The New BIM guidelines for Vertical and Horizontal Construction by The Massachusetts Port Authority

Some days ago, The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) published a series of documents with the intension of incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) into new construction, substantial renovation, and significant maintenance and improvement projects. The documents consist of road maps for Vertical and Horizontal Construction. There exist an Appendix A containing BIM Uses Guideline, and a BIM Roadmap poster. All these can be accessed online at the Massport Capital Programs Resource Center (massport.com). The release of the guidelines belongs to the Massachusetts Integrated BIM Initiative. It is an endeavor to ascertain the viability of certifying a single BIM protocol for all Massachusetts agencies and authorities.

The Massport guidelines are ideal for all vertical and horizontal construction projects and tenant alteration application projects. Once the projected construction costs of a project enhance, the level of BIM integration usually rises also. For horizontal utility and runway projects, the level of BIM integration is not affected by cost. The Design and construction professionals who intend to bid on Massport projects, must adapt themselves with the guidelines.

In 2014, the AIA and AGC launched the 2014 Level of Development Specification. It is now integrated into Massport BIM projects. Besides, leading designers and contractors will require to appoint BIM managers, who will perform with Massport’s Design Technologies Integration Group to make sure that the BIM guidelines are pursued during every stage of a project.

Massport guidelines include some portions of the DCAMM guidelines which were launched in 2015 for Design and Construction. As for instance, Appendix A of each set of guidelines consists of similar-to-identical BIM Use Cases along with brief directions for applying the BIM Execution Plan Template. Other guidelines contain modeling requirements for present conditions, system authoring, analysis and reporting, and design and constructability reviews.