BIM, the interactive software-based approach for all parties involved in a construction project to plan, design, construct and life-cycle analyse the building, is having growing influence on building products specification. The government is making it obligatory for all its building works from 2016.
By offering pre-prepared data for the widely used Revit BIM software system, Metsä Wood says it is taking on the groundwork for customers and specifiers, and highlighting the sutability of its engineered wood products for the new technology and for use in conjunction with other materials as well as in timber construction.
"Many timber companies are talking about launching BIM families, but so far none have done so, " said Metsä Wood vice president construction industry Kevin Riley."We’re positioning ourselves in the vanguard, demonstrating our understanding of how BIM will become an integral part of the construction process, from design through to delivery. It is already being used by 39% of the construction industry, compared with 10% in 2010."
The Metsä Wood BIM data has been been developed by bimstore, which Mr Riley describes as the "ITunes of BIM components".
"We supply them with the data and they translate it for the BIM environment and make it available free at www.bimstore.co.uk and it can also be accessed on our website," said Mr Riley. "Users can then download it and feed it straight into their BIM calculations."
Products covered are Finnjoist and the Finnframe Floor System, Kerto-Q and Kerto-S, Leno CLT, Lowe commercial wall systems, Kerto-Ripa and the FinnSOR roof system.
"And the data covers their use in different applications," said Mr Riley. "Floors and roofs for Kerto-Ripa, for instance."
