Construction is changing around the world, thanks to a global standard that has its roots in Britain.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) helps to reduce cost, improve efficiency and avoid expensive errors and overruns.

An international BIM standard opens a new world for businesses who want to work globally, or simply produce world-class work in their own country.

The BS EN ISO 19650 series

The five-part BS EN ISO 19650 series provides a guide to organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) – Information management using building information modelling.

The five parts of the series are as follows:

• Concepts and principles

• Delivery phase of the assets

• Operational phase of the asset

• Information exchange

• Security-minded approach to information management

Part 4 of the series is currently under development by an ISO committee. The remaining parts were published in 2019 and 2020.

The British editions of the standard parts are accompanied by annexes and forewords to provide UK-specific guidance. There is also a Published Document, PD 19650-0, to help users of current BIM standards to transition to the new standards – for example by explaining terminology and differences in approach.

The Need for an International Platform

The ISO standards were developed from two now withdrawn UK BIM standards, BS 1192:2007+A2:2016 and PAS 1192-2:2013. The international standards take the UK's approach to BIM Level 2, with very little change to the content.

The standards are designed to be applicable to any built asset, covering the full life cycle from initial planning to final repair and end of life. They are also intended to be adaptable to projects of any level of scale and complexity, helping businesses to select proportionate strategies for areas such as procurement, in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

Back in 2011, BSI published a strategy paper for the Government Construction Client Group, noting that although BIM had the potential to benefit the UK construction sector, the technology would also be powerful as a disruptive technology on an international scale.

Focusing on BIM as an international rather than a domestic technology lays the path to more systematic collaboration with other nations, bringing benefits to all. It was recognized that a common security-minded approach would be needed to ensure that these tools would provide a firm foundation for collaborative projects.

BIM: More than just construction

BIM is not just about building methodology and coordinating the different parties involved in a project; it's a way of thinking about the process of creating a building and ensuring that the process is as agile and as efficient as possible so that the end result truly meets the need.

As Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of NBS, says: “BIM is a way of focusing on what we expect from a building and the process of getting there, rather than the target itself.

“It's about understanding what we expect from the built asset at the start of the project and then being able to test at the end whether we got what we expected and to manage that through its whole life use as well.”

To learn how to manage information within your construction organization, click here.

The Adoption of BIM in the UK

The use of BIM has spread rapidly across the UK construction sector, although it is still not used by every organization. However, the pace of change is impressive. The NBS 2020 BIM Report reveals that today knowledge of BIM within the sector is universal, with 73% using the methodology. This is a stark comparison to 2011 when 43% of survey respondents had not even heard of BIM.

The 2020 BIM Report shows that users understand the benefits of using BIM: improved coordination of information, better productivity, reduced risk and increased profitability. More people understand that BIM is not just simply another way of modelling projects and people in the sector are increasingly aware of standard documents and tasks set out in BIM standards including the BS EN ISO 19650 series.

Barriers to the adoption of BIM include a lack of client demand and the perception among smaller practices that BIM does not apply to their projects.

Has your organization started its BIM journey? Get instant access to all the standards and best practices you need to achieve the efficient and cost-effective delivery of information management across your projects with a BSI Knowledge subscription. It enables you to quickly search, discover and interpret standards and insights to help you meet your current BIM challenges and add value to your organization, anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Request to learn more.

Going Global: A Springboard to International Business

As an international system for planning, managing, implementing, and evaluating projects, BIM represents a currency that can open doors for British businesses. Proficiency in BIM can give companies an advantage in showing that they are resistant to delays, unforeseen costs and design problems.

As Richard Waterhouse noted, Brexit is unlikely to dent the strengths of British businesses in this respect. He said: “It's a world where we will have a single view of BIM irrespective of what happens in our relationship with Europe.”

Are you interested in the benefits of BIM for your business? Add the BIM Solution Pack to your collection today.