The critical impotance of BIM in our current environment:
Collaboration and tools to demonstrate the value of BIM

 In our current environment, a national approach to the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is more important than ever for increasing productivity and improving asset management across Australasia. The Australasian BIM Advisory Board (ABAB) provides leadership in the adoption of BIM practices, driving a whole-of-industry view of best practice, systems and guidelines, and skill requirements.

In a shared vision for harmonising BIM adoption in Australia, ABAB is now collaborating with the Australian BIM Strategic Framework Implementation Working Group, an inter-jurisdictional group established through the Board of Treasurers of State and Territory Governments. This group is the key forum for setting the direction for government policy and practices across Australian jurisdictions. “ABAB will provide advice on strategy and technical solutions to policy objectives as needed by the Working Group, as well as responding to the government agenda through its own projects”, said Andrew Curthoys, Chair and Director Innovation and Engagement in the Queensland Government.. “Operating in tandem will maximise outcomes for both government and industry in all aspects of BIM”.

ABAB is developing tools to help governments and business deliver projects more effectively. It has set the BIM Benefits Metrics as a priority task to collate national data and comparisons, which can demonstrate the value to government of investing in a generic, client-led BIM framework and system. To enable the value of BIM to be measured, meaningful comparison between BIM and non-BIM projects is essential. “While all projects have some level of BIM, we need to establish baseline comparison areas and group projects in similar categories, such as budget, duration delivery system and requirements, physical construction type and location”, Andrew said. An ABAB technical working group has been assigned to this important national measurement task.

Another invaluable tool, the Asset Management BIM Roadmap Generator, will empower asset owners and operators to realise value at any maturity level from BIM-enabled asset information, techniques, analysis and automation by targeting capabilities needed for each case. It will align with the Institute of Asset Management’s (IAM) Asset Performance Competencies.

At its 12 June 2020 Meeting, the Australasian BIM Advisory Board agreed to establish a new working group to integrate the emerging digital twin dialogue into its agenda. Andrew remarked that, “digital twin technology can unlock value by supporting improved decision-making, creating the opportunity for positive feedback into the physical asset”. The digital twin representation ties into the areas of BIM, digital engineering, as-built models, smart infrastructure, precinct information modelling, and smart cities. The new working group will consider the current applications of digital twin technology, how it connects with BIM, and recent government initiatives.

The Australasian BIM Advisory Board (ABAB) was established by the Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) and the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF), together with the key standard-setting bodies, NATSPEC, buildingSMART and Standards Australia, to promote best practice and consistent approaches to BIM practices, standards and requirements. ABAB guidance materials are available at: www.ABAB.net.au