Global leader in door opening solutions ASSA ABLOY is leading the charge in the rapid adoption of BIM, which offers powerful possibilities for increased knowledge sharing, simplified specification and collaboration
The National BIM Survey 2016 has predicted that BIM adoption in the construction industry in the UK is set to rise from 56% in 2016 to 97% in just five years. Tim Checketts, specification director of UK Specification, a UK division of ASSA ABLOY, says that while this is great news, the design industry must be careful that it isn’t adopted as a ‘tick box’ exercise, but rather seen as an important tool for collaboration and delivering tangible benefits for designers, owners and occupiers.
Collaboration and the sharing of data is vital to the success of BIM. At its heart, BIM is a collaborative tool that reduces waste and risk of error, and facilitates the sharing of detailed information that leads to more efficient buildings, throughout the design, construction and operational phases of the building’s life cycle.
BIM is being adopted further down the supply chain than ever before, with the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) incorporating BIM into their professional standards to reflect the growing impact it has on working practices of FM professionals. In a survey produced last year, BIFM found that 85% of industry professionals support full integration.
This wider sharing of data is only set to increase with the move towards BIM Level 3, which will allow manufacturers to feed straight into models, giving all parts of the supply chain better access to resources such as manufacturing data. But all this wealth of information is only useful if manufacturers understand how it can benefit designers and architects, as well as those throughout the specification process.
For the most part, it is clients, building owners and end-users that benefit from the data that BIM provides, predominantly through examining energy savings across buildings. This cost-driven approach is something that architects and designers are beginning to understand.
'Every aspect of a building contributes to its performance.The frequency of use of the door, the need for it to be open over longer periods of time, and indeed its own thermal performance all contribute to a building’s overall energy performance. When you consider the volume of doorsets that can be used in a building and the impact of, for example, the door width on a building’s overall dimensions and flow of people through a building, it is easy to see how if positioned correctly BIM doorset objects do have a role to play in energy savings,' explains Checketts.
With a range of BIM-ready door opening solutions, and 3D, BIM-enabled tools to simplify hardware specification, ASSA ABLOY is introducing efficiency and enhanced 3D visualisation to building design.
Using BIM-enabled tools like the company's BIM Door Solutions and Openings Studio together with native design tools, architects and specifiers can easily create complete, innovative solutions that complement the aesthetics, increase energy efficiency and optimise security. Within both systems, each BIM object has comprehensive information on everything from U-Value, materials and dimensions through to pricing and quantities.
Contractors can then view all this information to assess precise quantities, pricing, links to supplier websites and installation instructions. In addition, contractors are also able to track the status of installations across the project much more effectively.
These tools also ensure post-construction processes are managed effectively, such as environmental accreditations and handovers to facilities managers. The ongoing performance and maintenance of the building may also be monitored.
BIM-enabled tools are essential in keeping projects on track, reducing the as built and performance gap, initiated by the collaboration of architects and specifiers and monitored by facilities managers. Tools that can be utilised across the whole supply chain add considerable value to any project, as well as encouraging investment, innovation and growth throughout the industry.
To read more about BIM: The Future of Smart, Sustainable Buildings white paper click here.
For more information and technical support visit: www.assaabloy.co.uk/bim
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01902 366911