by Shane Henson — November 4, 2013—The National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance has officially released the United States’ building information modeling (BIM) standard via eBook for mobile access.
The organization published the National BIM Standard-United States (NBIMS-US) Version 2 (V2), the first-ever consensus-based standard governing BIM for use in the United States, in spring 2012 as a free, online standard. Through the recent release of the standard in eBook format (for $4.99), the organization expects to help the art and science of the building life cycle by making the standard that much easier to reference anywhere, anytime.
Developed in response to requests for an off-line and portable form of the standard, the eBook contains the fixed content of the NBIMS-US V2, as well as Internet-accessible links to reference supporting material online.
NBIMS-US V2 provides consensus-based standards through referencing existing standards, documenting information exchanges, and delivering best business practices for the entire built environment. With open BIM standards, users can build detailed models then deliver accurate products that can be used during commissioning and operation to ensure facility functionality throughout the life of the facility and to deliver high-performance, carbon-neutral, and net-zero-energy based facilities.
The standard covers the full life cycle of buildings—from planning, design, and construction to operations and sustainment. Part of an international effort, the standard is serving as the kick-off point for a number of other countries around the world to adopt as their own BIM standard, as well as the basis of NBIMS-US V3, which is currently under development here in the United States.
The NBIMS-US V2 follows an open consensus process set by rules of governance established by the National Institute of Building Sciences. The standard is arranged into three main categories: reference standards, information exchange standards (which are built upon the reference standards), and best practice guidelines that support users in their implementation of open BIM standards-based deliverables.
