The fourth dimension of BIM focuses on planning. Therefore, the aim is to establish that the execution deadlines are carried out according to the previous schedule.

The usefulness of BIM 4D is the ability to anticipate conflicts that may arise during the execution of the project. In this way, it creates a connection between the 3D model with the project’s programming and planning data, generating realistic simulations of the construction activities of the work.

In summary, BIM 4D allows:

• Optimize and control the execution time of a project
• Coordinate and plan your activities
• Evaluate different situations and scenarios

In order to carry out a correct implementation of BIM 4D, the following steps must be taken into account:

• Define the activities. Here the actions necessary to elaborate the deliverables of the project are identified.
• Sequencing the activities. The relationship between the different activities involved in the project must be established. In this step, the software to carry out the planning is chosen.
• Calculate the duration of the activities. The necessary resources are estimated in order to calculate the work periods.
• Make a chronogram. A schedule of the different activities is obtained. Having the schedule, we can analyze it to check if the total and partial deadlines and critical activities are met.