A new set of International Standards enables Building Information Modelling (BIM) to flourish across projects and borders, and benefit the industry as a result.

BIM is a 3D model-based approach that gives architects, engineers, and construction professionals the ability to plan, design, and manage building projects more efficiently. The technology is growing in popularity, creating the need for an international standard that allows the industry to work together across projects and national borders.

To address these demands, the first two parts of ISO 19650, Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) – Information management using building information modelling, provide a framework for managing information through collaborative working using BIM.

Jøns Sjøgren, Chair of the ISO technical subcommittee that developed ISO 19650, said they will enable more widespread use of BIM and thus more efficient building and infrastructure projects.

“ISO 19650 was developed on the basis of the tried-and-tested British standard BS 1192 and publicly available specification PAS 1192-2, which have already been shown to help users save up to 22 percent in construction costs,” Sjøgren said.

“Taking this to an international level not only means more effective collaboration on global projects, but allows designers and contractors working on all kinds of building works to have clearer and more efficient information management.”

Future standards in the series include a Part 3 on managing the operational phase of assets and a Part 5 dedicated to security-minded building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management.