BIM - Building Information Modeling - is the digital construction process that has quickly become the de facto standard replacing CAD - Computer Aided Design - in North America and Europe. However, the adoption of BIM and digital technologies is quickly gaining momentum also outside these markets. 

New industry data from BIMobject reveals that Brazil is now the second largest market globally, measured in terms of user activity on BIMobject’s marketplace. BIMobject, founded in 2011, has over 3.2 million registered users from the construction industry from all over the world.

“It’s amazing to see the activity growing in Brazil. In 2022, our 250,000 registered users in Brazil have downloaded over 2.7 million digital construction files. The usage is broad based across architects and civil engineers, and covers virtually all types of products that we offer. What is also encouraging is the large student user base, which indicates that BIM usage in Brazil will continue to grow in the coming years”, said Carl Silbersky, CEO of BIMobject.

Brazilian building product manufacturers are also starting to adapt to this demand. Several large Brazilian manufacturers have recently started working with BIMobject to digitalize their product offering and join the marketplace, such as Gerdau, Brazil's largest steel producer, and Deca & Portinari from the Dexco group, the largest producer of wood panels, tiles and sanitary metals in the southern hemisphere. They join other major multinational companies with presence in Brazil such as Electrolux, Knauf and Tarkett, who are all already present on bimobject.com.

The use of BIM in Brazil is increasingly supported by government mandates. Brazilian government decree no. 10,306, published in 2020, establishes the mandatory use of BIM in the direct or indirect construction of engineering works and services, carried out by agencies and entities of the federal public administration. According to this decree, BIM must be applied gradually in public works in the different phases of the project: in 2021 BIM started to be included in the project development phase, in 2024 it will be included in the execution and construction management phase, and in 2028 the implementation will be completed with the inclusion of BIM also in the management and maintenance of completed buildings.

“BIM and other digital construction technologies are key to driving sustainable, smart building design in major emerging economies such as Brazil. It’s truly encouraging to see the broad-based adoption, driven both by commercial demand and government support”, commented Carl Silbersky.