More and more they say that building information modeling (BIM) is becoming an integral part of the construction industry. Today it becomes obvious that BIM is not just a temporary phenomenon, but a powerful tool that will change the landscape of the entire construction industry in Russia.
At the moment, BIM, or TIM (technological information modeling), already plays a huge role in the Russian construction industry. More and more design bureaus and developers are actively using it when performing design work. Information modeling is becoming more widespread: if earlier it was limited to design work and gradually integrated into construction processes, now information models of buildings are being implemented successfully, extending the life of buildings and facilitating management and operation.
The state has also made a significant contribution to the digitalization of the construction industry. For example, government contracts require the mandatory use of BIM technologies in design. This stimulates market participants to implement BIM and helps reduce Russia’s backlog in this area.
Currently, Russian designers highlight a number of advantages of using BIM models in design. First of all, this is a reduction in inconsistencies between different sections of the project documentation and, therefore, a reduction in the cost of fixing errors. In the operation of the building, BIM provides objective control over the actual state as well as quantitative and qualitative operational information. We notice that the use of BIM in the Russian construction industry is growing every year, and this is an inevitable process. Over time, BIM will become the standard in the industry.
However, the problems of import substitution of software and the lack of BIM specialists have so far limited this trend. Under current conditions, the Russian construction industry has had difficulties using Western design software. Domestic analogues of popular foreign BIM programs exist, but their implementation in Russia is slow, and there are several reasons: an additional financial burden, a habit, and new solutions. The need to retrain simultaneously almost all specialists and revise working standards requires serious resources: temporary, organizational, financial ones. And here the help of the state in retraining specialists would be extremely useful.
BIM as a technology is developing rapidly. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into design looks like one of the most potential areas of development. AI powered by BIM models can help architects and engineers streamline design and planning processes. Using AI algorithms, BIM tools are able to analyze huge amounts of data and generate reasonable design proposals, perform routine functions. AI in conjunction with Big Data allows you to identify patterns in previous construction projects and offer recommendations for energy efficiency and optimization. In addition, BIM with advanced AI can integrate with virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) technologies, providing customers with an immersive experience and better visualization of projects. With the development of AI, its interaction with BIM will only rise.
The Internet of Things also plays an important role in combination with BIM. It allows you to respond actively to changes occurring at the site and prevent errors both during the design stage and during the operation of construction facilities.
Thus, we are witnessing the beginning of the heyday of BIM technologies in the world, and Russian specialists are at the forefront of its first users. In fact, we face a revolution in the design process: for the first time in thousands of years, the designer sees his building before its implementation. In the Russian construction industry, BIM technologies are turning from a promising industry into an integral element of the process of construction and operation of buildings. In its turn, stimulation of its implementation by our state, despite some difficulties, promises to improve significantly the quality and effectiveness of construction projects in the coming years. With each new day, we are approaching a future where BIM and AI will be an integral part of the construction industry, which will help make our buildings and cities more sustainable, modern and functional. But the architect is still responsible for the beauty.
By Maxim Dolgov, founder of the DA Architectural Workshop