Checking regulatory compliance for building permitting remains a tedious, time-consuming and costly process. While the critical importance of timely, accurate, and uniform code review has been an important goal of regulatory agencies for some time (for over a decade in the case of Singapore), only recently has the industry started to experience a paradigm shift.

Fiatech is planning to permanently transform the way construction project code reviews are conducted. The AutoCodes Project aims to make the building regulatory process  faster, more uniform, and more competitive through automated code-check technology based on virtual 3D construction models or BIMs (Building Information Models).  The AutoCodes Project guideline aims at creating a consistent and reliable modeling methodology to streamline processes and result in faster, more accurate code checking.

One of the activities of the AutoCodes project was to commission a review of existing, publicly available Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards and guidelines including those that are in development and completed.  The research goal is to establish a foundation for developing modeling requirements and methodologies for automated code checking.

The research team reviewed 28 BIM standards and guidelines (see listing below), including eight that were developed by third-party organizations, for example, the National BIM Standard developed by the buildingSMART alliance, and 20 by owner organizations, for example, the General Services Administration’s (GSA) BIM Guide Series. Eight out of the 28 documents are considered standards and 20 are considered guidelines.

None of the standards and guidelines reviewed define detailed requirements for automated code checking.  However, 15 recommend automated code checking/validation as a potential BIM use.  For example, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore launched CORENET (Construction and Real Estate NETwork) e-submission for the building and construction industry in 2001. BCA began accepting BIM e-submission (architectural, structural & MEP) in 2011.

Building permitting in Singapore

Singapore is an interesting example because its stated goal is to make its permitting process faster than anywhere else in the world.  As a result, in many ways Singapore is leading the world in making the building permitting process more efficient.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) led a multi-agency effort in 2008 to implement the world’s first BIM electronic submission (e-submission).  The BIM e-submission system streamlines the process for regulatory submission.  The process of moving to electronic submissions took about four years to complete.

In 2010 the BCA implemented the BIM Roadmap with the aim that 80% of the construction industry will use BIM by 2015. This is part of the government’s plan to improve the construction industry’s productivity by up to 25% over the next decade.

Digital signatures are legal in Singapore.  In many jurisdictions around the world, engineering and architectural drawings submitted to a municipal government require a signature or signatures of a licensed professional engineer (P.E.), in ink on a piece of paper.

Digital submissions are mandatory in Singapore.  Initially Singapore’s e-submission system meant that making a submission for a building permit required submitting 2D DWG, DGN, DXF, DWF, or PDF files.

The BCA is responsible for building permits in Singapore.  When a submission is received, it is reviewed by 16 government agencies, but BCA has the final authority to grant or reject the submission or ask for clarifications or modification.  Initially e-submission required 2D drawings with layers defined according to a BCA standard. 

But Singapore is moving rapidly toward building information models (BIM).  Project teams only need to submit one building model, which contains all of the information needed to meet the requirements of a regulatory agency.  In 2010, nine regulatory agencies accepted architectural BIM 3D models for approval through e-submission. This was followed by the acceptance of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and structural BIM models in 2011. To date, more than 200 projects have made BIM e-submissions.

BIM standards and guidelines reviewed