Developing a building information modeling framework for future facility projects on the Pennsylvania State University Campus

Owner organizations have the most to gain with the implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM). According to a study performed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2004, owners account for approximately $10.6 billion of the of total inadequate interoperability costs on U.S. capital facility projects ($15.8 billion in 2002). It is vital that information produced in the design and construction phase is transferred into operations with maximum leverage to the end users. Through initial research, it has been determined that very few owners have defined their actual needs and how project information can benefit their management systems. To increase the operational efficiency, an organization must first develop an understanding of their operating systems, and then identify how BIM can add value to their daily activities. This paper outlines the current initiative by the Office of Physical Plant (OPP), the asset manager at Penn State University (PSU), to develop a BIM strategy to be used on future campus projects. Specific topics to be ascertained are: the research steps taken to develop a strategic plan for implementing BIM within the Penn State University; an overview of standard documents being developed including: the BIM Roadmap, BIM Contract Addendum, and BIM Project Execution Plan Template; and a summary of collaboration efforts that lead to a successful integration of BIM within an owner organization. As a result, Penn State has defined minimal BIM requirements for future projects over five million dollars. The information exchange framework developed is flexible to support additional requirements, which allow team members to develop project specific BIM objectives.