Increasingly, building information modeling (BIM) is becoming a mandatory requirement for large-scale projects in the AEC industry. BIM, however, does not come with a manual. There are many questions about this rather complex concept. A wide range of misconceptions can arise as each question has multiple answers.
The Brief History of BIM
Despite being used since the early 90s, BIM’s early stages were dampened by the recession. In recent years, it has taken off after reversing a downward trend during the recession. CAD users often perceive BIM as something new and frightening because it was more of a late bloomer than a platform that has been around for a long time.
It is essentially a form of 3D modeling and design software. A global architectural firm like Gensler, which designed the Shanghai Tower, is committed to BIM. The design process of that project met with several tight constraints, all of which required fast and efficient modeling and analysis of different…