6D BIM
Commonly the sustainability dimension — energy, lifecycle and carbon data on the model; not a standardised term.
6D BIM is commonly described as the "sustainability dimension" of BIM: it adds energy-efficiency, lifecycle environmental-performance and carbon-footprint information to the geometric model.
In practice it feeds environmental analysis. The model (typically exported to IFC and into analysis software) supports energy simulation, lifecycle assessment (LCA), carbon-footprint calculation and the comparison of sustainable design options against green-building certifications — turning the model into a basis for environmental decisions rather than just geometry.
An important caveat: 6D is not a standardised term. No single authority — neither ISO nor buildingSMART — defines it, and the meaning varies by source and region. Some call 6D the sustainability dimension; others use it for lifecycle or facility management, and 7D is no more consistent. The dimensions beyond 5D are industry conventions, not normed definitions — worth using with that in mind. In Italian it is 6D BIM (commonly) or the dimensione di sostenibilità del BIM.
Need this in practice?
Information Modelling →