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How CoreBIM works

The path of information, from sketch to building maintenance

CoreBIM organises the information of a construction project according to ISO 19650. This page explains who does what, which states each file goes through and how the work moves from the first idea to the finished building and its maintenance. CoreBIM does not draw models. Designers model in their own tools and CoreBIM stores, organises and controls the information that comes out.

Who is who

Everyone has a clear role in the process.

PartyWho they areWhat they do
Client / owner Whoever commissions and pays for the work (the client). Sets the goals and what they need to receive at the end.
Project coordinator The person responsible for all project information, often the information manager or the architect who coordinates. Sets up the project in CoreBIM, defines the teams and rules, reviews the work and authorises what is published.
Designer The specialist technician: architect, structural, water or electrical engineer, and so on. Produces the information for their discipline and uploads it to CoreBIM.
Contractor The company that builds the work. Uses the published information to build and returns the information on how it was built.
Asset manager Whoever operates and maintains the building once it is finished. Uses the final information for maintenance over the years.

The four states of a file

Each file (what we call an information container) goes through four states. The state tells everyone where the information stands and who can see it.

Work in progress
The team's draft. Whoever is producing works freely, corrects and repeats. Only the team itself sees it. Nobody else.
Shared
The information has been reviewed and is ready for the other teams to see. It is used to coordinate between disciplines and spot clashes.
Published
Approved and in force. It is the official version everyone trusts and the basis for the next piece of work.
Archived
An old version, kept for the record. It is never deleted. It stays available for reference and as audit evidence.

The journey step by step

Take the example of an architect. The same journey applies to any discipline.

0
The coordinator sets up the project. Creates the project in CoreBIM and defines the task teams, the naming rule and the dictionary (disciplines, phases, file types). Invites the designers.
Party: Project coordinator
1
The architect models on their own machine. Works in their own tool (Revit, ArchiCAD) on their own computer. Moves walls, tests solutions, corrects. No approval is needed for each change. This work is not in CoreBIM yet.
Party: Designer (architect)
2
Exports the deliverable. When a version is ready to show, generates the delivery files: the model in IFC, the written documents in PDF and the drawings in DWG.
Party: Designer (architect)
3
Registers and uploads to CoreBIM, in Work in progress. Creates a container and uploads the files inside their task team. Only the architecture team can see it.
Party: Designer (architect)
4
Keeps improving, in revisions. Each new export is a new revision (P01, P02, …) of the same container, still in Work in progress. Nobody outside sees these intermediate versions.
Party: Designer (architect)
5
Submits for review. When ready to share, asks the coordinator (or the designated reviewer) to check it. Names who should approve and leaves a comment.
Party: the designer submits; the coordinator or reviewer receives
6
The coordinator approves and the container becomes Shared. If the coordinator approves, the information becomes Shared and the other teams can see it. If it is returned, it goes back to Work in progress with the reason recorded.
Party: Project coordinator
7
The teams coordinate with each other. With the information shared, the disciplines compare their models, look for clashes (a beam that hits a duct) and adjust.
Parties: all teams
8
The coordinator authorises publication. When the information is coordinated and validated, the coordinator authorises publication. The container becomes Published, comes into force and is the basis for the next phase.
Party: Project coordinator

Project phases

The journey above repeats in every phase. With each phase the information gets more detailed and closer to the real building. Phases differ from country to country. In Portuguese public works they follow Portaria no. 255/2023 (which replaced the old 701-H/2008).

1. Brief (Programa Base)

Checks that the work is viable and studies alternative solutions. The information is still general.

2. Concept design (Estudo Prévio)

The solution that best meets what the client wants is chosen. The overall concept is defined.

3. Preliminary design (Anteprojeto)

The chosen solution is developed and the final basis is fixed. Detail increases.

4. Detailed design (Projeto de Execução)

Everything needed to build with precision is produced: written documents, drawings and bill of quantities.

When the project needs a permit from the local authority, the request is filed with the information of the matching phase. Permitting is a separate legal process, not a design phase.

From construction to maintenance

CoreBIM follows the information beyond the design of the project.

Construction. The contractor uses the published information to build. As they build, they produce the information on how the work ended up (the as-built drawings). That information enters the same path: Work in progress, Shared, Published.
Party: Contractor
Handover of the building. At the end of construction, the project information is handed to the client and becomes the information of the finished building. ISO 19650 calls this the move from the project information model (PIM) to the asset information model (AIM).
Parties: the coordinator hands over; the client receives
Operation and maintenance. Over the years, the asset manager uses this information to maintain and operate the building. Every intervention (a repair, a change) goes through the same path again, so the information stays current and keeps its history.
Party: Asset manager

Glossary

The terms used on this page, in plain language.

CDE (Common Data Environment)
The single place where all project information is stored and shared. That is what CoreBIM is.
Information container
Each deliverable managed in CoreBIM (a model, a drawing, a document), with its own identity, status and history.
Revision
Each version of a container. Codes P01, P02 are preliminary versions; C01, C02 are contractual versions.
Task team
The group for one discipline. Each team has its own Work in progress area, which the others cannot see.
Naming convention
The rule that names every container consistently, so everyone understands what each file is.
Discipline
The designer's technical area: architecture, structures, water, electrical, and so on.
Federated model
The models of all disciplines put together, to see the whole building and coordinate.
PIM and AIM
The project information model (during construction) and the asset information model (during building operation).