Lesson 1 – Introduction to BIM

1. Give a definition of BIM and of the meaning of “M” in the BIM acronym.
2. What are the main project delivery systems in the AEC industry? Compare the “traditional”
D-B-B process with the IPD method.
3. Explain which project delivery system could benefit most from the adoption of the BIM
technology and why.
4. Explain the meaning of “interoperability” in the context of a project delivery and why it
could improve by exploiting the BIM technology.

Lesson 2 – Overview of BIM concepts

(these questions can be better answered after studying Lessons 3 to 7)
5. Explain the meaning of “parametric” in the “parametric object model” concept.
6. Summarize the major functionalities that distinguish the capabilities of a BIM software from
3D CAD modelling tools.
7. Explain how the LOD scales are organized in the US and in the UK standards.
8. How could the time information in a 4D BIM assist in reducing costs during the construction
phase of a building?
9. Explain how a 6D BIM could be helpful in assessing the sustainability of a building and
why simulations of the energy consumption in the design phase could help in applying
changes in the building project at an early stage, with a higher effort but in a more effective
way.
10. Present and comment some examples of information sharing through a BIM during a project
life-cycle.
11. Compare Level 1 and Level 2 BIM’s in terms of data and information sharing and in terms
of collaboration between team members working on the same project.

Lesson 3 – BIM objects

12. Which types of data are used to represent objects in the BIM database?
13. Describe the “content” of an “object” as in OO programming and provide and comment an
example of a BIM object.
14. Explain the main features of an object-oriented database, such as the one providing the CDE
for a BIM platform, and compare the OO database model with the relational model,
providing at least one example.
15. Explain how the B-rep approach and the CSG approach provide the fundamental forms for
the digital representation of a solid (3D) object, and how these basic forms are combined to
represent complex shapes.
16. Present and comment an example of “object class” and “object instance” for a BIM object.
17. Provide some example of parametric rules for BIM objects.
18. Explain the difference between a generic BIM object and a proprietary BIM object.
19. In which ways building product content for a BIM can be accessed?
Lesson 4 – The LOD concept
20. Explain why it is important to define “LOD” in the frame of BIM modelling.
21. What does in general “LOD” stand for, and which are the most commonly used systems of
LOD?
22. Define (in general) the levels of LOD as in the BIMForum Specification.
23. Define (in general) the levels of LOD as in the PAS 1192-2 Standard.
24. Comment the main differences between the US and the UK systems of LOD.
25. Define the Italian scale of LOD, as per the UNI 11337-4 standard.

Lesson 5 – The levels of maturity of BIM - BIM interoperability and standards

26. Explain the concept of “BIM levels of maturity” and their representation by the “Bew-
Richards wedge”.
27. What are the differences between Level 1 and Level 2 BIM?
28. Which BIM level is mandatory in the UK regulation for public procurement?
29. What is the difference between the Level 2 “federated model” and the Level 3 “shared
model”?
30. Which standards have been developed to ensure interoperability of BIM applications
through different disciplines and platforms?
31. Explain the purpose of COBie.