New Agreement Ensures Plumbing Engineers Are Represented in NBIMS-US™

Plumbing engineering and design professionals are increasingly using building information modeling (BIM) in their work. To ensure the National BIM Standard-United States® (NBIMS-US™) accurately references their needs, the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) recently signed a memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance.

"ASPE is thrilled to be offered the opportunity to join the other organizations involved in the buildingSMART alliance® in helping to improve the already impressive and valuable National BIM Standard-US,” said Jim Kendzel, MPH, CAE, Executive Director/CEO of ASPE. "Our members are directly engaged in the use of building information modeling and we are committed to contributing to the standards process and ensuring there is a national standard that meets the plumbing engineer and designer’s needs.”

The buildingSMART alliance works with numerous organizations in the building industry to ensure that all stakeholders are represented in the BIM process.

"The very essence of the buildingSMART alliance is the relationships we build with other organizations throughout the facilities industry,” said buildingSMART alliance Executive Director Dana K. "Deke” Smith, FAIA. "This is the first time the entire industry has attempted such a broad collaborative effort. We welcome ASPE into the Alliance and look forward to working with them to incorporate plumbing references into the NBIMS-US™ to effect true and valuable change for all practitioners in the facilities industry."

A BIM is a shared resource of knowledge about a facility that can be used to make decision about the building throughout its life cycle, from the initial idea, to design and construction, through daily operations and eventual demolition. Because a BIM covers all aspects of the building process, everyone in the construction industry will be impacted as the use of BIMs becomes standard operating procedure. Therefore, it is important that representatives from every segment of the industry participate in development of the standard, including members of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers.

"Developing the National BIM Standard-United States® is a monumental effort that will change the way our industry operates,” said NBIMS-US™ Project Committee Chair Chris Moor, who is the Director of Industry Initiatives at the American Institute of Steel Construction. "Volunteers have the opportunity to use their expertise to ensure the NBIMS-US™ addresses their specific areas of focus, which means they can have an impact on the acceptance and usability of BIM within the life cycle of a building. Their involvement is crucial to our momentum.”

In the MOA, ASPE agreed to work together with the Alliance to develop and implement open BIM standards. The Society plans to establish a BIM committee that will work on developing ballots related specifically to their plumbing engineering and design expertise for submission to the NBIMS-US™ standards development process.

To find out how to participate in ASPE’s newly established BIM committee, contact Jim Kendzel. Learn more about the NBIMS-US™.

About the buildingSMART alliance®

The buildingSMART alliance®, a council of the National Institute of Building Sciences, works to streamline the way buildings are designed and operated. The Alliance is tackling the complete building life-cycle process, from planning and construction to operation, occupancy and disposal. It develops both the United States National CAD Standard® and the National BIM Standard-United States™.

About the American Society of Plumbing Engineers

ASPE is the only professional organization devoted to the training and certification of plumbing engineers and designers. ASPE and its 6,000 worldwide members are dedicated to protecting the health, welfare and safety of the public through the dissemination of technical data and information to expand the base of knowledge among plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, code officials, inspectors and manufacturers. For more information, visit www.ASPE.org.

About the National Institute of Building Sciences

The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by public law 93-383 in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. The Institute serves as an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sectors with respect to the use of building science and technology.

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