The OpenBIM Learning Xchange

The University of Salford enjoys a leading position in research and academia in the built environment in the UK and internationally.  Some of the iconic projects over the years such as nD modelling, DIVERCITY, Process Protocol and VisiLean have put it on the global map shaping the industry’s opinion and vision. The Centre for Information Technology in Construction, which is one of its kind in the country has played a key role in guiding the industry to better exploit the latest innovations by bringing practitioners, technologists, researchers and end-users together. University of Salford has a dedicated centre for enterprise work in Centre for Construction Innovation that works closely with the industry to ensure efficient knowledge transfer and has been selected by Constructing Excellence as the leading regional hub for BIM activities. The University of Salford understands the importance of BIM and the current need of the industry to help decipher many of the challenges that it poses, which includes Government’s BIM agenda and BIS standards on BIM. With the launch of the Open BIM Learning Xchange, the University of Salford will host a centre that fosters BIM research and innovation across the industry, research, and academia, and provides direct guidance to the industry to best leverage the capabilities of BIM.

Vision

The vision of the Open BIM Learning Xchange is of a construction industry that is transformed through the effective use of integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) to serve the entire lifecycle of development including Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Ownership and Operation (AECOO) through the engagement of clients, contractors and their supply chains.  BIM will support the entire spectrum of real estate and infrastructure and will be developed on Open principles to ensure the long-term viability of serving the built environment information fabric of the future.

Mission

The Open BIM Learning Xchange has been established to work with the UK Government & construction industries (AECOO) to catalyse the transformation required and facilitate updated and new business models, organizational structures and operating principles that draw on collaboration through the use of Open BIM, increasing quality and value and reducing cost and waste.

Membership and Launch

A full Xchange launch event was held at MediaCity UK, Salford on the 15th May 2012. It was attended by over 100 members of the construction industry. The event saw leading thinkers and practitioners of BIM from all parts of the industry sharing thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that BIM poses for the UK construction industry. The Open BIM Learning Xchange outlined its activities to address these challenges and exploit the opportunities. Those interested in acting as advisors to or participating in the Open BIM Learning Xchange can contact Professor Arto Kiviniemi at the School of the Built Environment, University of Salford.  You can view all presentations from the launch event on our Slideshare>>

Aims and Actions

The Xchange has been established under the leadership of Professor Arto Kiviniemi to:

  • catalyse and facilitate the greater use of BIM technologies to foster collaboration for the construction sector through the whole supply chain to the smallest contractor.  The outcome will be to enhance procurement, design, build, ownership, use, maintenance and disposal of built environment assets.
  • collaboratively develop guidance and received best practise to facilitate the adoption of collaborative Open BIM including contracts, specifications and procurement strategies as well as technical guidance and support.
  • speed up collaborative learning from case studies and other on-going projects by providing a common repository and access to enable members to learn from successes and failures elsewhere.
  • develop and deliver new education and training courses that advance best practice in the field.
  • establish regular web clinics where members can discuss issues with peer groups and where more expert members can respond with advice.

 

 

 

 

 Why Open BIM?

Open BIM logoOpen BIM is a universal approach to the collaborative design, realization and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows. Open BIM is an initiative of buildingSMART and several leading software vendors using the open buildingSMART Data Model.

Open BIM Programme is a marketing campaign initiated by GRAPHISOFT®, Tekla® and other members of buildingSMART® to urge and facilitate globally coordinated promotion of the Open BIM concept throughout the AEC industry, with aligned communication and common branding available to programme participants.

Open BIM Certification is a technical certification system being developed by buildingSMART® to help AEC software vendors improve, test and certify their data connections to work seamlessly with other Open BIM solutions.

  • Open BIM supports a transparent, open workflow, allowing project members to participate regardless of the software tools they use
  • Open BIM creates a common language for widely referenced processes, allowing industry and government to procure projects with transparent commercial engagement, comparable service evaluation and assured data quality
  • Open BIM provides enduring project data for use throughout the asset life--cycle, avoiding multiple input of the same data and consequential errors.
  • Small and large software vendors can participate and compete on system independent, ‘best of breed’ solutions.
  • Open BIM energizes the online product supply side with more exact user demand searches and delivers the product data directly into the BIM.