Commitment to BIM

BIM (which stands for Building Information Modelling) is first and foremost a new collaborative working method for all of the participants involved in the construction sector.

 

In fact, BIM assembles all of the physical and functional features of a project in a digital space. BIM also enables the construction project to be modelled interactively throughout its life cycle, from its design to its demolition, including its operating stage. 

This means that each participant can be fully involved, in order to improve the project’s performance and quality.

Throughout the life cycle of a project with Saint-Gobain

BIM already offers project managers, lead contractors, companies, tradesmen, end customers, and all of the participants and manufacturers involved in the construction industry services and solutions that simplify every stage of their project. 

During the design stage, BIM simplifies communications with project managers and lead contractors by making top-quality data available to everyone. Accordingly, requirements are circulated widely among everyone early on, which amounts to a fantastic opportunity to innovate and adapt products in a manner that is consistent with customers’ expectations. 

Thanks to BIM, from the project design stage, everyone has a true image of the building and of the potential materials that it may. These new design experiences are already a reality today thanks to the Glass Pro Live tool, which enables an architect and project owner to view the window panes that they will be able to incorporate into the facade of their project depending on their physical properties.  

This kind of initiative will become commonplace in the future: everyone will be able to view their projects before even having built them.

Accordingly, it will be possible to anticipate construction risks, to take the right decisions immediately, and to improve the flow of communications between partners in a project as from the first stages of that project. 

End users will not be ignored during this design stage. On the contrary, they will find it easier to picture themselves in the future thanks to the project’s digital software. They will form an integral part of this collaborative loop, and will be involved in design decisions before the works begin, in order to ensure that they are fully satisfied with the structure.

The opening of a free Saint-Gobain BIM objects library is a new step towards the sharing of information. Information relatating to the Saint-Gobain's products will be available to the entire construction sector free of charge, so that its participants can design their projects virtually.

During the tender and execution stage, companies may work in collaborative BIM mode via new services offered by Saint-Gobain, which simplify their intervention methods. For instance, Saint-Gobain's product and system modelling tools will enable companies to determine the building elements and define the quantities to use during the costing or tender stage. These tools will enable them to produce the documents required to organise and complete the project during the execution stage.

 

 

BIM represents a building management tool during the operating stage and at the end of the project’s life. In other words, it offers building operators and users information about products that is stored and can be updated. The continuity of this information makes running, renovating, and managing the end of projects’ life easier.

Action with external operators

Saint-Gobain is partnering the Open BIM Programme within several bodies: 

 

Within the AIMCC (French Construction Product Industry Organisation), in order to involve the entire product industry sector in the benefits of the BIM programme, and the necessary harmonisation of initiatives.

 

Within AFNOR (French Standardisation Organisation), in order to determine a common language, so that BIM becomes a genuine driver for the educational exchange of information, and not just a surveying software package.

 

Within Médiaconstruct - buidingSMART France (French buildingSMART Chapter, international, responsible for IFC), in order to review the problems involved in formally organising the exchange of information about products and systems with all of the participants in the sector.