A model in operation
The as-built model, kept current as the building changes, rather than filed away at handover.
Level of development
LOD 600: what it means, and what to ask for instead
There's no LOD 600 in the BIMForum or AIA frameworks, which stop at LOD 500. When people say LOD 600, they usually mean a model kept up to date after handover and connected to the systems that run the building. That's a fair thing to want. It just needs writing down as requirements, not a number.
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What people mean by LOD 600
The levels most teams use come from the AIA and the BIMForum LOD Specification: LOD 100, 200, 300, 350, 400 and 500. LOD 600 isn't one of them. You'll see it used, informally, for one of three things:
A model for facility management
Elements that carry the information a maintenance or facility management system needs, such as asset tags, maintenance and warranty data.
A digital twin
A model connected to live data from the building, such as sensors and the building management system. More in digital twins and BIM.
Why a number isn't enough
LOD describes how developed an element's geometry is. What an owner needs in operation is mostly information, and the work of keeping it current:
- which assets must be in the model, and which can be left out;
- which information each asset carries, and in which format;
- which system it feeds, and how;
- who keeps the model up to date after handover, and how often;
- how it's checked before it's accepted.
None of that fits in a number. Under ISO 19650 it's the asset information requirements (AIR), which come from the owner's organisational information requirements (OIR).
What to ask for instead
If a contract or a client says LOD 600, turn it into requirements everyone can check:
| Instead of | Ask for |
|---|---|
| LOD 600 for the whole model | LOD 500 (field verified) for the assets the owner will maintain, at the handover milestone |
| FM-ready data | The named properties each asset carries, with their property sets and values, or a COBie deliverable |
| A model that stays current | Who updates the model after handover, how often, and how the changes are checked |
| A digital twin | Which systems the model links to, and the identifiers that connect them |
In Plannerly
Turn LOD 600 into requirements you can check
Scope
Add an operation milestone, then say what every asset needs
Plannerly Scope runs from preconstruction to operation. Add the handover and operation milestones, set the level each asset must reach and the information it must carry, and give every line an owner, so keeping the model current is someone's job, not everyone's.
- Milestones through to operation
- IFC and COBie-based information requirements
- Properties from the buildingSMART Data Dictionary
Verify
Check that the data arrived
Each model can be checked against the same requirements automatically, element by element, so you see what the operation model is missing before it reaches the facilities team.
See how Verify works
Look closer
Write the asset information requirements in Plannerly
Free lessons
Learn to ask for what the owner needs, one short lesson at a time
Level 3 lesson - the owner's needs
AIR: asset information requirements
What the owner needs to run the asset, and how it becomes the information each element carries.
Level 3 lesson - where it starts
OIR: organisational information requirements
What the organisation needs information for, which every AIR traces back to.
BIM Boot Camp lesson - handover
BIM verification and COBie handover in one workflow
Checking the handover data automatically, and handing it over as COBie.
Level 3 - free certificate
ISO 19650 Expert
The whole ISO 19650 process, from the OIR to handover, with a free certificate.
Free download
Write the AIR this week: a starter project and the EIR, OIR and AIR PDFs, free
Free download
Information Requirements Survival Kit: a starter project and the EIR, OIR and AIR PDFs
Stop copying the last job's EIR. Start from a requirements project for Plannerly, with the EIR, OIR and AIR explained in three PDFs from our free ISO 19650 training.
- 1 starter project
- 3 PDFs
- Free
Information requirements starter project
OIR and EIR documents in Docs and a structured requirements list in Scope, staged by milestone and ready for your own assets and task teams.
Open in Plannerly (opens in a new tab)
Free account, no card needed.
Read more
LOD, handover and operation, explained
LOD 500: the as-built model
What field verified means, and what to ask for at handover.
GuideLevels of development, LOD 100 to 500
What each LOD means, and how to use them on a project.
GuideOIR, PIR and AIR templates
The organisational, project and asset information requirements, with the slides for each.
TemplateDigital twins and BIM
What a digital twin is, the three types and five ways to use one.
GuideLOD, LOIN and LOA together
How detail, information and accuracy fit in one set of requirements.
GuideLOD scales and ISO 19650
LOD numbers or plain language: the options, and when each one works.
Guide
Questions
LOD 600 questions, answered
What is LOD 600 in BIM?
An informal term, not a level in the BIMForum or AIA frameworks. People usually use it for a model kept up to date after handover, carrying the information facility management needs, and sometimes for a model linked to live building data, a digital twin.
Is LOD 600 an official standard?
No. The BIMForum LOD Specification describes LOD 100, 200, 300, 350 and 400, and notes LOD 500 as field verification. ISO 19650 doesn't use LOD numbers at all: it uses the level of information need.
What's the difference between LOD 500 and LOD 600?
LOD 500 is defined: the model has been field verified, usually at handover. LOD 600 isn't defined: it usually means what happens after that, keeping the model current and useful in operation. If you need that, write down who maintains the model, which information it carries and which systems it feeds. LOD 500 explained.
Is LOD 600 the same as a digital twin?
Sometimes that's what's meant, but a digital twin is more than a model: it's connected to data from the building as it runs. Agree which systems it links to and how, rather than relying on the number. Digital twins and BIM.
What should I put in the contract instead of LOD 600?
The assets the owner will operate, the information each one carries (your AIR, often delivered as COBie), the handover milestone, how the model is verified (LOD 500, with a level of accuracy) and who keeps the model current after handover. The AIR template is a good place to start.
Can Plannerly hold operation and maintenance requirements?
Yes. Scope runs through to the operation milestone, with IFC and COBie-based information requirements on each element, and COBie export on Pro. Verify then checks that the delivered models carry the data. Start free.
Say what LOD 600 means on your project
Start free, add the operation milestone and set the information every asset must carry, so everyone agrees what you'll get.
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