UK Government’s BIM mandate takes effect today. Are you ready?
April 2016BIM will be compulsory on all centrally procured public sector projects from today. On this same day the government has launched a website containing key Level 2 documents, including PA1192:2 and the CIC BIM Protocol (drafted by Beale & Company) at https://bim-level2.org/. It is therefore key that you are “up to speed” in relation to BIM.
Our experience of working with clients and hosting discussion events has suggested that the industry has already taken significant strides in relation to the use of BIM. There is still, nevertheless, a need to ensure that a “joined up” approach is taken across organisations. As part of that approach it is very important to understand how the use of BIM on any project is reflected in your contract.
Beale & Company drafted the industry standard CIC BIM Protocol for the BIM Task Group (available for free here), the recommended approach for reflecting BIM contractually. We of course suggest that the CIC Protocol is used if BIM is a contractual deliverable (but in our experience it is not always properly incorporated into the contract – see the note below regarding some “key pointers” for doing so).
We have also produced a number of guidance notes in relation to BIM, which:
- summarise the CIC Protocol and other key Level 2 documents;
- share practical experience of BIM following our events on the topic;
- consider some of the key legal issues arising from the use of BIM to date (first published in Construction Law); and
- provide some key pointers (based on our experience) for the use of the CIC Protocol.
BEALE & COMPANY DIGITAL NETWORK
To help your business in relation to BIM, all of these documents along with more can be found on Beale & Company’s new Digital Network which launches today. The Digital Network includes an up to date knowledge bank of all the information and documents we have produced on BIM and digital engineering, including legal articles, webinars and links to external sites and the Government’s BIM website.
If you would like to share your experiences of BIM then join our network of Digital Leaders within engineering by emailing Diginet@beale-law.com.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF BIM
Please get in touch with our ‘BIM Guru’ Andrew Croft on the details below if you would like to discuss the legal implications of BIM and how to reflect BIM contractually – for example, if you would like assistance regarding:
- the use of the CIC Protocol or contractual provisions regarding BIM;
- amending your disclaimers to reflect BIM; or
- a guidance note on how to reflect BIM in your organisation.
Andrew Croft
Associate
T: +44 (0) 20 7469 0400
E: a.croft@beale-law.com
