The Association of University Directors of Estate (AUDE) identified a number of key challenges in the management of large portfolio of existing buildings dating back to the 1960s, these challenges includes poor performance of out-dated building components, a lack of flexible functionality to spaces and a complete lack of accurate and reliable data necessary for efficient building management. These challenges are findings of AUDE commissioned and published paper entitled “The Legacy of 1960’s University Buildings”. The paper highlights that much of the building stock held by Universities is progressively becoming out of date and unfit for purpose. The report considers “how to renew (refurbish/replace) a very large proportion of the property portfolio that was built in the 1960’s.”
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a technology that can improve the way in which building data is created, collated and utilised to improve how buildings are designed and managed from cradle to grave. A critical review of the literature was carried out investigating the role of Building Information Modelling in Construction Management.
A case study approach has been used to investigate the various aspects of information collection and modelling. The George Eliot building, part of Coventry University Estate has been identified and selected as the main case study. A number of experimental processes and techniques were tested using experimental data collection focusing on key themes of relevance to BIM: 3D BIM modelling, Data interoperability, Data Sustainability and Model Validation.
The result of the study recognised an existing problem in information management regarding a lack of accurate building data. The study establishes critical components to consider within the adoption of BIM practices to improve information management such as the need for robust model validation. Additionally the research highlights a number of existing issues within the interoperability of information management tools, which should be considered when adopting BIM. The improvement in interoperability is intrinsically intertwined with good BIM practice. The processes experimented within the research demonstrate the potential that BIM can have to improve information management. The findings of the investigation consequentially informed into the creation of informed process maps designed to facilitate information management within organisations with large built assets portfoli
