Encouraging BIM among Local Authorities

With BIM starting to gain more acceptance within the construction industry, there has been a dedicated review detailing how Local Authorities in the UK are behind the curve when it comes to BIM adoption.

The report (linked below) was compiled by the Construction Innovation Hub and Local Authorities to help assess and move Local Authorities towards the Government's Digital Built Britain initiative or as some people refer to it, BIM Maturity Level 3.

One of the main issues identified was the low take-up of digital ways of working. This is due to a general lack of understanding and appreciation of BIM capabilities and that BIM is so much more than simply 3D modelling. Another issue identified was the perception that the BIM process is only effective for new builds and that it’s not very relatable to existing infrastructure.

Another interesting point detailed in the paper was concerns relating to the impact on existing culture. Personally I feel this is a very valid point to raise because all too often people are happy with the status quo, using the phrase “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”

Here at YourCAD we’ve been keen to encourage our clients to use BIM not just as a contractual requirement, but to adopt it and find a way to make the process work for them. The return of investments from contractors using a well-developed BIM can be very high once understanding of the available data is achieved. We’ve also championed our clients to engage with their projects’ end users by focusing on how they are innovating by adopting BIM, and highlighting how this can benefit clients during building life.

There’s still a long way to go, but hopefully data will soon be realised for the efficiencies it can bring to all.

Read the full BIM in Local Authorities Report

Written by Matthew Cunliffe, Managing Director of YourCAD