WASHINGTON - The buildingSMART alliance is seeking input in developing its national building information modeling (BIM) standard. The alliance, which is both a council of the National Institute of Building Sciences and the North American chapter of buildingSMART International, has the responsibility of developing the United States National BIM Standard™ (NBIMS). Version 1 of NBIMS established the overview, principles, and methodologies of what the standard will be. The alliance is now initiating the development process for Version 2 (the standard itself) and is looking for industry input.

BIM has the potential to involve all aspects of the facilities industry, including architects, engineers, contractors, insurers, unions, manufacturers, lawyers, homebuilders, vendors, owners, consumers, local, state and federal governments, codes and standards developers, and testing representatives. Therefore, the alliance is working to assemble a project committee of representatives from all of these sectors. The alliance said NBIMS Version 2 will be the first consensus BIM standard for the United States and it likely will be the basis of several other nations’ BIM standards around the world, so industry input is crucial.

After assembling the project committee, the alliance will issue a call for ballot submissions, followed by an industry review and comment period, then a resolution period. Voting on the final changes is expected to take place in July 2011, with the completed National BIM Standard Version 2 projected to be released at the end of 2011.

The opportunity to participate on the NBIMS Project Committee and throughout the development process is open to all members of the Alliance and the National Institute of Building Sciences. To learn more about membership, the committee, and to download an application, visit www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/nbims/committee/.

The National Institute of Building Sciences is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor, and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. For more information, visit www.nibs.org.

Publication date:09/27/2010