What is LOD?
Referred to as a lifecycle BIM tool, Level of Development (LOD) is a set of industry standards that provides the AEC industry the power to document, articulate, and specify the Building Information Modeling (BIM) contents properly and clearly. It defines the content (i.e., the geometric information, structured data, and linked documents) and the reliability of BIM elements at different development stages of the construction project.
Level of Development vs Level of Details
Level of Development is often misunderstood as the Level of Details, but both are different from each other. Level of Details signifies the proportion of details enclosed within the element of the model. Whereas Level of Development is the degree to which the specification and geometry of the elements and the information attached to it have been thought through, or it can be referred to as the degree to which the team members involved may depend on the information while using the model. It may be said that Level of Detail serves as an input to the element, whereas Level of Development is the output.
Different Levels of Developments (LOD) in BIM
LOD 100 – It is the pre-designing stage of LOD. The LOD 100 element is a conceptual model where the parameters such as height, area, volume, orientation, and location are defined. The information in this stage is considered as an approximation.
LOD 200 – It is the schematic designing stage of LOD. The LOD 200 element displays geometric features such as shapes, dimensions, locations, etc. The level of complexity in LOD 200 is slightly more than that of LOD 100. It may also include some non-geometric information. The information at this stage is also considered as an approximation.
LOD 300 – It is the building design development stage of LOD. The graphical representations of LOD 300 may be the same as that of the graphical representation of LOD 200, but what makes it different from LOD 200 is that the geometry and features at this stage are considered accurate. The information at this stage can be used in the construction stage.
LOD 350 – It is the construction documentation stage. The information obtained in LOD 350 is the same as that obtained in LOD 300, but in this stage, the interfaces with other building components like connections and support are also included. It indicates the way the component can be installed and the way it interacts with the systems of other buildings.
LOD 400 – It is the construction stage of LOD. It includes details such as fabrication, assembly, and installation of the components. These details are of great use for the suppliers for manufacturing the components that are represented. It may also include non-visual information.
LOD 500 – It is the as-built stage of LOD. These are the fields that are verified in terms of shape, size, quantity, orientation, and location, which are considered to be accurate representations of the building elements post-construction. These elements can be used as references for operation and maintenance by the facility managers.
Benefits of Level of Development (LOD)
The level of development is a vital element in the overall BIM process. Without it, the members working on a construction project may face difficulties working on the same page leading to inconsistencies that can damage the prospect of that project. LOD makes communication and collaboration among the teams easier and faster. The LOD specification can be beneficial in the design process in the following ways:
- With standardized specifications and detailed information about all the elements, designers can deliver guidelines and data for people working downstream to ensure that there are no lapses in execution and maintenance. LOD makes defining a standard easier for contractors to take care of BIM execution. Simultaneously, design managers can explain the necessities at various levels of the design process to the teams with ease.
- LOD helps in making accurate BIM models. Concurrently, all the teams including the owners can specify accurately the level of detail they need from a BIM model and get clearance about the scope of the final BIM.
If you desire to have accurate and clash-free 3D models with Levels of Development stages from LOD 100 to 500 to enable the different construction teams involved in your construction project to articulate component geometry and information evolution, Monarch Innovation can be the right choice for you. It implements BIM projects for various construction tasks using Levels of Development from LOD 100 to 500 as per the needs and requirements. Contact Monarch Innovation to reduce your BIM risks with its LOD service.
