BIM certification guide

BIM has become a must in the construction industry. Technology has always been a driving factor for business innovation, improved results, and increased profits. All serious construction firms that work on larger projects need to implement BIM technology to stay competitive.

This is why more and more companies are rushing to get the necessary BIM expertise they need. This means that managers need to establish BIM operations and hire or train effective teams that are proficient in these tasks. However, hiring BIM experts isn’t so easy as there is a small number of people on the job market with desired skills.

This is why training has become a must both for organizations and individuals. They can do this through verified courses which will give them an adequate BIM certification. In this BIM certification guide, we will dive deeper into the topic.

Building Information Modeling explained

Before we start talking about BIM certifications and education, let’s first refresh our memory on what it represents. This is a fairly new concept, and many people (even those in the industry) don’t understand what Building Information Modeling is.

BIM represents a process during which information about a construction project is created and managed through the entire lifecycle of the project.

This process leads to many results, but the most crucial one is called the Building Information Model. It represents a full description of an asset that’s been built and all of its aspects in digital form. The model includes assembled information through a collaborative process.

The Building Information Model is updated throughout all major stages of a certain project by all people working on it. Having a Building Information Model allows everyone involved in building the facility to optimize and prioritize. This results in the higher overall value of the asset.

BIM certification guide: Schemes

BIM certification schemes are designed to help project supply chains and whole organizations get the necessary compliance with various BIM standards. It doesn’t matter if your organization doesn’t work directly on some platform that offers a 3D environment for modeling.
If you are sharing information about assets and construction, then this kind of compliance is necessary. When an individual or organization has proper BIM certifications, they are recognized by government institutions as being able to work with security management, asset management, and planning execution of BIM projects.
Built assets can be managed even better during their lifecycle with Building Information Modeling. Most governments have made the use of “BIM level two” mandatory with all government projects which are procured centrally. Building Information Modeling involves:

• Standardization of digital information;
• Defining responsibilities and roles;
• Planning and scheduling;
• Cost estimates;
• Defining procedures and methods of approach;
• Asset Management;
• Security regulation;
• Classification;
• Safety and health management.

Where to get BIM training and certification

The good news is, there are a lot of different places where you can do this. The bad news is that things are not standardized on a global level, which might be a little confusing. There are many options which don’t even require candidates to leave their offices. Bear in mind that learning BIM is a process, and it might take some time.
There are these main ways to get training and/or certifications:

1. Attending conferences: conferences are often neglected but there are many relevant ones in the industry that talk about the implementation of new technologies throughout the construction world.
2. Online learning: this is a very popular approach, and there are many online courses available for different levels, roles, certifications, and so on.
3. Classes at a community college: a lot of local colleges offer both CAD and BIM training even for people who aren’t students or don’t have a degree.
4. With professional association: every country has a professional association or several ones that offer relevant training and certification within the construction industry.

However, when you find what you’re looking for, you will be able to get a lot of benefits from the knowledge obtained as well as the certification. The first thing you need to know is what kind of training or certification you need because there are various BIM fields and roles to choose from.

General types of BIM certifications

It’s important to understand that these certifications are called differently in different countries. However, most of them cover the same things.

Assessing knowledge of individuals or teams

There are various licensed 3rd party exams in which an individual or team can enroll to earn a basic BIM certification. They provide lessons and a final exam which, if passed, certifies them as basic BIM users with software like Revit, Autodesk, 3ds Max, and so on. On the other hand, you will be able to see who needs more training and who doesn’t.

Making an upgrade in knowledge from CAD to BIM

There are various customized courses through which learners can get basic BIM knowledge. They are versatile and can be tailored to their exact needs. In most cases, group training for companies comes at a discount. They can give certificates in BIM design with AutoCAD, Revit, Civil Engineering, Civil 3D, and so on.

Helping individuals or teams get leadership skills for managing BIM projects

There are a lot of courses that rely on local, real-life examples that enable learners to get all the necessary knowledge to ensure construction projects are BIM compliant. They can learn about standards, guidelines, and management practices in different BIM environments.

Acquiring skills for handling specialized BIM analytics

These advanced training courses are for people who already have a basic BIM certification and knowledge. They help them learn how to handle more complex tasks and pursue career development. These kinds of courses help learners earn advanced BIM analysis certificates.

Certification for reviewing and using BIM data

This certification is designed for people who aren’t involved in production work but need to monitor the progress of a BIM project while using and managing data. Even though someone isn’t specialized in construction work and they do management work only, they might have to understand all the ups and downs of BIM. This is what this kind of certification allows them to do.

Conclusion

We hope this BIM certification guide has helped you understand that getting a certification is not that difficult. It only requires effort and, in most cases, a bit of investment. However, the certification offers a lot of benefits, and everyone should look to get on board with BIM as soon as possible.