The ‘BIM Level’ explained by the NBS

The BIM Level  concept has become a universally accepted definition of the criteria required for BIM adoption.

The British government has recognized that the process of mobilizing the construction industry toward “full” collaboration will be progressive, with distinct and recognizable stages defined within the process in the form of “levels.” These have been defined within a range of 0 to 3, and while there is some debate about the exact meaning of each, the following has been broadly established, nicely summarized by the NBS:

Level 0

In its simplest form, Level 0 signifies no collaboration . A 2D sketch is used, in most cases, solely for production information (RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Stage 4). Most of the industry is already well above this level.

Level 1

This model comprises a mix of 3D, in terms of the concept of collaborative working, and 2D in terms of the development of documentation for regulatory approval and production information. CAD standards are managed according to BS 1192:2007 , and electronic data exchange is carried out from a Common Data Environment (CDE) , often managed by the contractor. This is the level at which many organizations are currently working, although there is not yet established collaboration between different disciplines.

Level 2

Its main characteristic is collaborative working . All parties use their own 3D models, but they do not necessarily work with a single, shared model; collaboration comes in the way how information is exchanged between the different parties, a notable aspect at this level. Design information is shared through a common file format, which allows any organization to be able to combine this data with its entire team.

Therefore, any software must be able to export files to a common file format, such as IFC (Industry Foundation Class) or COBie. This is the working method set as a minimum target by the UK government for all public sector projects, launched in April 2016.

Level 3.

Currently considered the Holy Grail, this level represents full collaboration.between all disciplines through the use of a single model; the shared project is maintained in a centralized repository. All parties can access and modify that same model, and the advantage is that it eliminates the final risk of conflicting information. This is known as OpenBIM.  Currently, there is widespread nervousness in the industry around issues such as copyright and file liability, which are more difficult to grant with the digitization of information.

The UK government reaffirmed its commitment to Level 3 when it announced in March 2016 that it would allocate part of its annual budget to its development and implementation.

Putting it into practice

The importance of these measures, in real terms, is that the UK government has adopted this definition in its Construction Strategy , demanding that all publicly funded projects must be carried out using BIM at Level 2. This mandate has been established as a measure to help meet its target of reducing construction waste by 20%. Waste work, discrepancies, errors, and inefficiencies in the information supply chain are considered to be the main contributors to this type of waste, and collaborative work can contribute to its reduction. In the longer term, collaborative work practices are likely to ultimately filter down through the private sector, much as CAD took over the drawing board in the 1990s.