UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of the "National BIM Guide for Owners" Committee, John Messner, Charles and Elinor Matts Professor of Architectural Engineering; and Craig Dubler, Penn State Office of Physical Plant Facility Asset Management program manager and instructor in architectural engineering, received the National Institute of Building Sciences Honor Award.
The award is presented in recognition of the committee’s work creating the "National BIM Guide for Owners," the first national building information modeling (BIM) guide for building owners. The guide provides a documented process and procedure for project teams to follow in order to create a standard approach toward implementing BIM during the design, construction, maintenance and operations of facilities.
The award presentation took place during Building Innovation 2017: National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference & Expo.
“Many building owners are experimenting with different approaches to adopting BIM," Messner said. "This guide aims to consolidate the lessons learned on different projects into recommendations that make it easier for inexperienced owners to adopt BIM, and make it easier for experienced owners to develop standard BIM practices."
The guide is based on current BIM guidelines but uses a generic facility with uniform requirements to be used by various building owners. It references BIM documents and practices, including those found in the "National BIM Standard-United States," a comprehensive standard that will continue to be developed over time.
The 36-page guide provides building owners with information on three broad areas: process, infrastructure and standards, and execution. All building owners should understand these areas in order to efficiently and correctly direct the building’s project team. The guide was developed with the idea that BIM is not the end, but instead the means to numerous and potentially valuable project delivery outcomes for the building owner.
Dubler said the guide is designed for a positive national impact of BIM implementation and continuation.
“Owners who have thought about using BIM now have a guide that relates directly to their needs," said Dubler. "They do not have to start from scratch, and can rely on the guide’s minimal BIM requirements, as well as develop more detailed requirements that are unique to their organization or project."
Dubler added that building owners, like Penn State, who have already started implementing BIM can rely on the guide for minimum BIM requirements. Additionally, owners that have already started down the path of BIM implementation, like Penn State, also can rely on the guide or minimal BIM requirements, which will potentially lead to a decrease in yearly updates of standards and contract language.
“Once the guide becomes a standard it can be referenced by all BIM contracts and will be updated as industry progresses,” he said. “This is an exciting endeavor and it was great to be part of the development and deployment process.”
The "National BIM Guide for Owners" is a National Institute of Building Science publication. It was officially released at Building Innovation 2017 and is available free online.