BIM and Digital Construction
BIM and ISO 19650: What Australian Construction Professionals Need to Know
ISO 19650 — the international standard for information management using BIM — is increasingly referenced in Australian government procurement and project specifications. This article explains the standard's structure, Australian adoption context, and practical implications for project teams.
This article provides general educational information about ISO 19650 and BIM information management. It does not constitute professional advice. Project teams should refer to the original standard documents and seek advice from a qualified BIM manager or information manager.
What is ISO 19650?
ISO 19650 is an international standard for managing information over the whole life cycle of a built asset using building information modelling (BIM). It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is based on the UK's BS 1192 and PAS 1192 standards.
The standard is structured in multiple parts: - ISO 19650-1: Concepts and principles - ISO 19650-2: Delivery phase of assets - ISO 19650-3: Operational phase of assets - ISO 19650-5: Security-minded approach to information management
Australian adoption
Australia has adopted ISO 19650 as AS ISO 19650 through Standards Australia. The standard is increasingly referenced in: - NSW Government infrastructure procurement requirements - Victorian Government BIM guidelines - Major infrastructure project specifications - Commercial development project briefs
The Australasian BIM Advisory Board (ABAB) provides guidance on ISO 19650 implementation in the Australian and New Zealand context.
**Key concepts**
Common Data Environment (CDE)
A CDE is a single source of information for a project — a shared digital workspace where all project information is stored, managed, and shared. ISO 19650 defines the workflow states for information in a CDE: Work in Progress, Shared, Published, and Archived.
Information Requirements
ISO 19650 defines a hierarchy of information requirements: - Organisational Information Requirements (OIR) — what information the organisation needs to manage its assets - Asset Information Requirements (AIR) — what information is needed to manage a specific asset - Project Information Requirements (PIR) — what information is needed to deliver a project - Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) — what information needs to be exchanged at each stage of a project
BIM Execution Plan (BEP)
A BEP is a document that describes how the project team will implement BIM — including the information management processes, software, and responsibilities. ISO 19650 requires a pre-appointment BEP (submitted as part of the tender) and a post-appointment BEP (developed after contract award).
Relevance to Building Solution Cloud
Building Solution Cloud is designed to support ISO 19650-aligned information management — providing a Common Data Environment for project information, document management, and BIM coordination across the project team.
Source Note
Based on publicly available information from ISO, Standards Australia, and the Australasian BIM Advisory Board.
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