Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology has arrived and is being used by designers, contractors, and suppliers to reduce their costs, increase quality, and, in some instances, achieve designs that would be impossible without digital design and fabrication. Studies by Stanford University’s Center for Integrated Facility Engineering report that BIM use has risen significantly and will continue to rise in the near future. Moreover, by Spring of 2008, McGraw–Hill estimates that the tipping point was reached where more teams are using BIM than exploring it.i This explosive growthii has been supported by preliminary development of BIM standards,iii contractual protocols for BIM use,iv and by related issues, such as modern electronic data licensing and file transfer agreements. And as the technical issues of standards and interoperability are addressed, the software capabilities will develop further.v BIM is not tomorrow’s vision; it is today’s reality.

Read Article