A Pilot Study: Towards BIM Integration - An Analysis of Design Information Exchange & Coordination

Construction projects are costing too much and taking too long as a consequence of unnecessary omissions and errors in project documentation and sub-optimal coordination of design information between consultant disciplines. The theory behind BIM provides an exciting integrated solution for project information management, however in this new process further effort is required to define the content of information deliveries and a number of basic who?- what?- when?- how?- questions relating to object and property definitions need to be resolved. This study investigates and attempts to define the functional requirements for integrated information management through the design stages of a construction project focusing on architectural practice requirements within the residential sector in Sweden. In a pilot study concerning a residential construction project in Sweden the buildingSMART Alliance's new Building Information Modelling Execution Planning Guide was applied. The principle BIM planning procedures are applied to the case, tuning requirements to the specific project and localised to support Swedish classification standards. Through the enquiries required to develop and define these processes, a new information exchange protocol emerges, tuned to the Swedish residential sector.