Aconex, provider of the cloud collaboration platform for the global construction industry, has launched Aconex Connected BIM. This new product extends the Aconex platform to manage building information modeling (BIM) data and processes for project-wide collaboration between design and construction teams and handover to the owner.

“BIM and VDC are transforming the way that capital projects are delivered,” said Rob Phillpot, senior vice president of product and engineering and co-founder of Aconex. “The industry is moving rapidly from 2D drawings and files to multidimensional models and data, as BIM adoption accelerates globally. On many projects today, its use is limited to designers with specialized modeling tools during the design phase of the project. While BIM improves design and constructability, the other 90% of the project team are disconnected from model data during the construction and handover phases.

With Aconex Connected BIM, designers for specific disciplines can create and modify models in their native authoring tools and use simple software plug-ins to publish them in the Aconex BIM Cloud. On the platform, all members of the project team – other designers, engineers, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, and owners – can view, distribute, mark up, and contribute to model data at the object level. This coordinated process supports timely detection of clashes and optimizes constructability.

As the project moves through design and into construction, team members can link each object in the model with relevant project documents, communications and workflows. For example, a mechanical subcontractor can tag a pump with an operating manual or a commissioning sheet. Project team members can issue an RFI or a design query regarding that pump for timely resolution with a complete audit trail.

Designers can continue using their native authoring tools for design updates via the software plug-ins. The Aconex platform supports Open BIM, including IFC (Industry Foundation Classes). At practical completion, a comprehensive and accurate set of interrelated project information – including the model, all of the documentation associated with each of its objects, and an audit trail – can be handed over to the owner for operation.

Dynamic Manuals

In a related announcement, the company launched Dynamic Manuals, a mobile solution for owners and their facility management teams to manage digital operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals in the secure cloud. Dynamic Manuals is the newest member of the Aconex Handover suite, which also includes Digital Manuals and Smart Manuals for delivering digital O&M manuals at handover.