CPA in joint initiative to help manufacturers prepare for BIM
New initiative to deliver product data parameters and templates in readiness for April 2016 BIM mandate
A JOINT initiative between the Construction Products Association (CPA), BIM4M2, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and NBS has been formed to provide consistent product data parameters and templates, to allow manufacturers to prepare their product information in readiness for the Government’s April 2016 Building Information Modelling (BIM) mandate.
With April 2016 and the Government’s Level 2 BIM requirement looming large on the horizon, there is now a real and urgent need for accurate, accessible and consistent digital product information, and the manufacturer community needs a single and unified approach to product data, using a common language.
Manufacturers already have the required information, but a simple, industry-wide approach to product data parameters and templates has, until now, been a challenge. Through this initiative, manufacturers will have free and ready access to product data parameters and templates that are relevant to their products and have been developed through a defined consensus process.
Each template defines the minimum information about a product that is required for UK Government BIM projects, and by using the templates manufacturers will be able to supply product information in a form that aligns with the UK’s Level 2 BIM requirements.
Mark Bew, chairman of the BIM Task Group, said: ‘When the BIM Task Group identified the client data requirements which are now provided in the BIM Toolkit, we were looking for other communities to work together to provide their own common data requirements. This initiative from the products and manufacturing sector signals an important collaboration from industry which will add significant value and clarity.’
Peter Caplehorn (pictured), deputy chief executive and policy director at the Construction Products Association, added: ‘The CPA welcomes this move forward. We are at a point where clarity and ease of use of product data is vital for everyone to make progress. We are very pleased to be part of the initiative and will be encouraging all manufacturers to take part.’
Through this joint initiative all templates will be maintained and developed to support the evolving needs of a digital construction industry and to ensure product parameters align with the requirements of relevant European and international standards.
The templates and common product data parameters will be made available on both the CPA and NBS BIM Toolkit websites as well as the existing CIBSE website, and the initiative will engage with other industry groups, including the wider BIM4 Communities and trade associations, to ensure industry product data requirements continue to be supported.
