BIM provides new approaches to solutions for planning and implementing construction projects, as well as building operation. The core of BIM is a digital data model, which creates virtual models of the planned building prior to physical construction.
WAGO supports users by providing planning modules. These undergo continuous development and are regularly adapted to current technology.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
<p>Digitization offers companies clear advantages: The manufacturing sector in Germany has increased its productivity by an average of 34.1 percent over the past ten years. Initial positive effects can also be discerned in the construction industry, where productivity rose by 4.1 percent over the same period.</p>
Have you always wanted to know what “Building Information Modeling” (BIM) is? BIM is not software! BIM is a planning method that connects people and technologies with processes and guidelines. In this interview, Dörthe Knefelkamp, Market Management for Building Installation, gives clear answers the most important questions about BIM.
Companies that use BIM report improvements in operations planning, budgeting and risk analysis, as well as better implementation of team-oriented work procedures and improved building management. The digital building model is always aligned with the current planning status and enables project participants to make decisions based on a solid data foundation. This prevents duplicated effort, since the technical models created by the building designers are used directly by specialists when scheduling their projects. The common problem that expensive errors are first identified on the construction site itself is eliminated – for example, scheduling conflicts between the work on different building systems, such as electrical and plumbing, are detected earlier. Actual material requirements can be calculated based on the BIM. In addition, various scheduling alternatives can be simulated, and necessary changes can be implemented easily and efficiently.
Benefits for Architects and Engineers
Benefits for Contractors
Benefits for Facility Managers
Digitization of construction is not a new topic. In architecture and structural design, 3D data has been used in planning for years. However, the different building trades still exhibit degrees of adoption.
The introduction of the BIM method has progressed at different speeds in different regions. Some countries have already implemented directives concerning BIM in their national guidelines.
As the illustration shows, Scandinavian countries have been using the digital approach for several years. At EU level, a 2014 EU Directive recommends the use of BIM as a public procurement criterion.
The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure published a phased plan for “Digital Planning and Building” on 2015-12-15. The phased plan requires mandatory use of BIM in public infrastructure projects in Germany from 2020. But fundamentally, the BIM standards have yet to be fully worked out. A number of organizations are working on standardizing processes, data and structures for the BIM method on both the international level – namely ISO and CEN – and the national level.
WAGO has established itself on the market as a manufacturer and supplier of building automation and pluggable electrical installation solutions. We offer custom solutions based on your needs. We consider our local experts’ proximity to customers, the support we provide during the planning process and our ready-made solutions to be key success factors. This also includes extensive documentation from the design to the execution phase, which we provide you for the planning and execution process, because our goal is to give you the best possible advice and support as a planner. We apply the same high standards to implementing the BIM building automation method and to standardization, data provision and planning of smart buildings for electrical installation.
Experts Andreas Kohlhaas of the consulting firm GSP Network and Dörthe Knefelkamp of WAGO discuss the opportunities and challenges of digital construction.
Data for our products is available in .rfa (Revit) and .ifc format.
In this short application film, an example illustrates the integration of an automation distributor into Revit software.
More about this topic
Different levels of deployment (LoD) are envisaged for the BIM method. The LoD describes the depth of information and the level of detail of the model and thus the “degree of completion” in the coordination model. The categories are LoD 100 to LoD 500, with LoD 100 representing a very shallow depth of information and LoD 500 representing the greatest depth of information. The LoD, as well as the LoG and Lol, depend on the planning progress and the user of the data. An architect needs different information about a particular section of a building than a ventilation engineer does; the building trades do not need as much information for preliminary planning phase as for installation planning. The important thing is to keep the data for the technical planning and coordination model transparent and manageable. As a general rule, the LoD should be contractually stipulated for the individual building systems in so-called client information requirements.
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Additional Building Automation and Installation Applications
Whether you are planning lighting installations and automation in your office building, retrofitting a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system or involved with room automation, WAGO helps meet your requirements in buildings.
Sustainable construction pays off. Several certificates provide planning support – one of which accounts for the potential energy savings of building automation.
The planning, implementation and operation of a building must demonstrate both maximum efficiency and a high degree of adaptability.
Heating and cooling applications account for more than 55 % of total energy consumption. The energy transition leads directly to the boiler room. You can rely on WAGO’s solutions for the ventilation systems of tomorrow.
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