BIM Level 2 Guidance - UK Introduction

Introduction The birth of BIM Building Information Modelling (BIM) sits at the heart of digital transformation across the global economic and social infrastructure sector. For the construction industry, a major part of the UK economy, it provides a critical opportunity to significantly improve performance. As a core element of the UK Government’s Digital Built Britain strategy, BIM should also eventually help citizens to make better use of the transport, water, communications and energy infrastructure already in place and help to boost value from the investment made in sustaining those assets. Essentially BIM involves the use of digital tools to collaboratively manage information and data across the entire life cycle of built environment assets. It is a process, enabled by technology, that focuses on outcomes and derives value from open, sharable asset information. It is a way of working, not just an application. At its core BIM uses 3D models with attached data and information to connect and share information efficiently across the supply chain and so boost the efficiency of activities around asset delivery and operation. By helping the entire supply chain to work from a single source of information, BIM reduces the risk of error, maximises the project team’s ability to innovate and drives efficiency, transparency and productivity. And if the project information isn’t shared or repurposed then it isn’t truly a BIM process. According to the UK Government's later construction benchmarking report, the BIM programme has been a major contributor to the combined record industry savings of £2.2bn between 2013 and 2015. Having contributed to meeting the 2011 Government Construction Strategy (GCS) target of saving 25% on the cost of public sector capital projects, BIM is recognized as a significant tool to help the industry to continue to drive down cost and increase value for money and will contribute to the forecast efficiency savings of £1.7bn over the course of this Parliament, as set out by the latest 2016– 2020 GCS. At the industry’s leading edge, there are companies which have the capability of working in a fully collaborative 3D environment, so that all of those involved in a project are working on a shared platform with reduced transaction costs and less opportunity for error; but construction has generally lagged behind other industries in the adoption of the full potential offered by digital technology. Construction Strategy 2011, Subclause 2.29

The purpose of this Guide This guide is intended to help construction industry professionals, suppliers, clients and asset owners/operators understand and adopt all aspects of Level 2 BIM; a level of BIM maturity defined as embracing “file based collaboration and library management” in the delivery of assets. The goal is to help construction professionals and clients to build business strategies and plans that capitalize on the benefits offered by these processes.