Brexit?
No. Even we’re beginning to tire of it now. B is of course, for BIM. Building Information Modelling, Better Information Management, Digital Construction, The Digital Twin, The Future…
We’ve got a bit of a thing about this. Is it a continuation of things that have been going on for a long time? In 2004 there was an article on the modular construction techniques used by Travel Inn. Yet in 2018, people are still proclaiming offsite construction is the future. Even Mark Farmer’s ‘Modernise or Die’ said the way forward would be offsite.
More importantly, what about the law? There are many perspectives for the law. These include insurance, contracts, or evidence in dispute resolution. Possibly the most important report and document that we know of, is the Winfield Rock report. The two solicitors went to great lengths to collate data. The report examines legal awareness, risks, implications and challenges presented by BIM.
The ultimate goal of BIM is to create a model that will not only help improve the efficiency of design and construction. It should provide information to manage and operate projects when completed. One example of this in action is Quintain’s Wembley project. One thing it is not, is a ‘thing’. A common misconception seems to be that you can buy ‘a BIM’. Something you’d pop in the corner with the contract, and not worry about it until later.