BIM In Mining – is BIM one of those buzzwords you secretly hate hearing? The kind that gets thrown around at conferences and networking events, usually by someone holding a flat white, but no one ever really explains properly?
Maybe you don’t know exactly what BIM is.
Maybe you think it’s not relevant to mining.
Or maybe you do know BIM In Mining inside out and casually drop it into conversation at industry drinks like it’s second nature.
If it’s the latter, honestly, you could probably teach me a thing or two.
If it’s the former, I reckon you already know more about BIM In Mining than you think.
So What’s BIM?(and why does BIM In Mining matter)?
BIM is an acronym for Building Information Modelling, a digital methodology traditionally used in the AEC industries – architecture, engineering and construction.
And yes, the word Building throws people off. Especially in mining.
But don’t let the name fool you. BIM In Mining is very real, very relevant, and already happening across the resources sector.
Autodesk defines BIM as a process that: “Begins with the creation of an intelligent 3D model and enables document management, coordination and simulation during the entire lifecycle of a project (plan, design, build, operation and maintenance).”
That lifecycle approach is exactly why BIM In Mining is so powerful.
BIM In Mining vs “Just a 3D Model”
Here’s the key difference:
BIM In Mining is not just about making something look good in 3D.
A BIM model is intelligent. It contains data. It knows what assets are, where they are, how they were designed, built, inspected and maintained.
A “dumb” 3D model looks nice. A BIM In Mining model actually works for you.
Bentley On BIM Methodologies
Software vendor Bentley says the use of BIM methodologies is already spreading rapidly through our resource sector, even though the term “BIM” itself has yet to emerge an industry buzzword.
“Information modeling and BIM levels 1, 2 and 3 – information flows from design and that project delivery phase into operations and maintenance, we’re seeing evidence of that occurring within the mining industry just as we are in all industries.”
“They just don’t refer to it as BIM – within the industry the term just hasn’t really appeared to the same extent that it has within the building sector and now within the civil.”
It probably doesn’t help that the acronym contains the word Building. We’d rather SIM (structure information modelling). You might prefer PIM (plant information modelling). But it doesn’t matter – it amounts to the same thing – an intelligent model of a soon-to-be-real thing.
The Real Benefits of BIM In Mining To The Resources Sector
Regardless of what you call it, BIM promises to bring critical benefits to Australian mining operations, particularly in lowering operating costs and increasing efficiency.
Operations and maintenance is where the full benefit of BIM during design and construction can be realised.
All the information you’ve got now that you’ve designed and constructed a project can now go through into the O&M phase, where it can further complement other information logged during the life cycle to improve maintenance and performance. This can include areas such as when structures and equipment were inspected, who inspected it and what were the issues.
Going if not gone are the days when production was the only thing that mattered, accepting high operating costs and ignoring efficiency. The mantra is now “accelerated production through improved efficiencies and reduced operating costs”.
Digital Transformation & BIM In Mining
Major players like Worley are openly embracing digital transformation in mining, and BIM In Mining sits right at the centre of that transformation.
If you’re:
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Still building from 2D drawings
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Creating 3D models with no usable data
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Treating digital delivery as an afterthought
…then yes, we probably need to talk.
And if you just like good coffee and interesting conversations about BIM In Mining, we should definitely talk.
Conclusion
So BIM is here and you should be embracing it. If you’re building off 2D drawings we need to talk. If you’re preparing 3D “dumb” models we need to talk. If you just like coffee, we should talk!
