In recent decades, we have witnessed an exponential growth in the methods of project development and management across many professional sectors. Recent innovations have largely stemmed from the support provided by digital technologies. Among the various sectors subject to such innovations, we find the construction industry, which can be divided into two phases resulting from the progressive development of the digital age: the first phase dates back to the early 1980s, when software for graphic and architectural processing was introduced, drastically changing the practical concept of a project; whereas before, architectural works were created using pencils and rulers, now it was possible to compose projects with a significant saving of time and energy through certain software. The second phase, which we are currently experiencing, concerns the sharing of all information useful for composing a project, enabling multiple designers to work on it simultaneously. This second phase, which has dramatically impacted the construction sector in recent decades, is represented by BIM.
What is BIM and why do we consider it the future of this sector?
BIM stands for Building Information Modeling, which refers to a model of information useful for defining the characteristics of a work. It is not just a graphic processing software, but a container of information on the performance of each element that makes up a project.
It is a beneficial method for drafting a project because it allows for the same work to encompass information regarding architectural, engineering, plant, management, and energy aspects. If all this information is developed in a single project simultaneously, efficiency and productivity increase. Both time and costs are significantly reduced, the level of detail intensifies, and transparency is guaranteed by each professional involved in the project.
Considering that a building today must be designed to ensure effective performance throughout its lifecycle, BIM allows us to develop a project capable of monitoring and managing the operation of the work until its decommissioning. Specifically, for example, the collection of such information offers the possibility to perform structural calculations, plant calculations, metric estimates, energy certifications, etc., through specific software that utilize the BIM method.
One of the aspects for which the BIM method needs further development pertains to the various design software that use it: it is necessary for these software to be subject to standardization regarding information management and interface, in order to allow similar development for each, up to the completion of the project.
Thanks to these enormous advantages, BIM is becoming the standard design process for all types of construction, especially in the public sector, where works are designed to ensure proper functioning throughout their lifecycle. At the European level, BIM is being integrated into legislation for public contracts.
The United Kingdom, Norway, and Denmark have mandated its use for years, while France and Germany have established government working groups focused on spreading and introducing the method into regulations. In Italy, as we know, there are fewer possibilities from an engineering and management perspective compared to Northern Europe: most professional firms have not been able to invest time and resources in effective design, particularly in the management phase of the work, thus hindering the development of the BIM design concept. Nevertheless, with the UNI11337 regulation, we are witnessing the introduction of the method into public works in recent months: since 2019, the use of BIM has been mandated for works whose value exceeds 100 million euros. By 2021, the threshold will drop to 15 million, and gradually, mandatory use of BIM for all public works will be reached by 2025.
