An Authoritative Source of Innovative Solutions for the Built Environment

National BIM Guide for Owners

National Institute of

BUILDING SCIENCES

January 2017

National BIM Guide for Owners 090916 0

Disclaimer:

When using this Guide to develop contracts between stakeholders regarding the use of BIM to plan, design, construct, and operate buildings, the information herein should not be considered a substitute for legal, business, insurance or financial advice. Each stakeholder or party to a contract is strongly encouraged to seek the advice of attorneys, and business, insurance, and financial counselors and advisers, as each stakeholder deems appropriate, when drafting, reviewing, and negotiating all contracts and clauses including, but not limited to, all terms and conditions, contract and project management requirements, intellectual property rights, and the electronic storage and transfer of documents and data.

National BIM Guide for Owners 010317 i

NATIONAL BIM GUIDE FOR OWNERS

FOREWORD ......................................................................................................................................... v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... vi

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 PURPOSE

1.2 SCOPE

1.3 USE

2. PROCESS

2.1 DEFINE BIM REQUIREMENTS

2.1.1 BIM Uses and Requirements

2.1.2 Project Delivery Method

2.1.3 Intellectual Property

2.1.4 Final Turnover Requirements

2.2 TEAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

2.2.1 Owner’s BIM Representative(s)

2.2.2 Project BIM Manager Role

2.2.3 Discipline/Trade BIM Leads

2.2.4 Collaboration

2.3 BIM PROJECT EXECUTION PLANNING

2.3.1 File Sharing Requirements

2.3.2 Data Security

2.4 MANAGING PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

2.4.1 Quality Planning

2.4.2 Quality Assurance

2.4.3 Quality Control

3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND STANDARDS

3.1 TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

3.2 STANDARDS

3.2.1 Categories of Standards

3.2.2 Standards in this Guide

3.2.3 Open Standards Format for Supporting Information

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3.3 SPACE AND GRAPHICAL STANDARDS

3.3.1 Owner‐Specified Guidelines and Standards

3.3.2 Drawing

3.3.3 Sheet Layout

3.3.4 Areas/Rooms/Spaces

3.3.5 Digital Documentation and Archiving

3.4 FILE STRUCTURE

3.4.1 Owner‐Specified Requirements

3.4.2 Folder Naming

3.4.3 File Naming

3.4.4 Component Naming Conventions

3.4.5 Submittal Package

3.4.6 File Sharing

3.4.7 Data Transmittal Requirements

3.5 MODEL STRUCTURES

3.6 MODEL REQUIREMENTS

3.6.1 Modeling Responsibility

3.6.2 Modeling Process

4. EXECUTION

4.1 BIM Project Execution Plan (PxP)

4.1.1 Development of the BIM PxP

4.2 BIM Uses

4.2.1 BIM Use Definition

4.2.2 Essential BIM Uses

4.2.3 Enhanced BIM Uses

4.2.4 Owner‐Related BIM Uses

4.3 Model Deliverables

5. GLOSSARY

6. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

7. CITATIONS

National BIM Guide for Owners 010317 iii

Acknowledgements

The National Institute of Building Sciences would like to extend sincere thanks to the following agencies and individuals for their support, input, and generous sharing of BIM knowledge and existing information:

State of Wisconsin

Bill Napier, Project Manager, Wisconsin Department of Administration

Jerry Walters, Executive Director of CESA 11

Wendy von Below, Wisconsin Department of Administration

Aden Sayers, Architectural Program and Policy Analyst

Kevin Connolly, AIA, Connolly Architects

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Jason Fairchild, CAD/BIM Community of Practice Leader

Steve Hutsell, Chief, Geospatial Section, Seattle District

Brandon Tobias, AIA, Architect

Van Woods, BIM Program Manager

U.S. Department of Defense—Defense Health Agency

John Becker, Director, Facilities Division

Russell Manning, PhD, Chief, Operations & Life Cycle Integration

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Renee Tietjen, AIA, LEED‐AP, Senior Architect, VA BIM Program Manager, Construction & Facilities Management

U.S. General Services Administration

Ilana Hellmann, PE, BIM Program Expert, Program Management Branch

Charles Matta, FAIA, Director, Center for Building Information Programs, Public Buildings Service

Horatio McDowney, IT Applications Project Specialist, Center for Building Information Systems

Corresponding Members

Paul Audsley, Assoc. AIA, Principal/Director of Digital Practice, NBBJ

Brian Halma, Business Strategy Manager, Americas , RICS

Ayse Polat, AIA, NY Main VDC Field Operations BIM Manager, Turner Construction

Alan Muse BSc (Hons) MSc ,FRICS, Global Director of Built Environment Professional Groups, RICS

Dennis R. Shelden, AIA, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, and Director, Digital Building Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology

We also would like to thank the American Institute of Architects (AIA); American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‐Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA) for their support in completing this project, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense – Defense Health Agency for financial support.

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National BIM Guide for Owners Project Team

Dan Chancey, RPA, Chair Senior Vice President, Asset Management, Cushman & Wakefield, Commercial Advisors

Ernie Conrad, PE, BOMA Fellow Representing BOMA International

Carrie Sturts Dossick, PhD, PE Associate Professor and Executive Director, Center for Education and Research in Construction, University of Washington

Craig R. Dubler, PhD, DBIA Manager, Facility Asset Management, Penn State University

Johnny Fortune, CDT, LEED AP BIM/IT Director, Bullock Tice Associates

M. Dennis Knight, PE, FASHRAE Founder & CEO, Whole Building Systems, LLC Representing ASHRAE

John I. Messner, PhD Charles and Elinor Matts Professor of Architectural Engineering, Director, Computer Integrated Construction Research Program, Penn State University

National Institute of Building Sciences

Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA President

Dominique Fernandez

Earle Kennett Consultant/Team Leader

Stephanie Stubbs, Assoc. AIA, PMP Project Manager

National BIM Guide for Owners 010317 v

FOREWORD

Recent SmartMarket Reports by McGraw Hill Construction (now Dodge Data & Analytics) indicate the business value of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is increasing. The Business Value of BIM in North America: Multi‐Year Trend Analysis and User Ratings (2007‐2012) showed BIM adoption increasing from 17% in 2007 to 71% in 2012, with 62% of respondents among the industry perceiving a positive return on their investment in BIM. The Business Value of BIM for Owners (2014) identified 68% of U.S. Owners surveyed as either requiring or encouraging BIM for their projects.

The National Institute of Building Sciences is proud to introduce the National Building Information Modeling Guide for Owners (NBGO), intended to outline for the building Owner how to develop and implement requirements for BIM application in internal policies and procedures as well as in contracts to plan, design, construct, and operate buildings.

As BIM adoption in the U.S. continues to rise, the Owner stands to benefit most, by implementing BIM as a tool to maximize a building’s value throughout its lifecycle. BIM potentially facilitates better‐ informed Owner decision‐making, design‐intent communication, project coordination across various phases, enhanced project delivery schedule and budget management, post‐construction asset and facility management, building automation and control, and many other benefits, including increased property resale values of the building, as well as leasing revenues.

We authored the NBGO to assist Owners in working with the other members of the building team to maximize the potential of BIM on their projects. We would welcome your comments and feedback as you put the NBGO to work for you.

Sincerely, Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA

President

National Institute of Building Sciences

January 1, 2017

National BIM Guide for Owners 010317 vi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The intended audience for this Guide is the building Owner. The Guide defines an approach to creating and fulfilling Building Information Modeling (BIM) requirements for a typical project from the Owner’s standpoint.

Merely requiring BIM on a project does not equate to success if the Owner’s goals for the project are not clearly set and BIM requirements do not correlate to achieving those goals. BIM must be well planned and properly executed; not just BIM, but “BIM DONE RIGHT,”1 aligning the right amount and types of resources to achieve the right results.

This Guide builds on the premise that BIM, in and of itself, is not the end but rather the means to a number of potentially valuable project delivery outcomes for the Owner. It offers a toolset addressing three broad areas the Owner should understand in order to direct the Project Team to BIM DONE RIGHT: process, infrastructure and standards, and execution.

The Process for using BIM effectively on a project begins with defining BIM requirements in the Owner's contracts with service providers (to plan, design, construct, and operate the building) and with other stakeholders based on the project delivery method (design‐bid‐build, design‐build, IPD, etc.).

Early on, a successful BIM process includes identifying the roles and responsibilities of key project stakeholders with respect to information modeling as well as creating a BIM Project Execution Plan (PxP), an outcome‐driven BIM roadmap that details how the project will be completed. Process also includes managing the project for compliance with the PxP and contract requirements, including the project deliverables.

Infrastructure and standards acknowledges the high degree of human collaboration and software interoperability needed for successful project information modeling , particularly as the project moves from phase to phase. To achieve the necessary level of interactivity, the Owner must require all members of the Project BIM Team to adhere to a framework of standards and structures from the project’s onset.

Execution encompasses creating a Project Execution Plan (PxP), a master plan for how information modeling will be done and managed, at the inception of a project. The PxP documents the Owner’s and the Project BIM Team’s mutual agreement on how, by whom, when, why, to what level, and for what project outcomes (called “BIM Uses”) information modeling will be used.

While the Guide highlights the essential requirements for BIM, it also offers options for Owners who wish to go beyond minimum requirements. And finally, while the guide uses the term “building” generically, in keeping with the terminology of “Building Information Modeling,” it is intended to apply to information modeling for the built environment; i.e., site elements and facilities as well as buildings.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the National Building Information Modeling Guide for Owners (NBGO) is to outline for the building Owner how to develop and implement requirements for the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for internal policies and procedures, and explain how to include these requirements in contracts to plan, design, construct and operate buildings. This Guide uses the term “building” generically, in keeping with the terminology of “Building Information Modeling.” It is intended to apply to information modeling for the built environment: site elements and facilities as well as buildings.

1.2 SCOPE

This Guide establishes recommendations for processes, standards, and deliverables for a BIM‐enabled project that can be continually shared and agreed upon by the Owner and the rest of the Project BIM Team, which can include planners, constructors, facilities managers, and subcontractors, as well as designers.

1.3 USE

The recommendations in this Guide should be used by the Owner to create specific project requirements for BIM based on the project’s unique and individual needs that can then be followed and implemented by the Project BIM Team to enhance facility value.

Many aspects of the building industry are discovering increased value in BIM. Owners, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and facility managers all have collective and individual interests for the project and their business continuity, respectively. BIM has the capacity to be used within each phase of a project – from conceptual, through final design, construction, and on to operations – with a variety of applications ranging from Clash Detection, Quantity Takeoff, Scheduling, FM operations, and many others. While each application or

‘use’ of BIM offers value in itself and any project participant engaging in these various ‘uses’ could state they are

‘doing BIM’; the efforts won’t likely yield optimal results without proper planning, coordination, and execution.

It is the project team’s activities in concert with the Owner’s requirements that provide the greatest potential lifecycle value. This is “BIM Done Right”* and helping Owners achieve this for their projects is the goal of this

Guide.

‐‐Johnny Fortune BIM/IT Director, Bullock Tice Associates

* Tice, John, Bullock Tice Associates BIM DONE RIGHT, a BIM‐enabled, client‐focused delivery approach and strategy (2015).

http://www.bulltice.com/

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2. PROCESS

At the project’s inception, the Owner establishes the intent and general requirements for the building.

Collectively, these are known as the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR), and are defined by the National BIM Standard – United States® (NBIMS‐US™) Version 32 (V3) as the ‘Owner's written documentation of the functional requirements of the "facility" and the expectations of how it will be used and operated. They include project and design goals, budgets, limitations, schedules.’ These requirements are transferred into the building’s “basis of design,” (BOD), used by the building’s design team to define the approach and parameters for designing the building to meet the Owner’s requirements. The data developed during design is then transferred by the design team into construction documents, which become the record of all the building’s physical elements. As each building element’s construction is completed, it is either accepted through traditional design team construction contract administration practices and/or commissioned by an independent Commissioning Authority that the final construction meets the OPR and that the functional performance of the element has been verified.

As the project moves from phase to phase, the information contained within the BIM grows in both quantity and specificity. The nature of BIM technology and the interoperability (ability to be exchanged and used) of the data contained within the BIM allow different Owners to use the BIM in multiple ways, depending on their specific needs. In addition to design and construction, BIM applications can include asset management, building automation and control, interdisciplinary coordination, scheduling, cost estimating, and integrated construction specifications.

Models generated during planning, design, construction, and operations continue to serve as information resources used to keep the building operating at optimal efficiency. When well planned and executed, the use of BIM may reduce the building life‐cycle cost. Using BIM in concert with planning and team building, with its shared and continually updated information, also helps the team minimize conflicts, cuts down on repetition and duplication of tasks, and helps to optimize planning, design, construction, and operations.

The process for enabling BIM to be used effectively on a project should follow these steps:

1. Define minimum BIM requirements in the Owner's contracts with service providers (planning, design, construction, operations, etc.) and other stakeholders based on the project delivery method (design‐bid‐build, design‐build, IPD, etc.).

2. Identify the roles and responsibilities of key project stakeholders with respect to information modeling.

3. Collaboratively create a BIM Project Execution Plan (PxP) with key project stakeholders.

4. Manage the project for compliance with the PxP and contract requirements, including Model and Data Deliverables, through periodic reviews.

Where the model(s) is to be used for design/documentation and then for construction, the BIM PxP should address model exchange procedures, i.e., how the model(s) can migrate between project phases effectively with minimum effort. First, the Project BIM Team members need to coordinate the BIM Uses they seek to leverage when they determine the model exchange procedures. For example, National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 4 model coordination would require a high degree of geometric accuracy for the design model. Once BIM Uses are identified, the team should decide who is developing which models, and when these models are exchanged. The BIM PxP should be used to organize responsibilities and modeling requirements.

2.1 DEFINE BIM REQUIREMENTS

BIM requirements are defined by the Owner’s overall goals, business practices, and corporate culture and are shaped by the OPR. They are developed on a project‐by‐project basis, as the Project BIM Team selects BIM Uses to achieve these requirements. The Owner should provide any resources, such as feasibility studies and/or access to stakeholder interviews, for the BIM Project BIM Team to define Owner‐related goals. Once the Owner’s project BIM goals are defined, the Project BIM Team should also ensure that these BIM goals can be met with current technology practices and required team competencies. The project BIM goals should lead to the choice of BIM Uses and additional BIM requirements.

2.1.1 BIM Uses and Requirements

The Owner should at a minimum require the five Essential BIM Uses described in Section 4.2.2: Existing Conditions, Design Authoring, Design Review, three‐dimensional (3D) Coordination, and Record Modeling. Project conditions may justify other Enhanced BIM Uses, as described in Section 4.2.3, or Owner‐Related Uses, as described in Section 4.2.4. The Project BIM Team should develop the recommended BIM Uses for the project by leveraging resources provided in the National BIM Standard– United States® (NBIMS‐US™) Version 3 (V3) along with other resources. NBIMS‐US™ , developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance®, contains core consensus‐approved standards regarding the exchange of information and standard practices for implementing BIM on a project.

Once BIM Uses are defined, the Level of Development (LOD) requirements should be determined.

There are Default LOD, Template LOD, and Custom LOD (see Section 3.6.4). An Owner can adopt a Default LOD that references established LOD requirements, such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Minimum Modeling Matrix (M3).3 The Owner also can use existing templates to develop LOD requirements, such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) G‐202 Building Information Modeling Protocol.4 It also is possible for Owners to develop a custom LOD matrix for their organization, but if they do so, they should adhere to the LOD spec definitions. Any of these three forms of LOD specification provides a means for Owners to develop contract requirements for models and data requirements.

2.1.2 Project Delivery Method

The choice of project delivery method for the project affects the way in which the BIM is developed and how information is exchanged. A design‐build (DB) project may only have one Project BIM Manager, while a design‐bid‐build (D‐B‐B) project should have one BIM Manager for design and another one for construction. Similarly, the Owner should understand that the project delivery method will affect the level of responsibility that the Owner assumes for information management and

National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 5 exchange between project phases. For example, in D‐B‐B, the Owner may be responsible for information exchange between design stakeholders and construction stakeholders. The project contracts should define responsibilities for the design and construction contracting entities, and, therefore, the Level of Development (LOD) and division of responsibilities. Information exchange across contracting parties also should be clearly defined and closely managed.

2.1.3 Intellectual Property.

Project deliverables should be clearly and completely defined in the Owner/designer and Owner/contractor agreements, especially if the PxP is developed after contracts have been executed.

The intellectual property rights of the Owner should be clearly defined and validated in the PxP. The Owner should, at a minimum, have the right to use the project data defined as project deliverables in the BIM PxP. Project data should include the:

Model files (BIM, CAD)

Drawing files (CAD, electronic sheets such as PDFs, and/or plot files)

Electronic manuals

Tabular/textual information derived from BIM (e.g., spreadsheets)

Reference files necessary to supplement other project data

Publicly funded projects are subject to the governing authority’s acquisition requirements. Federally funded projects are governed per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 27, Patents, Data, and Copyrights.5 Any exceptions to ownership rights should be clearly noted in the project contract(s), documented in the BIM PxP, and approved by the Project BIM Team. Ownership of project data is conveyed to the Owner at the time of project closeout. Owner reuse rights should be defined in the Owner/stakeholder contracts. The Project BIM Team should review this guide, the BIM PxP, and the project contract(s) to determine governing requirements and permissions and/or limitations for ownership, conveyance, and/or reuse of data. The project contract conditions and terms take precedence over this guide, and, as with all contract documents, it is advisable to seek the advice of legal counsel.

Commentary:

When using this Guide to develop contracts between stakeholders regarding the use of BIM to plan, design, construct and operate buildings, the information herein should not be considered a substitute for legal, business, insurance or financial advice. Contracts may have important legal, business, insurance and financial consequences. Each stakeholder or party to a contract is strongly encouraged to seek the advice of attorneys, and business, insurance, and financial counselors and advisers, as each stakeholder deems appropriate, when drafting, reviewing, and negotiating all contracts and clauses including, but not limited to, all terms and conditions, contract and project management requirements, intellectual property rights, and the electronic storage and transfer of documents and data.

National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 6

2.1.4 Final Turnover Requirements

The Owner should consider the final deliverable requirements for project data. Owners should review their current information needs for operations and maintenance, and establish data requirements that support those needs. The Owner also should consider how BIM can support future facilities management and operations, and develop requirements that support future needs as well. At a minimum, major equipment should be described by facility attributes such as make, model, manufacturer, and serial number. Additional attributes include warranty information, parts lists, maintenance schedules, and manufacturer contact information.

2.2 TEAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

2.2.1 Owner’s BIM Representative(s)

Especially for larger and more complex projects, the Owner should designate an Owner’s BIM Representative. The Owner’s BIM Representative should have a clear understanding of BIM and the OPR. The Owner's BIM Representative should, at a minimum:

Represent the Owner’s requirements and be able to effectively communicate them to other stakeholders.

Serve as the primary liaison between the Owner and the Project BIM Manager(s) for all BIM‐ related issues.

Have oversight of BIM requirements in all project phases, from planning through the construction of the project, and at least the beginning of the operations phase.

Receive, review, and approve BIM deliverables.

Figure 1. BIM Role and Responsibility Chart

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2.2.2 Project BIM Manager Role

The project should have a designated Project BIM Manager. The Project BIM Manager role may be fulfilled by more than one person; for example, many projects have a lead design BIM Manager and a lead construction BIM Manager (see Figure 1). The Project BIM Manager should have sufficient BIM education and experience for the size and complexity of the project, as well as the relevant proficiency in the proposed BIM authoring and coordination software selected for use on the project. In the absence of an Owner’s BIM Representative, the Project BIM Manager should serve as the main point of contact with the Project BIM Team for all BIM‐related issues.

During each phase of a project, the Project BIM Manager at a minimum should:

Lead the process of creating and updating the BIM PxP in accordance with the OPR.

Verify compliance of the PxP deliverables.

Coordinate all updates for individual models, specialized models, and databases.

Administer Project Quality Management and Data Security Management.

Develop, coordinate, publish, and verify necessary configurations required for integration of project data.

Facilitate distribution of project data.

Compile project data for review and coordination.

Facilitate design review.

Meet with relevant project stakeholders for review of turnover documents.

Deliver model(s) and Facility Data to Owner for use in operations.

2.2.3 Discipline/Trade BIM Leads

Each discipline/trade should assign an individual to the role of BIM lead for the duration of the project.

These individuals should have the relevant BIM experience required by the complexity of the project.

The discipline/trade BIM lead maintains a continuous interface with the Project BIM Manager.

The responsibilities of the discipline/trade BIM leads for their respective discipline/trade include:

Act as the lead BIM contact for the discipline/trade.

Develop and manage exchange of models.

Maintain and manage integrity of the model.

Assume additional roles and responsibilities as defined to support the PxP and other contractual requirements.

2.2.4 Collaboration

The Project BIM Team should not rely on information exchange as the sole means of project communication; information exchange is not collaboration. The Project BIM Team should schedule regular BIM coordination meetings during which team members meet to discuss design and construction issues, using the model as a shared resource. The frequency of such interactions depends on the project's goals, BIM Uses, and Project BIM Team members’ capabilities.

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Through the BIM project planning process, the Project BIM Team should agree on how and in what ways the Project BIM Team members will collaborate using the BIM. All project stakeholders involved with modeling should develop and agree to a project‐specific BIM PxP. This plan should include the requirements for information exchange among the parties, as well as for expected interactions with the model.

2.3 BIM PROJECT EXECUTION PLANNING

The BIM Project Execution Plan (PxP) is the central document for BIM implementation. This plan should be authored by the Project BIM Team collectively, and onboarding processes should be developed for Project BIM Team members who join the project after the initial plan has been developed. The steps of BIM PxP include:

Figure 2. BIM Project Execution Planning Procedure6

The BIM PxP should contain all content necessary to document the process of implementing BIM on a project. Specific BIM PxP content requirements can be found in Section 4.1 of this document.

Specifically, the team should develop plans and protocols to meet the OPR, including, as a minimum, file sharing and data security.

2.3.1 File Sharing Requirements

The file sharing requirements will vary depending on the project’s BIM Uses. At a minimum, the PxP should include a description of the:

National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 9

File system(s) the team will use to exchange, merge, and visualize models

Schedule for or frequency of model updates and clash detection checks

Tools and process to be used for clash detection checking

Process to be used to generate drawings from coordinated models

2.3.2 Data Security

Owners should apply their existing data security standards to BIM protocols. The Owner should consider the security risks in terms of the protection of data. The Owner may wish to consider including data restrictions procedures, such as check‐out and check‐in, as well as stipulating the degree of access control for project participants. The Owner should require the Project BIM Team to complete a Data Security Protocol that complies with data security requirements as defined below.

2.3.2.1 Data Security Protocol (DSP). As part of the PxP, the Project BIM Team should develop and submit a Data Security Protocol (DSP) to the Owner that outlines security protocols to be implemented for the project. The DSP should be approved by the Owner prior to commencing work. At a minimum, the DSP should address:

User access rights and permissions, outlining the various roles and degrees of access to the data. Roles should correlate to those defined in this guide and the BIM PxP. The DSP also should identify any additional user access required.

Data protection, documenting how the data will be protected from:

o Accidental loss o File Corruption (malware, viruses) o Misuse/negligence o Unauthorized conveyance o Deliberate attack (internal or external)

Data process and handling protocol procedures for:

o Exchange: How and with what frequency data will be exchanged. The DSP should align with other requirements in the BIM PxP and provide more detail specific to data exchange.

o Maintenance: Describe the maintenance plan for all data sources, transmission devices, and storage devices used for the project.

o Backup: Describe in detail the backup scheme implemented by the Project BIM Team, including frequency and retention of backups.

o Archiving: Describe the storage, retrieval, and retention system to be used by the Project BIM Team.

2.4 MANAGING PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

2.4.1 Quality Planning

The entire Project BIM Team is responsible for quality control. However, the team should specify roles and responsibilities for model management and quality management for the project. The BIM PxP includes the management strategies for implementing BIM Uses and requirements. Quality

National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 10 management processes should be used to ensure BIM is created for downstream uses of the model data.

The quality standards for the modeling activities should be discussed in detail at the early stages of the project. The following items should be developed by the Project BIM Team prior to the start of the modeling activities:

A clearly defined Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) section within the BIM PxP

A detailed QA approach for monitoring the modeling process

A detailed QC approach to test the final deliverables for compliance with the quality standards

Each QA and QC activity should identify a Project BIM Team member specifically responsible for performing the task. The QA and QC approaches may also be incorporated into project contracts to ensure compliance.

2.4.2 Quality Assurance

Quality assurance procedures should be defined to ensure that the Project BIM Team members are performing the modeling process defined within the BIM PxP. The QA activities should also be consistent with the contract. Minimum QA activities should include:

Definition and validation of testing or prototyping process to verify the model meets the minimum modeling requirements

Validation of resource availability and capabilities to perform modeling activities

Review of the information exchange definitions to assure that the deliverables are clearly defined and unambiguous

Additional QA activities may include:

Periodic reviews of the modeling procedures to ensure that the activities being performed are consistent with the initial plan

Documentation of the final modeling process for future reference by Project BIM Team members

2.4.3 Quality Control

Quality control tests should be defined to verify that the project deliverables comply with the project requirements. The Project BIM Manager should verify that all required deliverables are submitted and appropriately distributed as defined within the BIM PxP and any additional contractual agreements.

The following QC activities should be performed on all project data delivered to the Owner:

Verification of the file or data exchange metadata as defined within the BIM PxP to include (as appropriate for the data exchange types):

o Date of submission o File type (if file) o File name (if file) o Database access instructions (if there is database content) o General description of content

National BIM Guide for Owners 01012017 11 o Data schema (organization) of the file, including version, date created, and date modified by buildingSMART International (as appropriate) o Description of the data exchange standard (if an open standard)

Validation of the proper file type, naming convention, and appropriate software version

Validation of final submitted model files (content) against the information exchange standard:

o Manual validation of a specified sample of elements to verify that the information is properly structured and accurate. The sample size may vary based upon the level of criticality of the information element. The sampling procedure should be defined within the BIM PxP o Visual model inspection to review general model content o Inspection of the coordinate system to ensure that all model files have a common coordinate system

Validation that model clashes have been resolved per the owners predefined minimum requirements and the criteria established within the BIM PxP.

The tests should be performed within an agreed‐upon time before or after project milestones, as specified by the contract.

Additional QC activities may include:

Checks: All Project BIM Team members should check the modeling content that they receive from other team members or the Owner to verify that the exchanges contain valid field entries and the proper information elements. Project BIM Team members should report any unusual information content.

Project Data Submission Log: The Project BIM Team should develop and use a Project Data Submission Log, which includes model/modeling compliance issues and corrective actions. The Project BIM Manager should review the Project Data Submission Log, participate in collaborative team resolution, and provide direction when needed.

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3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND STANDARDS

3.1 TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

For the purposes of this Guide, infrastructure is defined as the entire technology system used for a BIM project. It broadly encompasses BIM as the digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of the built environment. The use of the term platform in this section applies to all project‐relevant computing platforms (hardware and software), including but not limited to computers, servers, network devices, backup systems, and file‐sharing systems, be they resident on a local network or web/cloud based. Computing platforms are part of an Owner’s and other project stakeholders’ technology infrastructure, along with networks and physical workspaces.

Computing platform generally and broadly applies to the computer hardware and operating systems (OS) on which computer programs or software are designed to run. The Owner should consider current hardware and OS, and software‐specific application capabilities that exist within his/her own organization and the organization of other project stakeholders—as well as future hardware and OS capabilities that are preferred or can be anticipated. Infrastructure requirements should be considered for all project phases, from planning concept through what will be available during the facility management and operations phase of the project. For each project phase, the Owner should consider how information is created, stored, exchanged, secured, backed up or archived, and delivered, and whether each should be localized, cloud‐ or web‐based, or a hybrid.

The Owner should require that any BIM‐related work products be:

Compatible with the Owner's computer platform requirements

Capable of supporting current and legacy file formats

Agnostic (i.e., designed to be compatible across most common OS, hardware or software systems), adaptable, and scalable with respect to potential future computing

Able to support open, consensus standards to maximize future compatibility

Additionally, the Owner should consider requiring the Project BIM Team to use specific technology infrastructure to support the Owner’s overarching business and project goals.

All technology infrastructure used for a project should be documented in the BIM PxP.

3.2 STANDARDS

3.2.1 Categories of Standards

The Owner should consider three broad categories of BIM standards: Organizational (internal) Standards, Primary Standards, and Reference Standards. Organizational Standards and Primary Standards for BIM (or appropriate portions of them) should be cited in the Owner's contract language with other stakeholders as the minimum acceptable standards when BIM is used and BIM deliverables are required. Merely citing the standard by name in a contract will not ensure that any use of BIM on a project or BIM deliverable required will meet an Owner's current and future needs.

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3.2.2 Standards in this Guide

The following standards should be used when applying this guide. Where the Owner already has Organizational Standards and OPRs or other agency‐specific requirements that reference these standards or modify them, those standards should be used in conjunction with the guidance provided here. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition (including any amendments) applies.

The National BIM Standard– United States® (NBIMS‐US™) Version 3 (V3), developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance®, contains core consensus‐approved standards regarding the exchange of information and standard practices for implementing BIM on a project. In addition to NBIMS‐US™ V3, the buildingSMART International has developed multiple open information exchange standards. All information exchanges that require an open, standard format should comply with the information exchange standards approved within NBIMS‐US™ V3 or approved by buildingSMART International. The current approved information exchange standards include:

Construction to Operations Building information exchange (COBie) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Design to Spatial Program Validation (SPV) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Design to Quantity Takeoff for Cost Estimating (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Design to Building Energy Analysis (BEA) (NBIMS‐US® V3)

Building Programming information exchange (BPie) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Electrical System information exchange (Sparkie) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning information exchange (HVACie) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

Water System information exchange (WSie) (NBIMS‐US™ V3)

IFC 2x3 Coordination View (NBIMS‐US™ V3) (http://www.buildingsmart‐ tech.org/downloads/view‐definitions/coordination‐view/sub‐ schema/CoordinationView_V20_EntityList_IFC2x3_Version16_Final.pdf)

These standards are available at no cost on the NBIM‐US™ V3 website, https://www.nationalbimstandard.org [login required]

Commentary:

Standards, as used in this guideline, are documents created to establish minimum levels of quality or achievement that are acceptable. Mandatory standards are those that have been formally adopted by a code agency or government entity (authority) such as municipalities, state or federal agencies, or departments. Voluntary standards are those non‐mandatory standards used by Owners and other organizations and industries to set minimally acceptable standards of quality and achievement.

BIM is not a mandatory requirement in the United States. However, numerous countries around the world are beginning to write BIM requirements into their local and federal codes and statutes.

This section addresses the standards that Owners should reference when requiring BIM. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the Owner’s internal policies, procedures, and requirements (Organizational Standards), as well as Primary and Referenced Standards. The Owner should include these standards in the OPR.

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Approved by buildingSMART International but not yet included in NBIMS‐US™ V3 are:

IFC4 Reference View (buildingSMART International) www.buildingsmart‐tech.org/specifications/ifc‐view‐definition/ifc4‐reference‐view7

IFC4 Design Transfer View (buildingSMART International) http://www.buildingsmart‐tech.org/specifications/ifc‐view‐definition/ifc4‐design‐transfer‐ view8

The NBIMS‐US™ V3 also outlines a standard procedure for the development and documentation of a BIM PxP. (See NBIMS‐US™ V3, Section 5.3: BIM Project Execution Planning Guide.) The Project BIM Team should follow this standard planning approach and document format.

NBIMS‐US™ V3 also outlines by reference common information classifications defined within the OmniClass tables. When applicable, these information classification tables should be used to maintain standard information terminology and classifications.

In addition to NBIMS‐US™‐V3, there are other important standards that should be considered, including ISO 16739:2013,9 which outlines the data schema for the Industry Foundation Classes, an open data schema for storing information regarding a building project. The United States National CAD Standard® (NCS) Version 6 (V6) should also be used to ensure that the final design documentation complies with standards.

These standards sometimes can cover similar subject areas. While areas of overlap or conflict should be identified in the BIM PxP, it is possible for inconsistencies between the documents to come to light during the project. In these instances, the Project BIM Manager should be notified immediately. In response, the Project BIM Manager should determine, in consultation with the Owner and other stakeholders, which document will take precedence or whether amendments are required.

Where an OPR is unique and its Organization Standards differ or are more stringent than the minimum requirements established by referencing the NBIMS‐US™, the NBIMS‐US™ and its referenced standards should be formally extended, modified, and supplemented by clear and specific language in the Owner's contracts with other stakeholders.

3.2.3 Open Standards Format for Supporting Information

To ensure the life‐cycle use of building information, information supporting common industry deliverables should be provided in open standards, along with their native file formats where applicable. The formats used should be specified in the BIM PxP and should include the following standards as appropriate:

Industry Foundation Class (IFC), Model View Definition (MVD) formats. Three most commonly used model views are: Coordination View, COBie, and GSA Design to Spatial Program Validation10.

Additional open standard formats, such as gbXML11.

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For those contract deliverables whose open standard formats have not yet been finalized, the deliverable should be provided in a mutually agreed upon format that allows the reuse of building information outside the context of the proprietary BIM software.

3.3 SPACE AND GRAPHICAL STANDARDS

3.3.1 Owner‐Specified Guidelines and Standards

The Owner should specify any additional guidelines and standards for drawings and spaces. Rooms and spaces should adhere to the format as defined therein.12

3.3.2 Drawing

The United States National CAD Standard® (NCS) should be incorporated by reference. Graphical output from BIM should comply with the NCS per the clarifications outlined in its BIM Implementation Section. Sheet sets should be organized and numbered per the NCS. All annotation symbol requirements therein should be adhered to.

3.3.3 Sheet Layout

In addition to the sheet layout requirements in the NCS, all sheets should maintain a consistent size and orientation throughout the set. Title block borders should maintain the same positioning on each sheet to allow for overlay and appropriate printing of the extents of the sheet.

3.3.4 Areas/Rooms/Spaces

Identifying tags and schedules for areas, rooms, and spaces should comply with the NCS.

3.3.5 Digital Documentation and Archiving

Copies of all approved submittals and other documents normally provided in traditional paper‐based formats should be provided Portable Document Format (PDF) format, or other open electronic document format. Documents authored directly by the Project BIM Team should be transformed to PDF to allow searching of the documents and selection of text within the document. Documents authored by others, but used by the Project BIM Team (such as manufacturer product data sheets), should be provided as PDFs made available by the manufacturer. If not available as PDFs from their authors, the documents should be scanned to create PDF documents. PDFs should comply with the following ISO Standards:

ISO 19005‐3 (2012): Document management—Electronic document file format for long‐term preservation—Part 3: Use of ISO 32000‐1 with support for embedded files (PDF/A‐3).13

ISO 32000‐1 (2008): Document management—Portable document format—Part 1: PDF 1.7.14

This section identifies standards and requirements for graphical output and/or paper printing.

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PDFs of construction documents should comply with the Guideline for Construction PDF Documents15 available from the Construction PDF Coalition. Additionally, the Construction PDF Coalition provides a web form for customizing the requirements on its website.

3.4 FILE STRUCTURE

Well‐run BIM PxP and project data have well‐defined project file naming and folder organization standards. The folder structure should be defined in the PxP. The project file sharing system should have the high level branches of the folder structure pre‐populated in the system at the beginning of the project.

Since record documents will be distributed through the folder system, the project folder organization should align with the division of responsibilities of the stakeholders. It is beneficial to establish a file permission strategy on the shared folder system, where only appropriate organizations in the project have write permissions within their assigned folders, and the remainder of the team has read‐only permission. At the highest level, the folder system should be controlled by the project administration.

File naming conventions similarly are needed to establish coherency of project documentation and simplify high level understanding of the file contents. The file naming system may identify a set of data fields to be contained in the file name. A typical file standard will establish a clear order on file name attributes with a reserved delimiter such as underscore (_) to identify the divisions between fields. The NCS provides a proposed naming convention for files, including standard contract documents https://www.nationalcadstandard.org/ncs6/

3.4.1 Owner‐Specified Requirements

The project should comply with any Owner‐specified platform requirements. The following sections are provided as examples for Owners who do not have predefined requirements. Regardless of the requirements used, the naming conventions should be consistent.

3.4.2 Folder Naming

Folder names should be numbered or alphabetized to control order. Folder names should be clear indicators as to what the folder contains (e.g., a folder for Models could be named 07_ Models).

3.4.3 File Naming

File names should contain a discipline designator (such as “A” for Architectural) as defined in the NCS.

Custom naming schema should be clearly documented in the BIM PxP.

Sheet file names (regardless of file format, such as PDF) should comply with NCS, unless otherwise dictated or allowed by the Owner. At a minimum, they should include the sheet number (e.g., A‐101.PDF)

Model file names should contain discipline designator within the name, as outlined in the NCS (e.g., A‐FP01.ext).

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3.4.4 Component Naming Conventions

The naming conventions used for the following should be documented in the BIM PxP: e.g.

Systems/Elements/Objects/Components/Parameters.

3.4.5 Submittal Package

All files should be organized and stored in an appropriately named folder as part of the submittal package. The submittal package should contain the deliverables as outlined in this document, the BIM PxP, and the project contract(s). The submittal package should also contain any support, source, reference, and/or linked files necessary to maintain file integrity.

3.4.6 File Sharing

The Owner should require that the team use a model sharing system. If the Owner does not designate a system, then the Project BIM Manager should provide a model sharing system for the sharing of individual and merged models. The model sharing system should consider:

Project BIM Team access, including real‐time access and synchronization of models

Automated versioning of models

Data security

Maintenance and archiving of the previous model versions

Permission‐based access for each team member to upload their models

3.4.7 Data Transmittal Requirements

At a minimum, all transmitted data should include the following printed on the media or included as metadata as applicable per media type (i.e., CD/DVD would have printed labels, whereas model files would include metadata):

Project title

Project location

Contract number

Designer(s) of record and/or contactor(s) (general or sub)

Classifications for the data (i.e., sensitive, classified, etc.)

Contents of the transmittal, including date created, date modified, version,…