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of Level 3 has yet to be achieved in practice. The second and, certainly as important is the maturity of the current commercial models. The existing contracts have yet to grasp basic electronic trading and the very concept of cloud processing leaves the existing contract models far short of what is required,” he says. “Level 2 might appear rather basic but

it allows us to maintain the existing contracts and arrangements with only minor amendments. In Level 3, because everything is shared in a non-proprietary way it’s tantamount to ripping up the rule book, and we need to be ready for that with a plan. Level 2 will help us write that plan.”

Rise of social networking Bew says it’s not unlike what is happening in the media. Press regulation, libel laws and how information is released has been thrown into chaos by the rise of social networking sites like Twitter. “True integrated systems will come and over the next couple of years we hope to have properly established what Level 3 is. Part of our plan will be to engage in the debate and we are funding a team of academics to look into this type of operation.” It’s all very well for government

and others to argue that BIM adoption might save the industry money in the long run, but lean times make it hard to invest up front. Bew says that one of the rules the government set itself when making the demands for BIM is that the investment need shouldn’t be greater than the savings made. There is five years to get geared up, during which most companies would have to invest in new kit anyway. In fact, any main contractor capable of

drawing information from a shared design model could deliver a Level 2 BIM project with little changes to their internal processes — although Bew wouldn’t recommend it. “Theoretically, Tier One contractors could bypass BIM and simply specify that their designers and specialists pass information between them to the client — but then they add no value,” he says. The prize, after all, is “more for less” for

everyone, whether on the client side or the supply side. “Anyone who invests in BIM should get a payback,” says Bew. “Our key message is get involved. Come and engage and be part of the process.” CM

18 | APRIL 2012 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

CM invited two contractors to put their questions and concerns about BIM to the government’s head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office

IN JUST 18 MONTHS, BIM has moved from an aspiration on a PowerPoint slide to a mandated contractual requirement on a live Ministry of Justice pilot project. But the speed of implementation — and the small dictionary of jargon accompanying it — has inevitably left unanswered questions bobbing in its wake. So CM gave two contractors an opportunity to clear up a few uncertainties clouding their view of BIM. In a rooftop eyrie at the Treasury building, Aran Verling FCIOB of specialist subcontractor Byrne Group and Martin Chambers PPCIOB of Midlands contractor Shaylor Group met David Philp, head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office. The meeting, briefly joined by Mark Bew, was a chance to bypass protocols and ask direct questions. To use some of the jargon, Byrne Group and Shaylor Group are at different points in BIM “maturity”. Verling was speaking for a company that’s well-versed in the use of integrated 3D design models in relation to the design and manufacture of concrete components. “We see BIM from

What they said:

1. Changing culture and integration Aran Verling We’re sitting in a fragmented industry that makes money from fragmentation, that struggles to see the value in integration. You need that collaboration, co-ordination and integration in people before you can actually get it into the systems and processes. David Philp I 100% agree. There are three things that make up BIM. First you need the technologies to build the models. The second is process throughout the entire project life cycle. But what sits right above those two is changing people’s culture and behaviours. So 60% is about changing hearts and minds, the technology is maybe about 20%, and the process is 20%. As people start to build BIM