21. Summary
A world-class set of free-to-use standards and tools
A focus on maintained technical content
Free online functionality to help those at level-2 BIM
22. A big thank you to the team
Steering teamCore teamClients
Revision 1.0 - Last updated 22 September 2015
Slide deck for general use as an introduction to the NBS BIM Toolkit.
10 main slides showing the core concepts.
A knowledge of the UK Government’s BIM Strategy and the Level 2 BIM set of standards and tools is assumed.
This presentation looks at:
A quick overview of the UK Government’s Level 2 BIM set of standards and tools.
The technical content within the BIM Toolkit – classification, definitions, template tasks.
The functionality within the BIM Toolkit – digital plan of work, import/ export, verification and interoperability.
It is hard to do justice to the scope and background to the tool in 10 minutes – hyperlinks to further information, where available, are provided in the presentation Notes.
Further information:
A video introduction to the NBS BIM Toolkit can be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-toolkit-in-90-seconds
An article introducting the NBS BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Asset management and asset construction both need an information management system and process, supported by a number of tools to manage data. The data can then be used through many activities to realise and add value. The overall purpose is to meet the requirements of stakeholders in the operation and construction of an asset.
The illustrations here look at both the capital phase and the operation phase. Note the central process standards, then the supporting tools which realise the value and the over-arching wrapping of the security-minded guidance.
This presentation assumes a prior understanding of the Government strategy and the Level 2 standards and tools. This presentation focuses on the NBS BIM Toolkit content and functionality.
Further information:
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
Key points on classification
The UK needs a unified classification system that is built-for-BIM and based on the ISO 12006-2 international framework and covering infrastructure as well as buildings.
The Uniclass 2015 tables consistently cover classes of items from facilities (holiday village) to entities (restaurant) to activities (dining) to elements (internal walls) and spaces (washroom) to systems (ceiling) to products (ceiling tile).
The NBS BIM Toolkit allows users to explore the Uniclass 2015 content by browsing, filtering, searching or downloading it.
Further information:
Expert article on classification from Sarah Delany at NBS: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/classification
Key points on LOD
The screenshots show the principles of a level of detail within the model (and taken from the model or drawn on the model) – these grow through the timeline. An architectural and a service engineering example are shown.
Further information:
Expert article from BDP’s Alistair Kell on LOD: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/levels-of-definition
Key points on LOI
BIM is not only about geometry (drawing generation and clash detection). The “I” in standards for “information”. Within the NBS BIM Toolkit “level of definition” is split into geometry (defined in LOD guidance) and associated information (defined in LOI guidance).
The screenshots shows the LOI bandings that have a number code that is roughly typical of the associated stage in the plan of work. This screenshot is from the technical article on the site showing how the information on a surveillance system can grow from outline to performance to generic to proprietary to as-built..
Further information:
Technical article on LOI from NBS Stefan Mordue - https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/levels-of-definition
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
This illustration is from PAS1192-2 which describes the information management and development process for Level 2 BIM.
PAS 1192-2 considers this information development through the stages of the plan of work.
It explains the concept of the generation of employer’s information requirements based on the client’s plain language questions and this being the focus of information development through the project lifecycle.
Ultimately it is about procuring digital information in addition to the physical asset.
Further information:
An introduction article to the BIM Toolkit from Stephen Hamil at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
Rob Manning from the UK Government BIM Task Group introduces Level 2 BIM at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/the-level-2-bim-package
The UK Government BIM Task Group website: www.bimtaskgroup.org
Within the NBS BIM Toolkit tasks and deliverables can be defined at the strategy/ brief stage of the project:
These information requirements can be aligned to a particular stage of the project and assigned to a role – note that template tasks may be chosen when starting a project.
This information set can be exported to an easy to manipulate format for inclusion in an Employer’s Information Requirements document.
It can also be exported to a format that can be digitally used so that on a project (for example) that went from client to bidders to lead designer to bidders to construction lead – information would not have to be re-keyed.
Further information:
An expert article on Employer’s Information Requirements from Richard Watson at the NBS may be viewed at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/employers-information-requirements
As the project develops, model deliverables will grow in terms of how they are geometrically represented and the information that is associated with them.
Within the digital plan of work, these deliverables may be selected from the Uniclass 2015 structure.
The tool allows the user to define LOD and LOI at bandings from “concept” through to “hand-over”.
All connected information is handled online through the free-to-use website – click on an LOD or LOI to see that information instantly.
Further information:
This information development is shown in more detail in the article from Stephen Hamil at the NBS at: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-toolkit
The NBS BIM Toolkit had a six month funding period to take it from a feasibility study through to beta software. In terms of turning this platform into a self-sustaining offering that is free to end users an advertising model has been chosen as the best option. It keeps the service free to end users and also puts the end user in touch with the manufacturer, digitally, at relevant moments in a project.
Manufacturer content is placed at relevant locations. In the example shown an architect has the responsibility for the specification of a door hardware system at the technical design stage of a project. Should the architect choose to do so, they can browse the technical specification content from manufacturers that are supporting the free service. In addition to specification content, BIM content and technical literature are also available from appropriate places.
NBS specification – Those users that also subscribe to NBS may generate specifications automatically from the deliverables that are added to a digital plan of work. A specification with items such as retaining wall and drainage could be generated for the civil engineer. A specification with items such as fencing and playgrounds could be generated for the landscape architect.
Further information:
More information on NBS Create: www.thenbs.com/NBSCreate
How manufacturers can be placed within NBS products and services: www.riba-insight.com
The requirement information can be exported to BS 1192:4 format (COBie). The supplied information, if in IFC format, can be exported to BS 1192: 4 format. Having both the requirements and supplied information in the same standard format allows for verification in any software tool that complies with BS 1192:4.
Note, as of May 2015, this functionality is in private beta only.
Credit for the work here goes to the BIM Academy and the work they are doing on their xBIM software development kit.
The screenshot shows the supplied information automatically generated from IFC to BS 1192:4 format.
Further information:
Download BS 1192-4 (COBie) for free at: http://shop.bsigroup.com/forms/BS-1192-4/
Expert article on verification from Professor Steve Lockley at the BIM Academy: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/verification
Defining and delivering information in an open, standard, format allows for this information to be digitally verified.
The first illustration demonstrates this workflow.
The screenshot shows this information being visually checked, online, using a free IFC viewer.
Further information:
Expert article on verification from Professor Steve Lockley at the BIM Academy: https://toolkit.thenbs.com/articles/verification
Key points
The digital revolution is changing the way that construction industry works worldwide. This is the biggest change in a generation. The UK is leading here through a Government strategy that is working.
The NBS BIM Toolkit is fundamentally about well-structured digital information.
There is also free-to-use software that supports the whole industry in their move to Level 2 BIM.
www.thenbs.com/toolkit
Although NBS were the project lead and the organisation with the responsibility to develop this free-to-use service going forward, this project has been (and continues to be) a huge team effort.
www.thenbs.com/toolkit
Create a project now and explore the content and the functionality…
For those wanting to join the conversation on social media – the relevant hashtag is #BIMToolkit – NBS monitor tagged posts and respond to feedback.
www.thenbs.com/toolkit