Following on the heels of Wisconsin’s recent decision to integrate Building Information Modeling on state design and construction projects, Texas is now the second state to roll out mandatory BIM implementation. The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), which oversees the state’s real estate developments and facility operations, made the announcement in mid-August, with an addition announcement that it would release standardized requirements and guidelines in the near future.
By requiring BIM on state projects, the TFC hopes that contractors will embrace the advantages of BIM’s ability to streamline productivity and promote work flow efficiency, as well as utilize the technology’s digital design functions. Cost savings and more efficient monitoring of preventative maintenance services were also driving factors for the state’s decision to adopt BIM. Additionally, in the current climate where green building is increasingly becoming part of the construction process, BIM’s ability to monitor current energy usage and predict energy consumption using modeled simulations allows the TFC to analyze various high-performance building scenarios for minimal cost and time. As a result, the bi-directional data exchange will help the TFC make better-informed decisions that will ultimately result in cost savings for taxpayers.
“The BIM process allows the TFC and our private sector partners to collaborate from the start, share important data accurately and make better informed decisions earlier in the design process,” said Chris Tisdel, TFC’s director of Building Information Modeling. “The added visibility and work flow efficiency reduces unexpected delays, unforeseen costs and overall construction time, which is of great value for our large operations across the State of Texas.”
To help the private sector understand the new requirements, the commission’s Facilities Design and Construction (FDC) division will publish guidelines and standards for public reference. These guidelines will include an interoperable BIM template, which is designed to help ease contractors unfamiliar with BIM into the new process.
“Modernization has always been a central theme of my administration at the Texas Facilities Commission, and the BIM implementation is another part of that effort,” said TFC Executive Director Edward L. Johnson. “Modernization of our business practices, modernization of our real estate strategy, modernizing building design and construction … a part of everything we do is making use of the most innovative, state-of-the-art developments in both the public and private sector.”
For more information about the implementation and forthcoming guidelines, visit http://www.tfc.state.tx.us/.
Lanna Broyles, Editor
Construction Project Controls & BIM Report
