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2021.10.26

"Why should we use Building Information Modelling (BIM) instead of Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) software to generate project drawings?"

BIM has been adopted by the industry for many years in Hong Kong and overseas.  It is a process of generating and managing building data during the building or built asset lifecycle.  It provides data for many applications such as facilitating project management, better construction process control, cross-disciplinary collaboration, communication with external stakeholders, decision making and risk management. 

 

“Drawing Generation using BIM” is one of the fastest growing applications of BIM.  According to the CIC BIM Adoption Survey 2020, it is the top 3 BIM uses in 2020 (64% of construction projects in Hong Kong used BIM for drawing generation).  It is also one of the BIM uses specified in Development Bureau’s Technical Circular on Adoption of BIM for Capital Works Projects in Hong Kong.  

 

Since BIM generated drawings will be updated automatically whenever there are changes to the BIM models, the drawings produced are consistent, reliable and accurate.  Furthermore, BIM can also be used to prepare statutory plans for submission.  The CIC has developed and published standards such as the “CIC BIM Standards for Preparation of Statutory Plan Submissions” and “CIC Production of BIM Object Guide - General Requirements” for use by the industry.  Practitioners can download these publications and software templates from the CIC BIM Portal for reference:  https://bim.cic.hk/en/resources/publications

 

In view of the significant benefits of using BIM, please consider to migrating the use of CAD to BIM, and grab the opportunity to learn BIM and use it to generate the majority of your project drawings from the BIM models at the start of project implementation.

 

The School of Professional Development in Construction (SPDC) of the Hong Kong Institute of Construction (HKIC) has discontinued teaching on the use of CAD and diverted its teaching resources to teach BIM, in order to help modernise our construction industry. Other training providers will likely follow suit. 

Learn how to use BIM as soon as possible in order not to be left behind!

HKIC BIM courses:

http://www.hkic.edu.hk/eng/course_search_result?keyword=bim