It's new. It's revolutionary. It's faster and easier. It puts all the details about a building design in one spot. It's called Building Information Modeling or simply, BIM.

While computer aided drafting and two- and three-dimensional designs have been around for a while, BIM allows architects to create a virtual building. The owner cannot only see what the building will look like, but also take a virtual tour of it before ground is even broken.

Contractors can use the model to develop more accurate take-offs and estimates. How? By clicking on any element of the building, the contractor can know the nitty-gritty details – what materials are specified, how much or how many, even down to the nails and screws.

National Gypsum has entered the BIM world by supplying details for various types of walls using gypsum and cement backer board. A wall could require an UL fire-rated design. Another could require abuse and impact resistance. Another might need sound resistance. All of the information about the walls, their design, the materials used, and the material testing information can be stored in the BIM data base.

"There are approximately 4000 different combinations of walls," said Tony Fuller, manager, Technical Services & Product Planning, who along with Mundise Mortimer, manager, Technical Marketing, collected National Gypsum's information for its BIM offering. "The trick is to get the right combination of attributes. In many cases, National Gypsum offers the designer a better solution for various types of walls.

"BIM is a powerful tool. On the design side, for example, if an architect changes the pitch of the roof, the walls will change to conform to the new pitch. For engineers, it will be a great tool to do energy and lighting analysis."

Architects and contractors will be able to get BIM information from National Gypsum's website or from popular BIM websites such as Autodesk® Seek and incorporate it into their BIM models using architectural design software including Autodesk's Revit.

"Having our products in BIM will create pull through for the specifications," Fuller said. "Also, having our products in one design, could lead to other projects using similar designs."