One
facet of BIM Level 2 is to set up of a Common Data Environment - CDE. In the
setting of the Government focus for BIM Level 2, the CDE is listed by the
business in the Employer's Information Requirements - EIR. This information is
to a great extent, although not completely, related to the physical asset and
choices the employers have to make during the growth of the facility.
Tier
1 contractual worker are exceptionally fascinated for utilizing the given data
to smoother the construction process, both at the commencement stage and for managing
facility. New developments are inclusive of digitizing the archives in forms
attached to a BIM model. Models are connected to the programing software to
create 3D visualization for clash detection and construction sequencing. Date and location specific data is recorded
in the field, and at the same time one can also investigate the models for
their data history.
It’s
not a new thing. Contractors have so far kept all records and recorded the
design developments through variations. The catch here, however is, how BIM can
contribute in bringing transparency between all stakeholders. The root of BIM is
“the single source of truth”, and the industry recognizes that information transparency
is more than important, than ever. But the truth is that it’s a collective
practice, where stakeholders look at it in their own commercial interest. The
data or information is used in a very non-collaborative “need to know” basis and
confidential as well at times.
It
is hard to perceive how things will change; as there will be a discrepancy between
records that the contractors require for their own reasons, and the data an
employer might request to be kept in the CDE. In any case, if the source of
information is solid and information is promptly accessible, it would help us
to reduce the irregularity of records, which in previous cases would have
prevented us from having a flawless picture of events in case of problems.
Project
records are held in a CDE with access granted to any and every stakeholder to
the project, or a committee will be asked to resolve the disputes, do you think
it is a far-fetched possibility? How soon can we initiate from one source of
truth held in the CDE and focus on resolving challenges from a common base?
For once-in-a-lifetime, tier
1 contractors employed with smaller projects, the information may not be recorded.
But if larger tier 1 contractors bring together these practices as a set standard
and make it a mandate for their supply chain to follow, the accessibility of
data will become much more common, and the challenges of access and how it can
be used in events of disagreements, will be a real problem for the industry.
