Valencian Government Railways (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana – FGV) has published a BIM Manual, in which all the instructions and standards are collected to guide its technical staff and of collaborating companies, in the homogeneous and standardised application of this methodology.
The BIM manual is structured in two volumes, together with additional documentation and appendices. The first volume covers the methodological and strategic aspects that have been adopted to undertake an effective implementation. The second volume offers a precise guide to develop, at a practical level, all the methodology applied in the different contracts for the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructures.
Created from real experiences and projects, the manual will assist the public sector to create a rich and orderly source of reference around the promotion of the use of this methodology.
Technical standards are essential for the access of products and services in national and international contexts as they provide transparency. Standardisation activities focus on export, innovation, digitisation, training, corporate social responsibility, quality and regulatory compliance. The Spanish Association for Standardization (Asociación Española de Normalización, UNE) is the body for standardisation in Spain, designated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism before the European Commission.
The incorporation of digital models to the lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure improves their performance and reduces economic and environmental costs, facilitating the collaboration between the different actors in the value chain. To enable this approach, It is necessary to normalise the interaction between these actors, including the management of processes and exchange formats. Therefore, it is important that organisations interested in digitisation of the construction industry know how standardisation works and consider the possibility of participating in the process, to contribute knowledge and experience and to keep up to date with state of the art in BIM.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
For two years, ETS (Euskal Trenbide Sarea), the public entity responsible for rail projects in the Basque country, has been in the process of implementing the BIM methodology. Among the lines of action of this process are:
- Awareness for all the people of the entity and specific training when required.
- Definition of the minimum requirements of the technical specifications of projects and works of ETS.
- Elaboration of the main lines that will govern the modelling.
- Development of pilot projects using the BIM methodology.
As a result of this commitment, the ETS BIM manual has been developed. It is intended for the different collaborating companies: service providers, contractors and subcontractors. The manual needs to be used in all phases of the action (design, construction and maintenance), with the aim of defining the framework for the production and delivery of BIM information in each phase of the project.
LVS has provided a single destination for information on locally relevant BIM standards, demonstrating Latvia’s alignment with international best practices, which have been adapted and interpreted for local conditions.
The website provides a summary of locally adopted standards along with a brief narrative summary. It includes ISO standards such as ISO 19650-1/2 and ISO 16739 in addition to local Latvian standard LVS 1052, which contains terms and definitions relating to the construction and real estate sector, contracts, education, legislation, etc.
Austrian Standards is Austria’s organisation for standardisation and innovation . They are an independent and neutral group tasked with supporting standards which are delivered as practicable, sustainable solutions for economic and social challenges. These standards are designed to make life easier, safer and better, whilst strengthening the competitiveness of the Austrian and European economy.
The Austrian Standards organisation works to:
- Promote the dialogue between various stakeholders on a national and international level.
- Act as the gateway to a global standardization network and numerous partner organizations.
- Share the methodical know-how to start and manage cooperative processes.
- Make standards, documents and information accessible with innovative tools.
- Prepare specialist knowledge using multimedia, promote professional development and offer different certification models.
BIM is the new common language of the construction industry in Austria. Through the work of the Austrian Standards organisation the ÖNORMs series A 6241 of standards have been in effect since July 1st, 2015. In these standards, all aspects of BIM technology are taken into account and provided dynamically to the project participants for the software products they use with innovative digital construction components. The Austrian approach is on the one hand a fundamental and on the other hand a more advanced approach, due to a known sets of rules. An essential component is a dynamic, freely expandable database of characteristics based on open standards, international compatibility and multilingualism in terms of user guidance and content. This website contains the background to the Austrian standards as well as document links and details of the ongoing work as well as previous successes.
The publication of ISO 19650, an international quality standard governing the organisation and digitisation of information about buildings and civil engineering works, helps the client, project manager and contractor to agree on things, develop a shared understanding and exchange data more easily. Besides making the construction sector more competitive, BIM is driving innovation and sustainable growth while delivering improved infrastructure quality.
The European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) provided guidance to its members for introducing the ISO 19650 standard and highlighting its far-reaching benefits. For engineers, BIM under the ISO 19650 concepts represents unprecedented opportunities for improving their added value during the construction process.
The BIM Booklet addresses the new ISO 19650 standards and their relevance to consulting engineers. It describes the beneficial outcomes of using them within the BIM approach, and from a project management perspective. It highlights the benefits of lowering risk and reducing financial losses, which are possible where reliable project information is available in a structured, re-usable form and where it is efficiently shared. It illustrates how, by managing the ownership and liability of project data, project managers can stay in control during the whole lifecycle of assets, including operations and maintenance, experiencing less contradiction or misinterpretation of data. It supports Part 1 and Part 2 of ISO 19650, which relate to concepts and principles. EFCA believes it is important to get a better grasp on the new ways of working together and adopt a more digital approach, thereby speaking the same language. The Booklet will help all stakeholders optimise their use of the ISO 19650 standard.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
When you have to work to specifications for a government contract in the context of road construction or road redevelopment, you can call on Standard Specification 250 by the Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV). This standard contains all information about road construction, sewers, signalling and landscaping. Standard Specification 250 includes the requirements for BIM for these aspects of highways.
Specification 250 talks through the Information exchange through BIM on projects as part of a contractual requirement. BIM-oriented working includes:
- preparing and finalizing the BIM design model before the start of the works
- updating and completing the BIM model during implementation
- delivery of the as-built BIM model upon provisional delivery
- updating the BIM model during the warranty period.
The specification also mentions the requirements for data exchange using the Object Type Library (OTL).
The UK’s built environment* sector is on a journey towards a smarter, more efficient and sustainable future – a vital stage of which is adoption of the UK BIM Framework and its guidance.
BSI, CDBB & the UK BIM Alliance have created, and continue to develop and maintain the UK BIM Framework and associated tools and standards – enabling organisations, regardless of size or existing digital maturity, to future-proof their businesses.
As a partnership we are committed to making the benefits of better information management appropriate for all UK organisations. Our goal is to bring everyone along on this journey and we encourage you to adopt the Framework and its guidance.
*built environment: a collection of man-made or induced physical objects located in a particular area or region.
CCI is aiming to increase construction productivity through a collaborative digital information infrastructure (CCI classification system) to enable consistent data exchange. Based on international standards and developed for digital processes, CCI covers the whole built environment: buildings, infrastructure and other civil engineering works and throughout the lifecycle – from planning through design, execution, operation, demolition to removal and reuse.
Founded in 1901, the British Standards Institution is the UK’s National Standards Body. The Group operates in 193 countries at over 128,000 sites, working with businesses of all sizes, from international companies to local small firms.
BSI produces standards, it audits, provides certification, runs training courses and champions innovation and best practices. Its role reaches across the international standards community, improving corporate governance, helping organisations with their performance and boosting their competitiveness worldwide.
BSI collaborates in innovative fields like smart cities, nanotechnologies, cell therapy and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Alongside CDBB and UKBIMA, it is a partner of the UK BIM Framework, which offers resources and guidance to implement BIM in the UK’s built environment.
