Government shifting BIM focus from adoption to implementation, says adviser

In comments reported by Building Magazine, David Philp said that the change in emphasis followed the publication of a suite of contractual and technical standards for BIM projects in February. Philp, who is head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office, was speaking at BIM Show Live, an industry conference.

BIM expert Martin Roberts of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the Government's change of approach was the right move.

"With the recent launch of the CIC BIM Protocol, Best Practice Guidance notes and outline services for BIM Information Managers, there is now plenty of assistance to enable participants in BIM projects to understand the issues and risks which need to be managed," he said. "It's time for those who have not yet dipped their toes in the water to think about getting them wet."

A BIM system uses a computer-generated model to collect and manage information about the design, construction and operation of a project centrally. It is especially useful where many parties, such as different sub-contractors, provide input on the same project. Any changes to the design of a project made during its construction are automatically applied to the model.

The Government set out its commitment to BIM as part of its 2011 Construction Strategy, led by the Cabinet Office. This report announced the Government's intention to require collaborative 3D BIM on all its projects by 2016. This will include electronic access to all project and asset information, documentation and data.

The Protocol published by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in February is designed to be incorporated into existing construction contracts. It also features as part of the latest version of the Government-endorsed NEC3 suite of standard form contracts, published last month. The Government-backed BIM Task Group has also produced a publicly available specification (PAS) setting out the technical standards for information management during the capital and delivery phases of construction projects using BIM.

A survey published in early March showed a threefold increase in awareness and usage of BIM technology by the construction industry since 2010, although adoption rates remain significantly behind those of other major economies. However a Government-commissioned report published at the start of April (51-page / 1.6MB PDF) has since found that the UK is beginning to catch up with market leader the US in terms of BIM thinking and adoption.

Richard Saxon, the Government's BIM Ambassador for Growth and author of the April report, said that fuller adoption of BIM by the UK construction industry would "raise productivity" and deliver better quality projects, faster and cheaper. The technology will also provide opportunities for the UK professional services sector to become a "powerful international player", he said.