Older Document but Timeless Information on BIM

Although now in it's second edition, the Original Contractor's Guide To BIM in it's first edition published in 2006, was an incredibly forward thinking document by the Associated General Contractors of America. Here is another definition of BIM from the text:

Building Information Modeling is the development and use of a computer software 

model to simulate the construction and operation of a facility. The resulting model, a 

Building Information Model, is a data rich, object-oriented, intelligent and parametric 

digital representation of the facility, from which views and data appropriate to various 

users’ needs can be extracted and analyzed to generate information that can be used to 

make decisions and improve the process of delivering the facility.

The article goes on to explain all the basic functions and advantages of BIM and misconceptions...

Setting aside a couple of myths already spreading…
Myth #1: BIM is only for large projects with complex geometries
Fact: The benefi ts of using BIM on all projects, regardless of size and
shape, are being proven by contractors using BIM today.
Myth #2: BIM is only for large contractors who can afford the investment.
Fact: The benefi ts of using BIM are being seen by contractor

Here is a comparative chart of Traditional CAD based drawing as opposed to BIM.

This Guide is actually a very quick read yet very informative and serves as a great introduction to the world of BIM for those unfamiliar. Among the topics are:


The Competitive Marketing Advantage of BIM
Partial BIM Uses such as Visualization
Different Methods of arriving at a BIM Model
Risk Management and Legal Implications
Clarification of Responsibilities
What is 3d, 4d, 5d?

Just don't venture into the Hardware/Software Section unless you want to have a giggle or too, remember how fast Computers have progressed even in the last 4 years.

Here is the complete 1st Edition available for free. If you would like the 2nd updated Edition, you could purchase it here for around $50 for AGC members.  This Guide goes into finer detail on points such as how to incorporate BIM into your company and joint stakeholder collaboration.