AAMA streamlines BIM process for fenestration industry with new specification

Date: 7 August 2013

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) released AAMA 912-13, Voluntary Specification for Non-Residential Fenestration Building Information Modeling (BIM), which identifies and outlines minimum requirements for two widely used model types - Design intent (DI) models and Project execution and coordination (PEC) models - and is intended to be referenced in other industry standards, contract documents, proposals and marketing materials. “As the commercial construction industry continues development and optimization of integrated workflow for the use of such modeling, the need for standardization and quality assurance in product models for windows, curtain wall, storefront and skylights has become apparent.

With this in mind, AAMA’s BIM Task Group developed AAMA 912-13,” says Dan Luoma (Luoma Contract Inc.), chair of AAMA’s BIM Task Group. “This specification should provide a more streamline BIM process for the fenestration industry.”

According to AAMA 912-13, DI models are fenestration BIM models of “catalog” products of standard size and configuration that are often made available through manufacturers’ websites or industry warehouses/library sites. PEC models are project-specific fenestration BIM models that are provided at pre-defined milestones in the project execution process for insertion into the overall project BIM model.

AAMA 912 references AAMA 507-12, Standard Practice for Determining the Thermal Performance Characteristics of Fenestration Systems Installed in Commercial Buildings.

AAMA 912-13, along with other AAMA publications, may be purchased from AAMA’s Publication store, http://pubstore.aamanet.org/pubstore/ProductResults.asp?cat=0&src=912-13.