Structural engineering
10 terms. Combine with other filters.
Start with these
Building information modelling (BIM)
The use of a shared digital representation of a built asset — its geometry, properties and related documents — to support design, construction and operation decisions with reliable information.
Clash detection
The automated checking of a federated model to find places where elements conflict physically, violate required clearances or conflict in time.
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)
An open, vendor-neutral data schema for describing buildings and infrastructure — their elements, properties and relationships — published by buildingSMART and standardised as ISO 16739-1.
Principal-in-charge (PIC)
The senior partner or principal of a consulting firm — typically architecture or engineering — who carries overall accountability for the firm's performance on a project and is the client's top-level contact.
Request for information (RFI)
A formal written question from the contractor to the design consultant asking for clarification of the contract documents — typically about design intent, an apparent omission or a conflict.
Shop drawing
A drawing, diagram or set of details prepared by a contractor, trade or supplier to show exactly how a specific part of the work will be fabricated and installed.
Going further
Constructability review
A structured review of design documents by people with construction experience to find problems with buildability, sequencing, access, cost or safety before the design is issued for construction.
Level of development (LOD)
A numbered scale (LOD 100–400, plus 500 in some frameworks) describing how far a model element's geometry and information have been developed — and therefore how much other team members can rely on it.
Level of information need
A framework for specifying the extent and granularity of information required for a purpose — covering geometry, alphanumeric data and documentation — so that no more and no less is delivered than is needed.
Task information delivery plan (TIDP)
A task team's schedule of the information containers it will produce, with responsibilities and delivery dates, for one appointment.