produce and manage information and explains how the supplier will carry out and deliver the BIM project.

A number of templates and guidance documents can get you on the way to completing your BEP. The Construction Project Information Committee (CPIC) provides BEP templates for both pre- and post-contract as a free download at www.cpic.org.uk/cpix/cpix-bim-execution-plan.

The Pennsylvania State University Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) research program’s BIM Planning website (http://bim.psu.edu) has developed the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide, which is available as a free download. The guide was a product of the buildingSMART alliance (bSa) Project “BIM Project Execution Planning.”

To gain maximum value, make the BEP accessible to the whole project team. Put procedures in place so that any new team members are aware of the core project procedures.

The supplier prepares a BEP with the following:

• Pre-contract: Submitted at tender stage, pre-contract, to address issues in the EIR. It demonstrates the supplier’s proposed approach, capability, capacity, and competency to meet the EIR. It provides a way for the client to assess the supplier’s BIM credentials, resources, IT, and any other BIM project experience.

  Information the supplier provides in the pre-contract BEP should be sufficient to enable the employer or client to review the supplier’s BIM credentials so that she can make a selection or appointment. Include the following in your plan:

  • Information required by the EIR: The BEP should respond to the parts of the EIR that specifically require a response. This is likely to include information regarding planning of work and data segregation, coordination and clash detection, health and safety management, and collaboration procedures such as details of meeting schedules and agendas, model management, including filing storage, and structure and modeling requirements.
  • Project information: Such as project name, description, location and critical dates, key project members, project roles, company organization chart, and a contractual tree.
  • Project implementation plan (PIP): Each organization that’s bidding for a project submits this document as part of the initial BEP. Include company organization charts and details of project roles. Refer to the next section for more information about the PIP.
  • Project goals, objectives, and major milestones consistent with the project program: Include project goals for collaboration and information management and how the supplier’s proposals will meet these.
  • Project information model (PIM) delivery strategy: Consider the delivery strategy, taking into account the deliverables, accuracy, and completeness of the design at each stage of the project from brief to in-use.
• Post-contract: Submitted after the client awards the contract to explain the supplier’s methodology for delivering the project using BIM. The document should provide conformation and reassurance to the client and build upon the details and information provided in the pre-contract BEP. The post-contract BEP contains all the preceding information, plus the following:
  • Management: Details of roles, responsibilities, and authorities, existing legacy data or survey information (if available), and details of how the supplier intends to approve information.
  • Revised PIP information exchange: Now that the client has awarded the contract, the PIP should contain further details of the supply chain’s capability to deliver the project.
  • Responsibility matrix: It should outline the agreed responsibilities across the whole supply chain, task information delivery plan (TIDP), and master information delivery plan (MIDP). Check out the later section “Delivering the promises” for more about TIDP and MIDP.
  • Model QA procedures: Include details of modeling standards, naming conventions, model origin points, and agreed tolerances for all disciplines and change-control procedures.
  • Delivery strategy and procurement: Describe in detail the methods for contract management and the specifics of the procurement strategy and documentation that would need to be referenced for the actual delivery of the project.
  • Communication strategy: Incorporate what types of meetings the project team will have and when.
  • IT solutions and technology: Include agreed software versions, exchange formats, and details of process and data management systems.

Assessing competence: Project implementation plans

The employer uses the PIP to assess capability, competence, and experience of potential suppliers bidding for a project, along with quality documentation. It’s essentially a statement that relates to the supplier’s IT and human resource capability to deliver the EIR.

In this context the PIP relates to information capabilities. Don’t confuse it with a generic project management plan.

The PIP should describe and give a summary of the lead party such as the main contractor as well as the supply chain’s capability to deliver the project. A summary of the supply chain’s capability enables the employer to make a quick assessment and comparison. The assessments should cover the following:

• Supplier BIM assessment form: Completed by all appropriate organizations within the supply chain. It gives an opportunity for the supply chain to highlight any previous BIM experience and what benefits they realized, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate that the supply chain understands the analysis and methods that are proposed for the project.
• Supplier information technology assessment form: Completed by all appropriate organizations within the supply chain, usually with the assistance of the organizations’ IT departments. It demonstrates the capability and IT resource of the supplier for information exchange in a collaborative environment.
• Supplier resource assessment form: The supplier uses this to assess the organization’s current resource capability and capacity to demonstrate its capability to deliver the project.

The principal supplier is responsible for obtaining enough information about the supply chain to assure that it has the appropriate capability to meet the requirements set out in the contract and the EIR. Resolve any potential problems or issues around interoperability and information exchange as early as possible, ideally before the design commences. If the IT assessment highlights an incapability, in that files can’t open, read, or analyze models from the different teams, then drawing production will be difficult to achieve.

A simple BIM capability questionnaire is a good way to help the project team identify any training, coaching, or support requirements that the supply chain may require. The CPIC provides a BIM assessment form as a free download (www.cpic.org.uk/cpix/cpix-bim-assessment-file) that includes a BIM Capability Questionnaire template with 29 questions. The questions were created as part of working documentation provided by the Skanska UK BIM team.

Delivering the promises

After the client awards a contract, the project lead usually calls an initial meeting to collaborate and develop the MIDP made up from the team members’ TIDP. The following sections take a closer look at these two forms.