Building Information Modeling in project management

Building Information Modeling is defined as “a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle from inception onward” according to The National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee. The concept of BIM was developed at Georgia Institute of Technology in the late 1970s and has increased rapidly the last decades due to the significant benefits that provided in construction projects.

In this article, BIM is analyzed for the perspective of project management. Although BIM tool is more associated with the design team, the role of the project management is crucial and continuous in all the stages of the life-cycle of a project. For successful management, the procedures and tasks have to be planned in the early phase of the project. For this reason a BIM Project execution plan should be developed in advance. The components of this execution plan as well the tasks of an experienced project manager as the BIM-coordinator of the project are discussed. Moreover, the advantages and the limitations of the uses of BIM in construction projects are identified.