The Russian government will use lessons learned from 25 pilot BIM projects, currently underway, to overhaul construction legislation to support the technology’s widespread use.
The projects are located across the country and include mostly residential buildings, plus some industrial and hospital buildings, designed by a range of different architects.
To qualify, the Ministry of Construction required each project team to implement an internationally approved form of BIM software, listed by buildingSMART, and provide a BIM standard demonstrating the ability to produce both 3D and information models, plus a certificate from a BIM specialist proving the team’s knowledge of BIM.
In addition, it recommended that all architecture, structure and MEP disciplines be modelled in BIM.
Anastasia Morozova, head of sales for Autodesk in Russia, comments: “Results from the projects will be compiled in November, and based on analysis, feedback and lessons learned, next year proposals will be submitted for changes to existing construction regulations, and new regulations, needed to support BIM implementation in Russia.”
The government also plans to work with different universities and education institutes to prepare a new generation of BIM specialists and work is underway to produce a unified classification system covering more than 70,000 building materials, products and structures, by the end of this year.
The pilots form part of a multi-year BIM implementation plan, begun at end of December 2014, when the Russian government’s Minister of Construction issued Order 926, which, like PAS1192, has become a key term among Russia’s BIM practitioners, to identify how construction regulation could be changed to facilitate widespread BIM use.
“It is currently difficult to say when we will have a Level 2 BIM mandate, similar to the UK, but based on statements from several top managers in the industry, it is a reasonable step to take and the discussion now is around when it should happen and the actions required in the run up,” says Morozova. “Russia’s BIM roadmap is being informed by BIM use in other countries, including the publicly available documents produced in the UK.”
BIM expertise in Russia varies dramatically, depending on the location and discipline, says Morozova. Just a couple of companies in the country are performing at Level 2, but many are headed in that direction.
“Commercial companies doing construction and design are the most advanced, as they realise the benefits of reducing the cost and time of construction and related risk,” she says. “Many design companies started investing in BIM in 2008-2009, and are now quite advanced and able to produce good-quality federated models, producing drawings and documents from them.
“They see BIM as important for speeding up the design process and identifying collisions. However, firms that only do construction, not design, are lagging behind and do not currently consider BIM at all.”
Clients and building owners are becoming more proactive, she adds: “Just this year, more and more building owners and clients have started to require BIM from design companies on projects and, as a result, many firms are switching their working processes over to BIM.”
It is currently difficult to say when we will have a Level 2 BIM mandate, similar to the UK, but based on statements from several top managers in the industry, it is a reasonable step to take and the discussion now is around when it should happen and the actions required in the run up.– Anastasia Morozova, Autodesk
