Backfill BIM

1 Defining Backfill BIM
2 Retrospective use of BIM
3 Benefits
4 Golden threads
5 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Defining Backfill BIM

Backfill BIM is the retroactive application of the digitisation of buildings. The term has been drawn from where structures were completed (or started) without the application of BIM or collecting data digitally, hence the term refers to 'backfilling' this data.

[edit] Retrospective use of BIM

BIM is gradually being adopted on new construction projects but what about existing buildings that aren’t BIM enabled?

'Backfill BIM' is a service that some consultants are providing to building owners and asset managers who want to learn how to apply BIM to buildings that have already sped past ‘go’, and to benefit from the power of facilities data.

As the FM industry struggles to keep up with developing information management technology, the manual tasks of collating information are only creating more issues, and you can argue that many businesses are stuck in the past, unable to evolve and meet the demands of clients, tenants and local authorities.

Implementing BIM retrospectively may seem daunting, but soon most businesses will need to transfer to digital management to maintain their position and compete with others by improving their data transparency.

[edit] Benefits

The benefits of applying BIM to operational buildings include:

Faster reaction times for maintenance.
Proactive decisions can be made before big faults occur.
Cost savings on replacing and repairing materials.
Less wastage from poor decision-making when it comes to ordering new materials.
More efficient management of facilities.
Better use of data to analyse the carbon footprint of the building.
Minimising risks to a variety of people.
Analysing the use of the building and determining whether it is fulfilling its potential.
Improving communication across multiple levels.
Decreasing the likelihood of major defects.
Predictive data can be used to estimate lifespans of systems and appliances within the building.
Time saving.

[edit] Golden threads

For future proofed management of a building, the golden thread of information is passed to the client to ensure that the building objectives are being met and so that it can be used to its full potential. Compared with a stack of boxes in the corner of a storage room, neatly filed away in alphabetic or chronological order, its efficiency and output simply won’t come close to the standard of a digital BIM system.

How much time are you wasting shuffling through papers to prove that a certain permit was obtained during the construction process? How are you going to find out what colour paint was used on the third floor in corridor B to get another tin ordered quickly? If you want to develop, refurbish or demolish a building, an unnecessary amount of time will be wasted finding the original documentation that you may need. Even if your O&M manual is in a ‘digital format’ like a searchable PDF, it’s still likely to be incomplete and will not offer the same proactive outputs.

With BIM introduced, your information is at your fingertips, and you’ll benefit from reporting and management data rather than having a static resource alone.

Implementing ‘Backfill BIM’ will change the way real estate progresses and looks forward towards the new transparent standards we now have to work to. It will empower businesses to embrace the digital change and allow easy access to all this information whenever it’s needed and for any purpose.

BIM should be at the heart of all asset management taking your ability to utilise operational information to the next level.

--AIMIS Written by Matt Samways, Managing Director of AIMIS