Kingspan Insulated Panels has released BIM files for 62 of their wall and roof products, marking the first stage in a commitment to rolling out BIM across the division’s entire product range.
The files are available in Autodesk Revit, Nemetschek Vectorworks, Bentley AECOsim, Graphisoft ArchiCAD and IFC file formats, to help ensure that the majority of BIM users can benefit from using them. COBie spreadsheets, compliant with BS8541 pts 1 & 3 and ISO 16739 (IFC) are also available to download alongside its associated BIM file.
The release will feature versions of selected wall products including Longspan, Sol-Air, Optimo, Wall-Lite and Architectural Wall Panels, and roof products such as Topdek, BENCHMARK Envirodek, BENCHMARK Topspan, Kingzip and Polycarb Rooflight. There are files for different variations within each product, for example left or right handed and horizontal or vertical laid panels.
The files were developed by SparkIFC, a software consultancy specialising in BIM, using structured data supplied by Kingspan Insulated Panels.
Kingspan is also an active partner of the 4BIM project, alongside Northumbria University, 4Projects, AEC3 and Vinci Construction. Part-funded by the UK government, 4BIM is a flagship project to demonstrate the use of integrated collaborative BIM systems across the supply chain using the IFC and COBie standards.
“BIM is going to fundamentally change the construction industry, from design to end-of-life, and we want all of our customers to benefit from these changes. That’s why we’ve released our BIM files in multiple formats, so they’re compatible with as many of our customers’ software suites as possible.” said Tony Ryan, Building Performance Analyst at Kingspan Insulated Panels. “And this is just the start of our BIM activities. The things we’ve learned during this initial file launch have helped us to shape a programme to release all of our products as BIM files over the coming months and years. In the future, we’ll even be looking into parametric IFCs and ‘made-to-order’ BIM files, as demand and capabilities within the industry grow.”
“The release of these BIM files is great news for the construction industry”, explained Richard Wise, Partner at Ryder Architecture, founding partners of the BIM Academy in collaboration with Northumbria University. “We’re firm believers in the potential of BIM to drastically improve the way our buildings are designed, planned, built and maintained, and so it is encouraging to see Kingspan Insulated Panels doing something to support these developments. As a firm that has championed BIM from day one, we’ll be watching with interest as the rest of the Kingspan Insulated Panels range is released.”
The full range of files will be hosted on Bimstore.co.uk, enabling customers to search, find and download components easily. They will also be available under each individual product section on the Kingspan website, kingspanpanels.co.uk.
Bimstore’s Gillian Smith said: “At Bimstore we’re delighted to be able to advise and assist Kingspan Insulated Panels on their BIM plans and thrilled to have been chosen as their hosting provider.”
