The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) presents the Project BIM Requirements, a module of the BIMS-US™ V4 Standard, in an effort to define the elements required in a Building Information Management (BIM) supported construction project in the United States of America. NIBS defines Building Information Management (BIM) as the "functions of controlling the acquisition, analysis, retention, retrieval, and distribution of built environment asset information all within an information processing system." The Project BIM Requirements Standard establishes a comprehensive standard for owners outlining the requirements for achieving viable BIM implementation on construction projects - the use of BIM to achieve the objectives of an owner organization in capital projects, including processes, infrastructure, standards, and execution (as defined in NIBS’ National BIM Guide for Owners). This is intended to provide a framework for owners in crafting their Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). The Project BIM Requirements can support an owner defining the BIM requirements for all stakeholders, ranging from designers to contractors. While this standard sets a baseline, owners are encouraged to expand requirements beyond the Project BIM Requirements to accommodate various unique and specific BIM uses on individual projects. NIBS’ goal in developing the Project BIM Requirements is to foster the creation of a standardized structure and content for project BIM requirements which can increase interorganizational compliance, enhancing nationwide standardization and establishing a minimum threshold for BIM-enabled projects. By aligning with this standard, owners can collectively achieve viable BIM projects that fulfill their goals while adhering to quality standards and conditions of satisfaction for BIM-enabled projects.

The Project BIM Requirements provides a structured list of requirements that owners need to define for specifying the oversight, creation, and management of BIM on a construction project. The divisions of the Project BIM Requirements are outlined below:

1. Scope
2. Terms and Definitions
3. Reference Documents
4. Project BIM Requirements Development Process
5. Project BIM Requirements
   1. 5.1 - Executive
   2. 5.2 - Management
   3. 5.3 - Working/Technical

A team of individuals within the National Institute of Building Sciences developed the Project BIM Standard. Principal authors of the Standard include:

• Connor Christian, NBIMS Chair, Kiewit Building Group
• Dr. Carrie Sturts Dossick, Planning Committee Liaison, University of Washington
• Alireza Borhani Ph.D, Secretary, Former Graduate Research Assistant, MacDonald Miller
• Daniel Dimitrov Ph.C, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Washington
• Lisa Benjamin M.S., Graduate Research Assistant, University of Washington
• Dr. Tammy McCuen, Member, Professor of Construction Science, University of Oklahoma
• Brad Brown, member, Overtur, Allegion, PLC
• Deke Smith, Member, DKS Information Consulting
• Joaquim Nunes, Member, ENEL North America
• Gary Younger, Member, Northeastern University
• Joe Manganelli, Member, Xplr Design, Kent State University
• Stephanie Sneary, Staff, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Nicholas Nisbet, Member, AEC3 UK ltd

The research team would like to thank the planning committee and BIM Council Board of Directors for their support in the development of the Project BIM Requirements Standard. The team also wishes to thank the students at the University of Washington who have contributed to portions of this guide, as well as the industry members who have participated in surveys, interviews, and case studies related to the project.

• Rachel Riopel, BOD Chair, HDR, Inc.
• Dr. John Messner, NBIMS Chair, The Penn State University
• Andrew Steele M.S., Graduate Research Assistant, University of Washington
• Dr. Jennifer Lather, ASHRAE Liaison, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska
• Abe Morris, Observer, SSR
• Chuck Hixon, Observer, Digital Construction Works
• Dominique Fernandez, Staff, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Roger Grant, Staff, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Stephanie Sneary, Staff, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Johnny Fortune, Staff, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Robert Glover, Secretary, Barton Malow Builders
• Russell Manning, PhD, LEED AP, CEFP, CRL, NIBS BOD Liaison, ICC
• Paul Audlsley, Assoc. AIA, Member, NBBJ
• Ivan Jaramillo, Member, Autodesk, Inc.
• Frank Moore, Member, Autodesk, Inc.
• Edmund Newman, Member, GSA
• Andy Smith, Member, Bentley Systems
• Van Woods, Member, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

As the industry develops Building Information Management (BIM) for planning, design, construction, and operations, there is a need for owner organizations to document the expectations for BIM Uses on a project. To do this, owners can document these expectations in Project BIM Requirements that is often incorporated into the Owner Project Requirements (OPR) documentation.

There are two types of BIM requirements that an owner organization may define: 1) An owner organization’s Organizational BIM requirements standard and 2) A project specific BIM Requirements document (See Figure 1). This Project BIM Requirements Standard applies to both types of requirements. First, if an owner organization has a capital project portfolio with repeated construction projects, it is recommended that the owner organization develop a comprehensive standard for their organization's BIM Requirements. This can incorporate their data needs for operations and maintenance as well as create standards for project management during planning, design, and construction activities. Second, an owner organization will want to include Project BIM Requirements when developing project specific requirements documents. If the owner organization has an Organizational BIM Requirements Standard, they can use it as the basis for the Project BIM Requirements document(s). An owner who does not do construction routinely should develop a Project BIM Requirements document as part of the contract and this Standard, Guideline, and the Example Language can all support the owner in authoring Project BIM Requirements. See the Template and Example Language for supporting materials in the resources section. Also see the ANSI/ASHRAE/NIBS Standard 224-2023 Standard Application of Building Information Modeling as a basis for what an owner should do to develop Organizational and BIM Requirements. See below for more information on Standard 224-2023.

Figure 1. The types of BIM Requirements documents and their relationships

The Project BIM Requirements defined in this standard relates to other NBIMS modules in that it sets the basis for what needs to be defined to achieve a BIM-enabled project (See Figure 2). Once an owner defines the Project BIM Requirements, the project team then develops BIM Execution Plan(s) to define appropriate model uses, responsibilities, and processes. The project team can use the BIM Uses Definitions to define their preferred BIM Uses. An owner can use the COBie Standard to define the Data Deliverable exchange structures and requirements.

The Project BIM Requirements are also closely related to the new ANSI/ASHRAE/NIBS Standard 224-2023 Standard Application of Building Information Modeling. Both the Project BIM Requirements and the Standard 224-2023 originate from the National BIM Guide for Owners. Standard 224-2023 was developed by a joint ASHRAE NIBS Committee that took the National BIM Guide for Owners and converted it into an ANSI level standard. Standard 224-2023 is specifically for owners to identify requirements for implementing BIM on projects for the owner and the project team. Standard 224-2023 is targeted at providing the minimum requirements for the application of building information modeling/management (BIM) to the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities, including both buildings and infrastructure. In so doing, it references NBIMS for further direction on implementation. Standard 224-2023 defines how to incorporate BIM requirements as identified in the NBIMS Project BIM Requirements in owners’ design, construction, and operations services contracts.

These standards were developed in parallel. As a result, some coordination in their alignment may still be required and will be addressed in subsequent versions of the standards and supporting guidelines as both become available and are used in practice.

Figure 2. NBIMS-US Modules and Standards

Mission/Scope:

The mission of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) BIMS-US V4 is to develop a BIM Requirements Standard that defines the required elements that should be specified for a viable BIM-enabled construction project and that the owner should include in the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). It is intended for an owner to use the PBR Standard to define Project BIM Requirements for delivery team members including designers and builders (referenced in this document as the delivery team). Owners may extend requirements beyond the scope of this standard to include other BIM Uses.

On a typical building or infrastructure construction project, the owner (also known as the Appointing Party in ISO 19650-2 (2018)) develops Project BIM Requirements as part of the contract with the delivery team (also known as Appointed Parties within ISO 19650-2 (2018)). This Project BIM Requirements Standard defines the required elements to be included in Owner Project Requirements (OPR). See the Template and Example Language for examples of Project BIM Requirements for each section of this standard. Owners may create an Organizational Project BIM Requirements document that is used and referenced over a variety of projects. This Project BIM Requirements Standard can be used to define these generalized BIM requirements that owners publish prior to specific project contracting processes and are used as their organization’s standard.

What is Building Information Management and what will this standard help an Organization Achieve?

The National Institute of Building Sciences defines Building Information Management (BIM) as the "functions of controlling the acquisition, analysis, retention, retrieval, and distribution of built environment asset information all within an information processing system." This Project BIM Requirements Standard aims to outline the requirements of a BIM project while achieving the highest levels of quality and conformance to the proper conditions of satisfaction. Therein, the Project BIM Requirements Standard will ensure that all BIM model(s) and element(s) shall be created to a level of completeness and quality as required to perform an analysis appropriate for the given stage and requirements. In other words, quality should be delivered parallel to and/or aligned within other processes while following this standard.

Furthermore, using this standard across the industry will support consistency across the sector. This standard sets up expectations as to what should be addressed in a Project BIM Requirements document so that all parties, the owner and the delivery team members, have shared understanding around the expectations for BIM oversight, management, and delivery.

What is a "Viable BIM"?

The National Institute of Building Sciences defines viable BIM as: the use of BIM to achieve the objectives of an owner organization in capital projects, including processes, infrastructure, standards, and execution. (National BIM Guide for Owners) This supports the project team in the planning, design, construction, and operations of built environment assets.

This section of the Project BIM Requirements Guidelines focuses on how to use the Project BIM Requirements Standard, including a description of the document structure, the divisions within it, and the ways information is organized. The Project BIM Requirements Standard describes the required elements for defining BIM requirements that an owner would include in the OPR, therefore an overview of the document layout and structure is critical.

Document Structure:

The Project BIM Requirements Standard is broken down into 5 sections, beginning with a brief description of scope, followed by terms and definitions, reference documents, and an overview of the project BIM requirements development process.

1. Scope
2. Terms and Definitions
3. Reference Documents
4. Project BIM Requirements Development Process
5. Project BIM Requirements:
   1. 5.1 - Executive
   2. 5.2 - Management
   3. 5.3 - Working/Technical

Beyond sections 1-4, the Standard is divided into three major sections that define the scope of the individual requirements within each section. These divisions were developed based on ISO 12911 which defines three levels: Executive, Management, and Working/Technical. The Project BIM Requirements Standard’s divisions mirror that of ISO 12911. These sections are described below:

1. Executive: The Executive level is meant to define the broader outcomes of a BIM-enabled project. This section includes deliverables, quality management strategy, Intellectual property (IP) rights, security, and legal considerations.
2. Management: The Management level describes the controls and management processes and oversight necessary for a BIM-enabled project. This section includes the BIM Execution Plan (BEP), Roles and Responsibilities, Common Data Environment (CDE), and collaboration requirements.
3. Working/Technical: The Working/Technical level describes the technical requirements and inputs necessary for a BIM-enabled project. This section includes BIM Uses, Model Requirements (finished product), Modeling Requirements (creation requirements), and Data Requirements.

Within each of the three above sections are the minimum BIM requirements that an owner would include as part of the OPR. Each of the three sections contains unique requirements that when sufficiently addressed can provide the basis for a viable BIM-enabled construction project. Each of the three major categorical divisions are further broken down into smaller sections containing individual project BIM Requirements. These sub-divisions are briefly described below:

1. Division - 5.1 Executive:
      5.1.1 Deliverables
      5.1.2 Quality Management Strategy
      5.1.3 Intellectual Property (IP) Rights
      5.1.4 Security
      5.1.5 Legal Considerations

2. Division - 5.2 Management:
      5.2.1 BIM Execution Plan (BEP)
      5.2.2 Roles and Responsibilities
      5.2.3 Common Data Environment (CDE)
      5.2.4 Collaboration Requirements

3. Division - 5.3 Working/Technical:
      5.3.1 BIM Uses
      5.3.2 Model Requirements (Finished Product)
      5.3.3 Modeling Requirements (Creation Requirements)
      5.3.4 Data Requirements

Within each sub-division of sections 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3 exist the individual elements which compose the body of the Project BIM Requirements Standard. Each individual element within the above sections contains:

1. Title of the requirement
2. Definition of the requirement

An example is provided below of the requirements structure from section 5.2.4.6, within the Collaboration Requirements (5.2.4) of the Management (5.2) section.

5.2.4.6: Coordination Meetings

The OPR shall require the Delivery Team to regularly meet to conduct BIM coordination and quality checks.

An owner seeking to create an Organizational Project BIM Requirements document that may be used or referenced over a variety of projects can then tailor their individual organization and its unique operations around each requirement within the Project BIM Requirements Standard. Using the example above, 5.2.4.6 Collaboration Meetings, an owner would be aware of the requirement to have regular BIM coordination meetings and quality checks throughout the project and may tailor this requirement to their unique organization and include it in their OPR. As described above, following the Project BIM Standard document can then lead to a standardized Organizational Project BIM Requirements document which can be applied to all BIM projects. This can then be further tailored to specific projects and their unique BIM requirements to create individual project specific BIM requirements.

The workgroup with the support of the University of Washington team reviewed existing standards (national, international, state, local) that define BIM project requirements and developed an interim report to support the development of this Project BIM Requirements language. This included example language from the existing standards. This workgroup then developed the candidate module language for ballot.

The development process for the Project BIM Requirements Standard was a collaborative effort between the NIBS workgroup and a research team at the University of Washington. An extensive literature review was conducted of existing BIM standards and guidelines in an effort to produce the Project BIM Requirements Standard. This effort included the review and assessment of each of these individual standards to ensure that the NBIMS Project BIM Standard is in conformance with each preceding existing BIM standardization and guideline document. This included an extensive qualitative coding procedure in which requirements from each existing standard were coded for similarity and overlap in content. Multiple iterations of coding went into this effort to ensure conformance and interoperability with existing standards both nationwide and internationally. The standards and guidelines which were reviewed during the development process of the Project BIM Requirements Standard are listed below.

With the review in hand, the members of the workgroup established a table of contents, determined the elements, defined these elements, and compiled example and template language. These were systematically reviewed line by line by the workgroup over a series of meetings over a period of 9 months.

The ISO 19650 Standard is an international standard for managing information over the lifecycle of a built asset using Building Information Management (BIM). The development of the Project BIM Standard was done following an extensive review and analysis of the ISO 19650 document series in order to ensure compliance between the standards. This section will review how following the Project BIM Standard will ensure alignment with ISO 19650 and provide a detailed overview of both standards and where alignment between them can be found.

The largest difference between these standards lies in the fact that ISO 19650 provides a standard for managing information over the entire lifecycle of a built asset using BIM, while the Project BIM Standard focuses specifically on the delivery phase of the build asset’s life cycle. The ISO 19650 Standard is separated into 5 sections which individually focus on a particular life-cycle phase of a built asset. ISO 19650-1: Concepts and Principles, ISO 19650-2: Delivery Phase of the Assets, and ISO 19650-5: Security-minded approach to information management are where the Project BIM Standard and the ISO 19650 Standard overlap most optimally in content and goal, with the majority of alignment present in ISO 19650-2. Below is a detailed overview of the alignment between the Project BIM Standard and the ISO 19650 document series separated by sections within the Project BIM Standard. This begins with the Executive section of requirements, followed by the Management and Working/Technical section of requirements. For each individual Project BIM Standard requirement, the section of ISO alignment is listed along with a brief explanation of alignment.

Figure 3. Map of the Project BIM Requirements over the project life cycle as defined in the ISO 19650 Standard

5.1 Executive