Table 1.

The application of BIM to the asset life cycle (adapted and expanded from Hartman and Fischer [3]*).

Design	Construction	Operations/facilities management	Decommissioning
Ensure the right facility is designed. Evaluate the design from many perspectives. Evaluate the design against building codes and sustainability before construction.	More productive crews, as there are fewer changes to the design once the construction has started, the ability to track work in real time, faster flow of resources, and site management. Enables demonstration of the construction process, including access and egress, traffic flows, site materials, machinery, and so forth. Better tracking of cost control and cash flow, particularly for large projects.	Keep track of built asset. Manage the facility proactively. Such a model can be handed from one contractor to another, thus enhancing facilities management. Capability to schedule maintenance and review maintenance history.	Identify elements which can be recycled or those which require particular care (e.g., hazardous materials). Know the composition of structures prior to demolition.

*Hartman and Fischer [3] also argue that BIM can enhance procurement processes. However, procurement could apply to any or all of the construction phases discussed here. Likewise Building Smart (2007) argued that BIM had application for increasing the speed of Development Assessment approvals through local councils.