Emerging technologies for BIM 2.0

Purpose – This paper aims to present a new perspective regarding how newly emerging ICT may have an impact on Building Information Modelling and Management (BIMM); specifically, towards enabling the next generation of (full state) BIMs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a literature and technology review, and articulates a novel vision for the future of BIM. It starts with exploring how ICT has had an impact on shaping and modernising the sector, compared to the “traditional”, “archaic” and “draconian” heritage. The paper elaborates on the current interpretation of BIMM and emerging technologies that may change this interpretation from a semantic model to a full state digital building model evolving through the lifecycle of a building. Findings – The vision presented in this paper underlines the focus that BIMM is now becoming broader, as the information management paradigm shifts from enabling modelbased management of shared building information, which provides meaningful data about a building in a standardised way (i.e. BIM 1.0), to enable an integrated environment of distributed information which is always up to date and open for derivation of new information (i.e. BIM 2.0). Technologies such as cloud computing, sensor networks, stateless web services and semantic web are presented as the new facilitators of this paradigm shift. Originality/value – This paper provides value by stipulating a new vision (i.e. BIM 2.0) for BIMM and BIM (in particular) in light of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, sensor networks and semantic webs.