LOD 300 in the contract, LOD 200 in the model.
Nobody wrote down which element needs which level, so nobody can check it.
Disciplines ARCH · STR · MEP
Levels LOD 100 – 500
LOD 100
Objects —
BIM Modelling & Shop Drawings, LOD 100–500 One building, six levels, every element accounted for.
We model architecture, structure and MEP from the first massing to the field-verified as-built, and issue the shop drawings straight from the LOD 400 model.
Drag to turn the model · scroll to raise the level
AIM United · In short
What is LOD in BIM?
Level of development (LOD) states how complete and reliable each element of a BIM model is, from LOD 100 massing to the LOD 500 field-verified as-built. AIM United models architecture, structure and MEP at every level and issues shop drawings from the LOD 400 model. We deliver BIM modelling and shop drawings for projects in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the GCC.
Everyone says LOD 400. Few models are.
The clash is found on site.
The duct meets the beam after both are installed, not in the federated model.
Shop drawings are redrawn in CAD.
The sheets drift from the model with every revision, and the workshop builds the wrong one.
Spools that do not fit.
Fittings, hangers and supports were never modelled, so the site improvises them.
"As-built" means the last revision.
Nothing was checked against the building, and the asset data is a spreadsheet nobody owns.
Every party reads LOD differently.
Detail, development, information: the same three letters, three meanings, one dispute.
Stage 1 · One building, six levels
Step the model from LOD 100 to LOD 500.
100%
Drag to turn · Ctrl + scroll or pinch to zoom
Discipline
LOD 100Concept
In the model
Deliverables
Stage 2 · Compare
Two levels, one model, split down the middle.
Pick a discipline and two levels. Drag the split to wipe from one to the other, element by element.
Discipline
Left of the split
Right of the split
Stage 3 · Element inspector
Tap an element. Read what it carries.
Every element has two halves: the geometry you can see, and the information attached to it. Both grow with the level: each step adds the parameters the next use needs.
Element
Level
Duct · LOD 300
MEP · HVACGeometry
Used for
Properties follow the ISO 19650 level of information need (ISO 7817-1, EN 17412-1) and IFC 4 property sets, with COBie at handover. Values shown are for a typical office building.
Tip: tap the element itself on the model.
Stage 4 · Section cuts
Cut the model where you need to look.
A plan cut drops through the floors; a section box isolates one zone. Drag the yellow handles on the model, or use the sliders, and the cut moves through the building.
Cut
Level
Drag the model to turn it. Drag a yellow handle to move that face of the cut.
Stage 5 · Coordination
One ceiling void, before and after coordination.
A congested corridor ceiling: a downstand beam, the supply duct, chilled-water flow and return, a sprinkler main and a cable tray. At LOD 300 the services are generic and run straight through each other. At LOD 400 they are routed, fitted, insulated and hung.
LOD 300 · 6 clashes
LOD 400 · 0 clashes
Drag to turn the void. Drag the divider to wipe between the two levels.
- C01Supply duct × beamLOD 400: the duct drops under the beam, 50 mm clear, on trapeze hangers.
- C02CHW flow × beamLOD 400: offset under the beam with 45° fittings, insulated.
- C03CHW return × beamLOD 400: runs with the flow pipe through the same offset.
- C04Sprinkler main × ductLOD 400: moved to the corridor side, with drops to the heads.
- C05Cable tray × CHW returnLOD 400: the tray gets its own zone, away from wet services.
- C06Cable tray × beamLOD 400: passes under the beam on its own supports.
What each level contains, and what it delivers.
| Level | The model | ARCH deliverables | STR deliverables | MEP deliverables |
|---|
Shop drawings · LOD 400
The sheets come off the model, not off a CAD copy.
Slab layouts, rebar, steel connections and MEP spools are cut from the LOD 400 model. Change the model, and every sheet that shows it updates.
One vocabulary for every party on the project.
Information managementISO 19650
The level of information need is set in the EIR and BIM execution plan, element by element, before anyone models.
Element definitionsBIMForum LOD Specification-style
Each level is defined per element, for geometry and for attached information, so "LOD 350 duct" means the same thing to everyone.
Common data environmentCDE states
Models and sheets move through the CDE states, and only checked work is shared or published.
WIP→Shared→Published→Archived
Proof
Delivered at every level.
250+
Engineers on the team, across architecture, structure and MEP.
94
Buildings in the MEP BIM model for Six Flags Qiddiya.
1,043,476 m²
Modelled from LOD 300 to LOD 500 for Lucid Motors at KAEC.
- Lucid Motors Manufacturing PlantKAEC · LOD 300 → 500Full BIM lifecycle for a 1,043,476 m² automotive plant: zero-clash multi-discipline coordination, shop drawings, BOQ and a LOD 500 as-built for facility management.Projects →
- Six Flags QiddiyaQiddiya · LOD 400 → 500MEP BIM for 94 buildings: coordinated shop drawings, multi-discipline clash resolution and sitewide external power and lighting, through to LOD 500.Projects →
- Qiddiya Speed ParkQiddiya · LOD 400 → 500Mechanical and electrical BIM: LOD 400 fabrication models and clash-free coordination, then LOD 500 as-built documentation for handover.Projects →
The AIM United method, level by level.
01 · LOD matrix
Agree
We map your EIR and BEP to a level for every element and discipline, per stage.
02 · LOD 200–300
Model
Architecture, structure and MEP in Revit, to shared templates and parameters.
03 · LOD 350
Coordinate
Federated in Navisworks. Clashes are tracked to closure, with a report each cycle.
04 · LOD 400
Fabricate
Shop drawings, rebar and spools issued from the model through the CDE.
05 · LOD 500
Hand over
Field-verified as-built model and drawings, with COBie asset data for FM.
FAQ
What does LOD mean in BIM?
Level of development: how far you can rely on an element's geometry and the information attached to it. LOD 100 is a massing concept; LOD 500 is a field-verified as-built. Each element in a model can sit at a different level.
What is the difference between LOD 350 and LOD 400?
LOD 350 adds the interfaces: connections, hangers, supports and clearances between systems, so the model can be coordinated. LOD 400 adds what the workshop needs: fittings, joints, rebar, spools and support details, so the element can be fabricated and installed.
Which level do I need for shop drawings?
LOD 400 for the elements being fabricated: rebar, steel connections, duct and pipe spools, cable tray supports. The rest of the model can stay at LOD 350 as long as it is coordinated.
Is LOD 500 more detailed than LOD 400?
Not necessarily. LOD 500 is about verification, not more geometry: the model is checked against what was built and carries the asset data that facility management needs.
Who decides the level for each element?
The appointing party, through the EIR and the level of information need. We turn it into an element-by-element LOD matrix in the BIM execution plan, so every party models and checks to the same table.
Which software do you model in?
Autodesk Revit for modelling, Navisworks Manage for coordination and Autodesk Construction Cloud as the CDE. We export IFC when the project asks for open formats.