Question 1

What is BIM coordination?

Accepted Answer

BIM coordination is the process that facilitates management and coordination of information created in a Building Information Modeling (BIM) project. One of the main objectives of BIM coordination is to ensure that all information associated with a construction project is shared and coordinated across various disciplines. As such, any conflicts can be identified and resolved prior to the construction phase. For the BIM coordination process to work efficiently, it's essential to ensure optimization of information and workflows for all team members involved in a given project. Using a BIM management system allows you to manage BIM projects online in different proprietary file formats (PDF, DWG, DXF, etc.), collaborate in real time on the same BIM model and relating documents and also avoid errors, budget overruns and delivery delays.

Question 2

What is BIM coordination in an Open BIM® workflow?

Accepted Answer

BIM coordination is a key element of the openBIM® workflow. In general, a BIM coordination process involves the creation of a single BIM model that can be shared and used by all stakeholders involved in a construction project. In an openBIM® workflow, models are created with standardised file formats ensuring that all members have free access to project information regardless of the software they are using. This also allows different professionals to easily align their projects, minimise errors and reduce delivery time and costs. In openBIM®, therefore, BIM coordination finds its fullest expression, providing valuable advantages for those working in the AEC industry.

Question 3

Which software solutions are used when working in BIM?

Accepted Answer

BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is a process that involves the creation of a digital model of the asset and is crucial to ensure that planning, design, construction and management of buildings is highly efficient improving communication between all the different stakeholders involved. There are different types of software used in BIM design workflows to achieve these objectives. The three main categories are: BIM authoring software to create the 3D model (architectural, structural, MEP, etc.); BIM tools to edit or add information to BIM models during the project's lifecycle; BIM collaboration platforms to allow all project information and data to be shared across a single platform facilitating collaboration and coordination.

Question 4

What is the role of a BIM Coordinator?

Accepted Answer

The BIM Coordinator coordinates models from different disciplines and supervises the verification process. Their responsibilities include model federation, clash detection, issue management, information quality control, and supporting communication among designers, contractors, and stakeholders.

Question 5

What is model federation in BIM?

Accepted Answer

Model federation is the process of combining discipline-specific models into a single coordinated model. Architectural, structural, MEP, and other project models are aggregated in a shared environment to verify consistency, clashes, and information completeness before construction begins.

Question 6

Which models can be coordinated using BIM coordination software?

Accepted Answer

BIM coordination software can be used to coordinate architectural, structural, MEP, and other specialist models. The ability to work with open and native formats helps federate contributions from different software applications and centralize project control.

Question 7

Why is BIM coordination important in complex projects?

Accepted Answer

Because it helps prevent errors, delays, and rework before the construction phase. In complex projects such as hospitals, infrastructure, or industrial plants, coordination among disciplines is essential for managing clashes, schedules, costs, and the quality of the final result.

Question 8

What is an issue in the BIM coordination process?

Accepted Answer

An issue is a structured report of a problem or check that must be resolved within the model. It may concern a clash, an information inconsistency, a review request, or a non-conformity. Managing issues in a traceable way makes it possible to assign responsibilities, monitor progress, and document resolutions.

Question 9

How do you choose BIM coordination software?

Accepted Answer

When choosing BIM coordination software, it is important to assess:

interoperability
the ability to perform clash detection, issue tracking, and document management
the use of open standards
cloud collaboration
ease of use

Security, traceability, support for the formats used by the team, and the ability to scale across multidisciplinary projects are also important considerations.