ABSTRACT
Once the client and team are used to working in Building Information Modelling (BIM) mode, savings in time and cost should become apparent. BIM speeds up the process, provided that its required procedure is followed. Perhaps the biggest recent change for clients in working with the construction industry is the arrival of BIM. The earliest big BIM example in the UK was Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport, completed on time and budget and let down only by its errant baggage system. The Operation and Maintenance database provided by BIM is fundamental to the quality of building performance and a major source of whole-life economy. Facilities Management functionality in BIM is likely to increase substantially in the coming years. Walk-through and set-piece visualisations and simulations are a feature of BIM-based design, and stakeholders and planners can appreciate the proposed answer to their brief more clearly. Consultants and main contractors are at varied levels of maturity in their use of BIM.
