#29 - What is openBIM?

openBIM helps to extend the benefits of Building Information Modeling by improving accessibility, usability, management, and sustainability of digital data. At its core, openBIM is a collaborative process that is vendor-neutral. openBIM processes can be defined as sharable project information that supports seamless collaboration for all project participants. openBIM facilitates interoperability to benefit projects and assets throughout the project lifecycle.

openBIM helps stakeholders to develop new ways of working by transforming traditional peer-to-peer work processes. openBIM can greatly improve project delivery and asset performance. Stakeholders who adopt the openBIM approach can develop cross-party collaboration, enhanced communication, and industry-standard exchange methodologies. This ensures better project outcomes, greater predictability, improved performance, and increased safety with reduced risks.

openBIM helps connect people, processes, and data to achieve asset delivery, operation, and maintenance goals throughout the whole lifecycle of an asset. openBIM plus seamless digital workflows make critical project information accessible to participants on a timely basis to support decision-making through various phases of the project from inception to hand-over to refurbishment and even demolition. openBIM removes the traditional problem of BIM data that is typically constrained by proprietary vendor data formats, discipline, or by the phase of a project.

By adhering to international standards and working procedures, openBIM extends the breadth and depth of the use of BIM by creating common alignment and language. Technical applications developed for openBIM improve the management of data and eliminate disconnected workflows. Independent quality benchmarks ensure reliable open data exchanges.

openBIM permits digital workflows based on vendor-neutral formats such as IFC, BCF, COBie, CityGML, gbXML, etc...

openBIM enables an accessible digital twin which provides the core foundation to a long-term data strategy for built assets. This provides better sustainability for projects and for more efficient management of the built environment.

The principles of openBIM recognize that:

1. Interoperability is key to the digital transformation in the built asset industry

2. Open and neutral standards should be developed to facilitate interoperability

3. Reliable data exchanges depend on independent quality benchmarks

4. Collaboration workflows are enhanced by open and agile data formats

5. Flexibility of choice of technology creates more value for all stakeholders

6. Sustainability is safeguarded by long-term interoperable data standards

The benefits for the built asset industry are that:

• openBIM greatly enhances collaboration for project delivery

• openBIM enables better asset management.

• openBIM provides access to BIM data created during design for the whole life cycle of the built asset.

• openBIM extends the breadth and depth of BIM deliverables by creating common alignment and language by adhering to international standards and commonly defined work processes.

• openBIM facilitates a common data environment that provides opportunities for users to develop new workflows, software applications, and technology automation.

• openBIM enables an accessible digital twin which provides the core foundation to a long-term data strategy for built assets

Next Article, What is Digital Twin?

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