—续

成功的团队运行依赖于合作，合作又反过来依赖于流畅的和开放的沟通。相应地，创造一个能够促进团队成员之间充分共享信息的环境和机制对于成功地实施IPD至关重要。

首要沟通协议的开发和应用能简化沟通并促进项目数据在各参与方之间和各种技术之间的传递。通过联合研讨会开发沟通协议和其它沟通工具，在联合研讨会中，项目团队讨论并决定如何使用、管理并转换信息用于确保统一并正确地使用共享信息。在研讨会中建立的决议和沟通协议会被记录并成为项目的信息规范。

作为链接到项目信息数据库的三维数字模型，建筑信息模型（BIM）是支持IPD最强大的工具之一。因为BIM可以在一个数据库中整合设计、制造信息、安装说明和项目管理物流等，它能在项目的设计阶段到施工阶段提供一个协作平台。另外，因为在建筑整个生命周期内模型和数据库都能一直存在，业主可在竣工之后将BIM用于管理设施，例如空间规划、家具装设、监控长期能源效能、维修以及再建模。

BIM是一项不断改进的技术，并且在目前阶段没有始终如一的使用下去。举个例子，小型项目以及大型项目的一部分可使用单独的一个模型，但是大型的、复杂的项目可能要依赖于很多由专业参与方搭建的模型进行互联。主要加工商的模型可与设计模型进行交叉来直接生成采购信息，并在设计和采购进行的同时协调冲突。与类似实践相比，承包商可在实际施工之前，将工作模型与设计模型交互使用来为预施工提供施工阶段和日程规划，最后达到减少时间和材料浪费的目的。在项目早期，也能将模型用于准确的成本预算。对于现场、时间或财务方面有限制以至于无法进行的极其复杂的项目，BIM也能以各种方式开展工作。

BIM是一项工具，而不是项目交付模式，但是IPD模式与BIM联手可将工具的能力放大。IPD项目团队就有关如何发展、访问并使用模型以及如何在各模型之间和各参与方之间转换信息的问题达成了一致认识。没有这种清晰的认识，可能会导致模型的不正确和不正当使用。要基于功能和互操作性选取软件。开放的技术平台对于将BIM和其它模型整合到项目流程至关重要，它们也促进了各个层面的项目利益沟通。为在这方面提供帮助，可互操作的数据交换协议正处于开发阶段并正获得市场的认可。

对于建模的详细程度、特定应用所需的误差、模型服务的目的（例如是否会将模型用于开发成本数据，是否会将模型作为合同文件），也做出并记录与之相关的决策。如果把模型作为合同文件，那么模型与其它合同文件之间的关系就确定了。协议也是为了冲突解决方案和提交审查而建立的。如果将模型用于开发成本数据，协议就是为了如何创建并转换成本信息而创建的。除此之外，持有、管理并完成模型的方式也就是确定的了。

这些决策和协议对于在IPD中高效使用BIM是很重要的。与上面讨论过的沟通决策和协议类似，通过联合研讨会能最好地开发BIM决策和协议。所有决策都要被记录下来并对任何参与方都是随时可用的——如此能确保模型的使用在整个项目进程中都是一致的。

未完待续—

—CONTINUE

Successful team operations rely on collaboration, which, in turn, necessarily relies on fluid and open communication. Accordingly, creating an atmosphere and mechanisms that facilitate the adequate sharing of information between and among team members is essential to successfully implementing IPD.

The development and use of an overarching communication protocol streamlines communications and facilitates the transfer of project data between participants and between technologies. The communication protocol and other communication tools are developed through joint workshops in which the project team discusses and decides how information will be used, managed and exchanged to ensure consistent and appropriate use of shared information. The decisions and communication protocol established at the workshops are documented and become the project’s information specification.

Building Information Modeling (BIM), a digital, three-dimensional model linked to a database of project information, is one of the most powerful tools supporting IPD. Because BIM can combine, among other things, the design, fabrication information, erection instructions, and project management logistics in one database, it provides a platform for collaboration throughout the project’s design and construction. Additionally, because the model and database can exist for the life of a building, the owner may use BIM to manage the facility well beyond completion of construction for such purposes as space planning, furnishing, monitoring long term energy performance, maintenance, and remodeling.

BIM is an evolving technology and is not used consistently in the industry at the present time. For example, a small project or a portion of a large project may utilize a single model, but a large, complex project may depend upon many interconnected models developed by specialty participants. Major fabricator models may interact with a design model to produce fabrication information directly and to coordinate conflicts as the design and purchasing proceed simultaneously. Compared with analog practices, the constructor’s work model can reduce time and material waste by interacting with the design model to provide construction staging and scheduling to pre-build the project in model form far in advance of actual construction. Models also allow for more accurate costing and estimating earlier in the project. The use of BIM allows the efficient development of extremely complex projects in ways that might otherwise not be possible given constraints of site, time or finances.

BIM is a tool, not a project delivery method, but IPD process methods work hand in hand with BIM and leverage the tool’s capabilities. The IPD project team reaches an understanding regarding how the model will be developed, accessed, and used, and how information can be exchanged between models and participants. Without such a clear understanding, the model may be used incorrectly or for an unintended purpose. Software choices are made on the basis of functionality and interoperability. Open technology platforms are essential to the integration of BIM and other models into the process and they foster communication to the benefit of the project on all levels. To aid in this area, interoperable data exchange protocols are in development and are gaining acceptance in the marketplace.

Decisions are also made and documented regarding the level of detail to be modeled, the tolerances required for specific uses, and the purposes the model will serve, such as whether the model will be used to develop cost data, and will function as a contract document. If it serves as a contract document, then the relationship between the model(s) and other contract documents is determined. Protocols are also established for conflict resolution and submittal review as well. If the model is used to develop cost data, protocols are developed for how cost information will be created and exchanged. In addition, the methods for hosting, managing and archiving the model are determined.

These decisions and protocols are vital to the effective use of BIM in IPD. Similar to the communications decisions and protocols discussed above, BIM decisions and protocols are best developed through joint workshops.

Any and all decisions are documented and readily available to any participant that will utilize the model—thus ensuring consistent use of the model over the course of the project.

TO BE CONTINUED—