BIM & IFC: Revolutionizing Construction Collaboration

It is not an exaggeration to say that BIM has become ubiquitous since its foundations were laid in 1975. That year, the US professor Charles M. Eastman, a pioneer in computer-aided design for architecture, engineering and construction, published an article in the AIA Journal, which described interactive defined elements where information about maps, facades, perspectives and sections are collated in one document. Since then and in the course of an international creation process, BIM has been taken up around the world and can be defined as a smart and highly collaborative process enabling architects, engineers, real estate developers, contractors, and other construction professionals to plan, design, and construct buildings within one 3D model. In addition, its capabilities also serve the operation and management of buildings after construction has finished as the collected data can help property managers make better decisions.

BIM objects, the components that make up a BIM model, are intelligent, have geometry, and store data. If any element is changed, BIM software updates the model to reflect that alteration. Crucially, this keeps the 3D model consistent throughout the building process and feeds into what sits – quite literally – at the core of BIM: information. All the data that is collected is not only being stored but is highly functionable as it enables action where needed. It can used to, e. g., increase accuracy, improve knowledge transfer between stakeholders or offer insights into existing structures when renovation or remodel projects come up. Coming back to the innate collaborative nature of construction, BIM has therefore since its initial inception been a key means to optimize workflows between architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals as it drives the exchange of information.