BIM ELEC - Digital models : The cable routing, a sensitive and strategic issue

Working with BIM involves providing a model of all the information about a building in a digital model, in team mode. Today, all players can see the interest of pooling information about a building in a shared medium.

All the features of the structure, as well as all other aspects, such as electricity, are listed, providing the owner with the chance to see all the building and networks in 3D all through the lifespan of the building. BIM also highlights potential errors during the design phase. Another non-negligible asset is to include all the electrical equipment, without having to re-enter data, providing an accurate and faster overview of electric output.

This is also the best way to save time, as well as ensuring, from the design phase onwards, that each BIM object (electrical cabinets, cable routes, equipment, etc.) will not interfere with other building elements.

• Designing the different features of the electrical circuits, for both strong and weak currents
• Choosing the cable routes and junction boxes that are needed to install and supply receivers
• Keeping bend radiuses under control and adapted to the rigid or flexible cable used
• Optimising the best possible cable route, which is sometimes the shortest route, but always in line with the mesh network, and respecting the constraints linked to the installation and/or the sector standards

Carrying out accurate measurements of cables in line with their routes is a subject that shows the strategic interest of including cable routing in the digital model… And so BIM ELEC was born!