Legislative Decree 18 April 2016, n. 50, art. 23 Paragraph 13 (design levels for contracts, works and services), the so-called MIT decree (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), literally reads: “The contracting entities may require for new works as well as for recovery, refurbishment or variations, primarily for complex works, the use of specific electronic methods and tools referred to in subparagraph 1(h). These tools make use of interoperable platforms by means of open formats, in order not to restrict competition among technology providers and the use of specific planning tools by designers. The use of electronic methods and instruments can be requested only by the contracting entities with properly trained staff (omissis)”.
This is the transposition of the Community Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 26 February 2014.
After about a year, in 2017, the legislative implementing policy is being defined. It is the direct outcome of the measure referred to above (predictably, as a Decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure). Two presumably effective tools are emerging: one is more operational and provides for a national standardization, while the second one is more informative and promotional:
– UNI 11337:2017 (published in several parts, nearing completion);
– The Handbook for the introduction of Building Information Modeling by the European Public Sector. Strategic action for construction sector performance: driving value, innovation and growth published by the EUBIM Taskgroup.
The Building Information Modeling (BIM), along with the above-mentioned standards and recommendations, is therefore recognized as the key information tool for digitalization in the construction sector.
Francesco Ruperto, an expert in this field, says: “Both the MIT decree and the BIM Handbook, a document of reference for the European public demand, identify common and increasingly organized methods to enable a public entity to implement BIM processes in its own organization given their significance with respect to the requirements included in the tender specifications”.
After identifying the common methods of BIM processes, it is necessary to define their qualitative characteristics. Is BIM procedure identical in every intervention area? Why some permutations of Information Modeling are becoming popular, e.g. HBIM (Heritage BIM), LIM (Landscape Information Modeling), GeoBIM (Geospatial BIM), SeismicBIM, etc.? Can we identify virtuous procedures or are there considerable variations from one area to another?
The support offered by various forms of representation to sophisticated knowledge and ideation processes is gaining popularity within increasingly integrated and interconnected computing environments that are gradually overcoming the mere paper-based format. Representation results from an orderly or orderable system of elements that together establish relations, matches, dependencies.
The digital information modeling is the container and, at the same time, the content of knowledge-promoting data. It is shaping its own founding paradigms for a continuously evolving context that affects both the legislative framework in the field of public works and methods and technological tools.
Today, increasingly large skill-based working teams face, through the constant updating of standards and procedures, several challenges that in turn broaden the horizon of possibilities. It is therefore important to have an up-to-date state-of-the-art, built through good practices and the most advanced experience, both in the professional field and in that of theoretical and applied research. This will be used for comparisons or personalized replications.
The research is complemented by increasingly frequent BIM meetings, both at a national and international level, open to academics, professionals, public and private operators. It is worth mentioning a few of them, such as: Workshop 3D Modeling & BIM in 2016 and 2017 held at the Faculty of Architecture in Rome; Brainstorming BIM, held at the Faculty of Architecture of Politecnico of Milan in 2016; BIM and HBIM between Research and Profession, Federazione degli Ordini degli Ingegneri dell’Umbria, Ordine degli Ingegneri of the Province of Perugia and Terni, at UmbriaFiere in Bastia Umbra; Digital & BIM Italy, 2017, at Fair of Bologna.
BIM integrates and is supplemented by other approaches based on specific IT technologies: GIS (Geographic Information System), web, mobile applications, Database Management Systems (DBMS); computer languages linking together the various parts of the building process become the universe of reference for the magazine Dn. Out of the existing trade publications, this new magazine represents a unique experience at national level. It addresses specific themes through an unprecedented analytical approach. It discusses sophisticated and interoperable processes and presents a varied selection of methods, technologies and instruments clearly defined to “build right and allow people to live”.
It aims at becoming a critical reference for a heterogeneous public, composed of researchers and operators in the field of construction; an investigation and comparison tool where professionals, experts and researchers may discuss, propose solutions or share and illustrate the path followed in the definition of individual projects.
The first issue presents a collection of the most interesting scientific contributions arising from the above mentioned training activities. The magazine content is quite diversified. It presents exploratory approaches in the field of H-BIM, aimed at a correct digitization of historical heritage, semantically intelligent, with interesting methodological insights; a number of virtuous examples of good practices for the implementation of major building interventions characterized by marked process innovations, a description of operational proposals and related applications in the managing/maintenance area. These contributions reflect an integrated methodological approach that should allow preserving, looking up and updating the information heritage in accordance with interoperable operational processes and a strongly collaborative spirit.
T. Empler, M. Lo Turco