The National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance™ has officially released the nation’s building information modeling (BIM) standard via eBook for mobile access.

The Alliance published the National BIM Standard-United States® (NBIMS-US™) Version 2 (V2), the first-ever consensus-based standard governing building information modeling (BIM) for use in the United States, in spring 2012 as a free, online standard. With this new release as an eBook, the Alliance helps the NBIMS-US™ V2 advance the art and science of the building life cycle by making the standard that much easier to reference anywhere, anytime.

Developed in response to requests for an off-line and portable form of the standard, the eBook contains the fixed content of the NBIMS-US™ V2, as well as internet-accessible links to reference supporting material online. NBIMS-US™ V2 covers the full life cycle of buildings—from planning, design and construction to operations and sustainment. Part of an international effort, the standard is serving as the kick-off point for a number of other countries around the world to adopt as their own BIM standard, as well as the basis of NBIMS-US™  V3, which is currently under development here in the United States.

The NBIMS-US™ V2 follows an open consensus process set by rules of governance established by the Institute. The standard is arranged into three main categories: reference standards, information exchange standards (which are built upon the reference standards) and best practice guidelines that support users in their implementation of open BIM standards-based deliverables.

The Alliance, which is both a council of the Institute and the North American chapter of buildingSMART® International, is working with several other nations on BIM standard development. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Korea, Australia and New Zealand are all using the NBIMS-US™ V2 as the basis for their own standards.

The NBIMS-US™ V2 eBook is compatible with MAC and PC devices, Android Tablets, Kindle and Nook eReaders, and related formats. The application is available online through the Institute Store for just $4.99. Download the NBIMS-US™ V2 eBook now.

About the National Institute of Building Sciences

The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by public law 93-383 in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. The Institute serves as an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sectors with respect to the use of building science and technology.